I stood there, shocked, as his words echoed through my mind.
"You don't know?" I panicked, "What do you mean, you don't know?" I started pacing, "What if he's hurt? What if-"
"He'll be fine, he's a smart kid," Sodapop interrupted, trying to calm me down, "You better stop pacing, Rosie. You'll make a rut in the floor," he joked. I just ignored him. My mind was racing as it filled with all the awful possibilities. Darry got up from his chair and hugged me, running his hand over my hair.
"Don't worry, he'll be home soon," he assured me. I could hear the worry in his voice and I knew that he wasn't sure if what he had just said was true. I nodded slowly and checked the clock again. 12:30.
Come home, Ponyboy, I pleaded silently. I closed my eyes and buried my head in Darry's shoulder.
An hour and a half went by and there was still no sign of Ponyboy. By now, Soda had fallen asleep on the couch and Darry was re-reading the paper for the fifth time. As for me, I was trying to read a book that Pony had recommended to me, but no matter how hard I tried to concentrate, I just couldn't.
Where could he be? I wondered, setting my book down. I saw movement in the front yard and craned my neck trying to see what it was. I saw the familiar figure that could only belong to one person. Ponyboy! I thought excitedly. He opened the door and stepped in slowly, as if he was scared of something.
I rushed over to him and embraced him in my arms. Darry placed the newspaper on the small table beside his chair and stood up.
"Where the heck have you been? Do you know what time it is?" Darry exclaimed angrily. I had never seen him this angry in a long time. To be honest, it scared me. Pony shook his head wordlessly, making Darry continue, "Well, it's two in the morning, kiddo." Soda woke up and looked at Pony tiredly.
"Hey, Pony, where have you been?" Pony walked past me and Darry and went into the bathroom. Darry followed him and stood in the door way. When Ponyboy tried to get through, he stopped him.
"I fell asleep in the lot," Pony mumbled, pushing past Darry. That just made Darry fume more.
"You what?" he yelled, looking at him furiously. Pony just shrugged and repeated himself.
"I was talking to Johnny and I fell asleep in the lot," he said simply, "I didn't mean to."
"And it never occurred to you that your sister and your brothers might be worried sick about you. Pony, Rosabella nearly had a heart attack when she found out that you weren't home!" he yelled, "And we can't even call the cops cause they would throw Rosie in a girls' home and you and Soda in a boys' home so fast, it'd make your head spin."
"I said, I didn't mean to...." Pony trailed off. Darry was nearly shaking with anger.
"I didn't mean to! I didn't think! I forgot! That's all I ever hear from you!" Darry exclaimed. Soda and I walked over to Darry and tried to stop him.
"Come on, Darry....." we said in unison. He spun around to face us. He pointed at us and the tone of his voice made me cower against Soda.
"Shut up! I'm sick and tired of you two always sticking up for him, you hear me!" he shouted. I'd never seen him like this before. Ponyboy stepped closer to him and for the first time, he yelled back.
"Don't you yell at them!"
It all happened so fast. Darry wheeled around and slapped Ponyboy so hard that it knocked him to the floor. The house was silent and Darry looked at his hand that was now red. All traces of anger had left his face and were replaced by regret. Soda and I stared at them, wide eyed.
"Ponyboy......." Darry whispered. Pony scrambled to him feet and bolted out the door. "Pony, I didn't mean to!"
"Ponyboy!" I yelled, worried. I quickly shoved on my shoes and began to run out the door when I felt someone grab my arm. I turned around and looked into the eyes of my oldest brother.
"What do you think you're doing?" Darry asked me.
"I'm getting my baby brother back." I ripped my arm out of his grasp and ran in the direction that Pony had run in. I followed him as he raced across the lot and woke Johnny. "Ponyboy!" He must have not heard me as he and Johnny began to run again. When they finally stopped, I caught up to them and hugged Ponyboy tightly. He stumbled back slightly, surprised, but he quickly got over it and hugged me back.
"What are you doing here, Rosie?" he asked me once he pulled away. I just looked at him, raising one of my eyebrows.
"Do you really think that I would let my little brother go out, alone, at two o'clock in the morning?" I questioned, "I'm not letting you get hurt again." Pony nodded and looked at Johnny who was still trying to catch his breath from running.
