Dear Mom and Dad,
I really don't know what to say. There isn't much to say to you two. But I felt the need to write this letter, with the looming threat of dying and everything, so here it goes.
I never hated you. Never have, never will. No matter how many times you beat me or yelled at me, I never felt hate; only hurt. Do you even know I killed a boy? I killed a Soc because him and his friends tried to drown Ponyboy, and were going to kill me too. I didn't even mean to, all I knew was that Ponyboy was going to die, and I would too if I didn't do anything. So I killed him with my switchblade. Bet you didn't even know I owned one, huh?
Did you even notice I was gone? I was gone for five days. The gang missed me. I know you both didn't though; a friend told me so. I'm your son, and you didn't even care that I suddenly went missing?! The church where we were hiding was set on fire from a cigarette while we were out. It could've been mine or Ponyboy's, but it didn't matter. There were kids in that church. All I knew was that Ponyboy ran in and that I would never forgive myself if I didn't help save them. I told Ponyboy to get out first after we got the kids out. I was a little late; a piece of timber from the roof hit my back. If it wasn't for Dally, I would've burned along with the church.
That's how I ended up here, in the hospital. The gang all visited me, talked to me, asked me how I felt. The doctor told me if I survived I would be crippled. That would mean I'd be stuck in the house with the two of you. Stuck with yelling and beating. I remember you tried to visit me Mom, and I said no. I'm glad I did. You would've just shouted at me for my stupidity, that I should've let the kids and Ponyboy die. I'm glad it's me in the hospital instead of Ponyboy, or any one of those little kids. It was worth it, just to see all those happy parents visiting me, thanking me for saving their kids.
It hurts that you both don't care about me, but I don't care either. The gang cares about me, and I care about them. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die, maybe today while everyone's at the big rumble against the Socs. I still don't know why I wrote this, maybe as a way to give you two a goodbye you don't deserve to hear. Goodbye.
From,
Johnny Cade~ A Proud Greaser
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I wrote this for an L.A assignment and thought I'd post it. Thoughts? Should I make a series of letters from all characters? Reviews are nice.