I'm back! Sorry for the delay, but thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! I really hope this story isn't getting too drawn out. So….here it goes…voila ladies and gents!
Warning: short, perhaps pointless chapter! ;) Also, pardon any grammar/spelling errors…I wrote this pretty quickly…
Leave reviews please!!
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…and then there's those other things
which for several reasons we won't mention
everything about them is a little bit stranger
a little bit harder
a little bit deadly…
--Rufus Wainwright
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Ponyboy's POV
We lingered silently in my driveway. I sat on the hood of the Mustang, while Crock and Shep leaned against its side.
"My hand hurts," I said to myself quietly, rubbing my swollen knuckles and congratulating our good luck that we hadn't been pulled over by the fuzz.
Crocker threw me a loopy smile, his right eye beginning to turn purple. "Sorry about that back there. Guess I got a little carried away." Then he frowned, staring at the ground. "I seem to do that nowadays."
I opened my mouth to question him, but was interrupted by Shep. "Don't worry about it man. They had it coming and we got away. Easy as pie."
I laughed and shook my head at Shep's carefree attitude. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who could be busted by his big brothers." Staring up at the stars, I thought back to a year ago: blood and bullets.
I spoke my semi-buzzed thoughts: "I don't know why but sometimes things seemed easier back then." I didn't have to explain; Crock and Shep knew what I was talking about.
"Sure they did," Shep put in. "You knew what you were doing then; trying to stay alive. Now…who knows?"
Frowning, I saw Crock nod in agreement.
Breaking the silence, I tried to change the subject, "How's Missy?" I asked Crocker. Shep inhaled sharply and shot him a look.
"I wouldn't know," he said glumly. "She broke it off with me." His sad mournful face reminded me of Sodapop after Sandy had left. I scrambled up quickly.
Before I could respond he stated, "I'm not going back to Texas." With determination, he lit a cigarette, breathing in the smoke.
"Where are you going to go?"
"California. We're both going." He nodded at Shepard.
Shepard shrugged, seeing my shocked face. "Kid, my family drives me insane. Seven siblings, a floozy for a mother and a goddamn palace that no one lives in; I can't handle it."
"You should come with us," Crock offered.
The thought simultaneously intrigued and horrified me. Leave Darry and Soda…again…for good? "Oh, I…couldn't," I responded lamely.
"Why not?" Shepard grilled.
"Yeah Curtis, you already told me you didn't know if you wanted to go back to high school." Crock tried to control his smirk as he said 'high school'. "So come with us. What else are you going to do here?"
"Would you care to repeat that?" A voice came from behind the car. "The part about high school…" It was Soda. And it looked like he and Steve had arrived home from their night out.
Son of a-Crock shot me an apologetic look. Shep feigned interest in his lighter.
"It's nothing Soda. Just talk," I explained hurriedly. Steve watched my face as I searched for an explanation but I bit it off as his eyes told me to just shut up.
"That's all it better be," Soda said in a tone I recognized as Darry's.
As he passed me without another word I knew he was really angry. Steve had the grace to actually pat me on the shoulder as they passed.
I buried my face in my hands as they entered the house. "This is getting ridiculous."
Shep stared at me in amusement. "Shit Curtis, you did take off for the war without telling them. What do you expect? If I had a brother I'd be mighty protective too."
Crocker laughed. "Shepard, you do have a brother."
Shep waved him away. "Well, one I actually like."
I sighed. "Sorry, for all this. It's probably not the vacation you wanted…"
"Don't. It's been fun," Crocker puffed distractedly at his cigarette like it was the last one he'd ever have.
"Way more normal than my house," Shepard muttered.
The screen door slammed and out came Steve. He tossed me an ice pack. "For your hand."
Raising an eyebrow at his odd gesture, I caught it hesitantly. "Thanks."
He came closer. "I figure you were the three down at the Socy bar. With the Mustang and all." He eyed Shep and Crock warily and then turned back to my house.
I blanched and slid off the car, following him. "Steve, does Soda know?"
Shaking his head, he smoothed his hair back. "Nah. Pony, just-just don't do anything stupid. Ok?"
"Like what?" I said, shoving my hands in my pockets.
"Don't play stupid. I heard it. Soda heard it. You're smarter than that."
Sometimes I wonder, I thought to myself before rejoining Crock and Shep.
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