"What happened, Pony?" Johnny handed Ponyboy a cigarette and lit it with a match, "I've never seen you bawl like that," he commented.
"It was Darry, he hit me. I don't know, I had to get out, I just couldn't take him hollering at me and hitting me, too," Pony stuttered, "We used to get along real well....before Mom and Dad died. Now he just can't stand me." I looked at him and shook my head.
"That's not true, Pony. He cares for you, he's just stressed. He was mad because he was afraid; afraid of losing his little brother," I tried to convince him, but he wouldn't believe me.
"I think I like it better when the old man's hitting me," Johnny sighed, "At least then I know that he knows who I am. At least you got Soda and Rosie, I ain't got nobody." I looked at him, startled.
"Shoot, you've got the whole gang. Dallas didn't hit you, did he? No he didn't because he cares about you. We all do, Johnny. Dally cares about you. Pony, AJ, Soda, Steve, Darry and Two-Bit care about you. I care about you," I told him, emphasizing each name. Johnny smiled at me thankfully, but then his smile turned sad.
"It ain't the same as having your own folks care about you. It just ain't the same," he explained. I nodded, showing that I understood. Ponyboy looked as though he was deep in thought.
"Let's walk to the park and back. Then maybe I'll be cooled off enough to go home." Johnny and I agreed and we started walking.
The park was about two blocks square, with a tall fountain in the middle and a small pool for little kids. Since it was autumn, the pool was empty, but the fountain was still running merrily. The tall elm trees that surrounded the park made it shadowy and dark. It would have made a good hang out, but we preferred the vacant lot. The Shepard outfit liked the alleys down by the tracks, so the park was left to the children and couples.
Nobody was around at two-thirty in the morning, so it was a good place to relax and cool off, but I was afraid that if Ponyboy cooled off anymore, he would turn into popsicle. Johnny snapped up his jeans jacket and flipped up the collar.
"Ain't you about to freeze to death, Pony?" he asked, looking at Ponyboy. I saw that he was shaking like a leaf, so I took off Soda's old jacket that I had been wearing and handed it to him. He tried to push my hand back, but I threw it over his shoulders anyway.
"Now you're gonna be cold, Rosie," he said to me. I just shrugged and looked around. A sudden blast from a car horn made me jump. The blue Mustang was circling the park slowly.
"What do they want? This is our territory. What are Socs doing this far east?" Pony muttered. I just shook my head, not knowing how to answer. "Oh, glory. This is all I need to top off a perfect night," he took one last drag on his cigarette before grinding it under the heel of his shoe, "What to make a run for it?"
"It's too late now," Johnny told him, "Here they come." He crossed his arms over his chest and Ponyboy slouched and put his thumbs in his pockets, trying to look tough. I placed my elbow on Johnny's shoulder and watched the Mustang approached us.
Five Socs were coming straight at us, staggering as they walked. That frightened me; a cool deadly bluff could sometimes shake them off, but not if they outnumbered you five to three and were drunk.
I looked over at Johnny. He was scared to death and I mean it. He was as white as a ghost and his eyes were wild looking, like the eyes of an animal in a trap. As they surrounded us, we had no choice but to back up against the fountain.
They smelled so heavily of whiskey and English Leather, that I almost choked. Ponyboy was staring at the Socs coolly. Johnny looked at them with a blank, tough look on his face. You'd have to know him to see the panic in his eyes. I glared at them, trying to mask my fear. They could scare us to death, but we'd never let them have the satisfaction of knowing it.
It was Bob, Randy and three other Socs. I knew that they recognized us and Johnny recognized them. He was staring at Bob's rings with wide eyes as the moonlight glinted off them.
"Hey, what do you know? It's the greasers that picked up our girls," he said to Randy, "Hey, greasers!"
"You're out of your territory," Johnny warned in a low voice, "You better watch it." Bob eyed Johnny as Randy cussed us out.
"Nup, pal. You better watch it. Next time you want to pick up a broad, pick up your own kind; dirt." Johnny looked at me as Bob finished speaking. Ponyboy was not happy about what he had just said. "You know what a greaser is? White trash with long hair."
I felt the blood drain from my face. I've been insulted by Socs, but nothing ever hit me like that did. Johnnycake made a kind of gasp and his eyes were smoldering. Pony stepped up and I was praying that he wouldn't say something that would make them angry.
