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"Where are they taking him?" Soda asked Ms. Lincoln desperately who was still sitting in her seat shell shocked.

Shaking herself a little bit she said "Back to the holding cells probably, I'll see what I can do at recesses."

After they took Ponyboy out and another man from the state and the judge all talked at the bench for what seemed like hours though the clock on the wall said it had only been a few minutes.

"What happened to him Darry?" Soda whispered to me in a quiet undertone. "He looks so hard, tough. Did you see that scar over his eye?" I had it crossed over his left eyebrow, I had a buddy from high school who got the same one in a knife fight.

"I don't know Pepsi-Cola, I just don't know." I felt lost, confused I didn't know what to do.

They finally finished up the conversation and and the man both returned to their seats.

Clearing his throat the judge spoke, " Under the circumstance's it has been decided this hearing will continue without the presence of ." And so it continued.

I had to get up and talk about how I wanted him back, my promotion at work, why I thought I was better suited to care for him etcetera. Soda did as well, talking about how school and grades had always been a priority in our house and why he had decided to drop out was not a reflection of my parenting. After about a half hour of this they called a break to "review the information". As we were standing up to stretch and go meet up with the guys beckoned us over.

"I talked to the judge earlier; he gave the okay to go see Pony in back right now if you want."

"Yes!" Soda blurted "Of course we want!" I was a little more leery, the cold, angry look he had given me still drilled into my head.

"Where do we go?" I asked

She gave a small smile, "Just follow me."

We did stopping briefly to tell the guys what we were doing, they were hiding it pretty well but I could tell they were just as shaken by the events as we were. Steve squeezed Soda's shoulder as we walked by in silent support.

Nancy Lincoln obviously knew this courthouse well, as she led us through the maze of public corridors into the back spaces off limits to the public. We walked mainly in silence, the odd comment here or there, the tension in the air was so thick I could scarly breath. She led us directly to a security desk where a man who looked as though he should have retired sat reading an old western magazine.

Looking up at Ms. Lincoln before letting his gaze drift from me then eventually to Soda, "Here for the kid?" he asked knowingly.

"Yes." She replied tiredly

Not saying anymore he stood up unlocking the door to the side of his desk. There was a small hallway with a few cells at the end. There were hardly any lights, as we neared the end of the hall I could see a pair of scruffy work boots at the end of a cot. Approaching the cell, the rest of the body appeared.

There he was my baby brother, tall and lean, with a build that would fit in better on a football team than a track squad. He was sprawled out across the cot his arms crossed under his head, not looking bothered in the least he was encased in bars.

Soda didn't hesitate, "Hey Pony, long time no see." He said softy as though talking to an injured animal. Maybe, he was. Ponyboy didn't reply, he didn't move, his face was cast in darkness so that I could not even tell if his eyes were open or not. This didn't detour Soda however.

"See bud, I told you that we were working on getting you back, did you get my letter? I send them every couple weeks. Jeeze, Pony I can't believe how much you've grown, the ladies aren't even going to look at me again once they get a look at you.

made a scoffing noise, "From what I hear, he doesn't have any problems on that front, I believe that's partly the reason he was jailed the first time."

Clearing my throat I tried to figure out what to say, "Look Pony," I'm sorry I hollered at you back there, I'm sorry I lost I shouldn't have done that, I guess you just scared me, us trying to make a good impression and everything to get custody back," I was going to say more about how we missed him, how I was scared him being sentenced to more time for causing a disruption in the court, hell maybe even tell him how much I love him, but he interrupted

"Whatever, ya'll have to say I don't want to hear it. I don't know why you even bother with this charade, just go back to your lives and I'll go back to mine." He had set up at this point the light casting eerily over his face, there was a huge knot over his right eyebrow, his eye already partially swollen shut.

"Ponyboy! What happened to your eye!" gasped. I was staring as well a cold anger building inside me partially from the words he had just said and the rest from that knot the size of an egg above his eyebrow.

Giving his social worker an exasperated look, " I fell down the stairs." He said dryly.

"We are on the ground floor."

"Use your imagination, damn Nace." I wanted to reprimand him on his disrespect, didn't he know how much she was doing for him, for us, our family. Then again, maybe he did not consider all her effort as help after all. I knew where the injury had come from, I had seen the twisted look in the guards eye as he lead Ponyboy from the courtroom and the thought that he had complete power over Ponyboy scared the hell out of me.

"Pone, your our brother you are our life, look buddy…" Soda started to say before Ponyboy interrupted.

"No ya'll look here, I am not the same dumb kid who was naïve enough to believe my older brothers were going to raise me and we would all be some happy fucking family, shit don't work like that in the real world. I ain't the same dumb kid so go back to your fucking lives and I'll go back to mine."

"In the reformatory? That life, stealing cars and breaking and entering, that sound like a great life you have going for you kid! Look your smart! You could have gone to college! Pony you are a smart kid, you know better than to get wrapped up in this shit! Were your brothers and we love you! We need to stay together, whether the judge grants custody or not. We owe that much to Mom and Dad." I snapped. Why was it the only time I could talk to my brother was to yell at him?

"Yeah, that would make it easy for you huh Darry? Oh damn Ponyboy, what do ya know the judge diden't grand custody but hey next time I'm in Oklahoma city or where ever the fuck the state sticks you next why don't I run by and we'll go get a coke and watch a movie." He mocked silence filling the room when he was finished, I wanted to scream at him, couldn't he see how much he was hurting Soda, who stood there pale, wide eyed. How much he was hurting me?

"Our times up. Court is going to resume in a couple minuets." spoke, breaking the tick silence.

I placed a hand on Soda's shoulder and squeezed gentle, we were both staring at the form of our little brother through the cell bars. "It's not what you think Pony. We want you home more than anything, we miss you." I said softly, wondering if perhaps this is why he had refused to talk to us for so long.

"I am smart Darry, smart enough to fall for your shit." He muttered back plopping back down onto the uncomphterable looking cot. Not knowing what to say I just stared, wishing I could put all of my emotions into words. had walked over to the door to the exit, and stood there waiting for us.

I half pushed, Soda who just stood cemented to his spot, not looking away from his little brother who was just as stubbornly staring at the wall behind us.

"Here's some grease for your hair Pone." Soda said quietly as he removed the can from his back pocket and tossed it gently on the cot besides the angry teen, before finally turning away and walked down the hall, as I followed in his wake. Looking back, I saw for the first time since I watched him walk into the courtroom a glimmer of the old Ponyboy on my brothers face as he looked at the can of hair grease. Wide eyed innocent, wonder.