This chapter may be a little slow, but the next one will be better, I promise!

*Ten dollars in 1970 was equivalent to $55.20 in 2009.

The world is my sister and its soul is mine.

-The Tree Colonists

Ten

*Dally*

Sodapop had sent Steve to ask me, Two-Bit and Darry to get over to the DX straight away. Well, I was kind of tired and still a little hung over from drinking last night, but when Steve insisted that it was for Ponyboy, I went. I'd gotten to like that kid. Pony, I mean.

"What's all the trouble?" I asked Steve while we hopped into his car. Steve shrugged and drove us to the DX. I was kind of confused with what was going on.

"Where's Ponyboy?" Sodapop asked Darry excitedly once we were in. I shook out my cigarette pack out of my sleeve, and ignored when Two-Bit pointed to the "No Smoking sign."

"He's in the house," Darry said impatiently, wiping his hands on his jeans. "You're risking a lot, Sodapop Patrick Curtis, for sendin' Steve to get us and makin' Two-Bit leave Pony alone. Now will you tell me what's going on and why Pony can't know?"

"Well, since Pony's birthday's this month," Soda went on quietly, "I've decided I want to take him out to a restaurant out in the outskirts of Tulsa."

"You decided?" Darry snorted sarcastically. "You don't make the descicions. I do."

"I know, I know," Soda said impatiently. Darry's a bit harsh sometimes. In case, you know, you didn't take note. "But it's a real cool restaurant! They make pies—lots of signature, old, country-style pies. Two-Bit and Dally and Steve can come. It'll be our treat. Won't Pony like that?"

"Bake the little runt a cake," Steve muttered as he walked in from the back door to grab a wrench. "It's cheap and quick."

I don't think Soda heard him. Either that or he ignored it. Steve's got this problem with Pony, and I could never understand why.

"I don't have the money to treat everyone," Darry said, and I could tell he was kind of embarrassed about it. I didn't get why—he had some money, unlike me. I had to steal anything I wanted to buy. "Those restaurants with signature foods are real expensive. I mean, we're talking twenty dollars

"I can pay for myself," Two-Bit offered cheerfully.

"How?" I asked, laughing. "You don't got a job!"

Two-Bit crossed his arms. "Neither do you."

"Pony deserves a good birthday present," Soda complained. "It's his fifteenth, after all. Isn't that the age when some of those kids have those big birthday bashes?"

"That's the sixteenth," I said, and everybody gave me a funny look. "What?" I asked with a grin. I'd had my own kind of birthday bash when I turned sixteen. It was more of a beer blast, but it was cool.

"Well that girl, Felt, made me an offer," Soda said excitedly. "She said she'd pay."

"Felt?" Two-Bit asked.

"That can't be right." Darry scratched the back of his neck. Even I thought it was suspicious—that broad was a little different. I wouldn't accept so much as a penny from her. It didn't matter that she was Johnny's friend. Well, not a lot, anyways.

"She gave me the idea," Soda said. "C'mon Darry, she's a nice girl, and she's our friend. Just the other day, she attacked a Soc for callin' me a greaser—"

"She did?" I asked, almost gagging.

"Yeah," Soda said. "Nearly clawed his eyes out. What's his name? N—"

"Wait a minute," I said in disbelief. "Are we still talking about the short blind girl here? Feeling or somethin' like that?"

"Felt," Soda said, kind of distracted, as he was giving Darry pleading eyes.

"I can't let her pay for everything," Darry said concernedly. "And I don't have the money to do it…"

"Oh, come on, Darry!" Two-Bit pleaded. "It's Pony's fifteenth!"

Darry sighed and wiped his forehead. I kicked back and waited for his answer. Finally, Darry sighed again and said sternly to Soda, "She can pay one-fourth, and the rest, well, me and you will have to work overtime. Pony's birthday's in two weeks, and it'll take a bunch of extra hours—"

I don't think Soda heard, or cared, because he'd already tackled Darry in a hug. That made me crack a smile. The way them Curtis brothers stick together is tuff. In New York, you try and hug a fellow hood and you'd get blasted with a heater. Even if they're your brothers. But Soda and Darry cared a lot about Ponyboy. He sure is lucky.

"I'll still pay for myself," Two-Bit said cheerfully. "My mom will—"

"I'll take care of ya," Darry said to Two-Bit, slapping his back. "Only for now, though."

"You're gonna come too, huh, Dally?" Soda asked. He looked so happy—it kind of reminded me of a puppy expecting the best.

"Eh, I'll try," I said lazily. Soda grinned, just because he knows that in my language, that means yes.

*Felt*

I'd bitten off more than I can chew when I said that I would be able to pay and organize for Ponyboy's birthday. I did my research with Soda and found out that the Apple Pie Plus restaurant was extremely expensive because of their famous talent for baking pies. I'm talking eight dollars per entry.

Even when Sodapop had informed me that Darry had made a deal—he'd three-fourths of the expense and I'd pay one-fourth, I remembered that I wasn't allowed to use my savings as they were for college, so I had to work for my money. There isn't much a blind girl can do, but I'm an artist, and I work real well with clay, so the next two weeks or so, I spent my time making sculptures and selling them to the antique store on Sutton. I mostly sculpted dogs—I'd use Pepsi as my guide.

Mom got suspicious when I asked her to help me count my money. I asked every night or so. She wondered what I was saving up for, and for a time, I'd joke and say it was for a car. One Saturday, I was counting up my last savings and it was only a few days from Pony's birthday, which was on Wednesday. Mom was helping me and she wanted the hard truth on what I was doing saving up all my money. I couldn't bear lying to my mother, so I confessed.

