Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders

As I was walking back, all the thoughts about Maryann that I was holding back while concentrating on Johnny's story, were now "attacking" me with double force. I was almost running so I could get home as soon as possible and call her. I was so happy that Johnny was alive, but I was equally upset about how things went with Maryann.

When I got home, I barely said hi to Darry and Soda, and rushed to my room to make the call. I dialed the number. "Hello," I heard on the other end of the line. It was Matt.

"Hi, it's Ponyboy, can I talk to Maryann?" I said trying to sound as nice as possible.

"You better forget this phone number, pal," he "barked" and hung up the phone. I really hated him at that moment. Who the hell is he to talk to me like that? I waited a little bit and dialed the number again, determined to yell at him if I had to. This time Maryann's mom picked up though.

"Hi," I said, "this is Ponyboy Curtis. Can I talk to Maryann please." There was uneasy silence on the other end of the line. "Just a second, let me get her," she said after a pause. A second later she came back to the phone, "Sorry, but Maryann doesn't want to talk to you. Please don't call here again. Bye now." My heart fell. I ruined it, I ruined it, I ruined it! "Bye," I said and hung up.

I went to bed, but sleeping was not an option. My thoughts were racing. I was thinking about Maryann and how badly I screwed things up. I was also thinking how to convince Johnny to come back. It has been one long day. I had the whole weekend ahead of me, and I had planned to spend it with Maryann. But all was lost now. I finally fell asleep by 4 a.m. and then slept through half of Saturday. I didn't care. It's not like I had something to do anyway. When I finally got up both Darry and Soda were gone. I killed time by reading. Reading was the only thing that could distract me from my thoughts. Two-Bit called a few times asking if I wanted to hang out, but I wasn't up to it. .

I couldn't wait till Monday so I could see Maryann in school and talk to her in person. What would I tell her though. I shouldn't have left her there the other night. And besides, I couldn't even tell her about Johnny. He made me swear not to tell anyone. Plus she probably wouldn't believe me anyway, even if I did tell her. I'm sure she now thinks that I'm crazy. Just like all of the other ones think that I'm crazy.

I got to school extra early on Monday. I wanted to make sure I had time to talk to Maryann before English. Not long after I got there, she walked into the classroom. "Hi," I said not as loud as I wished I did. She glanced at me quickly, then looked down and passed right by me, not saying hi. She was giving me the silent treatment. "Maryann, c'mon, please. I'm sorry about the other night. Please hear me out." She looked at me again. She looked really mad now. "I know you weren't feeling well 'n all, but you just don't do shit like that, Ponyboy. You don't invite me to come there with you and then just leave me there. You just don't' do that," she repeated and went to her seat. I went to my seat too. I took out a piece of paper and wrote:

Maryann, I am really sorry about the other night. But I really need to talk to you. Please meet me in the school yard after classes.

Ponyboy.

Some of her friends came in by now, and she was standing by their desk talking to them. When she wasn't looking, I came up to her desk and put my note inside of her textbook.

After school was over, I waited in the schoolyard for 2 hours. She didn't show. I was completely destroyed. Things just never work out. First I had a girl, but I was lost without my best friend, and now my best friend was back, but I lost the girl. Tired and disappointed, I went home.

Around 6:30, when we were having dinner somebody knocked on the door. And they weren't just knocking either. They were banging like only the cops do. Soda and Darry exchanged confused looks. Noone ever knocked on our door. Everyone knew we always had it unlocked. After exchanging looks both Soda and Darry looked at me as if asking, what have you done now? I got up and started walking towards my room. "Stay where you are," Darry commanded, and went to open the door.

To my complete surprise it was Matt. "Does Ponyboy Curtis live here?" he asked, not even saying hello first.

"And you would be ... who?" Darry asked reluctantly. But Matt spotted me standing in the corner of the room by then. He walked in, bringing strong smell of dope into the house. "You little punk, I told you not to mess around with my sister," he yelled at me, not paying any attention to Darry or Soda, who stood there in amazement. "Some hero, huh, you want to get in someone's pants get yourself a hooker." He cursed me out then.

"Get out," Soda yelled, "Darry tell him to get out."

"Keep your little cub on a leash," he yelled back at Soda, "tell him to stay the hell away from my sister." It then suddenly hit me what he thought it was I've done to Maryann. That made me sick. And Darry was staring at me. "Is that true, Ponyboy?" he asked quietly.

"No, Darry. I swear. I swear to God!"

"Yeah," Matt kept yelling, "how come then she's been crying every evening since she went out with you last Friday, and she wouldn't even talk to anyone."

"That's enough." Darry was pushing him outside.

"I'll tell you when it's enough," he yelled back, hitting Darry in the face, right in the corner of his lip.

A second later the two of them were wrestling each other outside of the house. They were beating each other pretty badly. I felt my pulse rise. "I didn't do nothing to Maryann," I yelled on the top of my lungs, "it's Johnny,... it's Johnny... he's alive!" Both of them stopped immediately and froze as if bitten by snakes. Darry looked at me as if I've completely lost it. He was convinced that his younger brother was crazy. He was still sitting on the ground, not even bothering to get up. Matt got a hold of himself first. He got up, and gave Darry a hand, helping him up. "Sorry man," he mumbled, "I didn't know the kid was messed up so bad. His friend been dead for months, right?" Darry just nodded in response. Matt didn't say anything else. He just turned around and walked off.

Darry's confusion was replaced by anger. "You know what?" he yelled, " I don't need this shit. You think it's easy for me. I work 2 jobs. I am your mother, your father, and your grandparents all in one. I have this stupid city exam coming up, 'nd now I have to deal with this shit?" I was silent. "Now swear to me that you haven't done anything, um... stupid to that girl?"

"I swear Darry, I swear." I couldn't believe that he was doubting me like that. How could he event think that.

"And Johnny is dead," he added bluntly. "He is dead, and you better get used to it, and stop playing crazy. 'Cause you know where the place for crazy is ? That's right, in the psychiatric ward." He went inside the house, slamming the door.

I stayed outside. I looked up, and once again I saw beautiful dark night sky full of stars. "Thanks for letting me have Johnny back" I whispered to the sky. And then I felt calm. I knew what I had to do next.