Chapter eight

I woke Sodapop and Ponyboy up early to tell them about Johnny needing stitches and we were all sure to be dressed and ready for school and work before our brother came home. I knew Darry would be hungry so I made a big pot of oatmeal for him and fried up some sausages. Keeping Darry fed often helped him feel less stressed. Johnny and Darry returned from the hospital just in time for Darry to shower and leave for work. The house was a whirlwind as we all packed up our things and headed out the door for the day.

Pony, Johnny Two-Bit, Steve and I all piled into Steve's car for the ride to school. Johnny told us that he needed a dozen stitches to close the wound on his hand. Then Steve told us to all squeeze into together because he was going to start picking Evie and Sandy up for school too. The car sure was crowded, but it was better than walking.

During school I met James in the hall. He asked if I wanted to hang with him after school. I told him about my brother's homework rule, but I could do something after that. The rest of the school day I thought about where James may be taking me and if this would be considered our first date.

After school Steve had to go directly to the DX for work. Sandy and Evie stayed around the station to hang with their boyfriends, Two-Bit headed to meet up with a couple of girls he had met at school and the rest of us headed home.

As the three of us walked past the vacant lot we could hear Johnny's mom cursing Johnny out and telling him to get home and stop hanging out with his hoodlum friends. Even though his family life was rough he still listened and obeyed his parents rules. We believed that Johnny thought if he just followed the rules one magical day things would all be better for him.

As Johnny trotted off to his house Ponyboy and I hurried home to finish our school work. We both finished just as a knock came at the door. I skipped over to answer it and was happy to find James on the front porch waiting for me.

"Hi!" I smiled and invited him in.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Sure." I slipped my tennis shoes on my feet. "Where are we going?"

James smiled back at me, I sure enjoyed those dimples. "To the junk yard. Curly and Jon and I need to find some parts for Jon's car….Hey Ponyboy you wanna go?"

I looked over at Ponyboy hoping he would say yes. Going to the junkyard was not my idea of a date. Then I realized that maybe for some guys dating is just being with someone no matter what you are doing. "Yeah I'll go." Pony said and he scratched a note for Soda and left it on the table. Luckily it wasn't our night to cook dinner.

James, Pony and I climbed into the backseat of Jon's car and James held my hand. I knew that Ponyboy noticed because I caught him laughing. I didn't tell anyone, but I was actually pretty excited because I had never been to a junkyard before.

We pulled into the dirt parking lot and got out. Jon grabbed box of tools out of the back and we headed inside the fence. I was amazed by the vast amount of junked vehicles. I leaned close to James. "So what do you do… just find a car that has the part you're looking for and take it?"

James laughed a little realizing I knew little about what we were doing. "Yeah basically. We pull the parts off that we want and we pay for the ones we take." James smiled, "well the one's they see us take." Then he winked at me.

My heart sank a tiny bit knowing that he wasn't entirely honest, but then again neither is Two-Bit and I like him just fine. We wandered around till the guys found a car that had a variety of things that they needed. It was going to take some time to remove the parts and I was truly bored.

"Hey guys I am going to go look around." I told the group. "I'll be back in a little bit."

"Cool." James said, he clearly planned to stick around to strip the parts off the car. I looked at Pony. He was watching contently as Curly started to rip wires and parts out of the car's engine. He wasn't planning on coming with me either.

I turned a corner and checked out the line of cars near the car crusher. Most of these cars had no salvageable parts and by now were only good for scrap metal. I walked a few hundred feet down the row of cars and was ready to head back to the gang when a light blue car caught my attention. I turned and stared at it. My heart skipped a beat. The front of the car reminded me of my parent's car. Slowly I walked towards it and read the license plate. I felt my breath leave my body as I stood there in shock. It was my parent's car!

I looked around the yard for anyone, but I was alone. I took a few more steps toward the car and tried to decided what I should do. Part of me wanted to run, but another part of me begged to go and see the wreck, begged to know if what my nightmares had been telling me was true.

The sun shone brightly off the hood of the car that seemed relatively unscathed by the accident. I was reminded of the hours that dad and Sodapop spent waxing the car and keeping it in good shape. I took a few more steps closer to the car and slowly reached out to touch the hood. As my hand connected with the cold metal a strong shiver went up my spine. I studied the effects of the accident and for the first time I knew that the train had collided with my father's side of the car. The doors on that side were pushed into the inside of the car. I walked along the car toward the driver's door and closed my eyes to ready myself to look inside.

