Ponyboy Curtis was awakened by a yell. He knew it was a yell of
delight, for Two-bit Matthews and his kid sister Kala were coming over
today.
Two-bit was a tall lanky boy of eighteen. He had jet-black hair with
sideburns that went down to his cheeks. He had a handsome face and
friendly ways.
Kala was a short skinny girl of 12. She looked like Two-bit, except
she was shorter and her hair was longer.
On days like this Ponyboy knew there wasn't to be any silence. All of
a sudden, a small figure came bounding into the room and bounced on the
bed. "Ponyboy, Ponyboy, wake up! Wake up! Kala is coming over. It's
almost time!" exclaimed his 12-year-old little sister Sugar Plum.
"Ah, knock it off, Sweet Pie. I know, I know." Yawning, he flipped the
covers off and got up. "All right, Sweet Pie, you need to get out now."
As he walked over to the mirror, he grabbed a pair of pants and a
shirt. He took off his pajama shirt and looked at himself in the
mirror. He
had brown hair that dropped slightly over his dark eyebrows. With his
tall figure he looked sixteen instead of fourteen. When he was finished
dressing, he put grease on his hair and slicked it back so it would be
out of his face.
As he walked into the kitchen, he noticed a piece of chocolate cake
with a glass of chocolate milk. Then he looked over at the table and
saw
his brother Sodapop sitting there grinning like a wild man. He stopped
in his tracks and stared. Then he cracked a grin and started laughing.
He walked over to the counter and said, "Hey, thanks man. I was gonna
skip breakfast."
Sodapop walked over to Ponyboy, put his hand on his shoulder and said,
"I know. That's why I got it out."
As Ponyboy finished his breakfast, the door opened and the familiar
face of Two-bit peeked in and yelled, "Is anybody . . . ." Then,
catching
Ponyboy's oldest brother Darry's glance, he mellowed down and softly
said, ". . .home?"
There was a whoop of joy from another room, and Sugar Plum came
bounding out. Two-bit darted out of the way of her flying form. "Hi,
Two-bit.
. . Kala!" She flung herself into the waiting arms of her best friend.
Two-bit shook his head. "Those two."
Kala tugged at Two-bit's leather jacket sleeve. "Two-bit, we're goin'
outside to climb some trees."
"OK. Y'all be careful now."
"We will."
Two-bit slammed the door in his usual manner.
About ten minutes later Johnny Cade entered the room. He wore baggy
blue jeans and his father's black t-shirt. He had greased his hair back
so he'd look cool. He stood there with his hands in his pockets and a
smile on his face. "If it's all right with y'all, my mom said she'd
take
those two tomboys to the park for a while - get 'em outta our hair."
"I'd be glad to dump 'em off on somebody else for a change," Two-bit
said, grabbing a piece of chocolate cake. "What do you think, Darry?"
Darry nodded. "Good deal, as long as they're home for supper."
"I'll spread the good news," Johnny said, walking out the door. A
minute later there were whoops and shouts of joy as the three went
running
to Johnny's house.
A bewildered Dallas Winston entered the house. "What in the world. .
.?"
"Mrs. Cade's takin' Kala and Sugar Plum to the park," Soda Pop
explained.
"Whew!" Dallas pushed back his long sandy hair. "I thought I's gonna
hafta deal with those two brats again."
As Two-bit was getting ready to make one of his smart remarks, Darry
said, "Come on, Soda, or we'll be late for work."
"Hey Soda," Ponyboy said as his brothers were leaving. "Shoes."
"Oh yeah," Soda mumbled as he retrieved his shoes. "I wonder whoever
invented these stupid things anyway." Ponyboy smiled. He knew how much
his brother hated wearing shoes.
