Ponyboy was so excited for his day at school. Today was field trip day. He was excited that Mark, Dexter, Phillip, and himself were all going to be in the same group. Those were his favorite people in class. Mark was his favorite, but everyone else was cool too. Well maybe not as cool as the gang. Mark is from the same area Ponyboy lived and he had three older siblings. His brothers Jeff, Mark, and Tyler regularly picked Mark up at school and walked him home. They were really tough too. Jeff was really tough. Jeff was part of the Shepard gang and Ponyvknew they could be mean and tough which is why Pony was not able to be around them.

Pony slowly walked the familiar path to his classroom. He hoped they would see the lions. Lions were his favorite. Some reason he thought lions were tuff looking. When he arrived in the classroom he could see that some parents were already there. This made Ponyboy more excited. It means it was really going to happen His first school field trip. He walked in and spotted Dexter right away.

"Hi Dex! Are you excited?" Pony inquires glowing with excitement.

"Yes! I heard that field trip days are the best. My cousin said when he went to the zoo he jumped in the pen with the tigers. He said he fought one off of him. He was so tough he did not get a single scratch! How tough is that?" his friend exclaims excitedly with a hint of mischief.

"Wow! Really? Thats tough!" Pony admits trying to picture someone fighting a tiger! That seemed really scary so he must be tough,, but Ponyboy doubted his cousin was as tough as his brothers

"Do you think Phils mom will be nice? " Dex inquires.

" I sure hope so," Pony admits looking at the door was as Phil and his mom walked in. Pony studied her. She looked nice enough.

" Ok students. I need you all ro find your seats. We need to take attendance." the teacher instructs. All the students hurried off to their seats.

They all sat silently while the teacher took role.
"Ok rules. One) You Must Listen the adults in your group Two) We must stay with our groups. Yall are reprensenting our school so be on your best behaviour. Now lets line up so we can load the buses.

Ponyboy took his place in line by his friends. After everyone was inline they followed the teacher down the hall to the front entrance.

"Ok boys and girls. We are sitting two or three students to a seat. " she tells them before allowing them on the bus. Pony got the window seat. Dex sits beside his friend. They sit there making small talk as the bus starts heading towards the zoo.

"Look Pony," Dex points to Pony. On a side road several miles from the school. The side road contained about six cop cars with flashing lights and several people crowded around.
It did not look good and Pony sure hoped everyone was ok. Ponys excitement again took over his concern for what ever had happened. He could not wait to arrive at the zoo.

It took twenty minutes before they arrived. Once there they were let off the bus and put into groups.

Pony followed into the zoo. "Ok boys stay with me," she told them as they headed down the zoo trails.

The first aninal they came upon was a rhino. "Look Dex! Its a Rhino!" Pony exclaims knowing its Marks favorite animal.

" Do yall know where Mark is?" Pony quizzes his friends. He knew Mark was excited about today. He sure hoped he was not sick.

"No," Both of Ponys friends chimed. Pony was a little down that his best friend was here to experience their first field trip together.

The boys walked through the zoo talking about Batman VS. Superman. Pony liked Superman, but Dex and Phil were team Batman.

After three hours of roaming around it was time to meet the class for lunch. The boys took a seat with as the teachers came around and handed out sack lunches.

Ponyboy started on his sandwhich. It was his favorite Peanutbutter and jelly.

"Boys stay put while I run to the bathroom. Your teacher and principal are both close by if you need anything while i'm gone," she tells the boys leaving the table.

"Ok about time. How about it boys Y'all wanna jump the tiger cage?"Dex questions as soon as was out of ear shot.

"Yes! " Phil exclaims with excitement.

"No! " Pony tells them softly.

"Why you to chicken?" Phil asks.

Pony really wished he had Mark here so would have a friend on his side.

"I'm not a chicken," Pony tells them.

"Sure your not! Then why?" Phil pushes.

"Its against the rules," Pony tells them matter of factly. Pony knew good and well what would happen to him if he did something that stupid. The thought made Ponys bottom hurt.

"Rules are meant to be broken," Dex tells him with a devilish grin.

"Not when you have Darry and Soda at home," Pony tells him.

"All you have to do ignore them when they yell," Dex tells him.

"Only if I had a death wish. Darry would skin me alive and I would not be able to sit for a week," Pony tells them honestly.

"Your brother will spank you? Tell him to leave you alone. Tell him he aint your daddy." Phil tells him.

