The One That Got Away | Johnny Cade x reader | The Outsiders

Chapter 7 | New Beginnings

You had woken up next to Ponyboy covered by Johnny's jacket. You rubbed your eyes and turned over to see Pony who was sitting up, already awake. "Where's Johnny man?" You asked him. Pony nodded his head toward the ground in front of you. In the gravel a message wrote 'Be back soon'. You searched the abandoned church with your eyes. 

Yesterday when you guys had got in to the church you had to make yourselves comfortable the best way you could. You had been hiking for so long before that you could almost sleep anywhere. Once you guys found an area to rest in the church you laid down your jackets on the gravel. "Johnny how are we gonna sleep on this little thing?" You asked him looking down at the jacket. Johnny looked over at Pony's laying down beside it. "Sleep on Pony's for now, his jackets a bit bigger." Johnny said with slight disappointment. This didn't bother you, you often slept in the same bed as Pony when you stayed over his house which was often. You rested bedside Pony who tried talking to Johnny but the boy was fast asleep. "This floor is hard man." Pony said, the last thing you heard before falling asleep. 

About an hour later Johnny had come back with a box of groceries. "A loaf of bread, a bunch of bologna, peanut butter..." Johnny said unloading the box. You and Pony helped him looking at all the items. "Gone with the wind? How'd you know I wanted gone with the wind?" Pony asked Johnny looking over a book. "I remember you talking about it, besides remember we all went to see the movie?" He said unloading still as you hummed. "Thanks Johnny." He replied.

You were almost finished unloading. "Cigarettes, a deck of cards...peroxide?" Pony said. He looked at Johnny for a while. "Johnny your not thinking-" "We gonna cut our hair Ponyboy." Johnny interrupted. "Ha!" You laughed pointing at Pony as he glared at you. "You too y/n." Johnny said grinning as Pony snorted. You rolled your eyes as Johnny kept talking, "We gonna bleach our hair too." He said. "On top of that of course. Every time you continue Johnny it just gets worse." You said putting the jar of peanut butter away.

"C'mon guys they'd cut our hair anyways if they caught us." Johnny said walking over to Pony who was sitting down. "Why?" "I don't know it's their way of breaking us I guess. Come on Pony I'm going to cut my hair too and wash out all the grease." Johnny said pulling out his switchblade. "And you need it." You snickered running your hand through Pony's hair.

"Alright." Pony said before Johnny started cutting his hair. "Ow!" Pony said almost every 10 seconds. "Gee your being kind of rough aren't you Johnny?" You asked him leaning towards him. Johnny shrugged, "I don't mean to." "Ow!" Pony shouted. "All I'm saying is don't do me like that." You said punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Can I see it now?" Pony asked him. "No I gotta bleach it first." Johnny replied. "Then start bleaching quit cutting." Pony said sarcastically.

After Pony's bleaching and big reveal, it was your turn. You had long brunette curls that went down to the half point of your back. Soon Johnny and Pony had started cutting it. It didn't pain you too much cause your hair was long but you could tell Pony was trying to be extra harsh for you teasing him before. They cut it they bleached it and after what felt like forever, they handed you the mirror to see your new look. Your hair was now so blonde it could be mistaken as white. Your hair no longer went down to your back but to your shoulder length, and they'd cut you some bangs. 

You shrugged as Johnny took a seat on the grass outside and handed Pony the switchblade. "Go ahead, get your jollies." He chuckled. "My pleasure." Pony said happily. "Be nice, I didn't cut that much off yours." "It was your idea smarty." 

The next four or five days seemed like the longest ever. It was the same routine ever day. Get up, play cards, (the boys) smoke a couple cigarettes, eat a sandwich, maybe play around with the bunnies outside, play more cards, have Ponyboy read Gone With The Wind, then go to sleep. 

You'd have to admit though reading gone with the wind was probably your favorite part, and Johnny's too. He'd always seem so intrigued the way he'd listen and comment after Pony read a stanza. You had to admit he was adorable. Tuff but adorable. You guys had really grown closer during this time. Laughing and joking and playing rough with each other, but sometimes you could tell Pony felt left out so you made sure to include him more.

One morning you had woken up to see Ponyboy not by your side anymore. Johnny must've noticed too because you both got up and went outside. It was beautiful. The pink and orange ombre sky, the wind through the trees and grass, the wind through Johnny and Ponyboy's hair...everything was just perfect. You both walked over to Ponyboy standing by the gate and joined him, admiring the scenery. 

"Pretty isn't it, all gold and silver?" Johnny asked as you nodded in agreement pushing the bangs out of your face. "Too bad it can't stay like that all the time." Johnny continued. You faced him, he was already looking back at you. God he was so beautiful. Without the grease in his hair causing it to drape in front of face, you could really admire his features. His beautiful tan skin, his brown pools for eyes, that adorable smirk of his. You felt you cheeks warming for a moment before returning back to normal.

 "Nothing gold can stay. Natures first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; but only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf, so Eden sank to grief. So dawn goes down today. Nothing good can stay." Pony said. You and Johnny faced him, "Where'd you learn that Pony?" You asked him. "Robert Frost wrote it. I always remember it cause I never understood what it meant." Pony said grinning. He looked nice in the sunset too, especially with the blonde hair. He looked quite dreamy you had to admit, but you always found yourself looking back at Johnny. 

"Ya know I never really noticed the clouds and stuff until you pointed them out to me Ponyboy, before it's like they were never even there." Johnny had said. You held on to the boys every word even though he wasn't even talking to you. "I don't think I could even talk to Steve, or Dally, or Twobit or even Darry about the clouds and sunset. Just you guys and Sodapop." Ponyboy said looking back down from the sunset. "And maybe Cherry Valence." He added as you groaned quietly.

You motioned the boys to follow you back to the church to start the day.