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The Greasers won.
They won the damn rumble.
Darry got his piece of the gang back in his house, sprawling on the couches and chairs. Two-Bit held an ice pack to his chin in a chair, Sodapop collapsed on the floor next to him, and Steve was on the brink of sleep on the couch. Darry stood by the door; he had his kid brother Ponyboy and their friend Dally to wait for.
“Well, we won,” Two-Bit mumbled.
“Uh-huh,” Soda nodded.
Ponyboy barged in the front door, looking like hell. He had blood falling from his forehead and nose, his body bruised, his clothes disheveled. The gang knew of these injuries, and Dally already taken him to the hospital to see Johnny. But the look in his eyes was like he was half-dead.
The others perked up; concern already took over Darry’s stern face. “Pony, what the hell happened to you?”
The lifelessness in his face was eerie, his breath stifled. “J-j-johnny…”
Darry froze, “What about Johnny?” His fists in a loose grip, facing his kid brother. “Come on, Ponyboy, talk straight.”
Ponyboy looked away, terrified.
His patience snapped.
Darry grabbed Ponyboy by the shoulders and harshly shook him. “Ponyboy! Dammit, answer me! What about Johnny? What else happened to him?!”
“HE’S DEAD!” Ponyboy shrieked, escaping Darry’s grasp and pushing him away. “He’s dead! He died! He died right in front of me.”
It felt like the world shattered.
Darry stumbled back, Two-Bit froze, Soda’s jaw trembled. Darry shook his head, not willing to accept it. “Johnny? No, no, no… You gotta be joking. You have to be-”
But Pony wasn’t joking when he burst out crying. His hands flew up to cover his mouth, tears rolled down his cheeks, screaming. Darry immediately felt sorry, showing his affection but pulling Ponyboy into a crushing hug.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” His own voice breaking, “I didn’t mean to shake you, I just- Johnny, dammit…”
Darry’s hands began to shake while hugging Pony. It was all getting too real. Two-Bit didn’t know what to do. Steve passed out. Sodapop was tearing up, too. He hated seeing his little brother like this - beat up, grieving, and depressed. He got up and hugged Ponyboy from the other side, which shoved Pony into Darry’s chest. He dug his face into Darry’s shoulder, which got his t-shirt wet from tears. Darry couldn’t care less, he closed his eyes, trying to keep it together. He held both of his brothers tightly like they were all he had left… which is true.
Johnny was gone. And the deeper that sank in, the more real this feels for all of them. The sweet, sensitive, loyal kid was gone. The gang’s pet was gone. Ponyboy’s best friend was gone. Johnny Cade was gone.
Darry had one hand cradling the back of Ponyboy’s head. He cooed, “Shhh, I got you, little buddy, I got you.”
Soda stayed wrapped around them, trying to keep it together, too.
“Dally.” Pony whispered, “Dally… he ran off. I think he’s gonna lose his mind.”
Darry tensed. In the chaos, there was Dally, wreaking havoc in the center of town. He sighed and shook out some nerves. “Dammit. Sodapop, you stay here with Pony. I’m going to find Dally before he does something stupid.”
Immediately after he said that, the phone rang. Of course, it was Dally on the other line.
Darry picked it up, and a shaky voice came through. “Hey,”
Darry was slightly relieved that Dally called, but he knew he was on the edge. “Dally. Where are you? Stay put, you hear me? Don’t do anything reckless.”
Ponyboy looked up, eyes glistened with fear. Sodapop grabbed his hand tightly.
“Kinda late for that,” Dally huffed. “The cops are after me… Uh, Johnny’s dead.”
“We know.”
“And… oh. Uh, I’m bleeding. I think I’ve been shot.” Dally replied way too quickly. “Meet me at the park?”
His heart skipped a beat. Dally’s shot? It just made the urgency in his nerves rise. “Yeah, all right, I’ll be there as fast as I can. Just hang in there, okay? Don’t even think about doing anything stupid.”
Once he hung up, Darry shot a quick look at his brothers. Soda’s face was ashen, Pony was tearing up again.
“What happened?” Ponyboy shook.
“Cops chased Dally; he got shot,” Darry said quickly, trying to keep a serious face. You could tell he was breaking too.
Ponyboy gasped, hands flying to his mouth.
“But he’s still alive,” Darry added. “And I’m goin’ to get him. Soda, lock the door behind me. Keep Pony close.” He grabbed his jacket off the chair Two-Bit was sitting on, who soon wanted to pass out and forget this night happened. “I’ll bring him home.”
When Darry left, Ponyboy latched onto Soda tightly, crying. “I don’t wanna know what will happen. Please, I don’t wanna know, I don’t wanna know… When can this end?”
Sodapop held him close; he felt tears pricking at the corners of his own eyes. “I know, I know. I wish I knew too… Shhh…” He gently rocked his brother side to side, his voice soft and laced with heartache.
He closed his eyes, burying his face in Pony’s hair. “It ain’t fair, Pony. None of it is fair.”
Soda wished he could shield him from the pain.
But nothing is fair.