A/N: Please be sure to review and leave your thoughts on this story. It'll be a large collection of Johnny's adventures and tragedies, including the novel in Johnny's POV. There will be some time-skips for the sake of the story. As always, enjoy and read.
March 1st, 1963, Tulsa Oklahoma
Johnny stared at the floor in his bedroom, no sunlight was shining into his window of his bedroom, it was just a gloomy gray sky, it was after school, and Johnny had done his homework already, but that wasn't his focus. Today was his birthday, he would be 14 years old. He looked at his clock, 5:00 P.M. His parents usually got up around that time, so late, if they weren't struck by hangovers that is. Johnny wondered if his parents would remember that it was his birthday today. A ray of hope shined in Johnny's heart. He took out a book and started reading it, Johnny felt slightly embarrassed, as if some of the Greasers were watching him. Johnny didn't know any Greasers that read, only twelve-year-old Ponyboy. He 'prolly thinks I'm stupid or something… because I fail school, and he's so smart and he's got nice parents, too. That ain't fair! How can I put focus into life when I got parents like this? No-Johnny, your parents will reform, they just will.
He heard his parents coming through the hallway. Johnny put his book in his hand and jumped off the bed. He stepped out of the room, wearing black shorts and a loose black t-shirt to fit his thin body. Johnny spotted his father, a man with some bits of hair on his head, but not much. He was balding. ''What the hell do you want?''
''Today…''
''Yeah, I don't give a shit what today is,'' Mr. Cade stated.
Johnny's heart sunk a little. I expected this! What the hell was I thinking! Still, that thought didn't help Johnny's esteem. He went out the door to hear his mom running through the hallway. ''GET OUT OF HERE!'' she yelled, wielding something in her hand. Johnny quickly jumped out the door and ran to the street, panting.
He felt tears running down his face. ''How could they do this to me?'' he sniffed. He saw a Pepsi can and kicked it to the curb. A kid ran up to him, looking around eleven years old. ''Hey, that's my soda-can! We playin' a game-hey, look he's crying!'' the child taunted to his others friends behind him, they all started laughing.
Johnny attempted to be menacing towards the kid, putting a step forward and his fist out, but all the tuffness was gone with his red eyes from his tears. Johnny stomped on the Pepsi can and ran off. ''Little asshole. If I had a choice whether to pick a kid to live, or me, it'd be me! Kids ain't have no respect!'' Johnny sighed. He wiped off his tears and went to the vacant lot, he spotted his usual lawn-chair there. He sat down and looked at the gray sky, wishing he had a book to read. At least that would keep him occupied. All the Greasers think I'm tuff because I don't cry about my home... they just don't me on the inside...
He felt his eyes starting to close when someone pushed his chair down to the side. Johnny got up quickly, thinking it was his mother, but instead he saw Two-Bit. He laughed, his face almost starting to turn red. Johnny wiped off some dirt from his shirt and got up. ''That ain't funny Two-Bit.'' Johnny angrily said.
''Come on kid, take a joke! Ain't it your birthday today?'' he asked.
''Maybe,'' Johnny grinned.
''Ah, I got something for you.'' Two-Bit reached for something in his jeans and gave Johnny a cigarette and a lighter. Johnny nodded and lit the cigarette and he started to smoke it. ''I never can get over you smokin', well you did start at the age of ten, din't ya?'' Two-Bit inquired. Johnny nodded and took out the cigarette out of his mouth, blowing a perfect smoke ring.
Johnny dropped the cigarette purposely and stomped on it. Two-Bit had some beer in his hands and he chugged a lot of it. Johnny widened his eyes, he remembered Dally offering beer to him once, and Johnny accepted, but it tasted horrible. Johnny knew he would only stick to cigarettes. Johnny walked off and Two-Bit ran up to him. ''Where ya going?'' he asked.
''Taking a walk. Clear my mind,'' Johnny responded.
''Ole man hit you?'' Two-Bit asked.
''Nah, he just told me to screw off… I did. Didn't even remember it was my birthday today,'' Johnny sighed, he put his hands in his pockets and kept walking down the sidewalk.
