A/N- Hey all! Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up! Please
don't forget to review, especially if you want me to continue this. Also,
I'd love suggestions for later chapters! Thanx a lot! I'd like to dedicate
this to my beyond-awesome beta-reader Phoebe and her new niece Coral! You
girls rock! Also a thank-you to Zevie for helping me with my writer's
block!
Disclaimer- I don't own the Outsiders, yadda yadda yadda. ************************************************************************
At three-thirty sharp when Ponyboy's school let out, I drove there to pick him up for the doctor's appointment. Soda had mentioned to me that morning that he was going to the Dingo after school with Steve and Two-Bit, so I knew where he was. I was pretty nervous about this appointment; besides being worried about Pony's health I had the cost to consider, plus I had come straight from work so I wasn't dressed so sharp. I was still worrying when I pulled up in front of the high school. I scanned the lawns in front of the school and the parking lot nearby. No Pony. I pulled up in front of the school and checked my watch. It was three thirty-five. I groaned and ran my hand back through my hair; of all the times for Ponyboy to be running late, this was one of the worst. Three forty-five came and went, and still no Ponyboy. I was beginning to get mad, and afraid under that. He knew about the appointment; I'd told him I would pick him up. I sat there in my car until four-fifteen, with all the horrible things that could have happened to my little brother running through my mind. I finally drove home, angrier at myself now than at Pony. I hadn't even been doing this parent thing for two weeks, and already I was screwing up. I jerked to a stop in front of my house and tore up the walk and through the door. Two- Bit was stretched on the floor of the living room, watching Mickey Mouse on TV and drinking a beer. He grinned crookedly at me.
'Hey Darry, how's it hangin'?' he said to me from the floor. Ignoring him, I flew into the kitchen where Sodapop was standing frosting a chocolate cake.
'Soda, Pony's missing,' I said to him, taking the cake platter from him and setting it on the table. 'I went to pick him up for his doctor's appointment after school like I told him I would and he never showed up!' Soda stared at me in confusion. 'Darry, Ponyboy's in his room reading. He has been all afternoon. I guess he forgot' I stared back at him, hardly able to believe it. All the horrible things that I thought had happened to Pony flashed through my mind until I got so angry that I completely lost it. I stormed down the short hallway to my brothers' room and shoved open the door. Sure enough, Ponyboy was flopped on his bed reading.
'Oh, hi, Darry. How was work?' he asked me. I blew a fuse then and really let loose.
'Ponyboy, where the hell were you?' I shouted at the top of my lungs. 'I was supposed to pick you up for that doctor's appointment! What happened?'
'Oh God, Darry, I'm sorry, but I forgot,' Ponyboy exclaimed, sitting up on the bed. Deep down I knew he meant it, but I was too mad to care.
'You forgot? Do you have any idea what the hell I thought happened to you? How worried I was? Not to mention the fact that I had to leave work early to take you.' Tone it down, I silently urged myself. I knew I was being harsh, but Ponyboy's absent-mindedness really bugged me. I couldn't keep the next part from coming out. 'And you know what? You're grounded this weekend. That should leave plenty of time to remember the appointment, which I'll have to reschedule.' Ponyboy's eyes widened.
'Darry, that's not fair.'
'I don't care if it isn't,' I snapped at him. 'You're grounded. Is that clear?'
'Yes,' Pony said sullenly. He flopped back on the bed. I stormed out of his room and down the hall to mine, ignoring the fact that Soda and Two-Bit were looking shocked in the kitchen as I passed. Once in my room, I couldn't sit still, but instead I paced around the small room in circles. Why had I yelled at Ponyboy like that? He just forgot, that's all. But another part of my mind knew that Ponyboy had to start being more responsible. We were still under close watch from Social Services, who was just waiting for one of my brothers to get in trouble so they could be put in a home. And I'd be damned if I was going to let that happen. My brothers were all I had left now, and I wasn't going to lose them. Not if I could help it.
A/N – I'm pretty sure that this chapter was even worse than the first two, but please review anyway!
Disclaimer- I don't own the Outsiders, yadda yadda yadda. ************************************************************************
At three-thirty sharp when Ponyboy's school let out, I drove there to pick him up for the doctor's appointment. Soda had mentioned to me that morning that he was going to the Dingo after school with Steve and Two-Bit, so I knew where he was. I was pretty nervous about this appointment; besides being worried about Pony's health I had the cost to consider, plus I had come straight from work so I wasn't dressed so sharp. I was still worrying when I pulled up in front of the high school. I scanned the lawns in front of the school and the parking lot nearby. No Pony. I pulled up in front of the school and checked my watch. It was three thirty-five. I groaned and ran my hand back through my hair; of all the times for Ponyboy to be running late, this was one of the worst. Three forty-five came and went, and still no Ponyboy. I was beginning to get mad, and afraid under that. He knew about the appointment; I'd told him I would pick him up. I sat there in my car until four-fifteen, with all the horrible things that could have happened to my little brother running through my mind. I finally drove home, angrier at myself now than at Pony. I hadn't even been doing this parent thing for two weeks, and already I was screwing up. I jerked to a stop in front of my house and tore up the walk and through the door. Two- Bit was stretched on the floor of the living room, watching Mickey Mouse on TV and drinking a beer. He grinned crookedly at me.
'Hey Darry, how's it hangin'?' he said to me from the floor. Ignoring him, I flew into the kitchen where Sodapop was standing frosting a chocolate cake.
'Soda, Pony's missing,' I said to him, taking the cake platter from him and setting it on the table. 'I went to pick him up for his doctor's appointment after school like I told him I would and he never showed up!' Soda stared at me in confusion. 'Darry, Ponyboy's in his room reading. He has been all afternoon. I guess he forgot' I stared back at him, hardly able to believe it. All the horrible things that I thought had happened to Pony flashed through my mind until I got so angry that I completely lost it. I stormed down the short hallway to my brothers' room and shoved open the door. Sure enough, Ponyboy was flopped on his bed reading.
'Oh, hi, Darry. How was work?' he asked me. I blew a fuse then and really let loose.
'Ponyboy, where the hell were you?' I shouted at the top of my lungs. 'I was supposed to pick you up for that doctor's appointment! What happened?'
'Oh God, Darry, I'm sorry, but I forgot,' Ponyboy exclaimed, sitting up on the bed. Deep down I knew he meant it, but I was too mad to care.
'You forgot? Do you have any idea what the hell I thought happened to you? How worried I was? Not to mention the fact that I had to leave work early to take you.' Tone it down, I silently urged myself. I knew I was being harsh, but Ponyboy's absent-mindedness really bugged me. I couldn't keep the next part from coming out. 'And you know what? You're grounded this weekend. That should leave plenty of time to remember the appointment, which I'll have to reschedule.' Ponyboy's eyes widened.
'Darry, that's not fair.'
'I don't care if it isn't,' I snapped at him. 'You're grounded. Is that clear?'
'Yes,' Pony said sullenly. He flopped back on the bed. I stormed out of his room and down the hall to mine, ignoring the fact that Soda and Two-Bit were looking shocked in the kitchen as I passed. Once in my room, I couldn't sit still, but instead I paced around the small room in circles. Why had I yelled at Ponyboy like that? He just forgot, that's all. But another part of my mind knew that Ponyboy had to start being more responsible. We were still under close watch from Social Services, who was just waiting for one of my brothers to get in trouble so they could be put in a home. And I'd be damned if I was going to let that happen. My brothers were all I had left now, and I wasn't going to lose them. Not if I could help it.
A/N – I'm pretty sure that this chapter was even worse than the first two, but please review anyway!