Chapter Text
The move from Texas to Oklahoma wasn’t what Ponyboy was expecting for this winter. His dad had told him to pack up the little shit he owned then hauled him to a new state. Their car is overflowing with his dad’s, useless, stuff; golf clubs, clothes, the fanciest shoes. You name it, it’s probably there.
Ponyboy knew they were wealthy but it didn’t feel like it, at least not for him. Pony didn’t ask for a lot, didn’t need a lot. Sure, the few clothes he does own are expensive and back at home he owns a fair amount of horses, but he wasn’t like those other snobs. The people that bought just for the sake of it. Pony loves taking care of his horses, drawing and a good book- he doesn’t need anything more.
To say he’s different would be an understatement. He’s never fit in, never. Back in Dallas he was one of the richest in his school- but he didn’t do a sport so none of the other guys wanted to talk to him. The people he could talk to all thought he was making fun of them. Pony doesn’t see how they thought he was being mean. He isn’t tough, he isn’t built and he sure isn’t scary.
Now all of that is behind him and he’s more than ready to try and start anew. They pull into the West Side of Tulsa and drive down their smooth roads. Their white chevrolet parks in the driveway of their new home. It’s nowhere near as nice as their old one back in Dallas. The one back in Dallas was homely, this felt more like a show home.
Pony doesn’t even stop to consider helping his dad bring all his shit in. He grabs his own suitcase filled with clothes and books then drags it inside. It’s nice on the inside. There’s a long, wide hallway that leads to stairs. The dining room and living room are connected and the kitchen is relatively big.
He lugs his shit upstairs then chooses the furthest away bedroom. It’s a three bedroom, his dad will make the third into an office or some shit.
The room he picks is big enough for a bookshelf, maybe he can recreate the one they had at home. For now all he wants to do is sleep, his dad will be leaving shortly to get tits off drunk anyways.
He pushes his suitcase in front of his bed, glory he’s glad that the house is already furnished. He steps out of his shoes then collapses face first onto his bed. Despite the lack of sheets and blankets on his bed he falls asleep almost instantly.
Sunlight barges into his room, no curtains in place to stop it. A tired groan is all he can get out before his dad is shouting at him to come downstairs.
The stairs croak and groan under his weight as he slowly walks down them.
“Ponyboy, meet Mr. Valance. He’s our neighbour.” His dad’s scratchy voice says when he reaches the dining room.
“Hello, sir. I’m Ponyboy.” Pony gives him his nicest smile, just like dad has taught him, and sticks his hand out. With his dad being quite a successful lawyer he’s had to come accustom to pleasantries. Pony’s just glad that they’ve moved away from his dad’s old colleagues, they weren’t good to him, he doesn’t know why his dad let them stick around.
“Hello, Ponyboy,” the man greets, “how old are you? My daughter, Sheryl, seems around your age. It might do you some good if you talk with her.” his suggestion is sealed with a not so subtle wink.
“I’m thirteen, sir, fourteen in a month.” Mr Valance shakes his head in response, “Never mind me then.”
Ponyboy takes the silence that comes after that a sign to retreat upstairs again, “I might go out later and see what’s around!” he shouts from atop the stairs.
A sigh falls into his silent room when he shuts the door behind himself. A new state means new places to find. He hopes theres a movie house, maybe a nice library. Secretly he hopes that life here will be better than life back in Texas. Pony wasn’t upset at moving, he was more upset at leaving his horses behind. He’s sure he’ll visit them during summer.
The weather isn’t so bad outside right now, he’ll need a jacket(not that he can wear one considering he’s never owned one), especially if he’s out until nightfall. It doesn’t matter when he’s back, his dad won’t notice.
He peels himself away from the door in which his back is pressing up against and starts to rummage through his suitcase. His books are sandwiched inbetween two piles of clothes and a few other miscellaneous stuff.
He pulls out a nice pair of khakis and decides that will do him. They’re a bit baggy, most clothes are on him. His dad said he’ll grow into them, whenever that day comes.
Soon he’s clad in a white polo, khakis and then pulls over a nice, red, cotton quarter zip on top.
In the pouch that lines the suitcase he pulls out his white shoes with a red streak on the side. He slips them on and runs downstairs, muttering a faint goodbye before the winter air greets him.
