A/N: Not much to say here unless it's thank you all for the reviews and favorites! Keep 'em comin', please! :D
Enjoy chapter 21, the final 'Party Crashers' part! :)
Chapter 21
Sondra and Joshua gazed into each other eyes with big smiles upon their faces that were starting to draw closer and closer as they continued to slow dance, holding each other close in the others arms. Sondra had agreed to be Joshua's girlfriend, and man, it was a really great thing that Johnny didn't hear Joshua 'pop the teenage question' or Sondra actually saying yes to it, because he was already upset enough over some reason he didn't quite understand, but if there was one major thing Johnny knew for sure, it was that he absoluetly disliked Joshua, and any other boy who would fall head over heels for Sondra, whether they were a greaser, Soc, or a different Regular.
Sondra yawned little, growing that adorable, small, precious grin of hers upon her lips as she gently rested her head down on Joshua's shoulder. Joshua smiled greatly, showing all of his sparkling white teeth as his eyes shimmered and glew with that handsome glow. However, it was too bad that nobody realized how Joshua was truly that Soc in disguise, and not to mention the fact that he was drunk, so he truly had no idea what he was doing, and when he'd get over his hangover, he wouldn't remember a single word that he spoke, nor a single action that he did during that greasers only party. Joshua didn't mean to get drunk, but his best friend, Paul, offered him to take a single glass of beer just to try it. So, Joshua did just that. He instantly hated the taste, it being so bitter and making him gag as he swallowed it, as his face flushed into a mixture of a sick green and sheet white. However, after Joshua took just one single glass of beer, he couldn't help himself to drink down even more. He ended up getting drunk on his tenth or so glass.
"Aw, come on, Baby. You can't be tired already. We've only just begun." Joshua chuckled a bit in his cool and smooth tone into Sondra's ear, her head still resting peacefully on his shoulder as they continued to slow dance. Joshua began tracing his hands in a very comfortable and tender way up and down the fourteen-year-old Regulars back, but Sondra couldn't care less, because she realized that she actually had her first ever boyfriend. Too bad he was a greaser, Sondra thought to herself, because if anybody found that out in her mini 'gang', they'd flip, because none of Sondra's friends wanted her to date anybody unless it was somebody from their own kind. That was a common rule pretty much along all three of the gangs in Tulsa, but that didn't stop Sondra to agree saying yes to become Joshua's girlfriend, and nor did it keep Cherry Valence and Dallas Winston apart from each other after they agreed going out only a few weeks before.
"It's just been a long day for me." Sondra softly informed her new boyfriend, as he gently twirled her around after she spoke, and when he caught her back in his arms, Sondra rested her head back down on his shoulder again.
"Well then, that makes two of us. But I got to say, I'm very lucky to get you before any guys that were like pigs got to you first." Joshua whispered into Sondra's ear, making her grin both tiredly, but sweetly, as she heated up more a bit, and she giggled some of her precious, soft laughs.
However, the newly coupled teens were so busy being caught up in each others blushing, giggles, and flirts going back and forth with each other, that they didn't even notice Johnny, who was sitting at the bar, slurping down the final drops of his glass of Coke as he watched. The eldest Cade didn't need to even think twice, nor even once, with the fact that Joshua and Sondra were hitting it off greatly, but he didn't know that they were now happily dating.
"What's wrong, Johnny, kid?" Buck asked as he leaned on the bar from the opposite side of Johnny, across the bar from where he just got finished serving some other greasers some more beer and liquor. The oldest Cade turned his attention over to the owner of the Dingo, taking down the final sip of his Coke while doing so, and he gently, but yet roughly at the same time, made the glass cup meet the bar counters smooth surface. Afterwards, Johnny just glanced back over at Sondra and Joshua.
"Want 'nother Coke, kiddo?" Buck questioned "it's on the house tonight, 'member?"
"Sure, why not?" Johnny simply shrugged his shoulders, and to Buck's surprise, even though he hid his new surprised feelings real well, Johnny's voice was now sounding a bit annoyed and uncaring, but Buck could tell that it obviously wasn't because of him.
Buck then nodded his head as he took Johnny's empty glass cup from the bar counter, then refilled it up to the rim with more Coke, right before placing it back in front of the sixteen-year-old greaser to take, and Johnny, his eyes still glued on Sondra and Joshua, simply took his now refilled glass of Coke from the bar counter without even needing to see where it was.
Confusedly, Buck cocked an eyebrow as he rested his arms there on the bar counter, one folded on top of the other, and he held himself still right there across from Johnny. Buck has known Johnny ever since he was a little one, so he knew deeply when he was upset. Heck, but Buck didn't ever think Johnny would be that upset at that moment. He looked pretty angry, but yet filled with pain and sorrow at the same time.
"What's got you down in the dumps, kid? You're usually pumped when havin' our thrilling and tuff greaser only parties, Johnnycake." Buck pointed out. Johnny simply shrugged his shoulders after he took in what the Dingo's owner just informed him on. Then, the sixteen-year-old greaser took a few small gulps of his refilled Coke from his glass, keeping his eyes on Sondra and Joshua still slow dancing, giggling, and whispering to each other for a couple more seconds, but then, Johnny forced himself to look away and gaze at Buck, who was already staring right at him.
"What are you talkin' 'bout, Buck? I'm fine." Johnny lied, and Buck could tell, because when it comes to lying, Johnny's the worst person to ever do it in all of Tulsa, whether it was for him or somebody else.
"Got some girl problems, huh?" Buck questioned, considering he understood that Johnny very much cared about Sondra, and he just saved her from possibly getting raped, but she was yet slow dancing away in another boys arms.
With Johnny's free arm, he crossed it over his stomach, and he gave Buck a sort of stern facial expression, while his other hand held his glass of Coke.
"I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout, Buck. I said so once, and I'll say it again, I'm fine." Johnny repeated himself, but when he was about to gaze back over at Sondra and Joshua to see what they were up to, just in case Joshua wasn't anything close to like Seth was, Johnny noticed Buck just grin a little and roll his eyes, so the eldest Cade quickly turned his full, undivided attention back over to Buck to see him fully this time.
"Johnny, kid, no offence, but you're a terrible liar." Buck informed, sort of chuckling with his words, as he gazed down at his nails, realizing that they needed to be cleaned from the dirt that was darkening underneath them, so he pulled a rag that was resting over his shoulder down, then started cleaning the dirt out from underneath his slimly long nails. Johnny secretly wanted to gag, but he just couldn't, because he was already starting to turn a bright, bright shade of red after hearing Buck point out the fact that he was an awfully terrible liar. Johnny wasn't ashamed of that though. He knew he couldn't tell a lie to save his life.
