By the time Two-Bit picked himself up off the porch swing to go back inside, it was nearing 7 o'clock. First, he tapped on Liz's door to make sure she was awake and getting ready for school. "You up, kiddo?" he asked, pushing her door open.
She wasn't. "No. Go away," she said sleepily, pulling her comforter over her head. Liz was so much like Two-Bit, it scared him sometimes. They both had trouble getting out of bed in a timely manner. He knew what he had to do to get her up.
He pulled the comforter off her and tipped the mattress so she rolled right out of the bed. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't get mad. She just giggled and curled up into a ball at his feet. "I can sleep on the floor, too, you know."
Two-Bit chuckled and started kicking her lightly with his foot. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"You love it," Liz said. She sighed, succumbing to that fact that she actually had to start the day. She stood up lazily. "How's Dally doing?"
Two-Bit's eyes widened. She'd stopped calling him "the rat." Two-Bit figured she must've mustered up some sympathy for him after seeing him so ill last night. "I dunno, Liz. You saw him."
That didn't seem to be the answer Liz wanted to hear. "You're not going to school today, are you?" she asked. "I don't think you should leave him."
"No, I'm not going to school," Two-Bit confirmed wearily.
Liz tilted her head at him. "There's more to this than him being sick, isn't there?" she said softly. Liz had a way of reading Two-Bit, better than anyone else. She could see right through him.
Two-Bit let out a deep breath. "Yeah, there is," he answered, honestly. "But it's not your job to worry about it, okay? I'm handling it."
"Yeah, you're doing a real bang-up job with that," she scoffed under her breath.
Two-Bit sighed. "Just get ready for school, Liz," he told her tiredly. "I'll still drop you off."
He left her room and poked his head into his own bedroom, relieved to find Dally sound asleep. With any luck, he would stay asleep for most of the day, and Two-Bit wouldn't have to worry about coming up with the right thing to say.
"Kathy!"
Two-Bit slammed the door to his car shut and hurried after the bouncy blonde heading into the school. He'd just dropped Liz off and started to pull away when he'd caught sight of her. That's when he realized he'd never cancelled their date.
"Kathy, wait up!" Normally, the girls Two-Bit dated were sleazy and greasy, and he wouldn't give a second's thought to standing them up. But Kathy was different. Sure, she was a greaser girl, but she was so sunny and cheery that Two-Bit couldn't bear the thought of not showing up without giving her some sort of explanation.
She and the two other girls she was with, turned around and looked for the frantic guy shouting her name. And frantic he was. He'd run through a crowd of students, not caring if he knocked them down, just to get to her.
"Two-Bit, what in the—" Kathy's mouth was hanging slightly open as she took in the sight of him. The two girls she was with started whispering to each other.
Two-Bit suddenly realized how raggedly and ridiculous he must look. He was still wearing the clothes he'd slept in and hadn't given any thought to shaving the past couple of days.
"I need to talk to you," he said, breathless, trying to ignore all the stares coming his way. "You got a minute?"
"Sure…" she said slowly. She told her friends she'd meet up with them later and pulled Two-Bit over to the side of the school. "You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Two-Bit dismissed quickly.
"Okay," Kathy said skeptically. "What did you want to talk about?"
Two-Bit let out a deep breath. "I can't take you out after school," he said regretfully. He couldn't look her in the eye.
"You mean you're blowing me off." She didn't sound mad, just disappointed.
"No, I ain't blowin' you off," Two-Bit said. "I just can't make it into school today. Somethin' came up."
"Gee, that ain't vague at all," Kathy said, rolling her eyes. "What came up?"
"A friend needs my help." Please let that be enough to satisfy her, Two-Bit thought.
"Who? Help with what? He's not in trouble with the cops, is he?"
Two-Bit felt like he was being interrogated. "No he's not in trouble with the cops," he assured her. For once, he thought. "He's just going through a rough patch and I need to be there for him. Trust me, the less you know, the better."
Kathy folded her arms across her chest and clicked her tongue. She was clearly debating about whether or not she should believe him. "Okay," she gave in. "I was just really looking forward to this."
"I was too," Two-Bit said sincerely. He took her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll take you out another time."
"Soon?" Kathy asked. "Because I ain't gonna wait around for you forever, Two-Bit Mathews."
"Soon," he confirmed as the bell rang.
Two-Bit was heading back to his car, when he saw two familiar kids, with perfectly greased hair, sitting on the bench by the parking lot. He crept up behind them and tapped both of them on the head before jumping over the bench and settling in between them.
