What if... (The Outsiders Fanfiction) BoyxBoy

Chapter 1: New Feelings

Third Person's POV

It had been days since the fire started at the old abandoned church and Ponyboy Curtis had somehow managed to save his friend Johnny Cade. Now here they are in the hospital wing with only a minority of injuries.

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Ponyboy's POV

*Flashback*
WHEN WE HEADED UP JAY MOUNTAIN I swore I had saw smoke but I dismissed it. That is until Dally had slammed on the breaks and whispered "Oh glory"! I looked over and saw that the church was on fire I had only one thing on my mind and that was we had started the fire. "Let's go see what the deal is," I said, hopping out. Dally hesitated and seemed irritated at first but, surprisingly got out almost willingly with Johnny. He turned off the car engine as he got out I heard him mutter under his a breath, "shit." He probably felt anxious about helping someone, at all. We trodded and I saw the small crowd in the front of the church that was mostly made up of little kids. I wondered how had they gotten there so quickly, however, I quickly pushed the thought aside. I saw the nearest adult and tapped his shoulder. "What's going on?" "Well, we don't know for sure," the man said with a good-natured grin. "We were having a school picnic up here and the first thing we knew, the place is burning up. Thank goodness this is a wet season and the old thing is worthless anyway." Then, to the kids, he shouted, "Stand back, children. The firemen will be coming soon."
"I think we started it Johnny," I whispered to him almost shyly.
The next thing I remember is as soon as the whole story was sorted out I ran quickly toward the burning church, it was as if something was telling me to do the right thing. I kept running with Johnny and Dally on my tail. Dally was screaming at me to, "Stop this bullshit before someone get's hurt." Completly ignoring him, I remember screaming, "I'll get them, don't worry!" The whole time I was thinking,"We had started it!"
I wasn't about to go through that flaming door, so I slammed a big rock through a window and pulled myself in. It was a wonder I didn't cut myself to death, now that I think about it.
"Hey, Ponyboy!" I took a deep breath, and started coughing. I looked around and saw Johnny had came in with me. The smoke filled my eyes and they started watering. "Is that guy coming?"
Johnny shook his head. "The window stopped him."
"Too scared?"
"Naw..." Johnny gave me a grin. "Too fat." I slightly grinned back but stopped remembering the situation we were in. I quickly asked, "Where are the kids?" "In the back, I guess," he yelled as we moved through the church. I should be scared, I thought with an odd detached feeling, but I'm not. The cinders and embers began falling on us, stinging and smarting like ants. Suddenly, in the red glow and the haze, I remembered wondering what it was like in a burning ember, and I thought: Now I know, it's a red hell. Why aren't I scared?
We pushed open the door to the back room and found four or five little kids, about eight years old or younger, huddled in a corner. One was screaming his head off, and Johnny yelled, "Shut up! We're goin' to get you out!" The kid looked surprised and quit hollering. I blinked myself­--- Johnny wasn't behaving at all like his old self. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the door was blocked by flames, then pushed open the window and tossed out the nearest kid. I caught one quick look at his face; it was red­ marked from falling embers and sweat streaked, but he grinned at me. He wasn't scared either. That was the only time I can think of when I saw him without that defeated, suspicious look in his eyes. He looked like he was having the time of his life.
You know that saying, "You don't know what you have until it's gone?" I think when I opened my eyes and realized this could the last time we see daylight, I wonder if that was the day I truly.. maybe.. started to think of Johnny as more than a friend.
I picked up a kid, and he promptly bit me, but I leaned out, the window and dropped him as gently as I could, being in a hurry like that. A crowd was there by that time. Dally was standing there, and when he saw me he screamed, "For Pete's sake, get outa there! That roofs gonna cave in any minute. Forget those blasted kids!" I didn't pay any attention, although pieces of the old roof were crashing down too close for comfort. I snatched up another kid, hoping he didn't bite, and dropped him with­out waiting to see if he landed okay or not. I was coughing so hard I could hardly stand up, and I wished I had time to take off Dally's jacket. It was hot. We dropped the last of the kids out as the front of the church started to crumble. I was so scared at the end I literally pulled Johnny with me out the window just as Dally had grabbed my collar. As soon as we made it out of the fire pit we both fell down on the grass coughing and almost sobbing for breath. I remember Dally casting a showdow over us saying, "Stupid kids." I fell over Johnny's chest thinking, almost gladly, how we made it out and I gave a small smile as we both blacked out into a peaceful darkness.

*End of Flashback*
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