"..What's your point, Buck?" Johnny dared to ask, and Buck kept on grinning as he tossed the rag back over his shoulder again, and he leaned on the bar counter from the opposite side of Johnny so the two of them could have a chat.
"If you haven't noticed, which I completely doubt, Johnny," Buck began his lecture. "You're completely fallin' for that Baby girl. I must admit, she's a pretty adorable one, and if she was my age, I bet she'd be mine by now...actually, I can promise ya that she'd be mine if we were the same age. But either way, back to you and Baby here, you're just sittin' back and angrily, but yet watching with sorrow at the same time by that look in your black eyes, watchin' her giggle and chat with some other boy durin' this slow song. Why don't you make a move, kiddo?"
Johnny was taking down a little bit of his Coke when Buck gave him that mini speech of his, and from shock since Buck was now sayin' he had a crush on Sondra, too, just like the rest of the Curtis's greaser gang, minus Dally, was goin' on and on about, Johnny had swallowed some of his Coke too fast, causing him to choke on it, and be began coughing a bit, his eyes now big and a bit watery.
"Buck, not you, too! Everyone is telling me that I have a thing for Baby, but I don't!" Johnny coughed a couple more times before going on with what he wanted to say. "Besides, I've never dated anybody before in my whole life! Sure, Baby's pretty. I agree with ya on that, I admit. However, she's too good for me, if I even had those kind of feelings for her, and I have no idea how it is to be a boyfriend...I feel like I'll screw everythin' up."
"Now don't be ridiculous, kid. You're young, still got your life ahead of you, ya dig?" Buck asked.
Confusedly, it was then Johnny's turn to cock an eyebrow, and he looked at Buck like he had just lost his mind or something like that.
"What's that got to do with this?" Johnny concerndly questioned.
"Shoot," Buck grinned some more, as he started to snicker a bit. "I used to be just like you, Johnnycake. I used to be a teenager who was always thinkin' I wasn't good enough for any pretty girl like that Baby of yours."
"She's not mi-" Johnny began exclaiming a bit, but Buck cut him off on purpose with more words, while he continued to smile his big, cheesy grin.
"But I then got enough guts to earn over my high school sweetheart. However, after I dropped out of high school, she dumped me, because she was 'Ms. Popular', a hot cheerleader, class president, and all of that Soc-like high school crap, so she couldn't be seen datin' the high school drop-out." Buck went on sharing his story, but when he was going to continue on with more words, Johnny couldn't help himself to do something from feeling so much stress now surrounding and pressuring on him.
"How is this supposed to help me?!" the sixteen-year-old greaser blurted out, his face now heavily red, and his black eyes were huge with pure nervousness now swimming deeply around in both of them. He was now beginning to feel so stressed to the point that he could've sworn that people in China could hear how fast his heart was rapidly pounding.
"I was gettin' to that." Buck informed, and he then continued on with his lecturing speech. "My point is, Johnny, is that when I got older, my whole life still bein' ahead of me, I ended up gettin' a new girlfriend of my own, and all because I had enough guts to go up to her and ask her out. Plus, for a bonus, she was from our kind. Trust me, Johnnycake, I know 'bout this stuff."
"Um, Buck..." Johnny confusedly glanced at the owner of the Dingo, who just innocently gazed directly back at him, waiting for him to say whatever he wanted to say. Johnny took down a secret gulp to help clear the lump that was now resting in his throat, considering he didn't know what he was about the say could've possibly been his last words before being tackled down to the floor by Buck, then watching the gang yank him off, wrestling him back.
"Please inform me on if you're still datin' her..." Johnny then was finally able to nervously stuttered out those words after he found his voice, but to his surprise, Buck didn't look like he cared one bit, and he shrugged his shoulders.
"No, I broke up with her last week after a month of going out. Turns out, I wanted her to come visit me more durin' my working hours here at the Dingo, and she wanted to sleep with other guys when I was here. So, yeah. I dumped 'er. That sleazy broad had it comin'...it was only hilarious when she didn't see it coming!" Buck started laughing at his own words, which certainly surprised Johnny, because Johnny knew if he was in Buck's shoes, he would've broken down in tears, and then refuse to ever date again. But Buck was different. He was like Dallas, but minus a whole lot of the attitude. Buck just got tough, not allowing anybody to hurt him physically or verbally throughout his whole life, especially when he was arrested.
"Want a cancer-stick, Johnny?" Buck asked, offering an open pack from his jeans pocket to the sixteen-year-old greaser after he had pulled out and lit a cigarette for himself. Johnny shook his head at Buck's offer, because he still had his own cigarettes. Plus, he was trying to cut back on his smoking habit a bit. He hated setting a bad example for his kid sisters, and if you smoke too much, it's obvious that you'll get real, real sick.
"No thank you, Buck. But thanks anyway. I have a whole pack of my own in my jean jackets pocket. Same with my own lighter that Dallas 'bought' and gave me for my sixteenth birthday. Nevertheless, I don't think smokin' is the answer for my problem right now. And I hate it when Carla sees me smoke. The last thing I need is fighting off a twelve-year-old from cigarettes while I rock a baby back and forth in my arms to fall asleep." Johnny yawned a little, and he rubbed his eyes. His jet-black hair got in his face a bit, so when Johnny decided to tuck it a little behind his ear, the nasty blue, purple, and black color mixed bruise on his jaw was exposed.
"Tired, Johnny?" Buck asked, and Johnny nodded, as he took another few sips of his Coke, hoping it'd wake him up, because greaser parties usually go on until the very early morning. Usually 'round the crack of dawn, that is.
"Dang, Johnnycake! Kiddo, that's quite a new bruise you got there!" Buck then blurted out after his eyes caught the view of the nasty looking bruise on Johnny's jaw. Quickly, Johnny picked his jet-black hair from behind his ear that he just tucked away back out, so he could cover up his bruise again.
"Unfortuently, my old man got mad at me because I couldn't find him the remote fast enough." Johnny sighed, right before he took another sip of his Coke, but this one was a bit longer.
"That crap is always mad at you, Johnnycake. You and your sisters." Buck grumbled in a sudden angry tone, his arms now crossed over his chest with his eyes now narrowed, teeth exposed and slightly clenched, and his nose scrunched a bit. Johnny knew he hated his folks guts, just like all of his friends did, but just like Darry, Two-Bit, Ponyboy, Steve, Kitten, Soda, and Dallas, Buck couldn't make Johnny feel any different from his, Cassidy's, and Jocelyn's parents. He honestly loved them, just like Cassidy and Jocelyn did, because they did bring them into the world in the first place, but Mr and Mrs. Cade just never wanted children. They never planned for Johnny, Cassidy, and Jocelyn to happen, but Johnny always knew for a fact that his parents loved makin' 'em more then raisin' 'em.
