I dreamed about being back home with Ponyboy, Darry, and Soda.
Darry would be in the kitchen making breakfast while Soda would come in to drag Pony and I out of bed. Sometimes they'd even wrestle us until we gave in. Afterwards, Soda, Pony, and I would do the dishes after we all ate. Then it'd change to us playing a nice game of football.
Normally, girls didn't favor that sport however, I'm not like them. I'm the second best player right next to Darry. Ponyboy and Johnny were smaller than the rest of us.
But it changed to when we went to the park, the socs ambushed us, and this time, I was forced to watch my brother getting drowned in that damn fountain. I woke up shaking and in a cold sweat.
Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder, causing me to freak out. "No! Don't touch me! Leave my brother alone!" I cried out, fighting at whoever was shaking me. "Bexley! Calm down, it's Johnny." Johnny's voice said.
My eyes shot open and I bolted upright, gasping for air. That nightmare scared me so badly that I couldn't stop shaking and I was breathing heavily. Johnny was there next to me, hand on my shoulder.
"Oh… Oh Johnny… Thank god it's only you." I say, feeling my head throbbing. "Are you okay?" he asked me. I waited a few minutes before finding my voice.
"Yeah… Yeah, I'm okay." I answered, feeling myself relax a little, "Just a nightmare is all." "Glory, you scared the heck out of me when you were screaming like that." Johnny said. I couldn't help but feel embarrassed that I was screaming from this stupid nightmare.
"Sorry about that." I said, rubbing my warm forehead. "Don't worry about it." Johnny smiled, giving my shoulder a good squeeze, "Anyway, we need to get some supplies. You wanna stay here with Pony?"
I looked at Pony, who was still sleeping. Not even my nightmare had woken him up. "Yeah, I'll come with you. I've got the money with me." I said, pushing myself up to my feet. "Are you sure? Man, you're kinda pale." Johnny said.
"Johnny, I'll be fine. Besides, Pony needs the sleep more than we do." I replied to him, feeling stiff from sleeping on the floor. "You're right. He does. C'mon, let's get some supplies." Johnny said, covering Pony up with his jean jacket. He then writes something in the dirt to let Johnny know that we were gone.
He was almost drowned in that fountain, so he definitely needed more sleep than us. Besides, I didn't want to wake him up. While going there, Johnny made a list of things that we should get with that money Dally gave us.
It'd be enough to hold us over until things died down back in Tulsa. It was a small corner store that seemed to have just opened given that it was early in the morning still. While Johnny was finding us some food, there was something that had caught my eye on a book rack that was by the door.
It was a copy of Gone with the Wind. A smile stretched across my face. Pony would love this book; he had always wanted it since he loves reading books as much as I do. Hell, guess that's what happens when you're twins, you tend to dig the same things.
I remember when we went to see the movie the day it first came out. It premiered in the moviehouse and we got to see it opening night. It was a great movie and it became one of my favorites.
I showed Johnny and he thought it was an amazing find. Pony could read it to us to kill time while we were staying in the church. I had a feeling it'd be a good read.
Johnny had paid for the stuff and we made our way back to the church. It had become early in the afternoon by the time we were on our way back. Pretty sure Pony was awake by now.
Johnny had gotten a week supply of bologna, a couple loaves of bread, some pop, peanut butter, some playing cards, some cigarettes, some peroxide, and of course, Gone with the Wind. I asked Johnny why he got peroxide. He had told me that we were gonna have to disguise ourselves because of what happened back in Tulsa.
Pony wouldn't take this well because his hair was his pride and joy. I'd have to bleach mine as well, which I wasn't okay with at first but I realized it's essential under the circumstances. After this, we'd surely look like identical twins after this.
After getting back, I had grabbed a cigarette and lit it. It felt so good to finally have one after that stressful night. I desperately needed it.
Johnny and I walked by the cellar that didn't have a door. Johnny was whistling, long and low, ending it in a high note. It was used by our gang as well as the Shepard gang.
We then see Ponyboy dart out of the door so fast that he tripped on the steps, falling under Johnny and I's noses. He propped himself up on his elbows and grinned up at us. "Hey, Johnny, Bex. Fancy meetin' you guys here." he said with a grin.