When I opened my eyes I noticed the backseat interior of the car was filled with dirt, gravel and little piles of broken glass. I ran my hand along the deep scratches and dents in my father's door as I muscled up the courage to look into the front seat where I presumed my parents had died. I put both hands on the window sill of the car door and looked up to the sky. It was clear and blue and I asked myself if I really wanted to know and if I was really prepared to see, I was.

I held my breath and bent down to look inside at the driver's seat. I felt my throat tighten and my knees went weak at what I saw. The seats and dashboard were twisted, cracked and ripped. Gravel and dirt covered the floorboards and on the vinyl seats and dash were the remnants of what were once puddles and spatters of blood, my parents blood. I turned my back to the car and leaned up against it and felt my stomach get sick. Hot tears welled up in my eyes as my nightmares were solidified into reality. I bravely told myself I had seen the worst. Now I needed to see more. I turned back to the car and slowly walked around to the trunk and then to my mother's side of the car.

On that side the wheels had been bent underneath the car and neither of the doors were able to close. Slowly I approached my mother's door and remembered how dad would always hold it open for her. I hoped my brother's had remembered that too because it was important to my mother the boys used their manners. I pulled my mother's car door open a bit further and noticed the car keys still in the ignition. For some possessive reason I wanted them, but I would have to go into the car to get them. I would have to crawl across the seat that my parents died on and see or touch the dried puddles of blood left behind by their bodies. I shivered again, wiped my eyes and told myself to be strong. I didn't want to be a sissy. I counted to three and then froze. Damn it Sissy! I swore to myself. Then I counted to three again and crawled across the front seat to pull the keys from the ignition.

I pulled and the keys didn't come loose. I pulled again and then an eerie conclusion entered my mind, the car was still on. I turned the ignition off and retrieved the keys and backed out of the car. I held my dad's keys in my hand and thought about how he would come home and toss the keys into the glass dish by his armchair. I studied the keys and noticed the one that unlocked the doors and trunk. I slowly walked back and put the key into the cylinder and turned. At first the trunk wouldn't open but with a few hard tugs the heavy metal lifted and revealed an item that was hidden in the darkness till now. Mom's picnic basket!

I reached in and pulled the basket out. It was a gift that my dad had given to her on their first wedding anniversary. I hadn't thought of the basket in the weeks before. I reached in and pulled out the heavy basket. Something was still inside. I sat on the ground, leaned up against the half detached bumper of the car and held onto the basket. For a moment I could smell my mother's perfume and then the wind blew the scent away.

Wiping the tears from my eyes I opened the top of the picnic basket and the perfume smell wafted back to me. I looked in and found my mother's purse. Quickly I pulled the leather bag from it's hiding place and looked at it. My brothers and I had bought her the bag for a Christmas present. I dug further into the purse and pulled out a paper bag with two small paper boxes inside.

The first box was white and when I lifted the lid a small folded piece of paper fell out exposing a little golden cross on a thin gold chain. The necklace was beautiful and I was wondering who it was for as I unfolded the small paper note and recognized my mothers handwriting.

Scout, our baby girl!

We can not believe that you are fourteen years old. It seems like only yesterday we held you in our arms and rocked you to sleep at night. You mean the world to us! As you grow older remember to be true to yourself and always remember that faith can pull you through anything.

Happy Birthday and Love, Mom and Dad

The necklace was for me….There was no strength left to hold back the tears so I let them fall and I let the sobbing begin. It was a soft stoic sob that was meant to be heard just by me.

I was so involved in my grief that I didn't hear the boys who had come hunting for me.

As the gang of boys walked down the aisle of wrecked cars Ponyboy froze in his tracks the way I had. He recognized the family car and his heartbeat quickened.

James looked over at Ponyboy and had noticed the sick look on my brother's face, but was unable to put together the pieces to the puzzle.

"Scout?" Ponyboy's gruff voice cracked as he tried to yell for me.

I put the box and note back into the purse and stood up noticing the boys a few dozen feet away on the dirt road. Quietly I spoke, "Ponyboy." I stepped toward him and saw a look of shock on his face. "Pony…. it's their car." I told him even though I knew he already figured that out.

Ponyboy stepped closer to the car and stood by the front of the hood. "I know." Pony's voice cracked. "Geez Scout, how'd you find it? Did you know it was here?"

I shook my head. "No… I was just walking and here it was…" I walked alongside the car to Ponyboy's side. James and the others watched from the road. I could hear Curly Sheppard filling in the blanks about our parent's accident for the Weston boy. Ponyboy and I stood at the front of the car in silence, just staring at it. No one in the family had thought to ask where it was or what would have happened to it.

Ponyboy started to shake and cry a little harder and was embarrassed in front of the others. The other boys tried not to look.