"Mom, I've made some friends," I began, "and they're…well…they aren't too rich or anything and the littlest one's birthday is coming up…so I promised to help with the expense."

"What?" Mom asked, sounding bewildered. "Who are these friends? They sound like a bunch of money-suckers to me."

"Mom, they're the Curtis brothers—"

"They're boys!" Mom sounded real mad about this. I should explain that in the past, my mom has had real bad experiences with boys, and they always broke her heart or something of the sort, so she doesn't really trust me around them. Even if I'm going to be eighteen in May, I'm not allowed to date. It's not because she's mean—it's just because she cares. Maybe too much.

"Mom, will you let me finish?" I said impatiently.

She took a deep breath and patted my knee. "Okay."

"They're Johnny's friends," I said, and when I heard her take a breath as if she was going to say something, I hastily added, "Not like the boy that broke into my house. They're real disciplined. Unbelievably disciplined," I added, remembering Soda's description on what Darry would do if he or Pony had ever gotten caught breaking the law.

Mom hesitated for a while. I wanted to tell her that they'd taken care of me—but then I remembered Mom didn't know that I'd nearly gotten run over in the first place. I tried something that I heard works on parents—I put out my bottom lip and blinked furiously. "Pleeeease?"

"I'll need to meet with their parents," she said finally.

Soda's words came back to my head from our old conversation. Darry's only strict because our parents are dead. He acts like the both of them and twice as strict. "Mom, they don't have parents."

"What? Who takes care of them?"

"The eldest brother," I explained. "Darrel. He's…what, twenty one?"

Mom heaved out another worried sigh. "I…I don't know, baby. It just seems a little fishy, okay?"

"But they're real nice boys," I complained. "Mom, I'm sorry, but not all boys are complete jerks who only want one thing from women."

"I know that," Mom said with a chuckle. "I mean, look at your father…and your old friend, Norbert."

I frowned. My mom can be a little gullible sometimes. "Please, Mom?"

"Alright," Mom said reluctantly. "Whatever you want to do with your money is your business."

"YES!" I jumped up and hugged my mom real tight.

"…But I've got to meet this Darrel Curtis."

And so I obeyed her wish, no matter how embarrassing it was. I figured that Darry or Soda would be home on Sundays. I called Bee and asked her if she remembered where the Curtis house was and if she knew there number, because I wanted to warn them that I would be coming over. She was confused on why I wanted to know, and she didn't have their number, but she gave me the directions nonetheless. Mom wrote them down and then, after grabbing Pepsi, we drove to the address. By then, it was around six and the air was damp with sunset and the crickets were chirping a sad lullaby. The hot wind kissed at my face.

"Decent looking house," Mom said as we stepped out the car.

I laughed. "What are you, the house inspector?"

Pepsi led me to the front door and I knocked.

"Who's it?" I recognized the voice as Darry's.

"Uh, Darry, it's Felt…" I hoped I wasn't blushing, because all I was thinking was, I hope they don't think I'm some kind of freak…and I hope they've got on shirts! Bee had told me about how when I'd been unconscious and she'd come to see me, Soda was shirtless. Imagine what my mom would think if she saw that!

"The door's open," Darry said. I could already imagine my mom tightening her lips at their carelessness. But when I placed my fingertips to her mouth, I felt that she was actually quite relaxed.

I hesitantly opened the door and was greeted by a whiff of something that smelled like roast chicken. Mom smelled it too, because she murmured a quick yum. Pepsi hollered happily. The house was kind of quiet, so I guessed only the Curtis brothers were home. That was good; I mean, I could handle if Two-Bit was there, but if Steve and Dally were there? No way.

"Felt!" I heard Soda say happily. He's so nice, it's unbelievable. I managed a smile, held my breath and waited for an awkward comment about my mom being there with me. But Soda only said, "You must be Felt's sister?"

Mom laughed happily and I let out a weak and relieved laugh, too. "No, I'm her mother."

"Either way, the two of you sure do resemble."

I would love to explain the entire night in great detail, but to make it short, it went well. Before Mom could talk much, Darry offered us roast chicken, and Mom and I sat down at the table and ate. Pepsi got his share, too. I stayed quiet along with Ponyboy, since Mom, Darry, and Soda did most of the talking. Mom would ask questions and they would answer. When she got into the realm of education, Darry explained that he and Soda had given up on their education to provide Pony with a good life and better education. I didn't know that, and it was really touching. They talked about their good friendship with Johnny and all about his death and how him and Pony had risked their lives to save those little kids, in which I had to hold back from shedding a tear or two.

When we left, which was a good forty-five minutes later, I asked my mom what she thought when we were driving home.

"They're good kids," she said quietly. "You know? That Darrel Curtis reminds me of your father. He had all those muscles and what not." She sighed. "They've got such a hard life, sweetie."

"I know," I said with melancholy.

"I just hope you know how lucky you are," she said sagely, and I nodded. "They've lost more and had to sacrifice more."

That night, I could've sworn I heard my mom give out a tiny little sad sniffle from the living room when I went to get water in the kitchen. Like I said before, my mom believes that twins are like half of your soul. But since she lost her twin, the world and its worries became her new one. And that night, my mom was sharing all of the Curtis's pain as if they were her twins—all of them.

I know that Mom can share emotions with anybody. But sometimes I wonder if that's a gift or a curse.