" Ponyboy Goes Crazy "
Chapter One - Dally's Dilemma
Dallas Winston was sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands to his face, catching the tears as he cried through the night. His friend, Johnny, the only person that he had ever loved, died. Now Dally felt alone and scared. He wasn't able to control his feelings.
" Oh God!" he said to himself. " It really is true, Johnny is dead." He couldn't stand it anymore. Dally himself had never realized how much he actually could love someone. To Dally, Tulsa was a slave town, people like the greasers being forced to do things they didn't want to, but to the socs and the adults it was the perfect place. Now Dally understood why Ponyboy was always talking about going out in the country. People were free to do whatever they wanted out there.
Out in the hall, Dally could hear his father yelling at someone over the phone. His father was a bad, bad alcoholic and he was surprised that he was never beaten like Johnny had been. Johnny's parents were the worst people in Tulsa. They beat Johnny up, didn't care if he was dead, and didn't even come to his funeral.
" That's it!" Dally heard his father scream. " I'm going to kill you!" Dally got back to the window of his bedroom. He couldn't take this anymore. He decided what he had to do. There was the sound of the phone smacking the receiver, a grunt, footsteps coming close to the door, but by the time Mr. Winston had opened Dally's bedroom door, Dallas Winston was gone, out the window.
Chapter Two - Alone In The Dark
Ponyboy Curtis was sitting in the living room chair, motionless. If anything else bad were to happen tonight, he decided that he was going to run away into the country, the best place to be in the entire world. First of all, he loved Johnny and he also ad some love toward Dally, but he hadn't seen Dally in over two weeks. There were rumors being spread that his father had locked him in his room or something, but Ponyboy couldn't be sure about what he was hearing. On this particular night, Darry and Soda were out for some meeting at town hall. Pony didn't want to go because of all of the things that were happening to him.
Ponyboy looked around the room. Some comedy show was playing on TV, it was raining out, and he was alone. It was eerily quiet and Darry and Soda had been gone for hours now. " When will they be back?" he said aloud. A blast of thunder startled him. He saw that his hands were shaking from the sound. The lights began to flicker. The soft sound of the rain hitting the roof made Pony fall asleep.
Ponyboy was in a park, it was day, Johnny came out of the light. He looked happy. Dally was happy, too. Everyone was happy.
BOOM! A loud boom of thunder awoke Ponyboy. He had been dreaming. He didn't know how long, though. The lights were all out now. Lightning must have hit a wire. But no, that sound didn't exactly sound like thunder. It was much too loud for thunder. Besides, Ponyboy usually always slept though thunder storms that were much worse than this one.
Now he was alone in the dark with no one else in the house. He looked over at the clock which wasn't electrical, so it continued working. The time was 10:30 at night. He now knew that Darry and Soda must have been lost or something. They should have been home much earlier. Just outside the window, there was some strange blue light flashing along with a crackling sound. Ponyboy knew that there was something wrong here. He stood up, looking out at the flashing. There were sounds of people chattering and running about. " What's happening?" Pony thought.
Outside, it was a nightmare that had begun. Lights were flickering in several homes, but the Curtis house was the only one with no electricity at all. People were gathering from all over town, gawking at the accident. A truck which Ponyboy recognized as Darry's truck was on fire, for it had crashed into the utility pole next to the house. A wire came loose, spitting sparks at the sidewalk. Dally was there, too, trying to hold in his tears. The police arrived along with the fire department who started to douse the flames. The next day all became a deep sleep for Ponyboy, for he went into a state where he was nearly in shock.
Chapter Three - New Big Brother
The next thing that Ponyboy could remember was that he was told by an officer that his two brothers were dead and he was the only one left in the household, but then he was taken to an office o some sort at town hall where he sat next to Dally as a man in a suit and tie talked to them.
