Times Change [UNDERGOING EDITS]

Chapter Five

After the movie I got up and stretched. Johnny took the opportunity to poke my side, which made me squeal and back away. Because we were making too much of a ruckus during the tickle fight that ensued, we missed the whole conversation deciding Two Bit would give the Socy girls a ride home. The thing was, we had walked there, so we had to walk back to Two's house to get his Chevy.

As we strolled back to Bit's house, Marcia and Two Bit kept up a never ending conversation that none of us could even understand. And I thought I was creative. Cherry and Ponyboy walked along, having some deep conversation about the difference between Socs and greasers. As far as I saw it, what the difference was didn't matter, the fact that there was a difference was enough to get us into a hell of a lot of trouble sometimes.

Johnny and I lagged behind a bit and just enjoyed each other's company. hat's how it worked a lot of the time with us, not much needed to be said for us to know what the other one was thinking.

"Cherry, look who's coming," Marcia said, stopping suddenly. A blue Mustang was rolling down the street towards us.

I looked at Johnny, he stood there rigidly. "A blue Mustang?" I whispered to him. He nodded slightly. My heart sped up, if it was the same Mustang, then it was the Mustang full of Socs that had beat up Johnny about four months ago.

I had just sat down on the front porch with a book when I saw Pony in the distance walking home from the DX with Sodapop and Steve. I saw Soda stoop down and pick something up off the ground at the edge of the vacant lot down the street. He looked around and then they all sprinted off across the lot. That's when I knew something was up. I called for Darry before I took off running down the street. I skidded to a stop next to the boys and what I saw shocked me.

"Shit" I mumbled, kneeling down next to Johnny. He had been beaten up pretty badly, his whole face was bruised and there was a big gash running from his temple to his jaw. It was as if the gang had sensed something was up, shortly after Darry had followed me there, Two Bit and Dally showed up. Two looked sick and Dally started exhausting his whole vocabulary of swear words. I carefully picked up Johnny's head and placed it in my lap. "Johnny?" I whispered, running my fingers through his hair as a tear escape my eye. "Johnnycake?"

He groaned and stirred, "Sis?"

"It's me Johnny, It's me" I whispered. He told us about how a blue mustang full of Socs had caught him practicing football in the empty lot. One had on a bunch of rings and that was how he got so many cuts. He was crying, he never cried when his dad beat him or when his mom screamed at him. He cried because he was scared, he was so incredibly scared and he was never going to let this happen again, since them he had carried a six inch switch blade in his back pocket. And he would use it, no one was going to do this to him again.

Darry carried him back to our house and set him on the couch. When I got home a while later, I laid down on the floor next to the couch and fell asleep there. I wasn't going to leave my best friend.

"What are we going to do?" Cherry broke me out of my terrifying flashback. I grabbed Johnny's hand and pulled him behind me as the car slowly continued towards us.

"Just stand here, there's nothing else we can do," I told her, my other hand reaching towards my back pocket.

"Who is it?" Two Bit asked, "Your boyfriends?" The girls nodded. Johnny was trembling behind me. I squeezed his hand tighter.

"Maybe they won't notice us," Cherry said quietly, "Act normal."

"No problem, I'm a natural normal," Two Bit grinned.

"If only," I mumbled, gaining a weak chuckle from Johnny.

"Don't get mouthy Winnie," Two Bit growled. The mustang passed by slowly and just kept going. We sighed in relief.