Soda went into the station to pick up a couple Pepsis, for the walk home, while Steve finished picking up all the pieces of his currently disassembled car. "Pony hand me the flywheel and the carb would ya," Steve snapped softly.
Pony knelt down picking up the round flat gear-like wheel and the awkwardly shaped part, cursing Steve silently the whole time for Steve's hatred for him. Pony believe that Steve only put up with him because of Soda, and deep down really had a terrible dislike for him; but Pony was passionate about everything and saw things from a different angle than the rest of the world. Truth be told Steve didn't really like anything, he was far to bitter about life to bother with putting energy to not liking Ponyboy.
Steve had finished boxing all the pieces of his car and had locked the garage by the time Sodapop returned with three drinks. "Ready?" He grinned happily slinging an arm across Pony's shoulders.
"Yep," Steve said brushing his hands together, then wiping the excess grease on his work shirt.
"Well then lets get goin'," Pony said. "Since we gotta walk and it's getting' dark. Darry's already mad at me, I don't want him any angrier."
Soda gave Pony a snicker and a slap on the back. His brother's affections were no comfort today, Darry really was mad about the C and he'd have a stern talking to when Darry got home; if he hadn't worked too hard.
The three walked in silence simply enjoying the crisp evening air. When they did speak it was of Sandy or Evie or Steve's car but nothing in length, Pony partook in nearly none of the conversations because he was far too busy enjoying the beauty of summer blossoming around him. Steve kicked a rock over to Soda who passed it to Pony in a game of road-rock soccer. The three chased after the stone laughing and yelling the whole way. This went on for some time and only ended when the three were out of breath and had lost the stone somewhere in the grass.
Soda stopped and placed his empty bottle alongside the gutter.
"Looks like Johnny forgot his jacket," Steve said noticing Johnny's denim jacket lying in the road. He smiled thinking of his young, often forgetful, friend. Casually he slung it across his shoulder, but brought it back rather quickly with a curious expression. Pony and Soda watched Steve scratch at a spot on the collar of the coat. Then Steve dropped to his knee looking at the ground where the jacket had been; several matching stains accompanied the one that was on the coat.
"Uhhhh," a low moan came from the other side of the vacant lot, emerging from a crumpled heap.
Darry stood firmly planted on the tiny porch, hands on hips, eyes narrowed and focused on his youngest kid brother. Ponyboy was in for it this time.
"A 'C'! A goddamned 'C'!" Darry muttered to himself watching Ponyboy, Steve and Soda come ever closer. "And then he goes out and does god knows what without telling me-" he broke off, frowning, noticing that the little group had stopped. "What the..." Darry muttered, jogging down the steps. Steve was picking something up and then suddenly the three of them were tearing across the field. Darry took off after them.
"What's going on?" he demanded pulling up short. Sodapop was crouched on the ground holding onto someone. He looked back at Darry, a bleak expression on his face before turning back to the person.
"Hey, Johnny - Johnnycake. Are you okay...?"
~
"The little bitch!"
Two-Bit watched with barely concealed amusement as Dally kicked viciously at a garbage can and missed.
"God, you think if she was so unsatisfied she'd just break it off," Two-Bit said casually.
Dallas whirled on him, his eyes furious.
"Break it off?? Unsatisfied?! She just wants to piss me off, GOD KNOWS WHY and-"
"Well you look plenty pissed. Hey ain't that Stevie over there?" Two-Bit squinted, holding up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. It was Steve alright, and Soda and Ponyboy. They looked like they were racing, and wasn't that Darry in the distance? Two-Bit scanned the field his eyes suddenly catching on a dark bundle. 'Oh my god,' he thought.
"Who gives a damn. Goddamn it Two-Bit are you even listening...?" Dally paused, noticing suddenly that Two-Bit wasn't even there. He was running over to a little group of people he thought Steve was a part of. "Fuck it," Dally muttered, starting after Two-Bit. He didn't really give if the greaser ignored him, but he had nothing to do after all.
"Johnny, hey Johnny can you hear me? Johnny...." Soda shook his friend gently. "Come on man..."
"What's going on?" Two-Bit gasped, puffing up to the group.
"That's what I want to know," Darry added.
"Oh my god." Steve shook his head slowly, disbelief written on his face.
"Is he okay?" Ponyboy whispered, touching Johnny's hair gently.
"Johnny. Johnnycake, come on..."
"What the fuck is going on." Dally stopped short.
"Johnny's hurt," Steve hissed. "Can't you guys use your goddamn eyes?"
Two-Bit gazed down worriedly. "What happened?"
"Don't know," Ponyboy replied, never taking his eyes off Johnny. "Just found him like this."
"He's alive? Is he conscious? Did anyone call for help?"
"Darry we just got here," Soda said quietly. "He's alive, but I don't know if he's conscious." He pushed Johnny's hair back.
Two-Bit winced. "Oh my god..."
"Johnny," Soda shook him again. "Johnny..."