"Well, it's not like I can do anything 'bout it. If I dare call social services, Carla, Joce, and I could possibly be parted from each other." Johnny pointed out.
"Actually, since you three are so, so close, and not just because you're siblings, but because you honestly love each other, you three can possibly move into a loving couples house here in Tulsa." Buck told the eldest Cade, but Johnny shook his head, taking down some more of his Coke while he was at it.
"No, Buck. I don't want my kid sisters and I to live with strangers. Besides, the only kind folks I've ever met in my life here in Tulsa is Mr and Mrs. Curtis, but they're long gone, however. There's also Mrs. Mathews who's amazing, but Mr. Mathews ain't such a kind guy towards her and Two-Bit. I'm doin' a perfect job on my own with technically raising my kid sisters." Johnny lectured.
"I still have a hard time believin' how you can be so close to resemble a teenage father, but yet, you can't even force yourself to go tell that boy over there to back off and step off your game with Baby." Buck snickered a bit as he secretly pointed a thumb over to Sondra and Joshua, who were both still slow dancing the night away. Johnny could feel the tips of his ears starting to heat up and turn red to match his face. Strange, Johnny thought to himself. His ears haven't ever done that before.
"I don't have feelings for Baby, Buck!" Johnny objected.
"Riigghhtt." Buck chuckled "but yet, you went over and karate kicked that redhead boy in the nose after he attempted comin' so close to raping her. You're in complete denial, Johnnycake."
"Am not!" Johnny instantly shot those two words back, but Buck just continued to grin as he rolled his eyes in a playful manner, right before he said, "My point exactly."
Meanwhile, with all of the greasers having such a great time partying, and Johnny continued to chat with Buck, nobody realized how three certain male Regulars in disguise, as known as Eric, Peter, and Brian, came riding up in front of the Dingo, where they parked Charlie's bike in the old and rusty bike rack, after their long ride from Charlie's house.
"You're such a hot and wonderful girl, Baby. I'm so lucky to be able call you my girlfriend now." Joshua whispered into Sondra's ear, making her giggle a bit more as her face heated up to a shade of bright red, and she continued to rest her head on his shoulder. Just as Sondra was about to say something, she froze, and her eyes grew big a little, as if her tired feelings quickly flashed out of her, because before she could get a single word out, Joshua added the three little words, "I love you.", onto what he said a couple seconds before.
Sondra hated to admit it, especially if Charlie was around, but thank God he wasn't, but she truly didn't know what love was yet. She was only fourteen-going-onto-fifteen before anybody would see it coming, and all she knew about true love was that it involved adults getting married and having babies if they wanted to. Sondra knew for a hardcore fact that Joshua didn't love her, because they were just teenagers, and they knew crap about love. Sondra, her eyes still slightly big, leaned off finally from Joshua's shoulder, and while he grinned greatly and cooly at her, she forced herself to grin as they looked deep into each others eyes, but she was now filled with shock towards what three little words Joshua just told her.
"Oh, um...uh...wow, Joshua..." Sondra nervously stuttered, trying her best to be polite, but she couldn't help herself to use the tone that she was using at that moment. Heck, she and Joshua just met, and here they were just beginning to date for a few minutes, and then, here's Joshua telling her that he loved her. Confusedly, Joshua wiped his smile off from his face, and he cocked an eyebrow. You could see the concern that was gleeing right off from his shimmering eyes, and that made Sondra begin to feel embarrassed a bit. She was now starting to heat up to an even darker shade of red this time, and that was all because she was just told that she was loved by somebody who just started dating her, and she was now growing more embarrassed then anything.
"Baby, what's wrong? Don't you love me, too?" Joshua innocently, but yet cautiously, questioned, and that seriously made Sondra's heart take one heck of a major spring up in her chest. She couldn't believe Joshua literally just asked her a question like that. They were just teenagers who just started dating, and they still had their whole lives ahead of them. Hell, they were still just kids. Yes, Sondra knew that she had feelings for Joshua, but she didn't feel like she was actually in love with him. He might've seemed like the one for her teenage life, but adulthood...Sondra had somebody else in mind, because she didn't know what to expect with her first ever boyfriend.
"Well, Joshua...um...eh...hun-" Sondra began speaking the best she could through her stutters and stammers, but before she could speak a single word, she caught a glance out one of the big glass windows of the Dingo to see Brian, Peter, and Eric outside, dressed like greasers, and Peter and Brian looked like they were going back and forth at each other a bit, while Eric just leaned against Charlie's bike, staying out of it with his arms crossed over his chest as he tapped his foot, waiting for the two of them to start acting mature at least just a little bit for that serious moment.
Sondra's eyes shot bigger then ever, and she quickly let out a gasp as she pulled herself away from Joshua, who just concerndly and cautiously glanced at her with worry now piled up in his eyes.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Joshua questioned, his voice soft and caring, but yet worried at the same time, and he attempted to gently take a hold of and grasp Sondra's hand, but she took another step back, while she breathed in and out rapidly, and she gazed back and forth from seeing Peter, Brian, and Eric through one of the glass windows, to her new boyfriend.
"I-I'm so, so sorry, Joshua, but I got to go!" Sondra attempted to quickly jog past Joshua, but he gently grabbed her by her arm, then pulled her back around so their chests were now against each other with their noses now touching.
"Already? Really, Baby? Without even a kiss goodbye?" Joshua grinned at his question, and Sondra had another big heart leap in her chest after she heard her new boyfriend say that to her. The fourteen-year-old Regular in disguise as a greaser watched as Joshua stuck his lips out in a romantic way, his eyes now dreamily shut at the same time, but when he attempted to kiss Sondra, she gently, but yet good enough at the same, pushed him away from her, not giving him a chance for his lips to meet her cheek, lips, or just her whole body in general.
Joshua opened his eyes back up and gave Sondra a pleading and begging facial expression. It was as if he was a homeless puppy-dog that was begging for food or something. Man, the adorable look that was now shining in his eyes was totally making Sondra feel like she was about to draw down to her knees, but at that moment, she had to run away from the Dingo, before Brian, Peter, and Eric caught her in there.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Joshua questioned with that same soft and caring, but yet worried tone of his voice.
