I got bored of just waiting around the house, so I went across the street where Pony was sitting on his front porch, "Hey you want to work on the project for class?"
Pony looked up at me, holding his hand over his eyes, "Hey there Toni."
I rolled my eyes, "Do you want to work on our project or not?"
"I saw your dad taking Johnny away this morning, is he joining the service?" Pony stood up, and looked down the street.
I laughed, causing the boy to glare at me, I shook my head, "No my dad is taking him to get emancipation papers, so Johnny could be on his own."
"I hope his parents go along with that," Pony froze as my dads car pulled into the drive, "They're back."
I looked in my driveway, and watched Johnny, along with my dad get out of the car.
"Johnny cake!" Pony hurried to my father, and boyfriend.
Johnny looked at me and blushed, causing me to do the same, "My parents signed the papers, I am now officially independent," he looked at Ponyboy, as if he hadn't noticed him standing there before, "Hey Pony."
Pony rolled his eyes smiling, "So what does emancipation mean?"
"It means I am free to make my own decisions, like to get married to Toni," Johnny wrapped his arm around my waist.
"Isn't sixteen, and seventeen a little young to be married?" Pony looked at my father.
"She's fifteen, just turned fifteen, and I trust Johnny to take care of my daughter when I'm away," My dad looked at me, "I will take you two to the court house tomorrow, and then I have to leave two days later."
Johnny looked at Pony, "What are you thinking about Pony?
Pony grinned, "That you don't have to put up with your folks hitting on you anymore."
I secretly agreed with Pony, "We're your family now Johnny."
Pony wrapped his arm around my neck, "tomorrow we'll have a party for you two getting married," he looked at my dad, "And a farewell party for you Mr. River."
My dad smiled at Pony, "Sounds real good there Pony." He went into the house, and Pony lead Johnny and I to his house.
Later that night.
Johnny didn't say anything about us getting married, or the emancipation paper his parents signed to the other guys, he just sat there quietly watching everyone.
I was sitting at the table next to Steve, and watched as he arm rustled Soda. I waved when I noticed Johnny watching me from the couch, he grinned.
Steve looked at me, "If I win, you have to kiss me, if Soda wins, you have to kiss him."
Soda laughed, "What a prize to be won," he looked at Johnny, "Am I right Johnny cake?"
Pony sat across from me at the table, "Do you arm rustle Toni?"
I laughed, "You challenging me, Ponyboy."
"Yes I am," He positioned his arm on the table, as I did the same.
Steve and Soda both gave up on there game, and watched us, "Ready…set…got!" Steve held both our hands, and let go.
"I am not good at this," I stared at Pony for a moment, and finally beat him.
Soda laughed, "That was great…"
I went into the kitchen, and ran my hand under the cold water of the sink.
Pony came up beside me, "Your pretty strong for a girl."
"Dam it Pony, did you have to grip so hard," I teased. I noticed a bruise already appearing around my hand from his tight grip. Then I noticed his hand was bleeding, "Did I do that?"
He rolled his eyes, "Yeah that's why I squeezed your hand so tight, your nails were digging into my skin."
We both laughed at one another's strength, "Johnny is a great guy Pony, and you don't have to worry about me hurting him," I wrapped my arms around him, "Thank you for being a good friend."
He returned the hug, "Johnny's lucky he found you."
"What's going on here?" Johnny stood in the doorway, glaring at Pony, and at me, "I thought you loved me."
"I do," Both Pony, and I said in unison, Pony obviously meaning it differently then I did.
Johnny stared at Pony, trying to not laugh, "Not you Pony, I was talking to my girlfriend."
"I was just giving him a hug, Johnny," I tried passing him, but he grabbed me, and glared at me.
"You're my girl Toni."
"Johnny, I would never take a girl away from you," Pony looked at Johnny grip on my arm, "You're hurting her Johnny," he tried to get Johnny to loosen his grip.
"Pony just go in the other room," I tried to calm Johnny down, as Pony left the kitchen, "Johnny, I was just thanking him for …."
"For what, for living so close to you, so he could sneak into the house. Like that night he spent the night. You said he just fell asleep studying, I bet you weren't really studying," He slapped my cheek, then loosened his grip, and stared at me with tears ready to poor out, "Toni," he held my face, "I am so sorry, I don't know what got into me…"
"I don't love Pony, or the other guys the same way I do for you, there friends, and I'm thankful for them. Most of all I am thankful for meeting you," I wrapped an arm around him, and hugged him.
He buried his face in my neck, "I am sorry."
"I don't even like brunettes anyways Johnny, I like red heads," Pony leaned against the doorway.
My boyfriend took my bruised hand, "Pony did this to you?" He grinned so I would know he was teasing.
