NOTE: sniff, sob I got almost NO reviews for last chapter! Guys, you've all
made this so great, don't leave me now! I've worked really, really hard on
this story and still have lots planned. Please R/R!
(Two-Bit)
"Hangovers suck," I told Steve as I stalked into the Curtis house. I stopped dead when I saw how white he was, and that he had been chain- smoking; the ashtray on the coffee table was full, and none of the Curtis' smoked inside anymore. "Steve? What the hell's wrong?"
"It's Pony," he muttered. "Keep it down, they're all awake."
"What about Pony?"
Steve glared at me. "Do I havta draw you a picture? There were only two ways this thing could come out, and you know 'em."
My heart sank as I understood what he was saying. "Shit, you don't mean...."
"Hey Two-Bit," Pony pattered into the kitchen, wrapped in Soda's old robe. He managed a grin, but he looked terrible. Soda followed after him, mumbling something about not being able to find his new DX cap.
"Hey, kid," I said, surprised at the softness of my voice.
"You got a hangover too? There's aspirin."
"I'm good, thanks."
"Where's Darry?" Soda demanded, fumbling through his pockets.
"Taking a shower," Pony answered.
"Holler for me when he's out?" he called, stealing onto the front porch to smoke. Steve followed him silently, leaving Ponyboy and I alone in the kitchen. I stared at him, but he simply took his normal seat by the window near the door and stared at the floor.
"Steve told me," I finally said, hoping he'd look clueless and tell me otherwise. But the youngest Curtis just sighed.
"It ain't a secret."
It's true, I thought, something in my chest beginning to hurt. It's true. He's dying.
"How long do you have?" I blurted out.
"A month," his voice caught in his throat, and I shutup. He's scared, I realized, pain stabbing me again. He's real scared, and I bet Darry and Soda are too.
"Pon, you hungry?" Darry asked as he came into the kitchen, shaved and dressed.
"Nah."
"You oughta eat now that you can again."
"I ain't hungry right now."
"You leavin' him by himself?" I burst out.
"Yes," Pony said at the same time Darry said "no."
"Dar, I told you you have to go to work....."
"Pony, I told you you shouldn't be alone...."
"Didn't I ask y'all to holler for me?" Soda snapped, leaving Steve on the porch and coming back inside. "Darry, shouldn't I stay home today?"
"No," Pony said at the same time Darry said "yes." I would have laughed if it wasn't so serious.
"I can stay," I volunteered before Darry could argue with his youngest brother again. "I only got a few days left anyways, then school's out. Don't matter if I miss."
"No," Pony pleaded, "I'm really okay by myself."
"No you ain't, Pony, and I ain't gonna leave you here alone."
Pony looked awfully sad, more than usual. Guilt ridden. And that's when I remembered:
"I know someone you can call," I broke in.
(Two-Bit)
"Hangovers suck," I told Steve as I stalked into the Curtis house. I stopped dead when I saw how white he was, and that he had been chain- smoking; the ashtray on the coffee table was full, and none of the Curtis' smoked inside anymore. "Steve? What the hell's wrong?"
"It's Pony," he muttered. "Keep it down, they're all awake."
"What about Pony?"
Steve glared at me. "Do I havta draw you a picture? There were only two ways this thing could come out, and you know 'em."
My heart sank as I understood what he was saying. "Shit, you don't mean...."
"Hey Two-Bit," Pony pattered into the kitchen, wrapped in Soda's old robe. He managed a grin, but he looked terrible. Soda followed after him, mumbling something about not being able to find his new DX cap.
"Hey, kid," I said, surprised at the softness of my voice.
"You got a hangover too? There's aspirin."
"I'm good, thanks."
"Where's Darry?" Soda demanded, fumbling through his pockets.
"Taking a shower," Pony answered.
"Holler for me when he's out?" he called, stealing onto the front porch to smoke. Steve followed him silently, leaving Ponyboy and I alone in the kitchen. I stared at him, but he simply took his normal seat by the window near the door and stared at the floor.
"Steve told me," I finally said, hoping he'd look clueless and tell me otherwise. But the youngest Curtis just sighed.
"It ain't a secret."
It's true, I thought, something in my chest beginning to hurt. It's true. He's dying.
"How long do you have?" I blurted out.
"A month," his voice caught in his throat, and I shutup. He's scared, I realized, pain stabbing me again. He's real scared, and I bet Darry and Soda are too.
"Pon, you hungry?" Darry asked as he came into the kitchen, shaved and dressed.
"Nah."
"You oughta eat now that you can again."
"I ain't hungry right now."
"You leavin' him by himself?" I burst out.
"Yes," Pony said at the same time Darry said "no."
"Dar, I told you you have to go to work....."
"Pony, I told you you shouldn't be alone...."
"Didn't I ask y'all to holler for me?" Soda snapped, leaving Steve on the porch and coming back inside. "Darry, shouldn't I stay home today?"
"No," Pony said at the same time Darry said "yes." I would have laughed if it wasn't so serious.
"I can stay," I volunteered before Darry could argue with his youngest brother again. "I only got a few days left anyways, then school's out. Don't matter if I miss."
"No," Pony pleaded, "I'm really okay by myself."
"No you ain't, Pony, and I ain't gonna leave you here alone."
Pony looked awfully sad, more than usual. Guilt ridden. And that's when I remembered:
"I know someone you can call," I broke in.