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

Chapter 19 | Hearing and Listening Part. 2

Soda had cooked dinner that night. You were awfully silent again, this became a normal occurrence so nobody questioned it anymore. You had just finished eating and you didn't even have time to fully digest the food in peace before Darry, and Ponyboy got into it.

"What's the sweat about my school work! Look at Soda, he's a dropout and he's doing alright!"

"You're not dropping out with your brains, you could get a scholarship and we could put you through college! But school works not the big deal! Johnny and Dally were our buddies too but you can't just stop living because you loose someone!"

Back and forth, and back and forth they went.

"And whenever you don't like how I'm running things, you can just get out!"

"Well you'd like that wouldn't you?! You'd like to me to just get out, well it's not that easy is it Soda?" Pony had asked his brother who was listening to them argue with his hands between his hands. And suddenly he snapped.

"DAMN YOU GUYS! LEAVE ME OUT OF IT!" Soda had suddenly shouted before getting up from the table, and taking off out the door.

"Deja vu..." you whispered quietly as Darry explained quickly about Soda's girlfriend, Sandy leaving him all in the same week of Dally's and Johnnys death, not to mention two weeks before his birthday. And with that you all took off after him.

You were fast after him, faster than Darry, slower than Ponyboy. Darry came up with a quick plan for Ponyboy to cut him off. Once he did, he tackled Sodapop to the ground as you and Darry surrounded him.

"Damn it Ponyboy, you should've tried out for football not track." Soda groaned. "The hell do you think your going?" Pony asked him getting off.

Soda explained how he couldn't take it anymore. How he couldn't stand the two boys bickering back and forth as he, and you watched.

"Ponyboy, Darry coulda put you in a boys home. Put himself through college. Just listen to him." Soda explained, "And Darry you gotta learn to stop getting onto him for every little thing." Darry nodded. "I'm tired of you two fighting all the time and I'm sure y/n is too. But when you try and make me choose sides...we're all we got left." You knew it was true. It was different when Soda said it.

Those had to be the hardest hitting words you've ever heard. Maybe a week ago you wouldn't have truly understood them. Things have changed.

Darry and Ponyboy apologized to Soda for making him feel the way he did, and even though you didn't seem to be the problem, you apologized too. You all hugged and made up before racing back to the house. It was tie, because what's better than staying together?

...

You walked into Ponyboy's room and sat down comfortably on his bed. Pony was sitting at his desk staring at a blank piece of paper, whilst tapping his pen on surface. 

"Sup Pony?" You asked before taking a sip of your Sunny D juice. "Hey..." he said still facing his desk. You looked at the back of his head in confusion. "Still trying to write that essay huh?" You said eyeing over his shoulder. 

"Yup. This had to be the hardest assignment I've ever done." Pony sighed, throwing his pen onto the table. 

"You'll get through it Ponyboy, after all this is most definitely not the hardest thing you've been through." You snorted before taking another sip of your juice. "Joking to deal with the pain, awesome coping method." Ponyboy said sarcastically.

You frowned at him. Maybe a week or two ago you could deal with his sarcasm, but right now you could live without it. "Sorry y/n, I'm just really upset that's all." Pony said as he studied your face. 

"Oh it's alright, just letting my emotions show a lot more now. I've always felt that way about your sarcasm." You teased him as he grinned a bit. "Hey, why not just look for inspiration?" You said to him. 

"Oh I've been trying." Ponyboy replied. You looked all around his room, the bed, the carpet, the various books lying on the floor, the pretty set of golden light coming from the sun outside the blinds. Then you looked back at Ponyboy, and from there your eyes trailed back over to his desk. There on his desk was the same copy of Gone With The Wind Johnny had given back to him. 

You walked over to it and stared, you both did. Neither of you said a word, just stared at the book as if it were going to begin talking. You placed your hand on the book ready to open it before Ponyboy stopped you with his hand.

"Are you sure you wanna do this y/n?" Pony asked, looking at your with concern. You nodded as Ponyboy removed his hand slowly. You opened the book and flipped through the endless pages. Suddenly a note flew out of the book, gliding softly in the air before landing on the desk. Along side it fell a heart pendant locket. Inside one half was a shared picture of you and Johnny a couple years back, and the other side wrote "I love you forever." In small lettering. 

Pony picked up the note and read it aloud: "Dear Ponyboy and Y/N, I asked the nurse to give you this book so you could both finish it. And I got the locket for you Y/N, don't ask how. I just wanted to let you know I always love you. I'm getting slower and slower but I don't mind dying now. It was worth saving those kids, they deserve to live. Even their parents came by to thank me. Tell Dally it's worth it too. Although I am going to miss you guys. I thought about that golden poem. He meant your gold when you're a kid, like green. When you're a kid everything is new, dawn. It's just that when you get used to everything it's day. Like the way you dig sunsets Pony, or the way that Y/N needs to make sure everyone is ok and loves to dance, that's golden. Tell Dally to look at a sunset. He'll think your crazy, but just do it for me. And you two don't be so bothered over being a Greaser. You still have a lot of time to be who you want. There's still good in the world. Tell Dally. I don't think he knows. Your best buddy, Johnny."

You and Ponyboy both stayed silent. You bit your lip a bit as a tear fell from your eye. "Oh Johnny, the only boy who delivered me from becoming an outsider." You wanted to break down again, but instead a slow smile crept across your lips.

"Wow, you're taking it a lot better than I thought." Pony said, his voice cracking a bit. You could tell he was trying to avoid being emotional. "Well, life waits for no one Ponyboy. It's tough, and it hurts but...life goes on. Doesn't mean Johnny won't always be apart of me." You said rubbing your new treasured locket.

Ponyboy nodded and wiped a tear from his eye before it fell onto his cheek. Then suddenly, he made this face as if he had an idea before picking up his phone. He dialed a number, waited then began speaking once it picked up. 

"Mr. Syme, this is Ponyboy. That theme...how long can it be?" Pony asked. Another long pause as you couldn't hear the other speakers voice. "Can it be longer than five pages?" Pony asked another question. "Thanks." And with that, Ponyboy hung up

"You called the teacher Pony?" You asked as he nodded and picked up his pen once again. Ponyboy looked at you, then back at his book on his desk, then down at his piece of paper. You watched as the gears stopped, then moved in his head again. 

"I've got it." Pony suddenly said as his pen met the paper. "Ooh! Read aloud Pony! I wanna hear!" You smiled sitting back down on his bed getting comfortable.

"Alrighty then!" Pony smiled. His pen began writing, "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..."

THE END =)

...

Well ok technically not the end. BUT it is the end of this time period point in the story. I WAS going to end the story here but I've decided to write one more part. It might be a quick chapter but it's more of a update in the story. The ending was a little bitter sweet and I have a hate/love relationship with books/movies like that so, I'm just doing a little "up to date" chapter (not litteraly in our current time period though). So stick around for that if you don't want the end to finish here.

Otherwise I really hope you enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!  Hopefully there will  be more in the future!