Hey guys, I'm baaaack. :) This was a story that I started 2 days ago. It wasn't meant to go anywhere but I liked it and decided to share with you guys. It probably won't get past this chapter but I would like it to. Please tell me what you think. Enjoy.
I do not own The Outsiders.
There was something different about me, I knew it. I was off. You could compare me to other boys or my brothers if you wanted to, then you could see it yourself. Sodapop messed around with girls, I preferred to be by myself. Steve worshiped cars, I stayed home and read books with cars in them. Johnny wondered about what would happen in the future, I knew.
I know it sounds weird and damn near impossible but I can see into the future. Not like the average freak in some horror film or an over-paid palm reader at the county fair either. I saw things at random times: when I'm in the shower, when I'm asleep, when I'm eating breakfast, anywhere.
Now I'll admit that it isn't always that bad, for instance, when I'm taking a test and I get a vision of the questions I missed with the correct answers circled. Or when the gang is playing football and I know who's gonna go for a tackle and when. Yeah, then I don't mind it. I do however mind when it comes in the form of a nightmare.
You're probably wondering if I knew when my parents were going to have that accident. In all honesty, I did. It came to me the night before it happened but that was before I understood what was happening to me; when everything I saw was just a simple déjà vu .
"Hey Pony," Soda greeted kicking off his shoes. I hadn't seen him come in, in any sense. My visions only come to me sometimes and they allow me to see parts of the future, not all. "How was your day?"
"Real good, Soda. I got another perfect score on my quiz. Mr. Syme is thinking of putting me in an advanced class."
"Advanced? You're already in an advanced class, how more advanced can you get?"
I shrugged not knowing the answer myself. Maybe some kind of college level English class? If that was the case, Darry would be really proud of me and I love it when he's proud. He isn't too happy with me very often.
"I don't know how ya do it, Pone. You should let me in on your secret. You got some special brain juice?" That was another thing, no one knew about my sixth-sense, not Soda, not Darry or Johnny, no one.
"Nah, just gotta study, Soda. Keep your nose in those books."
Soda sprawled onto the mattress looking exhausted. I knew school wasn't his strong suit, he'd much rather be free to roam. Darry and I were surprised when he brought back a C in English last semester so we know he can do it, he just doesn't always feel like trying.
"Studyin' is so boring though, man. I mean, those words are so tiny. Who's gonna read all that?"
"You don't have to read all of it, just what you don't know or understand."
"Yeah," Soda said sarcastically. "That's all of it."
"There's gotta be something you get. What about math? Math is easy enough."
"It was easy until they kept adding extra steps. I can do my times tables and some division, I get why I'd need to know stuff like that for the future but when will I ever need to know quadratic formula or Pythagorean Theorem? I swear, they're making school hard just for me." He sat up and looked at me seriously. "I know its not gonna be too pretty but how do you think Darry would take it if I just ... stopped going?"
"Like ... skipping? Oh Soda, he won't take it good at all, trust me on that one."
"No, I mean, what if I stopped going and never went back? What if I dropped out of school?"
xXx
"He wants to drop out?" Johnny asked me in the park later that evening. "So what did you tell him?"
"Well if he doesn't wanna be there what's the point of making him suffer? I just told him to talk to Darry about it before he went and jumped right into it." We sat quietly together, enjoying the half-night sky. It really was beautiful the way the sun was down but still lit part of the sky and the stars filled up the rest.
"Where the hell have you been, kid?" Johnny's dad roared as he walked into his house. Johnny stayed quiet, looking down at his feet to avoid eye contact with what had to be the most evil human being on Earth.
"You answer me, boy. Where the hell have you been?" Still nothing from my best friend, he was either very wise or very insane. His dad pulled back his fist high in the air and Johnny ducked his head in his jeans jacket.
Another one of those visions.
"Johnny, come stay at my place tonight, alright?" I asked, not leaving much room for argument. He looked away from the now fully nighttime sky and studied my face before nodding and hopping off the jungle gym we were perched on top of. This wasn't the first time I have saved him from a drunken beating at home. Since I had discovered my ability to see into the future I'd been doing my best to keep everyone safe from harm and I was doing a pretty good job at it too.
We walked down the street towards my house each lost in our thoughts. "Hey Pony," Johnny asked. I waited for him to continue and eventually he did. "You seem different ..."
"Different how?"
"You just seem ... out of it a whole lot more. Is Darry buggin' you again?"
"Nah, nothin' like that, Johnnycake. Things just change."
"Well come on man, you know you can tell me 'bout it. I ain't gonna tell no one. What changed?"
By this time we were outside the gate of my house. I figured now was as good a time as any to tell my best friend. Hell, maybe if things went well and he could handle the news, I might tell Soda too. I looked around, trying to scope out any eavesdroppers. Deciding it was safe enough, I pulled Johnny in real close.
"I can see things. I see things ... before they happen."
Johnny's eyebrows furrowed, confusion. "Like, the future?"
"Yes," I said cautiously. I waited for him to say something else. Say he didn't believe me, say he didn't understand, anything really. But instead he looked down and thought about it for a bit before nodding. He accepted me.
"So," he asked awkwardly. "Did you see anything today?"
I nodded. "Yeah, at the park. It was your dad, he's drunk again tonight. It's why I invited you over."
Johnny frowned, he loved his parents for more than they were worth but when they got drunk, he couldn't help but feel disappointed in them. Like a parent would if their child had made a poor choice at school.
"He was gonna hit me?" It wasn't really a question, he knew what would happen if his dad was soused. I left the question to float away but then Johnny chuckled unhappily then said, "That bad, huh? Well thanks for saving me this time, man."
"No problem, Cade."