Yes its an outsiders-sleepers theme. I love the sleepers book and movie. Its had a huge effect on me because it's a true story and you know, the sleepers were put in juvenile detention in the same year that the outsiders was set (1967) so I thought if Johnny and Ponyboy were arrested they'd go through something similar.
Thanx to all that review my story: Dee, Jesse, Scarlet7, Goddess of silent tears, Koujaku, Mazz Ninja, Jessica, Lisa, Joce, Katie, pony's girl
Thanx Lillia- I know what you mean
Amyoutsider- I've thought about it and I'm really considering (without giving too much away) finding a way to get them out because now that I've gotten this far in the story I cant bear anything bad happening to Johnny and Pony
Thanx again you guys!
The first month at Watkins was a blur. I couldn't tell the different between reality and my dreams because I dreamt about my tiny cell and being alone away from my family. Me and Johnny stayed together as much as possible. We had different classes but at lunch times and all the other times we stuck together like glue. We didn't really mix much with the other kids. There were lost of nasty boys in that place. They all deserved to be there of course- unlike us. They were big and strong and intimidating so Johnny and me tried to steer clear of their sight. Especially one particular boy called Kaiser. He was so big that looked more like a 30 year old than a 16 year old.
In my English class, a boy called Vinny who was sitting next to me leaned over to me and said "hey I know your new here so my advice to you is, never go to the showers alone or The Kaiser will get ya". He looked like he could've been from my neighbourhood. He reminded be a lot of Steve.
What he said shook me bad for a couple of days and I avoided going to the showers altogether. I'd seen enough prison movies to know what he meant by that.
Our routine was consisted of getting up early, having breakfast, then class then lunch then sports then lights out and over again the next morning. After the first month had passed quietly with little or no disturbances, I was beginning to think that maybe I could make it till the end of my sentence. It was a case of 'spoke too soon' because on that same day that I had those thoughts, I had another run-in with Gibbons.
Johnny and me were sitting on our usually table at the cafeteria and talking about the old times when we used to go and watch movie at the drive in and have a blast. Gibbons was monitoring the cafeteria and before we knew it, he was standing right in front of our table.
"Ponyboy" he said loud enough for everyone to hear
I looked up, raising an eyebrow.
"That's your name isn't it? Ponyboy?" he started laughing loudly and some of the other kids laughed too. I felt my ears burn
"How'd you end up with a name like that? Did your mommy hump a pony and name you after your daddy?" he said mockingly. The cafeteria erupted in laughter. I felt the anger rise up in my gut and clenched my fists under the table. But I knew there was nothing I could say or do so I kept my mouth shut and turned to Johnny, ignoring Gibbons.
When he saw he wasn't going to get a reaction from me, he pulled out his baton from his belt and knocked my food tray off my table with it onto the floor.
"Look what you did Ponyboy" he shouted angrily, "get up" he said pulling me by my shirt off the bench. I pulled my shirt from his grip and stood at attention in front of him, trying hard to show no emotions.
I knew he was just trying to get me to reaction, make a wrong move.
"Did you drop your food on the floor?" he asked, towering over me.
"No, sir" I said, clenching my teeth.
In an instant, he had his baton in his hand again and gave me a hard blow in the gut with it. It felt like being stomped by an elephant's foot. I fell to my knees holding my stomach and gasping for breath.
Gibbons crouched down beside me. "Wrong answer" he said
"hey! why'd you do that for?" I heard Johnny shriek at Gibbons.
"I said did you drop your food" Gibbons hissed in my ear ignoring Johnny.
"Yes, sir" I said through gasps
"That's better" Gibbons smirked
I looked up at Johnny. He looked mad, almost wild but there was nothing he could do.
Gibbons started laughing out loud. It was so chilling that I felt all my hairs stand on end. He sounded so evil.
"Clean up this mess now and take him back his cell" he said to Johnny then walked away outside the cafeteria.
Johnny did as he was told and when we were alone in my cell he said "Pony, we're not going to make it in here after all".
As much as I wanted to believe otherwise, I knew he was right.