A little ways down the road, Emma heard sneakers pounding against the road trying to catch up to her. She figured it was Dally so she didnt bother to turn around. But the sneakers didnt get closer. They stayed a few feet behind her. Emma turned around and was surprised to see Ponyboy. Even though they had lived in the same house for almost two weeks, they had barely spoken a word to each other.
"Oh, um, hi," Emma said.Ponyboy looked down at his feet and mumbled a hello.
"Did Dally send you?" Ponyboy nodded his head and Emma rolled her eyes. Typical Dally, always avoiding a confrentation. They walked along the street for a couple of minutes, letting their feet lead them along. After about five minutes of walking in silence, they ended up at the lot.
"You know I'm really surprised at you,Pony," said Emma as she sat down under the big oak tree, "Anyone else would have wanted to know what was going on but you actually wanted to see if I was alright." Emma smiled as Ponyboy looked at her and blushed.
"Dally sent me to follow you, make sure you didnt get jumped or nothin. But it seemed like a nasty fight. You looked real sad so I caught up to you to let you know I was there for you. When you didnt say anything, I figured you didnt want to talk about it." That had been the longest conversation they had had yet and Emma enjoyed it. She could tell that she really like Pony.
"That was real sweet of you. Do you want to hear about it? I dont mind tellin it." Emma had decided that if there was one person to tell it would be Pony. He wouldnt judge her.
Pony nodded and waited as Emma started her story.
"I had a real family once. Not a messed up one but a nice one with a mother and a father and two brothers. We lived in a real bad part of town but it was my favorite place in the world. I loved it. My mom and dad got along real good and me, Peter and Dally were real close. We were all real happy. Then one day all that changed. A street fight erupted into a massive gang fight. My dad went to fight and he didnt come back. In New York, there are no rules in a fight except win. I was five, Dally was ten and Peter was thirteen. My mom was strong though and raised us by herself. She worked double shifts and enforced stricter rules when it came to us going out. Things went on like that for about three years," here Emma paused. She had never been able to get past this part of the story. Pony didnt push her to go on and waited as she collected her thoughts.
"I actually thought life was normal again until I got jumped and in New York you dont just get jumped, you get killed. I was walking home from school when I noticed four boys, who were alot older than me, following me down the street. I tried to lose them but they herded me into an alley. Once I was there, they beat me up real good. As I layed on the alley floor,my eyes shut closed to the world,I heard one of the kids mention he had a gun and the other three laughed. Then I felt cold metal on my forehead and all feeling left me. I went numb with fear. Fear that these kids could and would kill me. But I just lay there, praying it would be fast. But it didnt come. Instead I heard the sounds of a fight. I opened my eyes to see Peter fighting off the boys single handed. I got up and was about to help him when Peter rushed over to me and pushed me to the ground. I remembered the gun. I heard shots being fired and running foot steps. I yelled at Peter to get off of me but part of me already knew what had happened. I slowly walked home, with the body of my brother supported on my shoulder. I got to my house and knocked on the door. Dally answered it. He said something but I dont remember what. I had passed out," Emma stopped here because her eyes had started to water and she didnt like people see her cry. She took a few deep breathes and finished her story.
"I woke up in the hospital a few days later. Dally nor my mother where in my room. I learned from the doctors they hadnt come while I was unconscious. I wasnt really surprised. I left the hospital later that day and headed home. I found my mother in the living room crying and Dally was no where to be seen. She didnt come and ask me how I was or even look up. She just sat there holding Peter's shirt. Later that night, Dally came home nice and drunk. He started yelling at my mom and he hit me. The next day he was gone. He had left no clue to where he had gone. This was to much for my mother to handle. She had lost the three most important people in her life and I wasnt enough. She tried to drink her problems away but it didnt work. I found her on the couch one morning not breathing and I found that I didnt feel sad or anything. I just felt relief. After the funeral, I came looking for Dally and thats how I ended up here."
They both sat on the hard ground, in silence, for awhile, thinking over the story that had just been told. Pony was the first to realize how late it was."We better get back. Dally will be worried." Emma nodded and they walked side by side, both lost in their own thoughts.