Chapter Text
Life has been...different for Ponyboy the last 6 months. For one Johnny is at his house at least 6/7 days a week. Him and Soda set up his old room for him and everything so he basically lives with them at this point. The whole gang has changed really, Darry still yells at him, but its become a rare thing since Soda ran off. Speaking of Soda, he's slowly moving on from Sandy and starting to talk to other girls, he even went out with one. Although he quickly decided she wasn't the one for him. Two-bit's still an alcoholic, Pony doesn't think anyone could ever change that, but surprisingly he actually got a job. He works at a diner down near bucks now and he's somehow hasn't gotten fired yet, but that might be because he only works on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Dallas still runs around, still gets thrown in the cooler every other week, yet now there's a slight carefulness in his actions. Like he now truly knows how one fuck up could change everything but at the same time he doesn't really care as much as he should. Steve is just Steve but slightly more annoying. He's always around now for no good reason and it drives Pony insane.
As much as Pony doesn't want to admit it he's pretty different to. His grades went from all As to B's and C's, which isn't the worst possible but it kinda hurts when you've gotten As all you life. He just can't focus anymore, he zones out in class or just doodles on the edges of his notes. He also keeps fucking up in track. So far this season, he's barley been able to keep up with the runners in the middle. He gets out of breath way to quickly and can't run more than two or three laps without having to stop. The track season is coming to an end and he hasn't even gotten 5th place or higher at any of his meets, he used to get in the top three almost every time! He just needs to focus.
Focus Pony
"You need to learn how to focus" he mumbles, hitting his head on his desk. What was he doing again? Oh yeah, he was trying to finish last nights homework before school. The same homework Darry told him to do 3 ti!He's last night. The same homework he kept telling himself he'd do later. He bangs his head on the desk one more time before quickly jotting down the answers, not bothering to show his work and shoving it in his bag. For once he was glad Soda had already left for work with Steve and wasn't there to see him being so lazy.
"Pony come get your breakfast and go before your late!" Pony hears Darry yell from the kitchen, obviously trying not to let the frustration in his voice show.
"Yeah I'm coming hold on a sec!" He yells back, throwing his back pack over his shoulder and hurrying to the kitchen. He doesn't bother sitting down, instead he just starts shoveling his eggs into his mouth.
"glory kid slow down! I promise I'm not hear to steal your food!" Two-bit says from beside him, gesturing to the empty plate in front of him.
"I expect you to ride with Two to school today" Darry says, grabbing the plate and putting it in the sink, muttering something under his breath.
"Why can't I just walk? Every time I get in the car with Two-bit I have to fear for my life." Pony groans even though he already knows the answer, Darry never trusted him to go anywhere alone after the incident.
"Pony, you know damn well Two-bits reckless driving is better than getting jumped" Darry half yells half grumbles out. Ponyboy rolls his eyes, only one person in the gang has gotten jumped since the incident and that was Dal. He was technically the one who started it too.
"Lay off on the kid Dar, I get it later in the day but its eight a clock in the morning for gods sake, also my driving isn't that bad and you know it."
"Who lied to you" mumbled a new, much quieter voice
"Morning Johnnycakes" Ponyboy says with a smile, turning to his smaller friend, he felt like him and Johnny had been hanging out less despite him being in the house all the time. Pony guessed it was because Johnny didn't go to school. Pony really should Tutor him once he learns how to focus again.
"Mornin' Pone, ought you supposed to be at school right now?" Johnny asks, adjusting his crutches. Pony perks up and glances from the door to Johnny.
"I'm heading out right now" he says and hurries out the door before Darry can stop him. He really did not feel like dealing with Two-bit right now, even thinking about it was giving him a headache. He shakes his head and starts the familiar path to school.
His classes go by quickly, with him just zoning out the whole time and only half listening the whole time. He turns in his homework, gets many disappointed looks from his teacher s but nothing interesting, that is until he was on his way to 7th period.
He walks through the hallway quickly, watching how the tile floors seem to move as he walks. Suddenly his head is in someone's chest and he's on the floor.
"Holy shit! Is that baby Curtis I see!" He hears a familiar voice yell way too loudly.
Pony looks up to see a taller than when he's last seen him, Curly Shepard. For once his hair isn't up in a ponytail, allowing it to fall a little past his shoulders in a messy mop. He's wearing the same mischievous grin he always is as he stands over him expectingly.
"Curly?" He mumbles as he push himself up from the ground
"The one and only, I almost didn't recognize you horseboy, your blonde now? Or er- mostly blonde" He says, tilting his head slightly with a smirk. Right, not only has Pony not seen Curly for 8 months but he hasn't seen Pony either.
"You finally out of the reformatory?"
"Yeah,got out yesterday, I was supposed to get out last month but apparently I was being a bitch and that meant I needed more time to 'learn my lesson'" Curly grumbles, rolling his eyes before pushing a curl from his face.
"Sounds like you, still kinda surprised you let yourself caught in the first place though." Ponyboy scoffs.
"Mhm, hey horse boy, you should come with me after school." Curly says causually as if that wasn't suspicious as hell.
"Why?"
"Why not, c'mon man we won't cause too much trouble, you seem tuffer now anyway." He raises his eye brows as he talks, almost as if he was challenging Pony to agree.
Pony thinks about it for a second. If anyone in the gang except Dallas found out he was hanging out with Curly Shepard he would be dead. Darry would ground him for eternity and Soda would probably find an excuse too make sure him and Curly never even looked in the same direction ever again. But as much as Pony wanted to deny it, the offer really didn't seem all that bad, every experience he's had with Curly has been at least somewhat fun, maybe it would help him focus? If he could focus on something other than the normal things? Maybe,
"Okay fine, if I can get away from my gang then sure" he agrees
Curlys smirk widens into a grin "see ya then horseboy!" He says before walking past him to do probably anything but go to his classes.
What has Pony gotten himself into.