Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated my other stories in a while. I've been busy with school, dance, instruments, and such. Well, this was a story I wrote with kaytar101 (my friend) for school. We were reading The Outsiders and we also watched the movie. And for our project, we decided to write a story about how the parents died. So here you go!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders
Mom and Dad put their coats on, kissed us, and walked out the door, while sayin' goodnight to us. I remember the night perfectly. It was one of the worst nights in my life. It started out as a normal day then, everythin' got worse.
It was Friday night, and our parents had gone out for their usual dinner together, leavin' me alone with Sodapop and Darry. Our parents were goin' to a fancier restaurant than they would normally go to because it was their anniversary. Soda, Darry, and I had pizza, Pepsi, and chocolate cake for dinner. It was around 8:00. Our parents would not be home until around 10:30 or 11:00. We sat down to watch T.V. Sodapop was sprawled out on the burgundy couch, while Darry sat calmly in the deep brown armchair. That left me on the floor. I didn't mind having to be on the floor that much, it gave me room to spread myself out. Soda said I look like a giant cat, trying to stretch. He had an odd sense of humor. Mickey Mouse was on, so we decided to watch it. Sodapop had a horse named Mickey Mouse once. He loved Mickey to death. It was the episode where Mickey was on a steamboat.
We were having fun, messin' around with each other. Occasionally, one of us would get up to get a drink, or use the restroom, and then, the other two would lock the person who left out of the room. It was really funny. We played tricks on each other the rest of the night, until we heard the phone. Darry hesitated, not knowin' whether or not he should answer it. Mom and Dad had told us not to answer the phone, or the door unless it was Two-Bit, Steve, Johnny, or Dally. After a moment of hesitation, Darry picked up the phone and said a cautious hello. It must have been bad news because Darry looked real scared and a single tear trickled slowly down his face. Darry never cries.
It was then that the night took a turn for the worse. Darry looked at me and Sodapop solemnly before tellin' us that there had been an accident with our parents. I guess Soda thought that they had just been delayed because he asked when they would be home. I had an idea of what Darry was goin' to say, but I didn't say anythin'. Darry didn't look like he could believe what he was sayin' either.
"Never." Darry answered. It seemed like he was in denial about it. Soda sat there for a minute, takin' it in, then he started bawlin' like a baby. I heard a strange noise. It was a short, rippin' sound. I guess it was me that I heard, sobbin' because Darry and Sodapop came over to me and hugged me. It seems that we sat there, huggin' and cryin' forever. I just couldn't bring myself to believe that they were dead.
We sat there cryin' our eyes out, rockin' gently on the floor for a while. When we finally got ourselves together, Soda asked, "How'd it happen?"
Darry sat back and said, "The hospital guy told me that Mom and Dad were on their way home when two guys came runnin' in the street in front of them. They had guns and they shot 'em. One shot broke the window and the other shot hit Dad's arm. Dad swerved off the road and smashed into a streetlamp. His arm had already lost a lot of blood and he was weak. Anyways, the streetlamp fell onto the top of the car, smashin' in the roof and collapsin' on Mom and Dad. The ambulances came and got 'em out of the car. Dad was weak from the shot in his arm and his head had been hit badly by the top of the car. Mom's body was bent in different ways and her head got hit bad too. By the time they got to the hospital, they were dead."
I sat there in shock, listenin' to Darry tell the story. Sodapop was smashin' his hands on the ground mutterin' while sobbin', "Why? Why'd they have to leave us so fast? Why?" I sat there, watchin' Darry comfort Soda. It seemed like I couldn't express any emotion, just Soda could. I bet Darry hated me real bad then. I didn't understand why I couldn't react at all to this but I think it was 'cause it all happened so fast that I didn't get a chance to really understand it. Just as Soda had stopped his fit, I ran from the room, bawlin' as I went. I was surprised by my actions but I just let it out, throwin' things around the room. Darry heard and came runnin'. When he saw, he ran to me and hugged me tight. I started cryin' so hard that I thought my tear sockets wouldn't be able to produce 'em fast enough. I kept thinkin' about those boys who caused Mom and Dad to die. I would try and find 'em to tell 'em to not use their guns anymore 'cause of them, we don't have parents.
We just stood there, cryin' our eyes out, shakin' slowly. "Pony, it'll be okay. Just stay calm," Darry whispered to me. I sniffled and put myself together again. We walked back to the livin' room to see Dally, Johnny, Two-Bit, and Steve standing there with Soda. They heard too.
Steve was huggin' Soda, whisperin', "Sodapop, don't worry. You'll get over it. Just relax. You know we're all here for you. We'll be here anytime you need us. You'll get over it, Soda."
Soda coughed, sniffled, and then replied, "Thanks, Steve. I know I can count on you to calm me down." They hugged again. I watched this and then ran into Johnny's waitin' arms and we stood cryin' for a while.
"I know how bad you feel, Pony. But soon, you'll realize that everythin'll be okay," Johnny said. I wanted to scream and yell at him that he hadn't lost his parents, but no response except a loud sniffle came outta my mouth. Johnny smiled grimly and hugged me again. When he let go, I hugged Two-Bit, Steve, Dally, and Soda.
Two-Bit said to me, "Kid, don't worry. We'll be here for ya."
Steve said, "Pony, everythin'll be all right."
Dally continued, "Just stay strong, Pony. Don't let this break you."
Soda just sniffled and added on, "Yea, Ponyboy. Just stay strong. Mom and Dad are watchin' over us now. They know we feel real bad, but they know that we'll make decisions for ourselves and be all right."
We all felt real bad about what happened, but after hearin' what Johnny had said, I actually felt that everythin' would be okay. Darry, Soda, and me got the others out and we went to sleep. But every time I closed my eyes, Mom and Dad's smilin' faces appeared. Then, I actually saw the accident that killed 'em. It was a dream, I knew, but this was exactly how Darry had described it. But I was watchin' from the sidelines, seein' the story unfold. After the car hit the streetlamp, I woke up in a cold sweat. I was pantin' hard. I looked to my side and saw that Soda was awake too.
I sat up against my pillows and asked, "Soda, do ya think we'll ever get over this?" Soda sat there numbly, but nodded slowly.
"Ponyboy, Steve told me that I would get over the pain soon. But I didn't get what he was sayin'. But now, I can understand it. He meant that I would see that Mom and Dad were in a better place now and that they were watchin' over us right now," Sodapop replied. I smiled and hugged him real tight. I was grateful to have him as a brother. He always understood what I was sayin'. I could never talk to Darry like this, 'cause of his attitude, but I knew that Soda would be there to comfort me.
At that time, I realized that Mom and Dad would want us to be happy. And I realized that the pain doesn't always go away. It can fade for a while but if you think about the pain, it'll come back. I knew at that time that I was goin' to be all right.
I fell back against the pillows and mentally combined what Soda and Johnny had said to me. I knew that life was going to get better and that Darry, Soda, and me would always have each other. Even though Mom and Dad were gone, I needed to try and stay happy about life for them and I knew that Johnny and Soda were right- I understood that everythin' was goin' to be okay, even if Mom and Dad weren't here with us. But I knew they were watchin' over Darry, Sodapop, and me now.
How was it? Review!