Chapter 21:
Ponyboy's POV:
All day I worked my butt off to make up for the school work I had missed. I was trying, but my mind kept wandering off to Sodapop. He had never really lied to me until all the 'Sandy business' and it was starting to make me wonder if he was lying to me about going to talk to Cherry too.
Don't get me wrong, I had NO IDEA for a counter option… I mean, what else could he have been doing in Seattle several hours before wake up time that didn't involve Sandy? I couldn't figure it out. I just hoped I wasn't losing the bond I had had with my brother for so long. I just couldn't lose him again.
I met up with Two-Bit and Johnny on the way home, still racking my brain. Two-Bit had Johnny's wheelchair by the handles getting a running start followed by Two-Bit's foot latching on the back bringing the chair into a full on wheelie. Two-Bit cackled at his childlike stunts as Dally popped out from a nearby drug store yelling at the shop clerk,
"DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE IF CIGARETTES CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS?" He screamed, "Why don't you lose some weight before you talk to me about 'health problems'!" He made his way over to us and saw Two-Bit mid-wheelie, "Whadda ya doin' man? You tryin' to kill the kid or somethin'?"
"Sorry Dal" Two-Bit surrendered, overdramatically slumping his shoulders and puffing out his lower lip.
"You should be apologizin' to the kid about almost killin' him. If you wanna say sorry to me it should be about making me look at that face" Two-Bit smiled popping right back into his normal goofy self.
"What's going on Dal?" Johnny asked.
"Tried to buy some cancer-sticks back at the store but the cashier said he's being payed to tell the customers all the health risks they cause or something. Ain't no way I'm buyin' from him" Two-Bit and Johnny cracked smiles. Dally wouldn't put up with anything even if it was right to do, "Hey how you doing kid?" Dally patted my back.
"Good I guess" I tried to smirk, but I knew I wasn't happy. I needed to know the truth about Sodapop before my mind could really rest.
"Ponyboy you've been quiet the whole walk home" Two-Bit brought up. Johnny turned in his wheelchair as much as his body could in order to face me.
"Yeah Pony, everything alright?" When it came to Johnny, being able to lie became a lot harder, and I knew I wasn't convincing.
"Sure" We arrived in my driveway just in time. Two-Bit wheeled Johnny into his spot next to the couch while Dally raided my drawer of cigarettes trying to find a new pack.
"Pony you got anymore?"
"No. Darry says I gotta lay off for a while" I needed one then, more than I ever had.
"Here kid, you look like you need it. Just don't tell your older brother" Two-Bit handed me a cigarette and gave one to Dally in the process.
"Thanks" I went out onto the porch just in time to catch Steve walking up the driveway without Sodapop, "Steve, where's Soda?"
"Went out to the movies" Steve just kept walking. What?
"With who?" He stopped and turned around to face me.
"I don't know, I'm not nosey like some people" He snorted, turning around again to go inside. I brushed it off, I had to find Sodapop to get to the bottom of this whole disappearing act.
"Tell Darry I'll be home for dinner"
"Whatever" I ran down the street towards the movies, ready to discover Sodapop's secret.