He Was Mine, I Was His

Saved

    "No. No Ponyboy, come on! You can't do this to us man!" The kid next to me cried out. 

    "Hey, it's okay. I need you to stay calm. I can't help him if you're freaking out," I tried to calm him down. I could never concentrate in loud, stressful situations.

    He nodded and stayed quiet but he was still panicking. I checked for any sign of breathing but there was none. I cursed under my breath which didn't help the kid's nerves at all. 

    I tilted his head back and was about to give him rescue breaths when water came spurting out of his mouth. I turned him over so he could get the water out. 

    "Oh Ponyboy," the kid next to me sighed in relief.

    After he was done coughing, I helped him sit up. He was soaked and probably freezing.

    "Hey, can I see your jacket?" I asked his friend. He nodded and took off his jean jacket and I wrapped it around the boy. Ponyboy. Maybe odd names were common in this town. 

    "Are you okay?" I asked, pushing his light brown hair out of his face. 

    "Um, who are you?" He replied groggily.

    "This chick just saved your life Pony. You should have seen it!" Ponyboy's friend exclaimed.

    "Well, thanks but who are you?" Ponyboy questioned again. 

    "Marilyn. I'd love to know what the hell you two are doing out here at almost three in the morning but we need to get you warm before you die of pneumonia and I just wasted my time." 

    "Come on Johnny. Let's go back to the lot. We'll get another fire going," Ponyboy suggested to his friend. 

    "Do you guys not have homes you can go to? I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you out here this late."

    Johnny let out a small chuckle, "My parents aren't worried about me."

    He made it come off as a joke but I could tell it hurt him somewhere deep. Ponyboy had a similar sorrow look on his face. They didn't even have to say anything but I knew they weren't itching to go home. 

    "Come on. I'll take you to my house. You can warm up and relax before I take you home. I can't let you stay out here," I suggested as I stared at Ponyboy. He was shaking like a leaf. 

    "We don't want to be a burden Marilyn. We can figure something out," Johnny replied.

    "Nonsense. Come on."

    They agreed and we walked back to my house. They sat on the couch with blankets and I made them some hot tea. 

    "We really appreciate this," Ponyboy smiled.

    "No problem at all. Now do you want to tell me what happened tonight?"

    Johnny and Ponyboy went on to tell me all about their night. How they picked up two girls at the drive-in and that was their boyfriends and their friends who jumped them. They told me about the West Side Soc and the East Side Greaser rivalry. Ponyboy told me how his brother had hit him and that's why he didn't want to go home. I don't think he meant to tell me that part but it slipped.

    I felt bad. I figured this was the kind of thing Elizabeth was telling me about earlier. 

    "I want to tell you both something I told a friend the other day. The whole Socs and Greaser thing. It won't be like that forever. Someday those rich kids are going to realise they're no better than the middle and lower classes. They'll grow up."