Sitting in the vacant lot, staring into the fire Ponyboy had started, you fixate your gaze on the dancing flames - trying to dry your eyes. You didn't want to cry, not in front of anybody anyway. He had never seen you cry - ever, and you wanted to keep it that way.
Sniffling a little, you felt Pony wrap his arms around you, trying his best to comfort you. "He's just dumb and he ain't worth upsetting yourself over," he smiled softly at you.
You wanted to believe him, but he had promised this time, he promised this time he'd come and take you with. He had showed up just shy of your seventeenth birthday. The day he was leaving he told you to go pack your things, he was taking you back to Montana with him for a while. In your gut you knew better, but your heart still had a little faith - you wanted to believe in him for once. When you had your bags packed you ran down stairs only to find a note that said I'm sorry and his car gone.
Now your stuck in a vacant lot on your seventeen birthday with one of your best friends trying to figure out where you had gone wrong. Pony kept telling you he's the idiot until you couldn't take it anymore.
You sprung up from the beat up couch, him doing the same "You're right! I made it seventeen years without him, I had sixteen other birthdays without him, I grew up without him. I became who I am today with no help from him. I have a job, I go to school, I do it all by myself. He never cared to see it. He never helped. I'm used to him pulling this crap anyway. So, you're right Pony, I don't need my old man," you finished with a smile.
Your smile wavered and then faded when you looked into his eyes; your bottom lip began to quiver and your eyes filled with tears as you quickly walked back over to him, him pulling you into a hug as you began to cry, not caring about anyone seeing you.
"Why doesn't he want me," you whispered.
Pony rubbed your back and kissed the top of your head. "Cause your old man's a bonehead. He's never seen how smart you are, he ain't gonna see your eyes light up when you laugh at one of Two's jokes, and he'll never see that you can put the scare in anyone - even Dal, or how relaxed and calm Johnny is whenever you're around. He won't know how you confuse Soda and Steve when you know something about cars they don't, or how much Darry enjoys you helping him out around the house, and he certainly won't know just how much I need you here as one of my best friends; and he don't deserve to know. All these things you did without him, and that's the way it should stay."
You pulled away and wiped your tears, giving him a sincere smile.
"You're right, Pony, he don't." You took a quite look at the stars, "Man, they sure are pretty."
You didn't notice the way he looked at you - like you were the most import thing in the world. "They sure are," he said, still watching you, "Now, let's get back before we get in trouble."
YOU ARE READING
The Outsiders Imagines
Fanfiction"They grew up on the outside of society. They weren't looking for a fight. They were looking to belong."