"He is just like a daddy. He is like both a dad and brother. Soda is too, but he is nicer when i'm bad," Pony tells them did not like people making his brothers out to be bad guys.

"Your life must suck. They are making you a chicken," Phil taunts. That comment offends Pony.

" My life don't suck. My brothers are the best, and so are my other friends. They are super tough too." Pony defends them and himself.

"Ok boys are yall done eating? " questions joining the boys once again. The boys all nod gathering trash to throw away,

"Mom can we go by the bathroom?" Phil asks his mom sweetly.

"Yes and right back here," She tells them. The bathroom was in eye shot. Pony followed his friends since he needed to pee. He went in to a stall while his friends went to surrounding ones. He relieves himself and goes to wash his hands. He looks around wondering where his friends had gone. Once his hands were dry he stood against the wall trying to give his friendsa few extra minutes to finish up if needed.

After a few minutes Pony thought something was off and decided to peek under the stalls to see if they were ok. No one was in the stalls. A sinking feeling hit Ponyboy. He knew his friends had headed off to the tiger pen.

Pony ran out and headed to . " Phil and Dex left," Pony tells her.

"What are you talking about?" she questions Pony.

"I went to the potty and waited for them and they never came out. So I looked under the stall and they are gone," Pony tells her.

"Where would they go?" She asks.

"They talked about tigers," Pony offered.

"Leta go," She demands pulling Ponys hand heading towards the tigers. Pony was having a hard time keeping up with her,

When they get to the tigers both boys were near the top of of the pen.

"Get down boys," screams loudly scaring the boys.

The boys jumped down. "Mom we were just having fun. " Phil tells her.

"I know son. Just do something safer. Lets go get you guys an ice cream," she tells them walking towards the concession stand. Pony was shocked at the fact that she not only did not punish him, but was rewarding everyone. Even his own paewnts would not be nice like that. Pony followed them as they ordered the cold treats before sitting down to eat their ice cream. After they finished the ice cream it was time to load the buses and head back to the school.

Pony kept to himself on the bus. He did not want to talk to his friends right now. He watched out the window. When they pulled into the school his teacher rushed off the bus, and thats when Pony noticed several cop cars at the school.

Pony saw his teacher talking to one officer and the assistant principal. Pony noticed his teacher was getting upset and had tears running down her face. The principal got on the bus.

"Ok single file. Exit the bus in a single file line and walk to the door." The principal instructs the students.

Pony was the last one off the bus. He was listening as closely as he could as he walked by his teacher.

"I can't believe that! Mark Ellis its hard to imagine," he heard her say to the assistant principal.

Pony had a bad feeling. He ran towards his teacher.

"Whats wrong with Mark?" Pony demanded.

"Oh Pony..." his teacher says hugging him to her. Tear start spilling down her face more.

"What?" Pomy demands.

"Honey he was killed this morning on the way to school. His brother Jeff was taken to the hospital," she tells him.

Pony starts crying. Life is not fair. Mark should not be dead.

"How did he die?" Pony asks through tears.

"He was killed," his teacher tells him not wanting to share any details. The cop cars this morning on that side road was there due to the murder of Mark. They were jumped by Socs who had it out for the Shepard gang, and they had recognized Jeff and went after him and his siblings. Mark was litterally beat to death at only six years old.

Pony broke loose from his teacher and took off running towards home. He wanted away from here. He wanted to get home. He considered the DX!

Pony could hear his teacher call after him, but he didn't care. A mile down the road Ponyboy heard a car screech to a stop. Suddenly he is being grabbed.

"Ponyboy Curtis. What the hell are you thinking? Are you wanting Darry to blow up? Running down the road like this? " Steve scolds the kid. Pony was not listening, and was trying to get out of Steves grip. Pony face was soaked with tears and his eyes were puffy.

"Come on kid whats wrong?'' Steve tried again turning Pony towards him.

"Shit kid!" Steve panics looking Pony up and down looking for any obvious injuries. Shit! Just what he needed.

"Come on kid," Steve says lifting the smaller boy into his arms and carrying him to the car. Steve fastens the boy in and jumps in the front seat.

Steve heads off to the DX. He figured Soda could help. As soon as he pulled in he started honking catching Sodas attention.

Soda comes out to the car.

"Soda the kid," Steve tells him pointing to Ponyboy slumped over in the seat still bawling.

Soda opens to door up and buckles his brother up scooping him into his arms.

"Shhhh! Pony whats the matter baby?" Soda questions his brother.

