BROKEN TRUST
Hey everyone here is my newest story. Hope you like it. I always wondered how far someone would go to protect a loved one, now I know.
Ages are as follows:
DARRY- 19
SODA- 15/16
PONYBOY- 8
JOHNNY- 14
DALLY- 18
STEVE- 16
TWO-BIT- 18
Please read and review.
The white house the Curtis's lived in was small for the family of five, but they didn't mind. It had been a house filled with love and laughter, but then something changed and the oldest son's life became a living hell. He took comfort in the fact that no one knew his secret shame and Darry Curtis would continue to do anything he could to protect his little brothers; even if it meant sacrificing himself. Over the last few years the kind, loving father had become a cold, cruel man that his boys seemed to tiptoe around because they never knew what might set him off. Thankfully he seemed content to vent his wrath on Darry, who did his best to shield the younger boys and his mother from the bruises and pain he endured. Darry knew that his friends saw the marks and the haunted look in his icy, blue eyes, but no one ever brought it up except Tim and Dally. Somehow Darry always managed to change the subject when they did.
Darry had been hanging out at his buddies all day, but when he could put it off no longer, he left. A short while later, he walked up the steps of his Mother's house and pushed the door open slowly.
"Mama," he called softly.
"Darry," his Mom answered from the living room. "You're late," she admonished her son.
"I'm sorry. I lost track of time," he said hugging her before glancing at his sour looking Father, who was sitting in his easy chair.
"Your Mother was worried," Darrel said.
"I got here as soon as I could," Darry told them.
"Tim said that you left awhile ago," Ruth told him quietly.
"I needed to think," Darry mumbled under his breath. Ruth looked at him as he sighed, hoping a fight wouldn't break out between him and Darrel. He hadn't come home right away because the teen needed time to think. He realized that he held a lot of resentment for his father. A man he'd once admired and loved. Darry's sore body reminded him all that was left of that feeling was fear and distrust.
"Your Mother wanted to wait dinner on you, but the boys were hungry. They are in bed now," Darrel informed him anger in his eyes.
"I told you this morning that I would probably be late. How are the kids?" Darry asked because between college and work, he didn't get to see much of them. Soda would be 16 soon and Pony was only eight.
"My boys are fine," Darry didn't miss the sarcasm in Darrel's voice.
"Is he home yet?" Ponyboy's small voice stopped the argument bubbling inside Darry as he heard his little brother's excited shout; and turned as he rushed to him. Darry grinned and felt Pony's arms wrap around him.
"Darry, I'm so glad you're home," he said as Darry hugged him back.
"Me too kiddo, what have you been up to?" he asked before noticing the look on their Father's face.
"You should be in bed," Darrel said standing up. Seeing the hurt expression on his brother's face, Darry was quick to speak up.
"Come on, I'll go with you and we'll do something tomorrow," he promised.
"Soda too?" Pony wanted to know.
"Soda too," Darry repeated.
Pony scampered back to his room so Darry could tuck him in and sit by his bed a few minutes.
20 minutes later, Darry walked back into the family room. Ruth was no where to be seen, but noises were coming from the kitchen. Darrel was still in his easy chair.
"I don't appreciate you encouraging the boy to disobey me," Darrel spoke in a less than friendly tone.
"I wasn't doing that. I merely said that I would spend the day with my brothers," Darry bit out.
"Why don't you spend the day with me instead? We can do anything you want," Darrel said.
"Not going to happen," the dark-haired greaser told his father.
"Why not? Why can't you spend time with your Dad?" Ruth asked quietly entering the room.
"I don't want to get into that, Dad knows why Mom, and that's all that matters," Darry tried to explain without telling her why.
"Go ahead and tell her the truth," Darrel taunted his oldest son.
"All right, I don't want to be around him," he admitted.
Darrel jumped up. "You will show me the proper respect that I deserve," he shouted coldly before slapping the teen. Darry didn't even flinch.
"My respect is earned, not demanded. You had it once and you know why you lost it, so don't pull that crap with me," looking at Ruth, he said "Mama, I'm going to Tim's. Tell the kids I'll be back to see them," he crossed the room to the door.
"You better not leave your Mother upset like this," Darrel snapped.
"I'm sorry Mama, I'll be here tomorrow," with that said Darry opened the door and closed it inaudibly behind him.
