Too Late To Tell. . .Or Maybe Not?

Ponyboy came home today and told Darry and I taht his english teacher is giving him one last chance to pass. If he does well on this assignment then he'll pass him with a C even though that's not was he deserves, he doesn't want to see him fail.
Darry, once again, got angry with him. They both tried to bring me into it, asking me to pick sides.
I couldn't take it, I just ran out of the house and didn't look back.
I didn't stop still I got to the park.
You see, I can usually take the fighting, but not today. Today I was sent back all the letters I've sent to Sandy, unopened.
Did she get them and not even want to talk to me? Or did her parents think that there was no need to give her the letters since I wasn't the father?
I pounded my fist against the ball diamond's fence.
I just wanted to see her.

I sat the for a few minutes, just crying. I hardly ever cry.
Not long after I got there I saw Ponyboy and Darry running down the street.
They apologized first, I told them we should be trying to stay close, not fight. After a long talk we decided we should pull together not fight.
We headed home everything fixed. Well, mostly. I still needed to know about Sandy.
Ponyboy went to his room, to work on his paper I'm guessing.
It was then I decided what I needed to do.
"Darry, I'm leaving," I said.
"Wha- why?" he asked dumb struck.
"I need to see Sandy, I don't care if the kid isn't mine, or if it is, I just need to see her," I said shaking my head.
"What about sticking together? What we were just talking about!" he pleaded.
"I won't be gone for ever and I won't stay there. I just need to see her."
Darry looked at me for a long time.
"Alright," he said finally, "but you have to come back," his words were heavy.
"I will," I promised.
I gave him a hug.
"I'm leaving now, the sooner the better," I told him. He nodded. "You tell Ponyboy I'm sorry and that I'll be back soon alright?"
"No problem little brother," he said and gave me another hug.
"Bye Darry," I said and left the house.
I got into my car and started to drive to Florida.
To Sandy.

Welcome Home, You're Going Insane

Ponyboy's finally home now.
He just woke up and he said he can't remember any of the hospital.
Darry gave him the book.


I feel so bad for reading the note now. Stupid, stupid, Soda.


A Soc came by to see Soda, I was in my right mind not to let him in, but Darry told him to go right up.
What is wrong with him? He's one of the reasons Johnny's dead!

Ponyboy just yelled something. I couldn't hear all of it but I heard,"I---knife. I --- Bob."
Darry looked at me with wide eyes and hurried to Pony's room.

I heard, "I think you should go now Randy," and Randy came down the stairs his face pale. He looked at me and quickly turned his head and hurried out.
I just glared.
Darry came down the stairs and said, "Ponyboy thinks he was the one who killed Bob, he thinks Johnny is still alive."
I felt the colour drain from my face.

What have we done.




* * *

Thankfully, at the hearing, the judge didn't ask Ponyboy anything about that night. He just asked how he liked living with us.
I was shaking through the whole hearing .
Everything went fine, thank god.



Something's wrong with Ponyboy though. His grades are slipping and he isn't acting like himself.

I'm so worried.

Stay Gold, Ponyboy, Stay Gold.

Ponyboy is spending a couple of days in the hospital. It turns out he got a concussion from the rumble, the poor kid. I think it was more the shock though, that caused him to collapse like that.

The gang isn't the same without Dally or Johnny. Whenever we get together we don't talk to much, and we never ever mention Dally or Johnnycakes. I think it's wrong. Shouldn't we talk about them to keep their memory alive?
The last thing I want to do is forget them.

Ponyboy's been drifting in and out, he never stays awake for more than a couple minutes.
Doc says we can take him home tomorrow, I hope that makes him feel better.

Wait a minute.

A nurse just came in and left a copy of "Gone With The Wind" says that it was from Johnny.
There's a note sticking out of it. . .maybe I should read it. . .
No, I shouldn't it's to Ponyboy, none of my business.
But, if it'll upset him. Maybe I should.

Ponyboy, I asked the nurse to give you this book so you could finish it. The doctor came in a while ago but I knew anyway. I keep getting tireder and tireder.
Listen, I don't mind dying now. It was worth it. It's worth saving those kids. Their lives are worth more than mine, they have more to live for. Some of their parents came by to thank me and I know it was worth it.Tell Dally it was worth it. I'm just gonna miss you guys.
I've been thinking about it, and that poem, that guy that wrote it, he meant you're gold when you're a kid, like green.When you're a kid every thing's new, dawn. It's just when you get used to everything that it's day. Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That's gold. Keep that way, it's a good way to be.
I want you to tell Dally to look at one. He'll probably think you're crazy, but ask for me. I don't think he's ever really seen a sunset. And don't be so bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want. There's still lots of good in the world. Tell Dally. I don't think he knows.
Your buddy, Johnny.

