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Chapter 11

The hearing went rather smoothly. Only Darry and Soda had been allowed to attend of the five greasers, since the remaining three could not keep their mouths shut and might cause a scene as soon as the few Socs that attended would enter the room or take the stand.

The testimonies of Cherry and Randy made the judge look a little surprised, since they both agreed with Johnny and Pony that it was strictly self-defense. None the less she listened patiently to what they had to say.

It must have only taken about two hours for the judge to rule in favor of Johnny and Ponyboy and the case was dismissed.

This clearly didn't please everyone in the room, but Ponyboy could not help but show his joy as he hugged his friend and then his brothers. He noticed a few people that sat in the back who got up and left the room, casting glares before leaving.

oOoOoOo

"Finally something good happened," Two-Bit beamed as they walked out of the courthouse. The outcome of the case had actually come as a surprise to all of them. Usually no one ever ruled in their favor, but obviously there was always a first time for everything.

"They just let you off with a warning or what?" Steve asked and lit a smoke, handing the pack to Dallas.

Johnny just shrugged, holding onto Pony's arm for guidance. "I'm supposed to check in a few times a month with a parole officer so I guess I got off easy, yeah…"

"Ain't like you're gonna run nowhere" Two-Bit said and Darry smacked him upside the head.

"Sorry…" Two-Bit sulked.

"It's okay 'cause it's true," Johnny admitted and hung his head. "I can't go nowhere even if I wanted to."

"Well the doc said you might get your eyesight back so don't you worry too much, Johnny," Sodapop said, smiling gently at him, trying to cheer him up.

Johnny just nodded, not really getting his hopes up. It had been weeks now and there had been no change at all, although the doctor had said that it could take time for the swelling to go down enough for them to say if he would be permanently blind.

They got home with the bus a half hour later and they all settled in the living room. Two-Bit dropped down on the couch but was quickly chased off again so Ponyboy and Johnny had a place to sit.

"Will you two be fine on your own tomorrow?" Darry asked and pulled off his jacket, looking down at Pony.

Ponyboy just nodded. "Yeah, we will be alright," he said. He knew he only had a few more days to spend with Johnny at home before heading back to school and after that it would be Dally who kept an eye on him. Not that he didn't trust that Dallas was up for the task, but he really enjoyed spending time with Johnny. Their bond had become much tighter after the days in the church and even more after last night.

"Well, okay then," Darry said a little skeptically and went for the kitchen.

"Man, I bet this was not what the Socs had intended should happen at the trial. Also a few of their friends actually testified against them," Two-Bit snickered and sat down on the floor, turning on the TV. "That should show 'em that they don't own this damn town. "

Johnny just sat quiet against Ponyboy and seemed a little gloomy. Ponyboy didn't blame him, really. No matter how well the trial had gone, it didn't change the fact that there were a couple of Socs after him who didn't agree with this outcome of the trial at all. In fact, this would probably only fuel their rage and urge for revenge.

oOoOoOo

Johnny and Ponyboy lay in bed that night not saying anything to each other for a while. However, Pony had crept closer to Johnny and put an arm around him. He could feel the other boy's breathing against his face, tempting him to lean closer and kiss him, but he knew it wasn't an invitation to do so. Slowly he moved up a hand to caress Johnny's face and this made the teen open his eyes. Pony could just make out a smile on his lips.

"You okay?" Pony asked and Johnny slowly nodded.

"Yeah… just a little worried, I guess."

"It'll be alright," Pony said and caressed his cheek once more. "I am sure that now the trial is done that things will slowly ebb out and them Socs will leave us alone."

Truth be told he wasn't sure it would happened that soon, but he hoped.

Johnny carefully pushed Pony's hand away from his face and sighed. "I'm still a little uncomfortable with this," he mumbled, hoping not to hurt Ponyboy's feelings. He had enjoyed the kiss they had shared but when thinking it over it was a little weird. Ponyboy removed his hand and arm from him and Johnny quickly added. "It's not that I am uncomfortable with you in any way… it's just that… most people would say what we did was wrong."

"It didn't feel wrong," Ponyboy mumbled and Johnny hung his head. "No… No it didn't but I don't wanna end up hurting your feelings because we can't really be together for real. Only as friends."

Ponyboy didn't say anything for a few minutes and Johnny started to get nervous about how he had reacted to his statement.

"Pony?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Pony said, moving his hand up to carefully stroke Johnny's upper arm. "I know it's weird and all but I don't regret it. I dunno if it's just because I'm an immature kid but I just know I really liked the feeling I got from it... and I know that's weird..."

"You ain't immature," Johnny stated and couldn't help but move his hand up to touch Pony's that rested on his arm. He really wanted to kiss him again, even though it wasn't right.

"I dunno why it has to be so hard to just let go of the feeling of this being wrong but I just have it planted deep in me. What would the others say if they found out about it? I ain't one to just stroll up to them and say that we kissed and enjoyed it."

"Well..." Pony started. "They don't have to find out about it."

"Oh sure, like you can keep that from Sodapop," Johnny mumbled. "You tell him everything and I wouldn't be surprised if he would be one to understand it or at least hear you out, but the rest of the gang... they wouldn't get it at all."

"Probably not..." Ponyboy sighed and stroked Johnny's arm again. "But they don't have to find out and we could just see where it goes. Maybe it's just a phase and maybe it ain't. But no matter what it is, I know how I feel about you and how it made me feel. You can't deny that you liked it too. I could feel it."

Johnny went quiet for a moment and dropped his head while biting his lip as he thought about it.

"I did... yeah, I did."

Ponyboy smiled at the boy in front of him and moved his hand up to cup his cheek and scooted closer to him so they lay flush against each other.

