Well...here it is. God this is going to hurt so much. Yep. This is that dreadful chapter...Ahem. Okay. Here we go. Chapter Thirteen.
Scene cuts to the Curtis house. "Soda, when did you start shaving?" Pony asks. "When I was fifteen." Ponyboy looks in his reflection in the mirror, "When did Darry?" "When he was thirteen."
"Well it looks like Pony will fall right in the middle." Sodapop says.
Ponyboy shrugs, "Maybe."
"Why? Figuring on growing a beard for the rumble?" Soda asks. "Oh, you're funny!" Pony says. Soda and Steve have an arm wrestle. "Let's go then." Soda challenges. Steve agrees, "Forget it." And they wrestle. It looks like Soda's going to win, but Steve made a comeback and won.
"Yeah!" Steve cheers.
"Aw man," Soda says. "You know it'll never end like that."
"Yeah it would."
"No, it wouldn't."
"Yeah."
"No."
"Mmhmm."
"Uh uh."
"Uh huh."
"Nope."
"Yes sir."
"Not a chance."
"It would."
"No sirree!"
"Definitely."
"Not likely to occur."
"A 102 percent chance, that it would."
"I doubt it."
"Your doubts are incorrect."
"When pigs fly."
"As likely as it is that humans will breath in air."
"..."
"...Soda you should breath."
"Not by a long shot."
"You wanna bet?"
"Oh yeah."
"You like fights, huh, Soda?" Ponyboy asks. "Yeah, I like fights, man." Soda answers. "How come?" "It's a contest. Like a drag race or a dance or something."
"Grr!" Soda presses down on Steve's hand trying to win the arm wrestle. They were both tied, directly in the middle. None of them could move each other's arms an inch. "Why...is...this...so...hard?!" Soda grunts.
Steve grunts in response, "I...dunno..but..I have the...burning...pull..to win." He grunts out. "Not even...worth it, though."
"This is much harder in real life than it looks... in the movies..." Soda says.
"Yeah..."
"Should we stop..."
"Can't..."
"Yeah..."
"But..we should..."
"Can't..." It goes for exactly five more seconds before Soda says again, "Alright..." Soda gasps out, letting go of Steve's hand. "You win."
"Naw...that was dumb." Steve says, "We should try something else next time."
"We gonna beat them Socs head in ain't we." TwoBit says. "When I get into a fight I wanna stomp! I like it, too." Steve says. "Why do you like fights, Darry?" Pony asks. "He likes to show off his muscles." Soda answers.
"Hey that's true!" TwoBit yells out.
"Steve!" Soda says to said Greaser. "I know a game we can play."
Steve looks at him questionably, "Now?"
"Yeah now!" Soda exclaims, "Saw a couple of kids playing it one time. It looked like fun."
Steve shakes his head. Of course.
"Alright, what's it called?"
"Uhh...I don't know...but it kinda like a sock wrestle."
"A...sock...wrestle?"
"Yeah, and so you wrestle the person, yeah. And you have to grab their socks. The first one to take off both socks win."
"A sock wrestle."
"Come on!" Soda goads, "It'll be fun."
"Fine." Steve takes off his shoes, and sees out of the corner of his eye Ponyboy press the pause button. Yeah, this is gonna take awhile.
Soda had to put on his socks, because he walks barefoot. His converse shoes were already thrown at the corner of the couch.
"Alright...Go!" He yells, and tackles Steve.
Steve tries to grab at the boy's sock, but he kept wiggling and twisting around like an slippery eel. Sodapop reaches out his hand and grabs the curly haired Greaser's sock. He holds it up in the air in triumph. Steve dives to Soda's left leg and holds it, ripping the sock off. They each have one sock left. They circle around each other like they were in an ole western town, that the two see on TV. Steve cracks his knuckles and looks at Sodapop with narrowed eyes. Soda looks at his best friend with one eyebrow raised in challenge. The air is tense. The rest of the gang look in anticipation, waiting to see who- And Soda makes the first move! He sways his body to the right, but quickly changes directions and moves to the left. Steve falls for the trick, literally, but he picks himself up, just in time for him to shield his foot from Soda's tackle. It felt weird for Steve to protect his feet, rather than his face for once. Steve makes a grab for Sodapop's foot, but Soda pulls back just in time. In the eyes of Soda and Steve it looks like an intense match, that determines life or death. To the eyes of the people watching, the gang, it looks like two drunk boys trying to wrestle, but not knowing how to.
