Always Wanted A Second Chance

Chapter 1

Ponyboy sees black. That's all he sees. He's in complete and utter darkness. He tries to open his eyes, before realizing they're open. He just can't see anything.

"Hello." A voice says.

Ponyboy whips his head to where he heard the voice. He is greeted with a bright light and a beautiful girl with a pale complexion and bright white hair. Her cheekbones are high and she has bright blue eyes. Her rose pink lips and full and soft and her hair is loose, yet thick, falling around her shoulders.

"Who...who are you?" Ponyboy asks. This has to be a dream. Last thing he remembers is...is...Dally. Dally and Johnny. No. Don't think about them. Stop it. They're not dead. They're not.

"Actually they are dead. And you're not dreaming. This is all very real, Ponyboy. As for my name, you can call me Fate."

Ponyboy's eyes widened. "H-How did you..? Fate? I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand. You just need to answer." She said simply.

"Answer what?"

"If given the chance, would you redo it? Relieve everything, in order to save Dallas Winston and Johnny Cade?"

Ponyboy looked her directly in the eye when he answered her. "In a heartbeat."

Fate gave him a warm smile. "Very well then. Ponyboy Curtis you intrigue me, and you never cease to surprise me. Good luck."

Ponyboy watched her disappear before being shaken harshly out of his experience.

"Ponyboy." Ponyboy felt himself being jostled awake. "Hey, Pony, wake up." Ponyboy opened his eyes, only to see his once dead best friend, Johnny Cade.

Ponyboy yelped and twisted out of Johnny's grip. Johnny jumped before giving him a surprised look. "Pony? You okay? Was it another nightmare?" Johnny's surprised look changed to a concerned one. "Hello? Pone, you okay?"

'No. no way. He's dead. But he's not. I don't understand i watched him die!' PonyBoy jumped up, turned and ran, ignoring Johnny's calls for him to come back. 'There's no way. There's no way. This can't be possible" Ponyboy ran for Bucks. There was only one way this could be real. He reached the house and opened the door, running smack into someone on the other side.

"Glory, kid! What's the matter with ya? It's almost 2:00 in the morning! Do your brothers know

you're here?

Ponyboy looked up, only to see he ran into Dallas Winston, who proceeded the spill the drink he had onto Steve, leaving a chortling Two-Bit on the sidelines.

Ponyboy gaped at the three of the in disbelief. "This...This isn't possible..." Steve reached over and smacked him on the head. "The hell is your problem, kid?" Dally rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys. The kid's out of it. Let's take him home." Steve groaned but got up and pulling a still giggling Two-Bit alongside of him. Dally steered Ponyboy out of the house.

They all began the trek home, but Ponyboy was in too much shock to say or do anything else. They ran into Johnny who began questioning Pony's weird behavior, but Ponyboy just blocked him out as he tried to think. Grasping desperately for a reality he had accepted, but hadn't wanted.

When they all arrived at the Curtis household, Darry shot up from his chair, and yelled at Pony, waking Sodapop in the process. "Where the hell have you been?!"

That's when it hit Ponyboy

Ponyboy snapped. "This isn't happening. This isn't possible!" Darry glared at him angrily and Johnny gripped his shoulder in concern. "Pone? What is wrong with you?"

"You're dead!" He yelled at Johnny. Johnny flinched in surprise and Dally growled. "Kid what the hell-" Pony pointed at Dallas. "You're dead too!"

Ponyboy whipped back to Darry, rambling aimlessly as he tried to remember what had happened, what he had gone through. "You hit me, you hit me and I ran away! I took Johnny with me and, and we got jumped by Soc's who tried to drown me, in the park fountain, and Johnny, he killed the Soc! Bob Sheldon, the one who jumped him. Then Dally gave us 50 bucks and a gun and we went to Windrixville and stayed in the old church on Jay mountain but then we accidentally set it on fire and there were kids in the church and Johnny and me-we- we saved em' and then Johnny broke his back and died and Dally killed himself because of it and I passed out and Sandy left Sodapop-and and..."

Ponyboy couldn't breathe. His throat clenched and his world began spinning. He gripped his head and pain and whimpered. Something painful and raw and guttural came from his throat as his vision blurred.

Then it all went dark as his legs gave out and he slumped to the floor.