Poor Alchemy

Chapter 1: Three Months Later

It had been nearly three months after Johnny Cade, and Dallas Winston's deaths. I had finally gotten over the whole issue until I thought I found a way to make everything the way it used to be….

"Come on sleeping beauty wake up, you're gonna be late for school if you don't get up right now" It was Sodapop. Soda was never really the same after Johnny, and Dally's deaths just like all of us but he tried not to let it get to me or else he thought that I would break down again. I'm still not sure what kind of toll it took on Soda, having to deal with losing two members of the gang, and Sandy moving down to Florida, where he might never see her again.

I yawned, and stretched, Soda bombarded me with tickles that just 'bout made tears leak out of my eyes I was laughing so much "All right all right, I'm awake now, just stop tickling me to death!" Soda stopped, and I jumped out of bed, grabbed the last clean shirt I had and put it on as Soda walked out to the kitchen to finish his breakfast. I followed him, as I smelt the sweet scent of buttermilk pancakes.

"'Bout time you woke up Pony, I thought we might've had to throw a bucket of water on you so you would come out to breakfast" Darry said piling the last cooked pancakes on top of the rest.

"Then I wouldn't have enough time to eat, dry off, and still make it to school before the bell rings now would I?" I said as I chowed down some pancakes with an overflow of syrup. Darry grabbed the car keys, and started to pick up my homework notes from last night. Darry sighed.

"Pony, you need to be more careful on where you set your homework down at. You could've gotten syrup all over it." Soda came hopping back into the kitchen with one of his shoes on and the other in his hand.

"Then that would be a really sticky situation." Soda said, I chuckled as I picked the rest of my pancakes up with my fork.

"Hurry up and finish the rest of your 'cakes Ponyboy. You and Soda can wash the dishes later." Darry put his hands on his hips and continued "Sodapop and me are gonna head out now Pony. I think you'll have enough time to walk to school. And Ponyboy," Darry paused, "don't dillydaddle, you can't afford to be late again." With that said him and Soda walked out of the front door and drove off.

I grabbed my bag full of books, and schoolwork, and headed out the door. It felt like I was missing something but I couldn't think of what it was. I was about halfway to school when I gave up trying to figure out what it was. Then I noticed that a car slowed down beside me. It was Two-bit.

"Hey Two-bit" I said when he finished rolling the passenger side window down.

"Hey Ponyboy, do ya need a ride?"

"Yeah, but I don't think there's enough room in your car" I said and pointed a glance down at all the trash that covered the inside of Two-bit's car. Geez, even on the seats. Two-bit stopped the car and began to clear out the passenger side.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that Ponyboy. I haven't gotten around to clean it out since that drunk soc crashed into my car last month."

"Naw, it's fine, just as long there ain't any rats living in here." Two-bit laughed. Last month around 8 p.m. Two-bit and Soda were driving to the Nightly Club when a soc, that was obviously drunk crashed into the side of Two-bit's car. Two-bit thought that the soc did it on purpose while being lectured by Steve and Soda how important it is to have car insurance, but Two-bit wasn't listening.

We arrived at the school parking lot about four minutes later. The warning bell rang. "Well, just in time eh? If I didn't give ya a lift that would be what? The fifth time this month you've been later for school?"

"Sixth actually, I was late yesterday." We walked into the school and down the hall; students were hurrying to their first class so they didn't get tardy.

"Shoot, if you would get a tardy again today, that would be a detention."

"And Darry would scream my ears off again." I added.

"Seeya after school Ponyboy." Two-bit said and began walking towards the physical science classroom nearby.

"Yep, seeya." I didn't have time to go to my locker to put my bag away, so I just placed it outside of the door to my English classroom before I went in. The last bell ringed. Phew just in the knick of time.

"All right students take your seats." The teacher said.

Just 10 more minutes until period 2, come on hurry up.

"It's time to start our first book debate of the year!" Mrs. Smith announced in her all so cheery voice. How can anyone be so god damn cheery about a project that causes so much misery for her students. "I have already picked your partners…" 6 minutes left… "And last but not least Ponyboy Curtis, and Sarah Trenman will be working together."

I glanced over to Sarah, oh great I get stuck with the freakish bookworm in the school. I know I shouldn't be talking but even I can't compare to her when reading books. She seems to remember everything she reads. One time, in elementary school we read a book that talked about how the water cycle works, and then about two or three years ago when we were doing a paper on the water cycle she started to talk about the book once the teacher gave us the assignment. Talk about freaky. But then again it's sort of an advantage to have her as a partner for something like this. Mrs. Smith went on talking about the requirements for the book debate and what it is. Everyone in the class knew what a book debate was, or at least should. It's like a report but done by two people. They both read a book and the debate stuff about it and write it down on paper. It's quite easy once you get the hang of it.

The bell rang, finally. I got up and was about to head out the door when

"Mr. Curtis, can I have a word with you please?" It was Mrs. Smith.

"Sure" She better give me a pass so I don't get in trouble for being late.

"I did not partner you up with miss. Trenman so you can slack off but because I was told that you were the smartest one in your English class last year but barely passed with a C. Do you understand?" I nodded and she began writing me a pass, thank god "I also would like to see what you are capable of this being the first major project this year." She handed me the pass "I look forward to reading yours and Miss. Trenman's book debate next week. And remember it is worth most of your grade so don't do poorly on it or you'll be flunking this class." I hurried out of the class as new students came walking in. I grabbed my bag and hurried to my locker. Just 2 more periods until lunch.

