Chapter 2:
THE DASH IN THE MIDDLE!
A/n: Thank you for reviewing guys. Special thanks to Anon for correcting me on the spelling of Houston. Sorry it took kind of long, was trying to get the feelings set right. Plus get an accurate model car for the time period. STILL DON'T OWN THE OUTSIDERS! They are all S. E. Hinton's!
Pony woke the next morning to an almost empty house, Steve and Twobit were sitting on the floor watching Mickey. Pony rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and headed into the kitchen. Mumbling as he opened up the ice box to find everything but the chocolate cake. Sighing he settled for a glass of chocolate milk.
"Who ate the last of the cake?" Pony yelled taking a long drink of his chocolate milk.
"Houston did last night," Steve called back.
Ponyboy stopped furrowing his brow. Houston? The name sounded familiar but he couldn't pin it. He stood there leaning up against the sink he tried to remember what happened last night. He remembered getting beat up in the lot, and a girl coming to save him. Was that Houston? Furrowing his brow he took another drink of his milk thinking.
Ever since the concussion, Pony forgets certain events that happened in the past days. The doctor called it 'data dumping' the information. Especially if Pony didn't grasp something fully, he was sure to forget it.
Setting the cup in the sink he went back into the living room just as the door opened. A familiar face walked in, and instantly he remebered.
"Houston!" Pony gasped a smile spreading across his face.
"That's my name," she said smoothly. the corner of her mouth rose, "Pony I think you should get dressed. Unless you plan on showing me dally's resting place in nothing but pajama bottoms."
Trying to play it cool, he leaned up against the wall. "Well maybe I like my physique," He said winking, "maybe I want to run around shirtless."
"Darry would kill you," Steve snapped glaring at him, "then kill me and Twobit for letting you go out like that! Now go get some clothes on!"
Pony glared at him sticking his tongue out at the older boy. Steve stood and that sent Pony darting to his room. Houston laughed shaking her head, she moved to stand behind the two teens.
"Twobit and I" Houston said correcting Steve.
"Shut up," Steve mumbled waving the back of his hand at her.
She smacked him upside the head with the back of her hand. Steve looked her up and down while Twobit laughed. Houston's face was stone, but her eyes seem to dare Steve to hit her. 'She wasn't afraid to fight, she had the same rouge spirit as Dally' Steve thought smiling. He missed Dal, everyone did but having her come into their lives seem to remind everyone of the stone that anyone could lean on. It wasn't like he was replaced, nah no one could replace him, but she was so similar it was scary. Pony came out of his room looking at the two standing face to face, he wasn't sure if they were going to dance or fight.
"So," Pony said, "We going?"
Houston nodded following Pony out the door, Steve and Twobit in her wake. The boys stopped on the porch looking at the pure black Ford Fairlane sitting in front of the house. Houston moved passed them, through the gate, walking over to the driver's side of the car.
"You drive that?" Twobit's voice was so high he was squeaking.
Houston looked at the car and then at them confused. "Yea, it's Jack's" She answered nonchalantly.
"Wow, he must have some money then," Steve commented letting at a low whistle.
The boys all got in the car, Pony sitting up front with Houston driving. Steve was like a kid in a candy store, touching and looking at everything in the car. Turning on the engine, she drove off giving a slight rev to the engine. Steve let out a moan biting his lip.
"This is a sweet car," he said looking out the window.
"Collectors debt," Houston said winking at Pony, "guy bought horses. Promised to pay them back and well he ended up giving this to us."
"Nice," Pony said running his hand over the smooth leather dash, "does this happen often? I mean people paying for horses by giving you things."
"Nah, not normally," she answered turning down a long street.
"Just when its a tuff looking car," Two bit sneered making everyone chuckle.
Pony gave Houston simple directions to the cemetery where they laid there friends to rest. IT was actually by accident she stumbled upon Ponyboy getting his ass handed to him. She was actually looking for the house to ask for directions to the cemetery. Last night, after dinner, she asked if someone could take her. She wanted to see her brother one last time or something. None of the boys wanted to do it, none of them had gone since Dallas's and Johnny's funerals, so finally Pony said he would show her. Course there was a few jabs from Steve and Soda about just wanting to be alone with the girl but he understood why she wanted to go. If he lost Soda or Darry but was the last to know, he would be heart broken. He would be itchen to find where they were buried.
