bexley curtis ✰ || the outsiders

Thirteen

"You dig sunsets too, huh?" I heard a soft voice
call out from behind me. I turned my head
to see Johnny standing right behind me, looking
up at the sunset in the most magical way.

I nodded my head firmly as I put my attention
back onto the sky. The whole neighborhood brightened up with some mixtures of orange, red and purple as the sun fell asleep right behind the
clouds that shielded the sun with their dark, pale
look.

"Yeah, I really do," I said, smiling a bit to myself.
"It helps me with a lot of things, believe it or not."

"You're not wrong." He pointed out, walking over
as he sat right on the steps below me.

I could hear Johnny smiling at his own response,
Johnny always loved sunsets. He once told me that
every sunset has a message for us to keep living
and doing what we're doing, and I've thought about
that til' the day I took a pause and stared at one.

The sky had just finished darkening, it was a whole
bunch of bright colors scattered all over the sky which has now turned into a smokey purple
haze. Silence had filled the air as he still glanced
at the sky like it was still filled with colors.

I got up from my spot, brushing off my jeans as Johnny looked at me as if i was about to say something. "You going home, johnnycakes?"  I
asked before heading back inside.

He shrugged his shoulders, looking down at his black kicked up converse, picking at the dried up dirt marks. Part of his black jet hair was dangling in front of his eyes that didn't make him flinch one bit. "Maybe, or I might just head on over to the lot. I hate being greeted by my folks fightin' all the time."

I pursed my lips as I felt bad for Johnny. I
remember my mom insisted on adopting him
before her passing. She didn't quite frankly get a chance to before hand, but she always let Johnny stay in our house whenever he needed, which is why we always leave the screen door opened for any of the gang that needs a place to sleep for the night or even for the week; but I had an idea in mind.

"Why don't you stay at our house for a bit," I suggested. "We could always use some company."
Johnny scoffed a smile as he looked at me.

"It's alright. I'll head over to the lot, I don't wanna
be to much of a bother." He stood up and shoved his hands in his front pocket of his jean jacket as he started to walk his way to the lot, but I let the screen door slam as I walked after Johnny, softly grabbing his wrist which made him stop and look at me.

"You don't want to sleep in the lot with a bunch a' newspaper's scattered everywhere all over and flying away during the night while laying on an old dirty rusty couch, do you? It's too cold out there in the night. Darry would want you to come inside, we don't want to stand a chance of you getting sick or beaten to a pulp again."

His arm started to loosen up in the grip of my hand that was grabbed on his wrist. I could hear him take in a huge breath in his nostrils, and slowly letting it back out as I can tell he's re-thinking his decision.

"Alright," he gave in, his eyes sparkling from the pale
streams of the streetlamp light hitting down on us. "Just for tonight for the hell of it."

I let a small chuckle pass my lips as I couldn't help but smile. I wanted Johnny to feel home for once, gaining as much love and support as he should be given from the gang and I. I took my mom's advice as I knew she would've wanted Johnny to stay too, especially my dad. That man loved Johnny like he was his own son.