Chapter Thirty-Eight
Another truth you can never believe
Has crippled you completely
All the cries you're beginning to hear
Trapped in your mind, and the sound is deafening
Let me enlighten you
This is the way I pray
- Disturbed (Prayer)
The next day Steve was making his way down a street in a particularly bad part of town. It wasn't a destination that he had visited often, but everyone knew where Tim Shepard lived. He didn't often spend a lot of time at his actual house, most nights he could be found at Bucks which had been Steve's first stop. But when Buck said he hadn't seen him Steve decided to check out the house.
It was a run-down house, even by Greaser's standards. It wasn't hard to imagine how the two Shepard boys had turned out so tough just by looking at where they grew up. It wasn't exactly a warm and fuzzy household. Steve jumped up onto the front porch, skipping the steps altogether since it didn't look like they would hold his weight. He felt a little apprehensive as he knocked, not sure how he'd react if anyone other than Tim or Curly answered the door. He was relieved when it was Tim himself who came to the door, blinking sleepily even though it was well into the afternoon.
"What're you doin' here, Randle?" Tim muttered through the screen door, squinting at him in the sunlight and looking confused.
"I need a favor," Steve said.
"Come back durin' business hours," Tim mumbled as he started to turn away.
"C'mon, Tim, just take a minute," Steve said. Tim paused, considering. "It's important."
Tim sighed before he turned back and shoved open the screen. "Alright. Come in." Steve walked over the threshold into the Shepard household. If he thought his house was messy with just him and his dad and neither on them interested in cleaning at all, it was nothing compared to this house. "Make it fast."
Steve turned to him, knowing he had to get right to the point if he wanted to keep Tim's attention. "I need a heater."
Tim blinked at him for a moment. Clearly he hadn't been expecting that. "What the hell you needa heater for?"
"We think that guy who shot Soda is still hangin' around the DX," he said. "I wanna be ready in case he tries to finish was he started."
Tim was still staring at him like he had three heads. "I ain't givin' you a heater." He said it like it was the most obvious statement in the world.
Steve was a little surprised. He didn't think it was going to take much convincing since Tim had seemed so willing to help out before. "I just need to borrow it, I'll give it back."
Tim shook his head. "I don't need Darry bustin' my head in for givin' you a loaded gun."
That statement took Steve completely off guard and it took him a minute to finally figure out how to respond. "Darry ain't my guardian," he pointed out.
"He might as well be," Tim said simply.
"Well he said it was fine when I mentioned it to him yesterday," Steve tried stubbornly.
"Yeah, but was he really listenin'?" Tim demanded. Steve was quiet at that. He knew full well Darry had been distracted when he had mentioned it and probably hadn't really thought much about what he was actually saying. "Darry's got a lot on his plate right now, he don't need me arming his brother's hot-headed friend so that he can go do somethin' stupid."
"Darry ain't the boss of me," Steve said, starting to get worked up. He didn't like being treated like a child.
"Even so," Tim said stoically as he turned and walked away from Steve. "I gave Dally a heater. And look how well that turned out."
Steve just stared as Tim moved over to the couch and sat. He opened his mouth several times to respond but just ended up snapping it shut again, feeling like a fish out of water. Tim simply watched him with cool eyes.
"Okay," Steve said finally. "I see your point."
Tim nodded as he leaned back on the couch. "Damn right, you see my point." He pulled a pack of Kools out of his pocket and casually lit up.
Steve sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, suddenly feeling small. "Well d'you think some of your guys could hang around the DX while Soda's workin' at least?" he asked.
"Now that is a much more reasonable request," Tim said lazily. "You shoulda opened with that one, Randle."
"So you'll do it?" he asked carefully, a little weary after being turned down with his first request.
"Yeah," Tim said. "You know, I'd like to get my hands on that guy myself for comin' onto our turf like that. Just let me know when Soda's workin' and I'll have my guys there."
Steve nodded, feeling a bit better. At least they had numbers on their side now. "Thanks, Tim."
"Sure," Tim said with a dismissive way of his hand. Then he leaned forward. "If he really is still around, he's gonna be lookin' for trouble, you know that. He won't hide out forever. If he wanted to hide he woulda left long ago. And if he goes anyway near that DX then we got 'em." There was an eagerness behind his tone as he spoke and a spark in his eyes. Tim was always ready for a fight.
