This is so original, right? I know, 'cause this has obviously never been done before. x3 I dunno, I'm actually quite proud of this. Just the events leading up to Dally's death from just after Johnny's. I've incorporated the book and the movie into this, since I was able to use both as a reference tool. Hope you like it. ;D
Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. I do not.
I was so filled with hope. Kept telling myself that he'd get better, that it wasn't that serious, that everything would be back to normal. Saying it over and over… lying to myself. Deep down, I knew. I always knew.
I swallowed, my eyes burning as I pushed back his hair, feeling the soft locks between my fingers. "Never could keep that hair back…" It was painful to stare at that face of his, but I couldn't look away. "That's what you get for trying to help people, you little punk, that's what you get…" I tried to get angry at him, thinking that it was his own fault, getting himself killed. Saving those damned kids. What were they worth? Nothing.
There was no controlling myself. I turned and slammed against the wall, unable to hold back the sobs racking throughout my body. "Damn it, Johnny, don't die…" I cried out, a wetness falling from my eyes. I couldn't remember the last time I cried. Been so long, I thought I grew incapable of it. "Please don't die…"
I couldn't do this… I had to get out of here. It was too much for me. The room seemed to be closing in, cutting off my breath. So I left, left Johnny in there, left Ponyboy in there with him, left my entire life in that room.
Walking out of the hospital, I got looks, glares even, but I didn't care. It's not like they mattered. No one mattered, not anymore. Not after today. I turned, glaring at the building that had taken everything away from me. "Why do you bother helping people, huh?! It's not going to do any good!" I heard whispers of people calling me crazy. I probably was.
Where was I going? I didn't have any idea. Maybe I didn't want to know. Just stumble along, break a few laws, and cause a lot of trouble. Maybe I could get tossed in the cooler. Get me away from the reality that I didn't want to face.
I found myself outside of a grocery store, a man inside that was staring at me suspiciously. Shrugging my jacket on, I pulled open the door and walked inside, avoiding eye contact with the cashier.
Why was I even here? Because I wanted to buy a book? Fat chance. My hands skimmed through the magazines, not looking for anything. I heard the man at the counter clear his throat but I didn't acknowledge him. There wasn't really any control I had over my body, now. It just did whatever it pleased. Not that I minded. I almost knocked over some of them and blinked in confusion as I stopped them from falling. Why did I care?
"You wanna buy one of those, son?" I glanced over towards him, but mostly ignored the man. Picking up one of the magazines, I began to rip it. No reason. Maybe I could make the guy angry. "You know, you tear those up, you're gonna have to pay for them. Don't do that." Setting down the torn paper, I made my way to the man. I could feel the cold handle of the heater in my jacket. I grasped it.
"Y'know, you gotta pay for that magazine." I gave him a defeated look, wondering why he couldn't just understand that he should shut up. Why was everyone still acting the same? Didn't they know that everything was ending? None of it made sense. Might as well add to the madness.
Pulling out the unloaded gun, I pointed it at the man's head. I saw the scared look on his face, afraid that it would be his last moments. Just a taste of the fear I'd been feeling. This man had no idea. "God, don't shoot." He pleaded quietly.
Shaking slightly, I looked down at the cash register. "Money…" I couldn't meet his eyes at that moment, raising my voice. "Give me the money!"
He mumbled something, words that I really didn't care about. Once he handed over the cash, I quickly turned and ran out, feeling I might get out unscathed until I hear gunshots behind me and a stinging pain flow from my leg. I ran as fast as I could to a phone booth, feeling the urge to call the Curtises… needed to talk to Darry.
Gasping as I stopped in the booth, I felt my side, looking at my hand to find blood on it. Damn it. I dialed the number, thankful for him picking up. "Hey, Darry? Listen, I just knocked off a store, man. The cops are looking for me. Can you meet me in the park?"
He asked if I was alright…
Alright? How could I be fine after…
"Yeah… Johnny's dead…" I told him, shaking more as the words came out of my mouth. Somehow, saying the punk's name, as the words came out of my mouth, it made it that much more real.
They know. Of course. Ponyboy probably got back there.
"Johnny…" I croaked out, not able to take much more of this… this pain. My injury wasn't even hurting, not compared to this… "Look, meet me in the park, will ya?" I hung up the phone after he replied, stumbling a little out of the enclosed area.
It was dark outside, and wet. As I ran down the street towards the park, I could hear the police cars behind me. They were catching up to me, as expected. Further away, I swear I could see dark shapes, possibly the gang, making their way to the park, as well. They were too far away, though. That was fine.
The cops had me trapped, so I stopped under a streetlight as they got out of their cars. In my peripheral, I could see the gang now. Their outlines were becoming clearer, all five of them. Another reminder to me that Johnny was gone.
As the officers pulled out their guns, I knew in that moment what I was going to do. What use was there for me to live in this world anymore? After the one thing I stayed for was gone, what was the point? For the first time in my life, I knew what was going to happen next.
I pulled out the gun, pointing it in the general direction of the majority of the officers. I heard the guys shouting, yelling for me to stop, and for the cops to stop. They'd learn soon enough why I couldn't stop. The officers saw me raise the unloaded heater… so they raised their loaded ones. Then they fired. I saw and I heard the gunshots, hell, I could kind of feel them. But it was all disappearing quickly.
As my eyes closed, and I felt the life leaving my body, the one thing I saw was Johnny. The last thing I saw was Johnny.