We're Back Chapter 12
A/N: Millie Davies is the Social Services person.
P.S. Darry needs some action.
~
The candles were lit and the food on the table and the house was clean and they were dressed up and everything was perfect. And into this picture of perfection stepped Millie Davies.
When Darry saw her, his jaw dropped. This was not the same person as the frumpy Social Services lady he'd spoken to, and had been expecting. Through his door and in his kitchen stood a tall, slim, elegantly, but professionally dressed woman, who, Darry was just beginning to realise, was probably a big-time Soc.
Ms. Davies too was surprised. Okay, maybe she'd dressed up a little, and washed and combed her hair a little more carefully, and maybe she was wearing just the teeniest little bit more makeup, but what was laid before her looked more like a date than part of her job.
"Ms. um." Oh God no. He'd forgotten her name!
"Davies," she replied quickly. She wouldn't have remembered his name either, if it hadn't been written down in her work folder. "Millie Davies."
Darry was again taken by surprise. He'd thought it would actually be a struggle to find out her first name.
"Uh, this is my brother, So-" Darry froze in mid-sentence, as it suddenly occurred to him that maybe Social Services wouldn't approve of his brother's creative name. He looked to Ponyboy and found himself in a bigger fix.
"I'm Soda Curtis," Soda said quickly, and Darry's heart leapt to his throat. He looked quickly at Ms. Davies but she didn't seem to shocked.
"And I'm Ponyboy." Here, her eyebrows shot up, but she smiled and nodded politely anyway.
"Well, um." Darry tired mind struggled to find something intelligent to say. Ms. Davies was looking around the kitchen, a scrutinising look on her pretty face.
"You have a lovely kitchen," she said finally. "Very clean and orderly."
"Thank you," Darry replied, relieved.
"Well, why don't we sit down? The food's not going to eat itself." Sodapop flashed his most charming smile at Millie Davies.
They ate slowly, in silence.
Darry barely noticed what he was eating, too distracted by Sodapop's chomping. He'd never much minded Soda's lack of manners, and neither did anyone else, girls included. Soda could be piss drunk and wearing his underwear on his head and he'd still have the girls giggling and flirting. But would his charm really work on a Social worker?
Ponyboy was minding his manners, but he had the most vacant expression possible on his face. He was absent-mindedly making pictures in his plate of food. Really, he was surprised at the appearance of the Social worker. It had never really registered until today that it was a LADY. Now that he'd seen her, he was wondering if maybe Darry's frantic cleaning was spurred on by something besides saving him from a boys' home.
Millie glanced through her eyelashes at the two boys. Sodapop looked old enough to be able to take care of himself, but Ponyboy she had to be concerned about. Raising her eyes she cleared her throat.
"So, how old are you boys?" she asked casually. She knew this, of course, it was in her folder, but she figured she'd start out small and then ask what she really needed to know.
"Seventeen," Soda said through a mouthful of chicken.
"Fourteen. Darry's 20 by the way," Ponyboy added, smirking slightly at Darry.
"Mmhmm, and what grades are you in?" Millie propped her chin up on her hand and leaned forward, trying to look interested. She herself was only 20, not too far out of school that she forgot grades you were in at 17 and 14.
Soda swallowed nervously, looking over at Darry. Darry gave him a desperate look.
"I'm in the 10th grade." Ponyboy saves the day!
Millie raised her eyebrows. "You're a sophomore? At 14?"
Ponyboy nodded. "They put me up a year-"
"Because he's so darned smart," Soda said proudly.
Ponyboy's cheeks reddened and he looked down at his plate.
Millie glanced at Darry. He was sitting up in his seat, fork held in one hand, smiling in a relieved sort of way at Sodapop. Her brow furrowed. Was he trying to hide something?
"And what grade are you in - is it Soda?"
"Yeah, actually it's Sodapop. My Dad was really into original names, like you can probably tell with Ponyboy," Soda laughed nervously. "Now that's an original name. But everyone always calls me Soda. It's easier I guess. Well, that or Pepsi-Cola but only some people call me that and it's not really a name I like all the time and Soda's better, well, I mean, it's shorter and all my friend's call me that, so you can call me Soda."
Millie almost laughed. They were so tense!
"Okay then Soda."
Darry breathed once more. He'd been clenching the fork so tightly that he'd left a mark in his hand, he was so terrified she'd find out that Sodapop was a dropout. He grinned crazily at Millie and she smiled back at him, smoothing his fears.
"So, where do you work Mr. Curtis?"
"It's Darry," Ponyboy chimed.
"Um," Darry said, glaring at Ponyboy. "I work roofing houses-"
"Oh!" Millie cried suddenly. "That's perfect! The roof on my roommate's and my place always leaks when it rains. Could you give me the name of your company?"
Darry shook his head. "Oh, don't. They'll make you wait forever to come and fix your roof. And there's a storm coming up pretty soon. You're safer to buy and book and get someone you know to fix your roof."
"Or Darry could do it. He's really good at roofing houses. You know, because he's got so many muscles. He used to play football and he works out so he's really strong."
