Iwatchsunsets2-Thank you so much for your long review! I was so happy when I read that, it truly made my day. And I will answer some of your questions: A.) For the ages, only in the flashbacks will they be ages, 4, 7, and 10, I think I should have made it more clearer then, I apologize for the confusion. B.) As for the history, I will uncover more as the story progresses. As for lashing out at Darry and being vulnerable to Steve, yes, I will make Ponyboy into character more when (or . . . .if . . .) he meets the gang, you'll have to find out later as I do not want to spoil anymore of the story.
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
Ponyboy and Joshua hadn't spoken to each other since they were let out of solitude. Expect for the firm handshake apology they were "forced" to make in front of Mr. Stalles, they hadn't even come into eye-contact with each other.
"Ponyboy!" Pony was woken by a harsh whisper one night. It was Joshua. "Wake up, up!" Ponyboy laid his index finger on his lips, telling Joshua to keep it quiet. He lifted his blanket up and allowed the Hall Monitor inside so they could talk privetly.
"Did'ya get em?" Pony asked.
Joshua nodded, showing proof he held out his hand revealing a, long silver key. Pony smirked, "What do they open?" He asked.
"The kitchen door as well as the back gate, by the ally. If we go during the day someone will catch us. It will have to be at night."
"Find out which halls are being patrolled by whoever and then we'll bust. Pack lightly." Pony frowned. Joshua looked un easy.
"Pony. . . this may very well be the last time we see each other." Joshua pointed out. Ponyboy nodded, "Yeah, I know. Better than being in here," He looked around the stuffy room. "Filled with dust and snoring boys." Joshua smiled lightly.
"I'll never forget you, Ponyboy Curtis: The boy with the strange name." Joshua joked.
"Listen, snitch, if we get caught, I won't say a word." Pony joked back, then he was serious, sticking out his pinky-finger. "Promise?"
Joshua locked Blue eyes with Green-grey and nodded, swearing his loyalty. "Let's leave when it gets a little warmer at night, spring is close so that's our best option. When you feel the time is right, come in here and wake me up. Now, get out of my bed." Pony turned away and Joshua slowly crept out from under the thin blankets.
"Midnight? Are you alright with that? It's a sure way of knowing everyone is sleeping." Joshua replied.
Pony nodded. "Yeah. . . midnight."
X x X
"Lights out!"
On que, everyone flicked off any lamps, over-head lights, or flash lights. Ponyboy looked around the room at all the kids trying to fall asleep. Ponyboy felt the thin sheets, blankets and limp pillow he had known for what felt like all his life. This was all he had ever known: the cold rooms, the bland food that never really filled an aching belly. The kids he fought with, played with, and said goodbye to.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit nervous.
Only four more hours till midnight. He counted the seconds till Joshua came to the room and would wake him up. Ponyboy slowly leered his head to look under his bed where a small laundry bag was filled with a different pair of pants, a jacket and a old shirt. He had his shoes on already, lying to the boys who questioned him, telling them his feet were cold.
He knew Joshua was outside his door by the way the footsteps would stop in front of the door and then pause for a moment. Ponyboy knew the longer Joshua stood there, the closer it would be to midnight. One minute he stood. Then Five, then Ten. And finally, the door opened.
X x X
The two runaways slowly crept down the creaking steps to the kitchen. They helped themselves to whatever wasn't locked or put away, stuffed it in their bags and Joshua opened the back door.
"Hurry." Joshua whispered. Pony nodded and the two ran across the blacktop back yard to the gate out back. They didn't bother shutting it as they ran faster down the cold, black ally.
X x X
They didn't know was time it was when they stopped running, but they were severely out of breath and in a park they were not familiar with. It had swings that blew in the wind, a merry-go-round that squeaked when sat on, and a jungle-gym.
Pony felt his cheeks become hot, but it was so cold you could see your breath in the air. "Where are we?" Pony asked.
Joshua shrugged. "I'm not certain."
Pony sat next to the boy. "Thank you. . . " He replied.
"For what?"
"Not snitching."
Joshua smiled briefly, "Yeah. . . it felt nice not to."
X x X
They slept for maybe four hours before Pony was woken by sunlight beaming on his face. He groaned and sat up. "Joshua." He shook the boy awake. The two looked around, thankful that no one was around, picked up what little they had and began walking away.
"You think the cops might be after us?" Joshua asked after a few miles of silence. They were long gone from Oklahoma City, out in open country on gravel roads.
"Yeah, that's why we gotta' stick to the back roads." Pony answered. Then he smiled as if he won the lottery. "And train tracks." He turned from the gravel road down a ditch where some tracks ran.
"All tracks go from busy cities to rural areas and either stop, or make their way back to another busy city." Pony replied, helping Joshua down the hill. "Cops will think we'r eon the road cause they think we're stupid. But we're going to outsmart them."
Joshua smiled. "Pony, you're really smart. Why didn't you ever apply harder in school?"
Ponyboy shrugged. "It wasn't that I hated school, I like it, I just don't like the people in it." He replied with confidence. "Not that you're not good company, but I'd like a book right now."
Joshua tapped Pony on the shoulder. Handing him a large book that looked to be over a thousand pages long.
"It was in the lost and found," Joshua replied. "I was going to use it to hit some people because paper-back-books don't leave a bruise."
Ponyboy rolled his eyes. "Never read this, I'll try it though."
X x X
"As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."
Joshua and Ponyboy had stopped to take a break in a run-down-barn they found. It was full of owls and they used the Hay loft as a bed to sleep on. Ponyboy was reading from the book: Gone With The Wind.
Ponyboy smiled, "Tough lady."
"Wasn't before. She was sort of a bitch before." Joshua replied. "Hey, Pony. Where are you gonna' go?"
Ponyboy shrugged. "I was thinking about Tulsa."
"Tulsa? Why?"
Ponyboy shrugged. "It's in my memory. So I must have either been there before, or someone knows me there. And what do you mean: Where will I go? Aren't you coming with me?"
Joshua shook his head. "I like the open roads," He replied. "This is the only time I've ever really left The Boy's Home."
Ponyboy closed the book. He and Joshua had a bit of a bad-spell in their friendship for a few weeks back at The Adoption Facility, but he was still going to miss the boy. This is why you don't make friends, cause they always leave you.
"Ponyboy, you're the type that needs a family. I'm fine by myself. I want to explore! I'm alright alone. . . "
"That's a lie. No one likes to be alone." Ponyboy blatantly replied.
Joshua chuckled. "You were always too smart for your own good."
"M'goin to sleep." Ponyboy remarked. And he fell right to sleep in the hay loft.
X x X
When Ponyboy awoke, he was all alone. He had never felt so cold, and lonely than he did in his whole life. He packed up his stuff, including the book Joshua left him. He walked swiftly and hurridly. Stopping only to read a chapter at night, or to make a small animal friend.
At night he'd suffer from horrific nightmares from Finding Joshua dead, or caught to the voice screaming to him: "Fly Back to Me!" Soon, he gave up sleeping and resorted to walking at night.
It was on the fifth day after running away did he come to see a bustling town over the hilltop. The sun was begining to rise, giving buildings a warm glow and sparkled on the cars driving on the busy streets. He smirked to himself.
"So. . . This is Tulsa."
Please leave a review.