Pony lit up a cigarette in an effort to look cool and calm his nerves. He wanted time alone with his thoughts and with the car. "Jon, why don't you guys go on ahead and Scout and I will find our own ride home." Pony began to shift his weight and tried to avoid looking at anyone.

James cleared his throat, "yeah sure… no problem." He turned to leave and then turned back. "Ya'll want us to stop by the DX and tell your brother to come and get ya or something?"

I looked at him as silent tears ran down my cheeks. "Yeah that would be good, thanks James."

"No problem." James hesitated for a moment then quickly headed out of there with the other two.

I stayed by Pony's side and didn't say a word until he was ready to talk. I knew how painful it was to see the car destroyed.

Jon pulled his car up to the front of the DX station. James jumped out and headed inside where he found Soda perched up on a stool and his feet up on the counter.

Soda greeted him, "What can I get you?"

James didn't know Soda at all other than being threatened by him at the dance and meeting him a week ago in the parking lot of the DX. "I … I'm suppose to tell you that your brother and sister are down at the west end salvage yard and they are going to need a ride home."

Soda glanced at Steve who had walked in to the station and then questioned James. "What are they doing at the salvage yard?"

James looked around the station and not directly at Sodapop. "Well they went there with us but…. Scout….she uh…." James hesitation on my name caused Soda to stand up in alarm. James noticed and wanted to calm him. "Nothing is wrong… I mean she, they are alright. It's just they found your parents car there and they didn't want to leave."

Soda's mouth dropped open and his face went blank. Steve stepped into the conversation. "Yeah we'll go get'em." That was all James needed to hear and he quickly left the station. Steve turned to his friend. "Soda you ok?"

"Sure," Soda answered while nervousness filled his stomach, "I think I better get down there and get them. Can I borrow your car?"

"Yeah sure buddy." Steve said, "but maybe I should drive you down there." Without waiting for an answer Steve popped his head out into the shop and yelled to the night shift guy. "Hey Ronnie! Soda and I are cutting out early, you got the place to yourself." Steve wiped his greasy hands and pulled Soda out of the station. Both Soda and Steve often cut out early when Ronnie was there. Ronnie was a push over for those two and he would cover for them at anytime.

After a long time alone with his thoughts Ponyboy spoke. "I keep telling myself this isn't their car… but it is."

I looked up at him and bit my lip to hold back more tears. "I know …" I confirmed his thoughts

"Did you look inside yet?" Ponyboy said still shaking a little.

"Yeah."

Pony looked at me and then stepped towards my mom's side of the car as I followed him. Pony leaned in the window noticing the gravel and broken glass then he quickly pulled his head out and turned toward me. "Is that blood?"

The look on my brother's face was pure horror, but I couldn't lie to him. I also couldn't speak out loud or the knot in my throat would bust, so I just shook my head yes.

Pony's face twisted in disgust and he stepped away from the car. As he looked away he spotted the picnic basket on the ground behind the car and quickly moved toward it. Looking on the ground he saw the purse along side it.

I spoke up to clear away any confusion. "The keys were still in the ignition so I took them and found the basket and purse in the trunk." Ponyboy and I sat in the dirt and I grabbed the purse. "Pony…" I started to cry again. "There was a birthday gift in mom's purse for me." I pulled the purse open and handed the little box and note to Ponyboy. He read the note and looked back at me. "There's another box…" I handed the small gray paper box to him.

My brother removed the box lid and looked down at the silver pocket watch. Stuffed inside the lid of the box was a folded note with a message just for Pony.

Ponyboy,

Don't rush to grow up too fast and always remember that we love you with all our hearts every minute of the day.

Happy Birthday and Love, Mom and Dad

Ponyboy held the note and silver watch tight in his hand and buried his head into his knees and cried. I scooted over to his side and wrapped my arms around him as best as I could.

Steve's car slid to a stop in the dirt parking lot as he and Soda jumped out and raced into the salvage yard. Their pace was quick as they looked up and down the dirt roads that were lined with cars. Steve had a suspicion that the car they were looking for would be near the crusher so he pulled Soda that way. The two of them jogged down the row until they spotted the wreck.

Upon seeing the car Soda's shoulders and head dropped in disappointment and sorrow. Steve supportively slapped his buddy on the back and the two of them moved toward the car.

"You ok Soda?" Steve asked.

Upon hearing his voice Ponyboy and I stood up from where we were sitting in the dirt.

"Soda?" I called to him through the setting sun. I looked at my brother's shocked face as he silently walked around the car analyzing the damage. He didn't speak as he looked through the broken windows. Steve followed closely behind him.