" Well," the man said to Ponyboy. " We are very sorry for the mishap the other day. We know that you must have been very close to your brothers, but things are going to work out now, okay?" Pony didn't answer or even make any signs of hearing what he had said. " Anyway," the man continued. " We have some new arrangements for you and who seems to be your best friend, Dallas. Dallas here has offered to take care of you as though you were his own brother, alright?"
That was it. Ponyboy didn't respond to anyone for a couple of days and he could only remember Dally taking him up to his house and saying, " Ponyboy, I'm going to take care of you, you're going to live with me now."
The next thing that happened was Ponyboy woke up in his own cozy bed, safe and sound. There was a glass of water next to his nightstand. Dally had put it there for him in case he got thirsty in the middle of the night. Across from him, which used to be Soda's bed, lay Dally. He was asleep with a look of happiness on his face as though he was having a good dream. Ponyboy couldn't really notice in the dark, so he went back to sleep.
The next morning, Ponyboy awoke to the sound of a glass breaking. " Darn!" he heard following. There was sunlight pouring through his bedroom window and the sounds of birds tweeting filled the room. The smell of eggs and maple syrup came as Dally walked in the room holding a tray. " Rise and shine," Dally said, putting the tray on the bed. " You better eat, Pony, you wouldn't have dinner last night, so you must be hungry. You sure slept like a baby last night, man." " I'm not really that hungry," Ponyboy said, sighing. Dally shook his head. " It doesn't matter, you must eat, your last meal was lunch yesterday and besides, you have to get some food in your stomach. You don't want to get sick, do you?"
Ponyboy ate his breakfast and thanked Dally as if everything was going alright again, but things took a turn for the worse that afternoon. Ponyboy managed to take a shower and sit down on the couch in the living room. The TV was on, but Ponyboy wasn't watching it. Dally walked into the room, smiling. " Could you turn on the AC, Dally? It's getting kind of hot in here."
" Sure, " Dally said as he turned on the air. " Thanks, Darry." Ponyboy stopped. He realized that he said Darry. Ponyboy began to cry. Dally came over to him and hugged him. " I'm sorry, Ponyboy," Dally explained. " I know how hard it is to lose people that are very dear to you. Is there anything I can get you?" Ponyboy nodded. " I am kind of thirsty." " Okay," Dally responded. " Would you like a sod… I mean, would you like some water or something?" " Yes, water sounds just fine."
Dally got the water for Ponyboy and they both began to talk. " I wish that Darry and Soda were still here, I miss them," Ponyboy told Dally. " I know, Pony, I miss them, too. I hope that you're alright with me being your brother, though." Ponyboy didn't respond at all, so Dally continued, " At first we don't think that it's possible to go on, but we all have to go on living after something like that happens. Were there any things that you and your brothers used to do together?" Ponyboy nodded. " We used to walk in the park together and get ice cream. Then we would go and watch a baseball game or something like that." " Okay, let's go then," Daly explained. " Let's go to the park!"
Chapter Four - Not My Brother
Ponyboy and Dally both walked ion the big park that was only several miles from the house. Dally tried to show as much happiness as possible towards Ponyboy. " You see?" Dally explained. " We can still have fun, can't we?" Ponyboy nodded. " Yeah."
Dally pointed over at a little snack stand and said, " You see, we can get ice cream just like you said." Dally and Ponyboy went up to the stand. " What can I get for you two?" the man asked. " What flavor of ice cream do you want?" Dally asked. Ponyboy replied, " Chocolate." Dally smiled. " Chocolate it shall be, then, we'll take two chocolate ice cream cones."
They both sat down and ate their ice cream and then went off to watch the baseball game. As the game was going on, Ponyboy kept shouting, " Come on, you assholes, run to third base!" Dally was surprised to see all of the energy that Ponyboy was letting out. Especially the language. Ponyboy never said bad words. Just to make things the way Pony liked, Dally asked, " Would you like a hot dog or something?" " No." " Okay, then, would you rather have another ice cream?" " No, Dally." " Alright, how about a chili dog?" " No!" Ponyboy spun around so fast that he nearly fell off the chair. Dally sighed. " Okay, Ponyboy, I'm sorry, I was just asking you if you wanted anything." " Well, I don't, okay?"
