Why on Earth I was stuck with this stupid JD for a brother is beyond me. Two-Bit Matthews has been arrested 4 times, is a Junior for the third year in a row, and hangs out with a gang of do-nothings that are going nowhere fast. And the names on some of them- who in the hell'd name their kid Ponyboy? Pony's actually a good kid. It's Dally Winston I really worry about.
Dally's despicable, though I doubt he'd understand the word. He's committed half the crimes that you can be prosecuted for. The Tulsa PD is on first name basis with that hood. He's got those mean eyes, thick eyebrows, and permanent smirk. And he thinks he's so tuff. He's not. He's barred from entering any school in Tulsa. He lit a small fire in a Freshman English Class and blamed it on some soc. And one time, he shot spit balls into Sherry Valance's hair till it looked like it was polka-dotted. So even though he's good for a laugh, Dally's not the type of guy I'd like hanging around Pony, my brother, or Johnny Cade.
Johnny's a real nice guy. He's a junior, too, like me. It's god-awful how his parents beat the poor guy. All he's ever wanted to do is please them. And Dallas.
Why the hell a good guy like Johnny Cade seeks the approval of a lowlife like Dally confuses the shit out of me. Dally's headed to the state pen, at best. Johnny could go places. He's really smart, but it just takes him a little while to catch on to book-learning type things. He could get beyond Tulsa. America's got real cities to explore besides this goddamned hellhole. Places like Chicago, or New York, or Los Angeles. Places where maybe they don't have greasers and socs.
That said, I am proud to be a greaser. We're better than those snobby, spoiled, bitchy socs. We don't turn in our own friends to the cops. We fight fair. And we earn what we have, instead of Daddy just giving it to us. I hate girls like Sherry, or 'Cherry' as they call her. Ones who date the boys they do cause of how much money they have, instead of how much they love them. Those girls make me sick.
I was sitting in English with Johnny and Ponyboy. Pony's two years younger, but they skipped him ahead to junior English. We're reading this weird book, THE SIN THAT WAS HIS. It's about mining up in the Yukon in Canada. It's super depressing.
"I want to get the hell out of this class," I whisper to Johnny. He nods, and slides a paper over to me. Gloria, wanna go to the DX later to grab a coke?
Odd, Johnny never asks anyone to go anywhere. Sure, Johnny. I pass back the paper, unbeknownst to Mr. Burnham. He's busy reaming out some soc who was necking with his girlfriend in class.
See you at 3:30, Gloria.
Yeah, see you then, Johnny. I'm not gonna lie. Johnny's extremely attractive. Those big dark eyes, that shaggy black hair. He's usually pretty quiet, but he makes me laugh constantly. More than anyone else, like my brother or Dallas. I'm pretty silent myself, but when I'm with Johnny I could talk for hours. He tells me about his parents, and how they abuse him. Why he still wants their love, I don't know.
Maybe I'm reading too much into a trip to the DX. But maybe Johnny sees me like I see him. Like someone to go with, like Soda and Sandy, or Dally and Sylvia. But god knows I'm not wearing that much slap on my face.
There's the first chapter of The Greasers and Me. Just so you know, Johnny and Dally DO NOT DIE in this story. Please R+R! PLEASE! And this is not going to follow the storyline of the Outsiders. PM if you like!