When Johnny returned a few minutes later, he found Two-bit and Dallas
in front of the TV, watching Mickey Mouse. He rolled his eyes and went
to help Ponyboy clean the kitchen. The rest of the morning was
uneventful, and at 12:30 they started to leave to go meet Darry, Soda,
and
Soda's best buddy Steve Randall for lunch. As they walked outside
Johnny's
mother came running up screaming something about how she went to get
the girls some lunch, and when she came back they were gone. She said
she
couldn't find them anywhere. "But I did find a strip of Kala's shirt
and Sugar Plum's locket. That must mean they were in a struggle," she
finished.
The boys looked at each other, and then Two-bit and Ponyboy took off
in a sprint towards the DX. Two-bit called over his shoulder, "We'll
meet you at the police station, OK?"
"Sugar Plum! Sugar Plum! Can ya hear me?" Kala called out through the
darkness.
"Yeah," came the muffled reply. "I'm OK. What happened?"
"Well, 'member those two guys that kept staring at us?"
Sugar Plum looked bewildered. "No, what guys?"
"Well, there were these two guys - real tough lookin' Soces. When Mrs.
Cade went to get us lunch, they grabbed us, and when you tried to pull
away, you hit your head. Then they shoved us in this van and. . ."
Suddenly the van jerked to a stop and both girls went sprawling across
the floor. They lay there for a moment in stunned silence as they heard
the two men get out of the car and walk off. Sugar Plum felt her way
around the van until she found the back door. "Hey Kala, come on! Let's
get outta here."
"We can't. They locked the door."
"Oh, well, we'll climb out the window then. All car doors have
windows. We just have to find it. Now come help me."
Kala stood up and started towards Sugar Plum's voice. As she did she
tripped over a tool box and grabbed hold of a tarp as she fell to the
floor. Sunlight spilled in through the window. "See," said Sugar Plum,
"I
told you there was a window." The girls managed to get the window open
and climb out. They glanced around to make sure no one was coming and
then ran off into the woods.
"Soda! Darry!" Ponyboy yelled as he reached the DX station before
Two-bit. He turned the corner and ran smack into Darry. "Darry, you
gotta
help us! Where's Soda and Steve? We gotta. . ."
"Hold on, little buddy," Darry interrupted. "You act like there's a
fire right around the corner or something."
Just then Two-bit came pounding up. "Darry, get Soda and Steve. We
gotta go to the police station."
Ponyboy jumped at the sound of Soda's voice. "The police station? What
are we going there for?"
Steve came up beside Soda. "What's wrong with y'all anyway? You look
like you've seen a ghost."
Pony looked exasperated. "We'll explain later. Just come on. Johnny
and Dally are waitin'." With that he and Two-bit ran on toward the
police
station. Darry, Soda, and Steve exchanged puzzled looks and took off
after them.
As they approached the police station they saw Johnny and Dally
waiting for them. Ponyboy arrived out of breath. "Where's your mom,
Johnny?"
"She went back to the park to keep looking."
"What's she lookin' for?" questioned Soda.
"Do you think she'll find anything?" Two-bit piped up.
"What is she looking for?" It was Steve this time.
"I don't know if she'll find anything, "Johnny answered, ignoring
Steve's question. "But maybe the police can help."
Pony started to open the door, but Darry grabbed his arm. "What is she
looking for? Why are we at the police station? And where are Kala and
Sugar Plum?"
"Didn't Ponyboy and Two-bit tell you nothin'?" Dally said impatiently.
Darry crossed his arms. "No, they didn't, so somebody better start
explaining 'cause I ain't goin' anywhere until they do."
Johnny handed the piece of Kala's shirt and Sugar Plum's locket to
Darry. Darry opened the locket and stared at the picture of his
parents,
who had died in a car wreck a year before. "Where'd you get that,
Johnny? Sugar Plum never takes it off."
Soda said defensively, "My mom found it by the fountain in the park,
along with that piece of Kala's shirt. She said she went to get them
some lunch, and when she came back they was gone."
Darry glared at Ponyboy. "Why didn't you tell us that in the first
place? It would've saved a lot of time."
