Work Text:
Ponyboy POV:
I slowly realize I’m actually awake, but I keep my eyes closed because being awake sucks and I have school today so sleeping in and missing it would actually benefit me. That would happen if I didn’t have two brothers making sure I wake up on time to get ready. I groan in annoyance as someone shakes my shoulder, rolling over and turning my back to them.
The person sighs, “Pony..” It was Soda. Of course it was, who did I think it’d be? Soda was always the person to wake me up in the morning before school, sometimes Darry. It wasn’t anyone else unless it was a weekend usually.
“C’mon, Darry wants you to actually eat breakfast today.” He says, shaking my shoulder again and then ripping the blanket off of me. I immediately groan and curl up as the air was cold. Why do blankets feel the need to be the best thing in the universe? Just for them to be ripped out of your grasp every morning before going to hell. (School.)
Soda picks me up from the bed, and I don’t care enough to get out of his grasp. He sets me down in front of the closet and then leaves me alone in the room. Wonder what I should wear today? There really isn’t any interesting shirts in the closet today.. Oh well, I’ll just wear the blue one.
I go to the kitchen once I’ve decided all my choices for clothes today. Really ain’t anything special. Darry and Soda are already eating breakfast by the time I get there and sit down at my seat. I guess I slept in more than usual. There’s a plate of food in front of my seat filled with eggs and bacon. “Thanks for cooking, Dar.” I say with a smile.
“No problem, kiddo.” Darry replies. Soda starts to ramble about what he’ll have to do for the day, his mouth still filled with food. Darry sighs with a smile on his face, “Soda, don’t talk with food in your mouth.” Soda only snickers and swallows his food before continuing with his rambles.
I turned to Darry, “Do you think I could stay out after curfew to hang with Johnny?”
He hums in thought. There’s no way he’ll actually say yes to this request, he never does. He always wants me in the house by a certain time with my homework finished. But of course, it never hurts to ask. Actually it might, he sometimes gets angry that I keep asking-
“Sure.” Wait what? He actually said yes?? Is this a dream or something? (Maybe-)
“Wait, really?” I ask. I didn’t think he would agree to me staying out later than usual, so my words just blurted out before I could stop them.
“Just be home before 2am, got it?” Darry replies. I nod my head immediately to his words. I really don’t think I’ll be out after 12am anyway. I can’t wait to tell Johnny about this!
I quickly finish my breakfast and rush out the door with a hurried goodbye. I woke up later than I usually do, and I don’t really feel like being late to school today, so Imma run the rest of my way there.
The first half of the day was pretty boring. No one I cared for besides Curly were in any of my classes, which made pretty much all of them boring. But the next half of my day would have Johnny and the others in ‘em! I think today is spaghetti day for lunch too, which is my personal favorite meal they make for us. Despite what Curls complains about it being too bland…
The cafeteria is filled with chatter and the smell of lunch. It definitely smells like spaghetti sauce! And strawberries for some reason? I would never think to really eat fruits with spaghetti.. But they both taste good, so I think they’d be fine. Just don’t mix them together of course.
Johnny and Two-Bit were sitting at a small round table near the middle of the room. It was one of the few round tables in the room, as the rest of them were rectangles and bigger than the round ones. The round ones were specifically put there so they could put in more tables without crowding everyone. I sit down next to Johnny with Two-Bit sitting across from me. They both had a plate with spaghetti and a few sides that were different from one another that they got to choose. Neither of them had grabbed strawberries like I did though.
“Hey, Pony!” Two-Bit practically yells at me. Johnny smiles and nods his head as a greeting instead. They are like polar opposites when it comes to greeting me at lunch, I swear.
“Sup, Two.” I reply. I pick up a strawberry and inspect it. It was the start of strawberry season, so the strawberries were actually really good for a random school in Oklahoma. That’s probably why they were serving them today actually, to get rid of all the strawberries they have. Why would the school get a bunch of strawberries in the first place? Do they even choose what they want to serve/buy?
Johnny giggles next to me, “Why are you staring so intently at the strawberry, Pone? What’d it ever do to you to earn that glare?” My cheeks adorn a dusty shade of pink at Johnny’s words. I must’ve zoned out for a bit..
“Sorry, just thinking.” I answer with an embarrassed chuckle, setting down the strawberry. I grab my fork and start to eat before my food gets cold. Though, it wasn’t very hot to begin with if I’m honest. Curse my thoughts.. Now I have to eat spaghetti that’s cold in like all the places except one certain little spot that catches me off guard. (No joke, I hated when that happened at school..)
The food was absolutely heavenly today, better than usual. Even Curl would have to agree with me that the spaghetti was amazing this time! I should ask him what he thought of the food today after school if I remember.
The rest of the day at school was much better. Johnny was in all of my classes, and Two-Bit was in two of them! I don’t know how the school managed to separate my day so well, but they did. I doubt they did it on purpose at all. Why do we need different schedules for every day anyway? High school is so weird for literally no reason other than the fact it’s weird.
