A/N Here's chapter two, everybody!! This one's longer than the last one.
Please don't forget to review, and thanks so much if you have already!
This is dedicated to the superauthoress Phoebe! I couldn't have written this without her help and support. Thanks girl!!
Disclaimer- I don't own the Outsiders, but you knew that, didn't you?
Now, Chapter Two!
************************************************************** **********
It felt like I had just fallen asleep when I was jerked awake to the sound of screaming. Even as I leapt out of bed and bolted to Ponyboy and Soda's room, I knew that Ponyboy was having another nightmare. That had happened a lot in the two weeks since Mom and Dad had died. I had no idea what was causing it, but to hear my little brother screaming like that scared me more than it scared him.
I jerked open the door, flung myself into the room, and stopped in my tracks. Sodapop was sitting on the bed holding Ponyboy, who was shaking like crazy and white as a sheet. I stood there stock-still, wondering what to do. Pony had had these nightmares before, but not like this. I sat down on the bed next to my brothers and rubbed Ponyboy's shoulder kind of awkwardly.
"You okay, Pony?" I asked him gently. Ponyboy shook his head no. Soda looked at me and I could see the fear in his eyes at seeing Pony like this. It was the same fear I felt. After we'd calmed Pony down, he fell asleep against Soda's shoulder. Soda picked him up and slid him under the sheets. Then he looked up at me and mouthed "living room." I nodded and walked out, Soda right behind me.
"What are we going to do, Darry?" Soda asked me as we flopped on the couch. "Pony's nightmares are getting worse, not better."
"I'm going to make a doctor's appointment in the morning", I answered. "I think it's time we had him looked at." I hated doctors' offices, but there really wasn't anything I could do about it at that point.
Soda looked at me like I was crazy. "What can the doctor do? Anyway, we can't afford it."
"Yes, we can," I said, alot more sharply than I meant to. "Anyway, don't worry about that stuff. I'll handle it. Now, go back to bed."
"But-" Soda began, but one look from me made him get up and go back into him and Ponyboy's room. I went back into my own room and shut the door. In addition to my barely restrained fear about Ponyboy, Soda's words had instilled a new wave of panic that I fought to beat down. Could we afford it? I really didn't know. But we had to, so I'd make it work. At least I'd be getting my paycheck that weekend. I'll make this work, I told myself as I fell asleep again. I'll make this work.
*
The next morning, the sun was already shining when I rose at the delightful our of six A.M. I got up, exhausted on five hours' sleep, and after my shower I began cooking breakfast. I really wasn't much of a cook, but there was the chocolate cake that I'd let my brothers talk me into, plus chocolate milk, eggs, bacon, and coffee. At six-thirty I went to Pony and Soda's room and banged on the door.
"Rise and shine, guys," I called, opening the door. "Come on, breakfast is on the table. Hurry up, you're gonna be late." Soda muttered "Yeah, yeah, we're hurrin'" under his breath as he got up. Soda's not exactly a morning person. Pony groaned, streched and slouched into the bathroom.
As Ponyboy sat down to eat, I sat down across from him. Neither of us wanted to say anything about his nightmare the night before, but I had to.
"Ponyboy?" I asked.
"Yeah?" Pony replied after a sip of chocolate milk.
"I made an appointment for you this afternoon with the doctor." Pony stared at me and set his glass down as I continued. "You've been having these nightmares for a while, and they're starting to worry me. So I'm taking you today at four."
"I'm not going," Ponyboy said flatly. "I have track. And you know I hate doctors." It was true; like me, he had a phobia of needles.
"You are going," I retorted. "They worry me, and you will go to the doctor's with me. Today at four, you will be there. Clear?" I flinched inwardly; I sounded way harsher than I meant to be, but I was genuinely worried.
Ponyboy stared at me for another minute, than sighed. "Yeah, okay. See you this afternoon. Bye." He walked out the door to get Johnny so they could walk to school together. Soda had left already. The tension in the house left after Ponyboy's nightmares was a little too much for him.
I shut the door and slouched against it, closing my eyes. You're doing okay, I told myself, you're doing okay. I straightened up, opened the door, and left for work.
