"Riley, it's your turn to make dinner," Darry said from the sofa. I got up and walked over to him, "Darry do you know when soda is coming home" "no I don't baby girl" I looked down at Darry and thought something bad might have happened to soda. Nevertheless, its Sodapop Curtis I am talking about nothing can touch that boy. I went to the kitchen and decided that I was not going to make anything big. I was too tired. Therefore, we had Mac 'n' cheese. It was mine and Pony's favorite. "Darry, Ponyboy dinner's ready," I hollered from in the kitchen. Therefore, the three of us sat down and I could not help but notice that Soda had still not come home. It made me somewhat depressed. I realized I was not hungry. 'God I soda's ok' I thought.
"Hey guy's what's up" soda came loping over to the dinner table. I looked over at Darry and his eyes were blazing with fire.
"Hey Pony can you help me with some English homework" I asked. I knew that pony and me had to get out of the kitchen because Darry was going to off on soda for not being home on time. "Yea sure riley, I'll help you" pony said as we left. We went to the bedroom that we shared. "So what do you need help with" leave it to pony to be so gullible. "I don't need help. I just wanted to get us out of the war zone," I said. "Oh" pony said sheepishly. We could hear the fight.
"SODA WHERE IN THE ULMIGHTY UNIVERSE WERE YOU" Darry hollered. "None of your business, why do you care anyway" soda sassed back. "HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT MAYBE ME AND YOUR BABY BROTHER AND BABY SISTER WERE WORRING THEIR HEAD OFF. YOU KNOW RILEY WAS SO WORRIED THAT SHE SKIPPED DINNER," Darry said. You could tell that soda did not care. "I am going to bed" soda said.
We could hear his footsteps retreat to his bedroom. Darry was walking to our bedroom. "Guys can I come in" he asked. Pony and I were very close with Darry. "Yea Dar" pony got up and opened our door. "I know you guys heard the fight," Darry said as he picked me up and sat down and put me in his lap.
"Yea we did" Pony said. The three of us were worried about Soda. Ever since Johnny and dally died he had become a different person. He had not been showing up for work. He and Steve are not talking. Soda was not the wild and happy-go-lucky 17 years old, that he was 8 months ago.
"Guys you know that I love you a lot." He said. "Yea we do" pony said. "What are we going to about soda Darry" I finally managed to squeak out. Darry looked at Ponyboy and me with sad eyes. If I did not know any better, I would have thought he was going to cry.
"I'm not sure yet baby girl," Darry said as he hugged pony and me. "Why don't you two get some sleep? You have to do house cleaning tomorrow," Darry said. I picked up my pillow and threw it at the back of Darry's head. He turned around, came over, and stared to tickle me mercilessly.
Ponyboy cam over and started in with the tickling war, I eventually got tired and so stopped trying to fight back. Darry noticed and pony had fallen asleep. "Good night Baby Girl" Darry said as he kissed my forehead. "Good night Darry. Love you" I called back sleepily. "I love you to princess" Darry turned around and looked at me.
He gave me a rare smile. He turned and walked out of my bedroom and turned the light out and shut the door. I laid there in the dark and started to shiver at the thought of Soda leaving our family.
"Are you cold Riley?" Pony mumbled. "Yea a little" I said. The thought of having my twin hold me in my time of need was more than I could ever ask for. He turned around, threw his arm around my waist, and pulled me close. "Everything will be ok Ri," he whispered. It was not uncommon to have pony say stuff like that. It is a twin thing.