Disclaimer-I do not own The Outsiders
Jessie followed the man to the pizza parlor. "Cheese alright?"
"Yeha."
"Good it's my favorite. Can't stand pepperoni, reminds me of bologna and I just hate the stuff."
"Really?"
"Yeah when," he sighed, "When Johnny and I ran away we lived on bologna sandwiches for a week. I couldn't even stand them before that."
Jessie laughed slightly. "Did Johnny like them?"
"More then I did but he preferred roast beef, not that I blame him. Johnny loved to eat. But I guess we all do at that age."
"I suppose, Johnny never ate much at home."
"He usually ate at my place or at some other friend's house."
"SO he got good meals?"
Ponyboy grinned and got a far off look as if remembering something vividly. "My mom was a great cook; after she died my brother did most of the meals. It's a good thing too because I might have given Johnny food poising. I burnt water."
Jessie thought a moment. "I think I remember your mother. Her name was…, Margaret wasn't it?"
"Yeha. She adored Johnny."
"At least he had some type of mother. I wish I would have taken the chance while he was alive."
"Me too. He loved you, you know. He just wanted you and Rick to love him back."
Tears came to Jessie's eyes. "I know that, now at least. "
Ponyboy really felt bad. He had once hated this women and now he could see, she had changed. "Please don't cry. He knows you love him now. I bet he's up in Heaven grinning ear to ear."
"You think so?"
"I'm sure of it. We went to church all the time; he was saved. He's in Heaven and he know you love him. I bet he's more then happy."
"You don't know how glad I am to here that. I wish I could say the same for me."
'What do you mean?"
"I went to church when I was a little girl, believe it or not. I was saved. But when you become a teenager none of that seems to matter anymore, does it? Well maybe it did for you but I got wild and got pregnant. Things went downhill from there."
"You ever ask God to forgive you?"
"A million times a day. I don't deserve it though."
"None of us do, that is one reason his forgiveness is so wonderful, that he is so wonderful."
"You sound like a preacher or something."
Ponyboy laughed. "Me? Nah I just have been to church a lot and pay attention."
"Seems about right."
"yep, you should go sometime."
'You know I think I will."
An Hour Later
Ponyboy and Jessie were walking past some older buildings.
"Tell me more about him."
"He loved to play pinball."
"Was he any good?"
"Johnny was the best pinball player I ever met. I love that song Pinball Wizard by the Who. It makes me think of him." Ponyboy replied wistfully.
"What else?"
Ponyboy thought a moment. "He was very shy, rarely talked at all. I was about the same way. Our buddy, Two-Bit used to joke that we must make such interesting conversation."
Jessie laughed. "Did Johnny ever have a girlfriend?"
"No, I think he was half scared of girls. He deserved to have a nice one though."
"He deserved a lot that he didn't get." Jessie replied more solemnly.
"Yeha, he did. But you know what?"
'What?"
"There was a lot he did have. Our gang, the hoodlums as you called us, all looked out for him. He never had no where to go. We all took care of him. He sure took care of me."
"He must have cared an awful lot about you to save your life the way he did."
"Johnny was my best friend. I was the last person he ever spoke to. I feel guilty about it sometimes like it's partly my fault. If I had just not woken him up from that lot……"
"Then you probably would be dead. I never knew Johnny very well but I'm getting the feeling he wouldn't like that."
"No," the man sighed, "he wouldn't. He wouldn't like you wallowing in sorrow either."
They came to Jessie's old weather beaten house. "Thank you, for everything."
"No problem. And for the record, if Johnny were here he'd say the same thing."
On a whim Jessie hugged the man who in his childhood had been her son's best and truest friend. The man hugged her back.
"If you need anything at all call me."
"I will."
THE END