"What are they trying to do again?" Dally asks.
"Trying to...take off each other's...socks." Ponyboy responds.
Darry looks worried, "Rather than watching the movie?"
"Maybe they were trying to get away from this dreadful tension." TwoBit adds, "I would do the same."
"This is kinda funny...in some ways." Johnny says. "Maybe they tilt your head to the side?"
Everyone did and immediately looks of disgust pass through their faces.
"No, no, no, no." Ponyboy says, shaking his head.
"That just looks..." Darry frowns, "Wrong."
"Why am I kind of turned on right now?" Dally questions. He is met with weird stares, "Did I say that out loud?"
"We're thinking to much on this." Johnny says. "It's a kid's game."
"Come on Steve! Get off, and let me be on top!"
"No way, Soda. I gotta get this thing off of you first.."
"I would chain you down in a second anyway." And Sodapop flips around, and pins Steve to the ground.
"Jeez Soda, you're so hot, you're heating me up!"
"Why does everyone keep saying that? I swear Ponyboy and Darry said that to me yesterday like three times each."
Ponyboy and Darry flush a deep red.
"I-It's not what you think." Darry tells them, trying so very hard to go back to his normal shade.
"The air conditioner wasn't working yesterday-" Pony adds.
"Yeah, sure." TwoBit winks, "Don't worry, we won't tell."
Back to the wrestle. Soda sees an opening on Steve's sock foot, and takes that as his chance. He dives like a fucking dolphin going home and grabs the sock. Steve's eyes widen and he tries to kick Sodapop's hands off of him. Soda holds onto the sock as if he's in a rodeo. Finally Soda rips the sock off the owner, and grins in triumph and victory.
"WHOOOHOOO!" He whoops.
Steve groans and lays on the floor, exhausted. Soda decides that he too is out of energy, and sprawls himself on the floor.
"Of course...you...would win a game...like this." Steve pants.
"It is hard...though." Soda says, and Steve nods in agreement.
"So can we get on with the movie guys?" Johnny asks.
"Uh..yeah." Soda says. "Just give us a..second." He regains his breath.
They stand up and hand each other back their sock. Well, they actually end up switching each other's socks. They were too tired to care. So Soda ended up with his blue sock on his right and Steve's white sock with a red rim. Steve wore his normal white and red sock, and a new blue sock that's green at the heel and rim on his left.
"Hey, Darry and Pony." Sodapop says. "How come, your faces are all pink? Are you guys hot?"
If anything this statement made the two turn crimson.
"Hey, Pony." Darry says. "I don't know if you outta be in this rumble." "How come? I've always come through before, ain't I?" "Yeah, but you were in shape before and I...You know you ain't looking so good." Darry says. "Come on Darry, let him fight. Everyone's tensed up before a rumble." Soda says.
"Oh yeah! I forgot this was the rumble." TwoBit says.
"Alright! Some action!" Soda says.
"Wonder if we win?" Ponyboy wonders.
"Well, if we do. The Socs get to stay outta our territory." Dallas tells them.
"It's skin against skin. He ain't gonna get hurt, is he?" Soda asks. "Come on, I'll grab hold of a little one." Pony says. "Alright, but you be careful, okay?" "I will be." "How come you don't worry about him so much?" Ponyboy points to Soda. "Man, that's one kid brother I ain't gotta worry about."
"Aww. Thanks Darry!" Soda smiles.
"This kid can use his head. At least for one thing to grow hair on!"
"Hey!" Soda says, and makes a swing on Darry, who laughs and ducks.
"Let's go!" The entire gang runs out to the rumble. "You and Ponyboy. If the fuzz show. You guys beat it out of there. We'll get jailed, but you two will get the boy's home." Darry says. "Ain't nobody gonna call the fuzz in this neighborhood!" Steve yells. Scene cuts to the rumble place. All the Greasers show. "How're you doing, Tim." Darry greets. "Pretty good." The Socs drive up in five Mustangs. The Socs walk up to the Greasers. "Hello, Darrel. Long time no see." "Hello, Paul."
"Paul?" Darry questions.
"You know him?" Steve asks.
"Was in my high school." Darry answers shortly. And leaves it at that.
"I'll take you." Paul says. "You know, a rumble ain't a rumble without me!" Dally yells and runs in.
