Beach Babe | The Outsiders | Johnny Cade

| Fountain | 53 |

I woke up with Ponyboy crashing into us he said something I couldn't quite hear and before I knew what was happening we were running. We ran several blocks until we couldn't breathe, we stopped to catch our breath. Ponyboy sat on the curb and cried into his arms, Johnny sat down beside and put his hand on his shoulder. "Easy, Ponyboy, we'll be okay." He says

I had no clue what was going on I was just trying to wake up. I sat down on the other side of Ponyboy.

He wiped his eyes "Got a cigarette?" Johnny pulled one out of his pocket and lit it and handed it to Ponyboy. "Johnny I'm scared."

"Well don't be, you're scarin' me. What happened? I've never seen you bawl like that." Johnny says

"I don't very often. It was Darry. He hit me. I don't know what happened, but I couldn't take him hollering at me and hitting me too. I don't know... sometimes we get along okay, then all of a sudden he blows up on me or else is naggin' at me all the time. He didn't used to be like that... we used to get along okay... before mom and dad died. Now he just can't stand me." Pony says through sobs. I had no idea he felt that way..

"I think I like it better when the old man's hittin' me. At least then I know he knows who I am. I walk in that house, and nobody says anything. I walk out, and nobody says anything. I stay away all night, and no one notices. At least you got Soda. I ain't got nobody." Johnny sighs.

I lean forward so Johnny can see me "Hey! You got me! I literally love you more than other person on this Earth."

"Shoot, you got the whole gang." Ponyboy adds

"It ain't the same as having your own folks care about you," he says flatly "It just ain't the same."

Ponyboy blew out smoke "Let's walk to the park and back. Then maybe I'll be cooled off enough to go home."

"Okay." Johnny and I said at the same time.

The park wasn't too far away. If it wasn't so cold and if the circumstances weren't so bad it would've been real nice. And it wasn't just cold, it was freezing. I noticed ice forming around the edges of the water in the fountain as we passed it. Luckily my jacket was double lined so I wasn't too cold.

There was sudden blast of a car horn and we all turned to see that blue mustang circling the park. Shit. "What do they want? This is our territory. What are Socs doing this far east?" Ponyboy questions Well one of them lives here....

Johnny shook his head "I don't know. But I bet they're looking for us. We picked up their girls."

"And threatened them." I add

"Oh, Glory." Pony says "this is all I need to top off the perfect night." Same Ponyboy, same. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and tightly held my pocket knife. "Want to run for it?"

"Too late now." Johnny says "Here they come." I looked back over and the Mustang was parked in the grass and six Socs were heading for us. Including August. And based on the way they were all staggering they were hammered. August wasn't though, he frankly looked very uncomfortable.

Johnny looked terrified and so did Ponyboy. I wasn't scared, I was filled with nothing but pure rage. My eyes were glued to August, who was looking at anything but me. If I don't kill him now I will when we get home, I'll put bars over his windows, I make him shave his head, I'll force him to wear nothing but a pair of jeans and a plain shirt for forever.

They backed us up against the fountain. "You pricks..." I mumble to myself

"Hey whatta ya know? Here's the little greasers who picked up our girls. Hey, greasers." Bob said.