Kid Cousin - Ponyboy Curtis X !Winston Reader

Mr Tough Guy

The next few days were the worst I've ever had. I couldn't sleep, I didn't have an appetite and the whole gang was in this sort of depressive state. The worst thing about it was that everyone else was fine. They were going on with their lives but the gang and I were in this little bubble of dispair.

I was throwing myself into schoolwork beacause I needed something to take my mind off things.
I hung out with Two and Steve at lunch, which is only fun beacause everyone stopped staring after the third day.

One day after school I walked out the school gates with them and Dally was waiting there. He said that he wanted to walk me home (which Two-Bit usually did).

When we got to my house I invited him in. My Dad would be back for another hour or two.

"What's up?" I asked him when he sat down at the counter. He didn't say anything the whole walk home.

"I'm going to see them," he half whispered.

I almost dropped the cookie I was holding "we are going to go see them," I corrected and took a bite from the cookie.

Dally looked up at me and snapped out of his 'sadness trance' "I'll be going early tomorrow. You will be in school."

"I can ditch," I shrugged, my mouth full of cookie.

"Where's did the little swot of a cousin go," Dally chuckled.

"All I know is that she left when you did," I walked out of the kitchen only to be followed by Dally.

"I didn't know that you still mad about that," He stared at his feet.

"I'm not I just-"

"Well you obviously are!" he said a little to loudly but then took a deep breath "I'm sorry. But why mention it now after being here like 3 weeks."

"Beacause you're doing it again," I said quitely.

He looked confused.

"Dally I know you better than you know yourself. When things get hard you take off, it's your way of coping. No matter how much you like to think of yourself as 'mr tough guy' you will always be a scared kid. If you go up to Windrixville alone, who knows when you will come back," a moment of silence followed my speach, Dallas's face turned blank but after a while he sighed and I swore that I saw him wipe away a tear.

"You're right. I wasn't planning on coming back. I'm sorry for runnin',"he mumbled.

"It's alright, now can I please come with you?" I looked up at him.

He sighed once more. "Alright, alright. Meet me outside Bucks as soon as your Dad leaves for work tommorrow, "he said.

"Yes!" I fist pumped the air

"Right I gotta go. See ya kiddo," he announced and opened the front door.

"See ya Dal," I waved as he closed the door.

A grin spread on my face from the thought that after a week, I would know if Ponyboy and Johnny were ok.