Johnny Lies

An Outsiders Story

AU. Modern setting. Song and video are called Alyssa Lies by Jason Micheal Carroll.

Johnny stood at the front door. Lunch in hand, sighing. Donning the same clothes he's worn yesterday. And the day before. Underneath the cotton was the bruises. The scratches, the purple blotches, the other colours. A fragile soul, caught in the hands of fate. He pushed the door open, knowing it would only get worse. And yet, no one knew about his secret storm. He put on a believable facade. The neighbours must've heard last night. But they just turned out the light. It was normal to hear smacking and beating, followed by someone crying in the middle of the night. Sometimes he wondered,if, when morning came, it would be too late. He silently prayed that it would get better. Like he did every morning. But it never did. Everyone knew Johnny lied. He lied to the class, everyday at school, to the teachers. He tried to cover every bruise.

Dally knew too, he was lying. But no knew what to do. As he sat in his car, waiting for the bell to ring. Today was mandatory attendance. Some bullshit about a presentation about something. So, as he saw Johnny approach the school, he shut the engine off and approached him.

"Hey, Johnnycakes."

" Hey Dally."

"What's with the black eye?"

"Oh, I fell out of bed, y'know?"

"Uhuh." Dally wasn't quite sure what went on in the Cade home, but he knew Johnny wasn't telling the truth.

As the school filed into the gym, the projection screen was down, Signalling they would be watching something.

"Good morning, students. Today, we'll be watching a video, based on a true story." The video began in a classroom, with some blah blah about watching a video. As the song started, it talked about some little girl. What really started to hit Johnny was when the song said" As she tries to cover every bruise." Johnny felt his bottom lip start to shake. As the bridge of the song drew out, Johnny cracked. He ran out of the gymnasium, sobbing. Dally had noticed his friend's discomfort. When Johnny ran out, Dally shot up and followed him. Johnny kept running and Dally could hear his friend breaking down. Dally felt tears fill his own eyes. He'd known something was off with Johnny, but this? This was too much. Johnny finally stopped in the parking lot, falling to his knees and wailed. Dally caught his friend finally and broke down beside him. He cradled his best friend, as tears spilled from his eyes. No one said anything, just sat there sobbing. Dally cursed himself for not seeing it before. How many times had Johnny lied?

-Flashback-

"Johnny? What happened?" A 10 year old Dally whispered. 8 year old Johnny frowned.

"I... fell down the stairs."

-End of flashback-

"I fell off the the toilet"

"I fell off my bike"

"I ran into a pole on my bike."

"I fell playing ball"

"I lost control of my roller skates"

"I fell of my skate board."

"The Socs got me."

"Somebody threw a bottle at me."

"I fell in the shower"

"I slipped on the pavement"

"I fell on a rock."

"I fell out of bed." Were all of those responses lies? Dally couldn't believe it. From 8 to 16 Johnny lied. To him, to the teachers, to Ponyboy,to Soda, To Two-bit, to Steve, to Darry. He'd lied. Oh why, why why! Why Johnny, the poor innocent puppy who couldn't defend himself? No,no,NO! He was screaming in his head, though Dally stayed quiet and cried with his best friend. When Johnny finally stopped crying, he looked at Dally and opened his mouth to say something.

"I know what he does to you." Dally whispered. Dally thumbed away the tears from Johnny's face.

-Later that night-

That mornings events hadn't sat well with Dally. He crawled into his bed. He remembered the song from the video.

-Dream Sequence-

Dally looked around. Everyone looked so sad. He tried to speak, but couldn't. He saw someone at the pulpit. Ponyboy?

"Johnny had a hard life. But now, it's hard on all of he doesn't lie in the classroom. He doesn't lie anymore at school.
Johnny lies with Jesus Because there's nothing anyone would do." And Dally broke. Was Johnny really dead?

-End of Dream Sequence-

Dally shot up in bed, sweating like crazy. The dream had shaken him. His head fell to his hands and he cried. That's Johnny's future. He said to himself. Not if I can help it. Dally slid out of bed and put his clothes on. He grabbed a metal bar by his bed. It would end tonight. No one would hurt Johnny anymore. He sauntered to Johnny's house and heard the screaming and crying.

"You useless sack of shit!"

"Stop...Please!" Johnny plead. A loud snack followed. Dally dropped the bar and ran in, broad siding Johnny's father. Johnny was on the floor, not moving. Once Dally finished with his father, Dally turned to Johnny himself.

"Johnnycakes?" Johnny responded with a low groan of pain. Dally effortlessly scooped him off the floor. He carried the smaller teen to his apartment, then cleaned him. Johnny said nothing about his best friend prying his bloodstained clothes off and washing him. After that, Dally put Johnny in bed and crawled in beside him.

"Dally?" Johnny whispered.

"Yeah, Johnnycakes?"

"Why'd you save me?"

"Because you're my best friend, and I care about you." Dally said.

"Still."

"Can we talk about this in the morning?"Dally asked. Johnny sighed.

"I want to know." Johnny choked.

"I just told you."

"Really, Dally?"

"Really. Now go to sleep."

He wasn't sure about much. But he knew one thing. Johnny wouldn't lie anymore.

FIN