The still night was shattered the closer he got to Shepard's house; the noise was almost ear-splitting. Darry made his way into the house and found his buddy in a card game. After turning down the invitation to join them, he looked toward the stairs and when the tough greaser nodded, he walked into Tim's room where he sat on the bed. He didn't have long to wait before the door opened and he was tossed a cold beer.
"Man, he got you good this time. Do you want to talk about it?" Tim inquired sitting in the chair by the bed.
"Nope, same ole thing; no sense rehashing it," Darry said taking a long swig of beer.
"I thought you were going to move out of there?" Dally said from the door.
"I want to, but I don't want to leave the boys to deal with Dad," he replied curtly.
"Darry, you need to worry about you and let everyone else take care of themselves," Dally advised wisely.
"Dal, I can't just forget that I have brothers. Soda and especially Pony wouldn't be able to fight back. Dad would hurt them, but you are right; I need to do something," Darry told them looking at the wall.
Delanie came over and they talked about it. They decided that Darry would move out and rent a two-bedroom apartment with her. He knew that his parents would be mad and his brothers crushed, but he needed to get away from the man his Father had become. Delanie and Darry left soon after, going back to her place.
Delanie watched Darry wishing he would lie back down instead of getting dressed. They had been seeing each other about 5 months and when ever she asked him to spend the night, Darry got a disturbed look in his icy, blue eyes and he made excuses to leave. Tonight, however, she was determined to help Darry face his demons.
"Stay with me tonight Darry," she said softly.
"I can't Dennie, Dad wants me home," he told her somberly tying his shoes.
"You Dad don't have to know, tell him that you were at Tim's", she said sitting up. He shook his head and sat by her on the unkempt bed. He stood and walked to the living room.
"Darry, how can we go any further in our relationship if you don't trust me? Why are you afraid to spend the night with me? Why are you having trouble sleeping?" she asked as Darry stared at the floor, before looking at her.
"Yeah, I know that you can't sleep. What's the worst that could happen, you wake up in my arms?" she wanted to know.
The 19 year old looked at his best friend and lover wondering how to make her see that he did want to stay with her, yet the dreams that came every night stopped him.
"Deenie, I would love to wake up in your arms, but…." He stopped.
"Here comes the famous but, tell me what?" she said holding his gaze.
Darry knew that he had to tell Delanie the truth.
"Well as you said I don't sleep well at night, lately I've been having nightmares and I wake up screaming and fighting. I didn't want you to know so I've been making excuses not to stay," he finally told her.
Delanie gently touched his face. "Do you want to stay, honey?" she asked him.
"More than anything," he told her.
"All right so tonight you stay with me. I'll hold you. Come on," she held out her hand, Darry took it and let her lead him back to the bedroom.
Once both were lying down, she pulled him so his head was resting on her and he could hear the steady beat of her heart.
"Don't be scared now, you need to rest. I've got you, nothing will hurt you as long as I'm here," she promised.
Not knowing what to say, Darry kept quiet. He tried to relax. The man fought it as long as he could, but finally gave in as Delanie held him tight; assuring him that he was safe, making him look at her.
"Baby, look at me. No one is here except us, no one can hurt you. Go to sleep," so Darry closed his eyes confident that at least for now, this moment in time, he wouldn't be hurt.
Hoping against hope that he wouldn't be plagued with dreams, Darry woke up in a cold sweat begging not to be hurt anymore.
"You're all right; go back to sleep," Delanie murmured to him, but he stood and got dressed.
"I'm going home now, I love you," he told her.
"I love you too," she replied following him to the door so she could lock it.
It was 1:30AM when Darry ended up back at home. He was still slightly buzzed and so tired. Everyone was in bed as Darry started to his room; he stopped to check on the boys. Pony stirred and cried out in his sleep, so he eased down on the bed; pulling the younger boy into his arms. Soda sat up and yawned, blinking at them.
"Shh… go back to sleep," he crooned to Pony. Soda stood up and stumbled over to them, crawling under the covers. Darry held them both and watched the door until his eyes grew heavy and he to fell asleep.
"Pony, don't wake your brother up," Ruth told him again trying to keep the happy child quiet. Steve, Two-Bit and Johnny were on the porch waiting while Soda hurriedly ate breakfast, and then went to join them. He stopped at the door.
