I want to Save You… Save me too
Wendy
Rolling on to my side I let out the breath I had been holding. Nights were always the worst time for me since the accident. The fire had started at night, and I was half afraid if I asleep I would once again wake to flames licking at the wood around me hungrily. Shivering I sat up wrapping my arms around my now chilled body. I could still hear the evil hissing and popping of the flames that had almost taken my life along with my parent's. Grabbing the robe laid across the bottom of my newly assembled bed I headed for the front porch, hoping a cigarette would calm my nerves. I had never told Stella about the nightmares cause I knew she had enough on her plate. Before I would have told Dad, but he wasn't here now, and he never would be again. Swiping at the tears that ran down my face I stepped in to the pale moonlight, grinning cause I could see the lights were blazing at the Curtis home. They'd said the house was always open, and the door never locked.
Taking a drag of the cigarette I shook my head once more. Thinking of the brothers reminded me of the other reason I couldn't sleep. I could still hear the words I'd whispered to Pony Boy echoing in my head… maybe we were meant to find each other now. God he must think I was an idiot, still he had only agreed, a faint smile on his lips, and a light in his eyes that hadn't been there before. His green eyes had held a wounded look I knew I would find mirrored in my own. We'd been through too much too soon, and now I think we were both afraid. I was afraid to care for anyone else knowing I could loss them in the blink of an eye. Afraid to open up and let them see the real me, when the only one who'd ever really understood me was my Father. Leaning against the post I looked down toward the house once more wondering if any one else was up down there. We'd met their crew and they'd all seemed pretty nice, they'd even helped us get settled in some.
Pony's POV
Sitting up in bed I gave in the urge to move around heading in to the kitchen for something to drink. Thinking about the sadness that lingered in Wendy's eyes even when she smiled was making me think of things I hadn't thought about I a while. She reminded me of Johnny in a way, lost and looking for something solid, and dependable. I'd been that person for him, but was I brave enough to be that person for her. She dug okay; we'd talked about Sunsets, movies, and books. She was real smart, and witty. I'd been pleasantly surprised when she'd put Two- Bit in his place a couple of time outwitting him with comments of her own. Opening the fridge I took out the chocolate cake I knew would cheer me up. Food Therapy my mother had called it. Pouring myself a glass of milk I looked up as the door swung open and Wendy shyly popped her head in, grinning when she spotted me in the kitchen.
"Couldn't sleep either?" I asked smiling when she shook her head.
"Want a piece?"
"Yeah," She said smiling her thanks when I poured her a glass of milk as well.
The silence between us was nice as we ate, and I was happy for once that someone wasn't trying to "Talk" to me about what I was thinking.
" We were all in the house when it caught on fire, me Estella, mom and dad." She whispered playing with her now empty plate as she spoke.
"The Fireman said it was faulty electrical wiring that caused it."
" We woke up to Nana barking, that was our dog, my dad bought him for me when I was five, a great big St. Bernard, just like in the book," She said looking up at me with a sad smile.
" I knew something was wrong, but it was so hard to focus, and that's when I realized I was breathing in smoke, the flames were all ready licking up the curtains, and around my bed as the fire hissed, and popped," She said shuddering as she went back to that day in her mind.
I wanted to tell her I understood, but it wasn't time for me to tell my story.
"Once I realized I started to yell, wondering where everyone was as I struggled to fight the weakness the smoke had caused."
"I was getting to my knees when my Father came out of no where, sweeping me in to his arms, and running for the door. We lived in a ranch, and I was the one closest to the front door."
"Tossing me out the front door he told me to head to the street and before I could think he was back in, showing up a moment later with Estella's limp form."
" Placing her on the street beside me he went in once more for mom, and that's when I heard the evilest sound I have ever heard in my life, like a locomotive o the tracks as the roof caved, and all I could do was scream and scream."
" Stella said I passed out cold in mid screaming, but she'd breathed in a lot of smoke too, so things were blurry."
"You're the only one I've talked about this to, I just can't look at Estella and talk to her when she was there, when its her parents we're talking about too," She said shaking her head as she brushed the shaggy bangs away from her face.
"Does that sound completely insane?" She asked watching me with eyes as round as saucers.
"No," I said taking her trembling hands in mine.
" I aint talked to the guys about what happened to Johnny and Dally much, cause it was their friends that died too, mostly we don't' mention it unless someone remembers something funny they did or said, then its quite for a moment while we all remember."
"It hurt losing my parents and I know their will always be a hole their, but … its like it was their time to go, Dally and Johnny we're too damned young, and had been through too much all ready," I said shaking my head as she listened quietly.
Wendy's POV
I was almost afraid to breath as Pony Boy began to tell his story. Riveted by the description of the boy who had once lived in my house, and the hood that had snapped the day he'd died. I could see them both in my mind. Johnny Cade with his big brown eyes, greasy black hair, and shy smile. Dallas Winston, tall and proud with his elfin features, and stubborn pride. To think that some one would beat his or her child like that and there was nothing anyone could do about it made me sick. At least he'd had the boys to look after him, and Dall. He sounded real tough, and I was sure no one messed with Johnny while he was around.
Tucking my legs underneath my body in the chair I leaned forward closing my eyes as I formed a visual in my mind. I could see the run down church, and the golden sun set that had sparked his memory of the Robert Frost poem I also knew by heart. That moment had been the end of their innocence. Feeling sick as he talked about the fire that had taken his friend to an early grave I found myself moving closer to his warm body giving silent comfort.
"And that was the last time I saw Johnny alive after the rumble, when Dall took of I knew he wasn't going to make it, wither he admitted it to himself before or not I knew Johnny was the only person he probably ever loved...Losing him was too much."
" Still, I aint never felt so help less as I did that night watching the cops gun him down when the gun wasn't even loaded and we were only a few feet away."
Shaking his head he seemed to come back to himself smiling sadly and blushing as he looked in to my concern filled eyes.
" I got sick after that, and went in to denial about what happened, I got over it eventually, and the state ruled to let me stay where I was at, still I felt empty until one day I came across a letter from Johnny, telling me it was worth it to save those kids, to show Dall a sunset, and to stay gold."
"I been trying to live up to that promise I made him, but its' been a long year," He whispered taking a deep breath as the silence descended on us once more like a warm blanket.
We didn't speak any more that night, but I think we both knew in a way we had just saved each other, from what we weren't sure. But things felt different. We'd found the kinship we needed to get us through whatever was to come in the future, and I knew without a doubt he wouldn't leave me any more than I would leave him after that.