"Look, Joshua, nothing is wrong, but I really got to get going! I have school in the morning and a test to study for! I'm so sorry, Joshua, but I'll meet up with you around, hun! Gotta go!" Sondra quickly sprinted away, leaving her new boyfriend behind, who kept his eyes on her...until he fell to the floor, seeing nothing but black, but nobody noticed, and to the other greasers that actually did notice, they were too caught up in their own things to care and do anything about it. Too bad nobody knew that Joshua was now knocked out, because he had fainted from drinking so much beer, and he was now in the sleeping stage of the beginning of a hangover.
"Johnny! Johnny!" Sondra quickly bashed over to the eldest Cade, who was still sitting at the bar and sipping away at his Coke, and Buck was now serving some other greasers.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Johnny cautiously and concerndly asked as he quickly stood up, then caught Sondra as she ran up to him by gently grasping her shoulders.
"It's Bri, Peter-pie, and Eric-O! They found out I snuck out somehow, because they're right outside and disguised as greasers themselves! If they catch me in here, I'm goin' to be toast!" Sondra exclaimed all in a rapidly and nervously, whispering away voice. Johnny nearly dropped his glass of now fully drank and empty cup of Coke, but he luckily didn't. Still, you could sense how tense he now was with a huge amount of fear in his eyes, and that shocked/surprised facial expression now glued straight on his face.
"We got to get out of here, because if Bri, Eric-O, and Peter-pie realize that you're here, too, they'll tell Charlie-arlie and Becky, and then they'll forbid me to see you!" Sondra added onto what she said a few seconds later after the short pause between her and the oldest Cade.
"Well, I'm not goin' to let that happen!" Johnny quickly shook his head as he placed his empty glass of Coke down on the bar counters surface. He couldn't imagine his life without Sondra. She was beautiful, shy, brave, adventerous, and she was now starting to get better at accepting who she was. Johnny actually loved the fact that she was different. She wasn't like 'em other Regulars who actually plotted secret revenge with their own attacking rumbles on either the greasers or the Socs. And Johnny also enjoyed that she wasn't a greaser, because people who are the same completely are just plain boring. That's why Johnny loved the saying, 'Opposites attract', because he believed that he and Sondra attracted real well as close and best friends together, and he was hopin' that they'd be best friends forever until the end.
"What can we do though, Johnnycake?! There's no place to hide in here! If we dare hide anywhere even, everybody in here is so drunk, high, or just plainly caught up in what they're doin', that they won't even think twice before admitting where we are! Heck, they might not even care to think once! They'll properly say we were making out or something, and trust me, if Bri, Eric-O, and Peter-pie hear that, they'll tell Charlie-arlie, and then-" Sondra went on and on panicking out words, but she finally stopped and got a hold of herself when she felt Johnny carefully, but yet quickly, grasp one of her arms. Sondra didn't mind that though. She trusted Johnny and the rest of the Curtis's greaser gang, except Dallas, completely.
"Baby, don't worry! I know some place where we can run away and off to together! Just for tonight, of course!" Johnny informed the oldest female Prescott, who was only eager to get the heck out of the Dingo so she and her best friend wouldn't get busted by Eric, Peter, and Brian.
"R-Really, Johnny? You'd run away with me for the night?" Sondra asked, and she was an extreme mixture of relief and joy when Johnny grinned and nodded his head, meaning what Sondra just took in from his own words wasn't a figment of her imagination. Johnny's hand that was gently grasping Sondra's arm gently, but yet quickly at the same time, smoothed down until he was able to take a hold of Sondra's hand. Their fingers locked around each others as their palms met, and the two teenagers faces began heating up and turning the same shade of a bright, bright red. Sondra and Johnny looked into each others glowing and shimmering eyes, right before Johnny smiled a little again.
"Come on, Baby. Let's get out of here." Johnny whispered as he got down on his knees with Sondra instantly following him, since they were still holding one of each others hands so they wouldn't get parted in the Dingo. With Johnny leading the way, Sondra crawled behind him underneath the bar counters hollow opening, considering that the chairs where you sat in at the bar counter got pushed in during closing hours.
"Where are we goin', Johnnycake?" Sondra quietly and cauitously questioned after she was able to stand back up on her feet with Johnny when they finally crawled all the way over to the other side of the bar counter. They were lucky that Buck was serving some other greasers at the moment, because if he wasn't, they would've already been busted. Nobody except employees were allowed behind the bar counter, unless your one of Buck's friends, but it must be closing hours at the same time.
"Just follow me. I know where we can go." a smiling Johnny Cade encouraged Sondra to keep following him, and the sweet, handsome smile upon Johnny's face certainly made the worry and concern drain away from the fourteen-year-old female Regular.
"You, um...sure it's safe?" Sondra asked as she used her free hand that still wasn't being held by one of Johnny's hands to tuck some of her golden blonde, shaggy hair behind her ear.
"Oh, I know it's safe!" Johnny assured, nodding his head some while doing so, and that was all Sondra needed to agree. She joined in nodding her head, and no more words were spoken between her and Johnny. Quietly, Johnny and Sondra, still holding one of each others hands, tiptoed with each other, Johnny still leading the way the whole entire time until he and Sondra finally tiptoed their way secretly out the back door of the Dingo. After it quietly shut and clipped back, meaning it was all the way closed, Sondra and Johnny stopped holding each others hands, and they broke off into a run, keeping side by side to each other as they smiled and laughed a bit together under the moonlight and starlight that was beautifully bathing them that night.
Nobody realized that Johnny and Sondra both snuck out together. When Buck realized Johnny wasn't there when he was serving yet another greaser, he figured that the eldest Cade had went off to find and talk to Sondra. As for Steve and Soda, they were back to dancing with Evie and Kristy to a song that was now back to a new Elvis tune, and Darry, Cassidy, Two-Bit, Dally, Ponyboy, and Kitten were just kicking back and chatting, while they played some more card games, and Two-Bit and Dallas were most likely going to get rip-roarin' drunk, but Dally can handle it, unlike Two-Bit, who will most likely need to be hauled back to the Curtis's house by the gang, because Two-Bit's mom really wasn't a fan of seeing her only son drunk, and his father got extra violent with so much hollering and cursing when Two-Bit was drunk, but Two-Bit could seriously care less.
Meanwhile, out front of the Dingo, Eric was still kicking back on Charlie's bike that was parked on the old and rusty bike rack, while he uncaringly and annoyingly watched Brian and Peter continue to go back and forth about their ride to the Dingo from Charlie's house.
"I keep tellin' you, Bri!" Peter exclaimed the same thing yet again. "It's not my fault that I can't go on riding for fifteen minutes, especially at this time of night! Need I remind you that we're both failing gym because we don't care to show up for it?!"
