Authors Note: This chapter is being posted as part of "Good Fic Day", in effort raise the quality of writing here. With this, he hope to inspire more writers to improve their own fan fiction. This includes using spell check, correct grammar/punctuation, keeping the gang in character, using an outline, plotting your stories, and for the love of god not using Mary Sues. Hopefully other writers will follow us and produce better fan fiction. Not only to please the readers, but to make S.E. Hinton proud as well.
Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns the Outsiders and all the characters. I do not own anything. Also Jonatha Brooke owns the lyrics to the song, I Try.
" … I mustn't let them down now/mustn't let them see me cry … "
Darry sat at the kitchen table and couldn't comprehend how so much had gone so wrong, in such little time. He promised his parents he'd look after Soda and Pony, and this happens. He took his frustration out on Pony, causing him to run away with Johnny. He's been gone for five days, and they still haven't heard from him. Darry was sure Dallas knew where Pony and Johnny were, but was keeping his mouth shut.
That wasn't even the worst of it; a few hours before, Soda told him that his girlfriend Sandy was pregnant, and that he wanted to marry her. He had to talk Soda out of it; he couldn't take care of two people on his salary at the DX. Hell Darry could barely afford to feed the three of them, and he worked two jobs. God what a disappointment he must be to his parents. He couldn't even take care of his own brothers, and that was their only dying wish.
Darry buried his head in his hands. Why did everything have to be so hard?
Every since his parents died, things had just been going south. The social services were on his ass all the time about keeping Soda and Pony, and working two jobs was taking all the energy out of him. He didn't think he'd be so tired at twenty years old. Twenty, that's all he was, but his body and mind felt twice that.
Maybe that's why he was always on Pony's ass about dreaming and reading too much. Pony was still young and ignorant to all the worries Darry had to now face. Pony could be and do whatever he wanted. The world was his oyster, and he was smart enough to get out of this neighborhood someday. But for Darry that life was gone. He had a family to look after now, and couldn't cloud up his mind with such childish thoughts.
He heard the front door pull open, and dashed into the living room to see if it was Ponyboy.
"Hey Dar, any sign of Pony?" Soda asked as he took off his shoes and collapsed down on the couch.
Darry frowned. "No, not yet."
Soda sighed and looked up at him with worry in his eyes. "Do you think he's ok?"
As worried as he was, Darry still knew wherever Pony was, he was alright. Dallas wouldn't let any harm come to him or Johnny, that he was sure of.
Darry was about to tell Soda just that when the phone rang.
He picked up the receiver. "Hello."
"Darrell Curtis?" the man on the other line said.
"Yes sir,"
"This is Jerry Thomas; I'm here at St. Benedict's Hospital with your brother Ponyboy."
Darry's heart jumped into his throat. Not again, not another death. He couldn't take it.
Soda stood up from the couch. "Who is it Dar?"
Darry covered the receiver with his free hand. "It's the hospital, Pony's there."
All the color drained from Soda's face. He looked as horrible as Darry felt.
"Mr. Curtis, are you still there?"
Darry put his ear back on the phone. "Yes, I'm sorry. How's Pony?"
His voice sounded weak and frightened to his own ears.
"He's fine; he's just getting checked over by a paramedic." Jerry said casually.
Thank God, he's okay. Darry wanted to scream and jump for joy all at the same time. His little brother's alright.
"Can we come get him?" Darry asked eagerly.
"Yes. I'll wait with Ponyboy until you get here."
"Thank you so much Mr. Thomas, we'll be right there." Darry said, his face beaming.
He hung up the phone.
"Darry is he ok?" Soda asked with tear filled eyes.
Darry smiled. "Yeah Soda, he's ok."
Things were finally looking up.
Soda ran to the truck and got in. "C'mon Dar, hurry!" he shouted excitedly.
Darry grabbed the car keys off of the end table and looked up at the ceiling.
"Thanks guys."