Me again! School in two days!!! Not excited one bit!!
Chapter Fifteen
I dropped to my knees, my hands rubbing my face, and bawled fiercely. I didn't watch as I heard the cry of horror and shouts and yells and the footsteps as the socs bolted.
"No!" Johnny choked out.
My face and hands dripping with tears, I pulled my hands away to see Johnny slide down the side of the fountain and hug his knees, rocking back and forth. Ponyboy was lying beside him, breathing but barely conscious.
"Johnny … Johnny," I whined quietly, crawling over to him. "What'd you do?!" I ripped my eyes off Bob's body surrounded by a huge pool of his blood and watched Johnny stare at his darkened switchblade, tears streaming down his face. "Johnny." I felt so disgusted and afraid. Blood scared me and blood was everywhere! I clenched my eyes shut tight and started whimpering to myself.
"I killed him. I killed that boy," Johnny muttered softly then lowered his voice to a whisper as if he didn't believe his own words, "I killed him."
"Johnny," said Pony, sniffing, "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"G-Go ahead, man. I ain't – I ain't gonna look atcha."
I watched Pony get to his feet feebly and wobble over to some playground ride-thing and start vomiting. I could barely breathe and I couldn't grasp the fact that the sweet 'innocent' Johnny had actually killed a soc. And with a blade!! I personally thought that stabbing was the most sickening way to kill anyone.
"You alright?" Johnny asked Pony as he got up.
"You really did kill him, huh Johnny," Pony murmured, leaning against the ride-thing.
Johnny knelt down and started wiping his blade on the grass while I chanted to myself under my breath, "It's okay. It's alright. It was self-defence …"
"Yeah … I had to! They were drowning you, Pony! They might've killed you! They were gonna beat me and River up." He seemed to be begging for someone's approval.
"What happened to the other guys?"
"Huh? … They-They all ran. They all ran off when I stabbed him …"
Stabbed! Killed! Johnny murdered someone! Someone's life was gone! Like my family! When they find out, someone was going to feel just how I felt and they would hate Johnny just as much as I hated my father! I couldn't take it!!
"Ergh!" I groaned.
The pain cut deep into my heart and I started hyperventilating. My breath was coming in short quick gasps and I couldn't get enough oxygen.
"River?"
I didn't open my eyes but I heard Johnny sit beside me.
"What're we gonna do?" I asked, my voice breaking.
He was silent for a few seconds then said, "Let's go see Dally. He'll know what to do."
Not really caring where we went but just happy that we were leaving the body, I got to my feet unstably and slowly followed. I didn't think of anything as we walked, I just tried to get the picture of Bob's body out of my head. It wasn't that easy! I was getting frustrated with how much I was crying but every time I wiped my face and stopped, a huge ball would form in my throat and I'd burst out with even more tears than before so eventually I just gave up and let the bawling come.
It only took a few minutes to reach Buck's house where we knew Dally was staying. I stood as far back from the door as I could while Johnny knocked on it. The door opened to reveal Buck holding a beer and some red lights and creepy music and giggles.
"Whadda you boys want?!" he snapped.
"Dally! We-We gotta see Dally!" Johnny gasped, looking around everywhere nervously.
Buck looked all of us up and down. "He's busy."
Johnny's eyes widened. "Just tell him it's Ponyboy, River, and Johnny, man! He'll come!" He waited but Buck didn't move, glaring at us. "Come on!"
Without saying anything, he just shut the door. Pony and I glanced at each other confused while Johnny went to the window. I didn't want to see what was going on in there. Abruptly the door opened again.
"Whaddya guys want?" Dally asked, wearing only his jeans.
"Johnny killed a soc!" Pony exclaimed, on the verge of tears again.
Johnny stared at the ground.
"What?!" Dally asked, completely surprised. "Alright, good for you! Let's go."
"Well, I figured you could get us out if anyone could, Dal. I-I'm sorry I got you away from this party and all but I-I just don't know what to do, man!"
"I was just uh … I was just trying to get some sleep … I got in a fight with uh … Shephard tonight. Wait a minute, let me see what I can do about this mess – get in! Ponyboy, are you wet?"
"Nah, I'm okay."
We squeezed past Dally in the door into the packed room as he examined all of us.
"Man, River, you look like you're gonna die of a heart attack."
I didn't say anything, just let him pass and followed them all up the stairs into a bedroom.
"Come on. Hey, stupid, take the sweatshirt off will ya? Man, you're gonna freeze to death," Dally spat at Ponyboy. He started rummaging in some drawers and pulled out a gun and loaded it. My breath stopped for a second when I saw it. We don't need to kill another person!! "Here. Don't point the thing at me will ya -it's loaded. Come on," he said as he gave it to Johnny. Dally glanced at me and frowned. "I never knew you could have that much water in you."
"I can't help it," I mumbled, wiping my face with my sleeves.
"Here you go. It's fifty bucks." He handed Johnny some bills. "Look, I'm not itching to be the one to tell your big brother about this and getting my head kicked in, man."
"Then don't tell him!" Pony snapped.
Dally sat beside Pony on the bed and handed him a shirt. "Here. It's Buck's. It's a little big on you but it's dry … C'mere." He reached up, grabbing Johnny's collar, and pulled him down to his level. I moved closer and knelt down too. "Get the 315 train to Windrixville …" I zoned out, instead watching Johnny and Ponyboy twitch and look so entirely drained. I wanted to just curl up on the floor and sleep all the pain and fear away … If only it worked that way. This one night felt like a whole week and about as much stuff had happened. "Hey, relax, buddy. Come on, man!" Dally patted Pony on the shoulder. "Alright! Man, I thought New York was the only place I'd end up in a murder wrap!"
MURDER!! My eyes watered again and I hid my face.
"Y'guys better get going!" Dally blurted, jumping to his feet suddenly.
-------
We neared the train. I already felt like such an outlaw. As quietly as we could, we raced up to it and climbed in, hiding in the shadows. We waited silently for about ten minutes until all the workers checking the carts had left and the train had started on its way.
Pony immediately feel asleep and I couldn't help wondering how he could sleep at a time like this. Shivering, I leaned against the wall and sighed heavily, hugging my knees tightly. I sniffed, dried tears plastered on my cheeks, chin, and neck. Johnny stared at the gun, turning it at all angles.
"W-Why'd he give you a gun?" I asked quietly. "You … You aren't gonna … shoot anyone are you?"
"No," he said under his breath, "I can't."
I nodded and squeezed my knees tensely.
"I'm sorry," he whispered after a few minutes.
I closed my eyes. "It's okay. They would've drowned Ponyboy and who knows what they might've done to us."
"But I didn't haveta … kill him."
"If you'd've just … pulled them away or whatever, it's not like they'd've left. They'd just have knocked you out or something and continued with Pony."
He looked at the roof and shrugged. I rested my head on my knees and waited for approximately an hour before sleep overtook me.
Hope I have enough time what with school now starting to write as much as usual. I HATE SCHOOL SO MUCH!!! oh well ... only two years left. After this year and the next year I AM FREE ... from high school that is. Stupid school. I mean, they always say live out your childhood cuz you can never get it back again yet they destroy your childhood with all this school and homework and stress and chores and trying to make you "grow up". makes no sense to me really. -shrug-