"Yep," I looked at Steve, who was behind Ponyboy, and mouthed, 'Grab Pony's arms,' and winked.
Steve grabbed Pony, taking him by surprise, "He's all yours Johnny."
Johnny walked over to his friend, and mockingly glared.
Pony tried to move out of Steve's, and Soda's grasp, "She made me bleed."
Soda must had grabbed his brother with Steve, just because it looked like fun, "You hurt Johnny's girl brother."
Johnny made a fist, and pretended to want to hit his friend, but instead patted his cheek, "You are a good friend."
Everyone went back to what they had been doing, and Johnny took me into Pony's room.
He shut the door behind him, and hurried to my side to look at my face, "I am sorry Toni," he had tears in his eyes, "I never want to do that to you again."
"Johnny, I was thinking," I sat on Pony's bed, "Did you use anything last night?"
He looked at me puzzled, "For what?"
"I meant did you have a condom on when we made love?" I hoped he did.
"Shit, I forgot to get it out of my wallet," He looked at me, and then at the door where we heard feet shuffling from the other side, and whispers.
I walked over to where Johnny had been standing, "Johnny?"
"It's alright, we were just together last night, and that was our first time making love, and if you are, we'll be married," He pulled me into his arms, "We just wont say anything until after we been married."
I started crying, as I stood there in Johnny's arms, "I would always be able to get an abortion, if I'm not ready."
"The baby i would be you and me, you're not going to destroy something we made together," He lowered his voice, "We'll manage if you are."
"Like you said, we only did it that one time, maybe I wont be," I looked up at Johnny.
"Your stepping on my hand Steve."
"Sorry, Soda."
"Two-Bit will you stop breathing on me."
"I have to breath Pony, that's how humans live."
Darry's voice was heard over all of them from the other room, "You idiots leave them alone, will you!"
Johnny raised his voice, "We better get back to the living room, before they think we're doing something in Pony's room!" He opened the door causing the four boys to fall in the room.
Pony got to his feet, "I just wanted to get a book from my desk."
"I was helping him," Soda, and Steve said at the same time.
Two-Bit looked at us, "I was just trying to hear what you two were talking about," he looked at me, "You pregnant Toni?"
"I don't know," I walked pass the boys, to the Curtis's front door, "I will see you guys tomorrow."
Johnny stood beside me, he looked at my cheek, "You're fathers going to kill me, when he sees your face."
I took him by the hand, and walked outside, then stopped on the sidewalk before crossing the street, "Look Johnny, my dad knows I am clumsy, I will just say that you someone opened the door, just as I was leaving the Curtis's house."
He wrapped his arms around me, "I don't want to lie your father."
"I'm doing the lying, not you," I looked at my hand, "I tell dad the truth about this bruise though."
He hurried ahead of my, "I'm telling your dad, he needs to know what I did," he walked into my house without waiting for me, "Mr. River!"
I hurried behind him, "Johnny, please," I whispered behind him.
He ignored me, "Mr. River."
My dad came out of the kitchen, "Hey Johnny, you alright?"
"I hit her," Johnny kept eye contact with my dad, "She didn't want to tell you, but I wanted you to know. I could assure you that it won't happen again."
My dad came up to me, and held my face in his hand, "Toni, you didn't want to tell me that Johnny hit you," he looked at Johnny, "Is this the first time you hit my daughter."
"Daddy, he never hit me before tonight, and we already talked it over," I felt tears run down my face, "I want to marry him still."
"I want you to tell me if anyone ever hurts you baby girl, and I appreciate Johnny's honesty, and I believe he won't hurt you," My dad looked at Johnny again, "If you ever hurt my baby girl again though, word will get back to me. You guys will have to write me once a week, both of you. You guys will get an allowance twice a month, that's for you to get gracerys, and paying the bills. I will also send you some of my salary for you guys to get what you need. I don't really know how long I will be gone, but you two will get by."
"Yes Mr. River," Johnny looked a little relieved that my dad would still let us get married.
"You get to bed now baby girl," My dad kissed my forehead, then looked at Johnny, "Five minutes, then you go back to the Curtis's, I'm going to bed," he looked at the bruise on my hand, "What happened here?" He looked at Johnny.
"I was arm rustling pony boy, he squeezed tight, but I he only did that because I dug my nails in his hand, and he was bleeding. That's why he squeezed to loosen my grasp," I smiled at Johnny.
My dad rolled his eyes, and went to his room.
"Well, I guess we're still getting married," Johnny wrapped his arms around my waist, "I love you," he grinned, "I think I will start calling you baby girl, like your dad does."
"As long as I'm yours, you could call me whatever you want," I leaned in and kissed him. 'I love this guy.'