High on Life | Johnny Cade | The Outsiders

Chapter 10 | Burgers

Eric's House

"I-uh." That's all I could get out of my mouth. I was scared to say something.

Eric knew about how my dad was a drunk. How I didn't get along with him. How him and Dally always got in fights. Both arguments and fist fights. I just never told him about he was for me.

I mean, dad had never been that bad for me before. He has slapped me a few times, he's thrown a thing or two at me. He's never done anything as bad as this. 

"Ava." He said seriously. I don't think I've ever heard him use that tone with me. Frankly, it worried me. Eric is stubborn, he's just like that. I didn't want him to get it out of me.

Something about my dad doing this shook me. I was horrified. I thought he would come through the door to get to me again. Or when I went back, he'd kill me.

I felt tears in my eyes again, damn it.

"Ava, please. Who hurt you?" He asked desperately. He looked at me with pain in his eyes. That look broke me.

"My dad." I whispered. I was so quiet, I couldn't hear the words from my own lips, but judging by Eric's facial expression, he heard me.

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"Ava."

"Huh?"

I hadn't even realized Johnny had been trying to get my attention. I was completely zoned out, thinking about Eric again. He did so much for me, and I just left him, and hurt him.

"I was just saying that Darry'll be here soon, you can meet him." He said.

"Oh, okay." I sank into the couch. The full gravity of the situation was just hitting me. It was hitting hard.

I can't cry again. I've been so weak, I'm hurting. I can't let it phase me, no matter how much it is hurting.

The door opened and a tall muscular man entered. Must be Darry. I would say I don't know much about it him, but Ponyboy loved telling me about how strict he was, where he worked, what he did, about how he took over after their parents died, age, so safe to say, I already know a lot about this man.

"Uh Darry, this is Ava..." Pony paused for a second, "Dally's sister."

Darry's eyes momentarily went wide, but then he held out his hand to shake it. "Hello, Ava." He said kindly.

"Uh, hello..." I wasn't quite sure how to address him. He's older and definitely has authority, so I don't know if I should call him Darry or not. I tend to overthink these kinds of things and it's too awkward to ask.

He put his stuff down in what I'd guess is his room and he came back out.

"So what brings ya here to Tulsa?" He asked.

"Well, I came to find my brother after I ran from the cops." I said as if it were nothing.

"God, you really are like Dally." He joked. I chuckled. I found it pretty funny, but I haven't had a good laugh in ages. Darry began to walk into the kitchen.

"Ya'll want dinner?" He asked.

"Yeah, I could eat." Johnny said.

"Same." Pony said. They all looked at me for an answer. 

"Sure." I said.

"What do ya want?" He asked.

Pony looked at me after a moment of silence. "Up to you."

I shrugged. "I haven't eaten in so long, I'll take anything."

"The point of asking you was so you could tell us what you wanted." Pony said.

"To put it simply, none of us can ever decide." Johnny said. I shrugged.

"I don't know, burgers? Haven't had those in a while." I said.

"Okay, burgers it is." Darry said, walking further into the kitchen.

"This is going to be awkward." I mumbled to myself.