I own nothing :( Minus my stuff of course :D
In the movies, funerals are on rainy days. Everything dark,
depressing. Basically screams sadness.
On Johnny's funeral, it was the opposite. The sun shined warmly on
everyone and the only cloud in the sky was a white fluffy one. The
birds even chirped happily. Dallas had half a mind to try to kill them.
He tried to pay attention to the preacher, but no matter how hard he
tried he couldn't make all the words he was hearing into a sentence.
He kept thinking of Johnny, the times they had.
When Dallas brought him to Bucks, before the socs jumped him, and gave
him one beer. Just one beer. But one beer was all it took. Johnny was
drunk. He yelled and screamed, acted like an idiot and tried to pick
fights with guys bigger than Darry. Dallas had to watch him so closely
to ensure he'd survive the night, he didn't even get to acknowledge
anyone else, let alone have fun. Then he had to spend the rest of the
night watching him hurl his guts up. Though getting to watch him try
to deal with the hangover almost made up for it. Almost. Never the less
Johnny never drank again.
He remembered the time he, Johnny and Tim spent Christmas Eve in the
lot. Of course they could of had went to the Curtis' if they wanted
to, but they didn't, they never did. And Dallas wouldn't have left Tim
alone because even though they weren't ones to celebrate holidays, no one
wanted to be alone durning them. And Johnny wouldn't leave Dally, so
they stayed.
What Dally had told Pony earlier was actually a lie, he's never spent
a Christmas in jail. But he's never celebrated one either. Though
neither had Johnny. Or Tim. Or half of the greasers for that matter.
So they spent the night together, freezing their asses off and getting
drunk, minus Johnny. They laughed at memories, made fun of everything
and everyone, and worried about nothing. Johnny even relaxed a little
and talked a bit, even though he was terrified of Tim.
He remembered the bad times too, finding him after the socs almost
killed him, carrying him to Darry's after a bad night at his house,
watching him sob at Mrs. And Mr. Curtis' funerals.
He watched the preacher move his mouth, spilling out words no one was
listening to, saying things he didn't believe in himself.
Slowly the preacher slowed down, closed the bible, and looked into the
crowd. He said something slowly, and all the crowd looked forwards to
see two figures make their way up to the front.
Dallas looked curiously at the figures and tried to pay attention to
the preacher. "...a few word from his parents. I'm so sorry for your
lose."
Dallas resisted the urge to snort. They ain't never loved Johnny, what
could they have to say? He watched as the large bulky man and the
petite, frail looking women turned to face the crowd. The man spoke
and placed a large beefy hand on his wife's shoulder.
"Thank you to all who showed up. Johnny was a good kid, he tried hard,
he did good things. He was a loyal friend...and a great son...I
couldn't ask for more. We loved him so much..."
Dallas growled. Dirty liars. "Bullshit!" He heard a few people gasp
and the man looked angrily at him, but tried to contain it, leaving a
distorted expression on his face.
"You ain't know shit about him! You didn't love him! You hated him!
You beat the shit out of him! You were to caught up in trying to kill
each other you didn't even notice him! We were his only friends! Fuck
we were his family!" He was standing up now, never leaving his gaze
from Johnnys fathers face. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the
rest of the gang looking at him. He couldn't see their expressions but
knew what's they'd be like. "Making up a bunch of bullshit ain't gonna change the truth! You were horrible parents!"
Mrs. Cade threw her hands up to cover her face and sobbed loudly.
"You've upset my wife boy! You'd best leave! Don't need any of your
lies around here! You've hurt Johnny enough! Influencing your bad ways onto him!"
Dallas opened his mouth to shout back but got beat by Ponyboy. "Lies!" he screamed incredulously. "The only lies around here are the ones your saying! Dallas never would hurt Johnny, and never did! You worthless bastard! Ain't got Johnny to yell at no more so you gonna yell at his friends! If anyone should leave it is you! You didn't deserve a kid as good as Johnny! You didn't even deserve a kid!" he snarled, his eyes dry but tear stains still on his cheek.
