This is a nice long chapter! Enjoy!
...
Ponyboy POV
I've been a prisoner in my own home for three days. Not that there isn't any action, unfortunately there is. Steve and Two-Bit laze around here all day, always providing some sort of nonsense. And since school's out and there's nothing better to do - I'm in on it.
One afternoon when it's just me and Two-Bit he perks up and quips "You're gonna turn into a coconut, sitting around all day and gettin no sun like this. Superman can't hold you here forever."
Oh but he can, I think but don't voice it. Instead I just grin at Two-Bit knowing I have a long day ahead of me. "What are you suggesting?"
But I already know. Two-Bit grins slyly at me. "Just a little fun I had in mind."
Two-Bit leads me outside. I feel like a prisoner being bailed out of jail. We decide on seeing a movie without knowing exactly what's playing. The sun beats down, it's hot, even for June. The short walk to the drive in theater just about does me in.
There's a weird feeling building in my gut, the same feeling that I had felt after I'd had all that booze. Only now I know for a fact it's not from being not drunk. But I'm going directly against what Darry had told me, Stay in the house. I'm having fun. I know if I get caught, I'll be in even more trouble than I already am. But all of a sudden I think to myself Who really cares?
A phrase registers in my head that I need to follow, Don't get caught.
…
Soda POV
Work at the DX is slow. I stand at the counter ringing up customers while Steve works in the back on cars.
"How's the kid?" he asks me on our lunch break. I look up from my sandwich, surprised that he's at all interested with my brother.
My brother...
"Alright," I say warily, on the lookout for a catch. "Superman still has him grounded.."
Steve catches onto my cautious tone of voice. Defending himself he says "What? Am I not allowed to ask?" He pauses and grins. "He just never seemed like the type of kid to get blitzed." I can't help but notice the smirk on his face.
"I guess everyone does it at some point," I say defiantly. The truth is, I still find it hard to believe myself.
"Yeah. We all know you did. When you was thirteen…"
"No one was home that night," I mutter to him. A smile is tugging at my lips.
Steve snorts. "I thought maybe the kid might've been smart enough to think of that."
"Hey! He's smart. Smarter than you anyways. And it ain't like you didn't do stupid things when you were his age."
Steve holds up his hand in surrender. "Oh, I ain't denyin anything. I know what I did."
"You still have them hubcaps you stole?"
"Every single one," Steve says with a grin.
"Figures," I mutter. "At least you don't use em to fix other people's cars."
"Who says I don't?" Steve quips with a grin. I stare at him with revolt. He shakes his head. "I'm kidding." he says. I still question the truth, though.
I finger with a thread that's coming loose from my DX shirt. "And at least the kid ain't slashin tires like you did."
Steve chews on his lip at the memory. "Now I regret that. Mrs. Edley sure can yell for an old lady."
...
Ponyboy POV
"Wow. Now that's what I call a shitfest."
"Not exactly. I mean, there were some parts…"
Two-Bit just snorts. "Next time, kid, we check what we're seeing before we see it."
I grumble an agreement. The movie hadn't exactly been good - a perfect waste of two hours. Throughout most of it I'd found myself itching to go home, wishing I'd never left the house. Funny, because I've been stuck there for so long.
"When we get back, would you mind making me dinner?" Two-Bit quips offhandedly as he saunters down the road, a hand placed over his stomach. "I ain't ever been so hungry. Must have something to do with bad movies."
I lay a punch to his shoulder. "Absolutely not."
Two-Bit looks like he wants to protest but doesn't say anything.
Just then I feel a hand on my shoulder. I spin around and find myself face to face with Lowell. I gasp, he had scared me. Lowell doesn't say anything, just grins guiltily.
I hesitate, not quite sure if I should be mad at him or not. He had treated me to one of the best nights at my life, but because of him I'm also in some deep shit with Darry.
"Curtis," Lowell greets.
My heart stops racing and I catch my breath. "Lowell," I breath. Two-Bit stops in his tracks, watching me with interest.
Lowell eyes Two-But wearily. "Glad I ran into you," he drawls, not looking away from Two-Bit.
I can tell having Two-Bit around is making Lowell nervous so I turn to him and wave him off. "Go on home, Two-Bit. If Darry comes home tell him I ran off someplace and that you didn't see me go," I grin to myself. "He'll believe that alright."
Two-Bit hesitates. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure I'm sure."
He shoots me a peace sign then turns to head off. "Cya kid."
I wave to him and go back to facing Lowell. He's short and stocky with dark features, minus his mischievous blue eyes that always seem glint whenever he gets into trouble.
"You didn't have to send him off." he says guiltily.
I shrug. "Yeah I did. I ain't supposed to be out anyways."
