Hi again! I had exams...:( But they sent me the WRONG. ONE. I'm home-schooled, right, so that sucks. I have to wait another three days now...

Four

Mama kills me the next morning. It's not about skipping school, hallelujah, it's about leaving the bathroom a soaking mess.

She drags me out of bed at six am by my ear. TwoBit doesn't notice. Mama demands," Who made this mess? I spent at least half an hour cleaning it all up. I woulda gotten you to do it, but you was asleep. You need your sleep, it helps you think and if you're gonna ever grow up you have to be smart to get a job, alright? Why did you do it?"

Damn than lazy brother of mine. I swear to God sometimes I don't believe we're actually related. TwoBit was just trying to have fun, so I don't have the heart to tell her.

I'm grounded all day after school, no supper.

I must be pretty dumb. Today is the last day of school before summer starts, and I didn't even know till I got there.

At school I have no one to celebrate with, 'cause I only have two friends, Linda and Mary. We don't even play together much. The only reason they kinda like me is 'cause they pity me. At least they don't laugh when I write an answer to a question the teacher asks me on paper and hold it up to her.

I almost begin crying when the bell rings. I'm free! But I'm also grounded.

Mostly I passed with A's and B's, looks like I'm going to grade five. I haven't asked him yet, but I'll bet TwoBit is gonna be doing grade twelve again.

A couple hours into my solitude, TwoBit comes bursting in, laughing manically. "I heard what happened," he gets out between laughs. "And I thought I'd make it up to ya."

I smile-frown.

TwoBit pulls back the curtains and opens the window. "Ma won't be home for awhile. Wanna visit the Curtis'?"

He knows I can't resist. Besides, I have nothing to lose and Mama will never never ever find out. Any chance I get to be with Ponyboy, I'll take.

He jumps out the window and I follow a little too quickly. I land on top of his back smoosh. I hear something cracking.

TwoBit goes," Ouch!" and throws me off of him. He does this with such force, and the anger I see flash in his grey eyes scares me. But in a second he's smiling and laughing again, helping me to my feet. "What are you tryin' to do, kill your own brother there, Kirb?"

We get in his car. He makes me sit in the back, I hate that. We cross our fingers and toes and pray it'll start. After some effort on his part, TwoBit miraculously gets it started and we take off. I stare out the window and watch trees and houses zoom past. My stomach suddenly lurches, I don't have a very good feeling. I can't tell TwoBit that, though, so I try to ignore it.

Darry's there to greet us. He used to frighten me 'cause he's so big, but he's actually really nice and we're friends now. Soda's there, too, and before I had a crush on Pony I had a crush on Soda. Everyone knows that and they're always bugging me about it. You can't blame me, Soda is a doll. But Pony's closer to my age, we have a better chance of getting married.

Johnny's there, too. He smiles at me and I give a little wave. It's not that I don't like Johnny or anything, I just don't like the scar on his face. It's strange being around someone who's been hurt so bad so many times.

While the others drink and eat chocolate cake and wrestle and discuss chocolate flavoured weeds, I have a deep intellectual discussion with Ponyboy. I hold my hands out and mime opening a book, then point at his chest.

His brow furrows, what he does when he's confused. It's the cutest thing.

I do it again.

"Oh!" says Ponyboy. "What book am I reading?"

Finally. I'm relieved. I shake my head.

"I'm reading Gulliver's Travels. Do you know that one?"

Yes, I do, I'm very familiar with it. Pony looks excited to tell me about it, though, so I let him go on and on and on to his heart's desire. His voice is like honey, I could listen to him all day.

While Pony is reading me chapter eight, the best so far, TwoBit comes and sweeps me away, telling me we're gonna both be in shit if Mama finds out what I've done. I wave goodbye to everyone while my brother carries me outside like a bride. I'm so happy, maybe I'm wrong about that sick feeling I had earlier.

I almost fall asleep while driving home. Perfectly content. I have a whole two months ahead of me. Then I feel a bump and hear a loud crash and TwoBit cussing his head off. We screech to a stop. I sit up, fully awake and look at him, panicked.

His shoulders are tence. "Kirby, Angel Cake, I, uh, I think I just hit someone."

Dumb TwoBit :(

Listening to: Africa, Toto