THREE:
When Mr. Gibbons arrived the next night we were sitting around watching television after having eaten in silence. Darry had spent the day working out things with work, finishing things he needed to get done, and when he came home that afternoon he was officially unemployed. For my part I'd been thinking about some of the things I needed with school beginning in a few days, but I knew now they'd have to wait-I couldn't ask Darry at the moment. Soda was the one who answered the door and let the man in.
"How are we all this evening?" Mr. Gibbons asked, as he sat down.
Soda forced a smile. "We're fine thanks sir, and yourself?"
Mr. Gibbons shrugged. "I can't complain. Are you all ready for school starting next week Ponyboy?"
I nodded. "Sure, I've read what I had to read, and I'm all ready."
Darry looked up, and looked at me. A flickering worry crossed his face- obviously it was only now that he had even thought about what I'd need for school.
"And how about you Darryl?" Mr. Gibbons asked.
"I'm fine thanks." Darry said.
"Working hard as usual? I remember at the hearing your boss sent in an affidavit testifying to how much you worked and how invaluable you were." Mr. Gibbons said.
Darry managed to smile. "Yeah, well that's the way it has to be. And I don't mind hard work." He said.
Mr. Gibbons smiled too, and now he relaxed slightly and looked around the room. "You keep the house fairly neat for three males!"
"Yeah, we all play our bit." Soda said.
"That's good. Good." Mr. Gibbons said.
We sat in silence for a few minutes and then Mr. Gibbons coughed. "I can tell you boys aren't too happy about me being here, and I have to say if I was in your position I'd feel the same way. But you've got to understand our-the government's position-as well." Here he looked at Darry, as if he were appealing to Darry's better judgment than Soda's and mine.
Darry nodded. "Sure we understand just fine." He said.
Mr. Gibbons smiled. "Good, good. Well it looks like there is nothing else for me to see here. I'm glad you're all getting along well-" He said standing up.
It was then that Two-Bit burst in. "Hey Darry, I just heard about your boss. Bad luck hey?"
Mr. Gibbons raised an eyebrow. "Your boss?" He asked.
"Oh, he's just had a little accident. He's in hospital." Darry said, whilst I glared at Two-Bit from behind Mr. Gibbon's back.
"Little accident?" Two-Bit looked confused. "I thought-"
"-Hey Two-Bit, wanna come and help me get some ice-creams for desert? That alright Darry if we take the car?" Soda interrupted.
"Sure, sure." Darry said, whilst Soda herded a flustered Two-Bit out of the front door.
Mr. Gibbons looked at us thoughtfully. "Are you sure there's not something you're forgetting to mention Mr. Curtis?" He asked Darry formally.
"Forgetting?" Darry asked, looking puzzled. "No, sir I don't think there is!"
"Hmm." Mr. Gibbons didn't seem one hundred percent convinced. "Well I'll be keeping an eye on you. Goodnight Ponyboy, Goodnight Darryl, and say goodnight to Sodapop when he returns."
After Mr. Gibbons left Darry swore. "I should give Two-Bit a whooping!" He said angrily.
"Ah Darry it wasn't Two-Bit's fault. How the hell did he know who was here?" I asked, lighting a cigarette. Darry frowned at the smoke, but didn't tell me to put it out. I guess he's given up trying to get me to quit?
"I know Pony." Darry said. "I'm just worried that that man might really keep an eye on us. If he finds out I'm unemployed-"
"-But Darry you said you'd be able to get another job soon!" I argued.
"Sure I will Pony, but you never know when the man might come back." Darry said. "And another thing I remembered when he was speaking-what do you need for school?"
"Nothing much Darry. Don't worry about it." I said.
"What do you need Pony?" Darry asked, speaking slowly like he was speaking to a little kid or something.
"Just some notepads and pens. I don't need a sport uniform, cos I am not gonna do that anyway!" I admitted.
"Why not? Pony you have to do sport." Darry said.
"I don't like it. Glory, not everyone's good at that kinda' thing like you are Darry!" I argued.
Soda and Two-Bit returned then with the ice creams. Obviously Soda had filled Two-Bit in on the way to the shop and he was now apologizing profusely to Darry who was telling him it was fine!
"Always manage to put my foot in it." Two-Bit said cheerfully. "For that matter I usually manage to fit the rest of my leg in up to my knee!"
We laughed, and Two-Bit looked relieved he wasn't in the doghouse. As we ate our ice creams Darry said to me "Pony, tomorrow we go shopping for school things."