"Can't we just see where this takes us and worry about the consequences afterwards?"

Johnny smiled and Pony could just make out a slight blush on his cheeks.

"You always were the smart one, Pony..." he said in a low voice and his blank eyes stared back at him, displaying Pony's reflection from the dim streetlights that just barely made their way through the blinds.

Pony smiled and gently placed his lips against Johnny's and, not being pushed away, felt a warmth spread in the pit of his stomach. He pulled away a moment later, looking back at the flushed face in front of him. Johnny blinked a few times and then finally sent him a small smile.

"I still don't think it's such a good idea, Pony," he said and sighed but snuggled in against him and put an arm over him, pulling Pony close to him. "But I think we should do as you said... See how it goes and take it from there."

Ponyboy nodded eagerly and closed his eyes, taking in the scent of Johnny's hair. It was a fruity smell he hadn't noticed before, mixed with a scent of tobacco and Pony couldn't help taking in another drag of it.

"You smell like a garden mixed with smoke," Pony mumbled and Johnny let a soft chuckle escape him.

"Blame your shampoo for the garden smell," he mumbled back and his breathing had gotten steady and deep, indicating that he was close to sleep. "Not the best mixture, huh?"

"I enjoy it."

oOoOoOo

The house was quiet when Pony finally opened his eyes the next morning. He rolled onto his back and looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was already ten so Sodapop and Darry had already left for work. He turned his head and looked at Johnny, who was still sound asleep next to him, and Pony smiled while looking at his sunburned face, kissed by the rays seeping in through the blinds. He sat up slowly, careful not to wake the other boy, and made his way out of bed to the living room that was deserted for once. It was very unusual for their house to be this quiet

"Ponyboy?"

He turned on his heels and spotted Johnny standing against the doorframe, his eyes gazing from side to side as if he was trying to find him.

"Yeah, I'm here," he said before walking over to him and taking his hand, placing it on his arm so Johnny could follow him into the living room.

The black haired boy smiled as they sat down on the couch.

"I'm not doing so well finding my own way round, huh?" he grinned and Pony laughed as well.

"Well I don't want you bumping into stuff or tipping over because Two-Bit left a chair in the middle of the room," Ponyboy snickered and got up. "I'll just go make us some breakfast and then we can go outside for a bit. It's really nice weather."

"We could maybe go for a walk," Johnny suggested. "I haven't been much out of the house unless we went to the courthouse, so a stroll down the street or a trip to the DX could be nice. I don't wanna be left out just because I'm blind and we always use to go for walks."

Pony thought about it for a moment and guessed it couldn't hurt to go for a stroll down the street. Darry wouldn't have to know that they left the house, even though he had said a couple of times that they were to stay inside until someone came home and could go with them.

"It's not safe to walk around on your own".

Yeah, he could just hear Darry's words, but they would stay close to the house, so what harm could come of it?

"I suppose we could go for a quick walk," Pony smiled and went for the kitchen to fix breakfast.

oOoOoOo

Johnny held onto Pony's arm as they walked down the street and the sun on his face and the wind in his hair gave him a sense of freedom. Being cramped up in the house all day for the past few weeks was not something he had enjoyed very much. Even if it had been in the company of Ponyboy. He blinked a few times and narrowed his eyes and Ponyboy must have noticed because he stopped suddenly and Johnny could feel him looking at him.

"You see anything?" he asked as Johnny just kept staring ahead.

"Still just shadows but a bit more defined," he said and kept his eyes narrowed as if looking for something far away.

"That's great!" Pony beamed and it was easy to hear that he was smiling broadly. "That means that it's going in the right direction."

They continued walking and Pony asked if Johnny could make out a few things along the way such as cars and trees. He even asked about colors of the cars, but Johnny couldn't get those right.

"At least you can see things if you get close enough now," Pony said with joy in his voice. "I can't wait to tell the others when they come home and then we can go to the doctor and have him take a look at you!"

Johnny nodded eagerly and couldn't wipe the ear-to-ear smile off his face.

"Well, we best be getting back," Pony said and turned around, pulling Johnny with him. "I'm sorry we couldn't go for a longer walk," he told him as they headed back. "But I kinda promised Darry that we wouldn't leave the house."

Johnny just nodded and walked with him but stopped suddenly and listened. It sounded like a car driving too fast towards them and Pony looked behind them, spotting a car indeed coming towards them at high speed.

It took Pony a few seconds to recognize the car, and when he realized who it was, he pulled Johnny with him.

"Run!" he yelled and they both set off. It was hard, however, to run fast because he had to make sure Johnny could keep up.

The car pulled up on the curb in front of them, making Pony and Johnny stop dead in their tracks.

Johnny could just make out three shadows getting out of the car and moving towards them. Pony backed up and Johnny, who was holding onto his arm, followed.

"W-what do you want?" Pony asked, but when there was no answer, he turned on his heels and started running the other way, dragging a stumbling Johnny with him.

The footsteps behind them got closer and closer. There was a loud "clunk" next to Johnny and, with a sudden jerk, he was stopped as he felt Pony fall to the ground with a loud thump.

"Pony!" Johnny yelled but was suddenly pulled in the opposite direction and with a violent jerk that almost made him fall over, he was dragged away from Ponyboy, who he could just barely make out was lying motionless on the ground.

Johnny kept calling for him but there was no answer and he heard the sound of a car door being opened and he got pushed inside. Someone jumped in beside him and the two others in the front seats.

"Let's go! Step on it!" one hissed and the sound of the motor being turned on made Johnny struggle to get out. He kept calling for Pony but there was still no answer. Moments later the car did a wheel spin and drove off with Johnny being forced face down onto the backseat.