(Steve)
"Any word?" I called to Two-Bit, who had a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other. "Nope. Don't reckon they'd call their own house, would they?"
"What are ya doin' hangin' around their front porch anyway?" I asked, dropping down beside him. Two-Bit shrugged.
"Wanna weed?"
"Yeah. I lost my pack." I had a feeling that Soda had swiped them, but I let it go because I knew how nervous he was about the doctor's. Two-Bit and I smoked in silence for a moment. "You drunk?" I finally asked him.
"Not yet."
Glory, he's nervous too, I realized, feeling out of it. I was hopeful; I certainly didn't want this going on any longer. But I felt oddly detached. I mean, the kid wasn't going to die. It was that simple. If the chemo hadn't worked they'd just try something else. I worried more about the state snooping around and taking Soda and Pony away than I was about Pony getting better.
"Wanna go see a flick?" Two-Bit asked, leaping up from the steps.
"Not really."
"Neither do I, but shoot, I ain't gonna sit here all night worryin'."
He had a point. I ground out my cigarette butt and trailed along after him. We were silent until we were well passed Johnny's old house---his parents had split up after he died---and were on our way toward town.
"I'm gettin' a raise," Two-Bit finally said.
"You?" I laughed.
"Yup. Told my boss why I started working. Guess this is his contribution."
I glanced at him, then lit another cigarette from the pack he held out. "Curtis' are broke, ain't they?"
Two-Bit took a long drink from his beer can before answering. "Oh yeah. Darry hasn't told Pony though, so don't you either."
"I won't. Does the state know?"
"Yeah."
We walked silently again. It was weird having three friends who were all related. Scary. Because with one of them so sick we were losing all three.
"Wish we had more friends," Two-Bit spoke my own thoughts, laughing at himself. "I sound like a Godamned girl."
I grinned at him, but I suddenly missed Dallas and Johnny. It'd been awhile since I thought about them. I'd been too wrapped up in the cancer thing.
"Wanna go to Buck's and get drunk?" Two-Bit asked.
"Yup," I answered, so we turned and cut toward the lot and back toward the jockey's house.
"Any word?" I called to Two-Bit, who had a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other. "Nope. Don't reckon they'd call their own house, would they?"
"What are ya doin' hangin' around their front porch anyway?" I asked, dropping down beside him. Two-Bit shrugged.
"Wanna weed?"
"Yeah. I lost my pack." I had a feeling that Soda had swiped them, but I let it go because I knew how nervous he was about the doctor's. Two-Bit and I smoked in silence for a moment. "You drunk?" I finally asked him.
"Not yet."
Glory, he's nervous too, I realized, feeling out of it. I was hopeful; I certainly didn't want this going on any longer. But I felt oddly detached. I mean, the kid wasn't going to die. It was that simple. If the chemo hadn't worked they'd just try something else. I worried more about the state snooping around and taking Soda and Pony away than I was about Pony getting better.
"Wanna go see a flick?" Two-Bit asked, leaping up from the steps.
"Not really."
"Neither do I, but shoot, I ain't gonna sit here all night worryin'."
He had a point. I ground out my cigarette butt and trailed along after him. We were silent until we were well passed Johnny's old house---his parents had split up after he died---and were on our way toward town.
"I'm gettin' a raise," Two-Bit finally said.
"You?" I laughed.
"Yup. Told my boss why I started working. Guess this is his contribution."
I glanced at him, then lit another cigarette from the pack he held out. "Curtis' are broke, ain't they?"
Two-Bit took a long drink from his beer can before answering. "Oh yeah. Darry hasn't told Pony though, so don't you either."
"I won't. Does the state know?"
"Yeah."
We walked silently again. It was weird having three friends who were all related. Scary. Because with one of them so sick we were losing all three.
"Wish we had more friends," Two-Bit spoke my own thoughts, laughing at himself. "I sound like a Godamned girl."
I grinned at him, but I suddenly missed Dallas and Johnny. It'd been awhile since I thought about them. I'd been too wrapped up in the cancer thing.
"Wanna go to Buck's and get drunk?" Two-Bit asked.
"Yup," I answered, so we turned and cut toward the lot and back toward the jockey's house.