Dreams

V

Sodapop's point of view

I woke up cold and stuff from having slept on the wet ground. Why was I on the ground? where am I? I looked over and saw Two Bit and Dally asleep next to me and I remember that Johnny had run off and we were all lookin' for him. I guess we'd fallen asleep and decided to continue looking for Johnny in the morning. Then I realized That Ponyboy wasn't with us. I sat up and I looked all over for him but he was nowhere to be found.

"Two Bit! Two Bit wake up you lazy bum Pony's missing!" I said shaking my buddy awake.

"Hmm? I'm up I'm up quit ya yapping." he sat up and yawned.

"Two Bit where's Ponyboy?" I asked him,

He looked around for a minute, "Gee I don't know, I thought he had slept here with us." He moved over and started shaking Dally to wake him up, which probably wasn't the best idea 'cause when Dallas opened his eyes he pushed Two But straight onto his back. I would've laugh but I was scared.

"Dally! Dally Ponyboy's missing." I said panic rising,

"What? The little punk, probably wanted to look for Johnny on his own." he said grimacing. Why was he mad?

"Well come on let's go see that church thing, one of the kids has gotta be there if not both." Two Bit said seriously to my surprise. We all got up and started in a dead run up the hill Dally in front of us. He was the only one who'd actually been there before.

As we reached the top of hill panting, I saw and crumpled up building in front of us, that's where my baby brother lived...

I was first to reach the church and without hesitation I walked right in, being greeted with pills of ash and busted furniture.

"Ponyboy?! Johnny!" I called out, but no response, all of a sudden I hear something fall coming for the back of the church. I run quickly to the back door and what I saw nearly killed me. My baby brother was lying limp on the concrete, blood streaming from his head and his right hand. I kneel down beside him with Dally and Two Bit standing behind me.

"Oh Ponyboy..." I whimper as tears start running down my face.

"Come on Pony wake up, you're okay come on please wake up." I wrap my arm around him and cradle him close to me, crying onto his shoulder. I feel Two Bits hand on my shoulder and hear Dally muttering curses behind us.

"Guys?" we hear I small voice behind us call, I turn my head to see Johnny.

Dallas runs forward and pulls him into a hug. "Johnny what the hell man?" he said, I could tell he was crying.

"I- I'm sorry. Why are you-" he stopped mid sentence when he saw Ponyboy in my arms. He walked over cautiously and sank down.

"What happened to him?" He asked quietly, I looked over to see tears in his eyes.

"We don't know, no one's around I mean. Maybe he did it to himself. " Two But said slowly. No no. Pony wouldn't do this, why would he? I tried convincing myself that Two Bit was wrong but he's a smart guy, and I knew Ponyboy had blamed himself for Johnny running off, maybe he had done this.

•••

We had gotten up the hill a bit more to a little shop with a payphone, so we called an ambulance to come get Ponyboy. The shop was so small had just about no security, Two Bit walked out with 16 packets of cigarettes and about as many candy bars he could carry. "For the road" he had said.

It didn't take long before we heard sirens coming up the road, I had been carrying my brother the whole time and when the paramedics came it took three of them to get me to let go. It was early afternoon when we got to the downtown hospital, I'd already called Darry so he should get here pretty soon, Two Bit and Dally left so it was just me and Johnny in the waiting room while they were checking out Ponyboy's injuries.

"Sodapop I'm so sorry." Johnny whispered, I turned my head and saw silent tears rolling down his face.

"What're you sorry for? None of this is your fault." I put my arm around his shoulder pulling him closer.

"Yeah it is. If it weren't for me Ponyboy would be just fine, probably watching a movie or reading right now. But instead he's in the goddamn hospital, all because of me." he lets out a gentle sob and I pull him into a hug so he can cry in my shoulder.

"Johnnycake please don't blame this on you, It ain't no one's fault this happened. Ponyboy was so torn up when you ran off, he felt it was HIS fault. But it's no ones fault okay? Bad stuff has been happening and we can't really do anything about it." by this point I was crying too. I hear Johnny's breath slow down and I pull away.

"Come on now, y'all are makin' me bawl Johnny." I said with a grin. Johnny tried to return it but he just looked down at his hands.

"I-" he trailed off, "Soda I uh," he looked scared.

"What? Come on I won't bite."

"Soda I'm in love." he said quietly.

"Johnny that's great! Awe little Johnny Cade's got a girl, so what's the lady's name huh?" I said excitedly, glad to be changing the subject.

"Well that's the thing, Soda he's a boy. I love a boy." Why did he sound so scared?

"Oh sorry, well what's this little man's name then?" I said without hesitation.

"You mean it's not weird?" he said looking up shocked.

"Well no, if you love someone you love 'em it don't matter what's downstairs. Now come on I'm dying here what's his name?" I shook him a bit to encourage him. This is so exciting!

"His name's Ponyboy Curtis."