Chapter 9

Footsteps. Some distant and some close. Some passing by and then disappearing into the shadows. Feeling alone and like he was about to fade away, Johnny scooted closer to Ponyboy, who sat just next to him on the bench where Darry had left them before heading off to talk to the lawyer.

They had arrived at the courthouse an hour ago, give or take. In a few minutes, Johnny would have to go into the courtroom and tell his side of what had happened the night of the murder. And knowing pretty much how it always went for greasers when they entered a courtroom, he wasn't going to leave without some sort of punishment.

Johnny placed his hand on top of Pony's. Feeling how much it was shaking, Ponyboy turned his hand and took a hold of Johnny's.

"Don't worry," he said, trying to sound calm, but his voice gave him away. He was nervous as well. "I'll tell them it was self-defense. So will Cherry and Marcia. And you saving all those kids will also count for something, right?"

Not wanting to worry Ponyboy more than necessary, Johnny just nodded and smiled. "Yeah… Yeah it will," he said and gave Pony's hand a squeeze.

oOooOo

Ponyboy spotted Darry coming out of a room further down the hall. He stopped, still talking to someone inside the room. Pony could tell Darry was worried because he was scratching his neck countless times.

Pony turned his head to try to spot Soda or any of the others, but neither of them were in sight. Last he had heard they were going to find some food, but it had been a good hour since they left. Darry had told Johnny and Pony to stay on the bench, should the lawyer want to talk to any of them. The lawyer had discussed the case with them a few weeks ago but only for a short while to give a form of statement and Pony found it kind of weird that he didn't need to know anymore than what he had asked. Wouldn't he need a form of counter attack, should the other lawyer ask difficult questions?

Darry suddenly sat down next to Pony, startling him quite a bit. He hadn't even noticed him walk up to them.

"Listen," he started and looked seriously at Pony and Johnny. "They lawyer wants to talk to you both once more before the trial starts."

Johnny nodded understandingly but he was holding onto Pony's hand even tighter now.

The lawyer, whose name was William Andrews welcomed them as they entered the room and showed them to a table where they all sat down.

"Hello, Ponyboy and Johnny," he said, sending them both a smile, and then started to skim though some papers.

"I just want to go over your statements again. Mostly I'm hoping to get the case dismissed, but just to be safe, we better go over them again. They are sure to ask you questions that might get your statement to sound dubious and we don't want that. That's what can get you, Johnny, sent to jail and Ponyboy in a boys' home."

Pony didn't know what to say, so he just nodded and leaned in over the table, resting on his elbows. Johnny just sat in his chair, hands in his lap and not saying anything.

"Right," Mr. Andrews started. "So you two were at the park late that night because you were on your way home from the drive-in?"

Pony looked at him a little funny and shook his head. "I had a fight with Darry and ran out to cool down."

Mr. Andrews then shook his head and looked at Ponyboy a little more seriously. "We don't want them to know that there was an argument. It might have been nothing, but we don't want to give the social services any excuse to remove you from the house."

"But ain't that lying?" Pony asked.

Mr. Andrews shrugged. "It's information that is not needed. What's important is what happened between you two and Robert."

Ponyboy couldn't really see the point since being out that late was also a pretty bad thing to present to the State, but of course that would come out no matter what.

"Yes… we were at the park. Me and Johnny."

Mr. Andrews wrote down the testimony from Pony as he recounted how Bob and his friends had caught him and Johnny and how they had tried to drown him.

"And Johnny," Mr. Andrews said and turned his head to Johnny, who had crawled even closer to Pony every minute that had passed as Pony told his part of the story. "What happened when they were trying to drown Ponyboy?"

"They were... d-drowning him," Johnny stuttered, just repeating what Mr. Andrews had said.

"Yes, but what did you do?"

"I… I killed him." Johnny's voice was low and almost breaking as he said the words again.

"No - you defended Ponyboy," said Mr. Andrews. "And that lead to you stabbing Robert in self-defense. Am I right?"

"I… killed him," Johnny said again and Mr. Andrews rubbed his temples.

"Johnny," he started but Ponyboy raised his hand for Mr. Andres to wait. He then leaned in against Johnny and placed his hand on top of his.

"Johnny… yes you killed him but it was in self-defense. You said so yourself back in Windrixville, remember?"

The dark-haired boy bit his lower lip in a nervous gesture and nodded slowly.

"So - you defended Ponyboy?" the lawyer asked again.

Johnny nodded.

"Then we agree," Mr. Andrews smiled and got up from his chair, and started to fumble with his briefcase. "Right... we better get to the courtroom," Mr. Andrews said and headed out the door.

As they walked down the hall, Johnny leaned in and said in a low voice. "What if I screw up... what if I'm sent to jail… or if I mess up so bad that we both get sent to jail? Maybe Dally as well?" His voice was suddenly trembling and his hand had tighten its grip on Pony's hand.

Ponyboy stopped and nodded at Darry to go ahead without them. He then pulled Johnny aside and placed both hands on his shoulders, looking at him, well knowing he wasn't able to see him but hoping Johnny knew that he was looking at him. Not with anger but comfort.

"You ain't going to jail. And neither am I," Pony said, not really trusting his own words. He was terrified that Johnny, or the both of them, would be sent to jail. He also feared that the State would split him and his brothers up, but for now he had to forget that and make Johnny less nervous.