Eric rolled his eyes at Peter's and Brian's behavior that kept going on for about five or so minutes straight. Finally, Eric decided to step in and break it up, because he truly did want to complete their mission on finding Baby before it was too late.
"Um, if you two girls are finished with your arguement, can I interfer with the fact that we need to find Baby and get back to Charlie's house before he and Rebecca arrive back from the diner with Iris to notice that she snuck out, and we took Charlie's bike that he and Becky needs to teach Iris to ride herself to come all the way deep inside greaser territory even more?!" Eric lectured "the last thing we need is for Charlie and Rebecca to beat our heads in here!"
"He started it!" Brian exclaimed as he pointed one of his pointer fingers over at Peter, who just crossed his arms over his chest and gave him a small glare, considering he desperately was terrible at staying angry with such close friends. In Eric's mind though, they were acting like little whining preschoolers instead of teenagers in high school.
"I don't care!" Eric groaned, doing a facepalm when doing so with one of his hands, while his other stayed in his pocket, and he took in, then let out a deep breath for both Peter and Brian to hear. "Who cares how long it took us to get here! The point is, we're now here, and we need to find Baby before everything goes down hill from Charlie and Rebecca discovering what all has happened tonight, and we get killed." Eric went on with his lecture, until Brian finally cut him off by placing one of his hands up to one of his shoulders.
"Ok, ok, we see your point, Eric-O." Brian nodded, and it didn't take long at all for Peter to uncross his arms and nod along with full agreement. "Alright, Eric-O. Peter-pie. Let's get goin' in before our cover is blown, and we possibly lose Baby...and then most likely our whole lives by Charlie and Rebecca."
With Brian leading the way, Eric and Peter followed, the three of them acting as cool and calm as can be since they were about to enter a hangout where more greasers went then the Socs and the Regulars combined. Eric fixed his hair-greased hair a bit with a comb that was in his jeans pocket, while Peter just simply left his hands that were clenched into fists in his jeans pockets, and lastly, Brian pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, right before he just simply held it, pretending to smoke when he truly wasn't, because like stated in Charlie's rules, they weren't allowed to smoke when watching Sondra.
The three Regulars that were disguised as greasers cooly and calmly as possible, walked through the glass doors of the Dingo, and they could already smell the bitter scent of beer dance through the air, as well as the heavy smoke scent from the cigarettes that were already lit there in the Dingo. Brian's, Eric's, and Peter's eyes were already starting to water a bit, and they seriously felt like gagging, but they refused to draw any kind of attention from any of the greasers that were busy smoking, drinking, playing card games, joking around, dancing, or anything else that they were caught up in doing. It was just a good thing that none of the greasers that actually paid any attention to Peter, Brian, and Eric actually enter to Dingo cared to realize who they truly were. Thank God, Brian, Peter, and Eric thought.
"Is it too late to scream for our lives and run out of here like there's no tomorrow?" Peter asked Eric and Brian in such a quiet whisper so only they could hear what he was saying. But right after Peter said those words, Eric's hand met the back of his head, thumping him. Luckily, it didn't hurt too much.
"Don't be ridiculous, Peter! We got to find Baby before anything bad happens to her, or us!" Brian exclaimed in a slimly bit angry and annoyed mixed tone, but he was still keeping quiet, so nobody else but Peter and Eric would hear what he had to say.
"Bri's right, Peter-pie. Let's just simply stay cool and act natural, so we won't draw any-" Eric began explaining what he wanted to say, but before he could finish, two female greasers came walking past Peter, who smiled a big and realistic, but fake grin, and he made a peace look with his hand, saying the exact words for the two female greasers to hear, "Sup, greasy ladies! Enjoyin' the party?"
"...Freaks." one of the two female greasers spoke for Peter, Brian, and Eric to hear, while she rolled her eyes in an uncaring manner, and her friend laughed. Then, they both continued their way over to the bar, so they could get some drinks for themselves and their boyfriends.
"Attention...let's just simply stat cool and act natural, so we won't draw any attention!" Eric then bellowed, so he could finish what he wanted to say before Peter interrupted him by doing what he did to those two female greasers that were just simply walking past them, thinking that they were already greasers who were just running late for the party.
Slimly embarrassed, Peter wiped the big, phony, handsome grin off from his face, and he placed his hand back down at his side. You could see how his face was starting to glow to a bright shade of red from the embarrassment.
"Right, that's a good plan." Peter gulped down a baseball-sized lump that was then resting in his throat from the embarrassment now starting to come at him hard, but to his and Eric's surprise, they actually witnessed Brian then shake his head at them.
"I actually got a different plan in mind." Brian shared, and he pretended to take another drag of his lit cigarette so if any of the greasers there in the Dingo were staring at him, Peter, and Eric, they'd just simply think that they were three greasers that were having a simple greaser-like conversation.
"Hey, guys." Kitten, who caught the sight of Peter, Eric, and Brian, spoke out to Ponyboy, Cassidy, Two-Bit, Darry, and Dallas. "Who are those three males over there? I've never seen 'em greasers 'round here." Kitten informed.
Dallas kicked back in his seat again and simply shrugged his shoulders, being his cool and usual self after he digested Kitten's words, while the others secretly glanced over to where Kitten was looking at Peter, Brian, and Eric, who were still deep in conversation about Brian's plan.
"Eh, who knows? They're maybe new greasers to Tulsa. Maybe they came from New York like me." Dally suggested, before he picked up his refill of beer, and he took down a gulp of it, using his jackets collar to wipe away the remaining drops of his drink from his lips.
"Wouldn't we know if they're new to here though? We would've at least heard at least one Soc complain 'bout it, or we would've noticed an old, souped-up car driving down the street, considerin' we head out in town a lot." Ponyboy informed, and he was actually correct about that. The Socs actually would be heard complaining about some new greasers to 'their' town there in Tulsa, and since Pony is out in town often with Dally, Johnny, Kitten, Cassidy, and sometimes Two-Bit, too, they would've noticed some new jacked up looking car that they've never seen before driving around.
Darry cocked an eyebrow and scratched his chin, taking a moment to digest and think carefully and heavily about what his youngest kid brother just said.
"Hm...Ponyboy's got a point there. But I must admit...those three greasers look familiar...I could've sworn I've seen three Regulars that look a whole lot like them walk 'round together in town and past where I work often...hm...strange." Darry shrugged his shoulders though, thinking it just his mind playing with him, considering that he knew that Sondra was a tuff Regular in disguise as a greaser herself, so other Regulars that he's spotted in the past must've been getting in his head and messing with his eyes. Also, it was getting pretty late.
