The Other Story

Ponyboy

Ponyboy's P.O.V

"Are you guys cold?" Noel asks and I shrug.

"Kind of." She strikes a match a throws it into the small fire pit.

"Are you still hungry Noel? We still have stuff to make sandwiches." I suggest and she makes a disgusted face.

"No if I do I'll get sick again." She says as she puts more wood in the fire.

"Are you sure?" I ask as I hold out the loaf of bread and she nods. Me and Johnny start playing go fish as Noel sits next to the fire. She starts coughing but quickly tries gets her breathing back in check.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asks and she nods.

"I'm fine." She manages to get out and we both stare at her.

"I'm fine. Really." She says as she stands up and walks over to us.

"When do you think Dally will get up here?" She asks as she sits next to us.

"A week.. Maybe two." I answer and she nods.

"You guys aren't scared?" She questions and me and Johnny look at each other. Of course we're scared. Johnny could got to jail or we could get killed up here.

"Are you?" Johnny asks and she nods.

"Do you think my parents are worried about me?" Johnny asks and we stare at him.

"Why does it matter? I thought you hated them." Noel says and he shrugs.

"It'd just be nice to know they're worried." He admits and I sigh.

"Johnny my parents don't care about me. They could care less if I was dead. Dally's parents don't even know he left New York and they don't care because they've come to the conclusion that he's dead. Johnny the guys are worried, the girls are worried. Dawn would file a police report but she knows you can get taken away so fast she won't even have a chance to explain herself. Okay? Do you realize how much you mean to us?" She tells him and he sighs. He puts down his cards, crosses the room and falls asleep on the floor. As the sky starts getting darker the light from the fire dances on the walls. Noel stares into the fire and I realize how small she looks. Almost like a kid and I realize that she's still only seventeen..

"Why don't you get to bed.." She says quietly and I nod. She looks at me and I see her green eyes are watery. She looks like she wants to say something but closes her mouth. I take off my hoodie and wrap it around her shoulders.

"Pony.. I-"

"I'm not cold." I cut her off as I lay down in front of the fire and fall asleep, dreaming about being home.