"It doesn't matter why he didn't tell us. All that matters right now
is that we find them," Steve said.
They went inside and explained everything to a police officer named
Mark Sutton. "What do these two look like?" Pete questioned.
"Well, Kala looks like Two-bit here, except she's got green eyes and
she's about 5-foot. Sugar Plum's got auburn hair, blue eyes, a few
freckles across her nose, and she's 5-1," Darry explained.
"My partner Jim and I will go to the park to look around and talk to
Mrs. Cade. I think you boys ought to go on home now. And I wouldn't
worry too much. The girls will probably show up by tonight. I'm sure
they
just wandered off. But I do need to keep the locket and shirt piece
just
in case."
As Darry started to hand the stuff to Pete, Pony grabbed the locket.
"You give that to the fuzz and who knows if we'll ever see it again?
And
what's more, they didn't just wander off. I know Sugar Plum better than
that."
Pete searched for the locket, but Pony shoved it into his pocket.
"Look, son," Pete said. "If you don't give me the locket, I'll have to
charge you with tampering with evidence."
Pony's eyes blazed with anger and he shouted, "Evidence! What do ya
mean, evidence? I thought you said they just wandered off!"
Soda put his arm around Ponyboy's shoulders. "Come on, little buddy.
Give him the locket. You know he needs it, and you know we'll get it
back."
"You don't know we'll get it back." Ponyboy pushed Soda's arm off his
shoulders. "Remember when they took Two-bit's blade for evidence? Well,
he never got it back."
"Oh Pony, that's different. The case isn't even wrapped up."
"Shoot, kid, I might get it back yet," Two-bit said soothingly.
"I don't care."
As Ponyboy turned to leave, Darry reached into Pony's pocket and
pulled out the gold chain that held the locket. He turned and handed it
to
Pete. Pony leaped at Pete, but Darry grabbed him in midair and dragged
him outside.
Kala and Sugar Plum huddled together under an overhanging rock, trying
to keep dry and warm. "I'm hungry, I'm tired, I'm cold, I'm wet, and I
wish Ponyboy was here." Sugar Plum began crying. Next to Kala, Ponyboy
was her best friend.
"I just wish we knew where 'here' is." Kala pulled her friend closer.
Sugar Plum rested her head on Kala's shoulder, and both girls drifted
off to sleep.
When they awoke the rain had ceased, and the sun was beginning to
rise. Kala stepped out from under the rock and stretched. She looked
around, but all she could see was woods. "You 'member which way we came
from?" Kala questioned Sugar Plum.
"Shoot, I wouldn't know. We ran in such a zigzag line. I'm totally
confused. But I do know that I'm hungry. What I wouldn't give for some
chocolate cake."
"How 'bout some mud pie instead?" Kala said. Both girls started
giggling. "Or," Sugar Plum pointed to a nearby bush, "some fresh
blackberries."
Ponyboy stood on their small font porch, watching the sun light up the
sky in golds, reds, and pinks. He loved watching sunsets, but he wasn't
usually up early enough in the summer to see a sunrise. "Why ya up so
early?"
Pony turned at Soda's question. "I ain't up no earlier than you. Is
Darry up?" "Don't know."
"Are you two goin' to work today?"
"Nope."
The two stood there in silence, watching the sun continue its climb
into the sky. A few minutes later Darry opened the door, and the smell
of
bacon, eggs, and coffee drifted out. "You two gonna come and eat or
not?" he said and then retreated back inside.
"He's up," Soda said as he and Ponyboy followed Darry.
As they sat down to eat, Darry said, "If the police don't call by
noon, I'm goin' down there and talkin' to Pete myself."
About 10:00 in the morning, Two-bit pushed open the front door and
trudged in. He didn't welcome them with his normal smile and "Is
anybody
home?" He didn't even slam the door. He just plopped down on the couch
and sat there staring at the blank TV screen. "Hey Two-bit," Soda said
softly. "I take it the police haven't called you yet either."
