The night was cold and we were wasted. The truck stop was empty around this time of night, not even the bums wanted to sleep in a dump like this. But that’s why we chose this spot, we liked to be alone, and we didn’t have to worry about getting jumped here. 

I was a little more sober than the other guys, but not by much. I slurred my words, but not like David. He was always a bit wilder than the rest of the group, always looking for the next party, or the new drug, but he never knew how to take it easy once in a while. Randy and Pin were hanging out with Cherry, closer to the restrooms, while me and Bobby were sitting on the ground, beside his blue Mustang. Pin and Randy were talking up their scholarship lineups and Pin’s recent vacation. I could tell by the way Cherry was playing with her hair she wanted to leave. I never really liked Cherry Valance, she just seemed…bland. Unoriginal. Yes, her hair is odd but Greaser hair is odd. Besides her red mane, she wasn't any different from the rest of the girls in our school. The girls were more personal at my old high school. And in my opinion, they were better looking than the broads here. I know Charlie would agree with me, we always agreed on stuff like that. 

Charlie Ringfeild was my closest friend back in Netherport High School, we did everything together. Homework, football practice, and we even smoked our first cigarette together. I remember crying when my parents sold the house and we moved to Tulsa. We told each other we would keep in touch but that never happened, you know how those things go. The last time I talked to him was back in June, and he had to cut it short because his girlfriend was waiting for him. That was another thing I had to leave behind. I’m not saying the girls don’t know me here or anything like that, I just don’t like to get too attached. And besides, no one replaced my girl, Elizabeth Wren.

“Hey,” Bobby barked beside me, snapping his fingers in my face. “Got a light?”

I looked at him a moment, still lost in time, then glanced at the cigarette in his hands. I nodded and dug through my front pocket to find the lighter, the one that he had given me. Bobby inhaled when I placed the flame at the tip of the smoke and the tobacco started to burn. 

“Those rank Greasers,” Bobby mumbled. “I’d outta tear them a new one for what they tried to pull with Cherry.” 

We both looked at her. His gaze was different from mine. He looked at her with love in his eyes. It’s a look they shared and I knew that look. But I haven’t felt it with any of the girls from Tulsa. 

As I watched Bobby’s eyes I noticed a dark purple ring around the left one. I didn’t remember the story behind it -or if I was ever told. It could’ve been from that rumble we had a few nights ago with the Brumly gang or it could’ve been from home. Either one you wouldn’t want to brag about. I didn’t fully understand what had happened with Bobby and Cherry with the Greasers but I believed almost everything the guys told me. They are my family after all. 

“Too bad they have Ol’ Darry Curtis,” I sighed, taking a final puff from my cancer stick before stomping it under my shoe. “He would’ve been a decent guy if he wasn’t brothers with those tikes that have that awful hair.”

“All their hair is awful,” Bob quickly chimed in. “My folks would chop off that rat’s nest if they saw me wearin’ somethin’ like it.” 

Pin’s crackling laugh broke out. Pin was the youngest and the dumbest of our group. His blonde hair matched the stereotype. He was bad at math and just as bad at taking care of the zits that covered his face. I was surprised that he was even considered a Soc. 

“Well,” Bobby sighed. “Better go see what pin for brains is laughin’ at.”

Bobby got up and offered out a hand but I declined when I saw the bruises that ran up it. That solves the black-eye mystery. I thought. I guess Mr. Sheldon has been drinking again. 

We staggered towards the three, Bobby giggling as he almost tripped over his legs. I flopped down next to Randy and Bobby nuzzled himself between Pin and Cherry, kissing her on the cheek.

“Jesus,” she spat. “What kind of booze have you been drinking?”

She held a hand over her nose and waved it. She could smell the booze on his breath, on all of ours. 

“The good kind,” Bobby smirked, leaning in for another kiss.

Cherry blocked it with her hand and stood, leaving Bobby duck-lipped and surprised. 

“You’re not kissing me with that breath.” She laughed. “You’re lucky that I even let you sit next to me.”

The couple teased each other now and then but Bobby looked fed up with it. He rose and instead of talking to her, he stormed off towards his car. Cherry didn’t wait to look at us before trotting after him, she reminded me of a puppy running after its owner. Me, Randy, and Pin sat in silence before looking at one another. 

“What’s gotten Bobby-boy so hacked off about?” Pin asked.

“Something to do with Cherry and the weak little greaser,” Randy explained, giving the situation little interest. 

The weak little Greaser, otherwise known as Johnny Cade, the kid who got his ass kicked by Bobby and Randy a couple of months ago. We hushed to listen in but we only caught a couple of words before David Marcus came hollering out of the public bathroom door. David held an empty beer bottle in his right hand and a marker in his left. His hair was knotted but in a way that still looked styled. His shirt tail was tucked into his pants and his loafers were untied. 

