Another Chapter by Firebunee......

Chapter 3

Darry and Sodapop sat at the dinner table talking while Ponyboy pushed his dinner across his plate. He kept his chin resting on the heal of his hand holding his head up. Pony let his fork which he was still sliding back and forth across his plate grate and squeal across the surface of the glass.

"Damn, Pony! You let that fork scratch that plate one more time and I'll skin you alive." Darryl threatened while pointing his right index finger at his youngest brother catching the attention of his younger brother.

"Hey Pony, is everything alright?" Sodapop always had this concern for his little brother. It was gentle and understanding, like an older brother should be. His oldest brother, Darryl, was always quite the opposite. To Ponyboy it always felt like he was always on his case. Like he thought he was his father. "I mean, you haven't touched your dinner, and then earlier, Two Bit told me and Steve that Johnny wasn't in school today. He said that you two stopped by his house and he wasn't there either." Soda sounded genuinely concerned.

Soda had always been the peace keeper of the three brothers. He could smile, crack a joke, or just look at someone and defuse a tense situation. He was just as stuck on the missing teen also. Johnny was everyone's little brother. He was like a small beaten down, unwanted puppy. He was soft spoken and distant with everyone but Ponyboy. He and Pony had been best friends since the beginning. Dallas was like a protective older brother. He always harassed Pony and Johnny about being too soft. Thing is, you never wanted to kick that downtrodden puppy. He could, and would defend himself if he needed to.

"Something wasn't right there." Ponyboy blurted out. "I mean, Johnny wouldn't just disappear and not tell me were he was going."

Darryl, the eldest Curtis brother, looked down at the table. His cool eyes wondered over the surface of the slab. He then let his ice blue eyes slide back up towards his younger brothers. Pony could see the troubled expression on his face. He watched as Darry picked up his glass of water and took a swallow from it and put it back down on the table.

"I agree with Pony, this just isn't like Johnny, Darry." Soda said softly looking back at his older brother.

"I don't know what to do, I mean short of going down there and breaking down the front door, boys. I'm concerned too…" Darry shook his head as he looked up at his brothers. His handsome face was again with the adult decisions and work it took to raise two younger brothers. He was concerned about Johnny Cade, but his missing one day of school wasn't against the law.

"Darry, why don't you go down and talk to Mr. Cade. Maybe he'll talk to you." Pony insisted blinking his wide eyes at his older brother.

Pony shook with anticipation as he watched his brother for a reaction. Anything that would indicate he was ready to jump and go find his best friend.

Darryl Curtis wrinkled his nose at the thought. He hated anything that had to do with a confrontation with Johnny's old man. He had never liked Peter. The man was condescending and just downright mean. He had watched the man shove Johnny to the ground and threaten him within an inch of his life if he was a second late walking through the door, and then in the next breath, he would throw the kid out of the house and tell him never to come back again. The thought was making his stomach hurt the more he contemplated it.

"Look, if Johnny doesn't show up for school tomorrow, than I'll go over there in the evening after work and see what I can find out."

"Thanks, Darry." Ponyboy laid his fork back down on the table and started to stand up.

"Meanwhile, I think it's yourturn for the dishes little brother." Darry smiled pointing at Ponyboy who wrinkled his nose in disgust.

--

Johnny sat with his head in his right hand and his left hand across his stomach and chest. He struggled to take a breath and the pounding in his head only left him nauseated. His hands shook as he tried to find the strength to stand up. He had passed out in the kitchen and spent the night on the floor. He could feel the effects of it on his body.

"Boy!" His father grunted.

Johnny held his breath as he sluggishly lifted his head.

"Johnny!" He knew what was next if he didn't move.

"Coming…" he heaved as loud as he could through clinched teeth.

He slowly stretched out his hands and slid his fingers up to the top of the stove. The morning sunlight ripped through the torn seam of the drawn kitchen curtain catching the boy's attention. It was time for him to be heading off to school. He should have been meeting Ponyboy at the end of the lot to walk the rest of the way. He wondered if anyone would notice he wasn't there again. He wondered if they would overlook him since he was just, Johnny? He was sure Ponyboy noticed, but wasn't sure if he could do anything that could help him. Johnny looked towards the light as he pulled himself up to his knees.

That was a mistake.

The light didn't agree with the headache that refused to concede after two days. He could feel his stomach churn. He hadn't eaten anything, or drank anything in well over twenty four hours. His father had forbid him. He told him that he had to earn his food and water. His father felt he hadn't done so.