"Oh, please! I doubt Regulars would have 'nough guts to sneak into one of our greaser parties in disguise!" Dallas laughed "well...except that Daby girl, because of Johnnycake wanting her to come along."
"It's Baby!" Two-Bit and Cassidy both said together towards Dally, while Darry just rolled his eyes at what Dally said instead, and Ponyboy and Kitten exchanged cocked eyebrows and just their plain facial expressions in general.
"Yeah, whatever." Dally mumbled as he shrugged his shoulders in an uncaring way, and he took one last drink of his beer, before he rested it back on the tables smooth surface, and he went back to kicking back in his patted seat as he rested his eyes shut, deciding to just relax for a few.
Meanwhile, back with Peter, Brian, and Eric, Brian had just got finished finally convincing Peter and Eric to just go with his plan, while he went on pretending to smoke his lit weed while he was at it.
"Bri, are you sure that's such a great idea to do? I mean, you'll be gettin' everybody's attention, and everyone in here is actual greasers, unlike us." Peter pointed out, but Brian only shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head at his words.
"Yeah, I know, but this is for Sond-I mean Baby, and we'll do anything to get her back before anythin' bad happens to her, or us. Now, let's just get this started and over with. It's fast and easy for me to do. Just help me up on the bar counter." Brian instructed. Peter and Eric both kept silent, gazing at each other for a couple of seconds after taking in what Brian just told them to do. But then, they just looked back at Brian and nodded their heads together. Brian nodded his head then too, and he put out his cigarette in an ash-tray, right before he walked over to the bar counter, and Eric grabbed one of his arms while Peter grasped the other. As Brian lifted one leg up on top of the bar counter, Eric and Peter pushed him up, and his other leg then was able to climb up as well.
"Ok...here goes Bri's plan." Peter whispered to Eric, as the two of them took a few steps back away from the bar counter.
"We might need to leave this party faster after this 'brilliant' plan of his." Eric gulped quietly back for Peter to hear, as he nervously scratched the back of his neck, and Peter rolled his eyes down to the lower right corner, then over to the lower left corner, and lastly, down the center, each in a slimly worried manner.
"UM, EXCUSE ME, FELLOW GREASERS! I HAVE A QUESTION FOR EVERYBODY!" Brian hollered at the top of his lungs to get everyone's full, undivided attention, and surprisingly, after Brian shouted those words out, the music died down, and everybody there in the Dingo was now staring at him, no longer paying attention to whatever they were doing before.
"Ok, so far, this is goin' better then I thought it'd turn out." Eric admitted to Peter in such a soft and quiet whisper, referring to Brian's plan, and Peter smirked a little, holding back his chuckles as he nodded to what Eric said, meaning he fully agreed.
"You're not from 'round here, aren't you?" Buck asked Brian with this confused expression upon his face.
"Um, excuse me?" Brian confusedly asked, trying his best to be polite, but he couldn't help himself.
"You a new greaser to Tulsa?" Buck questioned, and Brian's heart instantly took a giant leap in his chest, because he was surprised that all of the greasers there in the Dingo were actually falling past his, Peter's, and Eric's diguises.
"Oh, yes!" Brian nodded his head to answer Buck's question. "The names Brian, and my pals, Peter and Eric, are also new greasers here to Tulsa. The three of us recently moved her, so...yeah, that's pretty much it."
Buck shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head. "Alright. Now, Brian, what may your question be? We're tryin' to have our party before we possibly get ratted by the fuzz." Buck instructed.
"Well, I was just wondering..." Brian secretly took down a gulp, and he prayed to himself in his mind that nothing bad would happen to him, nor Peter and/or Eric, after he asks the question he was 'bout to say for everybody to respond to.
"HAS ANYBODY SEEN A FOURTEEN-ALMOST-FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD REGULAR WITH GOLDEN BLONDE HAIR THAT'S COMPLETELY SHAGGY AND IT GOES DOWN TO HER SHOULDERS?! SHE ALSO HAS LIGHT, LIGHT TAN SKIN, AND SHIMMERING PALE BLUE EYES! PEOPLE USUALLY CALL HER-" Brian went on hollering as much as he could to explain Sondra without saying too much about her, but before he could go on with her nickname, as known as 'Baby', he stopped because he realized he was now recieving death-mock and dark stares from everybody, as well as cold and heartless eyes, except from the Curtis's greaser gang, Peter, Eric, Buck, and the Shepard siblings, because Angela and Curly will still too drunk to understand what was going on, and Tim was now hurling in the bathroom, because of suffering the side effects from getting high.
Everyone in the Dingo, minus the Curtis's greaser gang, Peter, Eric, Buck, and the Shepard siblings, started shouting loud "BOO'S!" and other curse words, and Eric and Peter watched with these looks now upon their faces that made it look like they were saying, "Oh! That had to hurt!", because Brian was now getting pelted with plastic cups and whatnot. Plastic might've not been hurtful, but when it's a greaser throwing it, it's like a blade of death from hell.
"OW! OW! HEY! THAT'S NOT-OW! FAIR! OW!" Brian shouted, blocking his face and head with his bare hands, and finally, the pelting was over with, but greasers were still booing and cursing at him, and all because he brought up a Regular. That's how much some certain greasers hated the Regulars guts.
"I WASN'T DONE, YA JACKLES!" Brian then yelled at all of the greasers, which made him seem even more like an actual greaser instead of a Regular in disguise. Finally, everybody was silent again, but Brian was still recieving the harsh glances.
"Brian, look," Buck instructed in a kind and ordinary tone, as if what just happened didn't happen at all. "We know you're new to Tulsa, as well as these two buddies, Peter and Eric, of yours, but this is a greasers only party. We hate Regulars and Socs! Other then those Sherri, Marcia, and Randy Socs, we only like our own kind. We wouldn't allow a Regular step foot in this Dingo during one of other parties and leave alive!" Buck explained, and he started laughing, while everyone in the Dingo, except the Shepard siblings and the Curtis's greaser gang, joined in with him.
"Oh, right..." Brian gulped, his eyes now big from fear after taking in what Buck just said, and when he looked at Eric and Peter, he could see how they were now pale as sheets, as if they just saw a very terrifying ghost, and their eyes were huge also, just like Brian's was. "Well," Brian held back his stutters when speaking. "Thanks, everybody."
Brian then hopped off from the bar counter and landed right in front of Peter and Eric, perfectly on his feet, and without any hesitation, everybody went back to what they were doing, and the music came back on. Brian, Eric, and Peter were completely scared for the first time ever over something that didn't involve Charlie, Rebecca, or anybody else in Sondra's mini 'gang' threatening them or anything like that.