"They've been gone since Wednesday, and here it is Saturday and I
ain't heard a single thing. My mom's worried sick." The four sat in
silence
for ten minutes until the phone rang. They all jumped at its sound, and
Darry scooped up the receiver. "Hello -- uh-huh -- uh-huh -- uh-huh --
uh-huh -- bye." He hung up the phone and turned toward his buddies.
"Was that the police?" Pony questioned.
"Uh-huh."
"Are we goin' down there?"
"Uh-huh."
The door flung open and Steve, Johnny, and Dallas walked in. "Y'all
heard from the police yet?" Steve questioned Soda.
"Yeah."
"Well, what they say?"
"Uh-huh."
Dallas looked puzzled. "You mean the police called just to say
'uh-huh'?"
"Accordin' to Darry they did."
Johnny turned to Ponyboy. "What in the world's he talkin' 'bout?"
"I'll explain on the way to the police station. Come on."
The seven friends crowded into a small office and waited for Pete to
arrive. When he opened the door, they bombarded him with questions.
"Look, here's the deal," Pete explained. "Forty miles north of here, we
caught a couple of guys who confessed to taking your sisters. But. . ."
"So you know where they are, right?" Pony interrupted.
"No, we don't know that yet. They guys said they made a temporary
stop, and when they came back to the van, the girls were gone."
Dally leaned back against the wall. "Where did they make this
'temporary stop'?"
"At an old empty warehouse outside of Windrexville, about thirty miles
from here. We've got police looking all over, so I suggest you just go
home and try not to worry. We'll keep you posted."
As they left the police station, Ponyboy walked up next to Darry and
asked, "We're not gonna just go home and try not to worry, are we?"
Darry looked down at Pony and said, "No, little brother, we're not.
We're goin' out to Windrexville and lookin' for them ourselves." He
looked over at Two-bit. "You comin'?"
"Shoot, of course I am."
Steve put an arm around Johnny and Dally. "Hey, we're comin' too."
"Ugh! You expect me to eat those things?" Sugar Plum asked, holding
her nose. "You don't have to eat them," Kala said, pulling up some more
onions. "But personally, I think they'll be a nice change from
blackberries and mushrooms."
"Oh, I s'pose you're right." Sugar Plum sat down next to her friend
and started helping.
Kala looked up and smiled at her. "How's your ankle?"
"It still hurts pretty bad. If I hadn't slipped on that rock and
sprained it, we'd probably be home by now."
That evening, as the sun began sinking in the sky, the two girls
continued their slow pace. Suddenly Kala stopped. "Shh. Did you hear
that?"
"Hear what?" Sugar Plum said grumpily.
"I thought I heard voices."
Sugar Plum's eyes lit up. "Really?"
They stood in silence for a minute, listening intently, before they
heard Soda say matter-of-factly, "We ain't gonna find nothin' in the
dark, Darry."
"Soda! Darry! We're over here!" Sugar Plum cried out, turning toward
the sound of Soda's voice.
"Stay there and keep calling!" hollered Two-bit. As soon as Kala and
Sugar Plum saw the guys, they ran toward them. But, feeling a sharp
pain
shoot through her leg, Sugar Plum cried in alarm and sat down.
Ponyboy rushed over and knelt beside her. "What's wrong, Sweet Pie?"
"Nothin' much." Sugar Plum struggled to get to her feet. "Just a
little sprain That's all." As soon as she was on her feet she hugged
her
three brothers.
"Come on. Let's get these two on home," Two-bit said with his arm
around Kala. Darry picked up Sugar Plum and carried her back to the
car.
On the way home Johnny asked, "What've you two been eating?"
"Oh, blackberries, and mushrooms, and. . ." Sugar Plum wrinkled her
nose. ". . .onions."
"Well, that would explain the smell," Two-bit remarked.
"You two must be starved," Steve said.
Kala put a hand over her stomach. "You ain't a-woofin'."
