Hi guys, this is just an idea that popped into my head, please enjoy and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Johnny's beautiful letter. They belong to the great S. E. Hinton.
Darry got off the phone and looked around the room. "It was Dally, he just robbed a convenience store, the cops are after him, we got to hide him." We all were shocked, but I knew Dal was going to blow and do something crazy and outrages. We all ran for the door, and then ran towards the park, Darry leading the way.
When we approached the park, a gloomy scene unfolded in front of us. It felt so surreal like something you'd see in a movie only it wasn't a movie this time. Dally was running as two police cars blocked his way. He turned in a different direction and took out his unloaded gun and pointed it at the cops. Blasted fool I thought, they don't know it ain't loaded. Before I could finish this thought there were gun shots and the next thing I knew Dally was falling down onto the ground.
"No, he's just a kid!" escaped Darry's lips.
We all ran towards Dally or should I say the body. The cops were approaching too. Not paying any attention to the cops Darry dropped on the ground and grabbed Dally's wrist, checking for pulse. The cops were saying something to Darry, but I couldn't hear what they were saying from where I was standing. The next thing I knew Darry was yelling at the cop, "He's still breathing, call the ambulance!" There was silence then Darry yelled again, "call the ambulance, I said call the ambulance," I guess he got through to the cop, because he started saying something into his radio.
We tried to get closer, but Darry motioned for us to stay behind. The cops were standing next to Darry and were saying something. One cop removed the gun form Dally's hand and realized that it wasn't loaded. The cops looked pissed, but so did Darry.
In about 10 minutes the ambulance arrived. They put Dally on a stretcher and inside the ambulance. Darry was about to get in, but the cop motioned for him to stay where he was. The other cop was writing something down in a notepad.
Steve was for getting in the truck and going to the hospital, but Darry said they won't let us see him anyway. So we had to wait till the morning.
The next morning Darry, me and Two-Bit went to visit Dallas. Steve and Soda had to work. I was missing school, but for once Darry didn't care.
When we got to the hospital and got to Dally's room, we saw a cop exiting. I guess they couldn't wait till he recovered. The doc told us the bullet hit him in the stomach. They removed the bullet, and he should be ok in a couple of days.
We entered Dally's room. Dally was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. His face was really pale, and the look in his eyes was dull. He noticed us and there was something in his eyes, a flicker of anger. There was an awkward silence, and I wished that either Darry or Two-Bit would say something.
Finally Darry cleared his throat and walked up closer to Dally's bed. "Hey Dal, how are you feeling?" Silence, only an even angrier look in Dal's eyes. He was silent, but he was mad, I could tell. What was he mad about, I wondered, and then it dawned on me - he was mad that he wasn't dead, he wanted to die right there in the park under the street light. That's why he was pointing his unloaded gun at the cops.
"Doc said you are going to be ok in a few days." Darry continued. Again silence and a pained expression on Dal's face.
"Do you need anything?" Two-Bit spoke up. Dallas sighed and turned to his side, so that his back was now towards us. Two-Bit looked at Darry, concern in his eyes- "I guess he ain't in the mood to see us." It was Darry's turn to sigh. "Ok, Dal we are going. We'll be back tomorrow. Get better." There was no reaction from Dally, and there was nothing else for us to do but leave.
The ride home was in silence. Neither of us wanted to say out loud what was on our minds. Dallas wasn't happy that he survived. He preferred to die. He couldn't cope with Johnny's death.
A few days passed. We visited Dallas a few more times, and once Soda and Steve went to visit him, but he didn't seem happy to see anyone and hardly spoke. Finally on Friday he was discharged from the hospital.
When the store owner had read in the paper what had happened before Dally robbed his store, he dropped the charges, and since the gun was not loaded Dally got parole and no jail time.
After the incident Dally never showed up at our house like he used to. I heard from Steve and Soda that he was spending most of his time at Buck's, drinking. Steve said he asked Dally for a game of pool, but Dally only cursed him out.
One day I was sitting in my room, staring out the window at the wind playing with the leaves on the trees. Then my gaze fell on the book on the desk - Gone With the Wind. The nurse gave it to me after Johnny's death. Said he asked her to make sure I got it. I flipped a few pages aimlessly then a sheet of paper fell out from the book and onto my lap. I grabbed it and realized it was a letter from Johnny. I felt my eyes tear up as I was reading.
Ponyboy, I asked the nurse to give you this book so you could finish it. The doctor came in a while ago but I knew anyway. I keep getting tireder and tireder. Listen, I don't mind dying now. It's worth it. It's worth saving those kids. Their lives are worth more than mine, they have more to live for. Some of their parents came by to thank me and I know it was worth it. Tell Dally it's worth it. I'm just going to miss you guys. I've been thinking about it, and that poem, that guy that wrote it, he meant you're gold when you're a kid, like green. When you're a kid everything's new, dawn. It's just when you get used to everything that it's day. Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That's gold. Keep that way, it's a good way to be. I want you to tell Dally to look at one. He'll probably think you're crazy, but ask for me. I don't think he's ever really seen a sunset. And don't be so bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want. There's still lots of good in the world. Tell Dally. I don't' think he knows. Your buddy, Johnny.
