Johnny ran as fast as he could. He was running in the rain as it was getting dark. He panted as he ran. He knew exactly where he was going. The destination was only a block away and wouldn't take him long. His sides began to cramp. His heart and pulse was beating in a fast rhythm. His lungs growing tighter. He felt like his legs would fall out from under him. But he didn't care. Although, his running pace was getting slower. He knew he need to stop running but he wouldn't give up even if he ran slower. Johnny finally spotted the Curtis house. The lights were on so the brothers or one of them were home. He tried to run faster. He was almost there.

Johnny finally made it by the metal gate of their house. He leaned up against it catching his breath and clutching the bars. He reached for the lock of the gate and opened it. He entered in the yard and closed the gate door behind him and locked it again. He walked up the stairs onto the porch. Luckily, he was protected from the rain with the roof above him. Johnny held his aching sides as he approached the front door. The screen door was gone and now everyone had to knock on their door.

A month ago, the Curtis's were robbed by the Socs, even though, they had nothing valuable. Half of the Curtis's things were stolen and there were broken glass and shattered frames everywhere. The house was a complete mess. It took the Curtis's four weeks to put the house back together. But they managed to repair the damage that the Socs had created.

Johnny cautiously knocked on the door. As he waited, he put his arm against the house wall next to the door. He leaned his head against his arm and put his free hand on his hip. Breathing a little bit ragged slightly out of breath. He closed his eyes and sighed.

Ponyboy spreaded the curtains open and glanced out the window to see Johnny Cade outside looking like he had ran all the way here. Concern began to fill Ponyboy seeing his best friend in the position he was in. Ponyboy quickly got up from the couch and head for the door. He turned the doorknob.

Johnny heard the door open as someone stepped out. He looked up and saw Ponyboy Curtis who looked worried.

"Hey Pony," Johnny greeted tiredly.

"Hey Johnny," Ponyboy greeted back with worry in his voice.

Ponyboy studied Johnny in a closer view. He had some cuts on his face but the blood appeared to be washed out. He saw a centimeter hole in his shirt in his abdominal area. There was a spot of blood on the collar of his jean jacket. Ponyboys eyes widen a bit. He figured Johnny was probably beaten by his father again. He was also a bit wet from the rain he had been walking (or running) in. Ponyboy had to get him inside. It was too cold and wet for him to stay outside.

"Come on Johnny, get inside you're gonna freeze out here," Ponyboy said as he gripped Johnny's arm and lead him inside.

Johnny didn't protest. He let Ponyboy drag him inside the house. He felt the warm air in the room which was physically comforting. Ponyboy shut the door once he got Johnny in the house. He was going to ask Johnny if he wanted hot chocolate but Johnny's back was turned to him with his arms wrapped around himself staring at the ground. This made Ponyboy very worried. He walked behind Johnny slowly. He put a hand on Johnny's shoulder making him jump. Johnny turned around frightenly but then calmed when he realized it was just Ponyboy. Ponyboy raised an eyebrow in confusion. He was used to seeing Johnny jumpy but not like this.

"You okay?" Ponyboy asked.

Johnny was glancing at Ponyboy and at the floor.

"Why?" Johnny asked but didn't answer Ponyboy's question.

"You're acting really jumpier than usual," Ponyboy said.

Johnny shrugged.

"Did something happen?" Ponyboy asked concerned.

Johnny was afraid of this. Having an answer that he was okay when obviously he wasn't. He knew Ponyboy wouldn't buy it. Johnny was a terrible liar. He couldn't lie if he wanted to. The gang and everyone else could read him like a book. Johnny looked around the room to see if anyone else was there.

"Where're Darry and Soda?" Johnny asked trying to change the subject.

"They're at work," Ponyboy explained but he wasn't going to drop the previous subject. "You haven't answered my question. What's going on?"

Johnny knew Ponyboy wasn't going to drop that subject. He gave up but he didn't know what to tell Ponyboy.

"Ponyboy, can we go in your's and Soda's room?" Johnny asked wanting to keep things private even though nobody was in the house other than him and Ponyboy.

"Sure Johnnycakes," Ponyboy said.

Ponyboy and Johnny headed to his and Soda's room and Ponyboy shut the door behind him with Johnny having his back turned to him again. Seeing Johnny like this made every nerve in Ponyboy's body tensed. He was use to seeing Johnny as a nervous wreck but nothing like this. This was different.

"Johnny," Ponyboy said.

Johnny turned to face his friend who looked more concerned than when he got to their house.

"What's bothering you so bad?" Ponyboy asked.