“You lards should see what I wrote on the bathroom mirror.” He hollered. 

Pin laughed at the sight of David but I wasn’t sure if he thought it was funny or he was too boozed up to see that David was on the verge of passing out. David was always doing dumb stuff like this. He acted like a child, but somehow -when he’s sober- he’s one the smartest of the five of us, always getting A’s and good report cards. We were all smart but not David Marcus smart. 

Cherry’s voice rose above David’s hollering, and we all craned over to look at her. She was marching towards Bobby’s parked Mustang and Bobby was heading in our direction. 

“I can’t believe she gave that Horseboy the time of day.” Bobby roared. “If that no-good Greaser kept with his kind, we wouldn’t be having this damn fight.”

David put an arm over Bobby’s shoulder, putting his entire body weight on him. I winced at the thought of the bruises and wondered if it was worse under his clothes. Bobby was strong though, tuff like the hood but smart like the west side. 

“What’s with those girl-haired boys, anyway?” David burped with a grin. “They all need a haircut.” 

Randy and Pin snickered, and I couldn’t help but notice a smile form on the corners of Bobby’s mouth, I even felt my lips curl. 

He looked behind his shoulder, glancing at his car before turning back to face us. Cherry was sitting in the front seat, her arms crossed and her eyebrows wrinkled. I thought she looked better that way, it made her look more real if you know what I mean.

“And somebody’s gotta wash that grease out,” Bob said coolly. 

​

— — — —
 

  Before I knew it, Cherry was sitting in the front seat directing me to her house as I was driving Bobby’s car. I was the only one sober enough to drive; Cherry was too mad, David was too drunk, Pin couldn’t stop blindly giggling, Bobby was also too buzzed and Randy simply didn’t have a license. (It wasn’t that he was too young or anything, he just didn’t care to get one. Randy was weird that way. Always drooling over nice cars in the streets but when it came to driving one of them he turned into a girl about it). 

I had turned on the radio to try to mask silence but it didn’t help much. As smooth as Dean Martin sang it wasn’t enough to cool down Bobby or mellow out Cherry, but Pin seemed to be having fun. 

“Oh, I will. Yes, I will,” he sang, smiling with his head out the window.

“Act your age, will you Pinhead!” Bobby growled, punching him in the shoulder.

“I am acting my age!” Pin laughed back. “You seniors might want to keep your bad hip safe but I’m young and lookin’ for fun!” 

Bobby rolled his eyes as Pin howled like a dog out the window. We stopped at a red light next to Crutchfield Park. Two kids were walking in through the fenced gate. It was dark and the trees blocked my vision. I didn’t think much of the boys. Lots of Socs go there around this time, marking stuff, lifting stuff, all stuff our parents say we would never do. That’s what makes it so fun.  

“Keep going,” Cherry said softly. 

“What?” I asked, somewhat confused. “It’s a red light.”

“Please go,”

I looked at her, her green eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. She was worried. About what? I didn’t know. I put my foot on the gas and continued to her house. 

 

When we got there, Cherry and Bobby hopped out, did an awkward goodbye then the five of us went back the way we came. This time Bobby was in the front seat. His eyes were buggy and his shoulders were tense. As we passed the park Bobby was locked-in on the boys. I gleamed in the rearview mirror to see that David and Pin were both eyeing up the boys, Randy was the only one who seemed uninterested. 

“Hey, Bobert.” Pin chimed. “Aren’t those the Greasers who you were talkin’ about?” 

“It’s them,” Bob scowled. “Tunafish, stop the car.” 

I didn’t want to stop the car. I wanted to go home and sleep. I started to imagine my warm blankets and the way the pillows felt after a long day. Oh, how I craved that. 

“Stop the car!” Bobby demanded, slamming his fist on the dash. 

I pulled over to the fastest spot I could and I turned off the Mustang. 

Bobby hopped out first followed by Pin and David. Me and Randy were the last, slamming the door to catch up. The Greasers were standing next to the fountain, staring at us. They both seemed so…young, so puppy-eyed I almost wanted to give them my scraps. We entered the park and walked closer to them. One of them had brown eyes although it was hard to tell and the other had what looked to be blue eyes. I recognized one of them, the tiny one, the brown-eyed one. He must be the weak little Greaser. Johnny Cade. And the other, he was the one Bobby was so mad at, Ponyboy Curtis. Bobby was looking for a fight and he was going to get one, maybe not right now but if either one of the Curtis brothers’ found out that we were pickin’ on him, there was going to be a world of hurt. 