"Yeah," agreed Sugar Plum. "I can't wait to have some chocolate cake."
delight, for Two-bit Matthews and his kid sister Kala were coming over
today.
Two-bit was a tall lanky boy of eighteen. He had jet-black hair with
sideburns that went down to his cheeks. He had a handsome face and
friendly ways.
Kala was a short skinny girl of 12. She looked like Two-bit, except
she was shorter and her hair was longer.
On days like this Ponyboy knew there wasn't to be any silence. All of
a sudden, a small figure came bounding into the room and bounced on the
bed. "Ponyboy, Ponyboy, wake up! Wake up! Kala is coming over. It's
almost time!" exclaimed his 12-year-old little sister Sugar Plum.
"Ah, knock it off, Sweet Pie. I know, I know." Yawning, he flipped the
covers off and got up. "All right, Sweet Pie, you need to get out now."
As he walked over to the mirror, he grabbed a pair of pants and a
shirt. He took off his pajama shirt and looked at himself in the
mirror. He
had brown hair that dropped slightly over his dark eyebrows. With his
tall figure he looked sixteen instead of fourteen. When he was finished
dressing, he put grease on his hair and slicked it back so it would be
out of his face.
As he walked into the kitchen, he noticed a piece of chocolate cake
with a glass of chocolate milk. Then he looked over at the table and
saw
his brother Sodapop sitting there grinning like a wild man. He stopped
in his tracks and stared. Then he cracked a grin and started laughing.
He walked over to the counter and said, "Hey, thanks man. I was gonna
skip breakfast."
Sodapop walked over to Ponyboy, put his hand on his shoulder and said,
"I know. That's why I got it out."
As Ponyboy finished his breakfast, the door opened and the familiar
face of Two-bit peeked in and yelled, "Is anybody . . . ." Then,
catching
Ponyboy's oldest brother Darry's glance, he mellowed down and softly
said, ". . .home?"
There was a whoop of joy from another room, and Sugar Plum came
bounding out. Two-bit darted out of the way of her flying form. "Hi,
Two-bit.
. . Kala!" She flung herself into the waiting arms of her best friend.
Two-bit shook his head. "Those two."
Kala tugged at Two-bit's leather jacket sleeve. "Two-bit, we're goin'
outside to climb some trees."
"OK. Y'all be careful now."
"We will."
Two-bit slammed the door in his usual manner.
About ten minutes later Johnny Cade entered the room. He wore baggy
blue jeans and his father's black t-shirt. He had greased his hair back
so he'd look cool. He stood there with his hands in his pockets and a
smile on his face. "If it's all right with y'all, my mom said she'd
take
those two tomboys to the park for a while - get 'em outta our hair."
"I'd be glad to dump 'em off on somebody else for a change," Two-bit
said, grabbing a piece of chocolate cake. "What do you think, Darry?"
Darry nodded. "Good deal, as long as they're home for supper."
"I'll spread the good news," Johnny said, walking out the door. A
minute later there were whoops and shouts of joy as the three went
running
to Johnny's house.
A bewildered Dallas Winston entered the house. "What in the world. .
.?"
"Mrs. Cade's takin' Kala and Sugar Plum to the park," Soda Pop
explained.
"Whew!" Dallas pushed back his long sandy hair. "I thought I's gonna
hafta deal with those two brats again."
As Two-bit was getting ready to make one of his smart remarks, Darry
said, "Come on, Soda, or we'll be late for work."
"Hey Soda," Ponyboy said as his brothers were leaving. "Shoes."
"Oh yeah," Soda mumbled as he retrieved his shoes. "I wonder whoever
invented these stupid things anyway." Ponyboy smiled. He knew how much
his brother hated wearing shoes.
