So This Is War
Chapter Fourteen
Ring the church bells! Sodapop is finally getting married! This is gonna pick right up from Chapter Thirteen in Two-Bit's perspective. I know! Things just keep getting more and more tragic! Thank you my readers for hanging in there once again! Here we go!
Two-Bit's POV
Ponyboy swings the door open and my jaw drops. He's leaning against the door frame like he can barely support his own weight, looking half dead. His face is paler than I've seen it, the circles around his eyes darker. He looks like he hasn't bathed in a week and smells so much worse! He smells like alcohol, vomit, sweat, and marijuana. He lifts his red eyes to look at me and gives me a dopey grin. The stranger in front of me sways, tries to catch himself, and trips to the floor laughing.
"Jesus Christ, Ponyboy!" I squeak, lifting him under his arms and dragging him back into the apartment. I briefly let him go so I can slam the door shut then continue hauling him to the bathroom. How am I going to hide the fact that he's stoned out of his head from his brothers, from Soda? What in the world was he thinking in the first place? He knew today was Soda's wedding! He knew I'd be coming by today to pick him up!
I prop him up against the side of the tub since he apparently still hasn't regained the use of his limbs. He was still grinning at me with half lidded eyes. What am I supposed to do? I'm scared, and angry. This wasn't the brother I knew. This had to be some kind of sick joke. He wouldn't do this... But I knew he had and it wasn't the first time. It explained everything! The mood swings, his disappearances, why he looked like a sick ghost all the time, everything. "What the hell were you thinking, Ponyboy?" I ask in a weak voice. It hurt. It hurt so bad that he was this messed up and we didn't even see it...
"I wasn't thinking nothing," he slurred, bobbing his head as if his neck couldn't support it.
"What are you on, Pony?" I growl. He was not getting away with this. I was not going to let him drown any longer.
"Nothing," he lies.
I help him into the tub and turn the cold water on. He jumps and lets out a yelp when the frigid rain falls on him. Even T-Bone was quieter than Pony when he got a bath! He glares at me with his bright eyes, slowly relaxing from the jolt. I make him wash right there, fully clothed and everything. He could at least look, and smell, presentable. Hopefully the cold water would help to sober him at least a little bit. It's worked a few times to sober me up, but that was from booze. I'm not a doctor though. I don't know what to do.
His hands fumble with the soap bar a few times, but eventually he's mostly clean and rinsed so I shut the water off. I help him stand up in his sopping wet clothes and to climb out of the slippery tub. Water stains my nice jacket. I order him to undress and dry off. Then I leave the bathroom door cracked and go straight across the narrow hallway to his bedroom. Immediately I spy a used needle and a belt sitting on the bed. I close my eyes tight, trying to pretend for one moment that this was all just a bad dream, but when I open them again the needle is still there smiling coldly at me. I go over to his closet and pick up the bagged suit from where it's hanging neatly on the door, unlike anything else in this apartment.
The door is shut when I come back out. I throw it open in a panic, but he's in the same state. Pony is sitting in just a towel on the floor with his head leaned back against the wall. His eyes are just slits under his eyelids, but he looks over when I barge in. I help him into his suit and have to button it for him because he can't work his hands properly. I've never seen anyone this messed up before.
I make him put on his black shoes and slap him lightly when he looks like he's about to fall asleep. He grins up at me with that hollow smile that chills me to the bone. I resist a shudder and drag him up to his feet. At least he smells better. We leave the grungy apartment that he calls home and I carefully help him down the stairs. The way he was walking, he would have stumbled down the first flight and possibly kept going. I kept his arm across my shoulder as he weaved down the stairs and across the parking lot. It was obvious he had no idea what was going on or where he even was. I toss him into the passenger seat and slam the door after him. How was I going to explain this?
We make it to the church twenty minutes later than when we were supposed to. Luckily, that hour was early so people were still setting up. I see Darry pacing agitatedly in front of the big open doors. He spies my car as I pull into a parking space and he storms towards us. I close my eyes again and hit my head against the headrest. I go out to face him.
He's seethes, "You're twenty minutes late, Two-Bit! I thought you were gonna get Pony then come right back?"
