[Poor Johnny. He hasn't been around the barge long enough to realize that none of these new people are actually new...He thinks that you're really here, Darry, and seeing you brings a mist over his eyes.]
[Well, Darry feels really bad now. He loves you to death, Johnny, but even Darry can barely handle this.]
Hey--listen to me, Johnny. You're--you're gonna be alright here. You've got Dallas, and I'm liable to think that Dallas doesn't stand much of a chance without you around.
DON'T WORRY, JOHNNY. OH JOHNNY DON'T YOU FRET.somehowgallantMay 9 2011, 05:49:31 UTC
[That may have been what he was aiming for, but he hopes Dallas doesn't see any of this. Knowing Dally, he wouldn't bother to go back and look, though.]
I take it Dallas didn't tell you about what happened after-- [Oh god don't say died don't say died.] --after you was put in the hospital.
ALL THE THINGS? Also, let me know if Darry telling him is not okay.:[somehowgallantMay 15 2011, 07:00:16 UTC
[Nu uh, little buddy. Darry's sure you realize you're dead, but he's a little less certain about what you know about Dally.]
Alright, Johnny. Seein' as I know Dally's probably not gonna tell you, I will. Dallas got himself killed when you-- [A pause, because that lump in his throat makes it awfully hard to say the word. But he's Darry, and Darry can work through that.] --died. He robbed a store and got himself gunned down by the cops.
[As he listens, Johnny's blood goes cold. Frozen and wide-eyed, he stares forward, through the communication device and through Darry, straight through the barge and out into space.
[He opens his mouth to speak...but...what is there to say? What do you say to something like that?
[Dally was invincible...he couldn't die, not from a gun, or a knife, or...anything...
[It just didn't make sense...nothing made sense if Dally was dead, and by the cops no less...
[Jailed maybe...hurt, maybe...but not dead.
[Cops could only go so far with Dally...he was too smart for them...they couldn't have just gunned him down like that...he wouldn't have let them...
[He wouldn't have let them...?]
That's...dumb...
[He looks Darry in the eye again, if only for a second before staring down at the floor.]
[There isn't much that you can say, and Darry knows it. Hell, he still doesn't even know what to say to his brothers when it comes to this subject. Losing two friends in one night makes for some slow-healing wounds.
Darry can hardly look Johnny in the eye, so he focuses instead on nonchanatly pushing Dally's ashtray to the opposite corner of the desk.]
Even Dally's got a breaking point, Johnny. You can only keep that amount of feelings inside 'til you bust, and he'd been holdin' everything in since the day he was born. It ain't exactly easy losin' someone.
[He may as well be shouting at you, even if he's only raised his voice a tiny bit. Afterall, this is Johnny, and he doesn't talk back, especially not to Darry Curtis...
[But he's shaking, there's a lump in his throat the size of his fist, he can feel his eyes stinging, and snapping at Darry is just about all he can do to keep himself from reaching his own breaking point...
[None of it made sense...and Johnny was...angry...?]
He coulda kept goin', I know it...he shouldn'ta went and done that for me, 'specially when it wouldn'ta don't no good...
[Darry gets it, but his head snaps up and his voice is stern, very similar to the tone he usually uses with Ponyboy. His serious business voice.]
I'm not sayin' I approve of what Dallas did. What happened to you two has still got all of us reeling back home. But think about it. How many things has Dallas ever really cared about?
[Darry obviously didn't mean to come off as so severe. It just happens with him sometimes, even when it's Johnny he's talking to. But now he feels bad. This is such a delicate topic, why didn't he approach it with a little less force?]
I know. I've been thinkin' the same thing. But I think Dallas alway had it in his head that nothin' good comes out of living. He's got a chance to fix that in this place.
D-darry...you're here too?
[He swallows hard.]
Golly...Dally didn't even tell me...
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I'm not here for long, buddy.
...It's good to see you. Alive.
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It's good to see you t-too, Darry...
Real good...
What makes you think...you can't stay? How else'd you be here? I didn't even know you could leave...
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[Just...you're breaking his heart, Johnny.]
I'd sure love to stay, Johnny, but you've gotta remember that Ponyboy and Sodapop have still gotta have someone lookin' after them.
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Oh Darry, for all I knew...
[Meaning, no. He hadn't noticed...at all.]
You're right, I know...M'sorry...
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Hey--listen to me, Johnny. You're--you're gonna be alright here. You've got Dallas, and I'm liable to think that Dallas doesn't stand much of a chance without you around.
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Oh, I dunno what I'd do if Dally weren't here, Darry...I'm...I'm really lucky for that, I know...
But...Dally...he'd be just...just fine without me, why wouldn't he be?
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I take it Dallas didn't tell you about what happened after-- [Oh god don't say died don't say died.] --after you was put in the hospital.
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Trust me, I know well enough what happened...how else d'you think I'd be here?
[Because surely you're talking about me dying, right Darry? Right?]
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Alright, Johnny. Seein' as I know Dally's probably not gonna tell you, I will. Dallas got himself killed when you-- [A pause, because that lump in his throat makes it awfully hard to say the word. But he's Darry, and Darry can work through that.] --died. He robbed a store and got himself gunned down by the cops.
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[He opens his mouth to speak...but...what is there to say? What do you say to something like that?
[Dally was invincible...he couldn't die, not from a gun, or a knife, or...anything...
[It just didn't make sense...nothing made sense if Dally was dead, and by the cops no less...
[Jailed maybe...hurt, maybe...but not dead.
[Cops could only go so far with Dally...he was too smart for them...they couldn't have just gunned him down like that...he wouldn't have let them...
[He wouldn't have let them...?]
That's...dumb...
[He looks Darry in the eye again, if only for a second before staring down at the floor.]
Why'd he do somethin' like that?
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Darry can hardly look Johnny in the eye, so he focuses instead on nonchanatly pushing Dally's ashtray to the opposite corner of the desk.]
Even Dally's got a breaking point, Johnny. You can only keep that amount of feelings inside 'til you bust, and he'd been holdin' everything in since the day he was born. It ain't exactly easy losin' someone.
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[He may as well be shouting at you, even if he's only raised his voice a tiny bit. Afterall, this is Johnny, and he doesn't talk back, especially not to Darry Curtis...
[But he's shaking, there's a lump in his throat the size of his fist, he can feel his eyes stinging, and snapping at Darry is just about all he can do to keep himself from reaching his own breaking point...
[None of it made sense...and Johnny was...angry...?]
He coulda kept goin', I know it...he shouldn'ta went and done that for me, 'specially when it wouldn'ta don't no good...
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[Darry gets it, but his head snaps up and his voice is stern, very similar to the tone he usually uses with Ponyboy. His serious business voice.]
I'm not sayin' I approve of what Dallas did. What happened to you two has still got all of us reeling back home. But think about it. How many things has Dallas ever really cared about?
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W-well he cared about m-more'n just me, I know th-that much...
[His eyes close tight, a shiver crawling its way down his spine.]
He h-had...e-everything he coulda lived for...
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I know. I've been thinkin' the same thing. But I think Dallas alway had it in his head that nothin' good comes out of living. He's got a chance to fix that in this place.
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