Johnny was shaking now. He was afraid to tell Ponyboy. It was not just because of how he would react. It was because he didn't want to talk about what happened today. He had already had a rough day as it is. Johnny didn't even bother to go to school today because of the Socs bothering him and not being able to focus in school because of the thoughts he had been having lately. He didn't even bother to go to any of the gang. Because he did not want them to ask him what was wrong. He hated talking about his emotions sometimes. Especially, when he was in a mood like this. Johnny then broke out of his trance to remembering the question that was waiting to be answered. He glance at Ponyboy who was waiting for a response. Johnny had a thought just to say only about his parents just yelling at him. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He turned to face Ponyboy.

"I-it's just about my parents," Johnny stuttered. "Nothing new."

"Nothing new?" Ponyboy said not believing that statement.

"Look Pony, it's just the same old thing that happens everyday of my life. Nothing about it is new," Johnny said still sounding scared.

Ponyboy raised an eyebrow. He still wasn't believing that his parents yelling and fighting was old news. This had to be different.

"Johnny," Ponyboy started. "I know you're lying. I know you are a nervous wreck ever since those Socs jumped you but I've never seen you this jumpy with your parents. They did something else to you didn't they?"

Johnny bit his lip. He continued not to respond. But Ponyboy wasn't going to give up. Johnny wished he would already. Ponyboy looked into the sixteen year old's eyes. He saw everything that he had predicted about Johnny's emotions. Fear and sadness. Ponyboy felt upset inside. He didn't want to see his best buddy like this. Which is why he wasn't going to give up so he could help Johnny with the best of his ability.

"I know they must have done something else to you that made you this way. Just tell me what happened," Ponyboy said.

"It doesn't matter," Johnny protested.

"It does matter Johnny. Your parents hurt you and it ain't right. Everyone's worried about you. Nobody wants you to feel like you're not wanted. You are wanted," Ponyboy argued.

"I know that and I appreciate it," Johnny said. "But it's different when your parents don't love you anymore. I'm not trying complain or nothing. I'm grateful for what I have and the friends I got. But I just miss my old sober parents. The ones who didn't yell at me for nothing all the time and beat me just because the stars come out. I know you lost your parents Ponyboy but at least they never beat you or your brothers. You're lucky your brothers don't beat you either."

Johnny was right. Ponyboy was lucky to have a family that didn't abuse him even when his parents died. He felt bad for Johnny having to go through torture just because his parents get drunk.

"You're right," Ponyboy said. "But the only thing you don't know is losing someone you love and care about."

Johnny froze. Ponyboy was right. Johnny really didn't know how it felt to lose someone you loved. He stared at the floor feeling dumbfounded by complaining about his drunk parents while Ponyboy's parents are deceased. Ponyboy could tell that Johnny was feeling guilty for what he had said. Even though he had nothing to be sorry about. Johnny may have not apologized out loud but Ponyboy could read Johnny's mind telling him that he truly felt sorry. Ponyboy looked down at Johnny's wrist. There was dry blood smeared on his wrist. He began to wonder. Ponyboy grabbed Johnny's bloody wrist and studied it. There were six cuts that were now going to form into scars that he would have to permanently keep for the rest of his life. Ponyboy's mouth was half opened in shock. He looked up at Johnny. His expression was giving a sign that he was embarrassed. He didn't want Ponyboy to see that. Ponyboy looked back down at his wrist again.

"Johnny, have you been slitting your wrist?" Ponyboy asked worryingly.

Johnny's blood began to boil. Johnny jerked his wrist out of Ponyboy's grasp.

"Okay yes, I've been cutting myself. Happy?" Johnny said angrily.

"No. But…" Ponyboy was interrupted.

"I was cutting myself because of my parents," Johnny burst with tears running down his face. "My old man beat me worse today. He tried to drown me in our bathroom and beat me several times before that. He even kept doing it until I passed out cold on the floor with my hands tied behind my back. I even broke the damn mirror because I'm tired of looking at of how scared I look and how I'm a puppy. Next thing you know, my old man throws me out of the bathroom and hitting me against the wall. I told him how I felt but do you think he would listen? Because he didn't. My mom didn't even help stop everything that was going on. All she did was sit and watch like it was an action show for her or something. I nearly cut my guts out today all because of that. I'm tired of being treated that way by my own parents. I'm tired of being called weak just because I'm smaller than everyone else. I'm tired of remembering everything that happen in my childhood that I don't even remember half of the good times I use to have. I'm tired of living!"