He wanders around for a bit, not sure how far he should go. He walks past a diner, a bank and some gas stations before wandering closer to the east side of Tulsa.
There’s a lot of people hanging around outside of the movie house. Now this catches Pony’s interest. Finally, he was starting to get worried that there wasn’t any movie houses in walking distance.
He subconsciously hunches his back, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible. He pays the man working there and finds a seat, ‘The rat race’ is on. Lucky for him there aren’t many people itching to see that.
Ponyboy must lose track of time as before he knows it huge crowds are coming in when he goes up to the concession stand. He’s watched three movies- prolonging his inevitable need to go home. If he had it his way he’d never have to go home again.
As the crowd builds up Pony finds it harder to sink into the background. Alas, he finds himself behind a tall dark haired man who’s wearing far too much aftershave, the same khakis as him and a shirt that’s far too bright. There’s two people behind him, a tall blonde guy with striking cold blue eyes and a shorter boy with eyes that look like a kicked puppy.
Ponyboy keeps his head down and his hands in his pockets. He tries even harder to make his presence unknown when the people he’s surround by start having it out.
“Hey, Bob, who’s your new pet here?” The guy with the cold blue eyes grins and takes a step far too close to Pony for his liking.
“This kid?” He pauses to look Ponyboy up and down- Pony thinks the floor looks rather interesting now, “He isn’t mine.” He huffs and turns back around.
The blonde scrunches his face, “Hey, Soc.”
When he doesn’t get an answer he nudges Ponyboy’s shoulder. Pony sheepishly looks up, “Where do you get off on ignorin’ me, huh?”
“Dal, lay off.” The kid with the wide brown eyes buts in. Dal, he’s assuming that’s his name, quickly shrugs him off.
“I didn’t know you was talking to me, that’s all.” Pony shrugs and turns back around when the line starts moving.
“I said Soc, you’re a Soc so you reply. How hard headed are you?”
Ponyboy cocks his head to the side, who in the ever loving Hell is Soc?
“Im not Soc, i’m Ponyboy.” He says, because they must be mistaken, he doesn’t know who Soc is.
Dal actually full on laughs at that, and his little friend lets out a snicker too,
“You think you’re funny, huh?” He steps closer, “You little shit.”
Now if this doesn’t make Pony more confused.
“I’m serious. I- uh- I just moved here, from Texas.”
Something must finally knock some sense into one of them because the shorter of the two speaks up, “You don’t know a thing about Socs and Greasers.” It isn’t a question.
“Well he sure is a Soc anyway.” Dal scoffs
Ponyboy, deciding he’s done with whatever the fuck is going on, turns back around in the queue.
The wide eyed boy slides up next to him, “I’m real sorry about Dallas,” he murmurs softly, “he’s alright once you know him.”
Pony shrugs, “It ain’t a bother.” he smiles and sticks a hand out, “I’m Ponyboy, Ponyboy Moore.”
The boy chuckles a little as he shakes his hand, “Johnny, Johnny Cade.” Johnny lets go of his hand. It’s silent-not including Dallas picking trouble with a Soc behind him- for the rest of their time in the queue.
They get to the front and Ponyboy buys both him and Johnny a popcorn each. Johnny insists he buys his own drink, it isn’t his money anyways, it’s Dallas’.
Pony buys himself a Pepsi.
“Hey, are you here alone?” Johnny asks with his head cocked to the side.
“Yeah, been here for a while now.”
Johnny hums.
They walk up and across rows to get to the perfect seat. Dallas sits in the middle of Johnny and Pony.
The move starts up and not even fifteen minutes in Dallas turns to Ponyboy, “Listen, I don’t know what your deal is but just because Johnny is taking a like to you don’t mean I am.”
Pony shrugs, “I don’t want any trouble, man. I’m serious, I’ve just moved here.”
“That doesn’t mean anything to me. You’re a Soc.” He practically spits the words out at Pony, jutting his head as he grips onto the edge of Ponyboy’s seat, Pony flinches.
“I- I’ll just leave y’all be.” He doesn’t look back once as he leaves the movie house, his popcorn left finding solace on the floor. As soon as his feet reach the pavement he starts booking it.
Oh how he’ll regret his choices.