"Yeah, I know," Steve said flatly. Usually he was all for a fight too, but he was worried about who was going to get stuck in the middle of it. This seemed much more dangerous than just having it out with the Socs. At least the Socs didn't usually carry around heaters. You kill people with heaters. Steve knew that all too well from experience but also because that was exactly what he had in mind when he was asking Tim for one. "I'll let you know when he's workin'."
"Sounds good, man," Tim said, taking a drag.
Steve took his tone as a dismissal. "Thanks," he said with a wave as he turned and headed out the door.
XxXxX
Soda continued to recover at home for a few more days, but everyone could see that he was quickly going stir crazy being stuck in the house all day. After the first day it probably would have been fine for Soda to go back – health-wise anyway – but Darry managed to convince him to wait a little longer, claiming he was still worried about him being sick. Steve was the only one who knew for sure that that wasn't the real issue anymore though.
Unfortunately they couldn't keep him in a plastic bubble forever. After just a few days there were no more excuses to keep Soda home from work when he demanded to go. Thankfully he still agreed to keep working part time with Steve. Despite having mostly recovered from his bout with pneumonia he was still awfully tired and wasn't really up for working a full shift anyway.
Steve was feeling better about the whole thing when he saw Tim make good on his promise. Like clockwork there was a small group of Tim's guys hanging around outside the DX when they arrived at work each day and there would still be a group of them there all the way up until closing time. If Soda found his odd he didn't say anything about it. It wasn't that it was strange to see Tim's guys around the DX, they were just much more consistent about it all of a sudden. Steve noticed that they even had some sort of shift system going on, so that it wasn't the same group hanging out in the same spot throughout their entire shift. There was usually three or four of them around and Steve knew that if it came down to anything that would be more than enough to deal with one guy.
It was Friday after school and Steve was feeling much more at ease at work, able to focus more on his job without having to worry about if Soda was all right as much. It was getting late and he decided it was time for a break as he wandered into the store. Soda seemed in pretty good spirits, though the darker it got outside the edgier he always seemed.
As Steve was talking he suddenly realized that Soda was no longer listening. He was staring out the front of the store, though instead of looking concerned about something he looked a little confused. Steve cut himself off in mid-sentence and turned to try and see what it was he was looking at.
"Whacha looin' at?" he asked, scanning the darkening streets outside. He tried to sound casual but he could feel his muscles tense, keeping in mind the blade he kept in his back pocket.
Soda nodded outside. "Who's that?"
Steve turned again and this time he saw the figure making his way across the street. It only took him a minute to recognize who it was.
"It's Ponyboy," he said with a shrug.
"What's he doin' here?"
Steve glanced back at Soda, cocking an eyebrow. "Probably came to see you," he said, pointing out what he thought was obvious. Pony used to come all the time to see Soda, so Steve wasn't so sure why he seemed so confused. Though admittedly he hadn't been by since Soda had been shot here.
"Hey," Pony said with a smile as he pushed open the door.
"Hey kid," Steve said after an awkward pause where Soda didn't say anything.
"It was gettin' boring at home," Pony said by way of explanation. "Two-Bit's workin' tonight. Thought I'd stop by." He paused as he took in Soda's face, suddenly looking unsure. "That okay?"
"It's gettin' kinda late, Pony," Soda said slowly. "Darry'll be wonderin' where you are when he gets home from work."
"It's not that late," Pony pointed out, clearly disappointed that Soda didn't seem happy to see him. "And it's Friday night anyway. Darry lets me go out on Friday nights."
"Not by yourself," Soda said.
"I'm not by myself," Pony pointed out stubbornly.
"You walked over here by yourself," Soda said.
"I always walk over here by myself," Pony said, sounding surprised that Soda of all people was making a big deal out of this. Steve was surprised himself. Pony paused. "If you don't want me here I'll go back home…"
Soda sighed heavily as he leaned forward on the counter. "Sorry, Pony," he said flatly. "It's just… you bein' here makes me nervous. With everything that's been goin' on, you know? You're safer at home."
"Well you bein' here makes me nervous too," Pony said matter-of-factly.
Soda opened his mouth to respond and then snapped it shut again. Steve shifted a bit uncomfortably as the silence went on. It was definitely weird for Soda and Pony to act this way around each other.
"Well, I have to be here Pony," Soda finally said tiredly. "And you don't. And trust me, Darry will be upset if he comes home and you're not there where you're supposed to be."
