Brigitte's POV
"Now we don't know that for sure," I spoke.
"Yeah, come on bud. You and Dar just need to cool off a bit and then we'll see if Dal and Lex can come over. Maybe we can all just sit down and talk." Soda was trying to be reassuring, but I arched an eyebrow at him.
"I know you guys are trying to be nice and help me out, but I really just want to be alone right now. Sorry." Ponyboy stood up and stalked out of the room, dropping the bag of peas.
"Well, so much for that. I guess I'll go start dinner," Soda said putting a hand on my knee before standing up. I tilted my head up towards him and smiled.
"Yeah, okay. Do you want any help?"
"Nah, how about you go see if you can get through to Darry. Sometimes he listens to you." Soda winked and turned towards the kitchen. Sighing heavily, I started walking down the hallway towards Darry's room, remembering when it used to be Mr. and Mrs. Curtis'.
I had known the Curtis family since I moved to Tulsa six years ago. When I was eleven, my mother had moved us from Dallas to escape one of her boyfriends. My real father died when I was three. He was French, hence my name, and a real gentleman according to my mother. He had been born into an aristocratic family and left everything to us, but my mother doesn't like to splurge on "unnecessary" items. I however do.
Anyhow, I had gotten lost walking home from the elementary school and somehow ended up in "greaser" territory. Lucky for me I ran right into Ponyboy who said I could use his phone if I wanted to call my mom. The rest is history. My mother came to get me, and she hit it off right away with Mrs. Curtis. Things had been so much easier when we were younger.
When I reached the closed door, I hesitated before knocking softly. I had always gotten along real well with Darry, but sometimes he terrified me.
"Dar?" I called, gently, "Can I come in?" He didn't answer so I took it as a sign to let myself in. He was sitting up on the side of his bed staring at the closed closet in front of him. I tiptoed around the edge of the bed and sat down next to him.
"Hey," was all he said.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." His answer seemed almost robotic.
"Something besides Pony bothering you?" I knew he'd tell me. For some reason I could get just about anything out of him.
"Well, it's just that," he paused. "I don't know. I guess what I'm trying to ask is, do you think they're having sex? Pony and Alex I mean." Darry looked embarrassed, and I think my ears turned a little red as well.
"I don't really know, Dar. I mean they might be, but I assume they'd be scared you or Dally would find out."
"I'm sorry, this is a weird conversation. It's just bugging me, ya know? I mean when mom and dad died I knew I was responsible for Soda and Pony, but I didn't actually realize everything they'd have to learn without our parents here." Dumbfounded and unsure of what to say, I just sat there twisting the ring on my finger. "I'm not ready for this," he continued. "I mean he's sixteen, and I'm sure it's inevitable because of the people he hangs out with but what if he gets hurt. Or what if he gets her pregnant? And I know I sure as hell wasn't any angel, so I really can't tell him no." He sighed heavily. "I'm just so frustrated with him and with myself."
"Talk to him, Dar. I mean really sit down and listen to him without jumping to conclusions. He's going to need to be able to talk to you because I'm not sure what Alex is going to do. She wants Dally's approval so badly." I hoped he understood what I was getting at.
"Oh great. And just how long have they been seeing each other?" I looked down at my shoes and kicked the heel of one against the bed.
"Well, they've been sort of an item for almost a year now." Darry raised any eyebrow. "Pony's always been in love with her though; he's just scared of Dal."
"Yeah, I knew that last part," he inhaled sharply and started to stand. "I guess I'll go see how dinner's going. You eating?"
"Nah, I already ate. I'll probably go home in a little bit anyway."
"Hey, thanks." It was my turn to cock an eyebrow. "I just mean I appreciate you talking to me. It's nice to know someone doesn't think I'm all bad." I laughed at this.
"Anytime. Give him a chance to explain himself. It'll all work out, I hope." I smiled and followed him out the door.
When we reached the living room, Soda was getting out plates.
"Pony just walked to your house, Bee. He wanted to see Lex." Bee was the nickname I'd been given soon after I had gotten to know the Curtis boys. It was partly because of my name and partly because they told me I was the size of a bee. Or if they were being smartasses they called me "Queen Bee." In the end, the name stuck.
I looked at Darry who just looked back at Soda.
"Alright, when did he say he'd be back?"
"He didn't say," Soda said, avoiding eye contact.
"Well, looks like I'll just be hanging out here," I said taking a seat at the table. They ate chicken and mashed potatoes while I sipped on a Pepsi. Afterwards, Soda and I tuned on a movie and Darry pulled out a book. After an hour Soda asked if he should call and see if Pony needed a ride home.
"I am not calling, Soda, especially if they're in the middle of a fight. If he isn't home when the movie is over, I'll call." Soda made eye contact with me and nodded his head towards Darry. I shrugged my shoulders. We were both surprised that he wasn't getting upset.
When the movie ended, I picked up the phone to call Alex. No one answered. I called again and still no one answered. Soda yawned and laid his head in my lap.
"Well, they're either screwing or they're dead."
"Shut up, Soda," Darry and I said at the same time.
