LITTLE FINGERS

Authors Note: I got my three reviews within a few hours of postings, so I'm gonna go with five reviews this time. This chapter is dedicated to my first three reviews, TheNightimeSky, dannie california and 03. Also, I'm looking for a female OC. Send in your names and personalities and things like that (description, pairing, kid or no kid…stuff like that) and I'll pick the best! Again, thanks to my reviewers!

Chapter Two

DARRY POV

Monday, August 28, 1968

9:56 PM

The first thing I noticed when Soda and I stepped into the house was a baby girl, lying on a blanket spread out on the floor, sleeping peacefully. Ponyboy was sitting on the sofa, staring down at her, a piece of paper beside him. The baby rolled over in her sleep.

"Pony…what's a baby doing in our living room?" Soda said from behind me. Ponyboy picked up the piece of paper beside him and handed it to Soda. I read it over his shoulder. Her name is Avery Elizabeth Curtis…I'm sorry for not telling you about her…I can't have a baby tying me down…If you still don't want her, you can call Child Services or something…We all make mistakes…

The baby- Avery Elizabeth- was…Ponyboy's? My 16-year-old brother had a daughter? I hadn't even known Ponyboy was interested in girls, yet, but, come to think of it, I had my first girlfriend when I was 13. But still, my little brother was a father? I was an uncle? It'd always seemed that I'd be the first to have kids, seeing as I was the oldest one out of the three of us.

I wasn't mad at Ponyboy. I was furious. I had thought he had enough sense to use protection if he was doing those kinds of things, but I guess not. Or else he wouldn't be in this mess.

"Ponyboy-" I began, but he cut me off, shaking his head.

"I know, Dar. I was stupid. I wasn't thinking. I didn't use my head. I know. I'm sorry," He said. Why did he think that an apology solves everything? Like that girlfriend of his said, it doesn't change anything.

"You realize that your whole life has changed, now? You're gonna have to get a job, you're not gonna be able to go to college even if you do get a scholarship, you can't try out for track this year, you can't go out with friends...Ponyboy, do you realize how badly you screwed your life up?" I said, almost yelling. He looked down at his feet and nodded dully.

"Are you gonna give her to Child Services, Pony?" Soda asked, quietly from behind me.

"No," he said, simply.

"Are you sure that's the best thing for her…and for you?" Soda asked. Ponyboy nodded. It was times like this I envied Soda. He knew how to keep calm, cool and collected, even (and especially) in situations like this. I wish I knew how to not lose my head. Sometimes, Ponyboy just makes me really angry, and I can't keep from yelling at him.

"How can you know what's best for her, Ponyboy? How can you know what's best for you?" I yelled. Ponyboy cowered and shrugged.

"I just do, Darry. I'm not giving her up. She's my daughter and I don't want some stranger raising her," He said, defiantly, almost yelling, but not quite. I could tell he was dead serious about not giving her to Child Services, so I decided to let the matter drop.

"And what about school? How are you going to manage going to school if you have to take care of Avery?" I asked. Ponyboy shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm sixteen, I can drop out if you'll sign the paper…," He began.

"No. I'm not gonna sign that paper, Ponyboy, because you're not gonna drop out of school, ya hear? You're gonna get a job and you're gonna pay for babysitting or a daycare or something, okay?" I said. Ponyboy wasn't gonna drop out of high school; I wasn't gonna let him.

A/N: I intended for this chapter to be longer, but I wanted to get it up for y'all!