Note: I don't own The Outsiders

Chapter 27

A small robin flew into the frame, its red chest a sharp contrast to the green of the grass. Looking through the lens, Johnny followed its path as it hopped across the freshly mown lawn, looking for food. He held his finger above the shutter button, debating whether or not to take a picture; but he hesitated a second too long and the bird flew off.

He and Two-Bit were hanging out in the garden he'd spied from his bedroom window the day he moved in. Two-Bit was sprawled out on the wrought iron bench that was nestled among the various flowers that neither one of them could have named if you'd held a gun to their heads. Johnny was in his chair, trying out the new camera he'd gotten for his birthday. He was having fun with it, framing various pictures through the lens, but not actually taking any of them. He didn't want to waste the film Mary had given him until he was certain it would be a good picture. He'd only taken two so far and he was pretty sure one of them was of his thumb.

A garden was admittedly a strange place to find a pair of greasers, but Johnny liked it. It was peaceful - a great place to just sit and think, even with Two-Bit talking a mile a minute.

Right now, he was weaving some elaborate story that Johnny was only half-listening to. He caught bits and pieces of it - something about Kathy, brakes, and a blonde. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened. Two-Bit's girl, Kathy, had dumped him … again … because he'd been flirting with some blonde … again. He wasn't sure how brakes figured into the story, but with Two-Bit and his car … well, he and the guys usually counted themselves lucky if they reached their destination in one piece whenever Two-Bit volunteered to drive. If Johnny had to lay money on it, he'd bet that Two-Bit and Kathy would be back together by the end of the week.

They'd been out there for a while. Two-Bit had shown up that morning at what was quickly becoming his "usual" time. It wasn't lost on Johnny that this "usual" time happened to coincide with Mary's breakfast which coincidentally rivaled most anything you could get at the Curtis's. It also wasn't lost on Johnny that today was a weekday, meaning Two-Bit should technically be at school. Lately, Two-Bit had been spending most everyday at the Martins'. His reasoning was that it was more important to keep an eye on Johnny than to zone out in classes that were a waste of time anyway since there was no way he could turn his grades around in time to pass this year.

Initially, Johnny had bristled at the "keep an eye on Johnny" part of Two-Bit's explanation - he didn't need anyone to keep an eye on him. He was just a guy in a wheelchair, not some newborn baby who needed help with everything. Deep down, though, he knew what Two-Bit meant and he was grateful for the company.

Mary was nice and all, but he got a little bored watching soaps and game shows all day with her. Plus, he got the feeling she wasn't completely at ease around him. She still talked to him with that kind of fake sounding voice - cheerful, but not really. Around her, he still felt like a guest instead of a member of the household. He wasn't sure if that feeling would ever go away, and part of him wondered if maybe it wasn't supposed to. Maybe foster kids weren't meant to feel completely at home.

He trained the camera on the house, adjusting the focus until he could see into the kitchen window. Mary was standing there, presumably washing dishes at the sink. She looked different; she wasn't smiling and she looked a little sad. Johnny remembered a couple of times - when she didn't know he was looking - her face would kind of lose expression and that happy gleam in her eye would disappear. He'd wondered what she was thinking about at those times, but he never had the guts to ask.

Still watching through the camera and feeling a little guilty about snooping, Johnny saw her reach up with a soapy hand and brush her eyes with the back of her hand. She did it a couple more times and Johnny realized she was crying. Now he really felt guilty. He was invading her privacy, but he couldn't make himself lower the camera.

Suddenly, Two-Bit's face blocked his view. Startled, he pressed the shutter button, taking what was surely a tuff picture of Two-Bit's grinning mug.

"Kid, have you heard one thing I've said to you?"

Johnny sighed as he felt more guilt pile onto his shoulders. "Sorta," he admitted, waiting for Two-Bit to get angry - which he realized was silly because Two-Bit didn't get angry about stuff like that.

Two-Bit just laughed and returned to his seat on the bench. "So what do ya think about me and Kathy?"

"I dunno - maybe you should stop lookin' at every blonde that walks by," Johnny said with a grin.

"I was askin' for some advice; not some out-of-this-world, crazy, completely impossible, totally improbable suggestion," Two-Bit said with an stunned expression, making Johnny roll his eyes.

He had no idea why Two-Bit was asking him in the first place. He knew absolutely nothing about girls, and the only advice he had ever received had come by way of Steve Randle. He made dating sound like facing down a football field full of angry Socs - not exactly high on his list of things to do at the moment.