Dally knelt down beside him. Gently he brushed at the blood on Johnny's face, wiping it on his sleeve. "Got jumped," he said softly. Then suddenly he stood up.
"Fuck it. Goddamned stupid fucking Socs..." He pushed past Two-Bit, one hand over his mouth, the other clenched into a fist, a sickened expression on his face.
"Soda?"
All eyes went to Johnny. He was struggling to open eyes that were nearly swollen shut.
"Yeah, Johnny, we're here."
Johnny swallowed. His throat was so dry. His face hurt, his arms hurt, his chest hurt, everything hurt. He could just barely make out Soda's face, and behind him all was dark and shadowy, but he knew the gang was there. He could hear Steve's laboured breathing and Dally's violent swearing, and he could smell the familiar clean soap that Darry always smelled of.
"He's awake," he heard Ponyboy call in a hushed tone, and Dally suddenly stopped swearing.
"Is he okay?"
"Should we call a doctor?"
Johnny licked his lips. "I'm okay," he said hoarsely. "I got jumped. Soda, there were so many of them-" his voice broke.
"It's okay, Johnny, shhh, don't talk, you're gonna be fine." Soda's voice was soft, steady, reassuring, but Johnny's could already feel the panic slipping over him like water. He could sense the fear rising again in him, he could see the Soc's face...he had to talk, or he'd drown in it. Somewhere, Dally's swearing had started again.
"There was a whole bunch of them...a blue mustang full. Soda, I got so scared..." He could remember exactly what they said, what they told him they were going to do to him, and to the gang, and to all the greasers over the west side of Tulsa...
He tried to think what Dally would do. Dallas would swear a lot, and tell the gang he was gonna beat up every Soc alive, and then he would get up and be fine. Johnny opened his mouth, but he was too scared now. He could feel his chest start to heave, and before he knew it he was sobbing.
"It's okay, Johnnycake, they're gone now."
Johnny knew they were gone but he could still see them, hear them, sense them in his mind and it scared him to death. He tried to quit crying, the gang was there, Darry, Two-Bit, Dallas was there for God's sake, but he just couldn't stop. He never knew what the Socs would do, and the things they could think up terrified him.
Soda held him gently, murmuring softly to him, "it's okay, Johnny, you're okay," over and over until Johnny's sobs faded.
Dally paced in the background, saying, "fuck it, fuck it," over and over until Two-Bit told him to shut the hell up.
Ponyboy sat as still as stone, watching Johnny, a horrified look on his face. He'd never, ever seen any of the gang, much less quiet Johnny, cry like that.
Pony knelt down picking up the round flat gear-like wheel and the awkwardly shaped part, cursing Steve silently the whole time for Steve's hatred for him. Pony believe that Steve only put up with him because of Soda, and deep down really had a terrible dislike for him; but Pony was passionate about everything and saw things from a different angle than the rest of the world. Truth be told Steve didn't really like anything, he was far to bitter about life to bother with putting energy to not liking Ponyboy.
Steve had finished boxing all the pieces of his car and had locked the garage by the time Sodapop returned with three drinks. "Ready?" He grinned happily slinging an arm across Pony's shoulders.
"Yep," Steve said brushing his hands together, then wiping the excess grease on his work shirt.
"Well then lets get goin'," Pony said. "Since we gotta walk and it's getting' dark. Darry's already mad at me, I don't want him any angrier."
Soda gave Pony a snicker and a slap on the back. His brother's affections were no comfort today, Darry really was mad about the C and he'd have a stern talking to when Darry got home; if he hadn't worked too hard.
The three walked in silence simply enjoying the crisp evening air. When they did speak it was of Sandy or Evie or Steve's car but nothing in length, Pony partook in nearly none of the conversations because he was far too busy enjoying the beauty of summer blossoming around him. Steve kicked a rock over to Soda who passed it to Pony in a game of road-rock soccer. The three chased after the stone laughing and yelling the whole way. This went on for some time and only ended when the three were out of breath and had lost the stone somewhere in the grass.
Soda stopped and placed his empty bottle alongside the gutter.
"Looks like Johnny forgot his jacket," Steve said noticing Johnny's denim jacket lying in the road. He smiled thinking of his young, often forgetful, friend. Casually he slung it across his shoulder, but brought it back rather quickly with a curious expression. Pony and Soda watched Steve scratch at a spot on the collar of the coat. Then Steve dropped to his knee looking at the ground where the jacket had been; several matching stains accompanied the one that was on the coat.
"Uhhhh," a low moan came from the other side of the vacant lot, emerging from a crumpled heap.
Darry stood firmly planted on the tiny porch, hands on hips, eyes narrowed and focused on his youngest kid brother. Ponyboy was in for it this time.
"A 'C'! A goddamned 'C'!" Darry muttered to himself watching Ponyboy, Steve and Soda come ever closer. "And then he goes out and does god knows what without telling me-" he broke off, frowning, noticing that the little group had stopped. "What the..." Darry muttered, jogging down the steps. Steve was picking something up and then suddenly the three of them were tearing across the field. Darry took off after them.
