Work Text:
I took a deep breath. Building my courage, I entered the mostly emptied classroom, filled with a coffee brown light from the setting sun. I was a little sad that I had to miss the sunset. I had made a promise to myself that I would try my best to watch the sunset everyday for Johnny and Cherry, but I had to turn this theme in. Approaching Mr. Syme’s desk, I cleared my throat, and set my paper down on his ebony desk.
“Mr. Syme, here’s my theme.” I drew my hands back and hitched them in my front pant pockets. They were sweating a lot, and I didn’t wanna leave my sweaty prints on his desk. Mr. Syme looked up at me, a smile on his curved, round face. “Thank you Pony. I’m sure this will bring your grade up from an F to a C. Hey, why don’t you sit down? I want to talk to you about your school grades and what exactly just happened. I’ve heard rumors here and there, but I want to hear it straight from you.”
I sighed. Real loud. Of course, not in front of him, just inside. If I were to do that, I probably would’ve heard it from Darry when I got home for not using my head and disrespecting a teacher. I stood there, thinking up something to say. Mr. Syme just looked at me, his dark eyes staring at me. It made my skin crawl. If his eyes had been a little bigger, I think I would have seen Johnny in him. I didn’t like it so much.
“Well, sir, I wrote about it in my theme. Everything that happened to me. You don’t have to ask.”
Mr. Symen looked real embarrassed. It would have been funny, if it weren’t about something so personal. His face got all red, and it almost seemed like his combed over balding hair had stood up. “I see. Well, um, Ponyboy, you’re free to go.” He cleared his throat and waved me off.
As soon as I stepped out and closed the door, I let out a breath that I didn’t know I had been holding. I made my trembling legs move, and walked in a stiff pattern. I was always trembling now. I don’t know why, don’t ask me why. I hadn’t stopped trembling since I got sick in that church. My hands are cold and clammy almost 24/7. But I never really feel cold. Matter of fact, I almost always feel real hot and warm.
I stepped out of the artificial light of the school, and into the warm color tones of the sun, and started walking my stiff stride all the way to Two-Bit’s car. His car was old, a 1954 Buick in a dusty washed out blue model.
“Hey Two-Bit.” I said, waving.
“Hey Pony. You got everything done, or do I have to wait longer? I told you I wanna go to that bar I’ve been talking about. Maybe pick up a blonde?” He smiled his goofy smile and wiggled his eyebrows. I smiled. He could always make me smile. He was almost like Soda in that way.
“Yeah, I’m done. Sorry for making you wait.”
“Nah, it’s fine. It’s not like I almost smoked half of my cigs. You owe me.” He threw his cigarette butts at me. I flicked them off.
“Ugh, gross. Just get to driving so Darry won’t yell about how late I am.”
Two-Bit started the car and we made our way home. Two-Bit dropped me off a block or two away from my house per my request. I think I needed a walk to clear my head. Boy, writing that theme was tough.
Coming up to my house, I slowed my pace and reached for the handle on the screen door. “Darry, Soda, I’m home!” I called. I threw off my shoes and set my bag down. Darry looked up from his newspaper. “Hey Pony. Did you get everything done?”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “Where’s Soda? I thought we were gonna go visit Johnny and Dally.” I looked around, and then at the clock. It was odd that Soda wasn’t home yet. Even if he does work full time at the DX gas station, he should be home by now. It was almost 7.
“He’s coming back soon. He told us this morning that he was gonna be working overtime, remember?” Darry said, exasperated. I could hear the tiredness in his voice. I pursed my lips and looked away.
“We’re leaving in a few anyway. Just go on in your room and finish any homework that you have.”
“Fine.” I sighed. The only homework I had to do was finish reading this book for English class. I grabbed my book bag and set it down in my room. An hour or two passed before Soda got home. He came in happy, yelling and shouting the weirdest things my ears have ever heard. It was half an hour later that we finally got into Darry’s old little car and made our way to the cemetery. Johnny and Dally weren’t buried very far apart. I thought that was a little cool, and a little ironic. When I got to Johnny’s grave, I ran my hands across his tombstone. It was rough, cool, smooth and hot all in one. I don’t know how to explain it.
I sighed a big long sigh. The tombstone had wilted flowers in a vase in front. It must have been from his “poor, grieving” mother. The stone read:
Here lies Johnny Cade
3/1/49-11/27/65
Loved by all, forgotten by none
His mother picked the quote out. If she loved him, she sure had a funny way of showing it. I withdrew my hand and stuck them in my pockets. I pulled out a drawing I had made earlier that day in math class. We were learning about trigonometry. I didn’t care for it much.
I smoothed out the folded paper, and took a real long look. I had drawn Johnny and Dally as one of those charming Southern boys, like the ones from Gone With the Wind. The ones Johnny liked. The ones that reminded him of Dally. The ones that reminded me of Johnny.
I placed it down gently, next to the old flowers. I looked towards Darry and Soda, who were standing over Dally’s grave. Darry looked back, and made this face that others might see as a disgusted look. I knew he was really asking me the question if I was ready to go. I nodded.
“Bye Johnny,” I said, taking one last mournful look. “Stay gold.”