"Big brother Darry getcha?" Lowell questions with a grin. He jabs a finger into my gut. I swat him away and roll my eyes at him.
"You could say that."
"Listen Curtis," Lowell starts, cutting to the point. "I've got an aunt down in Miami, right? Older woman, livin it up in an apartment around ten minutes from a real nice beach, right?"
"Sure."
"Yeah well get this. Me and the guys are headin down to see her in a few weeks, for a month right in the middle of the summer. In Miami. Miami, Curtis. Can you imagine?"
I look straight at him. "No," I tell him honestly. Though I feel a ripple of nervous excitement in my chest, already knowing what he's going to ask me.
Lowell grins wide. "Well…"
Suddenly dubbed by fear, I decide to play dumb. "What?"
Lowell looks disheartened by having to take a less dramatic reveal to his big plan. "I was wonderin if you wanted to come along. You know, a road trip."
I let that sink in. A road trip. Darry'd never agree to it. I'm already grounded as it is, no way he's letting me travel out of state, hundreds of miles away by car, with guys he already thought were a bad influence. Not a damn chance.
But I have to remind myself that I'm turning seventeen in just under a month. Darry can't hold me back forever…
I look to Lowell, a smile on my face. "Sure. I mean… maybe. I'll think about it." I jut my thumb backwards. "Gotta get approval from the horse's mouth."
Lowell whoops loudly. "Ain't gonna be a trip without you, Curtis. Keepin us from doing all the crazy shit you know well enough that we'll get caught up in."
There it is again, that feeling of excitement in my chest. I'm breaking the rules, rebelling. I decide that I like it.
"You know it."
…
I can't work up the courage to ask Darry to let me go on the trip. Not yet. I spend the next two days skulking around the house, feeling completely useless.
I don't see Lowell, Clark or Smith around at all. Its summer and I don't even have school to keep myself busy with.
Most of the time there's no one home, but I find Soda hanging around more than usual. "Work is slow," he tells me one afternoon while we sit on the couch, trying to beat the summer heat. It's too hot to even step outside for more than five minutes. You'd bake. "But it'll pick up, once everyone gets back from their road trips. Bust up their cars and be needin to take them in to be fixed."
There it is again, a road trip. I think about Lowell's offer.
"Have you ever thought about a road trip?" I ask my brother offhandedly. He looks at me curiously. I don't think he had been expecting the question.
"Nah. Why, have you?"
I grin at him. "Maybe. But I can't. I might as well be tied to a chair thanks to Darry."
Soda chews his lip, looking at me thoughtfully. "You know he's only tryin to protect you. I get it's annoying. But you're his kid brother and he just doesn't wanna see you grow up."
I roll my eyes but feel a pit is forming in my stomach. "So maybe I am. You did too and Darry didn't seem to have a problem with it."
"It was different with me," Soda says dryly. I get what he means, mom and dad had been there. The pit in my stomach grows.
When I don't say anything else my brother adds with a grin, "Besides, everyone sort of expected it all when it came to me."
"I don't regret doin it." I grumble.
I immediately wish that I hadn't opened my big mouth. Soda looks at me intently. "What?"
Too late to take anything back. "Last week, the drinks. I don't regret having them. I had fun that night..." my voice trails. I know I sound like a stubborn jackass, but I can't stop myself.
"You ought to be a little sorry. Darry's sorry." Soda tries to reason with me but I'm not having it.
"Didn't stop him from grounding me."
"He had to do something."
I stop myself from saying anything else. The silence between me and Soda grows. I hate the pain rising up in my chest, feeling bad for making Soda mad. But at the same time, I don't.
Suddenly the feeling that I'd felt yesterday makes sense, because I'm feeling it again. Stand up, be defiant…
Soda scoots closer to me and instinctively I scoot away. He looks hurt. "Ponyboy, Darry assumed the worse. What with what you've pulled before. He was drivin himself mad worrying about you."
Always about what Darry feels… I think but don't say anything. I feel like I'm going to puke. Out of anger with myself and everyone else.
I stand up before the argument can get worse. "I'm gonna go take a nap," I announce and retreat to the bedroom. "...just tired."
I leave, only looking back at Soda once. I expect him to look angry. Instead, I see him sad and confused.
I feel like wrapping my head up against the wall and yelling What have I done?
…
Too cheesy? Too dramatic? Gee, I hope not. This story is coming along slowly… but there's some action in the next chapter, muahaha.
Also thank you all so so much for reviewing! I'm making it my goal to get 5 reviews per chapter, and by telling me what you think you can help me reach that goal! Thank you so so much again it really means a lot! Also just ask and I'll gladly review your stories in return!