"You know what a Soc is?" His voice was shaking with rage.
This isn't going to end well. I couldn't help but think.
"White trash with Mustangs and madras," he sneered. And to top it off, he just had to spit at them. Bob shook his head, smiling slowly.
"You could use a bath, greaser. And a good working over. And we've got all night to do it. Give the kid a bath, David." They came at us and Pony tried to get away but they wrestled him into the fountain. I saw Johnny try to help Ponyboy but when he did, they shoved him back and started to beat him.
"Johnny, Pony!" I screamed, "Get off of them!" Suddenly, one of them turned to me and grinned evilly. I ducked and tried to run for it, but the Soc caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, and shoved my face into the fountain. I fought, but the hand at the back of my neck was strong and I had to hold my breath.
I tried to kick my legs but it was no use. Pony was right beside me and I grabbed his hand. He squeezed mine and looked at me through the water. I began to feel light headed and I could see that Pony was about to pass out.
Just as I started to lose conciseness, the grip on my neck and my arm disappeared. I pulled myself out of the water and dragged Ponyboy out, too. The world was spinning and I felt my legs give out as I collapsed, falling into someone's arms.
When I came to, I was on the ground in front of the fountain. I gasped and began to cough up water. Although the sudden crisp fall air burned my lungs, I continued to breathe it in deeply. It blasted through my long sleeved shirt, which clung to me, soaking wet. The breeze sent chills down my spine. My teeth chattered rapidly and my hands shook wildly. I finally pushed myself up and leaned my back against the fountain, the water running down my face in droplets. Then I saw Johnny.
He was sitting next to me, his knees pulled tightly to his chest, staring straight ahead. He was a strange greenish-white, and his eyes were bigger than I'd ever seen them. In his hands, he held his switchblade, which was covered from the tip to the hilt in blood.
"I killed him," he said slowly, "I killed that boy." Bob was lying there in the moonlight, doubled up and still. A dark pool was growing from him, spreading slowly over the blue-white cement. My stomach gave a violent jump and my blood ran cold.
"Ponyboy, are you okay?" I mumbled, looking at him. His face was pale and he didn't look very good.
"I think I'm gonna be sick," he moaned. Johnny nodded slowly and continued to stare at the blade.
"Go ahead," he said in the same steady voice, "I won't look at you." The words were barely out of his mouth when Ponyboy sat up and to his side and began to vomit. I leaned my head back and sighed.
This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be-
"You really killed him, huh, Johnny?" Ponyboy asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah." Johnny's voice faltered slightly. "I had to. They were drowning you and Rosie. They might have killed you two. And they had a blade. They were gonna beat me up...."
"Like they did before?" Pony dared to say. Johnny was quiet for a minute.
"Yeah," he said, "Like they did before." He then told us what had happened. "They ran when I stabbed him. They all ran..." he trailed off.
"Johnny!" Ponyboy nearly screamed, "What are we gonna do? They put you in the electric chair for, killing people!" he was shaking, "I'm scared, Johnny. What are we gonna do?"
Johnny jumped up and grabbed Pony up by his jacket. He shook him and tried to stop him from yelling again.
"Calm down, Ponyboy. Get a hold of yourself." Pony shook loose of Johnny's grip and did as he was told. I stood up shakily and nervously slapped the front pockets of my jeans, looking around. "We’ve got to get out of here. Get somewhere. Run away. The police'll be here soon." I was trembling, and it wasn't all from cold. But Johnny, except for the fact that his hands were twitching, looked as cool as Darry ever had. "We'll need money. And maybe a gun. And a plan."
"Dally," I said with finality, "Dally'll get us out of here." Pony glanced between the Johnny and I and nodded.
"Where can we find him?" I tried to remember where Dally had said he would be.
"Buck's."
None other than Buck Merril himself answered the door when we knocked, and a roar of cheap music came with him. The clinking of glasses, loud, rough laughter and female giggles, and Hank Williams. It scraped on my raw nerves like sandpaper. I didn't like parties. With a can of beer in one hand, Buck glared down at us.
"What do you want?" I stepped up and stared him down. When you deal with Buck, you have to bully him a little to get what you want.