When Johnny returned a few minutes later, he found Two-bit and Dallas
in front of the TV, watching Mickey Mouse. He rolled his eyes and went
to help Ponyboy clean the kitchen. The rest of the morning was
uneventful, and at 12:30 they started to leave to go meet Darry, Soda,
and
Soda's best buddy Steve Randall for lunch. As they walked outside
Johnny's
mother came running up screaming something about how she went to get
the girls some lunch, and when she came back they were gone. She said
she
couldn't find them anywhere. "But I did find a strip of Kala's shirt
and Sugar Plum's locket. That must mean they were in a struggle," she
finished.
The boys looked at each other, and then Two-bit and Ponyboy took off
in a sprint towards the DX. Two-bit called over his shoulder, "We'll
meet you at the police station, OK?"
"Sugar Plum! Sugar Plum! Can ya hear me?" Kala called out through the
darkness.
"Yeah," came the muffled reply. "I'm OK. What happened?"
"Well, 'member those two guys that kept staring at us?"
Sugar Plum looked bewildered. "No, what guys?"
"Well, there were these two guys - real tough lookin' Soces. When Mrs.
Cade went to get us lunch, they grabbed us, and when you tried to pull
away, you hit your head. Then they shoved us in this van and. . ."
Suddenly the van jerked to a stop and both girls went sprawling across
the floor. They lay there for a moment in stunned silence as they heard
the two men get out of the car and walk off. Sugar Plum felt her way
around the van until she found the back door. "Hey Kala, come on! Let's
get outta here."
"We can't. They locked the door."
"Oh, well, we'll climb out the window then. All car doors have
windows. We just have to find it. Now come help me."
Kala stood up and started towards Sugar Plum's voice. As she did she
tripped over a tool box and grabbed hold of a tarp as she fell to the
floor. Sunlight spilled in through the window. "See," said Sugar Plum,
"I
told you there was a window." The girls managed to get the window open
and climb out. They glanced around to make sure no one was coming and
then ran off into the woods.
"Soda! Darry!" Ponyboy yelled as he reached the DX station before
Two-bit. He turned the corner and ran smack into Darry. "Darry, you
gotta
help us! Where's Soda and Steve? We gotta. . ."
"Hold on, little buddy," Darry interrupted. "You act like there's a
fire right around the corner or something."
Just then Two-bit came pounding up. "Darry, get Soda and Steve. We
gotta go to the police station."
Ponyboy jumped at the sound of Soda's voice. "The police station? What
are we going there for?"
Steve came up beside Soda. "What's wrong with y'all anyway? You look
like you've seen a ghost."
Pony looked exasperated. "We'll explain later. Just come on. Johnny
and Dally are waitin'." With that he and Two-bit ran on toward the
police
station. Darry, Soda, and Steve exchanged puzzled looks and took off
after them.
As they approached the police station they saw Johnny and Dally
waiting for them. Ponyboy arrived out of breath. "Where's your mom,
Johnny?"
"She went back to the park to keep looking."
"What's she lookin' for?" questioned Soda.
"Do you think she'll find anything?" Two-bit piped up.
"What is she looking for?" It was Steve this time.
"I don't know if she'll find anything, "Johnny answered, ignoring
Steve's question. "But maybe the police can help."
Pony started to open the door, but Darry grabbed his arm. "What is she
looking for? Why are we at the police station? And where are Kala and
Sugar Plum?"
"Didn't Ponyboy and Two-bit tell you nothin'?" Dally said impatiently.
Darry crossed his arms. "No, they didn't, so somebody better start
explaining 'cause I ain't goin' anywhere until they do."
Johnny handed the piece of Kala's shirt and Sugar Plum's locket to
Darry. Darry opened the locket and stared at the picture of his
parents,
who had died in a car wreck a year before. "Where'd you get that,
Johnny? Sugar Plum never takes it off."
Soda said defensively, "My mom found it by the fountain in the park,
along with that piece of Kala's shirt. She said she went to get them
some lunch, and when she came back they was gone."
Darry glared at Ponyboy. "Why didn't you tell us that in the first
place? It would've saved a lot of time."
"It doesn't matter why he didn't tell us. All that matters right now
is that we find them," Steve said.
