Elliot's P.O.V
I walked out of the DX with an orange crush soda bottle in hand.
I popped off the cap and took a short swing of it as I made my way to the garage and over to the three boys sitting down and drinking soda.
I walked over and leaned against the wall. The boys looked over to me as I set the soda down and pulled my scrunchie out of my hair and around my wrist. I parted my hair to the side and then picked the soda back up.
I took a swig of it and looked back to see the boys talking to each other about whatever.
Just then Soda looked over at me "I like it when you have your hair down" he randomly said.
I smiled softly "I hate it, my hair is so poofy and wavy and annoying" I shrugged "I've got more worries than my hair though, that's why I keep it up".
"You look pretty with it down, you look pretty either way though" he played it off.
"Thanks" I chuckled.
"Hey Ponyboy, where's Johnny?" I wondered, the two were together a lot.
"He went on home after school, he didn't exactly say why" he shrugged.
It was almost dark already and time to close up the DX for the day. I had to admit, I was kinda worried about Johnny. I knew he was normally with one of us, I felt bad for the conditions he had to live in.
"Hhmmm Okay" I shrugged "Hey, can I get the keys? I'm gonna go close up".
Soda took the keys out of his pocket and threw them up to me "there ya go".
"Thanks" I said, walking back to the inside of the DX. I turned all the lights off and walked out, locking the door behind me.
Once I got back out, the boys were closing the garage. When they walked over to me I threw the keys to Soda and he easily caught them, stuffing them into his pocket.
"Ready?" Steve asked as we began to walk back home.
"Hey Pony, you think Johnny might be in the lot?" I wondered, I hated it when he would spend the night out there instead of coming to the Curtis's house. I felt like a mom worrying about him, but I couldn't help it.
"I don't know, he might be. Think we should check?"
I shrugged "I'm just worried about the kid is all, maybe we should check just in case".
We walked by the lot on the way home anyways so we didn't have to take a different way. Once we made it over there I looked over the lot but didn't see anyone.
"Hey it's Johnny's jacket" he said, picking up an old jean jacket up off the dirt road.
"Wonder what That's doin here" Soda cocked an eyebrow.
Steve inspected it more closely to see a blood stain across the collar.
As he said so, we heard a few low groans coming from the other side of the lot. We looked back to see a 'motionless hump'.
I think we all knew what was going on in that moment because we all ran over to that side to find Johnny laying there, face down.
Soda got there first. He turned him over gently and it was pretty bad. I looked over at Ponyboy who looked almost sick.
God, I had never seen Johnny look so awful before. Of course he had the few bruises and all from home but never like this.
Steve groaned and dropped to his knees beside SodaPop. Suddenly Two-Bit was running up next to me, along with Dallas and Darry.
Soda carefully lifted Johnny and held him against his shoulders "Johnny?" He asked worriedly "Hey, Johnnycake" he said, shaking him softly.
"Soda?" Johnny managed to say, not opening his eyes.
"Yeah, it's me. Don't talk. You're gonna be okay" he tried to assure him.
Johnny went on anyways "there was a whole bunch of them" he ignored Soda, telling us about what happened "A blue Mustang full ... I got so scared" that's when he started crying.
I've only seen Johnny cry once before, other than that he never had. Not after a beating and he'd always show up all banged up.
"It's okay, Johnnycake, they're gone now. It's okay" Soda continued to hold him.
Johnny began to tell the story between sobs " I - I was lookin for our football ya know, the one we had lost ... and that Mustang I-it pulled up and four Socs piled out." He gasped for air since he was still sobbing "one had - some rings on his hand".
I felt bad for the kid, seeing him all spooked and beat up. He wasn't looking good at all. Blood was spilt all over his white shirt.
"We should get him to the house, he ain't lookin good at all. And for gods sake Pony, you outta go you look like you're gonna be sick" I said softly, ushering Pony.
I looked up to Dallas who looked like he might be sick too, that or he was worried. I don't think I've ever seen him that worried. He'd never admit it but Dally really cared for Johnny. Johnny's was the gangs pet.
And I know Johnny looked up to Dallas like he was his hero.
Soda carefully picked up Johnny "let's get him back to the house" SodaPop nodded, agreeing with me.
He stood up, making his way to the house with all the gang following.
I threw an arm around Pony's shoulders, even though he was a bit taller than me.
"He'll be alright Ponyboy. He's gonna have a big scar though ... but I can clean em up" I assured him.
"I know, I'm just worried's all" he sighed "I ain't ever seen Johnny this bad".
"I know Pony ... let's go on inside so I can clean up Johnny" I said as we walked inside the house.
Soda had laid Johnny down on the couch and gotten a first aid kit with a few things missing. Pony sat down on a chair and I sat down on the floor next to Johnny.
"Hey Johnny, it's Elliot. I'm gonna clean you up real quick, okay? This'll burn a bit" I said softly.
Johnny slowly nodded and I picked up a cotton ball and some peroxide. I opened the peroxide and pressed the cotton ball to the top, tip in it over so it would get wet with the peroxide.
I set the bottle down on the coffee table and carefully wiped the hair stuck to Johnny's sweaty face. I lightly pressed the cotton swab to a cut on his forehead. He winced but didn't try to move away.
I cleaned up his forehead and had to get a whole other cotton swab for the fresh scar on his cheek.
I wiped the blood off as soft as I could. By this time I'm sure Johnny was amine to it. He didn't move or anything.
"Alright Johnnycake, you go on ahead and get some rest okay" I nodded.
"T-thanks Elliot" he groaned and soon he was sound asleep.
I cleaned up all the Cotten swabs and the peroxide, putting it all away and throwing out the bloody cotton swabs.
"Steve, gimme his jacket. I'm gonna wash it" I said, holding my hand out to him.
He laid it down in my hand and I grabbed it, taking it to the washer machine. I set it all up and threw it in along with a few other pairs of jeans and let it all wash.
I walked back out to the gang who was all sitting around Johnny.
Dallas was pacing back and forth "we needa find those Socs who did this to Johnny" he said through gritted teeth.
No one said anything. We didn't know what to say. We just sat there, waiting for Johnny to wake up probably. I walked over to Soda and sat in his lap. I leaned against him, one arm draped around his shoulder with his around my torso.
"You okay?" I whispered to him.
"I'm okay" he assured me.
I kissed his cheek lightly "I just don't get it ..." I sighed.
"We never have, the Socs like to jump us for fun" Steve sneered.
"It's just cause they ain't got nothin better to do" Two-Bit looked down at his shoes.
It was the first time I didn't hear Two-But crackin a joke every minute.
"Dallas stop pacing and sit down, you're heads gonna start spinnin in a minute" I quietly scolded him.
He sneered at me but went ahead and sat down anyways, he knew I was right.
"What do we do now?" Ponyboy sighed.
"We wait" Darry responded.