Hey this is a little different from all my other stories. This is an Outsiders story. Enjoy

"Hey Johnny. How ya feelin'?" I asked.

"Fine," He managed to say. "I'm just in a lot of pain from the skin grafts. How do I look?"

"You look tuff man. Can't wait 'till you're out of here." Two-Bit said excitedly.

Hi, my name is Ponyboy Michael Curtis and the boy that is always complaining about how he looks is my best bud Johnny Cade. Your probably wondering why Johnny said he was in pain and had to have skin graphs. It's all really simple actually.

Johnny killed a Soc and we ran away. The church were we were staying caught fire, but we saved some kids lives because they wanted to play hide and seek in a burning church. Johnny and Dally got burned and after Dally was killed by the police. Johnny had numerous surgeries and now he can go home in a couple days. Pretty simple, don't you think? Man do I feel rushed.

"Hey Two-Bit why don't you go and get 'Gone with the Wind' for me," Johnny said to Two-Bit. You see I was reading that book to Johnny when we were staying in the church and I had not finished it yet.

"Ok little buddy," Two-Bit said quietly and then he left.

"You know, Pony I'm really glad we saved those kids from the fire. They were even here yesterday to say thank you. They wanted to thank you but you were out like a light. Hey thanks for staying the night with me. You're a true friend Pony," Johnny finished. All I could do was sit there and grin. "Man if you grin any wider it won't fit in your face anymore." Johnny laughed.

Just than Two-Bit came in to see both of us laughing uncontrollably. "What's so funny?"

"It's nothing. Did you get the book?" I asked still grinning

"Yea, I got the book." Two-Bit said curiously.

I then took it from him and sat down beside Johnny and started reading where we had left of. Two-Bit ended up leaving us there saying that Darry would pick me up tomorrow. I was fine with that.

Just after I was finished reading chapter fourteen Johnny stopped me. He said, "You know what I want to do first thing when I get out of here?" I shook my head no. "I want to see a sunset or sunrise. It just won't be the same though, with my wheelchair and all."

"I miss Dally a lot too. I think that if he had seen a sun set he would not have died. You're right about one thing Ponyboy, Nothing Gold Can Stay. Man I miss him," Johnny sighed.

"Yea, I miss him too," I said sadly. This conversation was getting nowhere. Johnny seemed to sense this and started complaining about his hair problem.

"I can't wait to get out of here. Man they don't let me put enough hair grease in my hair," Johnny complained.

"Ya still look cool," I said rolling my eyes. I ended up falling asleep on the bed and was really stiff when someone shook me really hard. I was jolted awake only to see Johnny's eyes sparkling. "Darry will be here any moment to pick the both of us up," Johnny said excitedly.

"Don't you mean me up?" I said sleepily.

"No. I mean the both of us. The Doc came in earlier and told me that I can go home today." Johnny almost screamed with excitement. "The nurse will be here any moment to put me in a wheelchair so you can wheel me out of this dump."

That was when the truth really hit me. Johnny was going home. I jumped up and hugged him. 'This is almost too good to be true' I thought.

Then the nurse came in, helped him into a wheelchair, gave him instructions and set him on his way. Halfway to the door Johnny put his hands on the wheels stopping him. He then looked up at me and said "I want to get there by myself." Then he paused. "No offense right?" I just shook my head no and he wheeled himself out of that dump, as he put it.

When Darry pulled up to the curb both him and Soda got out and when they saw Johnny and I waiting there, they were shocked. Then Johnny rolled over to Darry and said comically "I can't get in myself. Could you help me?" When both Darry and Soda realized that Johnny was coming home Soda jumped into the air throwing his fist up. Darry on the other hand just smiled his rare grin and helped Johnny in the car. I then grabbed his wheelchair and put it in to the trunk of the car.

All the way home Soda couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life. I love Soda and all but now he was just getting annoying. It didn't help much either when Darry started doing the same thing.

When we got to our house there was a big banner that said 'WELLCOM HOME JOHNNY' (1). 'Man they could really work on there spelling' was all I thought. Johnny apparently loved it though.

When we got inside everyone was there. I had called them all while we were waiting for Darry so they had the whole place decorated. There were balloons everywhere as well as a chocolate cake that Two-Bit had made. I was surprised when I was told this; seeing as Two-Bit does nothing but eat, sleep, fight, and watch Mickey Mouse. All of which is at my place.

The party was huge. We had music blaring, people wrestling, and poker games going. Plus it just wouldn't be home if Mickey Mouse wasn't trying to talk on top of everyone.

Later that night Johnny asked me to wheel him to the vacant lot. When we got there Johnny managed to get himself out of the wheelchair and onto the ground. He than flopped on to his back and started to star gaze. "Man, this is the life."

I looked at him weird. "What do you mean this is the life?"

"I mean that spending time with my best friend, while star gazin' is the life." Johnny paused to take a breath, "Man what was that poem you told me not to long ago? The title was…"

I finished his sentences, "Nothing Gold Can Stay. Right?"

"Yea that's the one. Would you tell me it again?"

"'K,

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leafs a flower

But only so an hour.

Than leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief.

So dawn goes down to day

Nothing gold can stay."

"Man I think I know what he meant when that guy wrought that. He meant that you're gold when you're young. That it's a good way to be but you can't stay that way forever. He's right about it though. Nothing gold can stay," Johnny finished. All I did was nod my agreement and try not to cry.

After that everyone ended up staying at my house over night because it was too late for anyone to go home. I guess it also had to do with the fact that Johnny wouldn't let anyone out of the house afraid that one of us would get jumped.

The next day we ended up having cake with eggs for breakfast. Half way through breakfast Steve exclaimed "Hey Two-Bit, Mickey's on." Two-Bit was up out of his seat in a minute and in front of the TV in seconds. Things were back to normal.

After those two weeks life was rather dull. Johnny got better really fast and could roll himself all around the house. He spends most of his time at our house but he sleeps at his cousin Arisa's house. Seeing as he did not live with his parents anymore. She's really nice and it works out really well, seeing as she is in college most of the time and her parents work. So now every day her parents will drop him off at my place and when Arisa is done school she'll pick him up.

A month later the doctor that had taken care of Johnny in the

hospital called us about how he might be able to fix Johnny's back so that he might be able to walk again. Saying that it might take a while to do but it might be done. Though that is a different story.

Hope you enjoyed that please review