Gold - The Outsiders Fanfiction

My mother told me never to do this

Ponyboy's P.O.V.

I drove through the pouring rain. I'd passed the border from Oklahoma to Arkansas and I was about to drive into Tennessee. I'd been driving over twelve hours and I was knackered. It would even improve if I just had some company. Just as I thought this, I spotted a hitchhiker on the side of the road, gesturing the classic thumbs up. I stopped my car and he opened the door.

"My mother told me never to do this," I said with a slight smile as the man sat down in the passenger seat.

He was dripping wet. He took off his beanie and wrung it out.

"Bless you," I said as he sneezed. "I'm Ponyboy."

"John," he introduced. "John Ryder."

"So, where you headed?" I asked.

"I'm getting your car really wet," John observed.

"This isn't mine. It's a driveway. I'm heading to New York."

"So, where you headed?" I asked again.

"You got a smoke?" John asked.

I gestured to the glovebox.

"You gonna tell me where you're going?" I asked.

"Sure," John said, staring at me.

"What're you looking at me for?" I asked.

"Just looking," John said.

I inched over a bit in my seat.

We sat in silence for a few minutes and as soon as I saw a car up ahead, John pushed my leg down forcing me to floor the car down the road.

"Why did you do that?" I asked. "Was there something wrong with that car?"

"Scare you?" John asked with a smirk on his face.

This guy was a weirdo. I pulled up on the side of the road and opened his door. "You should get out now. Bye."

The guy would get out. He pulled the door shut, but it wasn't shut properly. I wasn't going to call him out on it. I didn't want to piss this guy off, I didn't know what he was capable of.

I started driving again.

"What was wrong with that car back there?" I asked.

"Why?" John questioned.

"Just wondering," I said. "When you pushed my leg down on the accelerator it looked like you were trying to avoid it."

"I ran out of gas a few miles back," John said, dodging my question.

"So I'll take you to a gas station?" I offered.

"Alright," he said.

"Gas stations sell cigarettes," John said.

"And gas," I added.

"I don't need gas," John said.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

John started laughing, and I was confused as to what he was laughing at. I was really pissed off now.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"That's what the other guy said," John said.

"Who?" I asked.

"The guy driving that car back there," John told me. "He picked me up before you did."

"Was he in the car?" I asked.

"Yep, couldn't have walked very far," John said cheekily.

"Why?" I asked.