I'm leaving for the summer so updates will be quite sparse but I'm not ditching this story. New Ch. will be up more often when I get back home. Thx for the support and patience.

Feedback Appreciated!

Sodapop gingerly lifted up his shirt took a look at the bruise forming on his left side over his ribs. It was massive and already black, blue and green.

"Dude! You should see this bruise, it's awesome!" Soda walked out of the hospital washroom smiling brightly showing off his colors to his brother and the twins. He and Austin had gotten into a tussle and had run into a table, upturning it and all of the medical supplies on it. A nurse had come in and almost kicked them out but they both apologized so desperately that she let them stay. The two hadn't found anyone who could resist the two of them yet; they were just so adorable.

"Wow, that's a doozey," Darry whistled.

"Yeah well at least you didn't get a syringe in the face!" Austin whined a bandage on his cheek. The nurse had nearly screamed when she first came in, seeing Austin ripping out a syringe that had been sticking in his cheek.

"I better not get some disease or something from this," Austin grumped sitting back in his chair. The boys visited for a little while longer but pretty soon it was getting dark and the Curtis brothers went to go get Pony. He was sitting beside Angel Shepherd and Darry was immediately in a bad mood. He didn't care too much for the Shepherds. He was fine with them coming around every once in awhile but he didn't want his brother getting into trouble and the Shepherds were nothing but. Their gang was one thing, they only got into minor scrapes and trouble every once in awhile but the Shepherd gang was a whole nother level. They lived and breathed trouble. Pony got up from his seat when he saw his brother's and fell into step behind them after saying good-bye to Angel.

Darry couldn't help but see the silent exchange between the two and he got a bad feeling in his gut. Pony hadn't had any girlfriends yet and Darry knew that Angel would probably be the first and that scared him. He was contemplating what he would say to Pony the entire ride home. He didn't' want to get into a fight with his brother but he needed to talk Pony out of doing anything with Angel.