Finally they turned into a run down parking lot, Houston parking between two faded lines. A simple white chapel, similar to the one that burned down in Windxville, sat in front. A large black gate spread across archers of land, encasing the large cemetery in a cage. This was the county cemetery, where they put all the dead that had no family to pay for the funeral cost. Pony wasn't to sure if Johnny's family had to money but his parents didn't care much he was gone.
The boys moved to a gate, Houston following their lead. Pony was the first to go in, walking down the narrow dirt path that winded through the grave plots. Not really looking at the head stones Pony just moved along into the sea of simple white head stones. Which just had the name of the person, birthday and death date engraved on the white stones. Pony always felt weird walking through the cemetery, with it being so quite he felt like he was intruding on the dead. He finally stopped at the last row of a near completed field. Two head stones stood side by side. Both bared two names that Pony never thought to see at this point in his life.
"Dallas Winston," Houston said her voice cracking. "So this is where you ended up bro."
She knelt down next to the grave stone. Her slender fingers running over the polished stone as if touching it made it any realer.
"If it makes you feel any better," Steve said in a low voice, "every greaser in this town was there at the funeral. Half of them I didn't even know."
"Some even swore they wanted to see Dally dead," Twobit agreed.
Houston laughed, she knew that to well. Her brother could make the worst of enemies but even then they would still have his back if he needed it. That was just his way, he harden himself to life, making it impossible for him to feel at times. Yet, she knew, when it came to a certain list of people. Dally cared every inch of his heart out for them it was crazy. Well Dally was crazy so it fit.
Sliding her hand in her pocket, Houston pulled out a butterfly knife. On the handle was the simple engraving of three letters 'Dal'. She laid it on top of the head stone and stood nodding.
"You should have kept it," she whispered smiling, "it would have brought you more luck then me."
With that she turned and walked away. Twobit and Steve followed leaving Pony staring at the grave next to it. Johnny's name was etched in the stone, but Pony was looking at the dash between the two dates. He sighed remembering Johnny's words 'stay gold', which Pony tried to do everyday. He turned on his toes, running to catch up with his friends. They got back in the car and Houston drove them back to the house. She grabbed Pony before he could get out, waiting till Twobit and Steve were inside the house. She looked at him her eyes losing all there coldness. Pain filled her eyes till it formed tears on her eye lids. She gave a shuttering breath she looked at him.
"Pony," She whispered, "I know I look so much like my brother. People have even told me I act so much like him that he lives through me. In truth I just remember one thing..." Her voice broke before she could finish her sentience.
"Whats that?" Pony asked touching her hand.
He didn't remember entwining his fingers with hers but they were. His thumb gently rubbing the back side of her hand.
"That dash in the middle," she answered smiling.
Pony looked at her and she stared right back. Tears were streaming down her face now. Leaving heavy red streaks over her cheeks. Suddenly Houston pulled her hand away ushering for him to get out the car as she whipped her tears away. Pony did as she wanted looking at her through the passenger window. She drove away and Pony went inside. Sitting in Darry's chair he pursed his lips. 'That dash in the middle', what did she mean? What dash in the middle? Sighing he went about his day but when his mind got a chance to wounder. His mind wondered back to the mystery of the dash in the middle.
Laying in bed that night, snuggled warmly under Soda's arm. His mind filled with memories of Dally and Johnny. How they used to hang at the vacant lot. Sneaking into the movie and watching Dally try to score but always seeming to fail. As his eyes closed he suddenly realized what she meant. Everyone focuses on the two dates but not the dash in the middle. He gave a short laugh drifting off to sleep dreaming about the good days.
A/n: Please Review, just wanted a chapter in where Pony sees Houston has a soft side. If you wanted to know what gave me this idea, listen to 'Pushing up daises' by Garth Brooks. The next chapter will be a lot less serious but I can't say exactly what's going to happen. (Houston: I won't let her!) Just know Houston is going to mess with Soda and Steve that makes them question a few things.