The Other Side - The Outsiders in a different perspective

Chapter 9

My eyelids flew open. I didn't know where I was. I sat up trying to remember, until my memories washed over me like a wave. I killed someone. An actual human being, and I just took his life right from him. I remembered Dally saying something about how we needed supplies. I got up and I walked to the nearest store that was about 3 miles away.

I walked through the automatic doors of the grocery store. I was very worried that someone would see who it was. I cautiously walked over to the other side of the small convenient store to avoid suspicion. I looked through the aisles, when I heard a familiar voice coming from the milk aisle. It sounded a lot like Two-Bit. I peeked into the aisle, disappointment washed over me. No one was there. I missed the boys so very much. I hope my parents were worried for me. I missed them as much as I missed the boys. I want to go home, and pretend none of this ever happened. I wondered how Pony was holding up back at the church.

I grabbed a week's supply of food and a couple extra items, and beat it outta there. I didn't wanna be there any longer than I had to. I hiked up the large hill that led to the old church. I was still pretty tired, but I was too awake to fall back asleep. I walked through the back door of the church. Ponyboy was leaning on the wall and said with one eyebrow raised, "fancy meeting you here." I just smiled at him, "I swear Ponyboy, you're gettin to act like Two-Bit every day."

Pony started rummaging through the plastic bag. "Baloney... Bread...Gone With The Wind! How did you know I wanted one of these?"

"I heard you talkin about it, and we went to see that movie, member?" I said red-cheeked.

Pony just dug into the bag once more. "Deck of cards... Peroxide?" He said with confusion. Then, I saw the idea dawn on him. "You ain't thinkin of..."

"Were gonna cut our hair Ponyboy, and we're goin to bleach yours," I said with a sigh.

His hands flew to his hair. "No Johnny! Not my hair!"

I knew how much his hair meant to him. Mine meant a lot to me too, but we needed to be disguised in some way in case we had to leave the church. Finally, Pony's hand slowly drooped to his side. "Go ahead,"

I started cutting, and sawing. His hair was very silky and smooth. I think I like his hair without grease. After a lot of cutting, I was finally finished. His hair looked strange. His hair fell down in tufts all over his head. He looked different, but not different enough.

"Can I see now?" Pony asked.

"Not yet, we have to bleach it first," I answered.

Now, I started the process of bleaching Ponyboy's hair. It was a long process, but it was worth it. He didn't look anything like him. His hair was bright blonde, with short hair that fell in wisps on his head. He reminded me of Dally.

I found a cracked mirror in the church, and gave it to Pony. He looked disappointed. I knew he would. Now it was my turn. Pony cut, and cut, and cut until it was finally over. We both had on our "disguises," and we looked in the cracked mirror. My hair was very fluffy, and short. For the first time, I saw my bushy eyebrows in a long time, and the skin on my forehead was lighter than the rest of my face.

"Well, I guess were disguised," I said slowly. Breaking the tension between us. Pony just looked at the mirror with a stone hard expression.

"Shoot, it's just hair," I said with sarcasm.

"Shoot nothing, it just ain't hair, it's like being in a Halloween costume you can't get out of," Pony cried. "Do you remember last night when we were just looking up to the stars, dreamin-"

"Stop!" I screamed. "I killed a kid last night," I was crying, "For a minute he was just a normal person, breathing and talking, and I just took it from him."

I stopped crying, when Pony started. I guess he missed his brothers an awful lot. Pony rested his head on my shoulder, kept cryin, until we both dropped off.

I woke up in a haze. Ponyboy was awake too.

"Are we going to cry anymore?" Pony asked.

"I don't think so, I think we're all cried out now. We got used to the idea," I responded.

I thought about what I had just said. It was true. I felt like I could handle anything now. I wasn't scared anymore. I thought about it, while I fell back asleep.