Hello everyone! This is the second story I'm working on and I wanted to give you a preview of what it's going to be about. This one is probably going to be a lot shorter than my last one. I hope you like it! I do not own the Outsiders- the amazing S.E. Hinton does:)
Ponyboy's POV:
It's a warm, lazy summer day, the kind where you've has so many of them by now that there is nothing left to do. I'm fifteen and my life is starting to straighten out. Sophomore year is one of the easiest (or so I've heard) so I can't wait to start school again.
"Hey Ponyboy! Do you want to practice driving with Darry and I? It's almost time for you to get your license. C'mon, it'll be a blast!" Soda says, shaking me and jumping all around the couch to try and get me up.
"No Soda, I really don't want to. Maybe another time." I say with a groan. I don't want to drive. Ever.
"That's it. No Curtis brother living in this house will not know how to drive." Soda says, throwing me over his shoulder. I hate being the smallest one out of the gang.
"No, Soda please don't make me do this." I yell, hitting Soda's back with my fists.
"Quit your yammering. You'll be fine." He says. I hear the door open and the next thing I know we're outside. Soda throws me in the driver's seat of Darry's truck and I feel my palms start to sweat and my heart beat start to quicken.
"Ponyboy, are you alright?" Darry asks. He was already in the car waiting for us. Soda climbs in the cab of the truck, sandwiching Darry in the middle.
Maybe Soda was right, maybe I have to get over this. No one knows about my secret fear anyway. Why don't I just grow up and get my license so no one has to know that I was ever afraid of driving a car? "Yeah, I'm good." I say. I turn the keys in the ignition and the purr of the engine makes my stomach turn. I close my eyes and visions of train tracks and tire marks flash through my head. All I can think about is my parents being crushed by that train like they were made of nothing more than cookie dough.
"Ponyboy, check your mirrors and make sure you can see everything behind you. And for goodness sakes, open your eyes. You need to look where you're going." Darry says and I shake myself out of my thoughts.
"The mirrors are fine." I say, finding it harder and harder to breathe with each passing second.
"Relax, we haven't even started moving yet." Soda says, probably noticing my terrified expression.
I grip the steering wheel tightly and put the truck in gear before I tap the gas peddle. I feel something rise up in my throat and I slam on the brakes with both feet. I turn off the car immediately.
"Ponyboy, stop! What's wrong with you?" Darry asks. Soda says something else but I can't focus on anything but the memory of my ambulance ride, my parent's accident, and Johnny's ride to his funeral in a casket in the back of a hearse. For me, cars are nothing but pain and bad news. I can't breathe. I claw at my chest while l scramble to unbuckle myself.
"I can't breathe." I wheeze, looking at Darry for help.
"Hey, it's alright. Everything will be okay, you're having a panic attack. Stay calm, Soda's coming around the other side to help you." Darry says, talking to me as if I was some wounded animal while he unbuckles my seat belt. I fumble with the door handle but Soda beats me to it and I tumble out of the truck and have never been more grateful to see concrete in my life. I feel like a baby but I can't stop crying and Soda sits on the ground and pulls me with him. I lean into him and he rocks me back and forth.
"Hey we've talked about this. Take a breathand in, hold it, and out." Soda says, repeating his instructions until they start to sink in. Darry kneels in front of me and both he and Soda demonstrate how I should be breathing. Eventually, I calm down enough to wipe the tears of my face and I start breathing more normally.
Darry and Soda looked relieved. "Jeez, you scared us big time! What's the matter with you?" Darry asks.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." I say, my bottom lip trembling. I hate crying in front of other people.
"It's alright. Lay off Darry. Let's just go back inside." Soda says before helping me to my feet. I don't think I want to get in the driver's seat ever again.