Hello Everyone. My name is J. H. M. Lancell and this is my first fan-fic on Fanfiction. Growing up I have been a huge fan of The Outsiders, both the movie, book and TV show. I have known of Fanfiction but never truly had any ideas of my own until late last week when I began writing on FictionPress. Obviously that was a flop and so I'm hoping to get some action here.
As my first fan-fic, I'd like to clarify some new changes. I have changed the ages of our lovable Greasers in SOME CHAPTERS:
Ages:
Ponyboy 4
Sodapop: 7
Darry: 10
This is very important to the story, so I hope there is no confusion which would result in loosing readers. Please enjoy, I do not write for any profit, gain or money. I write simply for the pure bliss of enjoyment.
-Stay Gold!
Fly Back to Me.
In the events The Curtis Parents died when the brothers were just children.
All Ponyboy Curtis has as proof he once had a family
was someone screaming for him in a dream that feels all too real.
J. H. M. Lancell
"No! Fly back to me, Ponyboy! Fly back to me!"
Green-grey eyes bolted open from a peaceful slumber interrupted from a redundant nightmare. He sat up slowly under a thin, worn-out fleece blanket and sheets. He was given the privilege of silence in the dark room among other boys his age. He was thankful he didn't wake any of them up, as it wasn't uncommon for him to have night terrors.
He was a lanky boy, with an eye color he despised and a weird name. In fact, sometimes when he was adopted his foster parents would have the audacity to re-name him. He's had eight names so far. All of which he hated: Adam, John, Michael, Peter, John again, Luke, Tommy and then Michael again. There wasn't a couple that didn't like his name.
He guessed 'Ponyboy' wasn't a common name, but he liked it.
Ponyboy Curtis crept out of bed, careful of the wood floor. He shivered in the coldness of the dusty room, searching for the door to use the bathroom. Once he was out of the room, he was careful not to wake any of the staff, or a 'snitch' as everyone called the hall monitors. Ponyboy, like most boys, didn't like them because they tried to get you in trouble for the simplest things.
Ponyboy was just about to reach the bathroom when he heard walking coming his way. He groaned when a light from a flashlight hit his back.
"What are you doing out of bed?" Pony turned seeing Joshua, a fifteen-year-old Hallway Monitor. Ponyboy was normally a shy child, but when push came to shove, he'd stick up for himself if anyone was bothering him.
"Well, I'm certainly not going to piss in my bed." Green-grey-eyes sneered. "Unless you'd like me to start pissing on the floor, than I suggest you leave me alone to pee in peace."
Joshua and Pony weren't known enemies, but they certainly did have their moments. As did everyone here have with-what felt like-everyone else.
"Keep your mouth shut, Curtis." Joshua growled. "I'm just doing my job."
"Oh what? being a nark? Snitches get stitches, asshole."
"Watch the mouth!"
"Keep it down or we'll both be in trouble. Now let me piss!" Ponyboy turned away, walking into the bathroom to do his business. He wasn't surprised to see Joshua still outside the bathroom door, waiting for him. "There, I'm done." Pony held up his hands.
Joshua frowned, as if he saw something repulsive. "You didn't wash your hands!"
Ponyboy indeed did wash his hands, he just kept the water on the down-low. "Oh, I didn't? Here, confirm that theory, Joshua!" Joshua yelped as Pony reached out to the boy, aiming to touch him with his hands that, Joshua didn't know, were obviously clean.
"You're a sick freak, Ponyboy!" Josh replied, dodging Pony's hands. "Yeah, better leave me alone then or I'll do some psychotic rituals on you!" Pony teased, chasing the boy down the stairs. "Leave me alone!" Never mind it was past midnight and everyone was still sleeping, Pony kept chasing the boy and Josh kept yelling.
"Wow! I thought you were supposed to case me!" Pony laughed, "Come get me you piss-poor excuse of a-"
"Curtis and Bombay!"
Ponyboy and Joshua stopped running seeing they had woken up the Warden of the facility. He was a tall man with an intimidating look. It was hard to take the man seriously seeing he was in his nightclothes. He was loud and usually only mad if someone was doing something bad. Ponyboy pointed to Joshua and the Hall monitor's jaw dropped.
"It's midnight." The Warden, Mr. Stalles, replied gritting his teeth.
