Before My Time Shorts: The Outsiders

Question 2: When Does Pony Write The Book?

MariaRamos690
1966
Timeline C
Pony's POV

As soon as we zapped home from the futuristic doo-hickey that Bri had possession of, the words she told me before we left stuck with me. I ain't too good at understanding this time travel stuff, but I knew that if I didn't write that essay, none of this would happen. We never would have met Bri, or Jenni, or Lillian, or would have gone to 2017. They would have been nothing but a memory, and I'd be damned to let that happen.

"This is a nonfiction book, made into a movie. The author, is Ponyboy Curtis," Bri said to us when we sat in the couch in her living room in 2017. I was still in shock of discovering her true identity. I remembered a long, late-night talk I had with Soda about it. After we both figured that we weren't crazy, he said that he didn't care what year she was from. He said that the only thing that mattered was that he was with her.

"That's my name," I had said, and I put my arm around Bri's younger sister, Jenni. She was such a doll, and I missed her tons.

"You are the author, Ponyboy. Then it was made into a movie in the 80's," she continued.

"When do I write it?" I asked.

"You write it as an English essay sometime in 1966. Probably as soon as we get you back home."

"Sweet."

"You just gotta remember to write it. If you don't, then none of this happens."

"That's a lot of pressure. But I can do it."

And she was right. Nearly a week after we got settled back in 1966, my English teacher, Mr. Syme, gave us a paper assignment on something that was important to us. I was quick to know what to write about, even if it wasn't for Bri... probably. I wanted to emphasize the split between social classes, between Socs and Greasers. What had happened with the events of 1965 and 1966 was probably best case scenario, it could have ended so much worse. And from the way that Bri and Lillian and even Jenni tip-toed around some topics, made me feel like our future should have been much more different if it weren't for Bri.

I wanted to tell the side of the story that is often overlooked in our society. Greasers. It was too vast of a problem to just be a personal issue, I knew other people could relate to it. I hoped that me writing this would benefit other outsiders out there, pleading for help that they weren't going to get. Maybe that's what I should call it, The Outsiders.

Telling out of the story was important to me, and I hoped that this would also teach Socs not to be so quick to judge us. I called up my English teacher and asked, "Mr. Syme, this is Ponyboy. That theme— how long can it be?"

"Why, uh, not less than five pages."

"Can it be longer?"

"Certainly, Ponyboy, as long as you want."

"Thanks," I said and hung up.

It only took a minute of brainstorming to know what to write, but it was difficult to figure out where to begin. There was no way I was going to mention anything about Bri's time travel or my own experience, because no one would take it seriously. I finally begun like this: 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...

I even sketched a little picture to act as the cover for my paper, as if it was a book. I like to draw and paint a lot but I usually don't get the chance to. I found myself sketching some buildings at the bottom of the page, as if it was Tulsa. In the space above, I drew a little picture of myself, with everyone else with me. I want to show that beyond this cover is more than just a story about seven greasers and a girl. It's about the struggles we have endured being the outsiders of society, love, and loss.

That grade 'A' was probably one of the most proud that Darry has been of me in a long time. Writing it made me feel like Bri was still on the other side of that wall, making dinner with Soda or watching the television with Two-Bit back before we knew that he is her Grandfather.

I even got Soda to read it, which I think helped him with his loneliness and to get over missing her. I told him that if he ever missed her, to just crack open the book. He tries not to read the church burning part, because it reminds him of the trauma we put him through. I've always felt awfully bad about that, and I know that Bri did too. It has always bothered me that she must have known about the church and Bob getting killed and didn't do anything about it. However, she did refuse to let Johnny near the church. What did she know that we didn't?

Eventually, Darry told me that once it has been two months and Soda is still mopey, he was going to "knock some sense into him", but I thought that was a bad idea. Alas, he never listens to me.