Author's note: It's been exactly one year since I posted my first story, A Day With Soda. Well, someone had suggested back then that I should do a story like that for each of the characters. So, that's what I'm going to do. This story is about what Ponyboy's day is like.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.
I rolled over in the nice warm bed, shielding my eyes from the sun with my arm. I knew that my two brothers would be trying to get me out of bed at any minute, but I decided to try to go back to sleep anyway. Sure, I probably shouldn't stay up late on school nights reading. But once I get into a really good book, it's hard to put it down. Soda knows I read at night. Fortunately, I don't think Darry knows. If he did, he'd ground me. Well, maybe not ground me, but I would get a lecture about how reading in the dark is bad for my eyes. I only read by the dim light from the porch light outside. It provides just enough light for me to see the words.
"Ponyboy, get up. You have school today." Darry hollered from the kitchen. He does this every morning and every morning, I pretend not to hear him.
"Come on Pony, it's time to get up now." That was Soda, who was now sitting on the bed and bouncing on it. He was also getting me wet since he had just got out of the shower and his bouncing made the water drip from his hair.
I groaned and pulled the covers over my head.
"If you don't get up, I'll tickle you out of this bed." Soda said. Of course, he didn't wait for a response. He never does. He just started to tickle me. "Are you going to get up now?"
"Pony, Soda, come on, breakfast is ready. Get out here before Steve and Two-Bit get here and decide to eat it first!" Darry called.
"Okay, Soda, I'm up." I gasped as I sat up.
Soda messed up my hair. "You stayed up late reading again, didn't you?"
I nodded. "You're not going to tell Darry are you?"
Soda grinned. "Nah.Just don't get caught."
"I won't." I replied. "And please tell me you left some hot water for my shower."
Soda has this habit of using all the hot water when he takes a shower.
Soda just winked at me and left the room. Which meant I would probably have just enough hot water to get my hair washed. And that's exactly what happened.
"Well, it's about time." Darry commented when I finally stepped into the kitchen for breakfast. " Do I have to make your bed time earlier?"
"No." I replied as I helped myself to a slice of chocolate cake.
"Maybe he had one of those dreams again." Soda mumbled. He knew I didn't but, he was trying to stick up for me. And it worked. Darry just frowned and mumbled something that I wasn't able to hear.
I gave Soda a grateful smile when Darry wasn't looking and Soda grinned back as he put more jelly on his eggs. I've given up on trying to figure out why he likes jelly with his eggs. Although, I still think it's a disgusting combination.
"Hey, I'm leaving for work now." Darry said as he put a hand on my shoulder. "Make sure the dishes get done. Soda, make sure you remember your shoes when you go to work. And Pony, remember if you go anywhere after school to have someone either go with you or to pick you up when you're ready to come home."
Soda and I both nodded. It was the usual morning instructions before Darry headed off to work. He tells us the same thing every morning. Just like Soda asks if the mail came yet every afternoon when he came home.
After Darry left, Soda and I did the dishes. We finished just in time for Steve and Two-Bit to pick us up. Steve was driving. He stopped at the DX first to drop off Soda before heading for the school. Once we were at school, we all stayed in the car, smoking cigarettes until the warning bell rang. I said I'd see both of them at lunch before I went to my first class. Another long day of school was about to begin.