Uh-oh time to put up the warning! This fic contains mentions of SLASH! That means boyXboy situations! If you don't like that; KINDLY hit the big red X up there at the top of the page, or hit the back button, or something. I don't want ANY lip from anyone!
Pony was SO out of character the first time around! Why didn't anyone tell me? LOL. This chapter pretty much sets everything off in a... new direction, so get ready. It's nothing graphic, though, so no worries for the younger ones.
Oh; and today (July 14th) is my birthday, so I'm giving YOU GUYS this chapter as a present. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! I must say, I'm quite happy with the way things are going as of now. Johnny's going right where he needs to be.
I opened my eyes, I was flat on my back. I was still very tired, and then memory hit me. I was worried for a minute that Johnny had called, but I looked over at the window and I barely saw the rays from the sunrise.
I relaxed again. I closed my eyes and thought of nothing else besides Johnny. It was like meditation, only I didn't breathe like I should have.
Which is probably why I ended up short-winded. I ended up thinking of the time he and I were forced by Darry to take a shower together.
The rain was exactly what this part of Tulsa needed. The drought could only get better after four months of no rain at all. Johnny and I raced down to the vacant lot together to toss the football around a bit. Not finding the football, we ended up laying down on the grass. We didn't fight it, we let the rain wash our dry faces. My favorite thing about being with Johnny was that was nothing short of comfort. I could really be comfortable being myself with Johnny. My eyes wandered to the dark haired mass beside of me. His eyes were closed, and he was smiling softly as fat rain drops smacked him in the face. I couldn't help but stare at him. He looked so calm and happy, if I hadn't known better, I would have thought he was asleep. Until his eyes fluttered open, and my heart fluttered with them.
"What is it Pony?" He asked, the small smile never leaving his face.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"'Bout what?" He turned his body to face mine, leaning on his elbow. I did the same, facing him.
"Everything... and nothing." He said. Johnny raised his eyebrows at me. "It's nothing Johnny. Don't worry about it."
"Alright, man. But you know I'll listen to you 'bout whatever you need to talk about, right?" He asked, I melted and smiled.
"Yeah, Johnnycake. I do." Johnny smiled wider. Then an evil smirk came across his face. I leaned my head back. "What?" My question was barely out when Johnny jumped on me.
Johnny had me pinned before I knew what he was doing. I tried to roll him off, but he's stronger than he looks. Johnny had his knees by my hips, holding on. He almost fell and his hands went to the ground above my head, leaning over me. He then scooted back, sitting on my knees and grabbed my wrists. His eyes were so bright, I was tranquilized for a minute, but then I fell back into reality. He barked a laugh when I managed to get one hand loose, turning us over. I started tickling his sides, he was writhing, and I was laughing along with him.
He found my wrists again and he rolled us over. This time into a big mud pit.
"Augh!" I groaned, feeling the cold mud squish under me.
Johnny barked. "Got you now!" He laughed, struggling to keep a hold on my hands. I lifted my knees, throwing Johnny up slightly, and I was over him once again. He bucked against me, flinging mud and rain from his hair onto my face and in my mouth. I spluttered and he started tickling me again, causing my back to collapse. I managed to hold myself up on my elbows. I rolled onto my back, trying to get away from the menacing hands of my best friend. He just followed me, still tickling until I grabbed his wrists.
He settled himself on my lap, grinning from ear to ear, his face brighter than I'd ever seen it. He shook the hair out of his eyes and smiled at me. I loosened my grip on his wrists and he linked our hands, slowly.
He shifted his knees forward. I don't know what he was trying to do, but his knees slipped in the mud and he fell on me with a grunt. My face burned white hot as I drank in the feeling of his weight on my chest.
It should have been uncomfortable, for he was taller than me and probably weighed more. But damn it if it didn't feel right for him to be there. He let my fingers go and pushed himself up.
"Sorry, Pone." He said, his face glowing pink.
"Don't worry about it, Johnny." I smiled. "It was fun while it lasted." I said more to myself than him, but he heard me anyway.
Johnny looked at me like I was crazy. I watched a rather large raindrop run down the side of his face. "What makes you think I'm done?" And he pounced.
Sometime after the rain stopped, I couldn't tell you how long we were there, I gave in. I didn't think my arms and legs could take anymore. We kept turning each other over in the mud, finally emerging in a lovely layer of crusty dirt.
He and I trudged back to my house slowly, laughing the whole way.
I thought Darry was going to bash our heads in when we walked onto the porch.
"WHAT have you been doing, Ponyboy Curtis?" He yelled at me. Johnny looked guilty under all the mud.
"Me and Johnny wrestled down at the lot."
"Looks like you did alot more than wrestled!" Darry said. My eyes shot open. Was Darry suggesting that Johnny and I--? "What did you do, have a mud war?" He asked, still angry but a hint of amusement riddled his voice. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding as Johnny began chuckling softly.
