I Promise | Johnny Cade

~Nothing Gold can Stay~

"Hey Y/n! Sleep well?"

"Yeah! Uh, what was that whistle?"

"Oh, I guess no one ever told you huh. It's something we use in the gang to let us know that it's one of us."

"Ohhh."

I walked up to the box to see what he bought.

"Two loaves of bread, a week's supply of Baloney, Gone With the Wind?"

Pony boy perked up and ran over to take the book out of my hands.

"Gone With the Wind?? How'd you know I've always wanted this?"

"I heard you talk about it once. We went to see that movie, remember? I thought you could read it out loud to pass the time."

Ponyboy looked happier than a six-year-old who just got a pony for her birthday. It was adorable. We went back to investigating the things inside the box.

"A deck of cards... Peroxide?"

Ponyboy's eyes widened. "You ain't thinkin.."

"We're all gonna cut our hair Ponyboy. And you're gonna bleach yours."

"Uh uh. You ain't touchin my hair."

"Come on Ponyboy, they must've gotten our descriptions in the paper by now. We can't fit em!"

I can't imagine Ponyboy with short hair. This should be interesting.

"Boys stop arguing. Johnny's right. We gotta stay safe."

Ponyboy started pouting and thumbing through his book.

"Look, I'll go first," I volunteered. "so you can see it really isn't all bad Pony."

Johnny handed me his switchblade and I walked out to the back steps of the church. Well, here goes nothin.

Time skip

It took around 10-15 minutes to finish cutting my hair. I tried my best to make it even, but I'm sure it looks like a real hackjob. I came back in and was met with shocked expressions from Johnny and Ponyboy.

"See Pony? It's just hair. No problem." I handed Johnny his blade and he turned to Ponyboy.

"I can cut your hair if that'll make you feel better." 

He nodded and they headed towards the door. I picked up Johnny's jacket and curled up on a bench for another nap.

An Hour Later

When I woke up, the "makeovers" were already done. God Ponyboy looks so different. His hair is almost white now thanks to the Peroxide. We joked about him looking like a farm boy earlier, but I don't think we're joking anymore.

"Nice hair Ponyboy."

"I know. Don't rub it in." He said rubbing the back of his neck.

Johnny doesn't look too much different, but boy does his hair look soft when it isn't covered with grease and oil.

"I guess we're all disguised now." I said, giggling.

"I hate it!"

"Well, shoot Ponyboy, it's just hair."

"No Johnny, it's not just hair. This is like a Halloween costume you can't get out of, and I hate it."

I pat his head.

"This is how we stay safe Ponyboy. It'll go back to normal soon. Promise."

For the rest of the day we played cards, Ponyboy read his book to us, and the boys smoked until Pony got sick. Then, it was time to settle in for the night.

The next morning

I woke up at sunrise, and Ponyboy and Johnny were already outside watching it. I decided to join them.

When it was over, Johnny said, "Man, that sure was pretty."

"Yeah."

"The mist was pretty," I added, "All gold and silver."

Johnny nodded. "Too bad it can't stay that way."

"Nothing gold can stay." This is the first time I've ever seen Ponyboy so serious.

"What?"

"Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower,

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf,

So Eden sank to grief.

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay."

Johnny and I looked at each other. 'huh-'

"Where'd you learn that? That's what I meant."

"Robert Frost wrote it. There's more to it than I'm gettin though. I always remembered it because I had no idea what he meant by it."

"Ya know," Johnny said, staring at the sky. "I never noticed colors and clouds and stuff until you told me about it Pony. It's like they weren't there before."

"I couldn't tell just anyone about all that. Just you guys and Sodapop. Maybe Cherri Valance."

"We're the strange ones, aren't we?"

"Shoot," Ponyboy chuckled. "Maybe they are."

(Hey y'all! No new chapters this weekend! I have a big event to go to. I'm gonna attach a link to a playlist on Spotify called Johnny Cade's playlist. I didn't make it, but its great for us Johnny lovers out there. Not only is it accurate, but its just some good music. See y'all next chapter! Author out! -Bunny <3)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7KzYi7ut3tyO748joapmDo?si=3fd908fe07f04c39

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