78 year old Ponyboy Curtis sat out on his porch, watching a sunset. It
had become a habit after a while. He desparetley missed the gang, for
each of them had gone on.
"Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold
Her early leaf's a flower
But only so an hour
Then leaf subsides to leaf
Then Eden sinks to greif
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay
Johnny, I tried man, I tried to stay gold, and I think, man, that I kept
true" Ponyboy whispered. Over the years his thick reddish brown hair had loosend to a greyish color. He still had greyish green eyes. His skin color was rather on the pale side, and he donned numerous wrinkles. His body however was in shape, perhaps from the track that he so desparetly ran in High School, College, and even before he began his first couple of novels. He got up off of the bench, and found his wife, Laurie making dinner. He greeted her with a kiss, and sat down on the couch. He turned on the TV. News, headline- 'Hoods Killed By Police', cartoons- 'Mickey Mouse', movie- 'Gone With The Wind', football- NY Giants, car show- How To Be The Best Mechanic, Memories of Vietnam. Day by day it hurts more not seeing the gang. Each of them went so fast. First it was Johnny Cade. He was killed after hurting his back in a fire. The same night, Dallas Winston died. He got gunned down by the police. Following them,
Sodapop Curtis got drafted to Vietnam, only to be returned home in a
box. Following this, Steve Randle hit the bottle very hard. It wasn't
until the early 90s he kicked the bottle. Next to fall was Darryl
Curtis. Darry had a successful life. Once Ponyboy was in college, Darry went to Tulsa Community, and then he went on to play football for the NY Giants, quitting his roofing job. It wasn't until 1996 that his heart gave way, and he too died. Next to go was Steve Randle,merely a week later. He died under a car, the muffler fell out, and crushed his skull. That left Two-Bit and Ponyboy. Two-Bit had a successful life. In the early 70s, he met a girl, Vanessa, and they got married. They had eight children, quads, twins, and two other children. He drew the cartoons Transformers, The Flinstones, The Rugrats, and recently Spongebob Squarepants. He had a very happy life. He died in 2018, of his age. God how Ponyboy missed them. He turned the TV off and picked up a picture of seven young
men, each of them very good looking. A man, with an elfish face, whitish blonde hair, cold eyes staood glaring at the camera. He had his arm around a boy with big brown eyes, and brown hair, fairly tanned skin, smiling a mere smile. Next to him stood Ponyboy, smiling under his older brother Sodapop's arm. Sodapop stood, smiling his famous
smile into the camera. He had blondish hair, and laughing eyes. He was the lady-killer of Tulsa, Oklahoma, only to be hurt so desparetly by the one he loved. Next to him was their older brother, Darryl. Darry stood with a stern look into the camera. He had brownish hair, and cold blue eyes. He had his arms crossed. Crouching down, in between Sodapop and him, was Steve Randle. Steve had brown hair, always combed into complitcated swirls. Spread out at each of their feet was the gang's joker, Two-Bit Matthews. His real name was Keith, but it was the fact that he always had to get his two-bits in a conversation, he was dubbed with the nickname Two-Bit. They were all smiling, so carefree. Ponyboy put the picture down, and went to his calling wife.
"Honey, dinner's ready" Laurie said. He nodded, and went to their table. Laurie was a good friend of Two-Bit's wife. Ponyboy sat down.
"So, what's up?" Ponyboy asked.
"Nothing, I went to see the Matthews' today. Michelle left the house
today, and Vanessa's going to move in with Emilio" Laurie said. Emilio and Michelle were to of the quads, the youngest two of the quads.Ponyboy nodded.
"I think there's one person that misses Two-Bit more than me" Ponyboy said. Laurie nodded. After their dinner, their son Sodapop stopped by.
He looked just like his namesake that it sometimes scared Ponyboy. Later that night, Ponyboy read his first, and best selling novel, his english theme, entitled 'The Outsiders'. He fell asleep at the mere end. He awoke not in his bed, but in a meadow. He was asleep, though he heard many voices, familar although he couldn't place them.
"Ponyboy?" one said, softly. Pony opened his eyes. There stood his older brother, Sodapop, whom he hadn't seen since the 70s.
"Sodapop!" he exclaimed. He leapt up and hugged him.
"God Ponyboy, we've missed you" Soda said. Soda looked young, younger then he was before he died.
"We?" Ponyboy asked. This can't be a dream...could he be dead? No, he has a wife he loves and kids he loves. Soda nodded.
"The gang, mom and dad" Soda said. At the last words, Pony's eyes
misted.
"Soda, am I?" he asked. Soda nodded. Pony cried.
"It's all right Ponyboy, you'll see you your family soon" Soda said.
"You've got cute kids, and a great wife that you could watch over" Soda said. Pony nodded.
"Where's the rest of the gang?" Pony asked.
"They're waiting" Soda said, taking his younger brother's hand and
helping him up. They walked into the light, and saw the five other
figures backs to them. Pony knew what to do. He jumped on his other
older brother's back. Darry turned around, smiling. His hard eyes were
now soft, softer then Pony imagined.
"I missed you Pony" Darry said, holding on to his brother for dear
life.
"Hey, man" Johnny said.
"Johnnycake!" Pony yelled, jumping down. He hugged him, noticing another figure, smiling.
"Hey kid" Dally said.
"Hey Dal" Pony said, noting Dally's soft eyes. Steve, then hugged Pony.
"Good to have you back kid" Steve said, surprising Ponyboy.
"Ponyboy Curtis!" Two-Bit yelled, picking Pony up and dropping him. "Man it's been too long" Two-Bit said. Pony nodded.
"God I've missed you" Pony said, but was cut off when he was picked up from behind.
"Ponyboy" said a voice.
"Dad?" Pony asked, spinning around. He hugged his dad. "God, I've missed you so much" Pony said, crying.
"Ponyboy? Is that you?" said a female voice.
"Mom?" Pony asked.
"Ponyboy" she said, hugging him.
"Mom! Dad! I've missed you so much" Ponyboy said. Pony was crying. "I've missed you so badly" Pony said, clinging to both of his parents. The whole gang encircled him. Pony was shedding pure tears of happiness.
"What about Laurie and my kids?" he asked. He had 12 children.
"You'll eventually meet them again" Johnny said.
"Johnny? Do you think I stayed gold?" Pony asked.
"As gold as possible" Johnny said, and they continued like nobody ever
passed. 'I guess some things can stay gold forever' Pony thought.