Does that thought even make sense…? Oh well, not like anyone will hear it besides me. I think.
I am glad school is over, despite it being a good day! Me and Johnny will be able to hang out all day together! And Dally wont come along for once, since he’s in the cooler. Not that I mind him coming along usually- I just kinda want it to be me and Johnny today.. That isn’t weird, is it?
Johnny meets me outside of the school, off to the side of the entrance/exit. It’s technically both. He was leaning against a pole, his hands in his pockets as he looked around at all the students leaving. I assume he’s looking for me in the crowd of all of them. He smiles at me as I walk up to him. “Heya, Pony.” He says.
“Hey, Johnny.” I reply with a smile of my own. He slings an arm around my shoulders and we start walking out of school. We had already planned the day when we were in Math class. First off is milkshakes.
It’s not a long walk to the place we’re going, luckily. The choice isn’t hard to make on what flavours we wanted. Johnny got strawberry, and I got chocolate. If Dally was here, he’d probably get vanilla, and then we’d tease him about having a basic choice. He would argue that my chocolate was more basic than vanilla, but I obviously don’t agree.
Speaking of Dally.. “Hey, do you know what Dally did to get himself in the cooler again?” I ask Johnny.
He takes another sip of his milkshake before answering, “Got caught stealing from a convenience store.” Huh.. That sounds like something he’d do. I feel like he’s done that really recently actually… That’s probably because he’s in the cooler now stupid, and that’s what he’s in there for. Of course he’s done it recently if he’s there now for it-
I cringe as I hear the sound of Johnny slurping up the last of his milkshake. I still had like half of mine left… “How do you do that? I still have half of mine left-!” I ask him. He snickers at the look on my face and shrugs. But his face changes just slightly before he turns away. Wonder why. (He probably eats fast because his parents almost never let him eat, ever think about that, Pony?)
Once I’m done with mine, I pay for the milkshakes and we leave. Our next stop is the movie theater. I heard they have a new one playing, and I’m excited to watch it! Even if I don’t usually watch movies with people, Johnny is the best at being quiet during one. Though, he does like to sneak faces and whispers with me sometimes at good parts.
I had enough for a large popcorn for the two of us to share! I even got a drink for each of us. Two separate drinks! I don’t remember having this much money on me for both milkshakes, movie tickets, and movie snacks? Strange.
Johnny was surprisingly quiet for once while we were watching the movie. We did share a few glances here and there, but it didn’t seem bothersome for once. And the movie was actually pretty good too! Though, two people died in it. I feel bad for the main character. I could relate to him in some ways if I’m honest. Well, besides the two friends dying part. (For now, lol. I’m sorry, I want interrupt anymore-)
After the movie, we decide it’s best if we hang out in the woods for a bit. We went to a hill we had found a few months ago to watch the sunset together after a few hours spent having fun in the forest.
We sit together on the hill. My head on his shoulder, and his arm wrapped around my waist. Our ears were entranced by the lowering sun and the pinks and oranges slowly disappearing with it. Johnny was the first to say something, “Golly, that’s sure pretty..” My shoulders tense as I take in what he said. It was eerily familiar to something I’ve heard him say before.
And suddenly he disappeared like the sun right under my head, and it landed on a pillow instead. I sit up immediately as I realize where I am. Back in my room.. The space next to me is cold where Soda should be. Where is he? I get up from bed to try and look for him.
The house is cold and silent. I never thought our house would be a place I felt cold in.. It feels so strangely different than it did earlier when I woke up for school. I don’t even remember coming back home from the sunset with Johnny. Maybe I fell asleep and he brought me home so I wouldn’t get in trouble with Darry. Surely Darry would realize I had only accidentally fallen asleep though, right? Sure, he’s strict, but he knows accidents happen.
No one is sleeping over in the living room, or awake in the kitchen having a late night snack. The bathroom door is open with the lights off. Not used. As a last hope, I go over to Darry’s room and open the door quietly. I sigh in relief at the sight of Darry sleeping in bed. He would know where Soda is. His room was messier than it usually was though..
I walk over to him and gently shake his shoulder. He wakes up pretty quickly. I almost feel bad for waking him up as I see heavy eye bags under his red eyes. Maybe he had a bad day at work?
Darry rubs his eyes and sits up, “You need somethin’, bud?”
“Do you know where Soda is, Darry? He isn't in bed..” I ask him. His eyes widen a bit before softening with a sigh. He looks at me in concern and grief. Grief? Why would Darry be grieving right now?
“Bud, do you not remember the last few months?” He asks me as he sets a hand in my hair. I shake my head and he sighs again. Why do grown ups sigh so much anyway? He looks conflicted, looking over at a letter sat on his bedside table. Wonder what’s in it..
He grabs the letter and hands it to me. I open the top and pull out the letter from the envelope. My eyes grow wide as I read it through. It was from the military.. Soda’s dead. My head starts to clear up from what I now know as a dream and it fills with what happened.
Johnny, Dally, and Soda are all dead.