He suddenly got up and started walking off somewhere. " Ponyboy?" Dally started running after him. " Pony! Come back, Ponyboy, where are you going?" The crowd of people blended in with Ponyboy, so Dally could no longer see him. The rest of the day, Dally was looking all over town for Ponyboy. He wasn't at the Dingo, the mall, or any other places that he used to hang out at. So, dally went back to the house to find Ponyboy sitting on the couch, screaming at the TV because his favorite football team was losing. Dally was confused. Ponyboy never watched or even liked football before. He walked in.
Ponyboy looked up at Dally and said in a disgusted voice, " What do you want?" " I want to know where the heck you've been, Pony. It's seven thirty and I've been looking all over for you. I was so worried!" " Well," Ponyboy started. " You should have come here! I was sitting here the whole time, waiting for you to get back, but I've been waiting for five hours and I've been so bored! Let's go over to the Dingo for a coke or something, Dally." Dally shut the door and began, " Look, Ponyboy, we're not going anywhere, okay? I'm supposed to take care of you now, okay? I can't be worrying about you for the whole afternoon like I had to today. I tried to be nice, I did everything you wanted to do today and what thanks do I get?" Ponyboy laughed. " I didn't even want to do all that stuff today, Dally, I wanted to go to the mall and steal stuff, you know?"
Dally cocked an eyebrow. " Huh? You, want to steal stuff? Ponyboy, do you want to see a doctor or something?" " Why?" " Well, you're acting strange. You're acting like I used to and I've learned better since, okay? You don't want to be like that. You could set a bad example of yourself to other people, you understand? And why didn't you tell me that you wanted to do something else? I thought that you wanted to do stuff like you and your brothers used to do."
Ponyboy sighed and said, " The fact is, Dally, you're not my brother and I only want to do those things with Darry and Soda." Dally chuckled. " Look, Ponyboy, I really think you should see a counselor or something like that, okay? I can understand what you're going through right now, but you must understand that Darry and Soda are gone. You can't bring them back, but you can remember all of the fun things you guys used to do together." Ponyboy got up and walked in the hall. " Ponyboy!" Dally went after him to see that Ponyboy went to get his bed ready. " Don't ignore me, Ponyboy, I'm trying to be a part of your family. I'm trying to make you understand that you have to start a new life. I'll help you, Ponyboy."
Ponyboy came up to the door and closed it. " You better get to bed, Dally, you can keep babbling on in the morning." Dally tried the door. It was locked. " Well," Dally said. " You'll have to open the door so I can get in bed." " That's Soda's bed, Dally, you'll have to sleep on the couch." Dally banged on the door. " you open this door, Ponyboy! I'm not sleeping on the couch! Open the door, Pony, I'm not going to tell you again! This is your last warning!" He still didn't open the door. " Alright, I'll give you one more warning." Ponyboy's voice came from inside the bedroom. " Go to sleep, Dally, I'm tired."
Dally helplessly went into the living room to sleep on the couch. He was so frustrated and confused with Ponyboy. He was just trying to help him.
Chapter Five - Crazy
Dally awoke in the morning. The clock on the wall said 7:00. He figured that it would have been later, but he got up anyway. There was an unbearable quiet coming from the bedroom. Dally figured that Ponyboy was asleep. He got up from the couch slowly. There wasn't a sound in the house. He slowly went up to the bedroom door and knocked softly. " Ponyboy?" He knocked again. " Ponyboy, it's Dally, are you there?" He tried the door. It opened. Ponyboy wasn't in there, though. " Ponyboy?" Dally turned around to see that Ponyboy had written on the mirror, " You're not my brother!" Dally shrieked and ran out of the room and into the hall. Ponyboy was standing in the kitchen doorway, laughing hysterically.