"Go on in the house and take a shower, you two. But Pony, you'll probably have to vacuum up the mud later."
"Alright, Darry." I said. Johnny walked into my house, and he turned around.
"Want to shower first?" He asked me.
"Nahh. You go ahead."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I gotta get you some clean clothes, anyway."
"Alright." Johnny said. As he turned to go to the bathroom, Darry poked his head inside the door.
"Hey, guys. Why don't you two just shower together? The drought's still pretty bad, it'll help save some water."
"B-but it just rained!" I yelped, my heart pounding fiercely.
"Pony, one little storm ain't gonna fix four months of drought. Now just go on and get in the shower. I'll vacuum for you?"
"But Darry--"
"No buts, Pony. I ain't payin' triple on the water bill if I can avoid it. Now go on." Darry let the door slam behind him.
"Yeah, Pone. Ain't like you and Johnny got different parts, or nothin'." Soda spoke up from the couch. He looked as if he were about to burst with laughter.
"Whatever." I sighed in defeat. "Johnny come on, lets go get us some clean clothes." I said feigning annoyance. I was excited about it, but scared to death, too.
Slowly, I walked into my room, trying not to make a huge mess for Darry. I gathered my change of clothes, and told Johnny help himself into my closet.
I waited until he found something, and purposefully brushed mud off Johnny's shoulder. He snickered at me.
In the bathroom, the silent agreement was "just turn around." So I turned my back to Johnny and stripped naked.
"I hope the water's not too hot." Johnny said. I faced him, in all his naked glory.
A dog barked loudly and woke me from my trance. I had to blink several times. The morning sun was hitting me in the face, as if to say "How dare you think of Johnny as more than a friend!" I would have rolled my eyes and told the sun to beat it, but there's no arguing with stars.
I rolled over to find an empty bed. I wondered where Soda was. I shrugged in my thoughts. He had probably rised early to make a cake, or to see if Steve had stayed the night.
I got up out of bed and took a shower.
The house was deserted. Maybe everyone had left early. Oh yeah, it was a Monday. I forgot.
I sat down and watched television waiting for Johnny's call. I had hoped that he would call while everyone was gone. Maybe I would get my wish.
Ring, ring, ring. My heart leapt to my throat.
"Hello?" I asked, my voice squeaking slightly.
"Ponyboy."
"Oh, hi Tim." My face fell.
"Listen Pony, you seen Curly 'round?"
"Um, no. Not today, I haven't."
"Alright, then."
Click.
The anticipation was terrible. So I decided to read more on Apathy and Other Small Victories.
"The scream was primordial. I have never heard another human make such a sound. Her jaw distended like she was a snake about to eat a small child and her whole body shook, her two fists out like she was a pilot trying to pull a 747 out of a nose-dive."
I had hoped that Shane, the character in the book, wouldn't get killed by Gwen. She was sadistic and abusive and scary. And I hope I never meet anyone like her.
I was reading at a pretty decent pace and then I sped up and didn't realize that the phone was ringing.
I fumbled with the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hey, Ponyboy!" It was Johnny this time.
"Hey Johnny! How are ya?" My breathing quickened.
"I'm great. Guess where I am."
"Uhh, Texas?"
"Yeah, right. I'm in Oklahoma city!"
"Glory, Johnny! Already?"
"Well... I figured... I'd just come and see you, but if--"
"No, no, no! I just meant that I didn't know you w-were coming so soon. But I'm glad you're here, there!" I heard him breathe a sigh of relief.
"Me too. Listen, I'll be there in hold on... how long, Joey?" I heard the man named Joey mumble something. "I'll be there in an hour and a half, tops."
"Great. Well, actually, everyone headed to work already but I'm sure ready to see ya." I felt my face burn. Johnny laughed softly. My face must have looked like a tomato.
"I know. I, uh, wanted to see you first." Johnny's quiet confession pounded in my ears and made me even more nervous. "Well, I have to go, but I'll see you very soon. Okay?"
"Almost two hours... that's not so soon." I said quietly, more to myself than to Johnny.
"Ponyboy," He said, his voice stern. "It's not that long. Find a book and start in the the middle. I'll be with you before you get to the last chapter. I promise."
"Okay, Johnny."
"Kay, I'll see you soon."
I planned on saying something else before he hung up, but there's no arguing with stars.
I love mud pits. The backstory of the shower hit me with full force the other night, and I just kept typing, and typing and typing; and I ended up having to cut out some of it because it got slightly lemon-scented, LOL. But the boys rolling in the mud after a short rainstorm, and then still having to conserve water was just perfect. Or maybe I'm biased. Yeah, probably.
Notice that I didn't accidentally put Dally in here this time. XD I can't believe I did that the first time around, although it was pretty funny.
Enjoy, and review!