Chapter Text
"dear..." He scribbled out everything he had written, slightly crumpling a corner of the yellowed paper he found under his bed. "Who starts with "dear" anymore? That's so corny..."
"Johnny!"
He jumped, balling up the paper and shoving it into his pocket with the chewed up pen he was using. "Dal?"
"Duh, Who else?" He said sarcastically as he pushed open the door to the curtis' house as if it was his own. He walked up and ruffled the smaller boy's hair. "Pony told me ya'd be here. Why exactly are you here anyway?"
"What's it with ya Dal? Not like you'd really care anyway." He pushed his hand away, smiling.
"Well, I never usually see you here alone." He lit a cigarette and took a quick drag before continuing, "And you've been actin' pretty strange around me recently."
He froze for a second, thinking that maybe Dally had realized what Johnny thought of him and wanted to ask him about it. "I-it's nothin'." He mumbled, trying his best to play it off.
"What, don't like me anymore? Do I scare ya?" He chuckled, "Look, you can tell me anything." He ruffled his hair again.
"Really, it's no-" The slam of the front door cut him off, scaring him again.
"Sorry Johnny. Didn't think you'd still be here." Ponyboy mumbled to him apologetically "Oh, hey Dal!"
Pony and Dal went off talking as everything from the last conversation slowly faded away.