Sodapop was nervous, real nervous. He was on his way back from the hospital with his brothers and the tension in the car was so thick it could nearly be seen. Soda knew that his brothers were about to get into a massive fight and he was trying to think of some way, anyway to divert it. Soda hated it when his brothers fought. They both always expected him to be on their own respective sides and whenever he tried to take the middle path or the odd time he chose sides he could see the hurt in the other brother's eyes and it killed him. Tore him up inside to be the cause of any pain to either of his brothers.
Soda had seen Pony quickly let go of Angel's hand when Darry and him had approached but he didn't think Darry had seen. He was happy that Pony had finally found a girl but he was kind of pissed that it had to be this girl. It had to be the one girl Darry wouldn't allow. Though the more Soda thought about it the more he knew that Darry wouldn't like any girl Pony would. The two were too different; their women would be just as different. That and Darry was stupid protective sometimes, especially when it came to baby Pones. They were approaching the house when the idea popped into Soda's head and he had to smile to himself. The boys walked into the house and Pony went straight to his room. Darry opened his mouth the say the infamous words, "We need to talk," but Soda stopped him by covering his mouth. Darry pushed his hand away and shot a questioning look at him. "We need to talk," Soda pointed with his head out the door and walked out to the porch, not watching if Darry had followed, he knew he would.
"What's going on little man?" Darry asked a little defensively. Soda took a deep breath and put his plan into action.
"Okay, Darry now I know your up in arms against Pony because of Angel but if you go in there all puffed up with righteous anger, you know your only going to make Pony even more fixed on what he wants to do," Soda said in one long breath. Darry still looked a little defensive but he knew what his brother was saying was correct. Soda knew both of his brothers better then they knew themselves.
"Alright, well what do you suggest I do then? I can't just let them go out can I? Tim will pummel Pony if he ever found out. Angel is a nice girl and all and if it weren't for her brothers there wouldn't be trouble but they are there and they are trouble. That's trouble that Pony doesn't need to get involved in," Darry crossed his arms in front of himself, looking like he had made up his mind.
"Darry, we can talk to Pony but if you want to get him to not go out with Angel, you have to scare him away from girls and not argue him away from Angel."
"Well how are we going to do that?" Darry asked confused. Soda pulled up one of his eyebrows and gave Darry a look. Understanding dawned on Darrel and he wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or die of embarrassment.
"Dad never got to take Pony for the fishing trip did he?" Darry asked with sudden comprehension.
"Nope, he took you and I on our fourteenth birthday, but Dad hadn't been there for Pony's. So, what do you say you take Pony for that fishing trip," Soda said with a smile.
"What? I thought you were going to do it."
"No way man, you're the oldest, you do it."
"Uh uh, I'm so not getting into this. It was your idea, you do it!"
"Do what? What are you guys arguing about?" Pony asked from the door. The two older brother's looked at each other guiltily and then at Pony.
"Pony, we need to have the talk."