Sitting on the couch, I could feel my body giving in to the long day, my eyes begin to close, until out of nowhere, I'm knocked to the floor, an arm tightening around my neck. "Damn it, Ponyboy." I breathed, struggling against his surprisingly strong grip. I fought with what little strength I had in me, which wasn't much considering the past couple of months, or I guess I could say my entire life.
After a few minutes he let go, both of us breathing hard, laughing at the ease with which we could end the day. Darry applied for guardianship a couple months ago and was awarded temporary custody until the hearing that would, hopefully, allow me to stay here for good. "10 minutes." I looked up to see Darry standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, his muscular frame taking up most of the space as a leaned on the wall, thick tree-like arms crossed over his chest. The grin on his face said it all, for all of us.
"Thanks Darry" I told him, happy to enjoy another one if Darry's incredible meals. I got up to wash my hands, a habit I'd started since I'd started living here, and one that got a few laughs in the beginning, making sure to shove Pony on my way out of the room.
While I was in the bathroom, I could hear Darry and Pony talking; the house wasn't exactly sound proof. "Pony, you've got to take it easy on him." I could hear Darry scolding Ponyboy. I was grateful for his protection, while at the same time hated bring treated like glass. I had yet to break.
"Aw, Darry, I went easy on him. We were just messing around." Pony countered. I knew Pony wouldn't hurt me, he was just as careful as Darry most of the time.
"Still, pone, he's been through a lot." Darry had finally stopped checking my wounds everyday and settled on checking the healing process weekly. It had been nearly three months and the shallow cuts were nearly completely healed, the deeper gashes had at least stopped bleeding. And they didn't hurt anymore, for the most part. It was nothing I couldn't deal with.
"Yeah, I know Dare." Ponyboy was looking at the floor as I walked back into the room. He clearly felt guilty about the wrestling. I wanted to tell him I was fine, but didn't want them to think I was listening in, it was only way I could see how it was all playing out in my absence. Pony and I had spent a lot of time together over the years, but not as much as we did now. We're living under the same roof, keeping each other company most of the day, especially at school. Darry had enrolled me the second the papers were signed. At first I wasn't so sure about it, but Pony loved school so I did my best to get along. After the initial struggle, it wasn't so awful. Pony was great at helping me with whatever I didn't understand, which was most of it, having not been in a long time. But it wasn't as bad as I had initially expected. It was great to see Ponyboy in his element. I even went to the his track practices, but try as he might, I was not going to join the team. I was done running.
"Pone,everything alright?" I asked, placing hand on his shoulder.
Pony gave me a slight smile. "Sure, Johnny."
"Let's eat". We walked into the kitchen, where Darry had made hamburgers and a salad, with chocolate cake for dessert, or in the case of most of the gang, dinner itself. As if summoned, the gang bounded through the door, snatching up plates and piling them high with food, before heading off to the living room. Darry sighed and chuckled, shaking his head at the timing. He always said they could sense food coming from another state.
After dinner we all huddled around the television, conversation kept light, me and Soda and Pony piled on the couch, while Darry took his usual spot in the chair. The rest of the gang was spread out on the floor, all of us mindlessly watching Mickey Mouse, laughing in all the right places. Nothing in my life has ever been this simple, this calm. I can't remember many nights when I wasn't looking over my shoulder. It was an odd feeling. There was a joint funeral for my parents, and other than the gang, and a few scattered family members I hadn't seen more than twice in my life, no one came. That day passed in a blur, most of it filled with the gang keeping an eye on me, none of them willing to leave my side, in case I happened to fall apart. It may have been a good thing, because at one point, I remember that I collapsed, bawling my eyes out. I remember Pony's arms around me, and how loud I sounded in my own head. I know it sounds incredibly strange to think I cried at my parents funeral but, I couldn't help it. It wasn't that I was sad that they were gone, I wasn't. I cried for what I never had, the parents that were taken from me when I was born into this fucked-up family. I cried because it was a tremendous relief knowing I'd never have to suffer that kind of pain ever again. It hit me hard, that relief. I think I also cried for my future, things I could have now. And as I sat next to my best friends, I felt my eyes welling up once again, because I knew then that I was wrong this whole time, I had a family the second these guys came into my life, and this time, no one was going to take it away.