In Pony's mystery novels that I sometimes read, the detective always stays cool. The trick is to act like nothing gets to you and to keep a poker face. Never let the villain see your emotions.
In this case, I guess whats-his-name was the villain. I sat there quietly and stared out the window trying to figure out exactly where this dark stranger was driving me. I don't reckon that I've ever been wherever we were. I felt so stupid. Darry always tells Pont to use his head, and I could just hear him saying the same to me when he heard how dumb I was not to notice that this guy was taking me somewhere. I could just picture his booming low voice hollering in my face. I cringed at that mental image and scratched my ankle. The socks that I wore were the only pair that didn't have rips or tears in them. I continued to itch at the uncomfortable socks, while still trying to look ladylike.
You know in cartoons how when someone has a great idea, and a light bulb appears over their head? I had one of those moments. I literally jumped up in anticipation, and doing so hit my head on the ceiling of the car. I didn't even have to look over at my date, I could already hear him barking with laughter. But back to my genius idea, I remembered a few days ago how I was folding laundry in the living room. Darry usually does laundry, but he was out working. I don't trust Soda to even try folding anything, he would just make a mess and start a sock fight. Pony would sometimes help me with the laundry, but he was in his room working on a math assignment. As I was folding some of the socks, I felt a cold metal object hidden in the clean clothes. At first, I thought it was maybe a blade that belonged to one of the gang, and I shook the jeans annoyed. I always told them to empty their pockets before throwing clothes in the laundry. As the heavy object fell out of the jeans pocket and I stood frozen, staring at it in awe. I had never even seen a gun, let alone touched one before. I stared at it in disbelief. I had this crazy notion that touching a gun would cause it to shoot immediately and end up killing someone. At the precise moment, Dallas Winston walked in the living room. I don't think Dally likes me very much, he always gives me looks like he sees right through me. I don't know, he just makes me uncomfortable. He took one look at me and the gun and started to chuckle. I gave him an indignant look. What was so funny? When he stopped laughing, he told me in an amused tone of voice that I could keep the gun. Since then I had stashed the gun in my sock drawer for safe keeping.
I snapped out of my daydream as my date turned another sharp turn, causing me to slam against the window. The revolver was in my left sock. I discreetly reached down to grab the gun, masking my devious plan with a fit of coughing. I quickly glanced at my date to see if he noticed anything. He remained, as always, staring ahead at the deserted road that we were traveling down. I could feel my sweaty fingers grasp the rifle tightly. I counted to five slowly in my head before throwing my escape into action. As whatever-his-name was took another turn, I seized the opportunity. I pulled out the revolver and pointed it menacingly at his head.
"Y-you stop the car!" I shouted shakily. I wiped the hand that wasn't pointing a gun at him on my skirt. My fingers were jerking uncontrollably as I waited for his reply.
My date turned towards me and for the first time this night, I could see his face. He had small beady eyes that I immediately did not trust. He casually ran his fingers through his thin brown hair and smiled lazily at me, like being threatened at gunpoint was an everyday occurrence in his life. Maybe it was.
"Whatever. We're here anyways." He spoke in a gravelly voice that matched his tough exterior. I blinked heavily. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. He was supposed to surrender and take me home. I sheepishly lowered the gun. He cackled loudly and turned off the car. I sat there for a moment before concealing the gun in my sock once more.
Without sparing so much as a glance, he clambered out the vehicle and stood at the edge of the road. I decided to stay put, seeing as I had no idea where I was. I couldn't tell what time it was, but the moon was already out. I wonder if Darry, Soda, and Pony knew that something was wrong. I wonder if they had a sixth sense that I was possibly in danger. I realised just how much I sounded like Ponyboy just then. Darry was probably reading the paper, and Soda was most likely out with Steve or Sandy, and Pony was definitely in his room, reading one of his countless novels. I bet that they didn't have any inklings about me being in a compromising situation. While I was thinking, I heard a great big BOOM! It was unlike anything I had ever heard before. In the next few months, I would often hear that sound again in my dark nightmares. I frantically climbed across the car to peer out the dirty window at my date.
What I saw there, I know I will never forget. My blood ran cold, and I had the strangest sensation of wanting to scream outloud but not being able to utter a sound. I stood frozen, looking at the scene that lay in front of me.
He lay on the ground with his mouth slighty curled up, and his squinty eyes half open. I stared at his face trying to forget. I closed my eyes and pinched my arm repeatedly, hoping that this was just a bad dream. Please, God, let this be a dream, I prayed for the first time in years.
When I opened nothing had changed.
Lodged in his unmoving chest, there was a bullet.