A/N- Okay, that really sucked, but please review anyway!
This is dedicated to the superauthoress Phoebe! I couldn't have written this without her help and support. Thanks girl!!
Disclaimer- I don't own the Outsiders, but you knew that, didn't you?
Now, Chapter Two!
************************************************************** **********
It felt like I had just fallen asleep when I was jerked awake to the sound of screaming. Even as I leapt out of bed and bolted to Ponyboy and Soda's room, I knew that Ponyboy was having another nightmare. That had happened a lot in the two weeks since Mom and Dad had died. I had no idea what was causing it, but to hear my little brother screaming like that scared me more than it scared him.
I jerked open the door, flung myself into the room, and stopped in my tracks. Sodapop was sitting on the bed holding Ponyboy, who was shaking like crazy and white as a sheet. I stood there stock-still, wondering what to do. Pony had had these nightmares before, but not like this. I sat down on the bed next to my brothers and rubbed Ponyboy's shoulder kind of awkwardly.
"You okay, Pony?" I asked him gently. Ponyboy shook his head no. Soda looked at me and I could see the fear in his eyes at seeing Pony like this. It was the same fear I felt. After we'd calmed Pony down, he fell asleep against Soda's shoulder. Soda picked him up and slid him under the sheets. Then he looked up at me and mouthed "living room." I nodded and walked out, Soda right behind me.
"What are we going to do, Darry?" Soda asked me as we flopped on the couch. "Pony's nightmares are getting worse, not better."
"I'm going to make a doctor's appointment in the morning", I answered. "I think it's time we had him looked at." I hated doctors' offices, but there really wasn't anything I could do about it at that point.
Soda looked at me like I was crazy. "What can the doctor do? Anyway, we can't afford it."
"Yes, we can," I said, alot more sharply than I meant to. "Anyway, don't worry about that stuff. I'll handle it. Now, go back to bed."
"But-" Soda began, but one look from me made him get up and go back into him and Ponyboy's room. I went back into my own room and shut the door. In addition to my barely restrained fear about Ponyboy, Soda's words had instilled a new wave of panic that I fought to beat down. Could we afford it? I really didn't know. But we had to, so I'd make it work. At least I'd be getting my paycheck that weekend. I'll make this work, I told myself as I fell asleep again. I'll make this work.
*
The next morning, the sun was already shining when I rose at the delightful our of six A.M. I got up, exhausted on five hours' sleep, and after my shower I began cooking breakfast. I really wasn't much of a cook, but there was the chocolate cake that I'd let my brothers talk me into, plus chocolate milk, eggs, bacon, and coffee. At six-thirty I went to Pony and Soda's room and banged on the door.
"Rise and shine, guys," I called, opening the door. "Come on, breakfast is on the table. Hurry up, you're gonna be late." Soda muttered "Yeah, yeah, we're hurrin'" under his breath as he got up. Soda's not exactly a morning person. Pony groaned, streched and slouched into the bathroom.
As Ponyboy sat down to eat, I sat down across from him. Neither of us wanted to say anything about his nightmare the night before, but I had to.
"Ponyboy?" I asked.
"Yeah?" Pony replied after a sip of chocolate milk.
"I made an appointment for you this afternoon with the doctor." Pony stared at me and set his glass down as I continued. "You've been having these nightmares for a while, and they're starting to worry me. So I'm taking you today at four."
"I'm not going," Ponyboy said flatly. "I have track. And you know I hate doctors." It was true; like me, he had a phobia of needles.
"You are going," I retorted. "They worry me, and you will go to the doctor's with me. Today at four, you will be there. Clear?" I flinched inwardly; I sounded way harsher than I meant to be, but I was genuinely worried.
Ponyboy stared at me for another minute, than sighed. "Yeah, okay. See you this afternoon. Bye." He walked out the door to get Johnny so they could walk to school together. Soda had left already. The tension in the house left after Ponyboy's nightmares was a little too much for him.
I shut the door and slouched against it, closing my eyes. You're doing okay, I told myself, you're doing okay. I straightened up, opened the door, and left for work.
A/N- Okay, that really sucked, but please review anyway!