Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns; I borrow.
Two-Bit and I search for hours. We even look in the places they'd never be, but all I'm left with is more fear. Word of mouth is awful.
Lots of people are talking; talking about Bob dying, talking about Johnny killing him. It's crazy to think so many people could know already. Tulsa ain't a small town, but I guess we were looking in all our familiar places. We even ventured outa our territory for a little while. Caused a huge commotion, threw a few punches and left before it got serious, but the talk begins to get to me.
I start to believe what I hear.
Two-Bit doesn't. He's still picking fights with everybody, defending Johnny's honor, and I don't have the heart to tell him I think it's true. Hell, I don't have the heart to think the thoughts I'm thinking myself. It must've been Johnny, I just know it. It must've been Johnny, and Pony was probably with him.
I erase the worries from my brain and tell myself I'm being ridiculous. Like everyone's told me, they're fine. We were probably looking in one place while they were in another, and when I do find Pony, and I will, I'm gonna talk some sense into him. I'm gonna lecture him as good as I damn well can so he never leaves like this again. It's been over twelve hours now, Ponyboy. Twelve hours. Quit screwing around and get home.
Glory, I wanna strangle him. If he were he right now, I'd have half a mind to do it, but I know I know it's all just hot air. When I do find him and he's standing right in front of me, I won't. If anything, I'll probably suffocate him from hugging him so damn hard.
xxxx
When we give up and head back to my place, Dally's there. He's sitting on the couch in one hell of a mood and cursing up a blue streak.
"Hey, Dally," Two-Bit says. "We was lookin' for Johnny and Pony. You seen 'em anywhere?"
Dally shakes his head. "No, but if you do, lemme know. Fuck, I'm worried about that little bastard."
At first I'm offended he seems worried about Johnny only. What about Ponyboy, goddamn it? Ponyboy's out there too, but then I figure he must be lying. No, he is lying.
"You sure you ain't seem 'em around, Dal?" I ask, and he glares at me.
Two-Bit gives me a funny look too, but I don't care. I know I'm onto something.
"You half-retarded, Sodapop?" Dally sneers at me. "I just said lemme know if you find them, but apparently I need to say it again, so lemme know if you find them. Sheesh."
He gets up and paces towards the kitchen.
That little outburst confirms it, he does know something. Some people think I'm dumb, but when it comes to people, I'm smarter than everybody I know. I know when people lie. Don't ask me how, I just do, and right now, Dallas is lying right through his teeth.
I'll be keeping an eye on him, that's for sure. If I have to beat it out of him, I will.
xxxx
"What the hell were you thinking, Sodapop Patrick?"
Darry's been my guardian for about a year now, but it still feels weird to hear him use my middle name, the kind of weird that makes you want to laugh uncomfortably, but laughing would get me murdered the way he's staring at me.
"I asked you a question, Soda."
"Honest, I don't know, Dar," I tell him. "I just was worried about Pony and work seemed less important than lookin' for him with Two-Bit, ya know?"
He slaps his fist against the kitchen counter and mumbles things like he might start lecturing again but the words never come out right. That's the worst, when you've pissed him off so bad, he can't even speak coherently.
After a few moments he manages to point to his figure at me and say, "You were the one that told me you needed this job to help me out. You were the one that dropped out and told me this job was gonna do us a world of good."
"I know," I say, but he doesn't let me finish.
"Damn it, Soda, you could lose your job pulling shit like this, and then you wouldn't even be able to get a new one. I mean, what boss would ever give you a good recommendation after he fired you? Glory, I thought I didn't have to worry about you. I thought you used your head, but this, this is just dumb."
I sigh. "I know, Darry. I screwed up big this time. I'm sorry."
"You don't just not show up," he goes on, clearly not hearing my apology. "Hell, I'm worried about Ponyboy too, but you could've at least told your boss your brother was missing and tried to get a day off, or maybe just maybe make Steve go in for you? You could've done a lot of things!"
"I know," I repeat myself, but it still goes unheard.
"You're grounded 'til I say otherwise."
I groan, it's the first time Darry's ever said the words to me, and I don't know how to take it. My first thought is he can't ground me, he's only three and a half years older than me, but the look in his eyes says otherwise. It says I better listen to him if I know what's best for me, but damn it, I'm not going to be able to pass up going out with Steve when he asks just 'cause my big brother grounded me. That doesn't sound tuff at all, and Steve'll tease me about it 'til we were dead.
"You are too grounded," Darry adds, like he can read my thoughts. "Don't you go thinkin' otherwise, little buddy. You ain't going anywhere 'cept work until I say it's okay, and I don't give a shit what Steve thinks about it either, so don't you even think about makin' that argument…"
Shit, he knows me too well. "Okay," I say, and it pains me a little.
It takes all my strength and then some not to add a smartass remark to it, but somehow I manage to hold my tongue.
Maybe he'll forget about it later if I'm good now.
xxxx
God, it's unfair Darry grounded me. I try to take it in stride, but damn it, I'm still pissed hours later. It ain't fair. He's worried about Pony too, so I should get a hall pass for that.
He's pacing again, that's how upset he is.
I watch him for a while and debate saying something, but I'm afraid I'll sound snappy and whiney over this grounding, even if I'm talking about something different. I know I shouldn't be this upset about it, but I am, damn it, I am.
"I can't take it anymore," Darry says, walking up to me. "We have to call the fuzz and file a report."
"We can't Darry," I tell him quickly. "They'll think you're irresponsible, and…"
"I know," he cuts me off. "But he still ain't here, and we gotta do somethin'. Glory, I've been thinkin' about it, and they could say it's irresponsible we didn't call in sooner, little buddy. We have to."
I shake my head, but I know he's right.
Darry walks towards the phone, and when he picks it up, my eyes water. God, Pony, where are you?
xxxx
Before we know it, the cops show up and we have to explain the whole thing.
My mind gets hazy, and everything happens so quickly. Darry's a horrible liar, so I step up and do the talking. Before I can pause to think about it, I spout off something about Pony going to the movies with a friend. I add that he was supposed to stay the night with his friend but never came home the next day.
They believe it and immediately guess the friend is Johnny, so I confirm it. It's half true anyway, and little do I know, my words will make them both murder suspects later…
"All right," the officer says. "We'll need a physical description of your brother."
I hesitate. After my bullshit story, I can't seem to find words anymore. This is easier than the lie I just told. I should be able to tell them what my little brother looks like, but I can't even remember the exact words I told them seconds ago.
Darry rescues me and provides the information they need.
I feel light-headed and can hardly breathe until they're gone.
xxxx
Darry tells me he has something he has to take care of about an hour later. It sounds like bullshit. I offer to go with him, but he reminds me I'm grounded and takes off
I could just punch him, but lucky for me, Steve rears his ugly head before I drive myself crazy. "I'm guessing Pony hasn't shown up yet?" he says, approaching me.
"Nope."
"Shit," he says, and this time he really does sound worried. "Maybe we should go to Buck's or somethin' and take your mind off it."
"Can't," I say. "According to Superman, I'm grounded."
Steve smirks. "Oh man, what'd you do?"
"Skipped work."
"Yeah, that'd piss him off alright," he says, and he almost doubles over from laughing so hard. "Good job, buddy."
I flip him the bird and pull myself off the couch. "You know what? Let's go anyway," I tell him. "He ain't here and he'll probably be gone a while."