"He was out of bed!" Joshua accused.
"I had to piss!" Pony defended.
"He didn't wash his hands and he cased me!"
"I did too, ya' dumb-ass." With that Ponyboy wiped his hand on Joshua's face and the boy let out a terrified scream. Mr. Stalles glared down at the boy's his eye-brow twitching.
"That's it!" Be quiet!"
Pony and Joshua stopped their fighting, petrified at what would happen next. "Joshua, you're suspended for the rest of the week."
"What? I was just-"
"I don't care, keep you voice down!" Mr. Stalles grit his teeth. Pony smirked, "Oh, No. No hall monitoring, asshole Joshua to put up with. What a shame." Pony was about to walk away before Mr. Stalles called out Pony's own punishment.
"And no movies after school."
Pony paused, turning around abruptly. "What?! I save up my money for those!" Actually, he snuck in, lying to the facilitators that he found quarters on the ground while going to school; but they didn't need to know that. Mr. Stalles folded his arms.
"Get to bed, boys. I won't say it again!"
"But this isn't-"
"Want to make it two weeks!?"
Ponyboy and Joshua shook their heads, walking silently away until they heard the door close. Ponyboy slugged Joshua on the arm. "Nice going, dipstick!"
"What did I do?" Joshua whispered, harshly. "You were the one who was out of bed!"
"I'm sorry, do you piss the bed instead of getting up and going to the bathroom? I didn't know that was your deep, dark secret." Pony taunted. "Now piss off, you've annoyed me enough." Pony started walking to his dorm room before Joshua called back to him.
"What made you get up?" He asked, softly.
Pony paused for a moment. "I told you, I had to piss." Joshua looked like he didn't believe Ponyboy but Pony could care less. He went back to bed, but he didn't fall back asleep.
X x X
Adoption Day was once a week, that was the day everyone dressed nicer than they normally did, combed their hair, didn't swear, smoke or spit and smiled. By God, if you didn't smile there'd be hell to pay. Ponyboy slouched on the wall in the hallwaywhere couples eager to look for children would walk down.
"Stand up!" Pony rolled his eyes as a nursemaid screamed at him.
"Screw you." He muttered. Pony knew his chances for adoption were slim to none. No one wants a bratty teenager for a child. The children that were mainly adopted were babies or toddlers, maybe a small child. Not a teenager.
"And Up!" that was Mr. Stalles, he was walking down the line of boys, inspecting everything from their hair to the wrinkles in their clothes. Next to him was the nursemaid that yelled at Pony and . . . Joshua? Pony stood out of line.
"Hey! He got suspended!" He pointed to Joshua.
"Back in line, Curtis!" Joshua stuck his tongue out. "Make me, you little bitc-"
"That's enough!" Mr. Stalles stomped towards Ponyboy and towered over him. "Ponyboy, you will keep your mouth shut today! Not one word, you understand?!"
Ponyboy rolled his eyes as Mr. Stalles walked away. "Alright, everyone smile, here come the parents!" Mr. Stalles greeted a few couples that walked in and began listing a few boys in the front of the line. Ponyboy rolled his eyes at the couples that arrived. They all looked like those churchy-stuck ups he and some other boys liked to curse loudly in front of. They had on nice Sunday clothes and looked older than thirty-five at the youngest.
Couples walked closer to Ponyboy and the auburn couldn't help but smirk at a fantastic idea.
"Hello, young man." A brunette smiled at him. "What's your name?"
Do I look like I'm five? Ponyboy dared not to speak. After some silence Mr. Stalles cleared his throat loudly, "Tell her your name, son."
Ponyboy bit his tongue to refrain from laughing. Some of the other boys began snickering and the brunette couple gave Mr. Stalles a glance. "Is he stupid or deaf?" The man asked.
"No, no, he's perfectly coherent. Say your name, boy." Mr. Stalles was getting nervous and Ponyboy let his grin emerge.
"But Mr. Stalles. . . you told me not to talk." Ponyboy had put on his best innocent speech to make himself vulnerable as possible. The couple gave a baffled look at Mr. Stalles and the warden deeply sighed at Ponyboy, who continued to shuffle his foot on the ground.
"You said I was not to say a word."
