The Outsiders: A New Begining
Johnny had passed out with joy when we told him that the greasers had won the rumble. Dally and I were checking out the magazines down at the gift shop. It wasn't a big shop, just a little store with a little seating area decorated with tacky dull chairs and a few vending machines filled with junk food and pop. There was one wall stuffed full with little stuffed animals and cards. We were standing on the other side of the rack, which was in the middle of the room of the shop, to be hidden from every one else and to take a look at the "better magazines". Dally had taken the one I was reading and gave me a car magazine saying I was to young to read it.
"Aww, come on Dally, ain't I a man now? I should be able to choose what I read." I complained.
"No, kid you can't or Darry will have me over the freeway before you know it. Now stop making a scene and let's get going."
We put the magazines back but before we could leave the shop, on of the nurses came by and told us the doctor wanted to meet us. I suggested we should to Dally to see if it was about Johnny. He agreed to go along.
We entered the doctor's office slow and with caution. It wasn't a big room but big enough that all three of us and a small desk with a type writer on it would do. Me and Dally sat in the lime green chairs that were in front of the mahogany desk. Before the doctor came in I read the name plate that was placed at the left hand corner of the desk. It read "Dr. Curtis.." Strange name I thought to myself. The door opened behind us and a tall stick like man walked in. He had blond hair that was buzzed; his face was square and heard. His eyes were blue and sharp, almost like an eagle about to strike. He wore a long white cloak with black corduroyed pants and jet black penny loafers. His shoes reminded me of Two-Bit handle. A shiver ran down the back of my spine. Dally was the first to speak to the doctor.
"So what is this all about Doc? We're busy people so make it snappy."
"I understand vat your friend is in vis hospital for serious burns." he said in a thick German accent.
"So is it good news or bad news?" Dally said now more confused than ever.
"Vell, its good news I guess."
"Good than start telling us." Dally said getting pissed.
I noticed the doctors blue eyes start to darken as he thought about what to say. But I knew there was more than what he was about to explain. He took a deep breath.
"Your friend, he'll vill be out of his hospital in no time, now ve vill have to figure out vhere he is staying, vecause he has told me and the nurses a thousand times that he voes not want to go home with his parents and…"
"That's bull!" Dally interrupted, seeing the lie behind the doctors eyes. "You know your just saying that so you can just send him to that hell hole of his huh?"
"Vell I'm sorry but it's against the law to send him any where else and his parents…"
"Why are you listening to them? You don't even know them! They beat him for crying out loud!" Dally shouted interrupting the doctor once more.
"Vell, I can't do anything about it, unless he goes into a boy's home, but then that is not my priority."
"Well than make it! I don't want Johnnycakes to live in a hell hole like that! He could die just living with them!" Dally shouted, tears coming to his eyes.
I realized that maybe there was more to Johnny and Dally then meets the eye. Maybe Dally's love for Johnny was deeper than what I saw. Maybe… No, that would never be the case; Dally was to cold and heard to ever do anything like that.
We left the hospital around 10:30 and it was already dark out side.
A couple of weeks went by before Johnny was able to leave the hospital. Darry. Sodapop and I went over to check how he was. We where just a block away from Johnnycakes house when we heard a skin crawling sound. It was not a scream but a laugh, a hateful, evil laugh more like a cackle to be exact. Darry and Soda looked at each other with a concerned worried look. Even I knew something was not right. We bolted to the front door and our fears were answered. We could hear both of his parents laughing, and then we heard his mother say "Oh Jonathan, that's the most hilarious thing I have ever seen!"
"Ya! And the best part is is that he doesn't feel it!" his father said, trying to talk normal.
"Well come on we got to go or we're going to miss the show."
You see, Johnny was rich, and he didn't know it because his parents spent it on them selves and would never let anyone have it. Johnny's grandpa was the manager of an oil rig some where down in Texas. When he died, he left a great sum of money to his grandson for his education, to actually become someone. But his parents were greedy and took the money. To make everything look normal, they kept living in the poor side of town to divert suspicion.
Soon we heard footsteps coming towards the door. We jumped into the front bushes in case they caught us and called the cops. They left the front door wide open in silent mockery telling Johnny he could go anywhere he wanted to go and hopefully never to come back. We heard their vehicle start and roar off down the street. Soda looked out from the bushed to see if it was clear.
"'Kay guys we're good to go."
"Let's go see what the hell that was all about." Darry said, being the first to walk out of the shrubs.
"Hey, Johnnycakes, you…" but Soda couldn't say any more. Darry looked around the corner and told me to stay outside while he and Sodapop went inside. I did what Darry said and stayed outside but I hadn't promised him to stay in one spot. I was at the living room window before I knew it. I looked into the dusty windows and saw what my nightmares had warned me about. After months of trying to remember after every terrifying wake, all the images flowed back into me. What I saw in the exact same window in my dream and in reality was the same: Johnny in his wheel chair with four handles sticking out oh his leg, I recognized what they were, Knives, sharp tipped jagged edge, knives going through both of his legs. He knew he couldn't feel the pain going through his legs but he cried anyhow. Soda and Darry were struggling to get the knives out of his leg and to stop the bleeding. Johnny started to bawl as Soda picked him up and out of his wheel chair while Darry made it flat and carried it with on arm. They headed out the door. Darry turned around and grabbed me with his free arm, he squeezed me so heard that I couldn't breath and whispered to me "Quit screaming' kid, what are you trying to do? Getting the neighbours to call the cops on us?"