"Uh…ohhh…"

Johnny's knees gave out as he struggled to pull himself up the side of the stove. He felt himself sink and then crash heavily to the floor. There he lay on the filthy, sticky, dirt covered floor. His head lay on the surface of the broken tiles where he was struggling to breathe, clutching his chest in both of his hands. He could feel tears starting prick at his eyes. For the second time in just a matter of days he was crying. He hurt all over, his head pounded, his ears rang, his ribs felt as if they were smashed, and he was sure he was breathing through water.

"Git your lazy ass up."

The voice was cold and callous.

Johnny blinked away the tears clouding his vision. He slowly stretched his arms out and pushed the palms of his hands against the cold jagged surface of the floor. He gritted his teeth and held his breath as he gradually pressed his chest up off of the floor.

"I said, git'up.!" The man reached down and grabbed a handful of his son's hair and yanked him off of the floor.

Johnny yelped loudly as he was pulled viciously to his feet. He nearly fell back to the floor as his legs gave out and his father drug him to the next room. The then man thrust his son into the bathroom.

"I want it clean, you have twenty minutes to do it." Peter shouted before walking into his bedroom and slamming the door.

Johnny struggled to stand; he held onto the window sill and maintain his footing. He could feel his head swimming as he turned and stumbled forward falling towards the sink. He gripped the porcelain tightly in his grimy fingers, preventing himself from falling. He looked in the mirror. His face was black and blue from his hairline to his jaw line. The entire right side of his visage looked as if he had been maimed by the Soc's. He shivered when he noticed the bright purple, deformed spot on his chest. The cracked ribs were the reason he was struggling so hard to breathe. He slowly reached the door and closed it. He cautiously reached out and turned the water on. With his right hand he cupped the clear liquid and brought it to his lips unhurriedly sucking down the cold liquid. It filled his stomach some. He then reached across the sink and picked up the towel and let the water run over it for a minute. Next he dabbed it gently on his face cleaning the dried blood from his hairline and lips. Once he was somewhat cleaned up he put the towel down and clutched his ribs with his free hand. He looked at his long greasy hair falling uncombed over his forehead. There wasn't much he could do about that. He was winded from the little bit of effort he had put forward. He looked around the run down room. It was dank and dirty. He noticed the brown t-shirt he had worn a couple days ago. He slowly reached down and picked it up. He held his breath as he gradually pushed his arms through the sleeves and pulled it over his head.

Johnny blinked as he looked up at the window. He slowly worked his way over to the glass and leaned against the sill. He reached his hand up and touched the glass pane. It was a small opening, but he could probably fit through. He could go out the window and run down to Pony's house. But no one would be there now to stop his father from finding him. Maybe he could run to Dallas's place… who was he trying to kid. His father would catch him before he could get down the block. He felt the tears in his eyes as he slowly bent over and picked up the trash can on the floor. He then began to gather the remains of dead bugs, old toilet paper tubes, and band-aid wrappers from the floor. He was in trouble and there was nobody to get him out of this.

--

Dallas Winston was waiting in the parking lot when Ponyboy walked out of the front door. He took a long, slow drag on his cigarette before dropping it on the ground and extinguishing it with his right foot. Dallas then walked towards the school and stopped Ponyboy before he could go past the parking lot.

"Hey, kid…" Dallas began

"Hey, Dally." Pony looked up at the taller, older boy.

Dallas Winston was a hood. He was proud of it. He was handsome, rugged, and downright scary when he was angry. He tucked his hands in his leather jacket and licked his lips as he looked back down at Pony.

"Where's Johnny, man?" Dallas asked. His eyes were wild and commanding.

"I don't know, Dally. He hasn't been to school in two days. Darry said if he wasn't here today he would go and talk to his father. His dad told me he wasn't home." Pony squinted in the afternoon sun.

Dallas let out a loud sigh before he looked down at Ponyboy.

"He was supposed to meet me last night at the gas station and he didn't show up."

Ponyboy wrinkled his forehead and looked over at Dallas. He wasn't sure what to do. Dallas protected Johnny. He could tell that the older boy wasn't in a really great mood. His best friend was missing and now Dallas Winston was meeting him at the school to try and find him. Dallas pointed at his roommate's car.

"Get in." Dallas ordered.

Ponyboy hesitated for a minute before he obliged.

"Where are we going?" Pony asked hesitantly.

"To find your brother." Dallas responded lighting up another cigarette and tossing the pack at Pony.

Review Review Review