The Outsiders Imagines/Headcannons

Ain't a chicken/ Johnny imagine

"We're hosting a scary maze at our school tonight." Pony announced to everyone, slapping the flyer on the table.
"Since when were you interested in that kind of stuff, Pony?" Darry asked, "Don't tell me that theatre is your new hobby now!"
"I don't." Pony sighed, "They needed more people to volunteer and a damn Soc volunteered me to do it. I have to be a zombie and a mask that I can't breath in, clothes that are itchy and hot, and I have to be at school when I could do other things."
"Aw don't be like that!" Soda tried cheering him up, "It'll be fun. You get to scare people! I wanna come."
"Me too!" Two chimed in, "Gotta get into that spooky season spirit!"
"Same here!" Steve shouted from the living room.
"Sure, why not." Dallas shrugged.
"Sounds fun!" You smiled.
"You're comin too, right man?" Dallas patted Johnny's back.
"Uh-yeah..." He chuckled a bit nervously.
You picked up the flyer and started reading.
"This spooky night," You read aloud, "The school will be transformed into a haunted maze filled with ghosts, zombies, vampires and more. But this isn't any Halloween themed maze...it will scare the soul out of you!"
Everyone groaned at the cheesy flyer. Nobody noticed, but Johnny gulped.
"Warning," You continued, "Contains jump scares, loud noises, dark rooms, and scary elements. People of sensitive groups should not take part."
"Jump scares!" Soda, Steve, and Two exclaimed with grins.
"Jump scares?" Johnny asked in a high, quiet voice.
"Loud noises and dark rooms," Dallas nodded, "Added with jumpscares? Sure, why not."
"Loud noises and dark rooms?" Johnny asked in a higher voice.
"Scary elements." Darry read the paper, "Hm, a nice change of pace. I need to have some fun too, I've been working all week."
"Scary...elements." Johnny looked like he was about to faint.
"We're all going, right?" You grinned.
"I-," Johnny started.
"Yeah!" Everyone interrupted unintentionally.
Johnny was silent but his face screamed "Hell no!". Luckily, you noticed him.
"Johnny," You said, holding his hand, "Baby, are you okay?"
His hand started to tremble in yours.
"I-um-," he stammered out.
Everyone looked at Johnny and remembered about him.
"Oh," Soda sighed, "Sorry Johnnycake, I forgot. Uh, we can stay home instead."
Everyone became a little disappointed. But Pony seemed a little happy from his half smile.
"But, I don't want you guys to miss out." Johnny denied.
"Then you'll stay home?" Darry asked.
"I don't wanna be alone!" Johnny blurted out, shaking his head, "I-I wanna go with you guys!"
Everyone sighed, except you.
"Alright!" You grinned, "It'll be fun!"
"But Johnny." Dallas chuckled, "You...you..."
Johnny hung his head down and looked at the floor.
"Y'all think Imma chicken, don't you." Johnny mumbled.
"No we don't, J-," Two denied.
"Yes you do!" Johnny snapped, "Y'all thought of it just now! Probably think I'm the biggest coward in the whole world!"
Everyone tried backing it up but Johnny wouldn't listen.
"I'll show y'all!" He swore, "I ain't a chicken. I'll go and I'll show you that I'm not a coward!"
Johnny grabbed his Jean jacket and stomped out the door with a slam. Everyone looked at each other in silence with uncertainty. You were worried for Johnny.
~
You all left the house to walk to the high school that night. Pony left early to prepare.
Everyone was talking and laughing, how it could be a cheesy, low budget maze or an actual fun one.
Johnny walked silently in the back with you. He had his arms crossed and kicked anything in sight. You looked at him with concern because he was still mad at everyone for thinking he was a chicken. It was true that Johnny was nervous and jumpy in nature, but he wasn't always scared silly.
But, you knew that these kind of things scared him. So did the gang. Johnny had enough of it.
"You know." You spoke up, "It's not too late to go back. I can stay with you back at the house. It's no shame to be afraid."
"Yes there is." He mumbled and kicked a pebble as hard as he could, "And I ain't scared! I want everyone to stop saying that! Not true at all."
"But last year you wouldn't even talk or look at Two-Bit when he dressed as a scary monster." You pointed out.
Johnny didn't say anything. You saw that he had a tint of red in his cheeks.
"But that was last year!" He finally denied, "I'm different now. I'll show you!"
You couldn't help but smile at him.
"Alright, brave boy." You giggled, "I'll stay by your side."
You held his hand and he tightly held yours back. You noticed his hands were a bit clammy, but he pretended to look brave.
"Thanks, Y/N." Johnny smiled, leaning down to kiss you.
"Can I count on you to guard me from the scary monsters?" You asked innocently with a chuckle.
"Definitely." He grinned proudly.
"Oh, My knight in shining armor!" You said dramatically, making Johnny laugh.
"We're here!" Darry called to us.