"We have to see Dally," I demanded, crossing my arms, "Now, Buck. And don't keep us waiting." He looked at me for a second and turned around. He walked into his house and slammed the door, leaving our sight. Johnny and Ponyboy groaned. "Just give him a minute, he'll be back." They tried to see in through the window but they eventually gave up. Just as Pony was about to tell me that he wasn't coming, the door opened and there stood a shirtless Dallas.
"What?" he asked tiredly. Johnny explained what had happened and he didn't even bat an eye when Johnny told him that he had knifed a Soc. Instead he grinned and patted his back. "Good for you," he told Johnny. Finally Johnny finished.
"We figured you could get us out if anyone could. I'm sorry we got you away from the party." Dally just shrugged.
"Oh, shoot, kid," Dally glanced contemptuously over his shoulder, "I was in the bedroom." He suddenly stared at Ponyboy, "Glory, your ears can get red, Pony." I knew exactly what he was thinking. He was remembering what usually went on in the bedrooms at Buck's parties. Then Dally grinned in amused realization. "It wasn't anything like that, kid. I was asleep, or trying to be, with all this racket. Hank Williams..." he rolled his eyes and added a few colourful adjectives after 'Hank Williams.' "Me and Shepard had a run-in and I cracked some ribs. I just needed a place to lay over," he rubbed his side ruefully, "Old Tim sure can pack a punch. He won't be able to see out of one eye for a week." He looked us over and sighed, "Well, wait a second and I'll see what I can do about this mess." Then he took a good look at me. "Rosie, are you wet?"
"Yeah, Pony is, too. The Socs thought that we could use a bath," I told him through chattering teeth, remembering Bob's words. He slung his arm around my shoulder and led me inside. For some reason, when he did, Johnny tensed and stared intensely at Dally's arm.
"Glory hallelujah! You'll die of pneumonia before the cops ever get you," he exclaimed. Ponyboy and Johnny followed us as he brought us upstairs to the room he was staying in. "Get those sweat shirts off," he threw a towel at me and one at Pony, "Dry off. At least Johnny's got his jeans jacket. You ought to know better than to run away in just a sweat shirt, and a wet one at that. Even Ponyboy has a jacket," he scolded. He was almost being more protective that Darry. "Here!" Dally handed me and Pony each a shirt about ten sizes too big. "They're Buck's. You and him ain't exactly the same size, but it's dry." He handed me his worn brown leather jacket with the yellow sheep's-wool lining. "It'll get cold where you're going, but you can't risk being loaded down with blankets."
He turned so his back was to me and he moved Johnny and Pony so they were the same way. I quickly took off my wet shirt and threw on Buck's. As I pulled his sweater on, he faced me again and nodded. He left the room for a second and when he came back, he closed the door carefully. He handed us a gun and a roll of bills.
"The gun's loaded. For Pete's sake, Johnny, don't point the thing at me." Johnny looked at Dally sheepishly and stuck the gun in the back of his pants. "Here's fifty bucks. That's all I could get out of Merril tonight." I shoved the money in my pocket and listened to him as he began to speak again. "Rosie, Pony, do Darry and Sodapop know about this?" Ponyboy and I looked at each other and shook our heads. "Well, I ain't itching to be the one to tell Darry and get my head busted."
"Then don't tell him," Pony mumbled bitterly. I looked at him in shock. I knew that he was mad at Darry and all but he and Soda deserved to know where we were. Especially when Bob's death will be in the morning paper. They'll have our pictures in it and we'll be wanted for murder. Darry and Soda definitely deserved to know where we were.
"Ponyboy..." I trailed off, looking at him sternly. He just ignored me and Dally took that as a sign to keep talking.
"Hop the three-fifteen freight to Windrixville," Dally instructed, "There's an old abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain. There's a pump in back so don't worry about water. Buy a week's supply of food as soon as you get there. This morning, before the story gets out. Then don't so much as stick your noses out the door. I'll be up there as soon as I think it's clear," he ended, "Man, I thought New York was the only place I could get mixed up in a murder rap," he mumbled.
At the word "murder", Johnny made a small noise in his throat and shuddered. I still couldn't believe that poor innocent Johnnycake had killed someone.
