This is set two years after the book. I like to think that Sodapop died in Vietnam, Steve doesn't live in Tulsa anymore and Two-Bit stopped hanging around with them so much after Sodapop died.
A Photo Soda Took.
There's a photo on my bedroom wall that I look at everyday. It's a picture with all of us in it. One of those nights where it was raining and we had nothing to do. I remember it was a Thursday night. Johnny was going to stay the night, Two-Bit and Steve had wandered in because they had nothing better to do. And Dally had stopped by for a while on his way to Bucks. Johnny was sitting on the couch watching TV. Steve, Darry and Two-Bit were playing poker. Two-Bit was sitting on the coffee table, Darry and Steve on the floor. Dally was too tough to go in on their immature discussion and was sitting on the arm of the couch, watching. I was sitting next to Johnny, laughing at something Two-Bit had said. And even though I can remember what night this photo was taken I can't remember what he said that made me laugh.
Sodapop isn't in the photo. You'd think he would be he loves attention. But he's not in this because he took this photo. He decided it would be fun to take it when none of us were expecting it. I knew he was around the corner waiting, but I had forgotten about him. Then out of nowhere a flash lights up the dark spot where he is hiding in the hall.
"Did I look good?!" Two-Bit yells to Soda. Soda comes into the room and grins.
"Yeah, better than the rest of them." He says and sits between me and Dally. Dally didn't look to happy. He didn't like to have his photo taken. Mom and dad aren't in the photo. Yeah, they were alive then but they were just cut out of the picture. You can see dad's feet in the corner and some of mom's face. And that's why I like this picture so much; all 9 of us are in it. My whole family. Even though half of them aren't around anymore I still pretend they are.
Sometimes when I come home from school I like to pretend that Dally is sitting on the couch, watching the TV and Two-Bit is sitting next to him laughing his ass off at a silly kids show. I say hi to them and go to the kitchen to get something to eat. Soda's already in there drinking chocolate milk. I'll say hi to him too and he'll tell me about something that happened today. I'll try and block some of the story out, especially if they're about girls. He tends to include every single detail, like the clothes someone was wearing or even the number plate of a car that was at the garage. I'll get a glass of milk as well and sit at the table. Where I can see into the lounge room and still talk to Soda. He won't be able to finish his story because he's laughing too much. Then the door will slam close and I'll look up to see Johnny coming over. He sits across from me, muttering a small 'hey' before sitting back in his chair, not looking too happy. I'll ignore Soda's laughing and ask what's wrong. Just Socs, he'll say and forget about it. By now Soda has forgotten he was even telling me a story and he'll be watching TV too.
Then we'll sit around waiting for someone to come up with an idea of what to do. But no one does. Because then I realize that I'm talking to no one. I notice that they've all disappeared. And I'll have to keep imagining that they're still here.
Don't think I have no friends and I spend all my time sitting here talking to myself. Because I don't. I have made more friends. I even have a few Soc friends. Of course no one bothers with that Socs greaser thing anymore. Though some people still hate. Some of my friends are even on the track team with me. Well, actually I'm not on the team anymore. I got kicked off because I never used to come to practice. I have to wait until next year to try for it again.
The picture on my wall is the only thing I've got of all the people that have left my life. I have other pictures of them but this on is my favorite. Because we're all there. And I don't have to imagine that they are here because I know they are. I know that when I go to bed Soda will put his arm over me. And when I go to school Two-Bit will be waiting for me to take me to the DX at lunch. When I go by the lot I know they're all waiting for me to hurry up so we can play football. And I know that when I go to heaven they'll be there waiting for me so we can be together again.
I thought it may be a tiny bit confusing, it was originally going to be how Ponyboy deals with the death of his friends and family. Bu that has been done a million times. So I just wrote this.