Mr. Cade opened his mouth, but the words didn't come out. Someone
else had spoke before him. "Your right."
Everyone looked at the owner of the words in awe.
Mrs. Cade looked up from her hands, her eyes red and puffy. "Your
right." she repeated. "We didn't deserve a son like him. I don't even
know what kind of a son he was. I don't know anything about him. We
shouldn't be here. I didn't mean to be a bad mother...I just...I just...I'm
sorry. I'll leave." She dropped her head down low and stumbled through
the crowd, heading for the exit.
"He loved you." a emotionless voice said, breaking the silence that had possessed the air seconds before.
She turned back to look at the boy who had spoken. It was the one from
before, with the light brown hair. "What?" she whispered quietly, making it barely audible.
"He loved you," Pony stated. "Thats why he never left. He loved you."
She looked at him with a solemn expression. "Thank you." And with that
she turned her back and fled from the cemetery, her husband stalking
angrily behind her.
Darry placed a shoulder over Ponyboys shoulder's and Sodapop smiled
proudly at him.
Dallas glanced to his left when he felt something rub against his
arm, and he saw Tim standing there, nodding a little to him. It wasn't
much but it was clear to Dally. Tim was proud of him, and was showing
it the best he could.
Jake watched from the back silently. No one noticed him, he felt like he wasn't there.
All around him were boys, most not even out of their teens, wearing worn and dirty suits, with hardened faces, expressing nothing. He recognized Darry and the others easily, silent tears running down most their faces, and a few others he had picked up occasionally, but almost all of them were anonymous to him.
Some young women were in the crowd as well, their eyes a little clouded, but looking almost as emotionless as the males. They had a little to revealing dresses on, and stood by they're boyfriends strongly.
Some families were there too, with young kids, wearing nicer clothes, no grease. Probably the kids they saved from the fire, he figured. The parents looked lost, and a little frightened at all the hoods around them. They kept their children close to their bodys, protecting them. After Dallas' and Ponyboy's outbursts they seemed more distraught, as if they just learned something the never wanted to hear.
But two people stood out from everyone else. They're hair and clothes respectable, faces drawn with tears. The clothes they wore were clean and expensive. Without a doubt, socs. He reconized one as Marcia, Randy's girlfriend, and the other as Sherry, his long time friend's daughter.
He knew that Bob had been Sherry's boyfriend, so why would she be at Johnny's funeral? Why would she be so sad? She looked sadder than she had at Robert's funeral. He didn't ponder it for long,
He was watching the place Johnny's parents had disappeared. He remembered Darry saying something like that, but it hadn't really hit him until now. What kind of parents leave their kids funeral? What kind of parents deserve to leave their kid's funeral? He didn't want to know.
As the priest announced that it was time to say their final good byes everyone travelled up to the coffin slowly, except a few who stood awkardly off to the sides.
Dallas made his way slowly up to the coffin behind Ponyboy. He let everyone go in front of him until the only ones who remained were him and Ponyboy. Pony was Johnny's best friend, so he figured he should go first and allow Ponyboy a minute alone.
To his shock Ponyboy quickly stepped infront of him, cutting him off
from Johnny. "I'm gonna miss you. But I'm gonna see you again someday,
and ma and pa, and we can watch every sunset every. Wouldn't that be
nice. I'll try to stay gold johnny, like you you did. Your gold
Johnny. I...I gonna miss you so much!" Ponyboy sobbed.
He took a few breaths to calm himself. Once he felt his heart beating
steady agian in his chest he looked up and wiped his tears. No more
crying he told himself. You've cried enough the past week, no more. He
took one more deep breath before turning around and walking slowly
towards were the rest of the group was. Dallas was the only one left.
He looked down at Johnny's body, and suddenly felt all the emotions he
had been suppressing all week rush into his heart at the same time.
Tears streaked down his face as he looked at Johnny.
Suddenly the word he'd been searching for all week came. He didn't
think about what he was saying, he just let the words come.