"You three better get going." He messed up Johnny's hair. "Take care, kid," he said softly. Pony and Johnny began to head to the tracks to catch the train, but when I tried to follow them, Dally stopped me. "Be careful, Rosie," he whispered. "I want my little sister to come back in one piece," he joked. He pulled me close to him as he hugged me. I don't think Dally has ever hugged anyone before. He let me go and said one last thing to me, "Keep Johnny safe." I nodded and ran after Johnny and Ponyboy, who hadn't noticed that I was gone. The three of us took one last look at Buck's house before running full speed to the tracks.
We crouched in the weeds beside the railroad tracks, listening to the whistle grow louder. Soon the train slowed to a screaming halt.
"Now," I whispered. We ran and tried to pull ourselves into an open boxcar. Ponyboy got on first, followed by Johnny and finally I climbed on, after grabbing Johnny's hand for help. We pressed against the side, trying to hold our breath while we listened to the railroad workers walk up and down outside. One poked his head inside, and we froze. Luckily, he didn't see us, and the boxcar rattled as the train started up.
"The first stop'll be Windrixville," Johnny said, laying the gun down gingerly. He shook his head, "I don't see why he gave me this. I couldn't shoot anybody."
Then for the first time, I truly realized the severity of our situation. Johnny had killed someone. Quiet, soft-spoken little Johnny, who wouldn't hurt a living thing on purpose, had taken a human life. We were really running away, with the police after us for murder and a loaded gun by our side.
Pony stretched out, using my lap as a pillow. He soon fell asleep and Johnny turned to me hesitantly.
"What did Dally say to you?" I was surprised that he had noticed that I hadn't come right away. I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders.
"Not much. He just told me to be careful." I wasn't lying; I just wasn't telling him the full story. He gave me a doubtful look and pushed for an answer.
"Really? Cause I've never seen Dally hug anyone. He must have said something important." I sighed, leaning my head against the side of the boxcar.
"Do you really want to know?" I asked, tilting my head to look at him. He nodded rapidly. "Then you can wait until I want to tell you." He groaned quietly. "You realize you're not going to win this, right?"
"Yeah, but it was worth a try," he sighed. I laughed slightly, making him look at me. "What?" I just ignored him and placed my head on his shoulder. I could feel his eyes on me, so I looked up.
"You don't mind, do you?" I questioned. He shook his head and smiled down at me. "Good. You're more comfy than the boxcar," I told him. He chuckled a bit making his shoulder bob up and down. I moved around until I was comfortable, making sure I didn't wake Pony in the process. I wrapped my arms around one of his and felt my eyelids begin to involuntarily close. "Goodnight, Johnny," I mumbled.
"Goodnight, Rosie."
"Rosie, wake up. Come on, Rosie, wake up," Johnny whispered to me. I swatted at his hand as it repeatedly shook my shoulder. I sat up and was immediately wide awake when I saw that we had to jump soon.
"Ponyboy, we're here," I shook Pony gently as I tried to wake him up, "Pony, get up." He opened his eyes a bit and stood near the door of the boxcar. When I tried to get up I found out that I couldn't. "Ummmm, guys. Pony put my legs to sleep. I can't get up." Pony looked at me apologetically and Johnny quickly glanced out of the train. He put his arms around my waist, lifted me up and hugged me to his chest. Before I got to ask what he was doing, he jumped out of the boxcar. Pony jumped soon after.
Johnny's back was the first think to make contact with the ground. We clung to each other as we rolled down a small hill. When we stopped, Johnny was practically straddling me. Our noses were almost touching and we looked each other in the eyes. He began to stutter an apology as he quickly got off of me, his cheeks tinted pink. Pony walked down the hill and looked around.
"Now how do we find Jay Mountain?" he asked Johnny and I. I shrugged and looked at Johnny for an idea.
"Go ask someone. The story won't be in the paper yet. Make like a farm boy taking a walk or something," he suggested.
"I don't look like a farm boy," Pony argued. He was right; he didn't look like a farm boy. Especially with his long hair that was combed back, and the slouching stride that he used from habit.
I looked at Johnny. He didn't look like any farm boy to me, either. He still reminded me of a lost puppy who had been kicked too often, but for the first time I saw him as a stranger might see him. He looked hard and tough, because of his black T-shirt and his blue jeans and jacket, and his hair, which was heavily greased and so long. I saw how his hair curled behind his ears.
