Scottish Gold (An Outsiders Fic)

Chapter 34: Fiery Red Hair

Cookie's POV

I woke up to Johnny shaking me and Ponyboy awake, saying it was time to get off the train. My back ached and cracked as I rolled up to my feet on the unsteady boxcar. My brain was foggy and I couldn't remember why I was where I was, or how I had gotten there. Pony looked about the same, tired out of his mind, about to pass back out at any second.

"We gotta get off as soon as they stop. They'll be checking all the boxcars and we don't wanna be on here when they do." Johnny said, "Dally said Windrixville's train security is more strict than Tulsa's."

That's when it all came rushing back to me. The stabbing, the blood... my heart and head hurt thinking about it all. Everything in me was screaming to turn back around and go back to town. Everything happened so fast as Johnny pulled Pony and I off the train and into a big meadow. We hid there until the train was checked and out of site.

"Blast it, you two!" Johnny complained, "Ya'll usin' my legs as pillows put my legs to sleep. I barely got off the train."

I rolled my eyes at him. Like that was our biggest problem right now, his bloody legs hurting. I should grab him by the ear and twist for how stupid he's acting. He just killed somebody!

"I'm sorry," Ponyboy said, quick to apologize like always, "why didn't you wake us up?"

"I got ya into this mess, the least I could let you two do is sleep." Johnny said, shaking his head and we nodded at him. He was right. I wasn't mad at Johnny, I was mad at how everyone was acting like this was no big deal. We were never going to get to go home.

"How are we gonna find Jay mountain?" I asked, looking around. There were no road signs or anything to point us in the right direction and we didn't even have a map.

"I guess we could go ask somebody?" Johnny suggested, shrugging.

"Are ye fuckin' crazy?!" I asked him, "We'd have come all this way from nothin'. If we ask somebody we'd get tossed in jail so fast!"

"Yeah, Johnny... I don't know...." Pony chimed in.

"What happened last night shouldn't even be in the paper yet." Johnny told us. He was right though, the papers work fast, but not that fast. They probably wouldn't be able to publish a story on last night's events until tomorrow morning. That gives us twenty-four hours to find the church.

"Okay. Ponyboy, how about ye pretend tae be a farm lad or somethin' and ask fae directions." I suggested. He looked at me like I was crazy, gesturing to his hair and clothes. He clearly didn't think it was a good idea.

"Why me? Why can't you do it?"

"Because no one will take meh seriously." I said.

"And her hair, she and Cherry are the only redheads this side of the Mississippi, they'd remember her from the paper and rat out that we are headed to Jay mountain. We can't take any chances." Johnny added.

"That too." I backed up.

"Fine." Pony said, "just stay back so y'all ain't seen."

We both nodded, watching him walk off. I took this moment to turn to Johnny and stare at him intensely. I hoped he could feel my annoyance penetrating his skin.

"We gonna talk 'bout it or are ye gonna keep acting like we are on a bloody vacation?" I asked, crossing my arms and popping a hip. I watched as he looked at me with scared eyes. That's when I realized it, he was being strong for Pony, trying to be protective over the young one. He couldn't do that with me though.

"I'm terrified, Cook." He told me, his eyes filling with slight tears as his lips quivered. I nodded my head, wrapping him up in a hug. He needed it, I could tell.