The two boys walked past us as Ponyboy pulled a cigarette out of the pocket of his jeans. Soda doubled back to look at his brother. "Give me a cig Pon."

Ponyboy pulled an extra cigarette out of his pack for our brother and handed it over to him. Sodapop took a long drag on the cigarette, leaned his head back and blew the smoke to the sky. "It looked just like I thought it would." Ponyboy and I were surprised to learn that Soda had thought about the accident too.

Soda motioned toward the handbag and picnic basket on the ground. "Were those in the backseat?"

"No." I said quietly. "I found them in the trunk."

"How'd you get into the trunk?" Soda took another long drag as Steve examined the damage around the rear of the car.

I reached into the front pocket of my jeans and pulled out the keys. "I found these in the ignition."

Soda reached over and took the keys from me. He learned to drive in that car and he had even gone out at night with it a few time since he had his license. "I bet no one thought to check the car for stuff. Did you check the glove box?" I shook my head no and Soda leaned into the car and opened the little door in the dashboard. Even though it was unlocked Sodapop couldn't pry the door open. "Steve get me a bar or something."

Steve started to look around at the other wrecks for something that would help.

"Are you looking for something?" Ponyboy leaned into the car to ask Soda.

"Yeah." Sodapop pulled his head back out of the car. "Dad's wallet. He always kept it in the glove box when he drove."

Steve handed a metal rod from the hood of a car over to his friend and Soda popped the little door open. Inside were a map, a few pens, a handkerchief and dad's wallet. Soda grabbed just the wallet and spun around to lean up against mom's side of the car. "Darry and I were wondering where this was. We had just figured someone had stolen it." Soda opened the wallet and looked inside to find some money and dad's pictures of us.

I watched a few tears roll down his cheek. I looked down at my hand that held the box with my necklace and the note. I wanted to tell Sodapop about the gifts but we were interrupted by the sound of a truck rumbling through the now darkening junkyard.

The rusty pick up truck pulled to a stop and an old greasy man leaned out the driver's window. "Ya'll we are closing up so grab what ya need and get on outta here!" The driver spat out his chew spit on the ground and drove off.

"Come on." Ponyboy slapped both of us on the shoulder. "Let's get on home." I picked up the handbag and put it back into my mom's picnic basket. Together the four of us walked down the dirt road away from the car.

At home Soda made sandwiches for dinner. Everyone was too hungry to wait for anything to be cooked. While we ate I decided to tell Soda about the birthday gifts.

"Hey Soda, today I found some things in mom's purse." I held out the box. "It was a birthday gift for me."

Soda took the necklace and smiled. "See that was the best thing about mom and dad… they would never forget a birthday!" He took the lid off the box and read the note then he looked over at Ponyboy. "How bout you Ponyboy?"

Pony smiled lightly and he pulled the pocket watch and note out of his jeans. "Yeah, here is my gift."

Soda's smile filled his face. "Darry is going to be so happy to hear about this!"

"How come?" Ponyboy questioned.

"Cause it's your fourteenth birthday and we knew mom and dad would have gotten you a pocket watch. I bet it even has your name engraved on the back."

Ponyboy flipped the watch over and found his name. "How'd you know that would be there?"

"Cause, it's your fourteenth birthday." Soda noticed the confusion on Pony's face. "Don't ya remember that Darry got a pocket watch on his fourteenth birthday and I got one too. They have our names on the back just like yours."

Pony looked back at my brother and talked with a mouthful of food. "So why is Darry gonna be so happy?"

"Well, he and I knew that mom and dad would have gotten you a pocket watch for your birthday but we just couldn't afford to get you one. Darry felt real bad about it."

Pony and I looked at each other. We hadn't noticed the special gifts that our brothers had received in the past. I looked over at Soda. "I don't remember you getting a watch."

"That's because mom and dad didn't give it to us in front of everyone." Soda took a big swig of chocolate milk. "They waited until just before bed and gave it to me. It had a note inside and everything. Here I'll show you."

Soda got up from the table and went to Darry's room. He still had a lot of his stuff in there from when he and Darry shared that room before he moved into mom and dad's room and then to Pony's room. Soda swaggered back in with the watch and note. "See, just like yours. Darry has one too, but I don't know where it is."

We finished up dinner and settled into the living room for the night to wait for Darry to come home. At about 10pm Steve headed home and the three of us climbed onto the couch to watch television while we waited for our brother. On the coffee table I had lined up the gifts with their notes and most of the money from dad's wallet and mom's purse. With Darry's birthday coming up in the next week we decided to keep a little cash to buy him something nice.