Lunch came rather hurriedly and before I knew it I was sitting down at a lunch table with Steve, Two-bit and a school lunch. Two-bit and Steve were talking about how he could lower the payments on fixing up the dented side but that he'd also be in debt to Steve. They were still talking when Sarah Trenman walked over to the table with a bunch of books in her arms and laid them down in front of me. Two-bit and Steve didn't seem to notice.

"What are these?" I asked her.

"What do you think? Choices for our book debate, I would like to get it done early so I could check to make sure everything is okay with it." I looked at the books; they're all very thick books.

"I'm sorry but I don't think I can read any of these books in less then a week, they're too long." She looked down at them and started piling them back in her arms.

"Okay then, I have a bigger collection at home. We can search through later and find a book that you'll like." Sarah finished picking the books back up in her arms. I can already tell she's gonna become a librarian, she always has her nose in a book, she has glasses, and has a very mousy look to her.

"Today?" I asked, I already had enough homework to do over the weekend and I could really take a break from reading, or so Soda says.

"Of course! We're going to have to start this early if we want to get it done on time. I'll talk to you later I want to eat before lunch is over." I looked down at my food, I almost forgot about eating. Sarah walked away with her arms filled with her books.

Two-bit now just noticed I was talking to someone. "One of your book friends?"

"No, book debate partner." I looked at my food once more. On second thought I better not risk getting food poisoning or else I would be hunted down and suffer paper cuts from Sarah.

"Hey Pony, you gonna finish that?" Steve asked. I shook my head, and he chowed down my food like he hadn't eaten in ages.

At the end of the school day, I met Sarah at her house like told. I was surprised to find out where she lived. I thought she might have lived in the middle classes but she lives on the same side as the socs do. I rang the doorbell and an old lady opened the door.

"Hi, I'm Sarah's book debate part-"

"Oh yes, Sarah has been looking for a book ever since she got home. Come in come in." Her voice was old and friendly. She handed me a tray of cookies. "Cookie?"

"Thanks." I said politely taking a cookie and took a bite out of it.

"This way." She motioned for me to follow her and I did. As we walked down the nearest hallway I could hear some thumps as if something hard kept hitting the ground and someone talking. It grew louder and louder as we reached the last room in the hallway. The door was open and I could see Sarah Trenman tossing books everywhere and saying, "no, this one won't do" or "I've read it too many times." The room was huge. It had shelves upon shelves filled with books, and a bed?

"Sorry about the mess, I need to clean my room up one of these days."

"This is your room!" I asked astonished, "I thought it was a library but with a bed."

"Nope, this is my room." She tossed more books onto the floor. "Well, are you going to help me find a book or not?" I finished the rest of my cookie and started looking through the shelves. Moments later I came across a brown colored book with a weird looking circle on it. The book was titled Alchemy. I opened it up and started reading the first page. I was about half way done with it (first page) when Sarah poked her head at what I was reading.

"That book won't work for the book debate." I looked over at her with a questioned look on my face.

"Why not?"

"Because that book doesn't really have a plot or anything to it. It's mainly a sci-fi book dealing about a what-if science. Although I do wish it were real." She said with a disappointed look on her face. "Anyway I think I found a book you might like. We Were There, it's a book about Pearl Harbor and stuff."

"Sounds fine with me." She handed me the book. "Don't you need to read it too?"

"I've already read it millions of times. And besides, I remember what was on each page." Now that's freaky, knowing what's on each page. "If you want you can borrow that book." She said, is she talking about the alchemy book? "But you have to read We Were There first. Just so you don't get distracted and get it finished."

I walked with the two books in my hand towards the door.

"Do you need a ride dear?" it was Sarah's grandma again. I was just about to reject when I thought about it. If I didn't get a ride home I might get jumped by socs since I am in their territory. I can just picture it now, Darry yelling at me while I'm holding a cloth up to my bloody nose: "What in the world were you thinking Ponyboy, you can't just go walking around in soc territory! Don't you ever use that head of yours?"

I took her offer, just in case.

I got home earlier then I expected to be. That Mrs. Trenman sure can speed. I'm surprised she didn't get pulled over and get a ticket. Right when I got out of the car Two-bit was rounding the corner to our house. I was surprised to see he was walking. He waved to me and I waved back. I waited until he reached me before I went into the house.

"So whose mighty fine car was that you were in Pony?"

"Sarah Trenman's grandmas. She was giving me a lift home since we found what book we are doing our book debate about."

We walked up to the porch and once I opened the door you could hear the television blaring loud like usual. Two-bit walked over to the couch and sat down next to Sodapop which had a notebook in his lap and a pencil. I set my school bag down on a free kitchen chair.

"What's the notebook for Soda?" I asked

"Steve's working on Two-bit's car, and I'm supposed to take notes on what's happening in this episode of I Love Lucy for him."

"-so I was beginning to get irritated with him and just about pun-"

"Shut up Two-bit I'm watching I Love Lucy, and if I'm listening to you I'm missing something." I began to laugh, Sodapop, and Steve love watching that show. If it was any other show Soda probably wouldn't mind listening to Two-bit's bragging but nothing gets in between him and Lucy. I started off for my room hoping to get some major reading done tonight, 'snot like I've got any choice.

The rest of the weekend was working on my homework mostly the book debate with Sarah. Man, was she ever annoying. Though if we weren't working on it at her house it would never get done, there'd be too many interruptions.