By the time I reached the end of the letter the lines in front of my eyes were all jumbled up since tears covered my eyes. "I'll stay gold for you Johnny," I whispered. Then there was a part about him wanting Dally to see a sunset. Johnny was always quiet, but he understood things real good. He understood about Dally. He wanted him to see a sunset and to realize that there is still lots of good in the world. That won't be an easy task I thought, but I felt like I had to fulfill Johnny's last wishes.
I had no choice, but to go to Buck's to talk to Dally. So on Saturday I finally went. I didn't know what exactly I was going to say and dreaded the whole thing, especially since Dally was kind of mad that he was alive, that we saved him. I didn't tell Darry where I was going, said I was going for a run. He'd freak out if he finds out that I went to Buck's.
I entered Buck's and the smell of smoke and alcohol hit me. Nobody cared that a 14year old was there. I made it through the crowd looking for Dally. There were people drunk all around, some making out. I hoped that Dally wasn't in the room with a girl or something. Finally I saw him in the corner taking a swig from the bottle of whiskey. I was kind of scared to approach him. He was kind of mean even when he was sober, who knows what he'd do when he is drunk. I was standing hesitantly thinking that maybe I should leave when he spotted me. He looked up at me and his eyes were bloodshot. For a second he looked surprised then waved me over.
"What a hell are you doing here?" he said when I walked by him. His speech wasn't slurred so he wasn't that drunk after all.
"Actually I was looking for you."
"Are you in some kind of mess again?" he asked and there was a dangerous flicker in his eyes.
"No," I hurried to reassure him. "Actually I need to talk to you," I forced myself to say. He looked surprised. I wished he was sober to hear what I had to say, but now was my best chance to get his attention and I realized that. I didn't know what to say so I just took Johnny's letter out of my pocket and handed it to Dally.
"What a hell is that?" He took another swig of whiskey.
"It's Johnny," I found it hard to speak, "Johnny wrote this before he you know..." I didn't finish Dally grabbed the letter out of my hands. I saw a pained expression on his face.
Finally he finished reading and handed the letter back to me.
"Would you?" I asked.
"What?"
"Would you see a sunset?"
"Don't' be stupid, I don't' need to see no sunset."
"But Johnny wanted you to see one, can you do it? Not for me, for him." He looked up, a haunted look in his eyes. "When?" he croaked and took another sip from the bottle.
"Tomorrow at 7 at the lot." I was speaking too fast because I was nervous and scared that Dallas would change his mind. He didn't say anything and barely nodded.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," was all I said and hurried towards the exit.
The next day I was at the lot at a quarter to 7, and I hoped that Dally didn't forget his promise. At quarter after 7 I saw a familiar figure approach the lot. It was Dally. I got up and went to meet him half way. "Hey, Dal," I said hoping my tone of voice didn't give out how apprehensive I was.
"Hey, kid, let's make it quick." He was not drunk, and I was thankful.
We sat down on the ground. Dal was antsy. "So how much longer I got to wait?" he said impatiently.
"Just a little while." Just as I was saying this the sun started to set. The sky changed its color to pink and purplish hues and then the clouds turned gold and they were floating in the sky radiating a gold hue. It was a familiar view to me, but no matter how many times I'd seen the sunset it never stopped amazing me how beautiful it was.
There was an awkward silence. Then I looked at Dallas. All of the sudden he started taking his sunglasses out of his pocket and putting them on. He turned his head awkwardly and the glasses fell onto the ground. Then I saw his eyes were filled with tears. He grabbed the sunglasses, "stupid wind, makes my eyes tear up," he mumbled and put the glasses on. The thing is there was no wind. Then Dally proceeded to light a cigarette, and it didn't escape me how his hands were shaking as he was doing so. He took a long drag, then exhaled.
Then he looked up. "Stupid kid, why did he have to go on and do that?" there was a catch in his voice.
"Maybe," I said hesitantly, "he is in a better place now." Dally's facial expression changed to contempt. "I don't believe in that crap – if there was a God he would never let Johnny die and he would never let Johnny be abused like the way he was." I looked down, I had nothing to say to that, I had my own doubts about the whole life after death scenario. Then something occurred to me, "but maybe," I said, "God took him early because his life here was so unfair, and now he's in a better place." Dallas looked puzzled for a second, then to my total surprise he proceeded to ruffle my hair. "You are an ok kid Curtis." I felt extremely awkward, but managed a smile.
"Hey, can I keep it?" Dal said, while grounding his cigarette.
"What?"
"Johnny's letter, can I keep it? I don't have anything of his." I kind of wanted to keep the letter, but thought maybe it would help Dallas. I nodded and got it out of my pocket and handed it to him. He grabbed it out of my hands right away and carefully folded it and put it in his pocket.
We were about to leave, and Dal looked at the sky one last time. "It's pretty I'll give you that much," he said.
I nodded, "Where you headed?" I asked shaking the dust off of my jeans.
"Buck's," he started to say, then looked me in the eyes and said "I'll come over to your place. Maybe we can catch a game of poker or something, like the old times." With that we started walking in the direction of my house, and I felt closer to Dally than I have ever been. I felt like he was my buddy, someone I cared about. We were both grieving over Johnny's death and that brought us closer together. I sure was glad that he hadn't died there in the park under the street light, and maybe after today he will be glad he didn't die too.