Brawl Baby

Darry's P.O.V

It was the night we were finally going to stomp those socs for good. Run them clear to the west side, for good, I hope. Us greasers are sick and tired of getting jumped by those damn "jet- set" rich kids. You could feel the tension in our house. It's always tense before a rumble. But this was going to be the rumble to end all rumbles (well at least soc-grease rumbles). As I sat in the big arm chair I had only one thing on my mind. Ponyboy. Our 1 year old baby brother had nowhere to stay during the rumble. No one would be here to watch him. The gang always takes turns watching him when we need, but tonight everyone was fighting.

"I outta stay home with Ponyboy." I said half heartedly. "He needs someone to look after him."

Steve decided to share what he felt about that idea, "Oh you mean the ball and chain? Darry this is one rumble that you really can't miss man, you're the best fighter out of all of us. Ask somebody else to watch 'em."

"Don't call him that." Soda was sitting on the floor with Johnny playing with Ponyboy. Ponyboy was Soda's everything.

"Alright, Alright I'm sorry." Steve said sarcastically.

"Well we need to figure out who is gonna watch the kid soon enough man, we gotta go in ½ an hour." Dally said.

"Ally!" Ponyboy half shouted. Dally actually smiled at him. Ponyboy was just learning how to talk and randomly blurted out stuff sometimes like our names or colors and one time he said 'heater!' Dallas got in a lot of trouble for that one.

"Man I swear I think that kid has turrets." Two bit remarked.

"I'll watch him." Johnny's voice was so quite that I almost didn't hear him.

"Are you sure?" I asked

"Hey wait we need all the men we can ge…." Steve began his sentence of disapproval but I shot him a look so mean it shut him right up.

"Yeah, I ain't exactly the best fighter there is, plus the guy with.." Johnny's voice trailed off. We all knew what he meant. The soc with all the rings that had jumped him was going to be there and he scared him somethin' awful.

" Well ok, you remember what to do right? Chocolate milk in the fridge and bottles in the…"

"Cupboard, yes Darry I remember." Johnny was good at taking care of Ponyboy.

Just as Johnny finished Dally shouted "7:00 WHO'S READY TO RUMBLE?!" "WE ARE!" Two bit, Steve, Soda and I replied. I went over and kissed Pony on the forehead. "I wuv you Dary" he smiled and said. "I love you too kiddo." I grinned, I couldn't help but worry. Soda came over and kissed Pony on the cheek. "Bye brawl baby." He said. "Bye 'Oda, I wuv you!" Ponyboy Curtis everybody, the happiest baby alive. We all ran out of the house whoopin' and hollerin' our famous greaser war cries.

"It's just you and me now kid." I heard Johnny say before we left. That didn't help calm my nerves. Maybe if we stomped those socs hard enough I could get home to see my baby brother sooner. Man I love that kid.