People lined up in the front of the school. There was Halloween themed music and decorations surrounding the school. Up the stairs and to the gate of the school read COME INSIDE IF YOU DARE.
This maze wasn't the crowded type. They let in one group them the next after a short amount of time.
You felt Johnny tense up a bit and hold your hand tighter as you guys walked closer to the entrance.
"Hey." You told him softly, "You're gonna be okay, you got this. The gang and I will be with you the entire time."
He let out a shaky sigh of relief and nodded.
Everyone started encouraging Johnny as they inched closer and closer to the exit. Surprisingly, Johnny hasn't left. He was that determined.
He held your hand even tighter and scooted next to you, which you thought was adorable.
"Okay, just you two?" A bored lady asked the both two of you.
"Ye-Oh-wai-um-," Johnny stammered out.
"Alright, head in." She interrupted.
You looked at Johnny with a smile and a shrug. He gulped and nervously smiled back, shifting his eyes from you, the rest of the gang, and the entrance of the maze.
The gang loudly cheered for Johnny, he was going to go in.
"You got this Johnny." You whispered to him.
He squeaked out a strange noise then nodded.
You had to lead him to go inside, which he reluctantly did.
Colored mist filled the dark hallways and eerie music played in the background. Faint screams of other groups could be heard not very far from us, making Johnny freeze.
"Johnny?" You asked.
"I-I can't do this!" He confessed, "I thought I could be brave like you and no one would see me as a chicken anymore! I wanna go back!"
"Hey." You said in a low voice, "You got this far Johnny. No turning back now. Before, you wouldn't even go to these type of stuff. You were determined with such bravery the entire time we walked here. And I know you can push even further. You are stronger and braver than you know you are."
He started to smile, then he nodded. You both shuffled down the dark, eerie hallway. You and Johnny looked out for anyone to jump at them.
You were actually not fazed at all. The sets were kinda cheap. You saw that most of the props were plastic and cardboard, the costumes to pretty low key too. You understood why Pony didn't want to do it.
Johnny, however, looked frightened as can be. He was turning into a pale ghost himself. But he continued without a single protest.
A zombie jumped out at the both of you and growled. You yelped and laughed, Johnny screamed at the top of his lungs. Johnny was normally quiet so hearing him loudly yelling was a new experience.
A guy with a poorly made axe dressed as a psycho killer, he actually had a scary stare too, lunged at Johnny. "Get out!" He hissed, playing along with his character.
"Gladly!" Johnny yelled, jogging away while pulling you along.
Shortly, a girl dressed as a creepy doll slowly walked closer to Johnny with a blank stare.
"Come play with me." The girl said with an evil giggle.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" Johnny screeched, hiding behind you.
He swatted at the girl like a fly yet steered away like she was a spider. You could tell she was trying hard not to stifle a genuine laugh at Johnny.
Johnny was running again. He ran past every monster next to you guys chanting "No" over and over again. Because of that, you guys missed a couple jump scares and some of the people dressed up broke character and looked at the both of you with confusion.
Finally, Johnny was out of breath and stopped.
"Are we almost done?" He panted.
"I think." You shrugged, "You okay now?"
Johnny nodded and hugged you tightly.
"I was so scared." He whimpered.
"I'm proud of you, Big Boy." You rubbed his back, "What do you say we finish the maze and go straight home?"
"Yes!" Johnny immediately agreed, nodding quickly.
Johnny had gotten a bit braver now. He walked in front and didn't cling onto you, but he was still shaking in fear.
All of a sudden, you tripped on something on the ground. You squealed, falling onto your stomach.
You sat up and saw that there was a scary zombie in front of you. It caught you off guard and he was reaching towards you, making you scream.
Johnny spun around the moment he heard you.
"Y/N!" He exclaimed, "Get away from my girl!"
Johnny went on full protective mode and without thinking, punched the zombie in the face.
He swept you up off the floor, bridal style.
You gazed up at him and smile.
"Well what do ya know." You said softly, "My chicken has become my knight in...shining denim."
Johnny laughed and put you down. The zombie he had punched let out a muffled, but loud groan beneath the mask.
He took off the mask, revealing it was Ponyboy.
"Ow!" Pony winced, "I'm bleeding! What'd you do that for, Johnny?!"
"Pony?" Johnny tilted his head, "Uh oh, um...Crap, I'm so sorry! I didn't know that was you, I got protective..."
"This is why I never want to do these things..." Pony grumbled to himself and threw the mask on the floor while he wiped his bloody nose.
Pony lead you guys to the exit, he wanted to go home too. A few seconds later, the rest of the gang came out happily.
They cheered triumphantly for Johnny for conquering his fears. Maybe a little bit too loudly because almost everyone was staring.
"Pony?" Soda asked, "What happened to you?"
"Don't ask." He mumbled.
"Johnny punched him thinking he was a guy trying to hurt me." You answered.
Everyone burst out laughing and congratulated Johnny. Pony went home by himself to die inside in his bed while eating Halloween candy.