Ponyboy: Not Done Yet

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Thanks to all who reviewed!!

            For moments there, I felt like I was going to drown and never see the surface again. Even as I kicked my legs and tried to swim for the surface, I felt my lungs burning. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I saw a light in the distance. The surface! I had always thought the stupid lines in books about seeing the light from a long distance was just stupid. But now I knew exactly what those people felt. I submerged into the cold icy air of the mountains and breathed. Cherry threw her end of her rope out to me and I pulled on it. She and Randy both pulled until I was safely back where I started. It took a few minutes, but finally, I finished panting and the choking feeling was gone.

            "Are you alright, Pony?" Randy kneeled down next to me.

            "Yeah…j-just c-c-cold…" I shivered. Steve took off his jacket and let me wear it. He looked genuinely worried about me, which was kind of surprising, especially since he purposely made me go first. But I was too tired and cold to care or protest anymore. Steve's kindness and generosity didn't last too long, though. By the end of the day, we'd argued so much that we never got even one person across the river. Needless to say, we failed that assignment.

            Let's just say the next few assignments over the days weren't pretty either. We failed all of them and each of us went to sleep each night with at least one bruise, caused by the other. The last we were spending there wasn't that great, although I couldn't wait to go home. Coach came over to me, towing a scowling Steve behind him.

            "Curtis, we need to talk." He'd said.

            "W-we do?"

            "Yes. Randle and you need to have a chat with me." I sighed and got up from the table, mumbling a "see ya later" to Cherry and Randy. Coach led us over to an empty table and told us to sit next to each other.

            "I've been watching the two of you. You don't seem to get along very well."

            "Oh, you just noticed?" Steve muttered sarcastically.

            "Randle…"

            "Sorry."           

            "Anyway, you've failed all of the assignments here. There's one more tomorrow and we're going home. Now, the one tomorrow is big. You're grades are in jeopardy here. The teachers and I have been talking about it and we've decided that if you pass tomorrow, we'll pass you with a C, alright?"

            "Fine…" we muttered.

            "Good." Coach got up and left. As soon as his back was turned, Steve glared at me. I glared right back at him and said, "This is all your fault, Steve."

            "MY fault? How is this MY fault? I'm not the one who couldn't figure out the difference between an oak tree and an evergreen tree!"

            "If you had given me the book, maybe I would have gotten it. And what is your problem anyway? Ever hear of TEAM WORK? Guess not, since you're so bad at it. Oh yeah, and what about the stepping stones thing? Huh? You were the one who suggested that stupid string of a stick!!"

            "IF YOU HAD LISTENED TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE, NONE OF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!"

            "No…If you had listened to me, none of this crap would be happening now. So don't fuckin' blame me for your fuckin' stupidity!"

            "Ponyboy, you ain't got a right to call me stupid. Who was the one that ran too slow, failing our assignment yesterday? I thought you were supposed to be a good runner!!"

            "Excuse me, but what about the 'Sleigh Extravaganza'? You're the one that told me that sleighs were like cars and messed everything up! I thought you were supposed to be the best auto-mechanic around!!!" Before Steve could come up with an equally nasty comment, the whistle blew, signaling lights out. It didn't matter. I hated him and he hated me. Soon, the trip would be over and I could go back to life the way it was before. I could go back to starting my new routine of sitting in the lot and talking to Johnny and Dally.

            I lay on my sleeping bag that night, thinking about Johnny and Dally. I wished that they were here. I wished with all my might. I eventually fell asleep. But I didn't sleep well…

*Dream*

            Johnny appeared out of nowhere, "Ponyboy…"

            "Johnny?!" I shot up.

            "Yeah it's me…Listen to me. Listen. Something bad's going to happen. I'm not allowed to tell you what…"

            "Johnny, what are you talking about? Where's Dally?"      

            "I'm right here kid," Dally appeared behind me. They were floating, like ghosts, only they were so real. Pony reached out, but when his hand touched Dally's, it went right through.

            "You can't touch us. We're ghosts of our former selves, Pony," Dally said softly. I bit my lip and smiled, "It's good to see y'all."

            "Yeah…we missed you Pony. How's it going with Steve anyway?"

            "We hate each other more than ever before." I stated bitterly.  Dally squeezed his eyes shut. Johnny spoke up, "Listen Ponyboy. Something awful's going to happen. You have to make sure both Steve and you are safe. You have to make sure you don't end up like me n' Dally did."

            "Yeah, kid. It don't hurt no more up here, but all the same. Y'all got a lot to live for, 'specially you n' Steve. You're the most educated in everything, the both of ya. You could change things for Greasers everywhere."

            "But-but…how?"

            "Pony, you gotta watch out. Be careful…something awful-" Johnny started again, but I interrupted, "What's going to happen?"

            "We're not allowed to tell you. This is out of our control. We can't stop it from happening." Dally pleaded with me.

            "What's going to happen? Dally? Johnny?" I panicked.

            "Just be careful. Look out for Steve. Things'll turn out alright. He needs you now more than ever." Dally told me.

            "Yeah. And when you get back home, come talk to us in the lot more often. We missed havin' y'all around. Tell the guys that it's okay to hang-out in the lot even though we're gone. We want you to go on and pretend nothing ever happened. Encourage them, Pony." Johnny practically begged me.

            "Okay, I promise."

            "We have to go now…"

            "But you can't. I need you guys. I miss you too much," Tears sprung to my eyes, "Don't leave me!"

            "We're not leavin' you kiddo. We'll always be with you. In here…" Dally pointed to my chest, around where my heart was. Dally looked at Johnny sadly and they both said at the same time, "Bye Pony. We miss you…" and drifted away…

            I shot up in a cold sweat. What did they mean? And had Johnny "talked" some sense into Dally and made him softer now? I gulped in some air and tossed and turned for the rest of the night, barely getting for than three hours of sleep.

*See ya in the next chapter! And thanks for all your great reviews!*