Some of the dialogue in this chapter comes from the Outsiders book/movie.

Trouble Unfolding

Diana was sitting quietly on the sofa in her room, her pale green robes draping over the side and back. A breeze swept through her hair from the open window as she gazed out over the ancient city below. She was pulled from her silent musings, however, when she heard a light knocking on her door.

"Come in," she said after clearing her throat.

"Hi, Diana," her sister, Drusilla, said as she walked into the room.

"What are you doing up so late?" asked Diana.

"I'd heard you were back, and I saw the torch light through your window. I just wanted to see if you were alright."

"Of course I am…" she trailed off, however, when her sister gave her a look, "No, actually, I'm not."

Diana moved her legs as Drusilla took a seat next to her on the sofa. "Talk to me."

"Things are so much worse than I ever could have imagined. I thought I was doing the right thing when I left him with the Cades."

"What happened?" asked Dru.

Diana took a deep breathe, "The Cades are horrible. When I went to talk to them, the man was drunk and began beating Johnny. And just yesterday, a group of boys attacked one of his friends with a knife. Johnny was attacked in a similar way a few weeks ago."

Though she was shocked by what she heard, Drusilla remained silent.

"I wanted to bring him home with me, to Paradise Island, but he didn't want to."

"Why not?" asked Dru.

"He didn't want to leave his friends. Now he hates me. He thinks I abandoned him, and I did."

"You couldn't have known these things would happen."

Diana shook her head and said quietly, "I was his mother. He was a part of me and I left him there with all that pain and unhappiness. His very life has become an example of the worst qualities of mankind that we came here to escape. And it's all because of me."

Drusilla took her sister's hand, "Maybe it has been up until now. But you can change his future. You can't leave things like this with him. He may not want to live with you but that doesn't mean that he doesn't want to know you. You have a chance to be a real mother to him now. Don't let it pass."

Diana wiped her eyes and smiled. "When did you become so wise?"

Drusilla laughed, "I get it from my big sister."

The sisters hugged each other tightly for a moment before Diana pulled away. "Would you like to come with me to Tulsa and meet your nephew."

Drusilla grinned, "I'd love to. But don't we have to ask mother?"

"Of course," Diana stood up, but suddenly became weak-kneed.

"Diana," Drusilla said, concerned, as she stood to support her sister. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"I don't know. I just had the strangest feeling." She tensed up, "Johnny… we've got to go. Get ready and hurry to the plane!"

"But Diana, what about mother?"

"There's no time! Johnny's in trouble!"

"Alright, I'll put on my uniform and meet you there." She ran out of the room.

"I just hope we're not too late," said Diana as the feeling of unease grew.

Ponyboy shivered as he and Johnny sat by the fire in the lot.

"You cold, Pony?" asked Johnny.

"A little, I should've remembered my jacket." Johnny scooted over next to him and put an arm around him. "Thanks."

They sat for a few minutes staring up at the sky.

"That was a tough car," said Johnny. They were at the movies that night and met two soc girls, Cherry and Marcia. Then their boyfriends showed up in a Mustang and they went home with them. "Mustangs are tough."

"They were big-time socs alright," said Ponyboy.

They were quiet for a few more minutes, and Johnny thought about what happened that morning with his real mother. He felt bad that he left her the way he did. All she wanted was to take him home with her to a place where he'd be safe, and loved. But then how could she ask him to leave the gang. She gave him away to people that didn't really care about him. How could someone do that to their kid?

"It's always the same, isn't it?" Pony didn't answer. Suddenly Johnny sat up with his face in his hands as tears began to flow. "I don't know if I can take this anymore! I'll kill myself or something!"

Pony sat up and put a hand on his back, "Don't talk like that Johnny. You can't kill yourself."

"I've gotta do something."

They lay back again. Johnny continued to cry, not caring that Ponyboy could see. He knew Pony wouldn't make fun of him.

"Do you think there could be a place without… greasers or socs, where people are just plain people?"

"I think it's like that out in the country," said Pony.

"… or in Paradise," said Johnny.

As he lay there, Johnny began to imagine himself in a lush green forest, with sunshine pouring in through the trees like a thick rain.

"Joooohnnyyyy…" He turned to see Diana standing in a nearby field .She was wearing a flowing purple dress, and there were flowers in her long dark hair.

"Mom," he said with quiet longing.

"Come with me, Johnny."

He began running toward her. The long grass of the field tangled around his feet as he ran. Her arms were outstretched, ready to embrace him, but she was still so far away. It seemed to take forever to get to her, but just before their hands touched, he felt someone shaking him.

"Johnny, Johnny, wake up!"

"What is it?" he asked sleepily. Pony's face blurred into view.

"We fell asleep. I gotta get home or Darry'll kill me."

"Okay, Pony, I'm gonna sleep out here tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Johnny," said Pony before he ran off in the direction of his house. "If you get cold, come to my house."

"Alright, I will."

He lay back once more and tried to sleep again, wanting more than anything to see his mother in the beautiful field again. He had just begun to doze off, however, when he heard someone running toward him.

"Come on, Johnny, we're running away!" said Pony.

"Pony!" Johnny yelled after him, jumping to his feet. "Pony, what's the matter?"

They ran as far as the park before they stopped, breathing heavily.

"Now will you tell me what's going on?" asked Johnny when he caught his breath.

"He hit me," Pony said, his eyes tearing. He was bordering on hysterics.

"What?" Johnny asked in disbelief.

"Darry hit me. We used to get along fine before mom and dad died, and now he can't stand me."

Johnny didn't know what to say to comfort him, so he said, "Let's take a walk through the park. Maybe you'll calm down enough to go home."

They started walking. "You got a smoke, Johnny?" asked Pony.

"Yeah, Pony, here you go." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and handed him one.

"Thanks." They continued their walk, unaware that there was a Mustang following them.