Unrequited (The Outsiders ship fic)

Ch 6. Drink up!

Time skip over
(It's now 4 days after all that started, at where the first chapter started)

Johnny POV

Me and Pony walk to his house alone. Two drove Kathy to the drive-in right after school, and Dally wasn't waiting for us outside the gate.
Or waiting for me, I guess.
It's been a few days since I got a minute alone with him, since Dal wants all my freetime nowadays. I missed it, even if he couldn't tell because I wasn't talking.
He talked about Cherry Valance a lot.
"I feel like she'd be a bit more inclined to wanna hang out with me if Two wasn' always hounding her friend," he said.
I took a swig from my water bottle. Everyone tells me I should drink more water, but I don't like it. It tastes boring. I got enough boring in my life. But my mouth's dry right now.
"Ain't you a lot younger than her?" I asked him.
He shrugged, "I guess."
Pony should care more about the age difference. Maybe he should care more about everything about her. He can't keep anticipating a 17 year-old pretty soc girl to turn around and date him some day. Big kid soc girls don't do that. Yeah, he deserved it, but I feel bad that he's always waiting for her to tell him she loves him. He shouldn't tell her though, it would break his heart to hear from her that she'd never, ever love him back.
It's been in the back of all our minds since they first time we saw him talk to her. All the rest of gang knows somebody's gonna have to tell him to let her go sooner or later. I don't like it, but I think it's going to be me.
He suddenly broke through my thoughts after not speaking for a minute.
"I don't think you should be with Dallas," he said slowly.
He didn't show any signs of distress or of pleasure on his face. He said it just like it's a fact.
I took another gulp of the tasteless lukewarm water.
"Why not, Ponyboy?" I asked, looking him in the eyes as I screwed the cap back on.
Who the hell is he to be giving me relationship advice anyway?
He sighed, "You don't look happy when you're with him."
"Do I ever?" I chuckled.
He nodded yes.

Ponyboy POV

I honestly didn't think I'd ever tell Johnny that. More just because I think Dally'll beat my ass if he heard, but I also wouldn't want to hurt Johnny. I'm his best friend, I'm supposed to be supportive. But it's true, he doesn't look happy when he's with Dal. He laughs and talks a lot and can run around and make jokes and eat food when it's just me and him. That's how I know he knows how to be happy.
But whenever he's with Dally they're just kissing. I'll come home from school with Johnny some days, and Dally'll be in the kitchen and just attack his lips. Then I won't hear a single word from Johnny the rest of the night. Even if Dal finds Two-bit and they start talking up a storm, he's just standing behind Dallas silent. That's not happiness.
"You shouldn't be after Cherry Valance," he said matter-of-factly.
"What?" I snapped.
His eyes widened for a second when I snapped at him.
A part of me knows he's right. He's got a boyfriend, and she told me she'd fall for Dal if she got the chance. She's got two guys lined up before I even get a shot. And I guess I can't be mad at him for saying it, since I told him he shouldn't be dating Dally.
"I... I just think you could probably do better than some soc girl," he said, speaking quieter and stuffing his hands in his pockets.
I laughed, "You're kidding. Next you'll tell me Two-bit's too good to be chasing Marcia. As if."
He laughed too, "Two-bit could run up the Himalayas for a chance at her and still not make it."
"Oh yeah?" I chuckled, looking at him while he looked at me, then I looked down again, "What's so different 'bout me then?"
He put an arm around me and leaned his head on my shoulder, chuckling again.
"I don't know. He's a lot stupider than you, maybe that's it."
He pulled a bottle out of his jacket pocket. If it were anyone else I'd ask if it's really full of vodka, but it's Johnny so I just smiled.
"Finally decided to drink some water?"
"Nah," he said after taking another swig and closing his eyes, "I need a Coke, let's go."
We walked each other to Soda and Steve's work, joking around the whole way. I don't know, I guess I can't stay mad at him.
Steve saw us first and let us through the back of the building. Soda bought Johnny a Coke, even though he said it was fine, and me a Pepsi. I remember when we were kids and we used to fight about if Coke or Pepsi's better. We don't really do that anymore, since he's a lot more shy now and doesn't like to fight about anything. But sometimes when I buy a Pepsi and he gets a Coke he'll roll his eyes at me and we'll laugh. Whenever the lady taking our order at a restaurant goes "We don't have Coke, is Pepsi okay?" and he says yes anyway 'cause he's sky, I'll get two drinks and he'll say something like "You're lucky you're my friend" and laugh.
Not now though.