Scottish Gold (An Outsiders Fic)

Chapter 32: We Gotta Run

Cookie's POV

"Johnny? What have ye done?" I asked, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. I didn't know what to do or what happened. All I knew was that a boy was dead and it was because of us.

"I had to!" Johnny panicked, "They were drowning Ponyboy and he was going after you! He could've killed you both! And they had a blade.... they were gonna beat me up."

"Like..." Pony gulped, "like they did before?"

"Yeah," Johnny said, "like they did before."

We stayed quiet for a moment, hearing the distant crickets fill the still air. The stars shined above, but I was too ashamed to gaze at their beauty. I didn't deserve it. I'm an accessory to murder. Even if it was in self defense, it was still a felony and we were all going to pay the price. I felt like crying, like screaming, doing anything to release my anger. I shouldn't have ran away from Two-Bit, I should have stopped Ponyboy from running away. I should have told Johnny to sleep at the Curtis'. There are so many things that went wrong with this night that could have all been avoided.

"Johnny!" Pony shouted, which made me jump from my frantic thoughts. "What are we gonna do? They put you in the electric chair for killing people! I'm scared, Johnny. What are we gonna do?"

Johnny jumped to his feet and pulled Pony up by his sweatshirt and shouted, "calm down, Ponyboy. Get ahold of yourself!" Johnny didn't know what we were gonna do. He didn't even know what to say. Pony had a right to be scared, we would all suffer from what happened here tonight.

I scrambled up to my feet and saw Pony take his advice. I crossed my arms to try to preserve my warmth as all my energy drained, and so did whatever was left in my stomach as I bent away from the boys and emptied its contents once again. Anxiety filled every bone of my body as I thought of being forced to leave America, Two-Bit, and the gang and going back to Scotland. My Ma and Da were sure to have my head for the part I had played in tonight's events and I don't even think William could save me this time.

"Okay, I'm okay now." Pony said.

"Lads, we should leave." I said, feeling like a sitting duck in the lot. Bob's friends ran off, and we knew that the cops would be there soon. We had to leave and get to the police before those Socs and tell our story first.

"She's right," Johnny said, slapping his pockets, "we gotta get outta here. Get somewhere. Runaway. The police'll be here soon. We'll need money. And maybe a gun. And a plan."

"No, no, we donnae." I said, trying to be the voice of reason. "We just gotta go to the cops before the Socs do."

"And tell them what?" Johnny snapped at me. "That I killed a Soc? Self defense? Yeah, like they'll believe me."

"They wouldnae?"

"I don't know what it's like in Scotland, but around these parts, they throw greasers in the slammer for no good reason." Johnny said, and Pony nodded in agreement. "No one believes the victim."

Those words stuck with me, when I realized he was right. The police wouldn't believe us. Randy and David would never admit to what they had done to us all and there was no way in hell that the judges would listen to the side of the story from the kids on the wrong side of the tracks. They'd throw all of us in jail. Clint and Karen would probably be able to get me out, but I couldn't say the same for Johnny and Pony. Pony would get Soda thrown into a boys home, and Johnny would not last long in prison. He practically has 'use me as your punching bag' tattooed on his forehead.

"Dally." Johnny said, "Dally'll get us outta here."

"Where is he?" I asked.

"I think at Buck Merril's Place. There's a party over there tonight. Dally said somethin' about it this afternoon." Johnny answered.