Johnny leaned his arm against the wall and rested his head on it. He was bawling. Ponyboy was standing there wided eyed and sad looking. He had never seen Johnny this upset about anything before. Ponyboy wished he could take his pain away so he wouldn't have to be tortured. But there was nothing he could really do except comfort him. He walked behind Johnny and rubbed his back tenderly. Still bawling. Ponyboy gripped Johnny by the shoulder.

"C'mon Johnny, lets go sit on the bed," Ponyboy urged Johnny.

The two teenage boys sat on Ponyboy and Soda's bed. Tears were streaming fast down Johnny's face. As if the tears had been dying to escape the pain that Johnny was feeling. Ponyboy put his arm around Johnny's shoulder.

"I can't take much more of this Ponyboy," Johnny said sobbing. "I don't know what to do man."

"You'll figure out something," Ponyboy said in a comforting voice.

Johnny stared into his green eyes that were filled with sadness. Johnny wrapped his arms around Ponyboy. Pulling him into an embrace. Ponyboy wrapped his arms around Johnny rubbing his back again as Johnny began to sob into his shoulder. Tears were wetting Ponyboy's shirt but he didn't care. He could feel Johnny's body shaking with every cry. Ponyboy stroked Johnny's black partially dry half greased hair. Johnny's grip was getting tighter around him.

He was thinking that Johnny wouldn't want him telling the gang about all of this. If he didn't want him to tell the gang or not he still wouldn't talk about any of this. He would keep his trap shut real good no matter what the circumstances was to these situations.

It had seemed like hours of the boys embracing each other. Johnny finally had finished crying. They pulled away from each other. Johnny stared at the floor again with tears still falling. Ponyboy grasped Johnny's chin and turned his head to face him. He then used his thumb to wipe away Johnny's falling tears. Johnny's hands were trembling and his face was flushed. Tears were now slowly falling.

"Take a deep breath," Ponyboy said as Johnny took a few deep breaths while Ponyboy continued to stroke his back.

"Stay right here, I'm gonna go get you a Pepsi from the kitchen," Ponyboy said as he opened the door and walked into the kitchen. Johnny took small deep breaths to try to regain himself. Ponyboy returned with a Pepsi can in his hand. He sat down next to Johnny on the bed again and handed him the canned beverage. Johnny took it and opened the can. He took a gulp out of it. 'Man he must have been really thirsty from all that drama and crying' Ponyboy thought to himself. Johnny sighed as he pulled away the can and put it on the nightstand beside him.

"Better?" Ponyboy asked. Johnny nodded. Ponyboy remembered some of the cuts and bruises so he decided he was going to need to bandage Johnny's wounds.

"Lets fix you up," Ponyboy said and Johnny nodded while he took another drink of his Pepsi. Ponyboy pulled out the first-aid-kit from under the bed. He got an ice pack for Johnny to hold up for the bruises on his face. Ponyboy washed the dry blood off of Johnny's skin where the damages were with a wet clean rag. He then wrapped bandages around Johnny's knuckles and wrist to keep the wounds from getting infected. He put another bandage on the side of Johnny's head after cleaning the dry blood. Once he was finished, he put the first-aid-kit back where it belonged. Johnny still held the ice pack up to his face. Silence filled the room. Johnny grabbed the Pepsi and drank the whole can until it was empty. Ponyboy broke the silence.

"I'm sorry that happened to you Johnnycakes. If there was anything I could do for you just so you wouldn't be tortured I would," Ponyboy said.

"I know," Johnny said softly. After another few minutes of silence Johnny spoke up.

"Look Pony, I didn't mean to get all overreacted like that. It's just...," Johnny hesitated swallowing the lump in his throat. "I just can't take my folks fighting and arguing all the time. But no excuses. I'm sorry for acting like that.

Ponyboy was overwhelmed. Why was Johnny apologizing for his actions about his emotions? All he did was cry because of what he has been going through. Nothing Johnny did was overreacting. Ponyboy thought that he might have pushed Johnny too hard. He tries to help everyone in anyway he could. But sometimes, without realizing, Ponyboy just pushes people too far. He didn't mean to put any more pressure on Johnny. All he wanted to do was help his best friend in need. Johnny had every right to burst out like that. He needed to. There was just too much thoughts in the depth of his brain that were filling his emotions up. And those emotions were pain. At least he cried it out. Although, Ponyboy didn't know weather that he made Johnny feel worse or if he helped him.

"No, don't be sorry," Ponyboy said wanting to take the blame for pushing Johnny too hard. "I'm the one who should be apologizing.

Johnny looked at him with a confused expression. Wondering why Ponyboy was apologizing to him.

