Chapter # 14: Telling Darry

Thankfully no one was harmed from the incident. The four greasers were suspended for the rest of the week, and given the maximum grade of a '70' on their midterm project.

Two-Bit had confessed to being the one who turned up the temperature on the bunsen burner, and was arrested and taken to jail.

Ponyboy walked home that afternoon with Johnny shaking like he was freezing even though of course he wasn't cold.

"Come on Ponyboy. It wasn't your fault," Johnny tried to ease his best friend's fear.

"It doesn't matter. I got suspended, and for the rest of the week too. I'm not allowed to attend my track practices either. I bet the school's even already called Darry. I'm in for the worst punishment in my life," Ponyboy wined. He as trying hard to hold back the flood of tears he felt behind his eyes.

"He'll probably have a few words with Two-Bit too, after he gets out of jail," Johnny said.

Ponyboy didn't disagree with that one. He figured that Sodapop has already heard the whole story from Steve at work.

Course Steve was lucky Ponyboy thought because his boss let him work during the school hours he was suspended. Ponyboy didn't have that. He wondered what he was going to do with himself after Darry got through with him. He wondered if Soda would be mad at him too. Soda had gotten in a lot of trouble when he was still in school, but he had never once got suspended.

Ponyboy tried to breathe deeply to calm his nerves as he and Johnny approached his house. He could see Darry talking on the telephone through the living room window. Johnny put his hand on Pony's shoulder, and they both walked through the front door as Darry hung up.

"I can explain," Ponyboy blurted out.

"You can start by telling me how you managed to blow up the chemistry lab," Darry said in a very even tone.

"I didn't, Darry," Ponyboy pleaded.

"Two-Bit did," Johnny said.

"Two-Bit? That idiot's not smart enough to tie his own shoes much less than be in your class."

"We combined classes with theirs for this midterm project. There was more students in their class, so Steve, Johnny, Two-Bit, and I got grouped together."

The door swung open and in walked Soda and Steve. Ponyboy glanced quickly in his other brother's direction, but Soda's happy grin was no longer on his face. Steve was lagging slightly behind Sodapop, Ponyboy noticed. There was fear in his eyes as well.

"Sit," Darry ordered. The three of them had already been seated, and they scooted over to make room.

"Where's Two-Bit?" Darry asked.

"In jail," Steve told him.

"They would have arrested us too if we were eighteen," Johnny spoke up.

"No," Steve corrected him. "They arrested Two-Bit because he was the one clowning around, and actually caused the explosion." He looked up slowly. "I tried to make him stop goofing around. I warned him he could cost Ponyboy everything."

Darry looked at his baby brother and Johnny. "Is this true?" he questioned. Both boys nodded.

"What? You don't trust Steve?" Sodapop said outwardly.

"No I don't," Darry said using a tone that warned Soda that this was not the time to challenge his authority.

"So now what?" Soda asked.

"Now, we're a group of three, we get a grade of a '70' at best, and have to keep up with all our class work while we have time off," said Steve.

"I can't believe this happened," Sodapop voiced his feelings. "You're the only one of us that has a chance of making something out of life, and mess it us by doing this. Ponyboy, I got in more trouble than all the hoods combined when I was still in school, but I never got suspended."

Ponyboy froze up. Now Soda was going to lay into him too. He thought this had to be one of the worst days oh his life.

"You never blew up a science lab," Steve informed him.

"Well, what's done is done. You can't change it now," Darry said with a sign. Ponyboy wondered if he was saying that to them our more to himself. "Are you two staying?"

"Yeah, I got kicked out again, for the suspension thing. At least he had a reason this time, Steve said solemnly.

Darry said nothing. He just got up and went to the kitchen to start dinner.

Sodapop gave Ponyboy a look that was so foreign Ponyboy wasn't even sure it was his brother before he got up and followed Darry.

"I'm gonna punish that kid till…"

"Save some for me," Soda interrupted Darry.

"Great," Ponyboy said with a sigh as he leaned back against the back of the couch. "This is just great. Soda's even mad, and I'm almost never in trouble with him."

"It wasn't your fault Two-Bit kept goofing off, kid," Steve reminded him.

:Lot of good that does me," Ponyboy replied.