Summary: Soda's look quickly went from pleading to angry…and trying hard not to cry. Darry sighed. Here come the water works, he thought. Pony wasn't the only tag-along. There was a time when Darry had his own little tag-along…Sodapop. Darry- 9; Soda- 5.
Disclaimer: It's all you S.E. Hinton.
A/N: I am very pleased with how this turned out. Originally this wasn't why I wrote it, but if you take it that way, then this could maybe be an explanation as to why Soda is so OK with Pony being a bit of a tag-along.
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"Soda, go home," Darry Curtis groaned. He was getting really sick of his little brother following him and his friends around everywhere.
"But I want to play too, Darry," Soda replied.
"So go play with Pony," Darry retorted. He could tell by his friends' exasperated faces that they were sick of his kid brother hanging around them all the time.
"But I want to play with you," Soda pleaded, widening his dark brown eyes.
"Soda, go home!" Darry ordered. "We don't want you to play with us."
"Yeah, go do little kid stuff," one of Darry's friends agreed.
Soda's look quickly went from pleading to angry…and trying hard not to cry. Darry sighed. Here come the water works, he thought. He was surprised when his younger brother didn't cry, but instead puffed out his lower lip, and continued to try not to cry. He seemed to be doing anything he could to keep from crying. But Darry knew his brother, and Soda was the bawl baby of the family.
"I'm not a little kid," he finally said, and Darry guessed he had to wait until he knew he wouldn't cry if he spoke.
"You're five," another of Darry's friends pointed out.
"Soda, just go play with Dad and Pony. You love playing with them," Darry sighed, trying to be nice to Soda instead of firm. Maybe that would work better.
He still looked angry, but finally Soda said, "Fine." He turned around and left. Darry turned back to his friends, grinning.
"Perfect. Now we can do whatever we want," he said.
He and his friends spent the day having a lot fun, and doing a lot of stuff that he knew Soda wouldn't have been able to do had he been around. As Darry walked home that evening, he told himself that Sodapop would have ruined his day. His friends would have hated him because his brother would have messed up their good time.
Sure, he felt bad. After all, Soda was just a little kid, and he hadn't started school yet so he didn't have many friends of his own yet. Darry couldn't wait until Soda started school so the kid wouldn't always want to hang around with him. Once Soda started school he could go on his own little adventures with his own friends.
He was surprised when he came upon his little brother sitting on the curb down the street from their house.
"Soda? What are you doing?" Darry asked, puzzled by this.
Soda turned away from him. Darry sighed. Soda was clearly mad at him so he was going to pull the brat act.
"Don't be a baby, Soda," Darry said.
"I ain't doing anything!" Soda shouted.
"Yeah, that's why I'm worried. You're never not doin' anything," Darry explained.
"Except when there's nothing to do, like today because you wouldn't let me play with you," Soda finally looked at him, and there were tears filling his eyes. Darry had a feeling that now that his friends weren't around, Soda would cry.
"Soda, I'm sorry, but we were doin' big kid stuff," Darry said.
"I could have done it," Soda murmured.
Darry sat next to him as the tears started rolling down, "No, you couldn't. There were trees too big to climb and…"
"I could have, Darry!" Soda interrupted. Darry was getting really frustrated. Why did Soda always have to follow him around?
"Glory, Soda, you couldn't have!" Darry yelled, jumping back up. "Why couldn't you just play with Dad and Pony for once? Why do you always have to follow me around and do whatever I'm doin'? You're driving me crazy, Sodapop!"
Now the tears were pouring. Soda jumped up himself and shouted back, "Because I wanted to play with you, Darry! Because I want to be like you!"
Darry was stunned. He didn't know Soda looked up to him that much…
"I'm sorry, Soda," he finally said. "I'll tell you what- tomorrow we can play, just the two of us. No Dad, no Pony, and none of my friends."
Soda looked up at him hopefully, tears still shining in his eyes, "Really, Darry?"
"Really," Darry grinned. "Now let's head home before Mom gets too worried."
He hugged Soda to his side and the brothers walked home.