Johnny hung his head and nodded. He wanted to trust what Pony said but he could hear in his voice that Pony had problems believing his own words. Maybe he didn't even realize that there was doubt his voice, but Johnny could hear it.

oOooOo

"Order in the court, please," said the judge as a few of the Socs were putting up a show by talking loudly and making barking sounds at Johnny and Pony. No doubt that they wanted to see them fry for killing Bob. He was the town hero now. The victim of a brutal crime that two no good hoods had committed. At least that was how the defense had presented it, telling the jury that Bob had simply minded his own business, and Johnny and Pony had been bored, attacking and killing him without any reason.

As the prosecutor stood, telling the story before calling Johnny and Pony and the Socs that had been there that night to the stand, Pony placed his hand on top of Johnny's, letting his fingers slide in between his and hoping no one would notice. Everything that lawyer said was a lie. He just told the jury what everyone expected to hear: The poor kids from the other side of town had yet again killed someone, and this time it was a proud member of the rich society, who would have grown up to become a doctor or lawyer.

The judge nodded and wrote a few things down before he turned to the defense lawyer.

Mr. Andrews stood up and cleared his throat before starting his statement on the case. He made a good presentation, Ponyboy thought, pointing out that the prosecutor had forgotten to mention that Bob and his friends had had a run-in with Pony and Johnny earlier that evening.

"It has not been told that my clients had an argument with Robert Sheldon and his friends about the two boys and a third boy, Keith Matthews, walking together with the deceased's girlfriend, Cherry Valence and her friend, Marcia Greene. The argument was about the fact that Robert Sheldon and Randy Adderson did not think to highly of the boys being around their girlfriends. I have a testimony from Cherry Valence, stating that Randy Adderson said that the boys better watch it which I would call a clear threat. So to round it up I would motion for this case to be dismissed since the death of Robert Sheldon was clear self-defense."

Ponyboy wanted to give the lawyer a standing ovation for his speech but it would probably be a little too much. It didn't change how he felt, though. Mr. Andrews really made it sound great and if Pony had been a judge, he would have believed him.

"A very fine statement, Mr. Andrews," said the judge. "However, I still want to hear the testimonies of the defendants as well as the witnesses."

Mr. Andrews sighed and nodded before returning to his seat. Pony wasn't too happy with it either, he had to admit, although he had not really believed the case would be dismissed. He could feel Johnny's hand shaking. Clearly, he was very nervous about going to the stand.

"Both parties have had a chance to tell your side of the story," the judge said. "I will look at the evidence I have gathered from both lawyers and this hearing will continue tomorrow at twelve a.m." He then used his hammer to adjourn the case for now. The loud bang made Johnny flinch but Pony kept holding his hand.

oOooOo

Out in the hallway Pony helped Johnny down on a bench and sat down beside him. Darry stood a few meters away, talking with the rest of the gang. Dally looked like someone who had wanted to just jump the Socs as they came out from the courtroom, and knowing Dally, Pony was sure that was exactly what he had had in mind. It was probably the only reason why he had showed up, since he hated courthouses. They were like his second home by now or at least a stop before going to his cell at the station. Sure, he might also be there to make sure Johnny wasn't going to jail, but Pony wasn't sure. You never knew when it came to Dallas Winston.

"Can't we just go to Mexico or something?" Two-Bit said and stuck his hands into the pockets of his jacket and kicked the tip of his shoe into the floor.

"And what? Sell chili and marry some Mexican broad?" Dallas snarled, clearly not fond of the idea of them going back on the run. "The stupid kids should have done what I said and just stayed put. Cops would have given up at some point, man."

"No, they wouldn't," Steve said. "Johnny killed one of the good old rich kids and that ain't taken lightly. Had it been a greaser they wouldn't even had bothered to look for 'em'"

Pony tried to listen in the best he could but some of the words where too muffled. He could only hear half of what Darry and Soda said when they talked.

"I'm just gonna go see what the rest of the guys are doin', alright?" he said, turning his head towards Johnny, who just gave him a slight nod.

"None the less," Darry said, "they did the right thing and this will end alright. We have Cherry, Randy and Pony to tell them that it was self-defense and I have a good feeling about it all."

Soda nodded in agreement. They had definitely done the right thing by coming back.

"Just a shame it had to be like this…" Soda said. "I mean with Johnny's condition and all."

oOooOo

Johnny tried to listen in as well but Pony had placed him too far away on the bench so he couldn't make out most of the words. He knew the gang was nearby, but just how close he wasn't sure of. He scooted closer to the sounds but bumped into someone who sat beside him.

"Oh - I'm sorry," he said. At first, he thought it was Pony, who had returned, but then noticed that this person was bigger and heavier. "I didn't notice you sitting down, Sir," he apologized.

The person didn't say anything. Johnny sat quietly for a moment and felt that whoever was sitting next to him was just staring at him, their breath hitting him in long drafts. For a moment, he considered calling for Pony but just as he opened his mouth, a hand was placed on his neck, pulling his head close to the breath.

"I told you..," a harsh voice said. "You will never be safe, greaser… ever…"

The grip on his neck tightened and the voice continued, "I'll see you later… and I will get you. One day you'll just disappear and no one will ever find you."

The hand vanished and Johnny heard footsteps hurrying off.

He sat there, stunned, feeling out of breath and scared out of his mind and when someone sat down next to him a moment later, he almost jumped off the bench.

"Easy!" Ponyboy's voice said and Johnny turned his head towards him. He must have been pale and looking terrified, because Pony's voice turned fearful as he spoke again.

"Johnny? What's wrong?"

"He..." Johnny started. "He was here…"

"Who was?"

"The Soc… The Soc from the hospital."

Ponyboy went quiet and Johnny bit his lower lip, trying to remember the Soc's exact words.

"I think… I think he's planning to kill me."