We headed home with Johnny in Soda's arms and Darry holding me close and trying to calm me down.
As soon as we walked in the door Dally, Two-Bit and Steve jumped off the couch to see what was going on. Every thing was silent until Two-Bit asked "What happened to him?"
"It was his parents." Soda squeaked.
"They thought it was a joke to stick kitchen knives in to Johnny's legs." Darry said while opening the wheel chair and placing Johnny inside.
Two-Bit pulled out his switch blade so fast that even Dally jumped back with a surprised look on his face. But the in the same sequence happened with Dally then with Steve, all pulling out their switch blades with revenge growing deep into their eyes.
"Okay, hold up, now I know what they did was wrong but…" Soda started.
"But nothing Sodapop, you know what they did can never be forgiven." Dally shouted, his hands shaking with hatred.
"I know but this doesn't have to be resolved in violence. Right?"
"Get out of the way Soda, nothing was done before, now its time to do something about it and finally get it over with." Two-Bit yelled in sheer rage. Soda couldn't speak anymore he knew their mind was already made up and that they were right. He turned to move out of their way then stopped. He turned to and said to Steve; "While you're there get Johnny's stuff and the rest of the money. If you have to, make it a robbery. I'll tell you my reason when you get back. Don't forget to break the phone." He looked at Darry with a hopeful look, Darry nodded back. Soda stepped aside and the three of gang ran out the door. Johnny cried softly to Dally telling him not to go and not to get into trouble. Dally turned to him and said, "Don't worry Johnnycakes, I wont be gone long."
Soda turned back to me and Johnny, shutting the door behind him and said, "Ponyboy go pack your things and try to get that confused look off of Johnny's face." I nodded and while I was packing my bags, I explained to Johnny what Soda ment about the "rest of the money". He asked me how I had known about it and I told him that his mom was never good at hiding secrets. He understood right away. He sighed and said "Pony, I has to tell you something."
"Shoot."
"It's about me and dally. I guess you can say we're more than friends."
"I don't know where this is going so can ya just say it Johnny?" I said while packing my books in a separate bag.
A few hours later Dally, Two-Bit and Steve returned with all the things Soda had asked for.
"So, Soda, why did you need us to get this?" Dally asked holding up Johnny's stuff and a wad of money.
"Because we are finally getting out of this place." Darry shouted from the kitchen.
"What do you mean by finally getting out of this place?" Two-Bit asked his eyes wide with curiosity.
"Means Sodapop, Johnny, Ponyboy, Me and any one else who wants to come with us are heading out into the country, what his parents did was our que to pull out the Curtis family master plan."
"What's the Curtis family master plan?" Steve asked pondering his decision to come with us or not.
"The plan was set by our parents, before they died, was to get us and Johnny out when something devastating happened to any of us. They saved some money to buy a home and everything we need. There wasn't enough so we resorted to the Cade's hidden money or in actual terms, Johnny's money. So who's in to come with us?" Soda said explaining the rest while Darry packed the trunk of the car.
"Sure as long as you guys don't go redneck on me." Dally smiled as he said this.
"Sure Soda, I guess I'm in too." Steve and Two-Bit said at the same time.
"Good, let's help Johnny into the car and get going." Soda smiled.
We drove for hours on black dirt roads heading out to the middle of nowhere. Everyone except Darry had fallen asleep. It was 4:30am when we stopped in front of a 2 story abandoned house. It was pitch black except for the car's head lights and the house looked like it wasn't abandoned for long. Darry got out a set of keys and opened the front door. The house wasn't scary, nor was it large. It had a wheel chair ramp and a porch with a veranda on the second story. I couldn't see what colour it was and I ended up falling back to sleep. I woke up the next mourning in a haze. Everything that had happened felt like a dream to me. I looked around the room. It wasn't like my old room and the bed I was in wasn't my original bed ether. The room was a bright yellow with plaid curtains on the window. I was in a single bed under a heavy wool striped blanket. Across the room was a single bed but no one was in it. I got up and went down stairs to have breakfast. When I got down, everyone was around the circular table eating a large breakfast of eggs, ham and chocolate cake.
"Mournin' kiddo!" Soda laughed as I gave him a confused look.
"Umm what time is it?"
"Almost 11:30"
"Umm how did you know where this place was?" I asked Darry. He grinned from across the table and said, "This was grandma and grandpa's place before they abandoned it to live in an old folk's home. I thought this would be the perfect place to go. Why you don't remember it is because you where to young to even walk straight."
"I'm going to give ya this one Darry," Dally laughed, "This is a hell of a lot better than my old mans place."
"And Ponyboy, don't worry about school, I have it all under control" Darry said as he winked at me.
Who knew he was right… For once.
The End