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The next few days were long and Johnny and I spent most of the time talking. Pony was still mad about his hair but he got over it. One morning I woke up and the church was very cold. I took off the jacket Johnny gave me and put it on Pony who had no jacket at all. I went outside and watched the sunrise. As I looked at the sun rise higher and higher I felt Johnny's arms on my shoulders.
"That sure was pretty. Huh?" he whispered in my ear.
"Mm hmm," I mumbled still looking intensely at the sky.
"It's like the mist is whats pretty all silvery and gold. Wish it were always that way."
"Nothing gold can stay."
"What?" he asked looking into my eyes which were still focused on the rising sun.
"Natures first green is gold.
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower
But only so an hour.
So leaf subsides to leaf
So Eden sank to grief
As dawn goes down today,
Nothing gold can stay."
"Where'd you learn that. That's what I meant."
"Robert Frost wrote it. I always remembered it 'cause it reminds me of Pony."
"Oh."
He took my hand and I turned away from the rising sun to walk back to the church with him. I sat on the floor near Pony who had gotten out "Gone with the Wind" so he could read to me. After he read several pages I started to feel tired and put my head on his shoulder. I woke up and it was night. I was sleeping on a bench. I sat up completely. Johnny was on the bench behind me and Pony in front. I got up very quietly and took a lighter out of Pony's shirt pocket. Then I took cigarettes from the table and went outside. I lit a cigarette and took a long drag staring at the moon mindlessly. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped.
"What the hell do you think your doing Rhea?" Dally's hard voice asked me.
I spun around and dropped my cigarette. "Dallas!" I exclaimed. Obviously he wasn't as excited to see me because he hit me kinda hard over the head.
I looked at him puzzled. "What was that for?"
"Who the hell said you could smoke?"
"I'm sorry I didn't know that girls needed special permission," I told him with a hint of irritability in my tone. I tried to walk past him back to the church but he grabbed my arm and pinned me against the church.
"Don't try and pull this 'I'm treated unfairly 'cause im a girl' shit on me. Darry just wants to know who's smoking so he can make sure they don't smoke too much."
"Yea i'm so sure."
He let me go and said, "What no hug of excitement of seeing your favorite friend?"
I looked at him like I was judging whether or not to hug him. Then I threw my arms around him and we were in a big hug. "I missed you Dallas."
"What's up?"
"Um nothing to interesting," I told him giggling.
"You married Pony didn't you?"
"Uhhh well im not married but I am going out with someone."
"Pony asked you out? Your two years older than him."
Lighting another cigarette I told him, "Naw not Ponyboy the quiet one. You kno the one you care for sooo much." I took a drag looking at him. I could tell he wanted to hit me again but he couldn't do it because he was in shock from what I had just said.
"J-J-Johnny?!?" he exclaimed. "You mean my quiet little Johnny?"
"No I mean our quiet little Johnny."
He walked into the church and I followed.
"Rise and shine blondie. Hey Johnny up and at 'em."
They both sleepily awoke and greeted him. I sat down on the floor and put my head on my knees which were hugged to my chest.
"Ok Rhea?"
I didn't answer. Johnny sat next to me and once again Dally asked me if I was ok. I sighed to let him know I was listening but didn't answer the question. I didn't know if I was alright.
The next few days were long and Johnny and I spent most of the time talking. Pony was still mad about his hair but he got over it. One morning I woke up and the church was very cold. I took off the jacket Johnny gave me and put it on Pony who had no jacket at all. I went outside and watched the sunrise. As I looked at the sun rise higher and higher I felt Johnny's arms on my shoulders.
"That sure was pretty. Huh?" he whispered in my ear.
"Mm hmm," I mumbled still looking intensely at the sky.
"It's like the mist is whats pretty all silvery and gold. Wish it were always that way."
"Nothing gold can stay."
"What?" he asked looking into my eyes which were still focused on the rising sun.
"Natures first green is gold.
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower
But only so an hour.
So leaf subsides to leaf
So Eden sank to grief
As dawn goes down today,
Nothing gold can stay."
"Where'd you learn that. That's what I meant."
"Robert Frost wrote it. I always remembered it 'cause it reminds me of Pony."
"Oh."
He took my hand and I turned away from the rising sun to walk back to the church with him. I sat on the floor near Pony who had gotten out "Gone with the Wind" so he could read to me. After he read several pages I started to feel tired and put my head on his shoulder. I woke up and it was night. I was sleeping on a bench. I sat up completely. Johnny was on the bench behind me and Pony in front. I got up very quietly and took a lighter out of Pony's shirt pocket. Then I took cigarettes from the table and went outside. I lit a cigarette and took a long drag staring at the moon mindlessly. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped.
"What the hell do you think your doing Rhea?" Dally's hard voice asked me.
I spun around and dropped my cigarette. "Dallas!" I exclaimed. Obviously he wasn't as excited to see me because he hit me kinda hard over the head.
I looked at him puzzled. "What was that for?"
"Who the hell said you could smoke?"
"I'm sorry I didn't know that girls needed special permission," I told him with a hint of irritability in my tone. I tried to walk past him back to the church but he grabbed my arm and pinned me against the church.
"Don't try and pull this 'I'm treated unfairly 'cause im a girl' shit on me. Darry just wants to know who's smoking so he can make sure they don't smoke too much."
"Yea i'm so sure."
He let me go and said, "What no hug of excitement of seeing your favorite friend?"
I looked at him like I was judging whether or not to hug him. Then I threw my arms around him and we were in a big hug. "I missed you Dallas."
"What's up?"
"Um nothing to interesting," I told him giggling.
"You married Pony didn't you?"
"Uhhh well im not married but I am going out with someone."
"Pony asked you out? Your two years older than him."
Lighting another cigarette I told him, "Naw not Ponyboy the quiet one. You kno the one you care for sooo much." I took a drag looking at him. I could tell he wanted to hit me again but he couldn't do it because he was in shock from what I had just said.
"J-J-Johnny?!?" he exclaimed. "You mean my quiet little Johnny?"
"No I mean our quiet little Johnny."
He walked into the church and I followed.
"Rise and shine blondie. Hey Johnny up and at 'em."
They both sleepily awoke and greeted him. I sat down on the floor and put my head on my knees which were hugged to my chest.
"Ok Rhea?"
I didn't answer. Johnny sat next to me and once again Dally asked me if I was ok. I sighed to let him know I was listening but didn't answer the question. I didn't know if I was alright.