" Ponyboy!" Dally yelled. " You little.." " Shut up!" Ponyboy ordered. " I thought you said that you wanted to make me happy, so I expect you to do what I want! So, I would like it if you would kindly stand still so I can tie you up to the chair. Dally shrieked and ran down the hall. No use, dead end. " No, Ponyboy, please!" Dally begged. " I'm just trying to help you." " oh, really?" Ponyboy said. " What did you want to help me with?" Dally started to cry. " I don't know." Ponyboy shook his head. " I think you know what you want to do, you want to put me in a crazy house or something like that." " No!" Dally said. " I would never do that, I just want you to know that I care about you. Please, Ponyboy, no!"
A few minutes later, Dally was tied to a chair in the living room with a gag in his mouth. He let out loud mumbles. " Stop making noise, Dally!" Ponyboy was yelling from the kitchen. " I'm trying to cook breakfast here. What would you like? How about a nice big rat, huh?" Dally was scared to death, wondering what was going to happen next. Ponyboy came in holding a dead rat by the tail. " How would you like this as a nice big breakfast, huh?" He held it close to Dally. Dally had a terrified look on his face, but Ponyboy simply went back in the kitchen. Dally was relieved.
Two hours later, the phone rang. Ponyboy answered it and said, " what? Oh, yes, Two Bit, we're doing just fine. Dally and I are having a great time here together. We're having so much fun. It' too bad you're not here, but that's okay. Oh yes, Two Bit, Dally's fine. He's so fun to be with." Pony kept smiling over at Dally with an evil grin. " What's that, Two Bit? You want to talk to Dally? Sorry, h can't come to the phone right now, but he's fine. Dally let out a moan. " What, Two Bit? Oh, that was just the TV. Okay, I'll see you some other time. Bye." He hung up and went over to Dally.
Dally was just sitting still now, no making a move. " Look, Dally, I'm just going to take the gag out of your mouth now, okay? Don't scream or anything, though. I want everything to be peaceful and you said that you'd do anything for me, so be quiet! He took the gag off. Dally gasped for air, feeling much better. " What is your problem?" Dally asked. " I can't believe this, you're crazy!" " I'm not crazy." Ponyboy said calmly. " I just want to have fun, that's all and I want to do some funny things to you, that's all. I hope I didn't go too far. I want you to still feel comfortable. " Comfortable?" Dally shrieked. " You call tying people up and putting rats in their faces comfortable? Ponyboy, lease just let me out of here and we can do anything you want, okay? So far, I have had a very stressful day. I've been tied to this chair for hours and I'm starving!" Ponyboy chuckled. " Why are you starving?" " Because I had no lunch yesterday because I was trying to look for you. I had no dinner last night because I was going to go in the kitchen to get something, but the door was locked, and you wouldn't give me breakfast this morning. That's why I'm starving, Ponyboy. It's not healthy to starve yourself like this. Please get me something to eat, please, buddy, I just want something to eat."
Ponyboy sighed. " Alright, fine, I'll get you something to eat, but I don't want you to spoil your appetite. I have a special dinner planned for tonight." " Special?" " Yes, and I'm only going to give you a single pancake. Dally groaned and yelled, " Ponyboy, I a not going to eat small amounts, you are going to give me food and you're going to give me what I want, do you understand me? I'm supposed to be the one who's taking care of you, Ponyboy, now untie me and we can do whatever you want. I'll do anything to make you happy."
