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Chapter 2
"Do you need any help, Ponyboy?"
I looked over my solder, seeing Mr. Curtis standing behind me. I was carrying one of my mother's antiques. It was big, and very, very breakable. I didn't trust anyone with my mother or her positions, even the man who was going to become her husband.
"No, I got it, sir. Thank you." I say quickly pushing the vase up closer to my chest so it was less wobbly. He gave me a look and nodded.
"If you want any help just say so." He says going back into the apartment. Soda and Darrell came back up the stairs to help their dad get the couch.
"Need any help Pony?" Soda asks me.
"No, it's fine. Thanks." I tell him making my way carefully down the stairs. I gently put the vase inside my mother's car and wipe the sweat off my forehead. I took off my shirt to elevate the heat that I still wasn't use to even after living in Tulsa for almost a year. I had my tank-top on under my shirt. I never fully took off my clothes in front of people unless it was my mother. There were too many scars from my father for people to see.
I went back into the apartment and grabbed another box. It was one of the heavier boxes that had some of the souvenirs that my mother and I got have bought during our travels. I grunted under the weight of the box. It was starting to jar my left shoulder. The shoulder was dislocated when I was little and was never really set right. It still bugged me, but I tried to hide it as best as I could. Why did Mom have to get so much crap? Where Mom was going to put this, I had no idea. At least we didn't have to unload all the stuff that Mom's ever bought. We had sold more than half of the things that my mother's purchases for spending money. Mom wasn't the smartest when it came to money management. I was the brains of that operation. Ow, shoulder! Mr. Curtis looked at me and smiled.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like help?" he asks again. I shake my head.
"I can carry it, Mr. Curtis." I say. He sighs and comes over to me, ready to take the box.
"Here, let me take that." He offers.
"I can carry it, Sir." I say again. Ow, my shoulder. Mr. Curtis tries to take the box and accidently jars my shoulder the wrong way.
"OW!" I let go of the box and it falls to the floor. I grab my left arm and sink to the ground, hissing. The contents of the box had fallen out of their container and some lay in pieces on the floor. I go wide-eyed and start to shake.
Oh, great, look at what you've done now!
I hastily start gathering up the broken pieces and try not to look at Mr. Curtis. I know he would never hurt me, but still…
"Ponyboy, son, stop that. Let me see your shoulder. Ponyboy!" Mr. Curtis picks me up by my shoulders and makes me look him in the eye. I shake with fear and pain. He leads me to where Darry and Soda are still holding up the couch.
"Set that down boys, so Ponyboy can sit down." Mr. Curtis gently pulls me down on the couch and leans me back.
"Darry, go get me some ice. Soda, go get Emily, and ask her where his pain pills are."
They rush to their tasks and Mr. Curtis turns to me.
"Can you take off your shirt for me, Ponyboy?" he asks.
"Yes sir. I'm alright, sir." I stammer. Mr. Curtis shakes his head. I shakily strip of my shirt. Oh, God, my shoulder.
"You can stop calling me sir, Ponyboy. Are you sure that you're okay? Don't tell me any stories kiddo. Your mother's told me about your shoulder. Just a few more months and we can get you that surgery." He says.
Surgery? When was I going to have a surgery?
"Yes, s-Mr. Curtis. It's alright."
Soda and my mom came into the apartment. Mom looked worried. She was carrying my pills in her hands. The bottle was almost empty. We didn't have enough money to re-fill it.
"Ponyboy, are you okay, honey? I got your pills for you. Do you want any water for them? How did you hurt it in the first place?" she sits next to me. God, this is embarrassing. Darry comes back in with the ice. The refrigerator had already been emptied out. He hands the ice to me. I put it on my shoulder and look at the ground.
"I was-"
"It's my fault, Emily." Mr. Curtis interrupts. "Ponyboy was carrying one of your boxes and I thought that it was too heavy for him. When I tried to grab it, the box fell and it jarred his shoulder the wrong way."
My mother sighs. "We need to get his shoulder fixed. It's been nearly seven years since it happened, I don't know how much longer he can stand it being like this."
"Mom, Mr. Curtis, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt that bad." I say. I wish they would let it go. I know that Darry and Soda already think that I'm a crybaby.
"Take your pills, Ponyboy. Now, are you sure you're alright?" Mom asks. Soda hands me the glass of ice water that I was drinking earlier. I nod my thanks. I take the pills and look at my mother.
"Yes, Mom, I'm fine. We need to keep packing stuff up. Mr. Poole said that we needed to have our stuff by 5:30." I get up from the couch and go back to picking the broken pieces that shattered when I dropped the box.
Everyone goes back to what they're doing and after two more hours everything gets loaded up and taken to either storage or to the Curtis house. It was around 5 when we finished. Mr. Curtis passed out lemonade to everyone as we sat outside on the deck. He and Mom sat cuddled up together holding hands and smiling at each other occasionally. I sat in one of the plastic chairs next to Soda and Darry. Around nine I felt myself starting to nod off. I yawned for the second time.
"Tired, Ponyboy?" Darry asks me.
I turn my head to him and nod. I stood up and stretched. "Am I sleeping on the couch, Mr. Curtis?"
Mr. Curtis shakes his head. "You're family now, Ponyboy. You and Soda are going to be sharing a room. The bed's already made-up. If you want to, go to bed. It's starting to get late, anyway. I think that I'm going to hit the sack as well."
My mother nods. "Me too. I'm sleepy."
Mr. Curtis smiles and kisses her forehead. "You can crawl in bed with me, honey." he whispers in her ear, just loud enough for me to hear. Mom giggles. Darry stands up and claps his father on the back.
"I have to go to work in the morning. I'm going to bed. Night everyone."
"Goodnight Darry!" everyone calls out.
Soda stands up and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Come on, step brother. Let's get you settled in."
I smile. "Goodnight, Mr. Curtis. Goodnight Mom."
"Goodnight, son." Mr. Curtis says.
"Night, honey. Sweet dreams."
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