I rolled my eyes at my brother's goofiness but kept my smile. "I swear, you're acting more like Two-Bit every day." Johnny said, looking over the stuff we bought. "Either him or Steve." I point out, taking a drag on my cigarette.
"Who's acting? Bex, you sometimes act like them." Pony says, springing up to his feet, happy that we were back. "You mean the time when I ruffled that precious mop of yours that's on your head? Oh, yeah, that's definitely Two-Bit." I chuckle, dropping my cigarette and crushing it under my heel.
"What'd you guys get?" Pony asked. "C'mon, let's get inside. Dally told us to stay inside." Johnny reminded. And with that, we all went inside.
Johnny sets the box with the stuff in it on the table and started to take the things out of it. Pony grew impatient at watching Johnny take all the stuff out so he started digging through it himself. That's when he pulled out Gone with the Wind.
"Gone with the Wind? You actually found one, Bex?" Pony says, staring down at the book with glee in his eyes. "Yep, it was the last one on the shelf. I knew you'd want it so I grabbed it for you." I tell him, feeling happy that he actually likes it. "Yeah, it reminded me of when we went to see that movie about it. And maybe you could read it out loud to help kill time." Johnny said.
"Thanks, you guys." Pony said, putting the book down hesitantly. I could tell from his excitement that he wanted to start reading it. He then pulls out the peroxide and gives it a questioning look.
"Peroxide?" Pony said before realizing, "You two ain't thinking…" Johnny had pulled out his knife. "We're all gonna cut our hair. You and Bex are going to bleach yours. They'll have our descriptions in the paper. We gotta make ourselves look different." Johnny said seriously.
"No! Not my hair!" Pony cried, his hands flying up to his hair. "Pony, we'd have to anyway if we had got caught. Besides, I didn't want to do it either." I said, my hand running through my own hair. I was sure gonna miss these brown locks of mine.
"Exactly, the judge would make you cut your hair. That's the first thing that they do." Johnny pointed out, "Who knows why they do that? It's just their way of breaking us. I'm gonna cut mine too and wash all the grease out of it."
"No way. You two aren't touching my hair." Pony said, shaking his head as he sat down on an old chair. "C'mon. It'll grow back." Johnny said.
It didn't take but a minute for Pony to give in. "Fine. Go ahead." he said, wide-eyed. I'd get my hair cut after Pony's.
Johnny took a hold of Pony's hair and started to saw it off. "Ow!" Pony winced, cringing from how hard Johnny was pulling. "Damn knife." Johnny cursed, taking another hold of Pony's hair.
"OW!" Pony yelped, "Don't pull so hard!" "Quit gabbing. It ain't that bad." I said, sitting across from him. "OW!" Pony cried again. "Sorry, man." Johnny apologized.
"Wait until I cut your hair, Bex. See how you feel." Pony cringed, "Can I see now?" "Pony, we gotta bleach it first. Plus, I gotta cut Bex's hair."
After a bit, Pony's hair was much shorter now. It was a messy brown mop on his head. I couldn't wait to see what it would look like bleached.
Now it was my turn to get my hair cut. As expected, it hurt when Pony pulled on it. "Yeah, hurts doesn't it?" Pony said, sawing off my hair. "Yeah, yeah. Man, Johnny didn't cut that much off of you!" I complained, feeling him pull a bit too hard.
My hair was much shorter now, but it was still messy like before. After spending fifteen or twenty minutes in the sun to let the bleach dry, Johnny had brought out an old mirror that we had found out to us to let us see what we looked like.
Pony's hair was much lighter blonde than Soda's. I could tell from the look on his tired face that he wasn't exactly fond of his hair looking like this. As for me, mine was a darker shade of blonde.
"Damn, this really makes us look tuff." I said, running my fingers through my now bleached hair. It wasn't exactly how I was hoping it would look but what can you do?
"Alright, get your jollies." Johnny said, handing me the knife since Pony had cut my hair. "My pleasure." I said with a chuckle. "Be nice." Johnny says. "No promises." I chuckle, taking a tuft of his greased hair and sawed it off.
He cringed from me cutting it but I managed to get it in the end. He washed it out with the water in the pump. After that was all done, we headed inside to get out of the cold.