They went inside and explained everything to a police officer named
Mark Sutton. "What do these two look like?" Pete questioned.
"Well, Kala looks like Two-bit here, except she's got green eyes and
she's about 5-foot. Sugar Plum's got auburn hair, blue eyes, a few
freckles across her nose, and she's 5-1," Darry explained.
"My partner Jim and I will go to the park to look around and talk to
Mrs. Cade. I think you boys ought to go on home now. And I wouldn't
worry too much. The girls will probably show up by tonight. I'm sure
they
just wandered off. But I do need to keep the locket and shirt piece
just
in case."
As Darry started to hand the stuff to Pete, Pony grabbed the locket.
"You give that to the fuzz and who knows if we'll ever see it again?
And
what's more, they didn't just wander off. I know Sugar Plum better than
that."
Pete searched for the locket, but Pony shoved it into his pocket.
"Look, son," Pete said. "If you don't give me the locket, I'll have to
charge you with tampering with evidence."
Pony's eyes blazed with anger and he shouted, "Evidence! What do ya
mean, evidence? I thought you said they just wandered off!"
Soda put his arm around Ponyboy's shoulders. "Come on, little buddy.
Give him the locket. You know he needs it, and you know we'll get it
back."
"You don't know we'll get it back." Ponyboy pushed Soda's arm off his
shoulders. "Remember when they took Two-bit's blade for evidence? Well,
he never got it back."
"Oh Pony, that's different. The case isn't even wrapped up."
"Shoot, kid, I might get it back yet," Two-bit said soothingly.
"I don't care."
As Ponyboy turned to leave, Darry reached into Pony's pocket and
pulled out the gold chain that held the locket. He turned and handed it
to
Pete. Pony leaped at Pete, but Darry grabbed him in midair and dragged
him outside.
Kala and Sugar Plum huddled together under an overhanging rock, trying
to keep dry and warm. "I'm hungry, I'm tired, I'm cold, I'm wet, and I
wish Ponyboy was here." Sugar Plum began crying. Next to Kala, Ponyboy
was her best friend.
"I just wish we knew where 'here' is." Kala pulled her friend closer.
Sugar Plum rested her head on Kala's shoulder, and both girls drifted
off to sleep.
When they awoke the rain had ceased, and the sun was beginning to
rise. Kala stepped out from under the rock and stretched. She looked
around, but all she could see was woods. "You 'member which way we came
from?" Kala questioned Sugar Plum.
"Shoot, I wouldn't know. We ran in such a zigzag line. I'm totally
confused. But I do know that I'm hungry. What I wouldn't give for some
chocolate cake."
"How 'bout some mud pie instead?" Kala said. Both girls started
giggling. "Or," Sugar Plum pointed to a nearby bush, "some fresh
blackberries."
Ponyboy stood on their small font porch, watching the sun light up the
sky in golds, reds, and pinks. He loved watching sunsets, but he wasn't
usually up early enough in the summer to see a sunrise. "Why ya up so
early?"
Pony turned at Soda's question. "I ain't up no earlier than you. Is
Darry up?" "Don't know."
"Are you two goin' to work today?"
"Nope."
The two stood there in silence, watching the sun continue its climb
into the sky. A few minutes later Darry opened the door, and the smell
of
bacon, eggs, and coffee drifted out. "You two gonna come and eat or
not?" he said and then retreated back inside.
"He's up," Soda said as he and Ponyboy followed Darry.
As they sat down to eat, Darry said, "If the police don't call by
noon, I'm goin' down there and talkin' to Pete myself."
About 10:00 in the morning, Two-bit pushed open the front door and
trudged in. He didn't welcome them with his normal smile and "Is
anybody
home?" He didn't even slam the door. He just plopped down on the couch
and sat there staring at the blank TV screen. "Hey Two-bit," Soda said
softly. "I take it the police haven't called you yet either."
