It's short, but it is a chapter nonetheless. I'm glad I was able to get a quick(er) update squeezed in. I wrote the entire thing during my English class, but I couldn't post it because my teacher told me to get off my iPod. I wonder what she would have said if she had known I was writing a story and not texting…oh well.
This chapter was inspired by plot ideas given to me by the wonderful SimbaNF 's comment. Simba suggested that I include some of the other Greasers' perspectives/thoughts as all this is going on for Pony and Soda, and I was intrigued by this. I mentally promised myself that I would include every plot suggestion (within reason) in this story somewhere.
Also, I would like to thank erf10722 from the bottom of my heart. Erf10722 reviewed every single chapter, and I was having an awful homework-filled day, and when my email notification thing went off, I read the all the reviews and my day instantly became better! You rock 3
The fact that I own nothing Outsiders related makes me sad, but is also completely true. All credit goes to S.E. Hinton.
Chapter 7
Johnny POV
(A/N: this section in Johnny's POV is happening during the events of Pony's POV in the last chapter. It's just Johnny's take on what happened…)'
CWM-ch.7-Johnny
I watched, worried as Mrs. Hanson asked Ponyboy yet again if he knew the answer to whatever molecular equation that needed balancing, and to look up at the board when she was talking. I, myself, didn't know the answer, but Pony was a genius when it came to this sort of thing, and so I was naturally surprised when he didn't answer right away. Apparently, so was the teacher because when it appeared that Ponyboy hadn't heard her, she asked again, in a louder voice. How anyone could have missed it, I wasn't sure, but Ponyboy just continued to sit there in us desk, staring at the corner of the worksheet in front of him. He looked like he was about to fall asleep. Either that or he was having quite the daydream.
Ponyboy had been acting a little strange lately. The others in the gang had agreed with me one night when I had brought it up. That was after Pony and Sodapop had declined our invitation to go to the drive-in, which wasn't like them at all. When I had asked the others if they had noticed a change in our friends, they had agreed, but then Steve chimed in, telling us all that a little change was to be expected in two boys who had just had their brother die, and who had been adopted by two socialites (the thought made me nauseous to think about still). Good old Steve. When he wanted to, he could be real smart. I guess he just didn't want to be most of the time. Of course, he was probably just sticking up for Sodapop, but his words were enough to make me quit worrying for the rest of the night. However, the Curtis boys' weird behaviour continued straight on through the next day (when Pony bailed on us again, saying he had to go straight home after school), and the next day as well (when Sodapop didn't show up for work at the DC for the fifth day in a row), and so naturally, my worries returned.
It had to be awful, living with the Sheldons. I couldn't imagine what Ponyboy and Sodapop went through on a daily basis. I knew absolutely nothing about the Sheldons. I barely even remembered their names. Robert and Julia, or something along those lines. The most I had seen of either of them was in court, and I didn't exactly want to meet either if their eyes then. But still, you didn't need to have a top-notch education to know that they wouldn't make the ideal guardians for two Greasers like Pony and Sodapop, never mind the fact that one of them had had something to do with their son's death.
My mind suddenly took me back to that night by the fountain, and I swore I could feel the smooth handle of the knife, and the look of surprise on Bob Sheldon's face as the knife struck him, and then there was the warm wetness of his blood as it seeped through his madras jacket and onto my hands...
I suddenly felt very sick, and I turned my attention back to Ponyboy, who still didn't look like he was any closer to answering the teacher's question than he was a few moments ago. No sighed. I also noted, with a surprised lurch of my stomach, that Pony also didn't have any grease in his hair. That was definitely a bad sign. Ponyboy never, and I mean NEVER forgot to grease back his hair. It was his thing, his trademark, if you will. But today, his reddish hair was side-swept to cover the left side if his face, and if I wasn't his best friend, I almost wouldn't have recognized him. Maybe he was just going for a change? Maybe it was just a phase he was going through-one of the final phases of dealing with his brother's death? Something in the back of my mind contradicted this theory greatly, and I watched, now completely dismayed as the teacher asked Pony one more time, now getting completely impatient, what the answer was. Pony appeared lost in thought, and it wasn't until that moment, when the teacher's tone became demanding, that Ponyboy flinched, and was instantly jolted out of his daydream. He looked at the teacher, eyes wide, almost as if he thought she was going to hurt him. He shook his head slightly as if clearing it, but he still looked uneasy at the teacher's tone. I sighed. What was happening to my friend?
Sorry about any potential mistakes. I posted it as soon as I got home, and the only editing time I got was during my TA snack break. Please review. Reviews inspire me to update. ;)