I sat there for a few minutes.
Okay, I shouldn't of read it. That was a stupid idea.
I quietly tucked the note into the back of the book.
I'm never going to say anything about this, I told myself.

Ponyboy stirred.
"Pony?" I asked. "Pony?"
Nawh, he was still asleep.

I sighed and got up. I needed something to eat.

That's What You Get

"Where have you been?" Darry demanded leaping to his feet.

"Ponyboy, what's the matter?" I asked, I was afraid of the answer.

"Johnny. . ." My heart sank. "Johnny, he's dead. We told him about us beatin' the Soc's and, I don't know, he just died!"

I clenched my fists and ground me teeth. Those stupid, awful, horrible Socs. They're the reason Johnny's gone. Them!

"Dallas is gone," said Ponyboy. "He ran out like the devil was after him. He's gonna blow up. he couldn't take it."

I felt like I was gunna cry, and I never cry. We gotta find him, I thought. Before he does something stupid.

"So he finally broke," said Two-Bit said, you could hear the awe in his voice. "So even Dally has a breaking point."

I put my head in my hands and took a moment.

Stupid. Awful. Dirt bags. Scum.

"Soda, Pony doesn't look so good." Darry whispered to me. I looked up, he was right.

"Ponyboy," I said softly,"you look sick. Sit down."

He backed up from me.

"I'm okay," he said.

I heard the phone ring, but I ignored it. I was to worried about my little brother. I heard Darry mutter something and swear.

"Dally just robbed a corner store, he's running from the cops, we're meeting him at the vacant lot," Darry said coming into the living room.
I tried to tell Ponyboy to stay back but he wouldn't hear it. There was no way I was making this boy stay.

We didn't make it to the lot in time, Dally was already there and so were the cops.
Dally pulled something from his coat pocket. I could faintly see that it was a gun.
But why was he pulling a gun? It wasn't loaded anyways.
Then I realized why, Dally wanted to die.
Johnny was the only thing he loved and now that he's was gone Dally thought that there was no point in him sticking around.
I tried to scream at him but no sound came out. All I could do was watch as my friend, my comrade, got gunned down by the cops.
They wouldn't have been shooting at him if they'd understood.

I stood there for a minute or two in shock. I quickly came back to reality when I saw Ponyboy collapse to the ground. I knew he shouldn't of come!
I rushed to help him up, but Darry got there first and picked him up.
"We gotta get this kid to a hospital," Darry said.

All I could think was, What about Dally?

I'm at Home in the Couds, Towering Over Your Head

The rumble just ended, and we won!

Those chickens ran so fast our heads were spinning.

Darry was the first to start, he took on an old football buddy, his name was Paul or something. There was a lot of talk and no action to start, but then out of the blue Dally shows up.

"Hold it!" he shouted. "Hold it!"

Darry turned to look at him and Paul sucker punched him in the jaw. No good dirt bag.

I kicked him hard in the back of the knee. I lifted my foot to kick again but something behind me knocked me over and I could feel boots being kicked into my side.

I rolled out of the way and jumped up clutching my side. I turned around and charged at the nearest Soc tackling him to the ground. I pinned his shoulders to the ground with my knees and bashed his face.

At that point I heard Tim yell, "They're running, look at the dirty profanity run!"
I gave the Soc on the ground one last wallop and let him up, spitting in his face.
The hoots and hollers of glee were deafening. I did a front flip and went over to congratulate Darry and the rest.
Steve was on the ground, why hadn't he gotten up.
"Hey, Steve, you okay buddy?" I asked kneeling beside him.
"Yeah, I think I busted some ribs though. Hurts like-"
"Soda, I'm gunna take Ponyboy to the hospital," Dally interupted.
I nodded and then turned back to Steve.
"Let me help you up," I said and grabbed his hand. I tried to pull him up but he flinched and said,
"I need more help Soda."
I called Darry over to help him up. We cautiously lifted him to his feet.
"Let's go back to the house, we gotta wrap you up," I said.
We went home to party after the Rumble but after Ponyboy and Dally didn't show up for a couple hours, we were gettin' worried.
Finally, in the wee hours of the morning Ponyboy opened the door.
He looked like a ghost.
He looked like someone had died. . .