Running from the truth
I stared out the window of my bedroom, waiting for Ponyboy, or Sodapop to get
home. It sucked having to wait for your brothers all day, having all the fun.
Although I didn't live with my dad or mom anymore, neither of us did, they'd died
years ago, Darry acted like my father and didn't like me coming back home later
than 3:20. I always argued with him, but I always remembered it wasn't proper.
But then again, it wasn't proper for a girl to be speaking badly of her brother like
that, either. I thought about Darrel, the oldest Curtis. He was twenty years old,
but he acted like he was forty . But I knew it was because he was always
working. He had to work just to make ends meet. If he ever missed a day in his
job, I knew we'd be struggling to pay the bills. Darry is my superman. He's
always looking out for Ponyboy, the youngest Curtis, likes to say
Darry's more like a black hole, he sucks all the fun out of everything. But I
always tell him it's because he doesn't use his head, and he's always picking a
row with Darry. Just then, I spotted Ponyboy and Sodapop running towards our
corner, climbed over the fence, and banged at our door. They were lucky Darry
wasn't here, I mused. I walked down the stairs, hitching up my skirt a little, so I
wouldn't trip over the stairs, knowing what a complete clutz I was. I opened the
door, and stared at the urgent faces of my brothers. Ponyboy was about to step
in, when I noticed his boots were muddy. I glared at him, and blocked him.
"You are not going inside this house, unless you take off your shoes. I'm not
going to spend my day cleaning after you guys. Again!" I griped, as I blocked
Sodapop from entering with my other arm. Sodapop gave me an exasperated
look. "But sis... this is urgent. We need Darry!" His eyes begged. I relented. It
had to be something. I thought. If it was making them go crazy like that, than I
figured it wasn't just something silly. It was serious. My guy like qualities kicked
in at that moment. I was curious about how much bloodloss there was. I thought
about it for a moment or two of relish, before I reported to my brothers that Darry
wasn't here."Shit." Ponyboy muttered, shaking his head. I was about to
scold him over his choice of words, but he cut me off, "Then you come! you're
good with nursing aren't you?" I stared at him, puzzled, but before I could object,
or say anything, Sodapop was pulling me along, running. I was in house slippers,
and the skirt did not allow me to run quickly enough for me to catch up to them.
"Slow down!" I called irratibly, as I hitched my skirt up, so I wouldn't trip. But
Sodapop didn't hear me. We were running down the sidewalk now, our feet
slapping the pavements. Ponyboy was ahead of us now, where he turned to an
alleyway, out of our sights. The alleyway led directly to the park.
Sodapop and I plunged in after him, and stopped
adruptly. Sodapop let go of my hand, and pointed at a body laying on the floor
motionless. My lower lips quivered. Was it Two-bit? Although I had never really
joined any of my brothers adventures in the alley's with their friends, I knew who
they hung out with. Greasers stuck together. We relied on each other. We
needed each other to hold on to. Withought each other, we'd be lost in the dark.
I drew closer to the body, and saw Dally's motionless body. Out of the people my
brother;s hung out with, it was Dally I least liked. But I still found, inside me, I
didn't want him dead. I bent down beside him, hearing steve behind me, stiffling
a cry coming deep from his chest. It was deadly quiet. I reached over, and
touched Dally's wrist, feeling for a pulse. His skin was colder than it had ever
been. I waited for something. Anything. A long minute passed before I felt a
faint pulse. I sighed with relief. He still had a fighting chance. And if there was
one thing Dally was, besides a cheat and an ass, he was a fighter. I looked up at
Ponyboy's sad eyes, and nodded,"he's.. alive. still. We need to take care of him.
Take him to the hospital." At that, the tension seemed to be released from
everyone. Steve and Two-bit walked toward's Dally's body, and lifted him up,
without any trouble at all. I watched Dally's face for a moment longer as they
started out the park, barking out commandments to get a car. Dally's face
would haunt me in my dreams. I shuddered. His face was serene, angelic,
undisturbed. Like nothing I had ever seen him look while he was still conscious.
I wondered, did all people look like that? Or was it reflecting how he was feeling.
I shivered, and crossed my slender arms over my chest. When the rest of the
gang had cleared, Sodapop and Ponyboy were the only ones who had stayed
behind. I turned to glare at them. "What were you two thinking? nothing
apparently! If someone's shot, what do you do? Drive him to a friggen' hospital!" I
yelled at them, hotly. Sometimes it surprised me how stupid my brothers could
be. Sodapop looked down, looking sorry, and shrugged. Ponyboy was more
defiant, but he never raised his voice with me. I guess it was because he didn't
think it was proper to, because I was his sister, and I was a girl.
"You're just as bad as Darry." Ponyboy groaned. But I waved it off dismissively.
"Don't start Pony. Look all I'm saying- all Darrell is saying- is you should use your
common sense.. okay?" I said, taking a softer tone. Ponyboy nodded, and
Sodapop grinned. "Everythin's all right, then?" He started to follow where the rest
of the gang had gone to. I looked at him, but he shrugged. He was my older
brother, I couldn't control him. I shot a quick look at Ponyboy, who threw his
hands up in surrender, giving an exasperrated sigh, "Shoot, sis, you won't let me
do nothin'" I smiled. "That's 'cuz I know you won't use your head." He looked at
me, and shook his head, a smile forming on his lips. I started to walk back,
instructing him to stay in front of me, just to make sure he wouldn't try to follow
the others. "I know how boys are." I said simply, when I saw the incredilous look
he gave me. He shrugged in defeat, and walked beside me instead. I was
content with that. The sky was darkening even more now. The streets were even
quieter than I had thought possible. I had never really been out this late, except
for the time when I had been out late with her friends, of course, under the guide
and supervision of my overprotective brothers. We walked back home in silence.
Ponyboy and I were the quiet ones. Sodapop was loud and restless, and Darrell
was always yelling. But I could stay perfectly calm and still, if I wanted to. I guess
I had always been brought up to be calm and respectable.
"I think he's going to live. What d'you think?" Ponyboy asked me, as I opened the
gate. I looked at him, and shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose. Dally's.. a fighter."
Although I disliked Dally very much, I had to admit, he was a fighter. Dally got
what he wanted always. Ponyboy made a sound at the back of his throat,
suggesting that he agreed with me. "I'm starved, did you cook anything?"
Ponyboy asked, subsituting his curiuosity for his love of food. I shook my head.
"Your going to have to settle for leftovers." I smirked. Ponyboy made a disgusted
face. "Ham again? we've had that for three straight days now." He complained.
I shrugged. There was nothing I could do about it. Darry worked hard at his job,
he really did. But sometimes, that just wasn't enough. Ponyboy settled himself on
the couch, watching the phone impatiently. I knew he was waiting for Sodapop,
or Two-bit to let him know about Dally's situation. Boys would be boys.