Pony would not answer. He only wrapped his arms tight around his brothers neck. Soda rubbed circles on his brothers back hoping to help calm the boy.

"Do you know what happened?: Soda questions his best friend.

"No! I was drving to pick him up for you and I see him running down the side of the road and pulled over and found him like this," Steve tells his best friend honestly.

"Pony do you want a coke?" Soda asks trying to lighten his mood. Again Pony would not acknowldege his brother. Soda was starting to get worried now. A coke would

normally cheer the kid right up.

"Steve will you take him on home. I'm here until close. Darry should be home when you get there. Maybe Darry can get him to cheer up, but don't be late to work because Will has

been here and will be back shortly." Soda tells him buckling his brother back into the car. Any other time Soda would have kept Pony at the station with him but Will was the big

boss and they could not afford Soda loosing his job.

"Love ya Pony," Soda tells him shutting the door.

"I'll be back." Steve tells him heading out of the station.

Steve drove to the Curtis house. He took a breath of relief seeing Darry was home. He quickly unbuckled the kid and carried him inside.

Darry was in his arm chair with a cup of coffee when Steve walked in. He dropped Pony into Darrys lap. By this time Pony was not crying, but stoned face just staring ahead.

"I went to pick him up and saw him running down the street. He was crying and won't say a word. I took him to Soda, but he did not get too far. I hate being short, but I have to run as Dick is at the station today," Steve tells Darry using his nick name for Will. After he gave Darry the information he took off out the door towards work.

It was now Darrys turn to try and console the kid. He held his brother close just rocking him. Darry studied his brothers face as he slowly rocked him back and fourth. His brother was distraught. You could see it all over his face. Darry hated to see his brother upset like this.

"You are my sunshine. My Only sunshine," Darry sang the only thing he thought might be of some comfort to his brother. By time Darry finished the song Pony had fallen asleep. Pony was very emotionally tired. Darry continued to silently rock his brother. He was running all kinds of scenerios through his head. What could have possibly upset his brother so bad?

Darry was brought from his thoughts as the phone rang. He gently laid Pony on the couch and rushed off towards the phone.

"Hello," he spoke into the phone.

"Hi. Is this Darry?" a familiar voice came over the phone.

"it is," Darry answered.

"I was calling to check on Ponyboy. He darted off before we could stop him," the voice came. Darry figured out the voice belonged to his brothers teacher.

"Well he is home, But not really alright. Do you happen to know what has him so upset?" Darry quizzed her hoping she had the answers.

"I'm afraid so. He over heard us talking about Mark Ellis. Mark Ellis was murdered by some teenagers when his brothers and him were attacked on the way to school today." She tells Darry trying to hold back her own grief.

"Oh man. Ok thank you for the information. Thanks for helping me figure out why he is so upset," Darry said hanging up the phone. He stared towards his brother. Poor kid has already lost more people in his lifetime than any kid should ever have too. As Darry studied his brother he noticed his brother starting to jerk. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" A scream came from his baby brother. Pony was thrashing aroud at this point.

"Pony! Ponyboy," Darry whispers slightly shaking his brother trying to wake him. After a minute Ponys eyes jolt open and tears start streamng down his face. Darry wraps his brother up into his arms.

"Hey baby! Darry has you! SHhhhh! Don't cry now! Bubba has you!" Darry soothes his brother as he carries him back to his chair and begins rocking him. After ten minutes Pony had calmed down for the most part.

"Here baby lets take your clothes off and take you a bath. Your covered in sweat," Darry tells him. Pony don't fight his brother, but he don't help either as he removes his wet shirt.

Darry carries his brother into the bathroom and starts him a warm bath. He adds some bubbles since they are Ponys favorite and then strips his brother before placing him in the water. Pony sits in the water as still as can be. Norammly Pony would be doing all kinds of weird stuff including giving himself a beard. Darry gently scrubbed his brother from head to toe before rinsing him. Once Darry was satisfed with his brothers cleanliness he removed him from the water.

Darry helped dry his brother off before carrying him to his bedroom, and dressing him in underwear and a pair of shorts. Darry was very unsure of what to do or how to handle this.
Death was something his brother should never need to worry about.

Ok I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I cut it super short and decided I was going to make this a two chapter story. I have the whole orignal chapter wrote so I will edit it and add more than I orginally had. Hope y'all have a good weekend. I have anotehr chapter started that will be added after part two. I'll get started on my edits maybe tomorrow so hopefully you won't have a long wait.

-unknown