Disclaimer: The Outsiders belongs to S.E. Hinton and Nothing Gold can Stay belongs to Robert Frost.
A/N: LoVeLiFe17, I'm honored that you are enjoying my story so much! Thanks for your review. From here on out, the story is going to start to reflect the events of the book a bit more. It won't be exactly the same though; I'm taking some artistic liberties here.
Allons-y…
I was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper when Johnny quietly came in the room and sat down beside me.
"Hey Johnnycakes, you're up early on a Saturday," I commented.
"I wanted to talk to you before everyone else got up."
"Oh?" I asked, "What about?"
"Well, I haven't been to school in a while," he said, "but Pony's been bringing me my schoolwork."
I waited for him to continue.
"I don't understand. Can you help me?"
"Of course, what is it?"
"English."
"English isn't my strongest suit, but I can try."
Johnny frowned as he placed a paper on the table. I picked up the paper; it read: Nothing Gold can Stay by Robert Frost
I looked back at Johnny who was looking at me, waiting. I read the poem.
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down today
Nothing gold can stay.
"What's the assignment?" I asked Johnny.
"It says to analyze the theme, what does that mean?"
"Well," I began, "When it says to analyze the theme, it's pretty much asking you to explain the poem. Is there anything in the poem you don't understand?"
"How can green be gold? And how can a leaf be a flower?"
"He doesn't mean that the green is really gold, he just means that it's good. You know Johnny, I'm really sorry, but I'm not the best at English." I added eagerly, "Got any math homework you need help with?"
"It's okay, you tried. Besides, I think I kind of get it."
"You should really talk to someone else about this, someone better at English than I am."
Johnny just frowned.
"What's the matter?" I asked concerned.
"I just don't like asking the guys for help with school things."
"Why's that?"
"I don't know, I ask Pony for help all the time and he's so much smarter than me."
"Well, thanks Johnny I see how it is," I said sarcastically, "You don't have a problem asking me for help."
Johnny laughed, "That's different though, you're way older than me. I bet no one else has to ask you for help."
Now it was my turn to laugh, "Are you kidding? Johnny, everyone asks for help. You probably ask for help the least, so don't worry none; I want to help when I can."
Johnny smiled again, "Thanks Linda."
I gave Johnny a hug as Soda walked into the room.
"What are we doing?" Soda asked picking up the paper on the table.
He stared at it for a couple of seconds with a confused look on his face, promptly put it back down, and then said decidedly, "yuck. Homework."
Soda helped himself to an apple as I asked, "Speaking of homework, Soda, have you done yours?"
Soda sighed and answered me with a mouth full of apple, "no."
I raised my eyebrows at him as if to say, "Make sure you do."
"You know," Soda shouted while running out of the room, "I actually need help on this one part, let me go get it."
I gave Johnny a look that said, "I told you so." Johnny smiled while putting the poem away.
Soda returned with a bunch of crumpled up papers in his arms that he proceeded to dump on the table.
"Wow Soda," I said, "Your organizational skills are astounding."
"Thanks," he said sifting through the papers. He examined one and then held it up triumphantly shouting, "found it!"
I laughed at him and snatched the paper out of his hand.
"Okay, so three plus x equals 9. What is x?"
He frowned, "I don't know, Linda, that's why I'm asking for help."
Darry, who had entered the room, was now chortling. Soda glared at him and returned his focus back on me.
"Alright," I continued, "Say to yourself, 'three plus what equals nine?'."
"Three plus what equals nine," Soda repeated.
"Can you answer the question you just asked?"
"No," he said half-heartedly. I doubted if he was even trying at this point.
At this point Two-Bit, with Debbie trailing behind, came crashing through the front door yelling, "Honey, I'm home!"
"Two-Bit," Darry chided, "It was only funny the first time."
"Whatever you say muscles," Two-Bit replied, "do you have any breakfast?"
"Sorry," I said, "I was first up, I should have started something.
By this point, Pony had woken up and joined us all in the kitchen, choosing to stand next to Debbie.
"Two-Bit, must you be so loud?" Pony asked.
"Blame Debbie," Two-Bit said, "She woke me up. Eager to get here or something I guess."
Debbie blushed and we all exchanged knowing smiles.
"Well Pony, I'm surprised it took you that long to wake up anyway, with all the racket Soda was making."
Soda put his hands up in defense, "I can't help that I'm a loud person. I just got up because I had to pee. And I was hungry, I'm still hungry. Who's cooking?"
"Two-Bit, why don't you be useful for once and cook?"
I went back to explaining math to Soda.
"Why do I have to cook?" Two-Bit asked.
"Because Linda's helping Soda," Darry explained.
"Well who was second up, let them cook," Two-Bit rationalized.
We all looked to Johnny who had a scared look on his face.
"I can't cook," Johnny supplied.
"Come on," Pony said pulling him over to the stove, "I'll teach you."
Debbie joined them soon after and the three started throwing flour at each other.
"Think of it this way, there are two numbers that add up to nine, three and something else. What's the something else?"
"Oh!" Soda said delightedly, "Six."
"Exactly!" I exclaimed.
"Finally," Soda said, "I get it!"
And it was just in time too, with all the merriment around us, the kitchen was bound to erupt into chaos soon.
A/N: Another chapter! I don't know what else there is to say, there will be more in the future!