Ponyboy nodded. " alright, fine, but we're staying in the house until six tonight. I don't want you or myself to leave the premises, do you understand?" " Yes, pony, now untie me, please." Ponyboy did what Dally told him to. They both had a little lunch. Dally hadn't eaten for twenty four hours and now he felt really great to have some food. At the kitchen table they sat, eating and talking. Dally spoke up. " Ponyboy?" " What?" " Can you try to understand that perhaps your becoming this way because of what happened?" Ponyboy had an angry/confused look on his face. " Becoming what way, Dally?" " Well, I mean, you were never like this before. Before you were gentle and quiet, but now your harsh and noisy." " What!" " Ponyboy, please listen to me." " No! I won't listen and if you keep babbling on about me being crazy, I can tie you up again and I don't think you want that, do you, Dally?" " No." " Then shut up and clean the dishes while I go and change. We're going out to dinner whether you like it or not. You better not screw it up either."
Chapter Six - You Were Right
By the time the sun went down that evening and the moon came out, Ponyboy changed his mind about going out to eat. In his strange mind, he decided that he wanted to stay in the house with Dally instead of going out at a crowded restaurant with annoying people like he used to with his brothers. So, Ponyboy made dinner and they both sat down, eating like they had for lunch earlier.
Dally didn't like what Ponyboy made, but he figured that it wasn't good to argue with Ponyboy anymore. He ate and dealt with it. Dally had a plan, though. He would try to convince Ponyboy that he was doing the right thin for him. He was only trying to help Pony since he cared for him more than anyone else now that Johnny was gone. After dinner, instead of washing the dishes like Ponyboy ordered him to do once again, he went off into the bedroom and began to pack all of his things into his suitcase. Ponyboy came at the doorway, angry. " What are you doing, Dally?" he asked. Dally answered as he closed his suitcase. " I'm moving out, I'll go down to Buck's and rent his room." " Why?" " Because I can't be around you anymore, Ponyboy, you've just become out of hand. I still can't make you realize everything that I've tried to make you understand here. It's too late to be saying that I can't sleep in Soda's bed because it's his bed, Pony. Soda and Darry are both gone. I'm sorry and I know how you feel, but you have to go on with your life."
" Oh, no you don't!" Ponyboy screamed as he dove at Dally. They both went to the floor, wrestling each other. Dally managed to get up and run to the living room, but Ponyboy was right behind him. They both did a big dive into the coffee table, breaking it apart with a big crack. The flower pot atop fell to the hard wood floor and shattered into pieces like a large sheet of glass falling from a tall building and onto concrete. Ponyboy got up and started kicking Dally around, laughing hysterically the whole time. The chair clattered to the floor and a picture was knocked off of the mantel, the glass over the frame shattering. Dally lay on the floor, groaning. Ponyboy was still laughing until he noticed the picture that had fallen.
He took the plain picture away from the broken glass and the frame and looked at it. It was a photo taken not too long ago of Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally. He could remember Johnny who had died and he noticed that Dally had his hand on Ponyboy's shoulder as though he cared about him. " Huh?" Ponyboy said to himself. Then it all finally came to him. Dally did care about him. He wasn't trying to be mean or anything, he was just trying to help Ponyboy after his brothers died.
Realizing this, Ponyboy became happy again. He got up and went over to the piano. He began singing out that poem by Robert Frost. He sang it in a musical way. " Oh, nature's first green is gold! ….. Her hardest hue to hold!" Dally looked up at Ponyboy singing, realizing that he was back to normal. Ponyboy continued, " Her early leaf is a flower, but that is only so an hour! …… so then dawn goes down today ……… nothing gold can… stay!"
Ponyboy went over to Dally. " Oh, Dally," he said. " I'm so sorry, buddy. I love you, buddy and I realize that all you were trying to do was help me. I must have just lost it when they died. You're my brother now, Dally. You were right." Dally said, " You see, right before the accident, I ran out my bedroom window and I was heading over here to get away from my father so I was on my way here to ask if I could live with you guys or something, but on my way here, I saw the accident. After everyone realized that you had nobody to take care of you, I offered to since I had to stay away from my father and since Johnny died, you're my closest friend now."
They hugged just like brothers.
The End