Once again, I am starting a new story. I was planning on taking a short hiatus from writing so I could read through a lot of fics from all of you talented authors, but once I started reading, this story idea popped into my mind and I couldn't help myself from writing it. This will (probably) be one of my shorter stories, just an FYI. However, unlike the rest of my stories so far, this one takes place after the book, and Johnny and Dally are both still alive.
As always,... disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders or anything related to the story created by S.E. Hinton.
(Ponyboy's POV)
"Hey Johnny," I said as I walked through the door into the living room. I found my best friend in the living room, sitting in his wheelchair, watching TV with Two-Bit. Both of them skipped school, but only Johnny asked me to bring the schoolwork that he was missing. He hadn't been back to school since the incident with Bob Sheldon, but he was trying to keep up with school while he stayed at the house. He was hoping he wouldn't have to repeat the year, and I hoped for his sake he didn't have to either.
I opened my backpack, grabbed the folder I kept for Johnny's stuff, and handed it to him. "Ms. Johnson said it's due in a week."
"Thanks Ponyboy," Johnny said with a smile.
Johnny was released from the hospital a couple weeks after the trial. Both of us had been cleared of all charges involving Bob Sheldon's death, and after being sick and lousy for a long time, I was finally eating a normal amount and feeling healthy by the time Johnny was discharged. On more than one occasion, the guys said the day Johnny left the hospital, both of the kids in the gang were finally on the road to recovery.
Instead of going back to his parents' house, Darry told Johnny that he was going to stay at our house. If it was me, Soda, or even Two-Bit that told him that, Johnny would've argued and said he was fine going back to his parents that didn't even want him, but he would never argue with Darry, and I think my big brother knew that. Johnny stayed in Soda's old room since it's been vacant ever since our parents died. We even built a ramp for him to get into the house while he was in a wheelchair.
At first, the doctors said he wouldn't ever be able to walk again and that he'd probably die within a couple days after the church fire, but Johnny defied the odds. Better yet, when the swelling went down in his back and the burns healed, he had feeling in his feet, so the doctors said his prognosis was better than they first expected. He might never walk without crutches or a cane, but Johnny Cade had the potential to walk in the future, and the gang was going to help him reach his potential.
"Didn't think to get mine?" Two-Bit joked.
I laughed at him. "If I thought you'd do it, then I would've."
"Shoot kid, you're right," our buddy said. Then he wrapped his head around Johnny's neck and rubbed is knuckles into Johnny's hair. "I gotta wait to graduate until both of you kids are seniors. Can't let you go to school without one of us there."
Part of me thought Two-Bit was kidding and that he really had no plans to graduate, but another part of me really thought he was telling us a sliver of the truth; he would stay in school until all of his friends graduated, and maybe even if it was just because he wanted to look out for us.
Johnny was swatting Two-Bit's hands away, but he still wasn't at full strength, so he wasn't able to get out of Two-Bit's hold.
"Holler uncle!" Two-Bit yelled.
"No!" Johnny shouted back, half laughing.
Seizing the opportunity, I tackled Two-Bit into the couch and away from Johnny. I pinned him down, but only for a moment before he managed to get the better of me and he somehow got me onto the floor, shoving my face into the carpet. I saw the wheels from Johnny's chair come into view and I thought maybe I'd become free from Two-Bit's knees digging into my back, but from the sounds of a scuffle above me, Two-Bit managed to get the better of Johnny again.
"Two against one? You kids don't fight fair, and I still win!" Two-Bit said proudly.
"You're messin' up my hair," I heard Johnny grunt.
The door slammed, and I heard an angry voice. "What the hell you doin'?"
"Hey Dal, I'm just teachin' these kids who's boss around here," Two-Bit said happily from above me.
"You don't even live here," I muttered into the floor.
"Lay off 'em," Dally said angrily. He sounded real serious too, like if Two-Bit didn't listen, he'd have a fight on his hands.
