Author's note: Hey, guys. So, we're finally going back to Ponyboy and Darry in this chapter. It's been a while since we've gone to see those guys. Please enjoy and don't kill Darry because he doesn't think before things come out of his mouth.

Disclaimer: The Outsiders is not mine, no matter how much I wish it was.

Chapter 11: Cool your jets

PONYBOY'S POV

Darry and I weren't talking to each other. I know it seems ridiculous, but I was just so sick of him. Sure, I went and got wasted with Curly. Boo hoo. It's not like I killed someone or got high or held up a gas station or something. Of course, he didn't see it that way. He's only been this silent and stony with one of us a couple times. The last time was when Motley actually had held up a gas station and got drunk and high in the same night.

Before you start asking about that, let me explain. He was out with Dallas, got stupid drunk, then somebody put something they shouldn't have in their next drinks and, well, you get the picture. They jumped the guy that did it later.

Either way, I was just trying to catch up on my homework at the table and Darry was completely ignoring me. Even though I'd been asking him for help with this problem for the past five minutes. Maybe if I annoyed him enough, he'd crack. I started singing at the top of my lungs.

"I'm Henry the 8th, I am. Henry the 8th, I am, I am. I got married to the widow next door. She's been married seven times before-"

"Ponyboy, shut up." Darry snapped. I swear, he's still got PTSD about that song. Motley used to sing it to annoy him into doing stuff.

"I will if you help me out with this."

Sighing, he came and sat next to me. "Okay, okay, what is it?"

Well, at least he wasn't ignoring me anymore. That had to count for something. "This algebra makes no sense."

He looked at it. "That's just pythagorean theorem, Ponyboy."

I looked back at it. "But that's triangles."

"It's also - Ponyboy, it's also an algebraic equation. A squared plus B squared equals C squared."

He had a point. "Oh. I guess that's fair."

"You should know this, Ponyboy."

Great. Lecture time. I was starting to miss being ignored.

"I mean, you've been learning this for how many years? And it still hasn't been drilled into your head?"

"Well, excuse me for not being a genius. Maybe you should go to school for me." I muttered.

"What?"

I knew better. I knew I shouldn't have pushed it. But I couldn't help it. "I said, excuse me for not being a genius. Maybe you should go to school for me."

"Oh, believe me, kid, if it were up to me, school is exactly where I'd be."

That hit something it shouldn't've. I was on my feet and couldn't remember getting there. "Well, hate to break it to ya, asshole, but it kinda is your choice! Call up the state and go to college if that's what you damn well want!"

Darry paled. "Ponyboy, that isn't what I meant-"

"Like shit." Wow, I was channeling Motley. Was this how he felt all the time? It was incredible. "We all know it's what you really want. You already got rid of two of us. Goin' for three?"

"Soda ain't gone, damn it! He's just lookin' for Motley!" One way to tell Darry's real upset: he starts swearing at me. And using words like 'ain't'. He tried so hard to train that out of himself.

"Newsflash, Darry: Soda cares about Motley more than you! If he can't convince him to come home, d'you honestly think he'll come back either? He'll stay there, and Steve'll stay with him, and that'll be that!"

The front door opened and Two-Bit came in. He took in me and Darry and slowly backed up out the door again. "I'll just leave ya to it." he muttered. He hated getting in the middle of this kind of stuff.

Darry went on like there hadn't been any interruption. "Ponyboy, I think ya oughta shut the hell up right now."

I glared at him. "That's the only thing you ever seem to want." I shoved my math book at him. "Here, Einstein. You do it, if you're so good."

"Ponyboy-" he started angrily, but I didn't give him time to finish. I just stalked back to my room and slammed the door.

Who needs that asshole anyhow?

SODAPOP'S POV

Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow...

Never let Steve stitch up your arm. I mean it. He's good at it and everything, but even with whiskey, it hurts like hell.

But I forgot all about that when I saw a car drive past with a brunette and a very familiar looking person in it.

"Steve!" I shouted and jumped up, knocking his whiskey bottle out of his hand.

It was a sign of how much he cares about me that he didn't belt me then and there. Just stared at the whiskey that was now all down the front of his shirt and dripping off his leather jacket. He waited a count of ten before he said, "What?"

"Did you see that car?"

"No." His tone was more curious now. Bring up a car, and Steve will talk to you about it for hours. "What, was it a tuff model or somethin'?"

"No, Motley was in it!"

He looked at me funny for a second. "Ya sure about that? I mean, with a moving car, we could be chasin' anyone, and it ain't a good idea to waste time tryin' to follow the wrong person-"

"It was him, okay? I know it was. You think I can't recognize my own twin from behind?"

"Alright, Soda, cool your jets. Let's go back to that motel and get the car."

I shook my head. "No time. Let's go." I started off down the street.

Steve ran to catch up. "On foot? You think you're gonna catch a car by walkin' down the sidewalk?"

"Steve, have you seen the traffic here? Goin' back and gettin' the car would be slower than walkin'. We'll be able to keep better tabs on em this way.

He shook his head, but didn't question it. "Whatever you say, man."

People don't say that to me much. It's like they know that if they just do whatever I happen to come up with, we'll wind up dead. It was kind of a nice change.

So we followed the car. Each time we caught a glimpse of it, the more sure I got that my brother was in that car. But who was the chick?

We followed them to this apartment somewhere in Reseda. Not a horrible place. Not the best, but not horrible either. Personally, I felt like it was just right. Too fancy, and you feel uncomfortable. Like you can't touch anything 'cause you're afraid of screwing it up or something.

Steve held out an arm and stopped me before I could go across the street, pound on the door, and demand my brother. "Don't go right away, man. We should get a feel for the place first."

I guess it made sense. But that didn't mean I had to like it. "Steve, c'mon. He's right there. We're so damn close."

"Exactly. Don't wanna screw up when we've got this far, right?"

"I guess so."

"Good."

We sat down in the alley across the street, figuring it was as good a place as any.

"Y'know, we look like we're casin' the place." I said after about five minutes.

"Makes sense, when you remember that's basically what we're doing."

"I just mean we should watch it. In case the fuzz show up."

That made him pause. I had a fair point, and he knew it. "Look, if the fuzz come by, we'll book it and go up that fire escape. It's not like they can catch us once we're up on the roof. Nobody's as good at gettin' across roofs as us."

I smiled, remembering our… activities of a few years ago. That had been an interesting summer. "Yeah, we are pretty damn good at that, ain't we?"

After another long pause, Steve said, "Soda, what exactly are you plannin' on sayin' to him? I mean, he went through all this trouble. It's not like he's gonna just go home."

"I dunno what I'm gonna say to him."

"You're twins, man. Shouldn't you know him well enough that you at least got some idea of what to say to him?"

"That's just it, Steve. I do know him. Better than I care to admit. And you never know exactly what's gonna work with him. Sometimes he needs to hear one thing. Sometimes he needs to hear another thing. You gotta read him in the moment."

"Sounds hard."

"Well, it sure does keep ya on your toes."

"There's nothin' you can say to him every time?"

"Well… there is one thing he always needs to hear, since I think he forgets anybody actually feels that way sometimes."

"What?"

"I love you."

Author's afterthought: So, guys who caught the reference in here today? Technically it's not an 80's reference because the movie came out in 1990, but it's got one of my favorite people ever in it, so whatever.

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