"Wake up, Pon." Darry shook him gently the next morning. "You've been sleeping since yesterday."

"What time is it? Do I gotta go to school now?" Pony asked, opening his eyes half way. He was still in Darry's bed and still in his dirty jeans.

"No, you've been suspended from school for about a week."

"Good." Pony mumbled, rolling over. Ouch, headache. How long have I had this headache? Every time I wake up I have it.

"Excuse you?" Darry asked.

"I mean- oh never mind." Pony said, wishing he could just learn to keep his mouth shut sometimes.

"That suspensions gonna go on your permanent record, little man." Darry said.

"I know." Pony said softly.

"You also have detention next Saturday but you already know about that. Come have something to eat. You must be starving."

"I am. Why ain't you at work?" Pony asked, slowly getting out of bed and trying to fully wake up.

"Obviously I'm out of the job, Pon. I can't very well roof houses with one arm now can I?"

"He fired you?!"

"Well, you don't expect him to pay somebody that can't do the job."

Pony sighed. "Well, what now?"

"I don't know. Don't worry about it. Let me figure it out."

"I'm sorry, Darry." Pony said softly.

"I know you are. You've been forgiven."

"What time is it?"

"Seven thirty. I wanted to wake you since you've been sleeping for nearly twenty-four hours straight."

"How's Soda doing?" Pony asked, following Darry out to the living room.

"He's doing all-right. He's sleeping. Breakfast is in the kitchen."

Pony nodded and went to go eat, while Darry tried to figure out what in the world he was gonna do for work that wouldn't require much use of his arm. Good paying jobs like that usually require college though. "Two-Bit and Steve come over?" Pony asked, randomly as he ate his eggs.

"Yesterday." Darry said from the living room. "They stayed for bout an hour, then headed out. I wasn't much for talking and you and Soda were both asleep. I told um what happened the other night though. Soda knows now to. He nearly threw up when I told him. What almost happened is scaring the both of us."

"Do we gotta keep talking about it?" Pony asked.

"No, but don't you be surprised if Soda gets on your back about what happened when he wakes up later." Darry said. Pony nodded. "I gotta go to the store, I'll be back in about an hour. After school hours today I want you to call someone up and get whatever you've missed in the past few days. If you can get the work from someone every day after school you won't fall so far behind."

"Yeah." Pony mumbled. So much for television twenty-four hours a day.

"Darry you gotta go now?" Pony asked.

"Yeah, we hardly have anything left in the fridge. Why?"

"Oh no reason I just- never mind. I'll see you later."

"All-right." Darry looked at his brother questioningly. "Don't wake up Sodapop. He's sound asleep and that's just the way I want it to be."

"I wouldn't wake him." Pony said, indignantly.

"All-right. I can trust you to stay in the house as well, right?"

"Definitely." Pony mumbled.

"Ok." Darry said and headed out the door.

Pony didn't wake Soda. Soda woke up on his own and came loping out to the kitchen about ten minutes later, in search of food and aspirin. "Hey, kid. I see you're finally up." Soda said. "Where's Darry?"

"Market."

"Man, where is that guy when you want mushroom soup?" Soda grumbled, looking for chocolate milk. Pony laughed and ate the last of his ham. "I heard all that happened."

"I know." Pony said.

"All I know is that Darry found you and some friends fighting a group of socs and well... you know the rest but what all happened that night?"

"Stuff. I ain't told Darry bout it neither and I wanna tell him but I don't at the same time. Know what I mean? I spose he's already upset with me enough and he ain't acting mad or anything and that's the way I want it. I don't want him to be mad at me again."

"No, you're gonna tell him. You've gotten yourself caught up in all sorts of messes recently because you failed to tell us the whole story. That's why I'm asking you. What happened?"

"Ain't you spose to be sleeping?" Pony asked, changing the subject.

"Ponyboy." Soda said in a tone he rarely used.