"Now can we get out of here?!" Peter asked, egar to leave the Dingo from so much fear towards all of the actual greasers that were there in the Dingo.
"As much as I want to leave, we can't! We need to make sure Baby's not hidin' or something in here! We must stick together and look 'round, ok?" Brian instructed, and as much as Eric and Peter both just wanted to flee and not listen to Brian, they nodded their heads towards what Brian just said, because they truly loved Sondra, and they wanted to get her back from wherever and possibly whoever she was with during that greasers only party.
"Hey, Brian!" a male voice called out, and Brian quickly flashed himself around to see that it was Buck who was the one addressing him. He was busy cleaning off the bar counter a bit with a new rag.
"Yeah, bar man?" Brian asked, truly wishing that he could call Buck by his name, but he didn't know it.
"My names Buck. Mind comin' over here to chat with me? You and your buddies there, please?" Buck questioned with that kind and ordinary tone of his, and the big, cheesy smile that he flashed off made Brian, Peter, and Eric feel ok about actually going over there to sit at the bar counter and chat. Maybe they could ask him only if he ever witnessed Sondra around or anything like that.
Brian nodded his head at Buck and forced himself to grin. Then, with him leading the way, Eric and Peter followed...but then, Peter just decided to go off someplace else, thinking that splitting up was actually a better idea in order to find Sondra.
"So, Buck," Brian addressed as he took a seat at the bar counter, and Eric took another one that was there beside Brian. "You wanted to talk with us?" Brian questioned, and Buck nodded his head, too caught up in thinking about what he wanted to talk about to even notice how Peter wasn't there with Brian and Eric.
"Why were you askin' 'bout a Regular, Brian? Look, I'm not tryin' to be rude, but whatever Regulars you had wherever you and your friends came from, they're not allowed to our greasers only parties here in Tulsa, ya dig?" Buck explained.
Again with that 'dig' term. Brian, Eric, and even Peter, even though he wasn't there with Eric and Brian to hear it, didn't know a single clue 'bout what 'digging' and 'dug' anything or anybody meant. Nevertheless, Brian forced himself to grow a smile again, and he nodded at Buck's question, even though he had the annoying thought about what Buck just asked him with digging him swarming around at him and eating him alive.
"Yeah, we dig ya, but I was only asking because-" Brian said, but he was cut off when Eric quickly took a slimly rough grip of his shoulder, and then said, "Bri, where's Peter?"
Confusedly, Brian cocked an eyebrow as he turned to his right to look at Eric, who was gazing left to right, side to side, and even up and down to see if he could spot Peter, or possibly Sondra, but he couldn't find any of them.
"What are you talkin' 'bout, Eric? Peter's right-" Brian pointed a thumb to the left of him, but when he turned his head to see Peter himself, his eyes shot big, and all of the color drained out of his face, while his heart took one heck of a major leap in his chest, because he realized that Eric was correct. Peter wasn't with them, and Brian knew for a hardcore fact that he told him and Eric to stay together and not split up, because in a place like that at that time, it wasn't such a great idea.
Brian clenched his eyes shut as he slightly clenched his teeth, and he smacked his hand straight onto his forehead.
"That boy seriously won't ever grow up 'nough to listen to the plans we assign!" Brian grumbled for only Eric to hear. Eric pouted a little, somewhat wanting to object, but he knew that Brian was right about that.
"Don't worry, Brian." Eric spoke up, giving Brian a couple pats on the back. "I'll go find him." Eric then sighed in a slimly annoyed tone, because this wasn't the first time that he had to go off to find at least one person in Sondra's mini 'gang' before anything happened. Brian, who was rubbing the sides of his head a bit, nodded his head, keeping his eyes clenched shut while doing so, approving to what Eric just told him what he was going to do. Eric nodded one single time himself, and then gave Brian one final pat on his back, before he got up from his seat and walked off to go find Peter.
Brian grumbled and growled a couple more words to himself before he opened his eyes back up to realize Buck was still watching him with an ordinary look upon his face, acting as if what just happened didn't happen at all. Man, Brian thought to himself. Buck must've been really good at ignoring things.
"So, why were you askin' 'bout a Regular?" Buck questioned, as if he didn't even pay attention what Eric and Brian just talked about with Peter going off elsewhere in the Dingo all by himself, even though Buck truly heard every single word between Brian and Eric that was spoken.
"Oh, right," Brian sighed "it's just...Peter, Eric, and I are just plottin' to jump this Regular because...she's a very bad girl...and, well...we're searchin' all over the place for her. She has light, light tan skin, pale blue eyes, and golden blonde hair that's all shagged up and it goes down to her shoulders."
Buck swung the rag that he was using to clean the bar counter over his shoulder, and he shook his head at Brian as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Sorry, Brian, but the only girl that was spotted here that looked just like that wasn't a Regular. She was a greaser, and I believe Johnny called her-" Buck began explaining, but Brian cut him off by allowing his eyes to shoot big, and he could've sworn his heart was now up in his mouth, causing his teeth to jiggle with every pump it made. Johnny...Brian remembered how Peter told him and Eric both about Sondra now being friends with greasers. Johnny was actually her best greaser friend.
Brian then couldn't help himself to interrupt Buck even more by blurting out, "Johnny?! As in..Johnny Cade?!"
"Um...yes?" Buck confusingly shrugged his shoulders as he cocked an eyebrow at Brian. "Yes, his name is Johnny Cade. Jonathan Alexander Cade, but people stick to callin' him Johnny for short, or Johnnycake for a nickname." Buck then shared that short information about the eldest Cade, while he began to go back to cleaning the bar counter with the rag that he had swung over his shoulder.
"And what'd he call her exactly?!" Brian questioned after taking in all Buck said to him about the oldest Cade.
"I was gettin' to that before you interrupted me." Buck informed, his voice now a little stern and bitter, but Brian could care less. Buck could punch him in the face and he could care less when doing something for one of his friends. "He called her Baby." Buck finally told Brian after the short pause between the two of them.
All of the color then instantly drained out of Brian's face after he heard what Buck just said to him, and he felt chilly as the freezing cold water that was noting but ice up in Alaska. He couldn't believe it...Sondra actually had ran away to a greasers only party, and she must've dressed up like a greaser to sneak in, considering Regulars would get beaten until their heart was torn right out, and their guts were nothing but the color of red, meaning bleeding liquid.
"Now, you're lookin' for a girl who looks like Baby?" Buck asked.
Brian cocked an eyebrow as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure that nobody was listening, right before he looked back at Buck to answer his question.
