Bullets Linger
Chapter 1: The Bus Ride Home
Disclaimer: We do not own "The Outsiders" or any of the Curtis' Gang. :( The real owner of "The Outsiders" is the fabulous S.E. Hinton. We also do not make a profit from the stories posted here on this site.
A/N: Flashbacks are all in italics.
Third Person POV (October, 1972)
Ponyboy stared out the open window from the plain, listening to each small noise that seemed to echo around him and watching the world from his higher point of view. Next to him was a small bag of his various belongings; dog tags, uniform, etc.
Tap, Tap. Someone tapped on the window, making Ponyboy jump. His whole body went ridged.
Bang! Bang!
Shots rang out around the field. Across from Ponyboy sat hunkered down were two of his war buddies, Charlie and Emilio.
Ponyboy watched helplessly as shot hit another soldier, William, in the head.
Ponyboy stared down the barrel of his gun, aiming it at the closest gook. He didn't think about the person he was shooting. No, that would come later. In the late hours of the night Ponyboy would wonder if the gook he had shot had a family or was drafted like him, an unwilling participant...
"Curtis!" Someone shouted from the seat across from him.
"You a little zoned out there, ain't ya?" One of Pony's closest war buddies, Zach joked. Zach's real name was David Zacharious, but where everyone was called by their last name he normally went by Zach.
"I guess," Ponyboy mumbled, his heart still beating fast in his chest.
"It was just a guy tapping on the window," Zach assured him quietly so no one else would hear them.
Ponyboy nodded. "Yeah, I know," he lied.
X
The plane landed and Ponyboy rushed out the doors and onto American soil. Relief flooded through him.
He was safe.
Before Pony even got to the area where his brothers were waiting Ponyboy was anxiously searching for his brothers, hoping that they were there on time.
He saw Darry first. He looked older than Pony remembered, but then again Darry was now twenty-six and had a steady girlfriend.
He saw Soda last, but he couldn't help but smile when he saw him. His older brother looked just the same, smiling as big as ever but looked impatient for Ponyboy to arrive.
Sodapop, now twenty-three, wasn't dating currently, at least that Pony was aware of.
"Ponyboy!" Soda shouted, scooping his younger brother up in a bone-crushing bear hug us soon as he caught sight of him.
"Look at your tuff hair," Soda laughed, rubbing his youngest brother's short hair.
"Hey, Kid," Steve greeted from where he was propped up against the wall, slightly out of the way.
"You did good," Steve whispered as he put Ponyboy in a headlock, because he was "too tough for hugs".
But did I really do good? Ponyboy wondered. I killed people. I'm a murderer, not shy good.
Stay Gold,
Chicago Fire Buddies and Pony'sgirlfriend