Hi everyone, this is a what if fic, what if Johnny had killed himself before the book starts?
Johnny's POV
I stared at the tree in the lot, a tall oak I used to climb when I was younger,trying to escape the socs. Pony was still at school, damn track practice. My mind and thoughts were running away from me without my best friend to pull me back to Earth,ironic considering how often pony's head was in the clouds. My eye caught one branch in particular, about 20 feet up, old rope hanging from it from back when had set up an old tire swing when we were all less than ten. The tire had been taken off by steve yet the rope was still plenty long. The latest bruise from my father still stung like a bitch and the yells of my mother telling me to get out rang like bells in my head, I was so tired of it all. Tired of Socs, Tired of my parents, Tired of Everything. My mind flicked back to the rope. I jammed my hand in my pocket and felt a napkin and an old pencil from class that i stuck in my pocket when it got too short to use anymore, it would have to work now. Going over to the old junk car to use as a writing surface I took the pencil and napkin out of my pocket
Dear Gang
I'm sorry but I've been thinking and have decided that I can't go on like this, i can't take it anymore, the socs,my parents, it's too much. I'll see all of you again one day, Pony try and fix things with Darry and Dally there's good in this world if you just look.
-Your Friend Johnny
I sighed as I quickly tied the rope into a noose and stood on an old tire. I grabbed the note from my pocket and slipped my head into the noose. I took a deep breath and kicked the tire out from under me. I felt a snap and everything went black.
When I woke up I was in a meadow, flowers of every kind scattered themselves through the emerald grass.
"Johnny? What are you doing here?" came a familiar,soothing voice.
"Mrs. Curtis?" I asked, shocked to see them
"Johnny, sweetheart, why did you leave your friends?" she asked me, in that moment I realized how stupid I had been by killing myself, who was going to understand and support Pony now?
"oh God what have I done" I whisper before being drawn into the arms of the Curtis parents. Suddenly there's a bright flash and Dally appears
"JOHNNY!" he shouts running over and surprisingly pulling me into a hug.
"Hey Dal, what are you doing here?" I ask him
"kid, you know you're the only thing in the world I care about, you leave I leave, little brother" he says, the revelation that he sees me as his brother fills me with a warm sense of happiness and I snuggle into his embrace. A few weeks went by and life in heaven was well, heaven. One afternoon Mr Curtis was teaching Dally and I some new card games he learned from working in Vegas in his younger years when there was another extremely bright flash and Ponyboy appeared looking scared and upset.
"pony? What are you doing here honey?" asked Mrs Curtis, wait no she want us calling her mom, I keep forgetting, hugging her son
"Darry hit me and I ran out of the house, I didn't mean to sleep in the graveyard" cried Pony
"then what, sweetie" she asked, I went over and hugged my best friend
"I ran to the park, two bit had tried picking up some soc girls earlier tonight and their boyfriends wanted revenge because one of the girls started talking to me, he drowned me in the fountain" said Pony, he was shaking like a leaf. I sighed, well at least I no longer have to feel guilty about leaving him behind, Dally looks like he wants to haunt the Socs till they die and he can punch their lights out. Pony snuggles into our embrace, fourteen is way too young to die, I mean for Pete sake the kid was murdered no less. Eventually pony is asleep and thus the waiting game continues, waiting for the other four.