"J-Johnny...I'm so sorry. You looked up to me, and I just acted
like a jackass. I shoulda been better for you Johnny. No-nobody
believes in me Johnny, but you did. You didn't look down on me, or
treat me like I was a waste of space, you respected me, like you'd
respect anyone else...you made me feel like I wasn't nothing...you
know, like I could be something...anything. Like I wasn't destined
to rot in jail or die. Like I could be just as good as them socs...I
miss you Johnny...why'd you leave? I still need you..." he sobbed
quietly and looked down at his friend. "You died saving people
Johnny...I didn't mean what I said before, saving those kids, if you
thought that was worth dying for...then I'm proud of you. I'm proud
of you Johnny." he wiped tears off his face as he looked at Johnny for
the last time. "I love you man...I would have died when I was
probably eleven if it weren't for you. You changed me, and I hope you know
that. I'm going to miss you..."
He forced himself to turn around from the coffin, and walked away,
never looking back. He didn't walk to Ponyboy and the gang, nor did he
walk to Jake, he left in a different direction from everyone, and
headed toward the setting sun.
Steve watched as Dallas walked away in the opposite direction, slowly,
looking lost. He looked to his left to see Pony watching him as well, his eyes looking more confused than Steve's ever seen. He didn't like the kid, but he didn't hate him. He's lost so much he thought sadly. He forced himself to look calm as he looked at Pony. "Don't worry kid, he just needs a little time by himself. He'll be fine."
Pony looked at him with lost eyes. "You sure?"
He wasn't sure, but Pony looked so confused, so desperate, so lost... " Yeah I'm sure. Have I ever been wrong?"
Pony smiled a little. "Let me think..."
Steve shoved him playfully on the shoulder. He was a good kid.
...
Jake stood as still as a statue by an old oak tree that was on the edge of the cemetery. Everyone was gone but Two-Bit, Steve, Darry, Sodapop and Ponyboy who had just come back from visiting their parents graves. Dallas had disappeared over thirty minutes ago.
Jake knew he should probably try to find him but something inside him told him to stay. He had, after all, just lost, perhaps, his best friend. Some time alone was probably the normal thing to do.
Although he tried to convince himself this whatever it was that possessed him to stay slowly started to fade away. He began worrying if Dally had made a run for it when, as if on que, Dallas' head appeared over the hill, slowly revealing his slightly limping figure.Knew he wouldn't run he grinned happily.
Dallas strolled up to the group of boys silently. No one greeted him or questioned his where abouts, they just accepted him as if he was always there. Pony did smile thankfully at Dallas, who, although didn't appear to care, felt himself become slightly happier at
Ponyboy's response to his arrival.
They spent another hour reminiscing over old memories. Like when Two-
Bit stole a bike from a little kid when he was drunk and forced him to
ride it, even though it was way too small, saying that everyone needs
to know how to ride a bike when he didn't know how to either. Or the
time Johnny met Dallas for the first time, and was so scared he didn't
move or talk for minutes when he was asked his name. When Mrs an Mr
Curtis tried to throw him a suprise birthday party but Steve's car
broke so they didn't come until it was almost over. They never brought
up any bad times, only good, and by the time Darry said they should
get going, everyones mood was improved.
Slowly they walked their separate ways, Dallas towards Jake and
everyone else headed towards Two-Bits's car and Darry's truck.
Jake started walking towards Dallas and met him halfway. Dallas looked
at him. He shifted his feet awkwardly, then took a breath and forced
himself to say "Thank you for waiting. I'm ready."
That was all it took. Without another word Jake led him back to the
car and they headed home.
Sorry for the shortness. I wanted Johnnys funeral
to all fit in one chapter though and i couldnt think of
anything short enough to add. Hope you liked and review!
Why so many story alerts and stuff but no reviews? Tell
me your thoughts!
Thankyou to my thankful reviewer :D updates MAY be
a little slower due to school :P but ill try hard to update
regularly