"Hey, have you seen Dally around?" Johnny asked, trying to change the subject.

"Couple of times. He's been staying at Buck's, I think."

"I don't think he's been at Ponyboy's at all," Johnny said. He was worried. Dally had seemed really out of sorts that day he'd come by the Curtis's. It looked like he was going to lose it, and that scared him. Dally was the strongest person he knew - he could handle anything.

Maybe he'd lied to him? Maybe he couldn't get past the fact that Johnny was crippled now? Maybe that was driving him away from the gang, away from his friends? More guilt, Johnny thought to himself and sighed.

As if sensing his thoughts, Two-Bit said, "Don't let him get to you, kid. Dallas Winston has the social skills of a gnat. He may pretend stuff like getting shot and going to prison don't bother him, but that's gotta be bullshit."

Frustrated, Johnny ran his fingers through his bangs, pushing them off his forehead. "I don't know, man. You ever get the feeling that something bad is gonna happen?"

Two-Bit's thoughts immediately jumped back eight or nine months and he nodded, not saying anything. He knew exactly what he meant. But Johnny sitting here in front of him was proof that sometimes those feelings and premonitions didn't necessarily have to come true.

"Boys," Mary's voice drifted from the backdoor, interrupting the conversation. She was standing there with her coat on and the car keys in her hand. "Will you be okay if I run some errands?"

"Sure thing, Mrs. M.. Don't worry, I'll babysit him," Two-Bit announced cheerfully as he reached over and ruffled a scowling Johnny's hair.

Johnny pushed his hand away. "Come on - cut it out with the 'babysitting' stuff, okay?"

Before Two-Bit could apologize, Mary interrupted again. "There's stuff for lunch in the fridge. Oh, and Keith - Dark Shadows starts in about twenty minutes."

Johnny groaned. "Ugh, not again. I hate that show."

Two-Bit, however, wasn't listening and was already pushing Johnny's chair toward the house. "I've been dying all weekend to see what happens with Barnabas and Angelique. What do you think?"

"I think I'm going to take a nap," Johnny said dryly.

Johnny wasn't shocked to find himself sitting alone in front of the television watching some goofy soap opera about werewolves and vampires. Nor was he shocked to hear a loud crash come from upstairs, where Two-Bit had inevitably gotten into something he shouldn't have. Roughly two minutes later, Two-Bit appeared, making his way down the stairs with sheepish grin on his face. Johnny didn't ask - he didn't want to know. He tried to keep Two-Bit from sneaking up there in the first place; a plea that had naturally fallen on deaf ears.

"Oops," Two-Bit said as he made his way into the family room.

"Oops?" Johnny asked, sounding annoyed. "I told ya not to go up there, man."

"Easy kid, don't get your panties in twist. They'll never be the wiser," Two-Bit said as he flopped on the couch. Johnny realized he was carrying something that he'd obviously swiped from one of the rooms above them.

"You ain't thinkin' of stealing …"

Two-Bit actually looked a little hurt. "Relax. I'll put it back in just a second. I just wanted to show you what I found."

Johnny looked nervously at the front door, half-expecting Mary to walk in any second. "Alright, hurry up."

"Well, there's a bedroom upstairs full of stuff that looks like it belongs to a guy. Football posters, cars, trophies - the works."

"So?"

"So … who is the mysterious owner of this room? And look, I found a picture." Two-Bit handed Johnny the small frame. Inside was a picture of Tom and Mary standing on either side of a beaming teenage boy. He was wearing a cap and gown at what was obviously his high school graduation. Johnny couldn't tell what year it was - Mary looked a little thinner and Tom wasn't as gray, so it might have been about four or five years ago.

The guy kind of reminded him of Darry - strong and athletic. Like you could imagine him running down the field to catch a pass that he would never miss. Perfect - someone you'd be proud to have as a son.

Suddenly, Johnny remembered the suit Sarah had made him wear and he let out a laugh. "Big mystery, Two-Bit. Sarah said she has a brother."

"Well, where is he then?" He jumped up from the couch and began pacing.

Johnny shrugged. "Most people do eventually move out of their parents' house."

"Has anyone ever mentioned him? What's his name? Where does he live now? What is everyone hiding?" He kept pointing in Johnny's face, as though each statement should be followed by an exclamation of "Aha!".

"Two-Bit," Johnny interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"You've been watchin' too much TV."