"I pushed you too hard and I felt like that I made it worse for you. You've been through a lot today. I shouldn't have made you tell me what was going on. Although, I'm really worried about you Johnny. You go through worse than all of us. And you weren't overreacting, you were just trying to express your emotions. A lot of people do that when they are put under pressure. That doesn't mean it is overreacting because it's not. I'm sorry for pushing you Johnnycake. I never meant to make you any more worse than you already were." Ponyboy apologized.

"You didn't make it worse. It actually felt pretty good to let it out. I'm glad you pushed me. You kind of showed me how to let my emotions out even if I didn't want to. I needed that a lot. Thank you Ponyboy." Johnny said with a small reassuring smile. "Are you sure I wasn't overreacting?"

"Yes, I'm sure you weren't overreacting," Ponyboy assured Johnny with a small chuckle sitting down next to him. Johnny chuckled with him. It made Ponyboy happy knowing he could get a small smile of his best friend's face. Even on rough days.

Ponyboy looked down at Johnny's upper abdomen. Wondering if Johnny was trying to stab himself there. He saw the hole in his shirt and the small wound that was visible. Dry blood appeared around the wound.

"Johnny, is that where you tried to stab yourself?" Ponyboy asked pointing at the wound on his upper abdomen.

"Yeah," Johnny said shamefully.

Ponyboy patted Johnny's arm and went to the bathroom to get one of those medium sized band-aids. He back back into the bedroom and handed Johnny a band-aid. Johnny got up from his spot and went to the bathroom to cover the wound and try to fix the hole in his shirt. Meanwhile, Ponyboy picked up Johnny's empty Pepsi can and went in the kitchen to throw it into the recycling bin. The boys returned to the bedroom after about five minutes of getting settled in again. Sitting in their previous spots. The room was filled with silence. Ponyboy studied the older boy next to him. Johnny now had his wrist and his knuckle wrapped in white bandages with a little blood bleeding through it. The band-aid that Ponyboy had given to Johnny was under his shirt to cover the wound in that area. The cuts and bruises were fading away. Johnny almost looked close to being healed. Johnny spoke up.

"Hey Ponyboy can you promise me something?" Johnny asked.

"Sure thing Johnnycakes," Ponyboy said. "What is it?"

"Can you promise not to tell the gang about me nearly killing myself and slitting my wrist or about my parents? Please," Johnny pleaded softly. " I'll figure out an explanation for the bandages. Just keep this between you and me."

Ponyboy nodded. "I promise. But you gotta promise me something to."

"What?" Johnny asked.

"You promise you ain't going to try to kill yourself again?" Ponyboy asked.

"Yeah, I promise," Johnny said as he shook Ponyboy's hand in agreement. The boys embraced each other again for at least a few minutes before pulling away.

"Thanks a lot Ponyboy," Johnny said with a smile. "For everything."

"You're welcome Johnny. Anything for you," Ponyboy smiled back. Both of the boys yawned. "I'm tired. What time is it?"

"I don't know but it's really dark out so it must be pretty late," Johnny said in response. "When do Darry and Soda get home?"

"Not till midnight," Ponyboy said as he rubbed his eyes. "Sleep in our house tonight."

"Are you sure?" Johnny asked.

"Of course Johnny, you're always welcome," Ponyboy said. "C'mon you can sleep on Soda's side of the bed tonight. He won't mind."

"Okay," Johnny said as he took off his jean jacket and hung on the coat rack near the door of the bedroom and took his shoes off next to the door. He put the ice pack down on Soda's nightstand.

Ponyboy took off his shoes and crawled into bed. Johnny crawled into bed with him on the other side of the bed. Ponyboy turns the lamp off with darkness filling the room. Ponyboy and Johnny lay on their sides with their backs turned to each other.

"Goodnight Ponyboy," Johnny says tiredly.

"Goodnight Johnny," Ponyboy respond tiredly.

The two teenage boys fall into a restless sleep. Midnight, Soda and Darry finally get off of work. Darry prepares himself to take a shower while Soda checks on Ponyboy. Figuring he was asleep since there was no sight of him. Soda opens their bedroom door to see little Johnny sleeping on his side of the bed with Ponyboy. Soda smiles brightly at the sight. He closes the door quietly and crashes out on the couch.

Johnny may have had it rough that day but he knew that everyday he was learning how to become strong and fight the will to survive. He was grateful to have his best friend by his side. Ponyboy was also grateful to have a friend like Johnny.

Johnny knew that no matter what nothing was going to get in his way. Not even the Socs.