Chapter 1: Monday Mornings

A/N: Hi guys! Wusup? Sooooo, these first few chapters are going to be pretty short and maybe a little slow but it will definitely pick up speed. As usual, I don't own anything….. . Hope you like it! Please review!

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Darry's POV:

"Hey Ponyboy! Time to get up!" I yell as I jump on my youngest brother's bed, playfully attacking him.

I swear that kid thinks he needs twenty-four hours of sleep or something. Soda's almost finished in the shower and breakfast is already made, courtesy of me.

"Dare, let me sleep." Pony mumbles rolling over.

"Oh no you don't!" I say pulling him out of bed laughing a bit when he falls onto the floor.

"Ok, ok, I'm going, I'm going." He states in defeat, walking to the bathroom for a shower.

Kid needs to learn how to get up and go like Sodapop and me. I walk into the kitchen and smile when Soda rounds the corner, still wet and only in his boxers.

"Hey Darry, where's my pants?" he asks grabbing an apple off the table and shoving it into his mouth.

"That and your shirt and your hat?" I ask mock glaring at him.

"Yeah." He says back with his mouth full of apple.

I crack a smirk and tell him, "They're in my bedroom. Fancy how they got there. Do some laundry every once in a while will you Soda? This place's a pit."

"Yes sir." Sodapop smiles and salutes before leaping off to throw some clothes on his back.

Pony steps into the kitchen fully dressed and ready for school. He makes himself a bowl of cereal and eats two of the eggs I've made.

"Ponyboy, did you finish all of your homework?"

"Yep."

"Good. Get that science grade up. Don't you have a test in there today?" I ask. Pony sighs which signals that he does indeed have a test which he didn't study for I assume. "Did you study?"

"Yeah, a little." He answers not making eye contact.

"Look over it on the way to school. You need to get that grade up, understand?"

"Yeah, I'll get it up." He says burying his head in his breakfast again.

Soda comes bounding back into the room with most of his clothes on him, just not on him on him.

"Better?" he asks.

"Better." I agree. "You gotta be fully dressed, buttoned up and all by the time you and Steve get out of that car of his, little buddy."

"I will be, don't worry so much Dare." He says smiling and laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, come on, let's go." I say trying to herd the cats out the door just as Two-Bit and Steve come barging in. "Ugh c'mon guys, Two-Bit what are you doin'?" I ask irritated.

"C'mon Soda, we're gonna be late if you don't hurry up and get you're a** in my car." Steve yells from the front door.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" he yells back. "Bye Darry! Bye Pony!" He shouts as he climbs into Steve's car.

"Bye Soda!" Pony and I call back simultaneously.

"Alright, Two-Bit, we have to go. Ponyboy, get in the truck, I'll be right there. Study your science!" I shout as he walks out to the truck. "Two-Bit, there's food in the fridge but don't you even think about eating it all. Money's tight enough already. Hey, wash some dishes will you?"

"Yeah, sure. I might hang with Buck a little later."

"That's fine. See ya 'round tonight, okay?"

"Yeah, see ya."

I nod and dart out to the truck where Pony's already sitting. I shake my head when I see where he's sitting.

"Get in the back." I say sternly.

"But, Darry,"

"I said, get in the back Ponyboy."

"I'm fifteen, Steve and Two-Bit let me sit in the front." He protests.

"I don't care. Get in the back, now."

Pony glares but complies. I pull my door shut and start the engine. I glance in the rear-view mirror at him while we're driving down the road.

"Ponyboy are you studying?" I ask in a reminding way that I mean business.

I see him shuffle around and open a binder before he grudgingly says, "Yes."

I nod my approval and take my first deep breath of the morning. It's hard enough to get one boy and myself ready for work, let alone two. I don't mind having "family" in the house at all hours of the day and night especially if it means that they won't get into trouble or get jumped, but it can be more than a little stressful. I'm supposed to be both Mom and Dad and it's hard to do. The bills are high and there's hardly enough money even with me working two jobs and Soda working one and a half. We're dangerously close to having the electric shut off if we use any more than dire needed this month. It doesn't exactly help that Sodapop and Ponyboy eat like horses and half the time, the whole gang's eating breakfast here. I feel bad not being home for the boys when they come home after work or school, but I just can't be there. My thoughts stop for a minute as I stop the truck in front of Pony's school and he jumps out. Before I can even say bye, he's halfway to the door. He turns around for a second and gives a small wave. I nod back to him. I sigh and hope he doesn't fail that science test. The state's been watching us like a vulture after its dying prey. The drive to the job site is pretty quiet even with the windows down. I greet my employer and a few of the workers before I get busy roofing the designated houses.

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A/N: Thank you sooo much for reading this chapter. The next one will be up shortly! If you're reading any of my other stories, I'm so sorry it's been taking me so long to write/post them. My work schedule is becoming very busy and overloaded so I apologize. I hope you like them though! Please review!