Chapter 25:

Ponyboy's POV:

Two-Bit insisted on driving me back home from school even though I usually walk home almost everyday. He said it was because he wanted to make sure I got home alright, but I knew he wanted to know where Soda, Darry and Johnny were just as much as I did. I ran inside to find no one, I realized dinner was usually around 6:00 and it was only 3:00. How would I spend 3 hours waiting?

"Hey Two-Bit!" I called out to the car. He rolled down his passenger window.

"Yeah?" I ran up to the passenger side of the car to avoid having to yell at each other from across the yard.

"Wanna go see a movie?" I usually didn't ask to go places, but I knew I'd drive myself insane sitting in the house staring at the clock until 6:00.

"Sure kid. Hop in" we drove off to see West Side Story. It took about 10 minutes to get there andwe had already seen it 1,000 times but Two-Bit usually talks and jokes through the whole thing. He probably never caught a minute of it and that's why he went back to see it with me so many times.

By the time we got out of the movie it was 5:50. Just enough time to drive home and get there for 6:00. There was no guarantee they'd be home at exactly 6:00 so I just planned to cook dinner when I got there because Sodapop didn't specify what we were having or who was making it.

We pulled into the driveway and Darry's car was there. I knew my face looked happier than usual because Two-Bit smirked to himself as I jumped out of the car. He didn't like when I acted tough, and when I let my guard down, even if he joked about it, I knew he liked it. I burst through the front door to find Darry and Sodapop sitting on the couch. Soda jumped up,

"Hey Pony!" We hugged. I needed an explanation, but right then all I cared about was the fact they were home. Darry watched us hug.

"Jeez Pony, I didn't know we'd scare you that much or I would've brought you with us" Darry stated. My hug must have looked more urgent than I thought. I looked over at Darry.

"Sorry," I let go of Soda, "I just didn't know where you guys were" I bowed my head looking at my feet. I felt my ears getting red.

"It's alright kid," he patted my back, "it ain't your fault you were nervous 'bout us"

"Yeah, I guess that's kinda my fault after runnin' off earlier" Soda looked at the floor just like me, blushing. It was true, ever since Sodapop had went to Seattle I was a little spooked whenever one of them was gone.

"So…" I changed the subject away from Sodapop, "Where were you guys?" Darry and Soda exchanged a glance. I looked around the house. Where was Johnny? "Guys...?" Both of them noticed that I had figured it out, but they knew one of them was gonna have to talk anyway.

Just then, Two-Bit came bursting through the doorway.

"Well I'll be," He shook his head smiling, "They didn't elope to Mexico" we all smirked but they turned back to me ready to answer the question. Soda opened his mouth to speak.

"We-"

"Hey!" Steve came rushin' in with Dally right beside him, "Where the hell were you today Soda? I thought you'd gotten yourself into somethin'! I've been milkin' this guy for information all damn day!" Dally just smirked and took a drag of his cigarette

"I told him you were in Canada just in case you headed up to one of the emergency hidin' places I told you 'bout. But I guess you're fine" He just shrugged, "where's Johnny at man?"

"Well…" Sodapop licked his lips not sure how to tell everyone. Dally was here, and he made everyone nervous. Especially when it came to bad news about Johnny. But, I already knew what Soda was gonna say. I feared for the worst, "Johnny was in some real pain last night and he was screamin' and cryin'" He looked at his feet hitchin' his thumbs in his jean pockets, "Darry and I thought we'd take him to the hospital." He shrugged like it was no big deal. How did I miss the screaming? "They told us they wanted to keep him there for the next few nights for further evaluation"

"What?!" Dally demanded more but I knew doctors. They didn't tell you anything more than what you needed to know, and that's probably all they'd tell someone who's not a family member.

"That's all they would tell us" Sodapop confirmed, "They didn't even explain what the pain was"

"Why couldn't you have called me or the kid and tell us where you were?" Steve asked. I'm not a kid! Can't you just call me Ponyboy? I could tell he had been upset about Soda all day. I immediately regretted not showing him the note, because I knew what was coming out of Soda's mouth next.

"Well I gave Pony a note to let him know we were fine and when we'd be home" Steve's eyes burned into mine.

"Didn't think to tell me, huh kid?" He flared his nostrils with each breath. Now he was angry. Dally turned around and promptly slapped Steve across the face. Not real hard or anything… but hard enough to get his attention.

"Get a hold of yourself. The kid didn't even know where they were 'til now stupid" Even though it would have been right to tell him, I just didn't think. Steve had left my mind that day.

"Sorry" I mumbled to Steve. You just didn't get into it with Steve Randle, even if he had controlled himself more since the slap.

"Whatever." He turned away from me, "I'm going out with Marcia tonight at 9:00 Sodapop, you wanna come?"

"Sure, I guess I can take Cherry or something but we're not exactly together-"

"And neither are him and Marcia" Two-Bit interrupted smirking, "'cause I found her first!" Steve smacked Two-Bit's arm playfully and ran out of the house.

"Race ya for her!" They ran down the street. I knew both of them didn't love Marcia like Sodapop loved Sandy. They didn't even like her like Sodapop liked Cherry. But that's what made them happy, and they were willing to let a race settle who's she was.

"I'm headed to the hospital" Dally stated, "I'll see if they'll give me any info on the kid" We all nodded. Even if we knew for sure they'd never let a kid like Dally see Johnny, we weren't gonna try to stop him. He went out on the porch to finish his affair with his cigarette before he left.

"Hey…" Soda grabbed my shoulder, "I was pretty mixed up after Seattle. Cherry and I talked, we're nothing official okay? Just good friends. I think I just wanted a girl to take Sandy's place… and I realize how wrong that was now okay Pony? So tonight, I don't mean nothing by going out with her-"

"I get it Sodapop. I don't mind." I didn't want him sparing his relationships on my account.

"Thanks" He ran up to our room to get ready even though he had a few hours until he had to leave. I turned to Darry.

"Darry?"

"Uh-huh" He answered from the corner of the room he had been standing in. He hadn't really spoken at all… or moved. He sounded genuinely surprised, like he didn't expect me to want to talk to him. I felt bad that his standards for me were set that low.

"Can I go with Dally to see Johnny?" Dally turned around at the sound of his name and watched for Darry's response through the open door.

"I don't know Ponyboy. It's a school night…" Dally decided to speak next before I could.

"I'll bring him back before Sodapop leaves for his little 9:00 'not-date'" Wise guy. But I appreciated what Dally had said. It felt good to have Dallas Winston on my side.

"Well… alright but be home by 8:30 the latest. Pony did you finish your homework?" I had already done half of it in school and the other half during the movie. Two-Bit had teased me about it all afternoon.

"Yup"

"Do you want dinner? Soda and I already had ours" It was Dally's turn to answer again.

"I'll take the kid out. I haven't eaten since breakfast thanks to Steve's all-day interrogation" Is it just generous day, or what? Oh right, I was a fill in for Johnny like Cherry was a fill in for Sandy. Liked… not loved. But treated like royalty in the absence of someone special.

"Okay... I'll see you guys later"

"Bye Dare" I waved. Now I was ready to jump into a car with a hoodlum and try to convince a doctor to let us Greasers in to see an injured boy even though we weren't his family.

Boy was I gonna have a story when I got home.

I felt bad about not giving you guys a chapter yesterday even when you continued to review so I figured I'd give you a really long second chapter tonight! See you guys back here tomorrow!