I made a face but didn't argue. I had learnt better than to argue with Darry; he always ended up getting his own way anyway!
*****
The next morning I trailed Darry around the mall while he bought me school supplies-including the hated sports uniform- wishing I was anywhere but there. And the fact that Darry was now out of work made me wish that even more. Could we really afford all this? When I asked Darry that he said, "We don't have any choice. You're the smart one in the family Pony. I'm hoping that you're going to go to college!"
'Glory, ' I thought. 'I haven't even thought about college.'
As we walked past a man selling raffle tickets I glanced at the prize. "Look Dar-you can win a trip for four to Europe. Sure would love to go to London." I said.
Darry smirked. "Pony, what are the chances of us winning something like that? At least a million to one I think."
The man overheard. "Not quite that large odds sir." He told Darry. "We're only selling about ten thousand tickets."
"Well ten thousand to one then Pony." Darry said, and he kept walking. I sighed, and started to follow him, and then stopped. Knowing Darry wouldn't be too happy I quickly gave the man the five dollars and started to fill out the form.
"Damn it Pony, didn't you hear a word I said?" Darry snapped angrily.
"I've just got this feeling Darry." I said, handing the form back to the man.
"It's drawn in a week or so. If you win you'll get notified by phone." The man said.
Darry snorted. "If you win." He muttered. "I bet nobody even wins these things and they're just for making quick cash!"
"Darry don't be so cynical." I told him.
He glared at me, and we walked off silently. In the car on the way home I got a lecture about wasting my money, and how we couldn't afford to waste money, but I didn't listen. If we didn't win fine, but if we did! I couldn't help but have a little daydream of us in London near Buckingham Palace.
"Stop thinking about it Pony, it ain't gonna happen!" Darry said, glancing at me.
When we got home there was a message on the answering machine for Darry. It was a friend of his bosses who wanted to see him about giving him a job. Apparently Darry's boss had recommended him. Darry left to go and speak to him, and I turned on the television. I knew Darry was right about the trip, but if we didn't have hope in our lives, what did we have?
[A/N Okay, so clearly they're going to win the prize, but I'm torn between whether they take it (Imagine the Curtis' in London!), or whether they sell it back and keep the money..In the meantime I'll write the next chapter I've got going, and see whether or not I can decide.]
When Mr. Gibbons arrived the next night we were sitting around watching television after having eaten in silence. Darry had spent the day working out things with work, finishing things he needed to get done, and when he came home that afternoon he was officially unemployed. For my part I'd been thinking about some of the things I needed with school beginning in a few days, but I knew now they'd have to wait-I couldn't ask Darry at the moment. Soda was the one who answered the door and let the man in.
"How are we all this evening?" Mr. Gibbons asked, as he sat down.
Soda forced a smile. "We're fine thanks sir, and yourself?"
Mr. Gibbons shrugged. "I can't complain. Are you all ready for school starting next week Ponyboy?"
I nodded. "Sure, I've read what I had to read, and I'm all ready."
Darry looked up, and looked at me. A flickering worry crossed his face- obviously it was only now that he had even thought about what I'd need for school.
"And how about you Darryl?" Mr. Gibbons asked.
"I'm fine thanks." Darry said.
"Working hard as usual? I remember at the hearing your boss sent in an affidavit testifying to how much you worked and how invaluable you were." Mr. Gibbons said.
Darry managed to smile. "Yeah, well that's the way it has to be. And I don't mind hard work." He said.
Mr. Gibbons smiled too, and now he relaxed slightly and looked around the room. "You keep the house fairly neat for three males!"
"Yeah, we all play our bit." Soda said.
"That's good. Good." Mr. Gibbons said.
We sat in silence for a few minutes and then Mr. Gibbons coughed. "I can tell you boys aren't too happy about me being here, and I have to say if I was in your position I'd feel the same way. But you've got to understand our-the government's position-as well." Here he looked at Darry, as if he were appealing to Darry's better judgment than Soda's and mine.
Darry nodded. "Sure we understand just fine." He said.
Mr. Gibbons smiled. "Good, good. Well it looks like there is nothing else for me to see here. I'm glad you're all getting along well-" He said standing up.
It was then that Two-Bit burst in. "Hey Darry, I just heard about your boss. Bad luck hey?"
Mr. Gibbons raised an eyebrow. "Your boss?" He asked.
"Oh, he's just had a little accident. He's in hospital." Darry said, whilst I glared at Two-Bit from behind Mr. Gibbon's back.
