Life Choices

Disclaimer: The Outsiders is owned by S.E. Hinton I own nothing.

…

(General POV)

"Stay away from my babe," Curly glared at Johnny. His body was tensed with his hands clenched in fists.

"No deal," Johnny replied mildly. While Johnny knew that if a fight were to breakout he would lose, he wasn't about to back down to Curly.

"He doesn't need someone like you," Curly growled, "He needs someone that can protect and look after him."

"First of all I can protect him," Johnny exclaimed in irritation, "and I look after him just fine to."

Curly laughed at him mockingly. "Yeah right, I heard how good you were at protecting him when ya'll got jumped near the movies."

"How did you know about that," Johnny asked blushing in embarrassment. He was trying to block out that day.

"Word gets around fast around here," Curly smirked at him, "you had to have Winston not only save him, but your ass to. That's pathetic Cade."

Johnny glared at him angrily.

"Look Cade, I get that you have a little thing for my babe and all that," Curly gazed at him smugly, "but he doesn't need you. He needs a real man."

Johnny looked at him curiously. "You talk as if you two are already dating. You do know he's in a relationship already right?"

This immediately set Curly off.

"Fuck that asshole," Curly shouted. "He doesn't appreciate Ponyboy the way I do, neither of you do!"

Johnny backed away a bit in hesitation. Curly looked seriously pissed off.

"He should be with me," Curly eyes burned anger. "I'm the one he uses to come to when his brother was being an ass. I'm the one he can talk to the easiest. And I'm the one who was comforting him when his parents died until Winston took him from behind my back."

"What are you talking about," Johnny raised an eyebrow at him

Curly scowled at him. "A little while ago, I got sent to just juvie for fighting a cop."

Johnny rolled his eyes at him.

"When I came back, I found Pony with Winston. Apparently he helped Ponyboy a lot with his parents."

Curly thought back to that dreaded day.

(Flashback)

"What the hell was Winston doing here," Curly demanded as he saw Dally leave the Curtis house.

Ponyboy smiled at him widely. "He was just helping me out. Dally gave me some great advice on how to deal with death and losing people."

For the first time in years, Curly felt truly hurt by something. He wanted it to be him that healed Ponyboy not some other guy.

Curly sighed to himself. No use crying about it now, he thought to himself. Looking up, Curly froze at what he saw on Pony.

"Babe, what is that on your neck," he said slowly.

Blushing, Pony put his hand on his neck to hide his hicky. "Nothing, don't worry about it."

"I ain't stupid babe," he hissed, "what the hell did you do with Winston?"

"It's that, he is, well," Pony was struggling to get out a sentence.

"Answer me," Curly cried out.

"I really don't know what happened Curly. One minute we were talking the next he was kissing me."

Ponyboy looked at his friend pleadingly. "I really like him Curly. He's just so strong and brave, I just feel so safe with him."

Curly's gaze portrayed a brief look of heartache, before he steeled his face as to not display any kind of emotion.

Pony looked at him cautiously. "I hope you don't mind, but Dally and I are kind of dating now."

Curly let out a hollow laugh. "Mind, why would I mind? I don't give a fuck."

"Are you mad," Ponyboy asked him worriedly. "Don't worry Curly, I'm still gonna be your friend."

"Friend? Sure, whatever." Curly shrugged at him and moved to the door. "I need to get out of here.

Winston had taken the one thing in life Curly cared about. The one thing that he felt could take him away from the harsh realities of life. Curly never felt emptier than he did now.

"Curly hold up a minute," Curly ignored him as he went to leave. He couldn't stay here any longer.

"Curly…" Pony moved to put a hand on his shoulder but was quickly shoved away.

"Don't touch me," Curly glared at him. Ignoring Pony's sad look, he made to leave but stopped as something Pony was holding caught his eye. It was a wooden figurine of a deer.

An animal figurine.

Curly thought back to something his brother was telling him about a couple weeks ago, something that was going to make him and his friends big around town. Curly's eyes widened in shock as he remembered what he was told.

"Babe," he said slowly trying to contain his anger, "who gave you that." He already knew the answer, he just wanted confirmation.

Pony naively thinking his friend wasn't mad at him anymore, smiled at him happily.

"Dally gave to me," he held the figurine to his chest. "I told him about my collection and handed me this deer."

Curly let out a growl.

THAT BASTARD!

(End Flashback)

"Winston doesn't care about him. That fucker is just using Pony to get what he wants," Curly snarled.

"Using him," Johnny's eyes lit up in alarm, "using him for what?"

At that question Curly suddenly back down. He didn't say anything, but instead he just looked on emotionlessly.

"Tell me," Johnny demanded. He wanted to know if Dally was going to hurt Pony or not.

"I can't," Curly kept looking over his shoulder. He was looking as if someone was going to pop up any second. "I could get knocked off."

"Knocked off," Johnny repeated alarmed. "Pony…"

"Don't you worry about him," Curly glared at him, "I'm gonna take of my babe you got that?"

Impulsively, Johnny grabbed Curly and held him by his collar. Curly just raised an eyebrow at him just daring him to throw a punch.

Johnny snarled at him fiercely. "Look, I may not know what is going on here, but I swear to god if Ponyboy gets hurt messing with you people you are going to pay!"

"Ain't nothing gonna happen to him," Curly growled as he pushed Johnny of him. "I know how to take care of him. All he needs is me in his life to get by."

"I'm not giving up on him," Johnny told him.

"Neither am I," Curly shot back.

"Fine."

"Fine."

Curly held his hand out to Johnny.

"May the best man win?"

Johnny looked at the hand cautiously before trying to take it in his. Just as Johnny was about to shake his hand, Curly pulled his hand away to smacked him across the head.

"Ah," Johnny cried out.

"Ha sucker," Curly gave him one last smirk before walking off into the distance.

"That asshole," Johnny mumbled rubbing his head where he was hit.

"Why does life always continue to get more complicated," Johnny sighed as he walked home.

Little did Johnny know that life was going to get even more complicated for him.

…

"He needs someone that can protect and look after him."

"I can protect him."

"He needs a real man."

Ponyboy was looking up at the ceiling of his room. His brother was fast asleep beside him as he thought about what he just heard.

"My friends think I'm weak," Ponyboy sniffed broken heartedly.

…