Twenty Years Later
I walked into my living room from my third book signing this month.
"Daddy!" a small boy yelled from the kitchen. I looked around, and two little kids attacked me.
"Hey Johnny, Dally!" I said, looking at them. Johnny looked more like his mother, Paige, while Dally looked more like me, with his grey-green eyes, and like Sodapop, with his dark gold hair. A women appeared from the kitchen as well.
"Hey Ponyboy. How was work?" she asked in a silky voice. It was my wife, Paige.
"All good. Busy though. Ain't got much break with all those people surroundin' you."
"Well, that's what you get for being a best-selling author. We've got that family reunion tonight. Go get cleaned up." she said, and I smiled.
"Ponyboy!" my brothers, Sodapop and Darry, yelled at me, giving me an enormous hug.
"Hey guys!" I said, my eyes sparkling from seeing my brothers.
"Uncle Ponyboy!" a girl yelled from the side. I turned around, and saw Rachael, one of Sodapop's four kids. How he handles them, you can't ask me.
"Hey Rachael! How are you?" I asked, picking her up.
"All good!"
"And how about your Mom and Dad?" I asked, eyeing Sodapop, who was blushing slightly.
"They're fine, if that's what you mean. Mom's real proud of Daddy's new job as a gym teacher. I always thought that Daddy didn't like school, Uncle Pony." Rachael squeaked out. Glory, for a 5-year old, she sure did know a lot.
"Your Daddy, he only liked gym when he was younger. Only thing he was good at too." I said, and Sodapop slapped me in the back.
"Oi! Don't be telling that to my daughter-" I let Rachael go, and she ran off. "-She's gonna tell Olivia, and than Olivia won't be so happy." Sodapop yelled at me. I rolled my eyes. Boy, was I happy that Soda was over Sandy. He's finally found a girl that loved him real good. Olivia.
"Sure, sure. How about you, Darry, how's college goin' for ya?" I turned my attention to Darry.
"Hard enough. I sure forgot half the stuff I learned in school." he said. I smiled. Soda and I had givin' him a "loan" so he could finally go to college. Boy, was he sure happy. He's met a girl there, and is looking to be a doc. He's the brains for it for sure.
"I'll repay you Pony, don't you worry about that." Darry said, worry in his eyes. He never forgot that fact. I didn't want him to pay me back. I've felt my whole life that I've been the one that's stopped him from college.
"Don't worry about it."
"Wha-" Darry started, but got interrupted. Steve and Two-Bit came, with Two-Bit drunk to a beat. Ain't that a surprise.
"Hey Pony! What's hangin'?" he yelled. I slapped him on the back playfully.
"Good to see y'all, ol' buddies!" I said, looking at both of them. Steve smiled, while Two-Bits dazed around. It wasn't a wonder that Two-Bit ended up being a lonesome comedian. Sure, he made some good money, but from that partyin' and insulin', he never found a girl. I've heard that he's met up with Marcia though, and she's had him get away from those things. He sure still was funny.
"Hey Pony, remember Evie?" Steve asked, showing a dark-haired girl, with cold lookin' eyes.
"Ya. You an' Soda used to go out with her and Sandy." I said, nodding slightly.
"Yep. I met her at Steve-O, and know we're getting' married!"
"Good for you, Steve-o!" I said, sincerely smiling. Me an' Steve have gotten to be somewhat friends. He now owned a car repair, Steve-O. I couldn't blame him. He loved cars, an' he did what he loved. Wasn't that what mattered? I was a writer 'cause I loved to write, and make people look in different perspectives. Soda was a gym teacher 'cause he loved sports. Darry was in college 'cause he wanted to be a doctor and he got the brains for it. Two-Bit was a comedian 'cause he loved to make people laugh.
Sodapop took me away from my train of thought by clinking his glass.
"Ain't it so nice that all of y'all to met up here?" he asked. We nodded.
"We live right next to each other, stupid. It wasn't so hard!" Steve yelled at Sodapop, and I say soda mouth the words, "Shut up."
"I just wanna take couple minutes outta our time to think about Johnny and Dally. We'll always miss 'em. They'll always be in our hearts." Sodapop said, and everyone was silent, for once. Even Two-Bit looked down with gratitude.
I picture them in my mind, even if it was twenty years for the last time I saw them. Exactly twenty. Johnny's frightened eyes, with that brave little heart, and Dally. Those eyes full of hatred for the world, yet he risked his life to safe Johnny's.
They were hero's, and they will always be in our hearts. Like it or not Dally.