A few minutes later the phone rang, and Soda answered it then handed it to me. Alex was on the other end and sounded exhausted.
"Are you okay, Al?" I asked her.
"I guess so. Bri, I broke up with Pony, and I was just calling to see if he had made it home yet because I told him to call when he did. Oh and when are you coming home?" Her voice sounded quiet, almost like she was sick.
"Well, I was waiting on Pony. How long ago did he leave?" Darry's put his book down and Soda turned to look at me, his face paling a little.
"Wait, he's not there yet? He left about an hour and a half ago. I just assumed he didn't want to talk to me. Oh great," her voice cracked and she started to cry.
"Hey, don't cry, we'll find him. You just go to bed, you don't sound so good." She sniffed and finally agreed. When I hung up the phone Soda and Darry pounded me with questions.
"Oh, man. I just don't know where he would have gone," Soda spoke worriedly. Darry just looked at me and shook his head.
"Shit. Okay well either you and Soda stay here and I'll go look for him, or I'll stay here and you two go look for him," he said.
"We'll go!" I said immediately, knowing that Pony would rather be met by Soda than Darry.
After driving to my house and back, twice, we pulled over at the Dingo.
"You better go in with me. I don't want you waiting in the car by yourself," Soda spoke with a cautious tone. I followed him out of the car, and he slung a protective arm around my shoulder. Though we'd never dated, Soda always made it his job to be my personal body guard when we went out. There were a couple of greasers and socs fighting in the parking lot, but we couldn't find Pony or anyone else from our gang. When we got back in the car, Soda slammed his head against the seat in frustration. We circled the vacant lot and every other hang out we could think of.
"Where is he? It's one thirty in the morning, he never does this."
"Didn't Two-Bit say something about a party at the Shepard's tonight?" I asked.
"Oh yeah, but I don't think Pony would go to one of those parties. Would he?"
"I don't know, Soda, but we've checked everywhere else. And maybe if his friends were there he might go too."
"Okay, maybe. Let's go check." We drove to the Shepard's in silence. They didn't have a big house or anything, but they always had parties, and they weren't exactly the kind of parties I liked to be seen at. When Soda and I got there, we saw a lot of kids on the lawn. Most of them were drinking. Finally, we found Curly Shepard and asked him if he'd seen Pony.
"Uhh, yesss," he slurred, "I think he'sss inside."
"Great," I muttered. Soda looked at me and rolled his eyes. I felt the protective arm making its way around my waist as I followed him into the house. There were so many people in there, it was hard to breathe. They were all smoking, drinking, making out, and some were doing all three. Soda recognized someone and asked if they'd seen his brother or Two-Bit for the matter. The kid pointed out Two-Bit sitting in a corner with some blonde girl who was falling out of her shirt. Soda and I squeezed our way through the crowd toward Two-Bit.
"Where's Pony?" Soda asked in a demanding tone.
"Whoa, buddy calm down. He's here somewhere." It was hard to tell whether or not Two-Bit was drunk.
"Two-Bit, please we've been looking for him for nearly two hours." Soda's voice was pleading now. Two-Bit looked up at him and then at me.
"Alright follow me, we'll find him." Two-Bit led us down a hall where we saw a bunch of closed doors.
"Two-Bit Matthews, tell me he's not in one of those rooms," Soda looked sick. Suddenly, Pony walked out from behind a door. His hair was askew and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Ponyboy?" The kid froze when Soda said his name.
"Oh hey, Sssoda. I was jussst heading home." The voice didn't even sound like it belonged to him.
"Well, uh Soda, Bri, I'll catch ya later. Sorry I can't stick around," Two-Bit said, darting off.
"Have you been drinking, Ponyboy?" Soda sounded a lot like Darry. I'd only seen him angry a few times but never at his little brother. Pony looked down at his feet and then back up. He started to laugh as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket.
"I jusss had a little, Ssssoda. I'm fine, seeee?" He stuck his arms out to his side in an attempt to walk in a straight line. Tripping over his own feet, he cursed before catching his balance.
"Damn, who's got a lighter," he laughed.
"Pony," I began just as Angela Shepard walked out the door. She was wearing hardly anything at all, which just magnified the reputation she had. Coming up behind Pony, she whispered something in his ear and made him laugh. Angela continued walking and gave me a "go to hell" look as she passed. Angela hated me because I was friends with Alex, and she was jealous of Alex because of Ponyboy. From the looks of it though, tonight had gone in her favor.
"Let's just go," I said sharply.
Then, Soda jerked Pony by the arm and pulled him back through the party and out the front door. I was close on their heels. I slammed the door shut after he got in the car, and he stared at me as if I were completely insane.
"Whattt? Now you're ppissed off attt me too?" He looked at me, eyes glaring.
"Pony, lay off of her," Soda was furious. His voice was calm, but I could see his knuckles turning white from the tight grip he had on the steering wheel.
"Sssoda, it was a few ssshots –"
"You know what Pony, you just need to shut up and think about how you're going to explain those few shots AND Angela Shepard to Darry. And to the rest of us for that matter." Pony slumped back in the seat, laughing while Soda and I stared forward at the dark road ahead.