We all knew we were messing around whenever anyone in the gang wrestled, and it wasn't ever a big deal, but ever since the church fire, Dally had been on edge more than normal. He didn't spend a lot of time with the gang, which surprised everyone; we all thought he wouldn't let Johnny out of his sight. Sure he was with Johnny every when he was in the hospital, but ever since Johnny came to live with us, Dally's been distant. When he was with us, he was extra protective of Johnny, and even me sometimes, but we didn't get the chance to see it very often. Something was up with him, but I was pretty sure everyone was afraid to bring it up.
"They're just kids, and they've been through enough without you suffocating them," Dally continued. I heard some movement, Two-Bit yelp, then I was suddenly being pulled onto my feet with a strong hand gripping my arm. Once I was standing, I looked up at Dally's angry face. "You alright kid?"
I nodded quickly. "I'm fine, Dal." I'll probably have bruises shaped as Two-Bit's knees, but it's fine. I glanced at Two-Bit, who was standing a few feet away and holding his shoulder. I looked back at Dally. "It's okay, Dally. We were just messin' around."
He glanced at me with an expression I couldn't quite read, then he looked at Johnny, softening a little. "Don't you have a doctor appointment today?"
Johnny shook his head as he was still trying to fix his hair. "No, that's tomorrow." Dally nodded, and he suddenly looked uncomfortable. He walked past us and into the kitchen without saying a word.
"You alright, Two-Bit?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," he said, glancing in the direction of the kitchen.
A few moments later, Dally came back into the room, sauntered past us, and went to the door.
"Ain't you gonna stick around?" Johnny asked expectedly. I knew it bothered him that Dally wasn't around us as much, but he never said anything about it.
Dally looked as close to apologetic as he can get. "Nah, I got some stuff I gotta do." Then he glared at Two-Bit. "Don't pound on them when I'm gone, or I'll come after you, ya hear?" Before Two-Bit could even say anything, Dally left, the door slamming behind him.
"What's got his panties in a bunch?" Two-Bit mumbled.
"Just in a bad mood I guess," I said, although all of us knew it was more than that. I noticed that Johnny stayed quiet, so I patted him on the shoulder. "Wanna help me make dinner?"
He blinked a couple times before he turned to look up at me. "Yeah, sure Pony."
Johnny and I made spaghetti while Two-Bit offered his "supervisory services" while he watched us and drank beer. The whole gang except Dally ate dinner together, and while everyone else talking loudly or chewing with their mouths open, I noticed that Johnny was being extra quiet and wasn't barely eating.
I nudged Johnny with my elbow. "Hey, you okay?"
He nodded, but it didn't convince me. "Yeah, just not hungry, I guess."
I knew he was lying, but I waited to pry until Darry started doing the dishes and the other three went into the living room. By all the shouting, I couldn't tell if they were having a wrestling match or playing poker. Either way, I figured they were loud enough to talk to Johnny without anyone hearing us.
"What's bugging you Johnny?" I asked quietly as we both sat at the table playing our own card game.
He glanced at me, and for a second, I thought he was going to lie to me again, but thankfully, he answered. "You think Dally thinks I'm different now?"
"What do you mean?" I asked carefully. "Sure you're in a wheelchair, but you're still the same Johnnycakes as before."
He shrugged. "I don't know, man. Ever since I left the hospital, he doesn't seem to want to be around me, or if he is, he leaves as soon as other people show up."
I thought about all the times I had seen Dally since Johnny left the hospital, which wasn't hard since I could almost count that number on one hand. He had been at the house, hanging out with Johnny when I've come home from school, but he'd leave right away. Other times, like earlier, he'd stop by but then leave almost right away.
"You think he doesn't want to be around me?" Johnny asked sadly.
I shook my head immediately. "That ain't it, Johnny. You're the only one Dally cares about. Shoot, he probably only comes by in the first place because you're here. Doesn't he visit during school?"
"Yeah, he does. But he cares about you too, Pony," Johnny said softly. "He got Two-Bit off of ya earlier. He seemed real worried that you were gonna pass out or somethin'."
This time, I shrugged. "I guess, but you're still his favorite person." He smiled a little at that. "I'm sure he's just workin' through some stuff. He'll be back to cussin' everyone here out soon enough."