Three pairs of eyes stared at Ponyboy, three mouths silent and agape. He gave them an innocent look and went back to eating chicken.
"I wouldn't want to impose," Millie said slowly.
"Oh no. It's no trouble," Darry replied quickly. "I'm not too busy this week if you wanted me to go over.?"
"That would be great."
After dinner, Sodapop offered himself and Ponyboy to do the dishes, so Darry could give her the grand tour.
Ponyboy watched Darry leave through narrowed eyes, before Soda slid up beside him and pinched him viciously.
"Ow! What the-"
"I know what you're trying to do," Soda said in a low voice.
Ponyboy stiffened. "I dunno what you're talking about," he mumbled.
"Don't give me bull. You're trying to set them up!"
Ponyboy cringed.
Soda gave him a reproving look. "Listen. You have to make it less obvious, or else they'll catch on and it'll never happen. Getting them together was a good move, but the muscles thing was overdoing it."
Ponyboy stared. "You mean you agree?"
Soda nodded sagely. "Darry never goes out. Never dates. Never has any fun. No brother of mine is gonna spend his life a virgin."
~
"And this is the boys' room." Millie stepped into the cramped space. She smiled at the drawings and the posters of Elvis. Just like any boy's room.
"Only one bed?"
"They share," Darry said lightly. "They're too CLOSE to SEPARATE."
Millie rolled her eyes. "I may as well tell you, Mr. Curtis-"
"Darry."
"I may as well tell you, Darry, that I have no intention of splitting the three of you up. You appear to be a loving family, and you're not lacking too much in resources. Everything seems fine. Unless you're concealing something?"
Darry shook his head. "No, nothing. We're everything you see here. There's nothing weird about us at all-"
"What's this?"
Millie's soft tone made Darry stop short. She was looking intently at a piece of paper on Ponyboy's desk.
"'Hood turned Hero'?" She looked up shocked. "That was YOUR Ponyboy?"
"Uh."
"Oh, I knew I'd heard that name somewhere! This is unbelievable! You've raised a hero!" Millie beamed at him. Then she went quiet. "Uh, I mean, from what I can see you've done a spectacular job of raising these boys. Sodapop is an absolute sweetheart, and Ponyboy - well you can tell he had a good upbringing."
Darry was speechless.
Millie looked down. "Well, I should be going. I guess.I'll call you for about the roofing."
Darry nodded. "O-okay. Sure. See ya."
"See ya," she echoed, slowly brushed by him, and left.
A/N: Millie Davies is the Social Services person.
P.S. Darry needs some action.
~
The candles were lit and the food on the table and the house was clean and they were dressed up and everything was perfect. And into this picture of perfection stepped Millie Davies.
When Darry saw her, his jaw dropped. This was not the same person as the frumpy Social Services lady he'd spoken to, and had been expecting. Through his door and in his kitchen stood a tall, slim, elegantly, but professionally dressed woman, who, Darry was just beginning to realise, was probably a big-time Soc.
Ms. Davies too was surprised. Okay, maybe she'd dressed up a little, and washed and combed her hair a little more carefully, and maybe she was wearing just the teeniest little bit more makeup, but what was laid before her looked more like a date than part of her job.
"Ms. um." Oh God no. He'd forgotten her name!
"Davies," she replied quickly. She wouldn't have remembered his name either, if it hadn't been written down in her work folder. "Millie Davies."
Darry was again taken by surprise. He'd thought it would actually be a struggle to find out her first name.
"Uh, this is my brother, So-" Darry froze in mid-sentence, as it suddenly occurred to him that maybe Social Services wouldn't approve of his brother's creative name. He looked to Ponyboy and found himself in a bigger fix.
"I'm Soda Curtis," Soda said quickly, and Darry's heart leapt to his throat. He looked quickly at Ms. Davies but she didn't seem to shocked.
"And I'm Ponyboy." Here, her eyebrows shot up, but she smiled and nodded politely anyway.
"Well, um." Darry tired mind struggled to find something intelligent to say. Ms. Davies was looking around the kitchen, a scrutinising look on her pretty face.
"You have a lovely kitchen," she said finally. "Very clean and orderly."
"Thank you," Darry replied, relieved.
"Well, why don't we sit down? The food's not going to eat itself." Sodapop flashed his most charming smile at Millie Davies.
They ate slowly, in silence.
Darry barely noticed what he was eating, too distracted by Sodapop's chomping. He'd never much minded Soda's lack of manners, and neither did anyone else, girls included. Soda could be piss drunk and wearing his underwear on his head and he'd still have the girls giggling and flirting. But would his charm really work on a Social worker?
Ponyboy was minding his manners, but he had the most vacant expression possible on his face. He was absent-mindedly making pictures in his plate of food. Really, he was surprised at the appearance of the Social worker. It had never really registered until today that it was a LADY. Now that he'd seen her, he was wondering if maybe Darry's frantic cleaning was spurred on by something besides saving him from a boys' home.