''What'd you expect? Listen, I'm going to the DX. Wanna come?'' the 15-year old Two-Bit asked.
''Maybe, what we going to do?''
''Get ourselves some cancer sticks,'' Two-Bit smirked.
''I don't got no money,'' Johnny stated.
''No, we're stealing them, Johnnycakes! Listen, I got to stop off by Pony's house. I need to get something from Soda.'' Two-Bit started jogging towards his beat-up car in a parking lot and got inside it. He didn't have a license but he didn't care. He raised his hand to beckon Johnny to come and Johnny quickly followed him inside the passenger's seat. Two-Bit started the car and started backing up, but Johnny noticed that he was backing up too much.
''Stop! Stop!'' Johnny's voice squeaked. Two-Bit laughed and crashed into the car, it set off an alarm, Johnny looked in the rearview mirror and saw someone yelling and running towards Two-Bit's car. Two-Bit backed up more and dented his own car and the pedestrians' car. He sped off towards Ponyboy's house. He drifted to the curb and parked badly.
Two-Bit got off the car and slammed the door. Johnny followed Two-Bit to the front door and he just entered it. Johnny felt slightly embarrassed just to be busting in, but he knew Pony's parents did not care. They were laid-back. I wish they were my parents… Johnny sighed. ''Hey, Two, and Johnny! Happy birthday!'' Mrs. Curtis exclaimed to him. Johnny felt surprise. in him. She knew? Parents know about kids' birthdays?
''Thanks… Mrs. Curtis,'' Johnny shyly said. She smiled and let them go into the kitchen. Johnny saw Ponyboy doing his homework still, he was in honors classes of course, homework was a bit more packed. Ponyboy gave a brief wave and Johnny saw Soda and Darry arm-wrestling, but Two-Bit sat down on the table and disrupted the match. Sodapop immediately lost.
''Aw come on, Two-Bit!'' Soda whined.
Mrs. Curtis laughed and walked to her room. Two-Bit told Soda, ''So… that blade, I need it.''
''Oh yeah!'' Soda said, he went to the kitchen and opened a box, he took out a black switchblade with a skull on it and gave it to Two-Bit, he nodded and waved goodbye, they walked out the door and into his car. Johnny jumped in the back and Two-Bit sped off towards the DX and parked in the parking lot horribly wrong.
Johnny had to stop himself from wincing and they both got out the car and headed towards the DX, but Johnny stopped before the door, wanting to talk to Two-Bit. ''Listen… I don't want to do this… what if I get caught? You steal… and I'll be the distraction or something…''
''Whatever, birthday boy.'' Two-Bit went into the DX and Johnny followed him. Two-Bit went to the candy aisle, but that was not he was aiming for.
Johnny went towards a magazine and opened it. He thought of a plan, then an idea came to his head, he tore off a huge chunk of the magazine quietly and then faced it towards the clerk. ''Hey… we-no I- this is ripped,''
''What the? I just bought that today!'' the clerk exclaimed, he went around the counter to look at the ripped paper, Two-Bit quietly snuck to the counter and grabbed five packs of cigarettes, but the clerk noticed. Johnny's eyes widened, pretending to be surprised. ''Get back here, grease-ball! Help me get him!'' the clerk yelled.
Johnny ran out the DX with the clerk and suddenly two Greasers appeared in front of them. The clerk ran back inside the store and locked the doors. ''Hey, you being a little snitch?'' the Greaser asked.
''No-no, I'm a Greaser myself! I was helping Two-Bit!'' Johnny quietly croaked. He could see Two-Bit in his car, putting the cigarettes in his glovebox. He looked at his rearview mirror to see the Greasers causing Johnny trouble.
''You know what we do to snitches? We kick em in the-!''
''Stop! He's with me!'' Two-Bit yelled. The Greasers narrowed their eyes to Johnny and skirted off.
''Thanks…'' Johnny sighed.
Suddenly, there were sirens coming all over, and Johnny's heart sunk. ''It's not over,'' he quietly rasped.
