Flashback

"Johnnycakes!" I squeal as he tickles me.

"What?" He cocks his head to the side containing his giggles.

I slap him playfully, "I'm trying to sleep!" I roll over onto my side and he plops next to me wrapping his arms around me.

"In the lot?" He chuckles.

"Shut up!" I yell playfully pouting. "I don't got no home."

"I know," he sighs. "I just want to take your mind off it because-because I love you Brooklyn."

I look up at him smiling, "you what?"

"I love you," he repeats louder.

I grab his face and kiss him passionately, "I love you too Johnny Cade."

He wraps his arms around me and I smile as we go to sleep, "goodnight Brooke."

"Goodnight Johnny," I mumble sleepily.

Flashback over

I look over at his grave, it's right next to Dally's.

Johnny Cade

July 23 1952-April 14 1968

Stay gold

"Quiet the mind and the soul will speak"

"Hey old friend...friends," I say slowly looking Johnny's grave then Dally's for a split second. "I miss you. I miss you guys so much, but I'm leaving Tulsa. This is it I guess. I'm leaving Ponyboy, and my dad, and ya'll, and the gang, and my past. I'm running like I always wanted to. Ponyboy, he cheated on me. I'm not sure if that's why I'm leaving, but it's a factor. I guess I can't take it anymore. I miss ya'll, but this is goodbye....So goodbye my friends, my lovers, my brothers. I'll always love ya'll"

I stand up and brush my knees off.

Flashback

I shoot Dally the look as he starts playing footsie with me under the table, "Dallas!"

"What babe?" He winks.

"Oooh Dally and Brooke?" Johnny questions.

"No!" We both lie swiftly.

Dally passes me a note under the table as we continue to play footsie. "Hey love, I was hoping you'd stop by later and we'd get out of town for a bit. I miss ya lovely. You look fantastic today by the way. Loving the new haircut. See ya later -Dallas"

I smile as I out it in my pocket. I'm so lucky to have hi, "I'd love to."

"Huh?" Johnny and Dally ask slowly.

"Don't worry about it," I say.

"Nothing," Dally says the same time I do then we both burst out in laughter.

Flashback over

Dallas Winston

December 13th 1950-April 14 1968

Broken Promises

"When life is tough remember you are tougher"

I kiss their tombstones, "now introducing Gracie Rose Smith."

I walk away and hop in my car coating my lips with red lipstick. I blast my music flipping down my sunglasses and I drive. Maybe this is for the best because, I'm not only leaving a town, I'm leaving my past and who I used to be. I'm getting to start over and live a better life. I guess this is for the best, I meant to run years ago, but one boy kept held me back. The same boy is the reason I'm leaving (A/N anything italicized is flashbacks) I just hop for a better life

"Two-bit I swear!" I yell as I bang on his back.

"What?" He mocks.

"If you don't put me down, I'll-I'll-I'll-" I say angrily.

"You'll what?" He jokes.

"I don't know," I chuckle.

*******************************

"Do you ever sit back and look at your life and just think where the hell did things get so messed up?" I ask Sodapop as we look at the stars.

"Yea, but then I release it was the second my parents died," he sighs sadly. "What about you? When did your life go wrong?"

"The day I was born," I speak up.

"Why do you think that?" He asks.

"Because, I've never been happy," I inform him. "I doubt I ever will."

**********************************

I lay in my bed tears streaming down my face, nothing ever goes right. Nothing ever will. They were the two parents I had and now they're gone. I loved them like my own.

Pony walks through the door, "hey-hey Brookie, you okay?"

I wipe away the tears sniffling a bit, "yea, I was just thinking."

"It's okay," he sits next to me. "You're aloud to be upset Brooklyn. We all are. My parents were great people. We all miss them."

"They were all I had," I sigh. "I mean you got your brothers, Johnny got Dally, Dally got Buck, Steve got his mom, Two got his parents, and your brothers got each other. I don't got nothing."

"You got me," he wraps his arm around me.

I rest my head on his shoulder, "for now. God, we don't know where life is taking us. Ya'll will always have each other, I might slip away one day. Just please know I love you and I will always love you."

"I will always love you too," he replies. We both just lay there on the bed. He wraps his arms around me and I sob silently.

*****************************

Nothing will ever be the same. I left him chasing hold and he left me with a broken heart. I guess we're even, if you consider that even.

Pony's P.O.V.

"She's gone for good this time," I sigh. "I'm sorry it's all my fault."

"We've lost three of our own," Steve says sadly.

"I miss 'er," Soda admits.

"We all do," Two-bit speaks not sarcastically for once in his life. "She was like a little sister."

"She's out there all alone," Darry looks out the window. "Who knows if she's dead, alive, hurt, okay? It kills me. She's only fourteen."

I look out the window, she left me chasing gold, but I left her with a broken heart. I guess we're even if you consider that even.

This is it!! The LAST chapter of Chasing gold. This is my first Ponyboy Curtis FF!! I loved writing it so much and I hope you guys enjoyed it too. Thank all of you for reading the book. I love you all. Now it's your turn to choose what I do next.

A.End it here

B. Sequel?!?!?

Stay gold. Do it for Johnny!

-Beth