Salvage Me.
Never in my life have I seen either of them so scared like they were when Darry carried Ponyboy out of their house.
Hell, never have I been so scared.
Earlier when Pony came out of his room during our poker game, I thought I was seeing a ghost. He looked God awful. Yea he hadn't been feeling good all day, saying his head was hurting and stuff but he looked just fine when I first saw him that morning.
School wasn't my favorite place to be, but it was better than being home with my old man and ma. I do alright in school I guess, thanks to Ponyboy. I don't have the best concentration in class and I do my homework at the last minute, at least it gets done though.
Pony and I try to meet in the school library a couple times a week, he helps me figure out the things I don't really get. Like math, I hate math with a passion and even more this year because I managed to get into Algebra II -
I ain't never been the type of person who raises their hands in class or asks questions but with Ponyboy, I don't have to worry about being embarrassed when I don't get this fraction or that equation and all that.
He'd make a good teacher
We met in the library and right away I could tell that something was wrong with him.
"You okay, man?" I asked sitting down at the table he was already settled in. His face was hidden because had his arms crossed on the top of the table with his head resting in them but I could see that his arm and the back of his neck was pale.
He mumbled something that I couldn't hear, "...a headache, is all." He raised his head, rubbing at his temples. "Took a bunch of aspirins hope they'll kick in soon."
"We don't have to do this now if you ain't feelin' good Pone."
"No, it's fine Johnnycakes, just a headache."
His headache never went away though, it actually got a lot worse. So bad that he was sent home after lunch.
Two-Bit took him home and I ended up skipping the rest of the day to ride along with them to his house.
Pony directly went to bed, leaving just me and Two-Bit to look after him.
"He don't like right." Two-Bit said, stating the obvious. "Must be one of them migraines or somethin'. My mama get's 'em pretty bad."
"Maybe." I don't know why but something in the bad of my mind screamed that, that wasn't it, but I ignored it – I heard that migraines weren't much fun to deal with so I was quick on accepting that as a answer.
Wish I listened to that feeling.
Ponyboy is my best friend, he's like what I would imagine having a brother would be like. The gang, we're all like a little family, it's jut that with Pony and I we just think different and we understand each other.
If I lost him, I wouldn't be any good anymore.
I shouldn't be thinking like that, I know. He's going to be just fine but he looked already dead in Darry's arms.
I thought he was.
Even Dally looked a little scared – No, Dallas Winston doesn't get scared, he looked disturbed.
I got into the cab of the truck and the other guys tossed themselves into the the back of it. I kept glancing at Darry out of the corner of my eyes as he tailed the ambulance.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask him, the time right now just didn't seem right.
"He's gonna be alright." I said instead, taking a role I've only done with Pony. "He's a s-strong kid."
He stayed quiet and I was worried I said something wrong but then he said; "Stubborn too." He tried to give me a smile, it didn't reach his eyes though.
If only Ponyboy was here, he wouldn't think those pale blue-green eyes looked like ice now.
When we finally reached the hospital, Darry stopped the truck at the front of the hospital, having lost the ambulance in cross traffic. Two-Bit offered to park it right so they could avoid getting a ticket along with everything else going on.
Dally split off from us when we entered the hospital, saying he was going to see if he could find them before us but I could just tell he wanted some time with himself, he didn't do good in these situations.
It felt like we ran in circles for a while before a nurse finally pointed us to where she thought Soda and Pony would've ended up at. The Emergency Room was completely on the opposite side we were at so it took sometime to get to it.
It wasn't easy keeping up with Darryl Curtis.
Steve spotted Sodapop first, shouting out to Darry who was far ahead of us. "There he is!"
I didn't like the look on his face when he looked up.
No...
Darry pulled Soda off the floor, "Where is he?" He asked. Soda looked at the door with a lost look on his face, a frown tugging at his mouth. I almost couldn't believe my eyes, it was rare I'd see Soda with anything but a smile on his face.
It just didn't look right.
"What's wrong? Is he okay?" He asked the question that was on my mind too, but I was too afraid to hear the answer. I knew he wasn't okay...
Steve and me shared a look when the doctor came out a couple minutes later right when Darry was about to storm of to a Nurses Station; it was best if we stepped out of the way for a bit. Give them time to get the questions they needed answered and stuff,
"We'll go find the other guys. Update when you can." Steve gave Soda a couple of pats on his shoulder and then he and I took off.
The first place I went to was the waiting room, relieved there weren't any No Smoking signs to be seen I lit up one of the Kools I had in my jacket pocket.
A bit later Steve came in with Two-Bit and Dally, we we all took up camp there in that waiting room.
Two-Bit turned on the TV and pulled out a pack of cards from his pockets – they were new, guess he lifted them from the closed Gift Shop.
Time passed, reruns started to play and the ashtray was filled with butts.
As I smoked my cigarette I then wished more than anything I could be a blood brother to Ponyboy. I wished I could be with Darry and Soda to seeing Pony. I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait, it was killing me.
But I would wait as long as I had to.
Afterall, I am his best friend.
Pardon typos.
The title of this might change? Maybe?...Not. No it won't heh.