Chapter Three
Pony sat on his bed. He couldn't stop crying. Everyone had left; they were helping Johnny pack. Ponyboy knew he should have gone with them; he only had a few hours until Johnny left. It wasn't fair; he'd already lost his parents. Why did he have to lose Johnny too? Ponyboy took several deep breaths and stopped crying. He got off the bed and walked out of the house. He needed to say goodbye to Johnny.
Packing took longer than Johnny thought it would. He didn't have that much stuff; it was more fitting everything into the tiny suitcase his mom had than anything. Then there was the argument about whether he should take his knife or not. Most everyone said that he should take it, but then Darry said that the security guards would probably get mad at him. Johnny had had enough of cops for one day, so he gave his knife to Pony. Ponyboy needed a knife the most, and Johnny thought that maybe he could remember him by it. Pony seemed grateful for the knife, but it also seemed like he was trying not to cry.
"You're sure you have everything?" Two-Bit asked. He, Steve, and Soda were all sitting on Johnny's suitcase, trying to get it to close.
"Yeah," Johnny said. But he really didn't have everything. He wanted to bring his friends with him.
The suitcase finally closed, and Steve, Soda, and Two-Bit stood up. It was 6:45; Officer Paxton would be there soon. Johnny heard someone crying; he turned around. Ponyboy had his head buried in his hands and Soda had his arm around him.
"It's not fair," Pony sobbed. "I've already lost my parents, you can't leave too."
"I'm sorry," Johnny said. He didn't know what else to say.
There was a long awkward silence. Then Two-Bit asked, "You'll write to us or something, won't you?"
"Sure," Johnny said. He wasn't very good at writing, but he'd do it for his friends.
Johnny heard a car outside. He looked up and saw the Police car outside his house. Officer Paxton was early. Johnny turned around and took one last look at his house. He couldn't really call it his, he was hardly ever there, and he didn't exactly have fond memories of the place. He couldn't help but wonder about what would happen to it, though.
Everyone was either crying or close to tears when Johnny got into the Police car. Pony was bawling like a baby. Johnny got out of the Police car and gave Ponyboy a hug.
"Bye," Johnny said quietly. "I'll write, I promise."
Pony didn't try to stop Johnny as he got back into the Police car, and he didn't run after the car once it started moving. But he wanted to. Johnny was really going to New Orleans, and there was nothing they could do about it. Pony felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, Pony," Soda said. "Let's go home."
Ponyboy shook his head. Their house wouldn't be the same without Johnny. Everyone had started walking in the direction of the Curtis', but Ponyboy hadn't moved. Soda turned around.
"Are you coming?" He asked.
Pony shook his head and started running in the opposite direction; away from everyone else. Soda was yelling for him to come back, but he didn't turn around. Pony kept running. He didn't know where he was going, but he did know that he wanted to be alone; at least for a little while.