Many boys began to laugh, or whisper "He's dead meat" under their breaths. The brunette couple backed away, saying they had made their decision and hustled out of the room immediately. Mr. Stalles turned to Ponyboy slowly and the auburn just shrugged.
"I was quiet till you brought them to me."
He was yanked from his stance from the wall and hauled to his room.
X x X
Ponyboy Curtis kicked the wall for the ump-tenth time.
He was denied dinner until his "attitude changed". It wasn't like he was missing out on anything: watery soup or dry sandwiches. Not to mention everyone got a small portion cause there seemed to never be enough to go around twice.
"Have you decided to be good yet?" Ponyboy turned seeing Joshua had entered the room.
"First off, that sounded really creepy coming from you." Ponyboy listed. Joshua laughed softly. "And second, no. Piss off."
Joshua didn't listen, he sat next to Ponyboy. "Wow. Usually it's cold in here."
"It is cold in here. You wouldn't know because you're never in here." Ponyboy's snide remark made Joshua pause for a moment. "Well, actually, I'm in here today. I was only monitoring during Adoption Hours. I'm in here too."
Pony shook his head.
"What happened to us? We used to be friends." Joshua wondered.
"I stopped being friends with you because you're an uncaring, selfish, retard." Pony replied. He was about to continue before Joshua tossed him an unopened pack of Kool Cigarettes. Ponyboy looked at them suspiciously before looking at Joshua, who was grinning.
". . . you always were sneaky." Pony smirked, "Crack the window, or we'll hot box it in here."
X x X
"So. . . you've been having nightmares again?" Joshua remembered Ponyboy having those all the time, back when he was really young. The boy would wake everyone up in the middle of the night, screaming, or crying, or both. Ponyboy nodded.
"Only this time they're more vivid and feel real?"
"Not entirely. I mean, I don't remember who's screaming for me, I used to though. I used to remember his face, but now all I see is a blur and hear his scream."
"So, it's a male?" Joshua asked.
Pony nodded, dragging his cigarette once more. "I know I have some family out there. I mean, who else would want me?"
Joshua patted Pony's shoulder. "You know I do, ya' bum." The boys laughed. "Pony, I'd to be friends again. For real. I mean, we gotta' stick together here."
Pony rolled his eyes. "You obviously don't remember Dylan and Hershal. The two of them were best of friends, brothers nearly, all because they were the same age. Well, when Hershal was adopted, Dylan went off the damn deep-end. Nearly killed himself and ended up in Psych because of it."
Joshua bit his lip. "I don't think that'll be us."
"Yeah. . . I'd rub it in your face if I were adopted."
"Please, if they wanted a dog they'd go to the animal shelter." Joshua teased, earning himself a punch to the arm from Pony. "I don't think we're getting adopted, Joshua. No one wanted a smart-mouthed teenage boy for a son. Not unless it's their own."
"But, you're really smart, Ponyboy. I've seen you at school. You make good grades and earn top scores. Why don't you act like that?"
Ponyboy shrugged. He did play the 'Quiet card' at school because he knew he could get away with it. But here, he was a brat from the dark corner of a parent's worst nightmare. Ponyboy finished the last cigarette before crouching down on the cement floor.
"How long are you in here?"
"All night. Same?"
"Yeah."
". . . .got any cards?"
"I think do. I ain't got nothin' to gamble with though."
X x X
"I can get the keys." Joshua pipped up, sitting Indian style. It was around three in the morning. Both boys really had to use the bathroom and were bored out of their minds.
Ponyboy smirked. "Useful too. Maybe I should reconsider your offer."
Joshua rolled his eyes. "we'll need to act civil, not buddy-buddy to each other, just to prove to Mr. Stalles that we've behaved. And We'll need to leave at night."
Ponyboy sighed, ". . . Where would we go then, genius?"
Joshua shrugged. "I'm going to New York. There's a train that runs on the main rail-line there." Ponyboy didn't want to go to New York. He felt he wasn't needed there. "Well, we'll split parts at the yard then. Don't disappoint me."
"We're brothers. . . " Joshua softly spoke. "And, I'm sorry for being a jerk these past few weeks."
Pony smiled. "Don't be. I forgive ya."
X x X
"Pony. . . Ponyboy. . . " Whoever it was, was desperate, out of breath, crying and young.
Who are you?
"Fly back to me, Ponyboy!"
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