I didn’t know who started the conversation -if you can even call it that- but I could tell something bad was going to happen. I watched the small, brown-eyed one while Bobby was making fun of the two kids’ poor way of life. Johnny’s hands weren’t balled up in fists like the Curtis brothers, they were shaking like an old man would shake when trying to turn a page in a thin book. I glanced up from his hands to see that he was staring back at me. But I almost thought I was looking at a completely different person because his hands didn’t match his face. While his hands were twitching his face seemed hard and brave. Although his brown bangs covered his eyebrows, I could see that his eyes were slightly slanted, like he was trying to read my mind. So I let him. “Please think of something,” I pleaded in my head. “I don’t want to be a part of this. I don’t want to be involved in beating up two kids. Please think.” 

I saw spit fly through the air and then heard laughter. It sounded like Pin but when I forced my eyes away from Johnny Cade I was surprised to see that it was Bobby. How could he be laughing? While I felt sweat flow down my back in rivers Bobby was chuckling like David had just told one of his classic jokes.

I tried to listen but the ringing in my ears was too loud. After that, the rest went too fast to know what was really happening. Struggling, dragging, splashing. I stood there, too scared to move. Should I help? Should I run back to the car? Should I hold back Johnny? But when I remembered those eyes, I knew I wouldn’t be able to take a step in his direction. It was too late anyway. Once I saw the flash of a blade, I knew blood was going to flow like the sweat on my skin. 

My mouth opened to warn Bobby, but I was too late. Blood landed on my cheek, some went into my mouth. It was warm and tasted like pennies. The fountain turned red and Bobby fell back, wide-eyed. His fingers went to his throat to stop the blood but it was no use, it gushed like a waterfall through his fingers. He looked at me, expressionless. No, there was something there. For the first time, I saw fear in Bobby’s eyes.  

Ponyboy rose from the fountain, his gasps for air drowned out Bobby’s. I stepped back and looked for David. I couldn’t find him. Why can’t I find him? I turned around and saw him and Randy running back to the car. Pin was running closely behind them, I was the only one left. I thought about grabbing Bobby and slinging him over my shoulder but he was too heavy, and the thought of wearing my friend’s blood like clothes made my stomach turn. I stared at Johnny Cade, who was clutching the knife in his trembling hands. This time, the shakiness shook the blood off onto his shoe. We made eye contact and for a moment I thought I was next, that I would never see my saint-of-a-mother again or feel those warm blankets again but something in his eyes made me calmer. His eyes were different, they looked just as terrified as I felt.  

“Run!” I heard someone yell from the Mustang. “Run, Tuna!”

I snapped out of my trance and started sprinting like I do at football practice. I was going so fast, my legs couldn’t keep up. Stumbling out of the park, I jumped through the open window of the driver’s side. I forced my shaky hands to start the Mustang. Once I heard the roar of the engine and punched on the gas, the smell of rubber filled the air, but it didn’t hide the pennies. I looked at David who was panting next to me. His hair was clumpy and his eyes seemed to have changed colour. But I wasn’t looking at his eyes. I was looking at his once-white shirt, the collar now dark red like wine. I thought of Ponyboy. He was right under Bobby when his throat split. Was he covered in blood, too? Did he also taste the pennies? Then the thought came to me that almost made me throw up and cry at the same time. 

What if Bobby had choked on his blood? What if Bobby had gotten a taste? Would it have lingered on his tongue like morning breath? I hoped he just died quickly. But the look he gave me told me otherwise.

​

— — — —
 

I stopped the car in the parking lot of the furniture store around four in the morning. I turned off the car but none of us got out. Randy fell asleep and David and Pin were silent. My hands still gripped the steering wheel but my head was dropped to my chest, struggling to hold back the tears that were forcing themselves out. 

“Hey,” Pin tonelessly spoke. “Where did Bobby-boy go?”

Suddenly, David lunged out of the car and ran to the closest bush. I watched as he threw up all the booze that was in his stomach as well as some of his stomach acid. As the vomit spilled from his mouth, tears spilled from my eyes and once they began I couldn’t make them stop. I wasn’t cool anymore, I was a wimp. 

“He’s dead, Pin.” I bawled, wiping my tears with my sleeve. “Those Greasers sliced him!” 

I cried for what felt like hours and when I finally looked in the mirror, Randy and Pin were both asleep. David was passed out in the parking lot and I was left alone in the cold. I knew I needed to drag David back in the car but when I started thinking of the steps of actually getting him back into the car, my body didn’t respond to what I needed to do. Instead, I thought of the one person I couldn’t stand besides the Greasers. Cherry Valance. Now I know why she had asked me to run the red light. She saw Ponyboy and Johnny before Bobby did,  and she didn’t want us to jump them. Why didn’t she just tell me why? Would I have responded the way Bobby did? I told myself, no but a part of me knew I would have. In some way, I would have wanted a scrap or at least tell Bobby they were there.