"What's going on?" he demanded pulling up short. Sodapop was crouched on the ground holding onto someone. He looked back at Darry, a bleak expression on his face before turning back to the person.
"Hey, Johnny - Johnnycake. Are you okay...?"
~
"The little bitch!"
Two-Bit watched with barely concealed amusement as Dally kicked viciously at a garbage can and missed.
"God, you think if she was so unsatisfied she'd just break it off," Two-Bit said casually.
Dallas whirled on him, his eyes furious.
"Break it off?? Unsatisfied?! She just wants to piss me off, GOD KNOWS WHY and-"
"Well you look plenty pissed. Hey ain't that Stevie over there?" Two-Bit squinted, holding up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. It was Steve alright, and Soda and Ponyboy. They looked like they were racing, and wasn't that Darry in the distance? Two-Bit scanned the field his eyes suddenly catching on a dark bundle. 'Oh my god,' he thought.
"Who gives a damn. Goddamn it Two-Bit are you even listening...?" Dally paused, noticing suddenly that Two-Bit wasn't even there. He was running over to a little group of people he thought Steve was a part of. "Fuck it," Dally muttered, starting after Two-Bit. He didn't really give if the greaser ignored him, but he had nothing to do after all.
"Johnny, hey Johnny can you hear me? Johnny...." Soda shook his friend gently. "Come on man..."
"What's going on?" Two-Bit gasped, puffing up to the group.
"That's what I want to know," Darry added.
"Oh my god." Steve shook his head slowly, disbelief written on his face.
"Is he okay?" Ponyboy whispered, touching Johnny's hair gently.
"Johnny. Johnnycake, come on..."
"What the fuck is going on." Dally stopped short.
"Johnny's hurt," Steve hissed. "Can't you guys use your goddamn eyes?"
Two-Bit gazed down worriedly. "What happened?"
"Don't know," Ponyboy replied, never taking his eyes off Johnny. "Just found him like this."
"He's alive? Is he conscious? Did anyone call for help?"
"Darry we just got here," Soda said quietly. "He's alive, but I don't know if he's conscious." He pushed Johnny's hair back.
Two-Bit winced. "Oh my god..."
"Johnny," Soda shook him again. "Johnny..."
Dally knelt down beside him. Gently he brushed at the blood on Johnny's face, wiping it on his sleeve. "Got jumped," he said softly. Then suddenly he stood up.
"Fuck it. Goddamned stupid fucking Socs..." He pushed past Two-Bit, one hand over his mouth, the other clenched into a fist, a sickened expression on his face.
"Soda?"
All eyes went to Johnny. He was struggling to open eyes that were nearly swollen shut.
"Yeah, Johnny, we're here."
Johnny swallowed. His throat was so dry. His face hurt, his arms hurt, his chest hurt, everything hurt. He could just barely make out Soda's face, and behind him all was dark and shadowy, but he knew the gang was there. He could hear Steve's laboured breathing and Dally's violent swearing, and he could smell the familiar clean soap that Darry always smelled of.
"He's awake," he heard Ponyboy call in a hushed tone, and Dally suddenly stopped swearing.
"Is he okay?"
"Should we call a doctor?"
Johnny licked his lips. "I'm okay," he said hoarsely. "I got jumped. Soda, there were so many of them-" his voice broke.
"It's okay, Johnny, shhh, don't talk, you're gonna be fine." Soda's voice was soft, steady, reassuring, but Johnny's could already feel the panic slipping over him like water. He could sense the fear rising again in him, he could see the Soc's face...he had to talk, or he'd drown in it. Somewhere, Dally's swearing had started again.
"There was a whole bunch of them...a blue mustang full. Soda, I got so scared..." He could remember exactly what they said, what they told him they were going to do to him, and to the gang, and to all the greasers over the west side of Tulsa...
He tried to think what Dally would do. Dallas would swear a lot, and tell the gang he was gonna beat up every Soc alive, and then he would get up and be fine. Johnny opened his mouth, but he was too scared now. He could feel his chest start to heave, and before he knew it he was sobbing.
"It's okay, Johnnycake, they're gone now."
Johnny knew they were gone but he could still see them, hear them, sense them in his mind and it scared him to death. He tried to quit crying, the gang was there, Darry, Two-Bit, Dallas was there for God's sake, but he just couldn't stop. He never knew what the Socs would do, and the things they could think up terrified him.
Soda held him gently, murmuring softly to him, "it's okay, Johnny, you're okay," over and over until Johnny's sobs faded.
Dally paced in the background, saying, "fuck it, fuck it," over and over until Two-Bit told him to shut the hell up.
Ponyboy sat as still as stone, watching Johnny, a horrified look on his face. He'd never, ever seen any of the gang, much less quiet Johnny, cry like that.