"They've been gone since Wednesday, and here it is Saturday and I
ain't heard a single thing. My mom's worried sick." The four sat in
silence
for ten minutes until the phone rang. They all jumped at its sound, and
Darry scooped up the receiver. "Hello -- uh-huh -- uh-huh -- uh-huh --
uh-huh -- bye." He hung up the phone and turned toward his buddies.
"Was that the police?" Pony questioned.
"Uh-huh."
"Are we goin' down there?"
"Uh-huh."
The door flung open and Steve, Johnny, and Dallas walked in. "Y'all
heard from the police yet?" Steve questioned Soda.
"Yeah."
"Well, what they say?"
"Uh-huh."
Dallas looked puzzled. "You mean the police called just to say
'uh-huh'?"
"Accordin' to Darry they did."
Johnny turned to Ponyboy. "What in the world's he talkin' 'bout?"
"I'll explain on the way to the police station. Come on."
The seven friends crowded into a small office and waited for Pete to
arrive. When he opened the door, they bombarded him with questions.
"Look, here's the deal," Pete explained. "Forty miles north of here, we
caught a couple of guys who confessed to taking your sisters. But. . ."
"So you know where they are, right?" Pony interrupted.
"No, we don't know that yet. They guys said they made a temporary
stop, and when they came back to the van, the girls were gone."
Dally leaned back against the wall. "Where did they make this
'temporary stop'?"
"At an old empty warehouse outside of Windrexville, about thirty miles
from here. We've got police looking all over, so I suggest you just go
home and try not to worry. We'll keep you posted."
As they left the police station, Ponyboy walked up next to Darry and
asked, "We're not gonna just go home and try not to worry, are we?"
Darry looked down at Pony and said, "No, little brother, we're not.
We're goin' out to Windrexville and lookin' for them ourselves." He
looked over at Two-bit. "You comin'?"
"Shoot, of course I am."
Steve put an arm around Johnny and Dally. "Hey, we're comin' too."
"Ugh! You expect me to eat those things?" Sugar Plum asked, holding
her nose. "You don't have to eat them," Kala said, pulling up some more
onions. "But personally, I think they'll be a nice change from
blackberries and mushrooms."
"Oh, I s'pose you're right." Sugar Plum sat down next to her friend
and started helping.
Kala looked up and smiled at her. "How's your ankle?"
"It still hurts pretty bad. If I hadn't slipped on that rock and
sprained it, we'd probably be home by now."
That evening, as the sun began sinking in the sky, the two girls
continued their slow pace. Suddenly Kala stopped. "Shh. Did you hear
that?"
"Hear what?" Sugar Plum said grumpily.
"I thought I heard voices."
Sugar Plum's eyes lit up. "Really?"
They stood in silence for a minute, listening intently, before they
heard Soda say matter-of-factly, "We ain't gonna find nothin' in the
dark, Darry."
"Soda! Darry! We're over here!" Sugar Plum cried out, turning toward
the sound of Soda's voice.
"Stay there and keep calling!" hollered Two-bit. As soon as Kala and
Sugar Plum saw the guys, they ran toward them. But, feeling a sharp
pain
shoot through her leg, Sugar Plum cried in alarm and sat down.
Ponyboy rushed over and knelt beside her. "What's wrong, Sweet Pie?"
"Nothin' much." Sugar Plum struggled to get to her feet. "Just a
little sprain That's all." As soon as she was on her feet she hugged
her
three brothers.
"Come on. Let's get these two on home," Two-bit said with his arm
around Kala. Darry picked up Sugar Plum and carried her back to the
car.
On the way home Johnny asked, "What've you two been eating?"
"Oh, blackberries, and mushrooms, and. . ." Sugar Plum wrinkled her
nose. ". . .onions."
"Well, that would explain the smell," Two-bit remarked.
"You two must be starved," Steve said.
Kala put a hand over her stomach. "You ain't a-woofin'."
"Yeah," agreed Sugar Plum. "I can't wait to have some chocolate cake."