A few days after Johnny and Dally's funerals, Ponyboy went to the cemetary to pay his respects. His friends graves are right on the side a few feet away from a bench where a woman sat weeping. She had long blonde hair, black pants, and a brown leather jacket. She sobbed as she held a photograph against her heart. Being the nice person he is, Ponyboy sits down next to her and pats her back. She looks at him with sad blue eyes. "Are you okay?" He asks kindly.

"how can I be okay?" The woman cried, tears streaming down her face. "My son killed himself a-and and a-a-an-a h-h-he -e " she broke down crying. She held onto the photograph like her life depended on it.

"It's gonna be alright." Ponyboy reassures her, hugging her tight. "I saw two very good friends die right before me in one night." A tear traced his cheek. "And I couldn't do anything to stop it."

she he pat him on the back.

"Is that your son?" Ponyboy asks pointing to the photograph.

the woman looks at it and nods painfully. "But it's old. Very old." She says shakily.

Pony leans in to look at the picture. It was of a small boy, no older than six, wearing a red sweater and jeans. He had light hair and blue eyes that looked vaguely familiar. The boy smiled hapily as he held onto a fishing line with a small fish on the end. It looked like they were in the woods camping or something.

"What's his name?" Pony asks.

the woman has a very far away look in her blue eyes. "D-D-Da-" she clutches the photo to her heart again and wails, "WHY?" She shakes her fist at the sky and curses.

"Dallas?" Pony guessed.

the woman looked at him and blinks confusedly. "H-h-h-ho-ho-how d-did you know?" She stammers, tears still pouring from her eyes.

"Because, Im one of his friends." He replies. He can see the resemblance between this woman and Dally. She looks at Ponyboy for a moment before hugging him.

"w-what about you? What's your name?" She asks.

"Ponyboy."

he reached into his pocket Aand pulls out a small strip of brown leather. he'd gong it from Dally's jacket. He'd cut off a peice so he could always remember. He held the leather out to Dally's mother. "This was his. I think you should have it." He says.

she gently took the leather, rubbed it against her cheek, and kissed it.

"Thank you." She said.

"I gotta go." He says. "my condolences."

________________________________

idek where that came from.

i know it's sad.