Full Summary: Peer pressure can make people do stupid things, but will Ponyboy realize that he needs help. The Outsiders never happened.
Authors note: Here we go, I wrote this story in two days and I apologise in advance for any errors on my behalf.
I am not an expert and I do not claim to be. This was just an idea that popped into my head.
I am sorry if any of the characters seem ooc.
If you don't like it, don't read it.
Warnings: Characters may seem OOC
Unbeta'd
AU
Drug abuse
Alcohol use
Rated T for foul language, alcohol and drug use
Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders, and I make no profit from this story.
"Yo, kid! Wanna come and play football with us!" Two-bit yelled from the sidewalk.
"Nah, The teachers started the end of school homework rush and I still haven't started studying for finals." I explained.
"Shoot kid, finals are like three weeks away, what are you doing studying so early." asserted with a smile.
"I should have started weeks ago. Please don't tell Darry I haven't started to study yet, he'd skin me." I begged, dramatically falling to my knees.
Two-bit raised an eyebrow, "I suppose you find yourself on your knees in front of a guy often."
I growled playfully and lunged at Two-bits knees, knocking him to the ground. We continued wrestling for a few minutes. A cough behind us broke up the horseplay.
"I thought you said yesterday the teachers started to pile homework on you. I guarantee you, that if you don't start soon you won't be getting to bed until midnight. " Darry remarked.
Two-bit pulled me off the ground and proceeded to dust me off before pushing me towards the house. When Darry went inside I turned around and flipped Two-bit the bird. He laughed and dragged me into the house with him.
After freeing myself, I went to the desk in my room and I started organizing the work I had to do. Two labs for Science, A essay history, A essay for english, and so on so forth.
The gang bid me goodbye as they headed towards the lot. I pulled out my math textbook and decided to get the hardest part done with.
I sighed at the math book, after a few minutes of staring a wrote at the top of the page Dear Math, please stop asking me to find your x, she's not coming back, and I don't know y either. I quickly ripped that out of my binder and threw it in the general location of the garbage can. I pulled out a second piece of paper and started to doing the actual work.
I had yet to move of the menial questions of various subjects and onto the larger essays and labs, when the gang walked in for supper.
"Hey kiddo, you make supper?" Darry called from the kitchen. Shit I shot off into the kitchen apologizing the whole way there.
"I am so sorry I was just-" I began to explain, but Darry cut me off.
"You have homework, I know. I just wanted to know if you remembered to feed your self. But I'm going to take that as a no. Go finish up I'll send Soda in later with some food."
Soda and I blinked at Darry's back, and then blinked at each other. "Good day at work Darry?" Soda asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Nothing," Soda and I said at the same time. I turned and made my way back to my bedroom.
Once again I growled at the home work. It was just so frustrating, why do I care about this stuff anyway. I just don't have time to do any of this. When it became clear I wasn't going to be done until the early morning, I moved to the desk in Soda's old room.
I don't understand any of this I groaned and smacked my head onto the desk, and sighed for what must have been the hundredth time today. I just want to get this over with.
I felt stupid, I doubt Darry ever took this long to pump out the answers to a few lousy questions. How do the teachers expect us to get all of this done for tomorrow?
I woke up a few hours later with a start. I looked at the clock, it was one in the morning. I had slept for three hours. Yeah, three hours that should not have been wasted.
I had to finish the rest of this homework. Those three hours I had been sleeping I would have been able to finish my labs and the essays.
At around five I started to pack everything up. A blinked sleepily when a piece of paper fluttered down from my history binder.
Write a short, five paragraph essay on the difference between Sparta and Athens. I want you to convince me to move to place or the other. And this was due tomorrow. Well there goes those two hours of sleep I was about to have.
I dragged myself into the kitchen when I heard Darry get up. Soda didn't have to be into work until later, so he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.
When Darry saw me he handed me a cup of coffee. I shrugged and drank the disgusting liquid.
"You can put some sugar in that." Darry stated. I blinked, and stumbled towards where Darry kept the sugar.