Millie glanced through her eyelashes at the two boys. Sodapop looked old enough to be able to take care of himself, but Ponyboy she had to be concerned about. Raising her eyes she cleared her throat.
"So, how old are you boys?" she asked casually. She knew this, of course, it was in her folder, but she figured she'd start out small and then ask what she really needed to know.
"Seventeen," Soda said through a mouthful of chicken.
"Fourteen. Darry's 20 by the way," Ponyboy added, smirking slightly at Darry.
"Mmhmm, and what grades are you in?" Millie propped her chin up on her hand and leaned forward, trying to look interested. She herself was only 20, not too far out of school that she forgot grades you were in at 17 and 14.
Soda swallowed nervously, looking over at Darry. Darry gave him a desperate look.
"I'm in the 10th grade." Ponyboy saves the day!
Millie raised her eyebrows. "You're a sophomore? At 14?"
Ponyboy nodded. "They put me up a year-"
"Because he's so darned smart," Soda said proudly.
Ponyboy's cheeks reddened and he looked down at his plate.
Millie glanced at Darry. He was sitting up in his seat, fork held in one hand, smiling in a relieved sort of way at Sodapop. Her brow furrowed. Was he trying to hide something?
"And what grade are you in - is it Soda?"
"Yeah, actually it's Sodapop. My Dad was really into original names, like you can probably tell with Ponyboy," Soda laughed nervously. "Now that's an original name. But everyone always calls me Soda. It's easier I guess. Well, that or Pepsi-Cola but only some people call me that and it's not really a name I like all the time and Soda's better, well, I mean, it's shorter and all my friend's call me that, so you can call me Soda."
Millie almost laughed. They were so tense!
"Okay then Soda."
Darry breathed once more. He'd been clenching the fork so tightly that he'd left a mark in his hand, he was so terrified she'd find out that Sodapop was a dropout. He grinned crazily at Millie and she smiled back at him, smoothing his fears.
"So, where do you work Mr. Curtis?"
"It's Darry," Ponyboy chimed.
"Um," Darry said, glaring at Ponyboy. "I work roofing houses-"
"Oh!" Millie cried suddenly. "That's perfect! The roof on my roommate's and my place always leaks when it rains. Could you give me the name of your company?"
Darry shook his head. "Oh, don't. They'll make you wait forever to come and fix your roof. And there's a storm coming up pretty soon. You're safer to buy and book and get someone you know to fix your roof."
"Or Darry could do it. He's really good at roofing houses. You know, because he's got so many muscles. He used to play football and he works out so he's really strong."
Three pairs of eyes stared at Ponyboy, three mouths silent and agape. He gave them an innocent look and went back to eating chicken.
"I wouldn't want to impose," Millie said slowly.
"Oh no. It's no trouble," Darry replied quickly. "I'm not too busy this week if you wanted me to go over.?"
"That would be great."
After dinner, Sodapop offered himself and Ponyboy to do the dishes, so Darry could give her the grand tour.
Ponyboy watched Darry leave through narrowed eyes, before Soda slid up beside him and pinched him viciously.
"Ow! What the-"
"I know what you're trying to do," Soda said in a low voice.
Ponyboy stiffened. "I dunno what you're talking about," he mumbled.
"Don't give me bull. You're trying to set them up!"
Ponyboy cringed.
Soda gave him a reproving look. "Listen. You have to make it less obvious, or else they'll catch on and it'll never happen. Getting them together was a good move, but the muscles thing was overdoing it."
Ponyboy stared. "You mean you agree?"
Soda nodded sagely. "Darry never goes out. Never dates. Never has any fun. No brother of mine is gonna spend his life a virgin."
~
"And this is the boys' room." Millie stepped into the cramped space. She smiled at the drawings and the posters of Elvis. Just like any boy's room.
"Only one bed?"
"They share," Darry said lightly. "They're too CLOSE to SEPARATE."
Millie rolled her eyes. "I may as well tell you, Mr. Curtis-"
"Darry."
"I may as well tell you, Darry, that I have no intention of splitting the three of you up. You appear to be a loving family, and you're not lacking too much in resources. Everything seems fine. Unless you're concealing something?"
Darry shook his head. "No, nothing. We're everything you see here. There's nothing weird about us at all-"
"What's this?"
Millie's soft tone made Darry stop short. She was looking intently at a piece of paper on Ponyboy's desk.
"'Hood turned Hero'?" She looked up shocked. "That was YOUR Ponyboy?"
"Uh."
"Oh, I knew I'd heard that name somewhere! This is unbelievable! You've raised a hero!" Millie beamed at him. Then she went quiet. "Uh, I mean, from what I can see you've done a spectacular job of raising these boys. Sodapop is an absolute sweetheart, and Ponyboy - well you can tell he had a good upbringing."
Darry was speechless.
Millie looked down. "Well, I should be going. I guess.I'll call you for about the roofing."
Darry nodded. "O-okay. Sure. See ya."
"See ya," she echoed, slowly brushed by him, and left.