We laid by the fireplace that was in the church. I sat up with my legs crossed next to Pony and Johnny. "I'm still tired…" Pony said, his voice cracking.
I turned to look at my brother; he had tears in his eyes and looked like he was about to start crying. Seeing that broke my heart to pieces because he hardly ever cries like this. "Pony…? What's the matter?" I said, feeling myself starting to tear up, the room starting to blur with tears.
"If it's about your hair, I'm sorry for cutting it off." Johnny apologized. "No, it ain't that." he said, sniffling, "I don't know. I'm all mixed up." I scooted closer to my brother and hugged him with my arm around his waist.
"Things are happenin' too fast." I said, feeling myself get choked up. Johnny put his arm around Pony's shoulders and said, "Two-Bit shoulda been in that little one-horse store. Things were layin' out wide open, just waiting to be taken. He coulda walked out with half of that store." Johnny said, trying to light the mood but it wasn't working.
I felt myself starting to cry as well, not being able to control my emotions. "You guys remember how he was wisecrackin' last night?" Pony said, tears running down his face, "Last night… just walking Cherry and Marcia over to Two-Bit's. Just last night we was looking up at the stars…"
I couldn't take it… what he was saying was beginning to hurt me badly. "Ponyboy, shut up about last night!" I wailed, suddenly getting to my feet, tears running down my face much harder now. Ponyboy and Johnny were both shocked by my outburst. I'd never yelled at them like that before.
"I don't want to hear anything more about last night! Just forget about it!" I sobbed, walking away from them. "Bex!" Pony shouted, standing up, his face covered in tears. "I was close to losing you last night! Don't you understand just how scared I was when… when...!" I sobbed, my voice thick. I sat down on the pew and cried harder, my fists pressed together against my mouth, "Pony, those socs were choking me… I-I fought to save you… But… they were so strong."
I closed my eyes and let the tears fall before feeling two arms wrap around me. I could feel that it was Pony was hugging me, pulling my face into his shoulder. He was crying also; I could tell from his hiccuping breaths.
I dug my fingers into the jacket Pony was wearing as I sobbed into his shoulder. The same feelings I had when I found him lying lifelessly on the pavement was coming back… I was scared to death that I had lost him. For a minute, I just wanted my brother to hug me, to hold me.
"It's okay, Bex… they won't hurt you anymore." Pony said, his hand stroking the back of my head and through my bleached hair. From the sound of his voice, he was still crying. His hot, wet, tears were falling on my head.
We held onto each other for a couple of minutes. We pulled away and I wiped my tears away. "Can you guys not talk about last night?!" Johnny yelled, getting the two of us to look at him.
"Johnny!" Pony and I cried, standing back up. From my blurry vision, I could see that Johnny was crying also. " Did you guys forget that I killed a kid last night? He couldn't have been more than 17 or 18 years old and I killed him. How'd you two like to live with that?" Johnny sobbed, sitting on another pew, "I didn't mean to…"
I started crying again as we approached him. Pony sat down in between Johnny and I as he wrapped an arm around him, starting to cry again. "There's sure a lot of blood in people…" Johnny sobbed, unable to hold back his tears.
We all sat there, just letting out our emotions again. "What're we gonna do?" Pony cried softly. I let my head lean against his shoulder and let my fresh tears fall.
"This is my fault." Johnny said, getting up to his feet, "It's my fault for bringing two 13-year-old kids along! You two oughta go home. Neither one of you killed him so you can't get into trouble."
"No!" Pony screamed at him, standing up to his feet, "We're fourteen! We've been fourteen for a month!" "Johnny, were in this as much as you are!" I sobbed, following my brother to the other side of the church.
"We'll stop crying in a minute… We can't help it…" Pony sobbed, rocking back and forth as the sobs racked through his body. Johnny slumped down beside us.
"Guys, I didn't mean it like that… Don't cry… Don't cry…" Johnny said, hugging us both at once, "We'll be okay." Pony and I hugged him back and we started sobbing quietly. I buried my face into Johnny's shoulder and sniffled muffled.
After a few minutes, we sat back down by the fire. We cried so much that we had exhausted ourselves. I leaned my head against Pony's shoulder, his arm around my waist. Johnny was using Pony's legs as a pillow as we all fell asleep.
