Johnny's Secret (The Outsiders)

Ch. 1 Page 2

   Johnny had finally made it to the little shack of a home. Quietly walking up the brick steps onto the porch, he hesitantly knocked on the door afraid of waking his friends up. Though Darry, the oldest Curtis brother, said he could just come in at any time if he needed to, Johnny still wanted to be polite yet it still didn't seem that polite to wake them up this late. He leaned against the house, his hands still in his pockets and still shivering from the cold.
   Suddenly his mind went to the soc girl he met earlier. He was still a bit baffled by her empathy and compassion. There was no sickened look, or harsh tone. No mean words or aggressive body language. Her voice was soft and kind, as if the two of them had always been friends or at least been good acquaintances. He thought of her shiny blond hair and the feel of her hand as he helped her up. He shook his head.
   No. He thought, you can't think that way of a soc girl. We're on two completely different sides of the food chain! You're a greaser, you do greaser things and say greaser words! She's a soc! So what she was nice just this once, who knows what she might be saying about you behind your back to her snobby, rich friends! And god forbid she tells the boys about this!
   "Johnny?" A tired voice said. Johnny popped up from the house.
   "Oh hey Sodapop."
   "Rough night again?"
   "Yeah." Sodapop looked at him and yawned.
   "Alright, come inside and you can sleep on the couch. I would wake Pony or Darry up but they went at it again after Darry found out Pony had stolen a couple dollars off a store counter."
  "Oh, that's unusual of him."
  "Yeah, he said he had good reason. We haven't had some good food in a while and Pony just wanted to help Darry. His hearts in the right place he just-" Soda paused trying to think of what to say. "I don't know. They just don't get along well sometimes. Gets tiring having to be in the middle sometimes."
   "I feel you. Did Darry take the money back?"
   "Yeah he did, kind of hoping he wouldn't though," Soda said with a small laugh. He handed Johnny a blanket and a pillow off one of the rocking chairs. "Here ya go buddy. Need anything else?"
  "Not really, just sleep that's all," Johnny made himself a spot on the couch and took off his shoes and jacket.
   "Alright. G'night then," Soda ruffled his hair and made his way back upstairs to bed.

     Johnny woke up to the smell of chocolate cake and whispered speaking. He sat up from the couch and rubbed his sleepy, swollen face.
   "Mornin' sleepin' beauty!" A voice said. He turned to see Dally at the dinner table with the Curtis's.
  "Morning," he mumbled in a croaky voice. He threw the blanket off his legs and joined his friends for breakfast. On each plate was a tiny slice of chocolate cake. On Darry's side of the table sat an empty cup of black coffee, he had already left for work at his roofing job.
   "Saved you a slice," Ponyboy handed him his own plate with its own delectable piece of the tasty dessert. Johnny sat down immediately and scarfed the food down, he was also offered the rest of Pony's chocolate milk which he drank up too.
    "Oh Johnny!" Pony cried, "what's with your leg?" Johnny looked down to see that part of his bruised and cut leg had peaked through the bottom of his jeans.
   "Oh don't worry about me Pony" he started, "Just the usual. I'm fine."
   "I'll help you clean up some of those cuts," Soda got up from his chair and wet a washcloth to clean off some of the dried blood.
   "No Soda it's okay really- ah!" He flinched as the cold water dripped down in his sore cuts.
   "You heard the boy, Soda, he's okay," Dally said.
   "Not everyone's all tough like you are though, Dally."
   "Doesn't mean he needs his diaper changed though does it?" Soda rolled his eyes and continued to help Johnny's injuries. Ponyboy brought a few bandaids to cover the now clean wounds. They both stuck the bandages on for him. Dally snickered and tried to hide his laugh as he witness Johnny being treated like a baby.
   "Now, now!" Johnny exclaimed, "I'm okay leave me be!" He kicked his feet at them to shoo them off.
   "Just tryin' to help Johnnycake," Soda laughed.
  "I can walk it off, I've survived plenty of other beatings have I?"
   "Don't talk like that Johnny, we just want to help you, our house our rules. You're family."