"Dally?" Ponyboy says.
Dallas smirks, "These actors know me well."
The rumble starts, and everyone's fighting each other. The Socs run and the Greasers whoop and scream in victory.
"We WON!" Soda yells.
"WHHOOOOOOWEEEEEEE!" Steve screams.
"HUZZAH!" TwoBit celebrates!
Dally drags Ponyboy up, "Come on." Scene cuts to Dally driving in a car, and they get stopped by a cop. "W-w-wait. Act sick. I'll pretend like I'm taking you to the hospital." Dally says. "You've gotta have a good reason for driving like that." The cop says. "Uh..kid he fell of his motorcycle. I'm taking him to the hospital." "How bad is he?" "I don't know man. Do I look like a doctor to you?"
"No definitely not." TwoBit says.
"I don't know." "Follow me." The cop says. "Sucker." Camera shows the two in the car. "Man. I was crazy, you know that kid."
"Yes, yes we know." Two says.
Dally throws his third boot at the loony Greaser. "Shut your mouth, will ya? Running out of boots."
"I was crazy about wanting Johnny to stay outta trouble, man. If he was smart like me, he wouldn't have been in this mess. If he was smart like me, he wouldn't have ran in that church. You better wise up, Pony. You better wise up, man. You get tough like me, and you don't get hurt. Watch out for yourself and nothing can touch you, man." Dally says.
Dally tried. He really, really did. He tried his best to keep Johnny safe. He told him that: if you get tough, nothing can touch you. But he went on into that church. Damnit. Fuck this. Fuck it all.
Scene cuts to inside the hospital. Dally holds Ponyboy up and they walk thought the halls. They round the corner and go into Johnny's room. "Hey. Hey Johnny." Dally says. "We beat the Socs, man. We chased them right out of out neighborhood." Ponyboy walks over to Johnny's other side. "It's useless." Johnny says. "Huh?" "Fighting ain't no good." He says again. "You know," Dally tries again. "They're still writing editorials about you in the paper, about you being a hero. We're all proud of you, buddy. It's gonna be alright." Johnny's silent for a bit. "Ponyboy..." Johnny whispers. "Stay gold, Ponyboy...Stay gold." Johnny takes his last breath and dies.
No. No, Johnny, no. Dally looks over to Ponyboy. The kid has tears streaking down his face like no tommorow. He crying quietly and Sodapop is comforting him, wiping his own tears in the process. Johnny looks at the screen, white faced. He looks shocked more than anyone else, and scared. He looks just as they found him on that day at the fields. Scared, vulnerable, and crying to no end. That's the difference this time. The kid isn't crying, and that is what bothers Dallas to no end. Darry's holding on his own, as always. Clenching his fists and keeping a straight face. Trying not to break down, to stay strong for the others. Fuck it, Darry! It doesn't matter! Be selfish, for once. But he can't. He just stands there, tough as stone, and holds it in. As Superman always does. Steve eyes are as wide as saucers. He's breathing quickly too. Any more and he'll be hyperventilating. Dally just doesn't have the energy to help. No one does. TwoBit's crying as well. Be damned with the Greasers Don't Cry rule for him. He hugs onto himself and cries.
Dally doesn't hear the rest of what the movie is saying. It's all a blur. Voices are muffled, and the crying quiets. Someone's saying No over and over again, and it takes a moment before he realizes that that person is Dallas. Dally stands up very suddenly, he slams his back against the wall. Dally's face is covered in tears. "Damnit, Johnny..." He begs, slamming one fist into the wall. "Oh, damnit, Johnny, don't die, please don't die..." Dallas quickly bolts through the door, and down the sidewalk to the curb.
"Dallas." Johnny stands up too. He did it quickly, but immediately feels nauseous, though he can't tell if it's from the motion or the fact that he saw himself die.
"Dally." Johnny says and races out the door, to the porch. It's dark. Just great. He just barely catches a puff of white blonde hair racing down the street. "Dally!" He yells, but his shout is lost in the wild wind. Johnny looks up, and sees the clouds gather together forming a big gray cloud. Even in the middle of summer, nature will find a way to make a big ass storm.
He runs down the sidewalk and passes through the road. He sees Dally and races to him, but Dally runs through the other road. Talk about deja vu. Johnny blinks the rainwater out of his eyes, and he runs forward and decides to leg it. He runs through the slippery asphalt narrowly missing a car.