"Pony, we're going to play ball, come with us until Darry gets up," he told him. Pony agreed and they ran outside. Ruth cleaned the kitchen and went to start laundry. Darry sat up and stretched before getting out of bed and padding into the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee.
"Breakfast is over, don't expect your mother to cook for you, since you should have been up to eat with us," Darrel said breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"I'm not expecting anything," Darry told him tiredly.
"Darry, I went to make your bed, but it's already made," Ruth said kissing him good morning.
"I didn't stay there," he said hugging her. "Pony was restless when I checked on them, so I decided to sleep with him," he said.
Darrel smirked because he knew the real reason his oldest son did that. He was protecting the younger children.
After a brief moment of indecision, Darry looked at his parents.
"I think that we need to talk," he told them. After they went into the living room and sat down, he started. "I've decided to move out," he broke the news quietly.
"I don't think so you ungrateful punk," Darrel bellowed out.
"Darrel, if Darry feels ready to be on his own, then we should support his decision," Ruth tried to soothe her fuming husband. "When will you be going?" she asked him.
"Probably next month if we find a bigger place; we want separate bedrooms. Mama, don't tell the boys; I want to," he told her watching Darrel stalk to his bedroom. Ruth followed and the next sound was of him slapping his wife and storming out of the house. When Ruth came out of the bedroom, her eyes were red.
"Everything will be okay son. If you need to be on your own, I understand and I'm behind you. Your Dad has never liked Delanie because he thinks that she puts on airs," she made excuses for her husband.
"I know, but if he would get to know her, he would see that she's not like that," Darry told her softly.
"Come here, sit and talk to me," Ruth told him.
"Mama, you understand why I have to do this, don't you?" he asked.
"Of course I do. Don't worry about your Dad, he will come around sooner or later," she told him.
"I'm more worried about how the boys will take the news," Darry said before falling silent.
"Kids are resilient, they will get over it. Especially when they finally get their own rooms," Ruth laughed standing up as the guys trouped in. "Now is as good a time as any. I'll be in the kitchen," she said.
10 minutes later, Darry watched Pony run to his room after he had broken the news to them. Soda seemed to take it well though.
"Sodapop, I need to do this. I have to get away from Dad," he told him.
"Did he do that to your face?" Soda asked sadly guessing that he had.
"Yes, he did," the older brother admitted that much.
"The other bruises that you've had, Dad caused them to, didn't he?" Soda wanted to know.
Darry nodded and tried to smile.
"Soda, promise me that you will still share a room with Ponyboy. Don't leave him alone at night," he said seriously.
"Okay, I promise, but you want to tell me why?" he wanted to know.
"All you need to know is don't do it," is all Darry would say.
"Well let's go see if we can make Pony understand why you have to go," Soda stood up and Darry followed him down the hall to the boy's room.
The little boy was lying on the bed, arm across his green eyes.
"Ponyboy, Darry has to move out; it's his time to go and live his life," Soda said sitting on the bed while Darry sat on the floor by them.
"We'll never get to see you," Pony mumbled.
"Yes, you will; I'll be around so much you will think I still live here," Darry said hoping he would be.
"Do you promise?" Pony asked leaning forward.
"I promise," Darry repeated. "Now let's do something fun," they ran outside.
Later before going to bed, the three brothers's sat on the steps enjoying the quiet evening.
"So tell me Little Buddy," Darry said using his nickname for Soda. "What's up with you and this chick you been hanging with?"
"We've been on two dates. Her name is Sandy; Evie hooked us up, and I really like her a lot," he replied.
"They were kissing, gross," Pony said making a face.
Darry shot a grin at Ponyboy. "You're time will come soon enough when it won't be yucky to be with girls," he said as he exchanged amused looks with Soda at Pony making gagging noises.
"Pony, Soda, time for bed," Ruth said from the doorway.
"All right Mama," the younger boys stood up and after hugging Darry, started to their room.
Pony stopped and turned to look at Darry.
"Will you check on me later?" he asked quietly so their Father wouldn't hear.
"You bet I will, no one will stop me," Darry said smiling at them.
"Come on Pone, I'll race you." Soda said as they took off with Ruth yelling at them not to run in the house. Darry stayed outside a little longer and then went to his room. He was restless and half an hour later ended up with Soda and Pony again.