I felt sleepy and laid my head on Soda's shoulder. Just before I drifted off to sleep we heard the gears of Darry's truck stopping outside. Tired Darry trudged up the front steps and through the front door. When he came in he saw the three of us lined up on the couch waiting for him his face tensed up and he worriedly asked. "What?"

Soda smiled softy. "Nothin' Darry, we just got something we want to tell ya is all."

Darry wandered over to the dining room table and draped his tool belt over the edge of a chair and then came to stand in front of us waiting for the news. "Out with it." He commanded.

Soda sat forward on the couch. "Scout and Ponyboy were out on the west end at the junkyard out there and they stumbled across mom and dad's car." Darry's mouth dropped open as Soda continued. "I went out and saw it too. And we found some stuff we wanted you to see." Soda looked over at Ponyboy. "Go ahead Ponyboy."

Pony licked his lips and picked the watch and note up from the table the looked my way quick. "Scout found ma's picnic basket and handbag in the trunk and these birthday gifts were in there too. Mine's a watch and Scout got that necklace." Pony handed Darry the watch and nodded toward the necklace on the coffee table.

Darry squatted down in front of us and took the watch from Ponyboy. Immediately he checked the back for Ponyboy's name. "This is great Pony. We was really bothered that we weren't able to get you this for your birthday." Darry handed the watch back Pony and seemed to scold him. "Now you know that's not something you carry around with you all the time right? That just for special occasions, I don't want to see you taking it to school and stuff. Savvy?"

Pony slouched and took back the watch. "Yeah I know."

Darry picked up the necklace and smiled just like dad. "Well baby girl Soda and I didn't have a clue what mom and dad would get you for your birthday. I guess now we know." He picked the necklace up and cradled it in his calloused hands. "It sure is pretty. Are you going to wear it?"

I shook my head. "Yes, all the time! I was just waiting for you to see it and then I was going to put it on."

Darry unhooked the clasp. "Well let me help you with it." I sat on the coffee table with my back to Darry and lifted my hair up so he could put the necklace on for me. I turned around and touched the golden cross with my fingertips as Darry stood up. "It looks real nice Scout."

Soda stood up with the last item on the table and handed it to Darry. "This is the money we found. We figured we could use it for groceries or something. It's only fifteen bucks, but every little bit helps. I am gonna put the pictures that dad had of mom and dad and us kids in my wallet if that is ok with you."

Darry put the cash in his billfold. "Sure Soda that's fine." Darry sighed and thought about how late it must have been. "Alright now ya'll better get off to bed. We all have school and work in the morning. Pony and Scout did you get your homework done?"

"Yeah it's there on the table." Pony said as he walked off to his bedroom. "Goodnight."

I wandered into my room as well and climbed into bed. I strained to listen to what Darry and Soda were whispering about in the living room. I closed my eyes to help me hear.

"What did it look like? Was it really bad?"

Soda's whisper was louder than Darry's whisper. "Yeah it was. I wasn't sure how I would feel about seeing it, but I am glad I did. If you want to I will go there with you tomorrow."

"I'm gonna go and see it, but I will go on my own after work tomorrow."

"You sure you want to go alone, cause Steve'll cover for me and I can meet you there."

"Thanks little buddy, but I'll be ok. Now you get yourself to bed."

"Ok Darry, goodnight." Soda walked through the kitchen as Darry told him to have a goodnight.

My oldest brother turned off the lights in the living room and turned on the kitchen light. Through the door way I could see him pull a plate and glass out of the cupboard along with the jar of peanut butter. He put six slices of bread on the plate and I wandered in to see if I could help.

As he turned from the refrigerator with the milk and strawberry jelly he jumped when he saw me. His embarrassment led to his snapping at me. "Scout get to bed, will ya?"

I took the jelly from him. "Why don't you go get your clothes changed and wash up and I'll make your sandwiches for you. Then I'll go back to bed."

For a moment Darry just stood there. He was probably debating whether or not he should demand I follow his direction, but eventually he let me win and he walked off to the bathroom. I spread the peanut butter and jelly onto the bread making three sandwiches. Then I cut each sandwich into four squares, meaning a twelve bite meal for Darry, and put them on the plate. I filled his glass with milk, cleaned everything up and put the nighttime snack on the kitchen table for him and went back to bed.

I heard Darry shuffling from the bathroom to the kitchen. He stopped by the small table in there and I heard a tiny laugh. My brother walked over to the door to my room. "Thanks Sissy." Darry smiled and pulled the door shut so the light from the kitchen wouldn't keep me awake.