They both need a haircut and we all need some decent clothes, was my first thought. I looked down at my worn, faded blue jeans, my too-big shirt, and Dally's worn-out jacket. They'll know we're hoods the minute they see us, I thought.
"I'll have to stay here," I told them, rubbing my legs, "You go down the road and ask the first person you see where Jay Mountain is," I winced at the pain in my legs, "Then come back. And for Pete's sake, run a comb through your hair and quit slouching down like a thug," I scolded Ponyboy. He pulled a comb from his back pocket and combed through his hair. I studied him for a second. "You know, you look an awful lot like Sodapop, the way you've got your hair and everything."
"I look about as much like Soda as you do. He's good-looking."
"Shoot," I said with a grin, "You are, too." Pony's cheeks reddened, "And Pony, I do look like Soda. He's my twin brother after all." There was a short moment of silence.
"We can't leave you here by yourself," Johnny said. He thought for a second before giving me an odd look. I didn't know whether to be glad that he thought of something or to be scared of whatever he thought of.
"Don't give me that look, Johnny Cade. What are you thinking?" Just as I said that, he scooped me up, bridal style. I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him. "Don't you dare drop me," I demanded. He chuckled a bit.
"I won't, you're not even heavy," he responded. He was either lying, or he was stronger than he looked. We walked for a few minutes before Ponyboy finally saw a few workers. Pony made his way over to them, trying his best not to slouch.
"Could you tell me where Jay Mountain is?" he asked as politely as he could. One of the workers pointed on down the road.
"Follow this road to that big hill over there. That's it. Taking a walk?"
"Yes sir." I was surprised when he managed to look sheepish. "We're playing army and I'm supposed to report to headquarters there." He can lie so easily that it spooks me sometimes. Soda says it comes from reading so much. But then, Two-Bit lies all the time too, and he never opens a book.
"Boys will be boys," the worker said to his friend with a grin. Pony smiled a bit and walked back over to Johnny and I. I pulled at the collar of Johnny's shirt to get his attention. He looked down at me questioningly.
"I think I can walk now," I announced, "I could've walked a few minutes ago, but no; you insisted that I would fall or something." He gently set me on my feet, as if I would break if he wasn't careful.
When we finally made it to the church, I saw that it was small and the white paint had started to chip on the siding. There was one thing that caught my attention, though. It was the bell that hung at the top. It was huge and I could only imagine the beautiful sound that it used to make when it was used for weddings or something. The inside, however, was awful. It was filled with spider webs and mice. It gave me the creeps.
I'd been in a church before. I used to go all the time, even after Mom and Dad were gone. Then one Sunday Pony talked Soda into coming with him, Johnny and me. Soda didn't want to come unless Steve did, and Two-Bit decided he might as well come too. Dally was sleeping off a hangover, and Darry was working. When the three of us went, we sat in the back, trying to get something out of the sermon and avoiding the people, because we weren't dressed so sharp most of the time.
Nobody seemed to mind, and Johnny and I really liked to go. But that day...well, Soda can't sit still long enough to enjoy a movie, much less a sermon. It wasn't long before he and Steve and Two-Bit were throwing paper wads at each other and clowning around, and finally Steve dropped a hymn book with a bang. Accidentally, of course. Everyone in the place turned around to look at us, and Pony, Johnny and I nearly crawled under the pews. And then Two-Bit waved at them. I hadn't been to church since.
This church just gave me a creepy feeling, though. What do you call it? Premonition? Something like that. I guess I would have to get used to it though. I'd have to live in it until Dally, and it could be a month before he shows up.
Ponyboy flopped down on the floor and when I saw his face, I decided not to do that. The floor was stone and it looked like it hurt to flop down on it. I laid down next to Pony and he curled up beside, leaning into my left side. I put my right arm behind my head, trying to cushion it some. Johnny stretched out beside me, resting his head on his arm.
I started to say something to him, but I went to sleep before I could get the words out of my mouth. Johnny didn't notice, though; he was asleep, too.
YOU ARE READING
Stay Gold {The Outsiders}
Fanfiction"Ponyboy!" I yelled, worried. I quickly shoved on my shoes and began to run out the door when I felt someone grab my arm. I turned around and looked into the eyes of my oldest brother. "What do you think you're doing?" Darry asked me. "I'm getting...