After the thought of Cherry, the people in Bob’s life started coming to mind. Even old Ms. Gulliver whom Bobby had every Thursday and Monday for math class. Then his parents. His mother wouldn’t know what to do with herself after losing her only son. I wondered if she would turn into a mute like the ones we see in the movies, or if she would mourn herself into an early grave. I wondered if his father would be sorry for all the times he hit him. I couldn’t imagine him crying at the funeral. 

“He wouldn’t cry,” A vision of Bobby told me. “That bastard only cries when the Yankees’ lose or when the family dog dies.” 

My head turned so fast that I thought I snapped it. Bobby was sitting in the passenger seat, lighting a cigarette with his feet up on the dash. He looked at me and smiled, his crystal-white teeth gleaming in the darkness. I searched for words but none came.

“Calm down, Tunafish.” He laughed. “I’m not stayin’ long.” 

“W-What are you doing here?” I forced out.

“Nothing much,” He sighed, leaning back. “You need to give me my keys.” I looked at the key slot, his Mustang keys dangled under the wheel. I almost forgot this wasn’t my car. “You can keep it. I won’t need it where I’m goin’.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, relaxing a little. 

Bobby rolled his eyes at me.

“Look here, you thick skull,” Bobby chuckled.

He pulled down the neck of his button-down shirt. It revealed a long cut that looked like it had been there awhile. Dried-up blood surrounded the wound but within the flesh seemed relatively alright, given the fatality of the injury. My stomach turned but I held my booze down. I knew now what was happening, Bobby wasn’t here and wasn’t alive. This is just in my mind. I’m just drunk, I told myself, but I knew I didn’t drink enough to start seeing people. 

“Wow, Tuna. Don’t talk so fast.” Bobby said sarcastically, flicking his cigarette butt out the window. 

Silence stretched on and all I wanted to do was sleep, but the sight of Bobby kept me awake. I began to wonder if I was sleeping, and I just didn’t realize it. But everything is different when you’re asleep, everything is shiny and smooth, there was nothing shiny about this. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and lit a cigarette. I started to enjoy the silence, and then Bobby spoke. Good Ol’Bobby, he never knew how to keep his mouth shut.  

“It didn’t hurt much,” He started. “Just a little prick. Nothing different from getting your shots from the doc.” He traced his fingers along the cut. “How in the hell did I let those guys cut me with that blade?”

“How long are you here for?” I asked. 

“Not long,” He sighed. “I bet they’re  deciding whether or not to let me in.” 

He pointed a finger to the roof of the car and I knew what he meant. Bobby had done a lot of bad stuff over the years but he had also done plenty of good. He helped the teachers set up chairs for assemblies, he gave me my first lighter with my name engraved on it, and he even offered to kill a guy for me once. He was mean, yes. But he was also my friend. If it were up to me I sure would let him into heaven…if there was one. 

“Before I leave, can I ask you something?” Bobby asked, sincerely. 

“Of course, man.” 

“Make sure Cherry stays good.” He pleaded. “Don’t let her get mixed up with this sort of thing.” He waved his hand in the air. He flopped his hand on his lap and ran the other through his light-brown locks. 

Taking care of Cherry? I didn’t know if I could do that. I can barely stand being around her let alone guiding her to the path of good when I wasn’t a saint myself. Cherry was already involved. She was the one who started this whole mess. If she just stayed with Bobby and Randy at the movies Bob would still be alive and I wouldn’t be here talking to his ghost. Bobby could sense my weariness about his ask, he put his cold hand on my shoulder. 

“If you can’t do that, can you promise me something else?” He offered.

“Yeah,” I said softly. “Anything.”

“Kill Johnny Cade.” He coldly said. “You kill him for me. You make them know that we are the ones they need to be scared of.”

I remembered myself, frozen in fear at the park. I told myself it would be different when I had a knife. I wouldn’t let fear hold me like that. All I needed to do was pretend to be Bobby, he was brave, and he wasn’t scared of knives or muscles or bigger gangs. But look where that got him—choking on his blood and dying in a park. I felt the tears swell in my eyes and had to look away. He stretched his hand to my cheek to force my eyes to lock on his, he was crying too. 

“Just don’t let them kill my spirit,” he begged. “Don’t let them kill us.”

Then, like a shifting cloud, Bobby was gone and I was alone. 

 

THE END.