"Would you like some coffee with your sugar?" Darry asked. I grunted I was in no mood to joke. I still had one essay to finish that was due tomorrow, but I don't care.
"What time did you go to bed? You know you shouldn't stay up that late." Darry reprimanded.
"Well sorry, but I was finishing up my homework." I snapped.
"If you didn't do what you were supposed to do, do not get snippy at me for it!" Darry barked giving me a hard glare.
"I was doing it! There just isn't enough time in a day to get all that stuff done! We have a track meet next week and it's not like I can skip practices." I muttered.
"You were still awake when I went to bed. How late did you stay up?" Darry demanded.
"I fell asleep halfway while I was almost done, so when I woke up I had to finish it. I woke up at one and I have been awake ever since." it was after I said this I saw Johnny at the kitchen door, staring at us nervously. I stomped out of the kitchen and into the bathroom.
I wish Darry would realize that I am not super man like him. I can't just keep going and going. When I got out of the shower Darry was gone and Two-bit and Steve sat at the table with Johnny.
"Woah kid, rough night?" Two-bit cackled.
"I just didn't have time to sleep." I explained, pouring some chocolate milk and slouching in an empty seat.
"Don't let Soda hear ya say that." Steve said with a glare. I glared right back, today I just wasn't in the mood for Darry or Steve. I was just about to open my mouth when Soda walked into the kitchen.
"You sure are up early." I stated, laughing a little when Soda stumbled into the fridge.
"I had a hard time sleeping without you there. Where were you anyways?" Soda asked, ungreased hair falling over his eyes.
"Didn't want to keep you up while I did my homework, so I went to your old room and I guess I fell asleep there." I explained. It wasn't a lie, I did fall asleep.
"You guys better get going, or else you are going to be late." Soda yawned, pointing to the clock.
Quickly we headed out of the house and piled into Two-bits car. I fought hard to stay awake. Johnny was looking at me with concern, I just waved him off. I patted my pockets. Damn I left my smokes at home. I really needed a smoke right now.
Seeing me pat my pockets, Johnny pulled out a cigarette and handed it to me. Johnny and me rarely had to ask for something simple like that, we just understood.
I pulled a lighter of the seat of Two-bits car and lit the cig and rolled down the window. I inhaled deeply.
"Slow down, you act like you haven't had a smoke in days." Two-bit chuckled, blowing a stop sign.
"Darry says if I have more then three a day, he is taking the whole pack." I snort, How was Darry to know if I bummed a smoke off of somebody.
"Rough kid," Steve nodded sympathetically.
We made it to school with time to spare due to Two-bits disregard to speed laws of any kind. I waved goodbye to the boys and made my way to my locker.
"You look like shit." Erik MacKenzie, my locker neighbour said bluntly when I stood beside him.
"Really though Curtis, " Curly Shepard, grunted from my left.
"You act as though I don't feel how tired I am." I snip, glaring when Erik slams my locker shut.
"You look like you could use a pick me up." With a smirk Erick dropped something small into my hand. I look down and see a tiny white pill.
"Unuh, Darry would strangle me if I was on drugs." I start, trying to give Erik back the pill.
"Do you always do what Darry says? I didn't think you were a pussy." Curly drawled. "Besides you don't have track today, so it's not like your cheating."
"How do you know when I have track?" I asked shocked. How in the hell does Curly of all people know this.
"Don't change the subject, are you going to take the Goddamn pill of not!" Erik snaps. I rolled my eyes and swallowed the pill.
"Happy?" I said sarcastically.
"No, but in a few minutes you will be. Here take the rest, I have a feeling you'll need them anyways. If you need more, you know where to find me, I can get them cheap." With that Erik stalked away.
"I think I just got myself I drug dealer." I said in shock, holding a bottle of pills. I stuck the pills into my backpack.
"Everyone has a drug dealer Curtis." Curly told me like I was stupid. "Try not to act to strange around your brothers, eh your eyes are glassy enough right now anyways so they shouldn't even notice."
I turned away and walked to class. I didn't understand it wasn't like these pills were doing anything. I didn't know how wrong I was.