"Glory, Two-Bit, do you always have to sneak up on us like that?" Ponyboy asked.
"Sure do," Two-Bit said resolutely, patting Johnny on the knee. "Didn't y'all hear the bell? You're gonna be late for class."
"Yeah, we heard it," Ponyboy said. "And look who's talkin'. You'll be just as late as us."
"I ain't goin' to school," Two-Bit said. To avoid further questions, he added: "Not feelin' it today."
"You're not the only one," Pony mumbled under his breath.
"Pone's worried about the social worker that's comin' to check up on them today," Johnny explained to Two-Bit.
Right. It was Tuesday. Darry told him about this. "Aw, Pony, you ain't got to worry about that," Two-Bit assured him without missing a beat. "They won't split you guys up. That'd be like splittin' up the three stooges. It would be a crime against humanity."
"See, Ponyboy?" Johnny said. "I told you, you ain't got anything to worry about."
Pony let out a huff of air, unconvinced. "Just because Two-Bit ain't worried, doesn't mean I shouldn't be. You never worry about anything, Two-Bit."
Boy, is he ever wrong there, Two-Bit thought. But he was glad that's how Ponyboy saw him. Somebody needed to be the rock after everything that'd happened. "It's easier that way," Two-Bit said, plastering a fake smile on his face. He stood up. "But if you're so worried about the social worker taking you away, then I don't know what you're doin' out here talkin' to me. I don't think she'd approve if she got wind of y'all skippin' out on classes."
"Aw, she won't hear about that," Johnny said, laughing, but Ponyboy wasn't going to take any chances. He grabbed his books and hurried off into the school. Johnny shrugged to Two-Bit and then hurried off after him. "See you later, Two-Bit," he called over his shoulder.
"You got it, kid."
Rick's Camaro was parked outside the Mathews' house when Two-Bit pulled in. That car always took his breath away. But this time it wasn't because of its sleek beauty. It was because Two-Bit hadn't planned on Rick being here. He just hoped he understood why he was skipping out on school.
Rick was in the kitchen reading the newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. He looked up when Two-Bit stepped into the room.
"Hey Rick, what're you doin' here?" Two-Bit asked, trying to sound casual.
Rick smiled. "I should be asking you the same thing," he said. "I don't have to go into work until later and your mom went to breakfast with some friends. She asked me to swing by and check on Winston. He's passed out in your bed."
Two-Bit nodded and sat down in the chair across from Rick. "He had a rough night."
"By the looks of it, so did you," Rick commented.
"I stayed up with him," Two-Bit explained. He felt dizzy as he remembered how ill Dally had been, and how he couldn't do anything to help.
"You decided to stay home from school."
Two-Bit nodded vaguely. "I didn't want to leave him for too long. Not after how sick he was last night." Two-Bit silently cursed his voice for trembling. He looked down at the table, humiliated.
Rick set his coffee mug down and pushed the newspaper aside. He folded his arms and rested them on the table. "Two-Bit, I want you to look at me, son."
Two-Bit lifted his head slowly and met Rick's eyes.
"You know, kid, I'm pretty good at reading people," he said. "It's a skill that comes in handy as a lawyer."
Two-Bit looked back down quickly. He knew where this was going.
"Two-Bit," Rick continued gently. "I know there's something about this Winston fellow that you're not telling me. I'd like to help your friend. But if I don't know all the details, I can't help as much as I'd like."
Two-Bit swallowed hard, shaking his head. Those damn tears had started to prick his eyes again. "Dally doesn't want me to say anything," he said shakily. "I'm not even supposed to know. It was a fluke that I found out—" Two-Bit stopped short, realizing he'd already said too much.
"Found out what?" Rick prompted.
Two-Bit hesitated. He wanted so badly to get this off his chest, to get the pressure off of his shoulders. He just couldn't bring himself to say it.
But Rick wasn't giving up. "Keith." He addressed Two-Bit by his real name. "I know you know how serious this is. Dallas is too thin and if he keeps getting sick at night – if he keeps losing sleep – he could be in real trouble. You know that, don't you?"
Two-Bit nodded and several tears slipped out of his eyes. Rick was good at what he did. He convinced people to talk to him – to tell him the truth. Dally needed help far beyond what Two-Bit could give him. He might not want people to know about this, but someone had to know in order to properly help him. Two-Bit was convinced. He let out a deep breath and told Rick the truth.