"Fine," Pony said sullenly. "I'll go home then."
Soda shot Steve a quick look and he immediately got his meaning. "Here, Pony, I'll give you a ride real quick," Steve spoke up quickly. "You'll be alright here for ten minutes, right Soda?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Soda said.
Pony shot him an unsure look and seemed about to say something but Steve cut him off before he could even start. "C'mon, kid, let's go." He grabbed Pony's arm and practically pulled him out of the store.
"You're not supposed to be leavin' him here alone," Pony said accusingly as soon as they were out the door.
Steve released his arm as they started toward the parking lot. "I ain't," he said shortly, nodding toward the group of Tim's guys hanging out on the curb just outside the store. There were four of them there tonight.
Pony studied them as they walked by, heading for Steve's car. "Why are Tim's guys here?" he finally asked as he grudgingly got in the car.
"Just helpin' keep an eye out," Steve said vaguely as he started up the car.
"They weren't here before though," Pony said, too observant as usual. "Why are they suddenly keepin' an eye out now? Did somethin' happen?"
Steve sighed heavily as he carefully pulled out of the parking lot. "No, not really," he hedged. "Just tryin' to keep somethin' from happenin'."
"You think somethin's gonna happen?" Pony pressed.
"Last time somethin' happened we didn't think somethin' was gonna happen," Steve pointed out. "We're just trin' to be prepared." He was trying really hard not to go into detail with the kid; he didn't need him worrying as well especially since they were all probably worrying about nothing. Pony was quiet at this. He gazed out the window and seemed to be pouting a bit. "You know Soda didn't mean that he didn't want you around. He's just more nervous than usual after what happened especially when it comes to being around the DX."
"You think he ever won't be?" Pony asked, turning his head to look at Steve. Steve saw much more worry in his eyes than a fourteen year old should have. "You think he'll even not be scared to be at work?"
Steve glanced at him briefly. "I think it'll get better with time," he said finally. "When it's not still fresh in his mind."
"What about if that guy's never caught?" Pony asked.
Steve shrugged. "It was a small robbery," he said. "If that guy was gonna do somethin' about it, it probably already woulda happened by now."
"Is that why you asked Tim to have his gang hang around the DX all of a sudden?" Pony demanded.
Steve glared at him. "Just stay out of it kid," he snapped.
"Why should I stay out of it, he's my brother," Pony shot back.
"'Cause you're just a kid," Steve said.
"So are you," Pony insisted. "You ain't eighteen yet."
Steve rolled his eyes as he pulled up in front of the Curtis house. "Home sweet home," he said sarcastically as he angrily threw the car into park.
"Just don't forget, you're not the only one tryin' to help Soda," Pony said as he threw his door open, got out of the car and slammed it shut behind him.
Despite being mad at the kid, Steve stayed put and watched Pony walk all the way up to the house and in through the front door before he threw the car back into drive and took off. As he arrived back at the DX he was glad to see that it appeared that nothing had changed. He headed back into the store just to make sure Soda was still holding up okay.
"He get home okay?" Soda asked immediately from where he sat behind the counter.
"Yeah he did," Steve confirmed.
"He mad at me?" Soda asked reluctantly, making a face.
"Well if it makes you feel any better, by the time we got to your house I think he was more mad at me than you," Steve said with a humorless laugh.
Soda returned the laugh, though he didn't look like he found it all that funny. "Do you think I was too hard on him? Bein' too paranoid?"
Steve sighed. "Look, I get that you're still nervous," he said. "But everythin's gonna be okay. If that guy was gonna try somethin' he's had plenty of chance to and he hasn't."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Soda said. "It's just hard to just forget, you know?"
"I know," Steve said. "But the worst is behind us now. It's gonna be okay. You'll see."
"Thanks Steve," Soda said with a smile.
Steve shrugged. "No big deal," he said. He turned. "I better get some work done if I wanna keep my job."
Soda laughed a real laugh this time. "Yeah, quit slackin' off, man. I'm gonna have to report you."
"You report me, I'll report you right back," Steve shot back with a laugh.
As Steve walked out of the store he had a real smile on his face. For the first time in a long time things felt normal. For the first time in a long time he felt like everything was really going to be okay. Soda had gotten through the bout with pneumonia, which meant his immune system was getting better. Things were actually working out for them for once.