It's Not Supposed To Be This Way - The Outsiders

Chapter 9

Dally's P.O.V.

"We gotta turn ourselves in," Johnny insisted, his dark eyes wide with worry.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I knew what'd happen to Johnny if he went to jail. He was too sensitive, too soft-hearted to be with a bunch of real criminals. He'd get hardened, just like I'd been. The childlike wonder that used to live inside of me was gone. It was stamped out like the burning end of a cigarette butt. Anger and hatred took its place. And I couldn't stand to see that happen to Johnny.

"We gotta go back," he whimpered. "It ain't fair for Darry and Soda and Lillie to be so worried."

I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to tell him to shut up and listen to me. I wanted to tell him he'd get killed in prison. But I didn't. I knew he was right. When I'd stopped by the Curtis house, I saw how torn up they all were. If nothing else, we had to take Pony back home. It wasn't right to keep some 14-year-old little kid away from his family. I glanced over at Ponyboy, and I could tell from the look in his eyes he wanted to go home.

"Alright," I finally sighed. "Let's go get the stuff from the church."

We stood up and left the restaurant, and as we walked through the parking lot to my car, Ponyboy turned to me. "Was Lillie okay when you stopped by? She was crying when I left. I hope she doesn't miss me too bad."

"She misses you like hell, kiddo. She kept asking me when you were coming home, and Soda said she's been having nightmares about you being gone."

"Fuck," Ponyboy muttered, starting to cry. "I'm a terrible big brother."

"No you, ain't, Pone. It's not your fault."

"Yes it is. I left her. I was selfish, I didn't even think about her when I ran away. I was too busy being mad at Darry."

I put an arm around Ponyboy's shoulder "It's okay. We're gonna take y'all back and it'll all be okay."

"What if I go to jail? I'd be leaving her again."

"I'll bail you out."

"I wanna go home."

"We're going. It's okay."

I unlocked my car and sat down in the driver's seat as Johnny sat in the passenger's seat and Pony slid into the backseat. I stuck my key in the ignition and the engine sputtered to life.

As we approached the mountain the church was on there seemed to be an unusual amount of smoke, but I didn't think much of it. Somebody's probably burning timber. But, as we drew nearer to the church, we could see flames engulfing the church, smoke billowing around. A group of a few adults and several children stood out front, watching the church burn. I jumped out of the car and bolted up the hill, and Johnny and Pony followed suit.

"What's going on?" Ponyboy asked one of the people standing outside the church.

"We were on a school field trip. We're missing some of kids."

"Are they in the church?" Pony asked, but he didn't get an answer. Johnny darted into the church.

"Don't go in there!" I yelled, but he didn't listen. Pony ran in after him. "Dumbasses!" I shouted after them. "I'm not coming in to save you!" I waited a few moments, but when they didn't come out, I. used under my breath and ran in after them. I ran to the back room of the church where Ponyboy and Johnny were picking up children, who couldn't have been any older than seven or eight, and dropping them out the window. I joined them in helping get the kids out, urging them to hurry up.

Once all the kids were out, I ran out, with Pony right in front of me. When we got out, the leather jacket Pony had borrowed from me was still in ablaze, flames flickering on his back. I whacked him on the back to put the fire out. "Sorry kid," I started to help him up when I realized I didn't know where Johnny was.

"Johnny?" I called. Nothing. I sprinted back into the church, where he was unconscious on ground. "No, no, no, no. Shit." I grabbed him and hauled him over my shoulder, carrying him outside. I dropped him down on the grass. His skin was blistered and burnt and he still wasn't waking up, even when I was shaking him and yelling his name.

The adults who had been with the kids were all gathering around us and trying to thank us for getting the kids out, but I was panicking. "Someone call an ambulance, goddammit!"