Pony sighed and got up to clear his plate. "There ain't that much to tell."

"Good, it won't take a long time." Soda sat down.

Pony sighed. "Well, that soc... you know the one that tried to shoot me?"

"Yeah." Soda said, his voice shaky at the thought of someone aiming a gun at his little brother.

"Well, it ain't exactly the first time I've seen him."

"What do you mean?" Soda asked.

"I've had a problem with him before. Ok more than just one. It was his house that we trashed that night. I mean that they trashed and he thought I did it. And he's the same soc that beat me up that night when I left the store. There was another guy with him that time as well and he was there too the other night. Anyways we challenged them. He wasn't supposed to bring out that gun. We weren't sposed to be using weapons. We had agreed just skin against skin but I guess he got real mad when Darry came along and started clobbering them. See they thought they'd win real easy. They probably would've too. Most of them were older than us and there was four of them and three of us. Me, Curly, and some friend of his. I guess you couldn't really call it a rumble cause there wasn't very many of us but I know Darry don't like me fighting unless I have to, let alone starting a fight myself. I was real drunk though and I didn't know what I was doing. We'd gone to the Nightly Double before and then to Buck's for some drinks and stuff. We went a few other places I don't think he'd want me going either and don't ask for the details because I ain't handing them out. But anyways they'd been trailing us on our way back from the Nightly Double. That particular guy- he really really hates me. He just doesn't wanna leave me alone. I'm worried he's gonna come after me again. Darry told me not to worry but I can't really help it.

Soda sighed. "Pon, you've gotten into all sorts of messes. You done now?" Pony nodded. "Good because if anything were to happen to you, I'd go right down with you. You know that, don't you?"

"I know." Pony said.

"What's all this talking about? Soda, why ain't you sleeping?" Both brothers heard the eldest walk through the front door.

"Ponyboy was just telling me a little about the other night." Soda said.

"Speaking of which, I'd like to know a bit more about it myself." Darry walked in with two big sacks in his hand and put them on the counter.

"I told you I wouldn't ever do any of it again."

"I know but it's my responsibility to know what you do so just tell me so I don't spend every waking moment wondering about it." So Pony told Darry everything he'd told Soda, with some hesitation. He then sat there and waited to get screamed at but no angry words came.

"Ain't you gonna get mad at me?" Pony asked when Darry didn't say anything.

"No, none of that surprises me now. I already knew you'd been at Buck's and that you'd been drinking anyways."

"How'd you find out about-"

"I searched all over the city to find you and one of my stops was Bucks. I got some information out of Tim."

"Oh." Pony said. "You mad, Dar?"

"No." Darry said. "We don't have to talk about it anymore, unless there's something else that I really should know about. I mean you didn't put anything else illegal into your body last night besides alcohol, did you?"

"Of course not!"

"Ok good. Hey, do you know what his name is by the way?"

"Who?"

"The guy that's been after you." Pony shook his head. "All-right, but would you quit worrying about him coming after you? Huh? I told you, you're safe."

"I know." Pony said. "I'm not worried."

"Good. Soda, go lie back down. I'll bring you breakfast. Pony do me a favor and take the trash out." Soda headed back to his room but Ponyboy looked white. "What's the matter kid?"

"Nothing." Ponyboy said. "I mean- I can't take the trash out."

"Why?" Darry laughed.

"Because I just can't. I don't wanna go outside. It's um- cold."

Darry gave him an inquisitive look. "You can't just walk out the front gate real quick?"

Pony shook his head. "Owe, you know I'm getting a stomach ache." He headed out of the kitchen quickly. That was to close. Pony thought. I can't go outside. I can't go outside. It's not safe outside. It's not safe anywhere but in here. He shivered remembered the gun, the sound of the shot, the look in that guys eyes. That intense hatred. I'll never leave the house again. Pony thought.

*REVIEW AND YOU'LL GET THE NEXT CHAPTER REALLY SOON! I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN IT :)*