"Kinda." Brian then responded with a sort of confused tone, but he hid it from fully coming out real well. Brian then went on explaining as much as he could about Sondra, but being very careful with what words and language he used, because he didn't want to rat out the truth that Sondra was a Regular disguised as a greaser, and she successfully snuck into a greasers only party. If that happened, Brian knew for a hardcore fact that didn't need to be reconsidered twice that everyone in the Dingo could be hunting Sondra down, attempting to jump, or worse, kill her, and then, Brian's, Eric's, and Peter's secret would be out as well. Then they'd be the ones who were Regular bait for the greasers in Tulsa.
"Tell you what," Buck grinned after hearing everything Brian told him, which took about five minutes of explaining, and knowing for a fact about how worried Brian was that he, Peter, and Eric wouldn't find Sondra so they could 'jump her' when they truly just lied about that just so they could find her and take her back to Charlie's place, Brian watched, secretly looking worried when Buck wasn't looking, and Buck poured some beer in two little glass shots that he had pulled out from where they were stored behind the bar counter.
"Here." Buck said, still smiling his big and cheesy grin, as he slid one of the shot glasses over to Brian for him to take, and as for the other shot glass, Buck had poured that one for himself to drink.
"Um...what's this?" Brian curiously and cauitously asked, carefully examining the clear, light brown liquid that was resting right there in front of him in the small shot glass.
"A shot of beer, of course. It's called a wishing shot. You take only one drink of it, all in one go, and you make a private wish to yourself when you drink it. So, it's bascially like blowing out a birthday candle, but taking the wishing shot is more fun in my opinion." Buck chuckled a bit at his own words, but to his surprise, he witnessed Brian trying to keep that look off from his face that just sent off the message that he was thinking if Buck lost his mind, offering beer just like that out of nowhere. Then again, Brian knew for a fact that at least every greaser took one single drop of beer once in awhile, but he wasn't truly a greaser. He was a Regular in disguise, and out of everyone in the whole wide world, everybody in Sondra's mini 'gang' were the ones who were against drinking and smoking the most.
"Oh, no, Buck." Brian shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not a drinker."
"What are you talkin' about, Brian?" Buck snickered a bit, thinking Brian was only kidding around. "We're greasers, and all greasers I know drink...well, except for the Curtis brothers, but that's a different story."
Brian remembered. Even though he didn't want to drink any beer, he knew for a hardcore fact that if he wanted to keep himself, Peter, and Eric blended into the greaser background, he had to take the shot of beer. God, help me. Those were the only three words Brian could keep thinking to himself as he lifted up the shot from the bar counter, forcing him to smile at Buck, who was getting ready to take his shot with him.
"Alright, on the count of three." Buck instructed, and Brian nodded his head to just get what was coming to his taste-buds over with. "One...two...three!" Buck announced. Right after he counted to three, him and Brian both took down their shots of beer, making private wishes while doing so. Brian's was easy, of course. For him, Peter, and Eric to find Sondra before anything bad could happen to her. As for Buck's wish...well, nobody really wants to know, because his are just plain weird.
"Mmm..man, that taste gets a whole lot better each time I drink and make a wish. How you feelin', Brian? Any better?" Buck questioned with his smile still on his face, thinking that Brian would like it, but just because he was grinning back, didn't mean Brian loved it one bit. He really hated it!
"Oh, you bet." Brian lied, but he was making himself sound extremely convincing. Man, that beer tasted so disgusting! Bitter and disturbing! It seriously made Brian feel like each of his taste-buds had thrown up all over his tongue individualy, and when the beer traveled down his throat, it make him feel like he was about to gag up both of his lungs.
"You make a private wish on it, Brian?" Buck then asked.
Brian nodded his head, but before he could speak a single word, here came Eric bolting back over to the bar counter like the devil was after him, and he quickly grasped Brian's shoulder, forcing him around in his chair.
"Brian, come quick! Peter's in a bar fight!" Eric worriedly bellowed.
Buck's eyes shot huge and Brian's took a major leap in his chest, and he instantly paled all over again after hearing Eric tell him about Peter.
"Brian!" Buck gasped, completely in shock then, because it was rare for two greasers to have bar fights with their own kind.
"I didn't use my private wish on Peter, I swear!" Brian exclaimed, now completely worried just like Eric was, and also panicked a bit, as he quickly got up from sitting down, and he bashed after Eric, so they could go find Peter and break up this fight that he was in.
Meanwhile with Johnny and Sondra, Johnny had guided Sondra back into the woods, where he then took her to the tree house, and the two of them were now sitting up there, holding each other close as they laid there on the floor together. Since it was freezing cold at night during the fall, Johnny and Sondra decided to wrap each others arms around each other so they could at least attempt to get a little bit more warm. Johnny even allowed himself to take off his shirt so he could help Sondra warm up better by just his usual body temperature.
"So...you and Joshua...are dating now?" Johnny gulped, stroking Sondra's hair as she rested her head on his bare chest, her eyes resting shut in a dreamy way as well. Sondra had just got done finishing every single detail about hers and Joshua's special slow dance to "Put You In A Song" by that Keith Urban fella, including to the leading point where Joshua finally asked her out. Sondra was so caught up blushing and giggling a bit when remembering everything, being so caught up in her dreamy new boyfriend, that she didn't realize how upset Johnny was looking when she wasn't looking.
"Yep." Sondra proudly and tiredly responded. Johnny tried his best to not smile, but when he felt Sondra's lips curl up into a smile herself, it tickled his chest a bit, making him slightly chuckle. Sondra's smile grew bigger and brighter when she heard Johnny's laughter, and she tiredly opened her eyes so hers and Johnny's could actually meet. When their eyes looked directly into the others, Johnny couldn't help himself to actually smile.
"Well...I'm certainly happy for you." Johnny shared, but man, that was one heck of a lie. But Sondra was such in a dreamy mood that she didn't catch the lie.
"Thank you, Johnnycake. And thanks so much for running away here with me." Sondra thanked as she rested her eyes shut again.
"Yeah...no problem." Johnny yawned a little, right before he closed his eyes shut as well...and before the two teenagers knew it, they fell asleep in each others arms...and they weren't aware that people...were climbing up the ladder that entered the tree house...
A/N: Dun, dun, duuuuuunnnnnn! Cliffhanger! Suspenseful! I hope yawl enjoyed this chapter, and I'm so sorry for waiting a lot to update, but schools insane right now, so please be patient! But, if yawl would please, please review, I'll attempt to update faster! Pretty please review! Thank you all so much, and I'll update ASAP, whenever I can. Please review though, if you all want more chapters, that is! I'll read you all in the next chapter, if I get reviews, that is. Thanks so much, everybody! I adore each and every one of you! Please review! :D :D :D :D