ROAD TRIP!

Chapter One – Sodapop.

In my defence, if it hadn't been for Steve (and an extraordinarily boring day at the DX Station), I never would've made that joke. And if Steve hadn't been the way he is, he never would've took it literally. And if he hadn't took it literally, then none of this would've happened. So I guess that it's a good thing that Steve took it literally.

See, about two weeks ago, Steve and me were playing poker in the DX Station. We hadn't had any customers in an hour, and last time we'd bailed, we'd nearly got fired. And it was pouring down anyway, so even if we had wanted to bail, we wouldn't have been able to without practically frowning anyway. Plus it was thunder and lightening and Steve gets kind of freaked out by thunder and lightening.

"You know what we should do in the summer vacation?" I asked as Steve dealt again (I won).

"No," Steve said, glancing up at me and grinning. "But knowing you, something insane that's going to get us all killed."

"No," I said, pretending to be offended. "Two words, my weird little buddy – Road Trip."

Steve laughed. "Okay, now that would be cool. But we'd never be able to afford it."

"We'd manage," I grinned. "We'll find a free boarding house – no, we'll camp, we've still got those tents – me, you an' Two-Bit can steal some motorcycles from some store, Darry an' Ponyboy can ride in the truck an' we'll go to Florida, confront Sandy, see Mickey Mouse for Two-Bit,go to New York, see if there's anyone Dally was in touch with,go to Canada for the heck of it, and come home! Simple!"

"Oh, yeah," Steve agreed sarcastically, "real simple."

I laughed and looked at my cards. Not a bad hand, considering.

"That ain't a bad idea, though," Steve said suddenly.

"What ain't?" I looked at him over the top of my cards.

"That road trip idea of yours," Steve replied, grinning sheepishly. "I know you were jokin' an' all, but it's a pretty good idea."

"Oh, c'mon, Steve," I grinned. "All my ideas are good."

"I'm so lucky to have such a modest friend."

"Ain't you?"

Steve laughed and looked out of the window. "We might end up camping out here, Sodapop. It looks like it's getting worse."

I started dealing again. "Hey, I ain't stayin' here any longer than I need to. You dig?"

Steve grinned. "Yeah, I dig," he muttered as the phone started ringing. He looked at me. "You gonna get that?"

I rolled my eyes and jumped off the counter. "Hi, DX Station, how may I help you?" That's probably the worst thing about working here. You have to say "how may I help you" about seven times an hour. Well, over the phone.

"Sodapop, where the hell are you?" It was Darry.

"Hi, Darry," I said lazily. "I'm fine thanks. You?"

"Don't you dare do that, Sodapop," Darry growled. "You've got Ponyboy in a right state."

"Obviously you don't care about me," I said in mock upset. Steve laughed.

"Oh, shut up," Darry muttered. I could picture him at home, grinning. "Where are you?"

"Where are you?"

"Soda…"

"Darry…"

"Okay, you're funny. But seriously. Are you still at the DX?"

"Yeah, but I'll be home as soon as the storm's over, okay?"

"Sure."

"Hey, Darry," I said quickly, stopping him from hanging up. "How much leave do you get in the summer vacation this year?"

"About two weeks, sometimes three," Darry replied. "Why?"

"Because me an' Stevie were talking," I explained, ignoring Steve's yell of "Don't call me Stevie!" "We're thinking we should go on a Road Trip. Us five."

"Oh, no," Darry said suddenly, with panic in his voice. "No. No. Soda, I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm sorry, okay? Bye."

"Well?" Steve said eagerly, hopping off the counter and wandering over to where I stood, staring at the receiver. "What'd he say?"

"He said he couldn't go," I said, putting the receiver back in the holder. "He sounded… I don't know. Scared."

Steve frowned. "When did Darry first have sex?"

I stared at him. "What?"

"If he went on a Road Trip and got… I mean, had sex, then he might be scared to go on another one in case he meets someone," Steve explained. "I mean, he hasn't had a girlfriend since before…" he swallowed. "Since before your parents died, has he?"

I grinned and shoved him. "Get out," I laughed. "And about my parents dying? Yeah, don't act all tense about it. I think I'll be able to talk soon."

"Really?" I guess it worried Steve that I hadn't been able to talk about my parents ever since they died. I mean, I know he knew it was hard for Darry, Ponyboy and me, but he liked to talk about things that upset him. Get it off his chest at once. And I'm usually the same. But I just couldn't talk about my parents.

"Then why can't Darry come?" Steve demanded, shoving me back. "I think it's something to do with sex."

I rolled my eyes. But Steve had a point. Why didn't Darry want to come?

Chapter 2 – Darry!

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have freaked out like that. But the last time I went on a Road Trip, something really bad happened. And I mean bad. See, when I was eighteen, Mom and Dad let me go on a Road Trip with some of my friends from school. We just went to California so we could "just chill and pick up some babes" – that's how Danny and Paul put it, anyway. But it'd have to be me, wouldn't it? See, I was just hanging by the pool and I got talking to this girl called Tarren, and we really hit it off. And… well, one thing led to another. But before I went back to Tulsa, everything was fine. I promised to keep in touch with Tarren and all, but two months later, I got a letter from Tarren saying that she was pregnant with my kid and she didn't know what to do. I don't actually know what happened to her – I mean, we kept in touch for another year or so, but then she moved and she forgot to tell me her address and then Mom and Dad died, so…

But still. If I did go on that trip, I might end up seeing Tarren again, and she might have the kid with her. And what would happen if Sodapop and Ponyboy found out? They'd probably kill me. Especially Soda. When he'd told me that Sandy was pregnant, I hadn't even given him a chance to say that he wasn't the father.

"Hey, Darry," Ponyboy muttered, walking out of his room and into the kitchen. "You OK?"

"Grephler," I muttered. What?

Ponyboy stared at me. "What?"

"Yeah," I said quickly, trying to smile.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Ponyboy asked suspiciously, wandering over to me. "You don't look so good."

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound happy as I collapsed onto the sofa.

"Well, you look all pale. And clammy. And you've got this -"

"Hey," Sodapop called, slamming the door. "I'm back!"

"What took you so long?" I demanded, jumping to my feet.

"Darry, I told you over the phone. There was a storm and Steve freaked out."

"So you just left him?"

"Uh, no. The storm's over, Dar." He stared at me. "What's up with you, anyway?"

"Thank-you!"

"Shut up, Ponyboy."
"You look pale," Sodapop told me. "And clammy. And you've got this really scary smile on your face. It makes you look... I don't know... disfigured or something, man. Have we got any chocolate milk?"
I sighed and collapsed back down onto the sofa as Two-Bit came in.
"Hey, Two-Bit," Soda called from the kitchen.
"Hey," Two-Bit replied cheerfully, wandering into the kitchen.
"Guys," I called, standing up. "I'm going to bed... keep it down, OK?"
They wouldn't. They try, but they never can. I sighed. I couldn't believe that this was happening.