The Outsiders- It's A Battle

Chapter Nineteen

Plicity's P.O.V.

I woke up in a sweat to look straight into Johnny's eyes.

"Johnny?"

"Yeah man."

"Oh you're alive," I said relieved, I had just watched him die.

I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight just to prove to myself that he was real. To my surprise he hugged me back.

"What was going on man?"

"I saw the whole gang die."

"That ain't good!"

"Ever since I was hospitalized the second time I've been having these terrible dreams."

"It's gonna be alright man, don't worry."

"Thank you Johnny."

"It ain't a problem, I wasn't asleep anyway."

"Alright, Johnny you should get some sleep," I said finally letting go of him.

"You gonna be alright in here man?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Night Johnny."

"Night," he said as he quietly shut the door behind him.

He had been outside, his hair was all messy and windblown. If it was day time, he would have complained about not having enough grease in it. He looked cute when his hair was all messy. Hmm.

I laid back down and thought of Johnny as I went back to sleep.

I had been up for a couple of hours now and still hadn't seen Soda. It's like he just disappeared off of the face of the Earth! Nobody had seen him or heard from him since last night. I was starting to get worried, really worried.

I sat down on the couch and tried to forget that he was practically missing. It was only Pony and me here right now. The rest of the gang left this morning, including Two-Bit.

I was starting to get frustrated with Two-Bit. He got drunk and hurt, then we patched him up and he went on his way to repeat the cycle.

Lately he hasn't talked to me much and hasn't cared what I think. It's starting to feel like I don't exist to him. He's my brother, he should spend some time with me.

Ponyboy walked into the room and flopped on the couch almost displacing me. I laughed and just stared at him, in a way, inspecting him.

He had a goofy grin on his face, and because his hair had started to grow back, it was partly brown and partly blonde. He still looked okay... No, good, I don't think you could make Pony look bad. After all he is a Curtis.

"What're you doin' Plicity?"

"Staring at this wall."

"That sounds like fun," he said with no sarcasm in his voice.

"Pony, either you're a good actor, or just really weird."

"I like to think I'm a little of both."

I hit him playfully on the arm. "I like to think just the weird part."

That to him was an invite to wrestle. He threw an arm around my neck and brought me onto the floor. My turn, I tried to roll him over onto his back, but he tried to roll me at the same time.

We ended up rolling around on the floor, his arms in my hands and my arms in his hands. Until we finally stopped.

He was on top of me looking like he had won, until he realized how close our faces were. He flushed bright red and so did I.

Too Close! Too Close! Too Close!

Wait, Steve said find one and I'll make sure you never get hurt. Was the one... Ponyboy?

Surely not, I had known Pony all my life. We are just friends... right?

Don't let anything get to you, think honestly. Is it Ponyboy?

Nah.

"Get off me Pony."

He rolled so that he was laying on the floor next to me.

"You gonna be alright?"

"What do you mean Pony?"

"What with your dad and all being around, I thought you'd be a little more upset."

"I've got friends like you that make it easier. You've helped me a lot Pony, just by being there. Even if we don't talk about it, you help me."

I turned my head to look at him and he turned his to look at me. I studied his face, he looked sad and happy all at the same time.

"So it is hard on you?"

"Who wouldn't it be hard on?"

We were silent for a long while.

"If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me."

"What does anyone do without a Ponyboy?"

We laughed and turned our heads back toward the ceiling. It was so peaceful just sitting here with Pony.

"Hey Plicity?"

"Yeah Pony?"

"Would you want to go to the Dingo with me tomorrow night?"

Is this a date!? Calm down, do you want to date Ponyboy? I don't know! He's so sweet, but I don't want to ruin what we have.

"I would love to Pony."