I chuckle nervously, thinking of a way to break it to him. I can't tell him the truth on Soda's wedding day. Then Soda would know! So I lie, "About Pony, Dar... Um, he went out with some friends last night and had a few drinks too many. Now don't get mad, this is Soda's wedding after all! I cleaned him up a bit before we left, but he's still plowed."
Darry turned bright red, the vein in his forehead throbbing. "He did what?!" He doesn't wait for an answer and goes over to Pony's side. He rips the door open and shouts, "Ponyboy! What the hell is the matter with you?! Our brother is getting married and you're trying to ruin it!" I wince. I couldn't defend Pony because I didn't know why he did it, but that was harsh even if it was the truth. I don't think Darry meant it to be, but it was. He didn't know that Pony was a junkie though. He wouldn't be yelling at him if he knew, not at this point anyway.
"Hey, Dar," Pony slurred, completely oblivious.
Darry raises a hand, infuriated. He takes a deep breath and runs it through his hair, catching himself in time. "Okay, let's go," he says roughly and drags Pony out of the car. Ponyboy sways on his feet and blinks blankly a few times. Darry drapes his brother's arm over his shoulders and supports him by the waist. We slowly make our way into the church. It feels so wrong for him to be here like this.
"How we gonna keep this from Soda, Dar?" I whisper.
He whispers back, "We keep him busy and away from Pony; that's how. He'll sober up with some time."
I nod for lack of something to say. I didn't know much about drugs, but I knew they took a lot longer to come down from than booze. I leave Pony with Darry and go find Soda. He's in one of the little classrooms getting ready. I've never seen Sodapop this tense. He's pale and his hands are shaking as he puts on his tie. I chuckle and he turns around with a big nervous grin. I give him a quick hug and slap him on the back.
"Congrats man! How's it feel to be tying the knot finally?"
He laughs. "You should be telling me, Two-Bit! I'm real nervous."
I shake my head with a small smile. He was right, but Kathy understood why I was postponing it. I think of something that might cheer him up, "Har har. Well look, Soda, she's still with you after all this time so I don't think you got anything to worry about. Plus she's carrying your baby and she seems just as excited about it as you! You love her, don't you?"
He thinks about it for a moment. He stares me right in the eye and says, "Absolutely."
I punch his arm. "Then what are you worrying for? She'll be right next to you at the alter."
He smiles at the thought, calming down for the first time all day. "So where's Ponyboy? I wanted to talk with him before the ceremony."
I panic. What am I supposed to say? I won't ruin Soda's big day and can only hope that Darry is taking care of the Ponyboy mess. I quickly come up with an excuse, "He's helping Darry set up. You'll see him later though."
Soda nods, trying to hide his disappointment. It doesn't last long before he's back to being the happy groom. We've got an hour to go. I keep Soda as confined to the room as possible. There isn't much to do after fifteen minutes of preening. We carefully explore the halls of the church. He thought it was odd that we were being so sneaky, but I told him it was because we didn't want to run into the bride. He completely bought it even though the real reason was Ponyboy.
At one point, I turned a corner to find Darry trying to get Pony to walk in a straight line down the hall. We spotted each other in time for me to push Soda back and for Darry to usher Pony into one of the rooms. I breathed a sigh of relief when the coast was clear. That was our only almost encounter. Finally the time came for Soda to stand at the base of the stairs. I eyed my watch after a quick glance around the room revealed two important figures missing.
Darry and Pony come rushing in through the side entrance. I hold my breath nervously when I see that Darry is still supporting Pony by the arm. They come to a stop next to me and Darry takes the spot closest to Soda with Pony in the middle. Pony blinks and sways on his feet. I discreetly steady him with my hand on his elbow. He seems like he's finally coming back down to terra firma.
The guests filter in slowly. There aren't many, but they fill the small church in no time. The minister joins us and the procession begins. Three lovely ladies file down the aisle including Kathy and Lacy. My fiance has never looked more stunning, and she's a real looker too. I imagine her in a white gown going through the same motions and grin while a nervous sweat begins to break out. It wasn't the thought of being with her forever- I looked forward to that- I've just always seen marriage as an end to a relationship.
