Soda, Ponyboy and I went to Jay's later that night. This time, I was the one who invited Pony. I figured since he was keeping his trap shut that I could be nice to him and have him come with. Sodas mouth dropped open in shock when I asked Pony to come with. But, hey, I can be nice to the kid. Besides, he's becoming less of a tag along brat as he gets older.
"Hey Steve, doesn't that look like the Mustang you're fixing back at the DX?" Soda asked. He was pointing at a light blue Mustang parked on the other side of the lot.
"Yeah. But the one I'm fixing is red. All I have to do is paint her and she's done." I replied.
"What about the other car?" Soda asked before taking a drink of his Pepsi.
"That one is almost done, too. I should have them both done by the end of the week." I said.
Ponyboy ate his food quietly in the back seat. I'm not sure if it's because he didn't know what Soda and I were talking about or if he was in one of his day dreaming moods. It's hard to tell with him.
Soda turned around in his seat. "How's school?"
"Okay." Pony mumbled.
"Okay?" I asked. "Kid, your english teacher submitted a poem or something that you wrote into a national contest and all you can say is, okay?"
"Really?" Soda grinned. "Why didn't you say anything? That's great! Darry would be proud."
Pony's ears turned red. "You guys, it's not that big of a deal. And it's not like it'll win. There's probably thousands of entries much better than mine."
"What happens if you do win?" Soda asked.
"The poem gets published in some magazine and I get a scholarship." Ponyboy said.
"You'll win." Soda said confidently and I nodded in agreement. I'd read some of Ponyboy's poems and stories and they were good.
Pony went back to eating. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk any more about the contest. He's always been kind of shy about his writing. More shy than he is when it comes to actually talking to people.
"I think I'll try to talk to a counsilor tomorrow." I said out loud.
"Huh?" Pony said from the back seat.
"Soda's been telling me to go talk to someone about what's been happening at home." I explained. "He thinks it'll help me."
"Yeah," Soda added, "Steve's like a car that looks good on the outside but is..."
"Messed up on the inside." Pony finished.
Soda raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How did you know that was what I would say?"
I grinned at Pony. "That's how I explained it to him before school. He walked with me to my place yesterday and kind of heard some of my father's remarks."
"And you didn't say anything?" Soda asked looking at Pony.
"Leave him alone, Soda. I asked him not to. And I'd really like this to stay between us." I said.
"Do you realize that you just stuck up for my brother?" Soda asked. "Usually, I'm the one who has to tell you to leave him alone. And I wasn't going to give him a hard time. You know that."
"I know." I replied. "And this is just between the three of us, right?"
"And the counsilor." Soda added.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. But do both of you promise not to say anything?"
"You know I won't." Soda said.
Ponyboy nodded. "I won't either."
I grinned and went back to eating my own burger which was now cold. But I didn't care. And I knew that now I had to talk to someone about my home life since I had just told my best friend and his brother that I would.
