"Like a Brother"
A Thanksgiving Short Story
Ponyboy's POV
It was a cool day; there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Soda and Darry were at work, while Johnny and I were at my house. Johnny had just gotten another beating from his mother, and decided to run over to my house. It was what he usually did, since we lived nearby.
"You know, Pony," Johnny began, as we sat down, leaning on the wall. "Sometimes I wish that I could run away from home and never come back."
"That would be real nice." I agreed.
Johnny sighed and looked down sadly. Boy, did I feel bad for him. I remembered the days when Darry and I didn't get along well. But now those days were over, and Darry and I got along just well.
But it was different for Johnny. Nothing would ever change the way his folks felt about him. They probably wouldn't even notice if he had run away and never returned.
"You guys are like my brothers, you know that, Ponyboy?" he said.
"Yeah. You're like our brother, too, Johnnycake."
He sighed. "You know, Ponyboy, whenever I think about how bad my life is, I remember that I always have you guys around to look out for me."
I smiled sadly. "We'll always look out for you, Johnny. You're what keeps us together. You're our best friend."
He smiled, too, as he stared at his shoe. "Thanks, Pony. That makes me feel lots better."
"'s cool, Johnny."
We sat there, against the wall, for the next few minutes in complete silence.
"I wonder what it would be like if my parents loved me." Johnny said.
"It would probably be completely different. You probably wouldn't be the same, and we wouldn't be best friends." I told him.
"That's right," he agreed. "It would probably be different. I guess that sometimes you have to be thankful, for everything you have. The good and the bad."
"That's real true, Johnny. You always gotta be thankful, because there's always some good in everythin' that makes it all worthwhile."
"You're my best friend, Ponyboy." said Johnny.
"You're my best friend, too, Johnnycake."