𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑. ( 𝘫𝘰𝘩𝘯𝘯𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘺 )

TWENTY-FOUR.

JANUARY 20Th, 2019. (SUNDAY)

Both teens sit around in the living room, waiting for the police to show up and talk to them. Johnny was internally panicking and Ponyboy seemed calm, comforting his lover as needed. This entire process was going to be rough and they both knew it. After they got off of the phone with the police, Ponyboy called Darry to tell him about what they were doing.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, a knock was heard on the door. The tan-skinned teen's boy goes rigid and he takes a deep breath. He stands up and goes to the door, slowly opening it to be face to face with a police officer. Johnny pales a bit and he opens the door more, swallowing thickly.

"We've got a domestic abuse call and were told that we had information to obtain," the police officer calls. "Is this true?"

"Yes," Ponyboy says quickly. "There's a house not even a block from here that he lives in and the conditions are awful."

The police officer looks straight at Johnny who was panicking. He rests a hand against his shoulder and the teen tenses up underneath his touch. Ponyboy walks over to his lover and wraps an arm around his shoulders. The older teen of the two moves closer to his lover and takes a deep breath.

"Alright, so before we just go investigate, we'll need the victim to answer some questions," the police officer says. "They aren't too awful and there aren't that many. Are you comfortable with answering questions for us?"

Johnny nods his head in response and the police officer grabs out a little notepad and a pen. He goes over to the dining room table and Ponyboy ushers his lover behind him, pulling out a chair for him as the officer sat down.

The teenager sits down across from the police officer and he takes a deep breath, swallowing thickly. He was terribly nervous about this entire situation. He didn't want anything to go wrong and have this entire plan be ruined. 

"Alright, Mr. Cade," the officer starts, knowing his name from the phone call 20 minutes prior. "First question. What kind of things do your parents do at home and how long has this all been going on?"

"Uhm," Johnny starts nervously. "My parents drink a lot and they like to take it out on me... They'll hit me and throw the empty bottles at my head, using anything that they can get a hold of to hurt me... I was actually hospitalized a little while ago and I have a concussion and some internal bruising that's healing... It's in the records... My parents always yell and scream and I kind of have to fend for myself. There's not a lot of food in the house and I come here to do my laundry since doing it there could get me into danger... It's been happening since I was 12. I'm 16 now, sir."

The police officer simply nods.

"What are the conditions of your home?"

"The house is a mess," Johnny says. "There's broken glass bottles and not broken glass bottles laying around the floor. There are plates and dirty clothes and stains and the house reeks of alcohol. The wallpaper is stained from all of the smoking and it's starting to peel from the drywall."

"How long have you been staying with the Curtis family?" The officer asks.

"I've been staying here recently for a few months but I used to come over and just stay a couple of nights when I was younger. Now, I basically live here full time and only go over there if I need more clothes."

The police officer nods his head a little and finishes writing down a few things. It only seemed to be notes and that was completely okay with Johnny. He was still worrying over his parents and how this entire court situation could go down wrong in several different ways. He didn't want his parents to get custody of him until they were better off for themselves, much less better off to help raise a child. 

"That's all I have," the police officer says. "But I would like you to come with me to the house. I've already got a few officers outside of your home and I might need you to help coax them from the house so we can do further investigation. And if what you tell me is true, your parents will be taken to jail and will have charges pressed against them. Court dates will have to be set up, only a few of them you will be attending. Is that clear?" 

"Yes sir," Johnny replies. "But... Can... Can I bring him with me?" 

Johnny looks over at his lover who was now sitting in the living room waiting for them. He simply just felt much safer to have him at his side for this moment. The teen was worried that if something were to go wrong, he wouldn't have anyone around to help calm him down. Ponyboy did all that and so much more for him... Besides, it was his idea to even have the police involved like they were now. 

"Yes," the officer replies. "Your friend can come along but he better not get in the way. Now, get around. We need to leave now before something happens at the investigation sight. Violence isn't the acquired thing we need right now."

The teen simply stands up and walks over to Ponyboy, telling him to get ready. Both of them get their shoes and coats on before walking out of the front door with the officer. They get into the car and drive to Johnny's address, already seeing his parents on the front porch, yelling at the police officers to leave.

After they saw Johnny in the police car, both of them stumbled down the steps yelling slurs and harsh words at their son. The police quickly apprehended them and put them into the back of one of the police cars surrounding the property. 

And all Johnny could do was simply turn away to keep himself from breaking down.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Word Count; 1,030

How was this?

There's only seven chapters left of this story and since I'm stocking up chapters, it's crazy how quick that this is ending. This story is one of my best works ( in all honesty ) and Im just so happy to be writing it and working with it.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you've enjoyed this ❤