Sunsets and the Stars // Johnny x Ponyboy

Chapter Twelve // I've Got To See

I wasn't who had screamed, because someone was dragging me down the hallway. I looked up at him, only to realize it was Dally. He was gripping me tightly, and I could feel red marks on my arms starting to appear.

"Dal? What's going on? Who's screaming?" I asked. Dal stopped walked, but didn't let my arm go.

"Something is happening to Johnny, Ponyboy. Steve told me to come and get you," rushed Dal. He didn't breathe at all when he spoke. He was talking fast, and I didn't catch anything he was saying.

"Johnny began to breathe heavy and he started to cry and he said that he couldn't see and that everything hurt. He let out a scream before he fell out of his chair, and hit his head on the floor. He's out cold," stated Dally. I gasped.

"Where is he?" I questioned. I was beyond worried.

"I don't know yet. We have to find Steve," said Dally. I nodded.

We began to look around the emergency room for a mop of black, messy hair.

-

When we finally found Steve, he was a wreck. His eyes were puffy from crying, and his hair was a mess. When he saw me, he engulfed me with a huge hug, and began to sob.

"Steve, what's going on?" I asked him. He pulled away.

"They said that Johnny started to have a seizure because of PNES. They're gonna run some tests," he stated. When I heard the word "seizure," my heart dropped.

I looked up at Dal, and realized that he was tearing up too. He was extremely close to Johnny. They were like brothers.

I couldn't imagine loosing a brother.

And then I remembered.

I had already lost one.

-

It was the next day, and I woke up in the emergency room. Next to me slept Steve and Dally. Two Bit and Darry were nowhere to be found.

My back hurt because we were sitting in some shitty chairs, and we weren't able to lay down properly.

I got up, and looked at a window. Outside, you could see the sun begin to rise. It was beautiful. The sky was yellow and orange, and everything seemed to glow.

I decided to wake Steve up. I wasn't feeling too well, and I wanted to talk to someone. I felt like everything was going terribly because Sodapop hated me, and Johnny was hurt.

I shook Steve awake. He fluttered his eyes open, which were a beautiful blue shade. His black hair was messy, and it stood up in every direction. He let out a yawn.

"What is it, Ponyboy?" he asked tiredly. I could tell that he didn't sleep well.

"Everything is going wrong," I mumbled. Steve grabbed my hand.

"Tell me," he stated. I nodded.

"Sodapop hates me. I told him that I love Johnny. He hates me," I said crying. Steve didn't say anything, so I decided to continue.

"Now Johnny's in the emergency room too because of his seizure. I don't even know what caused it, but I know that it's not good and I miss him and I want to see him," I stated.

"Do you want to know why Johnny had a seizure?" asked Steve. I nodded slowly.

"He was having a seizure because of PNES. What that means is that he either had a seizure from too much trauma, anxiety, stress, or depression. He broke," mumbled Steve. I began to cry harder.

"I need to see him," I stated firmly.

I got up, and walked to the nearest nurse.

Nothing was going to stop me from seeing him.

-

I sat in a chair next to Johnny's bed. He was asleep. His black hair was thrown in every direction, and he looked pale. His lips were thin.

I began to think of the last time we were here.

Johnny had gotten hurt when we went into the burning church. He was wheezing in pain as he laid in his bed, clutching at the sheets. His breathing was heavy, and he looked like he wanted the pain to end.

I looked at some patches on his skin, which looked burned. I wondered if the doctors could fix it.

Johnny looked me in the eyes. His eyes were black, but they were my favorite. I didn't notice it back then, but that was when I started to like Johnny.

Johnny grabbed my hand and squeezed it. He looked like he was trying to say something.

"What is it, Johnnycakes?" I asked, stroking his cheek. He tried to smile.

"I just want you to know that you mean the world to me, Ponyboy. I couldn't have picked a better person to run away with," he said.

I tried to smile, even though I was crying a bit. Johnny was the friend who meant everything to me.

Every time something bad happened to Johnny, it made me feel terrible. When his dad beat him, I would hold him closely, and I would put bandages on his cuts. When he felt worthless, I was there to tell him that he was worth the world.

I would bleed and fight for him. I would do anything for him. Maybe things would continue to get harder, but I wanted Johnny by my side for all of it.

I reached out to grab Johnny's hand. I squeezed it tight.

I felt heat when I touched him.

I looked at him with love and concern. I felt terrible. I was probably one of the reasons why he was so stressed.

"I love you," I whispered under my breathe. Johnny stirred in his sleep.

I looked down at the floor for a second, and then looked back at Johnny. His eyes were slightly open, and his long lashes were against his cheeks.

"Ponyboy," he said hoarsely. He squeezed my hand. I didn't let go.

"I'm here," I replied. I looked down at our intertwined hands.

"Did you mean it?" he asked. I gave him a strange look. He sat up.

"Did I mean what, Johnnycakes?" I questioned.

"Did you mean it when you said you loved me?" he asked. I swear I could see a smile.

Before I got the chance to answer, I felt a pair of lips on mine, and a hand cupping my cheek.

There was a knock at the door.