Chapter 1-Changes
I woke up
in the middle of the night, the clock next to the bed said 2:15. I
groaned, getting up heading towards the desk. Books that I had read
while I was home sick were stacked on the side of the desk. Soda's
old yearbook that I had looked through was turned to the page that
Bob's picture was. Just that night I finally finished my essay for
Mr. Syme's english class. What I really wanted to see though, was the
note that Johnny had left me in the middle of the book he had bought
me in Windrixville. I found it on top of the book, I had to re-read
it.
Ponyboy, I asked the nurse to give you this book so you
could finish it. The doctor came in awhile ago but I knew anyway, I
keep getting tierder and tieder. Listen, I don't mind dying now. It's
worth it. It's worth saving those kids. Their lives are worth more
than mine, they have more to live for. Some of their parents came by
to thank me, and I know it was worth it. Tell Dally it's worth it. I
am just going to miss you guys. I've been thinking about it, and that
poem the guy that wrote it, he meant your gold when you're a kid,
like green. When you're a kid, everything's new, dawn. It's just when
you get used to everything that it's day. Like the way you dig
sunsets, Pony. That's gold. Keep that way, it's a good way to be. I
wnat you to tell Dally to look at one. He'll probably think you're
crazy, but ask for me. I don't think he's ever really seen a sunset.
And don't be so bugged about being a greaser. You still have a lot of
time to make yourself be what you want. There's still lots of good in
the world. Tell Dally, I don't think he knows.
Your
Buddy,
Johnny.
I couldn't help but get
teary eyed. Maybe Johnny would be telling Dally that, explaining what
he had written. I was thinking about Johnny trying to explain to
Dally about what he had explained to me on that note, when Sodapop's
voice made me jump
"Go to bed Pony, school tomorrow." I
remembered, tomorrow I did have to go to school for the first time in
two weeks. Tomrorow I had to hand in my essay. I went to bed,
thinking about tomorrow and getting more nervous.
The next
morning, Darry woke me up. Two-Bit, Steve, and Sodapop were all out
in the living room. But, it just seemed different. It wasn't as
lively ... Steve and Soda weren't wrestling, making each other trip
over the table legs. Two-Bit leaned against the couch, he couldn't
admire his switchblade since Dally had it when he had died. He looked
more bored then ever, and good ol' Two-Bit was never bored.
"You
ready for school, Pony?" Steve asked when he saw me walk in. I
had gotten dressed in my room, I was wearing my dirty jeans and Buck
Merrill's shirt that Dally had given me that night Johnny killed Bob.
I nodded my head and went straight to the fridge. Darry had restocked
on our food the same day we had to go to court. I made myself a
sandwich and sighed. Nothing seemed to be the same anymore, when the
whole gang was circled around the floor with the music blasting and
everyone screaming and yelling and laughing, that felt like home.
Now, only half of the gang was left, and for that reason, it wasn't
the same. It was Johnny and Dally who had made all of those mornings
make you feel like you wanted to cry and yell in anger at the same
time. I lost track of time, thinking and eating my sandwich when
Darry said "Pony, time for school." I went into the jeep
with him and we left. I had my essay in one hand, and my binders in
the other.
"Pony, alot of people are probably going to
be staring at you after what happened. But remember, it's nothing
bad." Darry told me, I smiled and got out of the jeep. The high
school I went to was rather large, it had at least 1,000 students
there. I walked to my locker, and there she was. Cherry Valance
leaned against the wall, talking to Marcia. I turned red, looking at
Cherry made me think of Johnny ... But thinking of Cherry made me
feel happy again. "Should I go talk to her?" I asked
myself, then I thought "Yes," and walked towards
here.
"Cherry," I whispered. Cherry turned to me and
smiled, giving me a big hug.
"I'm so glad to see you again! I
wondered if you'd ever come back, Right before the court date I got a
job, down at a restaurant, waiting tables. Sodapop came there just to
talk to me, and tell me how you were doing. He said you were looking
horrible, and I prayed for you every night, Ponyboy. I'm so glad to
see you're okay now!"
"Thanks, I was thinking about you
all that time, too. So, you got a job, huh?" Just then, the bell
rang. She said yes and then "talk to you later!" and headed
off for class. I had english, which meant Mr. Syme would be seeing my
essay. I liked it, and hated it at the same time. It was exposing all
of those secrets I had kept inside of me, those feelings. I felt good
about it because I found it darn right good. I had hoped for at least
a B
"Well, well, well. Mr. Curtis has at last returned."
Mr. Syme acknowledged me being there and smiled. "With an essay,
I could hope?" I nodded and he smiled. "Excellent, it
better be good after getting a phone call from you after midnight."
I apoligized and went in. To my surprise, the whole class cheered
when they saw me. I felt like Brad Pitt.
"Now," Mr.
Syme began getting the whole classes attention at once. "Welcome
back Mr. Curtis, glad to see you are feeling better. I hope you have
all done like Mr. Curtis and brought your essays to be marked? If you
haven't, you still have tomorrow but that is your last time. Any
later, you will lose 5 points each day. Now, if you have done as told
and brought your essay today, please bring it up to my desk right
now!" A bunch of kids stood up, including me and put our essays
on Mr. Syme's desk. So far, from what I could tell, mine was the
largest. I smiled when I saw that.
The end of the day
finally came. My first day back seemed to take forever, but at 3:00
the final bell rang. I hurried to my locker and saw Cherry, waiting
there.
"Hey Cherry," I said when I saw her. She looked
up and smiled. "Hey Pony, I was waiting for you. Sorry I didn't
run into you during any of those breaks, I had to catch up with a ton
of work I missed on the court date. I'll try and pop by to your house
later if that's okay?"
"Sure. Look, I better go,
Darry'll be waiting. But yeah, you can come by any time." I
hurried off and found the jeep parked in front of the school. Darry
was sitting there, listening to the radio.
"Hey pony. C'mon,
gotta get home so I can make supper." I hurried in there. "How
was the first day of school?"
"Alright. I hope Mr. Syme
likes my essay." I said, still thinking "will he like it?
will he not like it?"
Sodapop was the only one at home, he was on the phone. He seemed to be talking on the phone alot lately. But no one knew who it was, he was talking to exactly. "Hey Sodapop, who ya talking to?" I said throwing my binder at him. He didn't answer, he just said "I gotta go, cya." And hung up. Steve and Two-Bit came by, Darry and Sodapop went out after supper. I went to bed, and they still hadn't returned. Steve and Two-Bit were staying over night, all 3 of us were getting worried about Darry and Sodapop, especially since it was really raining hard that night.
Around 4:30 in the morning, the door slammed open and I heard footsteps coming really quickly. "Pony, get your things ready." I heard Darry say, "Darry? What is it?" I said whispering.
"It's Soda, Ponyboy ... There was an accicdent."