The ring bearer, T-Bone, is released from the double doors at the other end of the aisle and I step forward so he can see me. The hours of grooming was well worth it. That dog fought me with every brush and bubble, but his fur coat gleamed in the lighting, making him look like the heroic war dog he was. The bow-tie collar was a nice touch too. A decorative pillow was secured to his back with two rings. I was afraid he was going to tear off down the aisle and lose them, but he calmly trotted to my side and they stayed.
The familiar wedding cadence played from the piano at the back of the room. Everyone stood and looked at the double doors. Dressed in white, came Soda's fair girl. She was a lovely bride, smile so bright it lit up the church. Her father looked like he was fighting tears as they marched down the aisle together. He handed her off to Soda and the ceremony officially begin.
The minister began, "We are gathered here today to witness the joining of these two loved ones..." The introduction lasts ten minutes before they exchange vows. I hear several tears break out in the audience and Pony is still zoned out. I resist the urge to smack him. They ask for the rings and I bend down to untie them from T's back. I give Darry her ring and the matron of honor Soda's. They pass the rings to the happy couple. They place the rings on each others fingers. Finally, the minister concludes, "You may now kiss the bride." Soda enthusiastically grabs his wife and leans her back for a deep kiss. Amused laughter waves through the crowd and he uprights her again, both with smiles wider than a kid on Christmas.
We march out of the church and gather in the parking lot. Slowly we give directions to the reception and drive off separately. The hall is already set up when we get there which is good news. We all crowd in and sit at the white linen tables. The wedding party is seated at the head of the room in front of the dance floor. Food is passed around by caterers and we all wait in anticipation. Someone hands Darry the microphone.
Darry groans and stands up with the mic in hand. He chuckles nervously into it, "Well, as you all know, I'm not very good at public speaking so let me make this fast. My brother, Sodapop, can be a handful at times and he's kept life... interesting to say the least throughout the years. But I could never have asked for a better brother than the ones I've got. When I was asked to assume guardianship of my brothers, my first thought was how in the world am I gonna raise two teenage boys when I'm just barely an adult myself? Well, Sodapop, you and Pony did most of the work. There were a few bumps along the way, but you were always right on top of things. If Mom and Dad were here today, I know they would agree that you've become a great man. We couldn't be prouder of you, little brother. And welcome to the family, Sis. He's your responsibility now! Cheers!"
Everyone chuckled and drank to Darry's moving toast. The matron of honor didn't have nearly as touching a speech, but they weren't sister either. We drank again as she concluded and I could finally breath. Everything had gone smoothly despite the hiccups. Now Ponyboy could act as plastered as he wanted because this was a celebration party and he wouldn't be the only one. T-Bone whines from his spot on the floor by my chair and I give him a piece of meat. I look over at Pony who is trying to wake up by running a hand down his face. He looks hungover which is fine considering that was the story.
Sodapop comes over and pokes him. Pony gives him a tired smile, "Congratulations, Soda!"
Soda grins, having not stopped since he started hours ago, "Where were you earlier, little brother? I was gonna talk to you before I got hitched, make sure it was cool with you."
Pony rubs his eye. "I was helping Darry set up. You know that it's fine cool though! We've already had this talk, remember? I'm happy for you big brother."
Soda gives him a quick hug and beams, "You'll always be my little brother, and nothing's gonna change that."
Mrs. Curtis dances with her emotionally wrecked father for one slow song. He finally quit crying long enough to dance, but he started up again as soon as the song ended. Then it's time for the newly weds to dance. Soda embraces her like this is something they do everyday. He's completely at home with her as his partner. He doesn't do anything fancy or complicated, always treating her like porcelain since learning she was pregnant, but it was a beautiful dance. Ponyboy even stood at the edge of the crowd and watched with a light grin.
We party the night away without incident. Everyone either ignored Pony or assumed he was drunk and he behaved himself. I couldn't look in his direction without nerves bunching up in my stomach, but it went alright. Darry was still hacked off at him, but he was civil since it was a celebration. Only I knew what was really wrong with him and I had no idea how to tell them. I gave in to the upbeat atmosphere for a few hours and put my worries on the back burner.
Yay Soda! Boo Pony! What's Two-Bit gonna do? Thanks for reading and please review! Sorry it's taking me so long to update, Senior year is starting off with a bang!