"Ponyboy Curtis!"
I had barely opened my eyes, just in time to see my big brothers flying towards my bed. I yelled and scrambled to get my legs untangled from my blankets. In bed was NOT where I wanted to be when they landed. I succeeded. Kinda. I wasn't on the bed but I really hadn't escaped either. I had tumbled off the bed with my legs still tangled in the blankets. I stared up at my two brothers standing over me.
"Well, well, well," Darry laughed. "He tries to escape the inevitable and just make it easier for us!"
"Yeah, now we dont have to hold his legs down!" Soda agreed.
They dropped to the floor next to me. Darry grabbed my arms and held my wrists together, over my head. Soda sat on my stomach and starting digging his fingers in between my ribs and into my armpits. I started swearing at both of them but Soda only tickled me hard. After a few minutes they traded places and Darry sat on my stomach. They tickled me and tickled me until I couldn't hardly breath.
"Serves you right for trying to stay in bed so late," Soda grinned.
This game of Tickle-Pony-Until-He-Gasps-For-Air is a favorite in my family. Dad used to help them tickle me and I would have to scream for Mom to save me. Before they died... I pushed the memory out of my head. I couldn't make it through the day if I spent too much time thinking about it. They had only been gone since the second of May. It's August now, and school's starting in a week, so at least I'll have homework to occupy my mind.
Darry rocked back on his heels and looked me over. "Whelp, Ponyboy, we already ate all the food, but you can take care of the dishes if you want." He winked at me.
"Aw, Darry!" I groaned.
"Hey, kid, those're the rules. You said they were o.k. when we were talking about it. Soda's gotta help, anyway."
The Rules were that whoever got up first in the morning made breakfast for everyone, and the other two got to wash the dishes.
Soda helped me unwrap the blankets from my legs. "I'll make you some eggs if you want," he offered.
"Yeah, that'd be good. With toast."
I followed Soda to the kitchen. Darry was in the living room buttoning his shirt. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone get up from the couch and stagger into the kitchen.
"Hey Steve, what are you doing here?" I still wasn't completely used to finding people besides my brothers in the house. Steve is Soda's best friend.
"My old man. You know how he is. Hey, Soda, make me some eggs too? Scrambled.. the normal color ok?"
Soda grinned at him. "Man, you're boring."
Darry strapped his toolbelt around his waist and opened the front door. "See y'all later. Stay out of trouble, got it?"
"Yeah, yeah," I replied.
Soda and Steve paused their game of Who-Punches-Hardest for a brief second. "Hey Darry, me and Steve are going to the DX later to look for jobs, OK?" He turned to look at me, "You wanna come, Pony?"
Steve slugged Soda in the arm and glared at me. If looks could kill..
I stared back, eyes widening. I'm only 14 but I'm not stupid. "Naw, Soda, me and Johnny are probably gonna go swimming or something."
"Tuff enough. Tell him I said hey."
I ate breakfast at the table while listening to Soda and Steve talk about their girls.
I had barely opened my eyes, just in time to see my big brothers flying towards my bed. I yelled and scrambled to get my legs untangled from my blankets. In bed was NOT where I wanted to be when they landed. I succeeded. Kinda. I wasn't on the bed but I really hadn't escaped either. I had tumbled off the bed with my legs still tangled in the blankets. I stared up at my two brothers standing over me.
"Well, well, well," Darry laughed. "He tries to escape the inevitable and just make it easier for us!"
"Yeah, now we dont have to hold his legs down!" Soda agreed.
They dropped to the floor next to me. Darry grabbed my arms and held my wrists together, over my head. Soda sat on my stomach and starting digging his fingers in between my ribs and into my armpits. I started swearing at both of them but Soda only tickled me hard. After a few minutes they traded places and Darry sat on my stomach. They tickled me and tickled me until I couldn't hardly breath.
"Serves you right for trying to stay in bed so late," Soda grinned.
This game of Tickle-Pony-Until-He-Gasps-For-Air is a favorite in my family. Dad used to help them tickle me and I would have to scream for Mom to save me. Before they died... I pushed the memory out of my head. I couldn't make it through the day if I spent too much time thinking about it. They had only been gone since the second of May. It's August now, and school's starting in a week, so at least I'll have homework to occupy my mind.
Darry rocked back on his heels and looked me over. "Whelp, Ponyboy, we already ate all the food, but you can take care of the dishes if you want." He winked at me.
"Aw, Darry!" I groaned.
"Hey, kid, those're the rules. You said they were o.k. when we were talking about it. Soda's gotta help, anyway."
The Rules were that whoever got up first in the morning made breakfast for everyone, and the other two got to wash the dishes.
Soda helped me unwrap the blankets from my legs. "I'll make you some eggs if you want," he offered.
"Yeah, that'd be good. With toast."
I followed Soda to the kitchen. Darry was in the living room buttoning his shirt. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone get up from the couch and stagger into the kitchen.
"Hey Steve, what are you doing here?" I still wasn't completely used to finding people besides my brothers in the house. Steve is Soda's best friend.
"My old man. You know how he is. Hey, Soda, make me some eggs too? Scrambled.. the normal color ok?"
Soda grinned at him. "Man, you're boring."
Darry strapped his toolbelt around his waist and opened the front door. "See y'all later. Stay out of trouble, got it?"
"Yeah, yeah," I replied.
Soda and Steve paused their game of Who-Punches-Hardest for a brief second. "Hey Darry, me and Steve are going to the DX later to look for jobs, OK?" He turned to look at me, "You wanna come, Pony?"
Steve slugged Soda in the arm and glared at me. If looks could kill..
I stared back, eyes widening. I'm only 14 but I'm not stupid. "Naw, Soda, me and Johnny are probably gonna go swimming or something."
"Tuff enough. Tell him I said hey."
I ate breakfast at the table while listening to Soda and Steve talk about their girls.