"Little accident?" Two-Bit looked confused. "I thought-"
"-Hey Two-Bit, wanna come and help me get some ice-creams for desert? That alright Darry if we take the car?" Soda interrupted.
"Sure, sure." Darry said, whilst Soda herded a flustered Two-Bit out of the front door.
Mr. Gibbons looked at us thoughtfully. "Are you sure there's not something you're forgetting to mention Mr. Curtis?" He asked Darry formally.
"Forgetting?" Darry asked, looking puzzled. "No, sir I don't think there is!"
"Hmm." Mr. Gibbons didn't seem one hundred percent convinced. "Well I'll be keeping an eye on you. Goodnight Ponyboy, Goodnight Darryl, and say goodnight to Sodapop when he returns."
After Mr. Gibbons left Darry swore. "I should give Two-Bit a whooping!" He said angrily.
"Ah Darry it wasn't Two-Bit's fault. How the hell did he know who was here?" I asked, lighting a cigarette. Darry frowned at the smoke, but didn't tell me to put it out. I guess he's given up trying to get me to quit?
"I know Pony." Darry said. "I'm just worried that that man might really keep an eye on us. If he finds out I'm unemployed-"
"-But Darry you said you'd be able to get another job soon!" I argued.
"Sure I will Pony, but you never know when the man might come back." Darry said. "And another thing I remembered when he was speaking-what do you need for school?"
"Nothing much Darry. Don't worry about it." I said.
"What do you need Pony?" Darry asked, speaking slowly like he was speaking to a little kid or something.
"Just some notepads and pens. I don't need a sport uniform, cos I am not gonna do that anyway!" I admitted.
"Why not? Pony you have to do sport." Darry said.
"I don't like it. Glory, not everyone's good at that kinda' thing like you are Darry!" I argued.
Soda and Two-Bit returned then with the ice creams. Obviously Soda had filled Two-Bit in on the way to the shop and he was now apologizing profusely to Darry who was telling him it was fine!
"Always manage to put my foot in it." Two-Bit said cheerfully. "For that matter I usually manage to fit the rest of my leg in up to my knee!"
We laughed, and Two-Bit looked relieved he wasn't in the doghouse. As we ate our ice creams Darry said to me "Pony, tomorrow we go shopping for school things."
I made a face but didn't argue. I had learnt better than to argue with Darry; he always ended up getting his own way anyway!
*****
The next morning I trailed Darry around the mall while he bought me school supplies-including the hated sports uniform- wishing I was anywhere but there. And the fact that Darry was now out of work made me wish that even more. Could we really afford all this? When I asked Darry that he said, "We don't have any choice. You're the smart one in the family Pony. I'm hoping that you're going to go to college!"
'Glory, ' I thought. 'I haven't even thought about college.'
As we walked past a man selling raffle tickets I glanced at the prize. "Look Dar-you can win a trip for four to Europe. Sure would love to go to London." I said.
Darry smirked. "Pony, what are the chances of us winning something like that? At least a million to one I think."
The man overheard. "Not quite that large odds sir." He told Darry. "We're only selling about ten thousand tickets."
"Well ten thousand to one then Pony." Darry said, and he kept walking. I sighed, and started to follow him, and then stopped. Knowing Darry wouldn't be too happy I quickly gave the man the five dollars and started to fill out the form.
"Damn it Pony, didn't you hear a word I said?" Darry snapped angrily.
"I've just got this feeling Darry." I said, handing the form back to the man.
"It's drawn in a week or so. If you win you'll get notified by phone." The man said.
Darry snorted. "If you win." He muttered. "I bet nobody even wins these things and they're just for making quick cash!"
"Darry don't be so cynical." I told him.
He glared at me, and we walked off silently. In the car on the way home I got a lecture about wasting my money, and how we couldn't afford to waste money, but I didn't listen. If we didn't win fine, but if we did! I couldn't help but have a little daydream of us in London near Buckingham Palace.
"Stop thinking about it Pony, it ain't gonna happen!" Darry said, glancing at me.
When we got home there was a message on the answering machine for Darry. It was a friend of his bosses who wanted to see him about giving him a job. Apparently Darry's boss had recommended him. Darry left to go and speak to him, and I turned on the television. I knew Darry was right about the trip, but if we didn't have hope in our lives, what did we have?
[A/N Okay, so clearly they're going to win the prize, but I'm torn between whether they take it (Imagine the Curtis' in London!), or whether they sell it back and keep the money..In the meantime I'll write the next chapter I've got going, and see whether or not I can decide.]