Dally runs across another road and Johnny follows him. Unfortunately for Johnnycake, the light turns green just as he's halfway. A truck comes his way and Johnny trips over his untied shoelaces and falls to the ground. His eyes widen as he sees it's bright headlights charge at him like a rampaging bull. It lets out a large HONK!, and Johnny closes his eyes and braces for the impact, then suddenly Johnny felt arms grab him and yank him forward, and toss him onto the sidewalk.
Johnny opens his eyes, and his sideways vision picks up the large truck riding down along, it's horn has stopped. He also sees two dark brown dusty boots standing up next to him. The guy in the boots crouches down, "Johnny. Johnnycake, are you alright?" Dally asks.
Johnny blinks again, shocked that he had actually that come close to death. "Yeah...yeah I'm fine." He says, and lifts himself up. He takes a good look at Dallas, and sees that his eyes are red and somewhat puffy. He has tear trails on the corners of his face. And his hair is a mess. Johnny looks around, breaking his stare. Where the hell are they? It didn't seem like they ran that far.
"We're on Dender Road." Dallas answers his tacit question. "Several blocks away from the Curtis's."
"Huh..." Johnny's never seen this place in Tulsa, before. He wonders how many other places he's missed.
"Anyway, that not the point," Dally says. "What the hell are you doing, running into the street at a green light?! At night!" Dally yells. Johnny could tell that's Dallas is much more angry than he let's on.
"I had to," Johnny mutters. "I would have lost you, if I hadn't."
"You would have lost me!" Dally yells unbelievingly. "You could have gotten yourself killed-" Dally stops himself and looks down, "Don't do that next time kid, I ain't worth it."
Johnny purses his lips together, "Dally. It's alright. I'm alright."
"No!" Dally stands up. Johnny could guess that this isn't about the truck. "I couldn't protect you, Johnny. Not even in the future."
"But-"
"No! Don't you get it, Johnny? I can't protect you, I can't even do the one thing that matters." Dally walks up to Johnny and holds the Christopher in front of Johnny's face, "This can't do the one thing that matters."
Dally let's go of the necklace and walks away from him. He shakes his head and gasps out a sob. He kicks a rock on the ground. "Damnit!" He curses, and puts his head on a tree dejectedly.
Johnny shuffles his feet and looks up bravely, "No Dally."
"No?" Dallas turns to look at him, and cocks his head mockingly, "No."
Dally walks up to him, "I am sick of this shit. I am sick of this place and sick of our lives. So tell me this Johnny, if this "God" you keep telling me about is so real, why does he make kids like us do this shit. Because if this is what he calls the best, then he is fucked up!"
He walks away from Johnny, "I CAN'T DO THIS SHIT JOHNNY!"
"Yes you can-"
"No," Dally looks at Johnny straight in the eye. "I can't. I can't see you die. You're my little brother, Johnny. If you die I-"
"No." Johnny objects, "No. You will this time. You always have."
"Oh yeah, and how will I do that?" Dallas asks, "Magic? We'll ditch your jean jacket and get you a fireproof vest." He laughs brokenly, "We'll make you a fireman, so you know what to do in a fire-"
"You just saved me from that damned truck, didn't you?!" Johnny yells.
Dally's silent. He looks at him with broken, tired blue eyes. "I can't-"
"You saved me then, and you'll do it again. And now we know what to do. We needed that movie, and thank God we got it. Cause otherwise we never would've known, and it would be worse than this." Johnny says.
The drizzling rain starts to get worse, and Johnny decides he needs to get on with it fast.
Johnny touches the Christopher and holds it in his palm, "I know that it'll work. It has too. That's the reason these people brought that to us." Johnny says.
Dally has his head down. They've been in the rain for so long, that Dally hair turned a damp golden brown, and sat flatly on his face. Johnny bangs fall limply over his eyes and he has to keep shoving it away so he could see. Dally's silent for a while. "We should head inside. It's pouring now." He says.
Johnny looks around, "Where?"
"I know a guy..." And he heads off down the street, Johnny nods and follows the older Greaser.
HELLLO! Well if you hadn't noticed I updated this again, because there were some changes that had to be made. So please leave a REVIEW. Or FOLLOW and FAVORITE! If not for me then for Johnny. Let's do it for Johnny, man! Do it for Johnny!