Two-Bit
By nine the next morning I was awake, and everyone else was asleep. I sat next to the bed, watching Pony. Golly, he looked little, both in size and age. I never really looked at him in that way. Ya know, he's always just been there, and always been okay. . . even with the rumble and Johnny and Dally, though he changed, in a big way, he was still Ponyboy.
I noticed he was fidgeting a lot, tossing from one side of the bed to the other, as if he was dreaming. I remember the dreams Soda told me about, how he used to wake up screaming and stuff. I sure hope he doesn't do that. I'm not good a comforting no one, especially anyone panicky or scared. I could handle worried. . .
I watched him like a hawk as his greenish eyes slowly opened. He blinked, his eyebrows dipping in as he searched the room with his eyes. Slowly he sat up. I grabbed his shoulders, keeping him down before he hurt himself.
"Stay still, Pony." I whispered so I wouldn't wake the others.
"Two-bit?" He asked, his voice squeaky.
"Yeah." I nodded. "It's me." He looked around the room again, then back at me.
"Where am I?" He asked, puzzled. I inhaled. He was waiting for an answer. "What happened? Everything's so. . . . . fuzzy." He yawned, resting his head back on the pillow.
"Don't worry about it." I said. "Go back to sleep, buddy." I squeezed his shoulder. His eyebrows were still dipped in, confusion on his face.
He curled up on his side, facing me. I couldn't tell if he was scared or anything, but he looked anxious. I comfortingly pulled the covers over his shoulders, patting his arm again. Slowly his eyes closed.
I was relieved. He was going to make it. I was very confident now. I mean, he woke up, and was talking normal, and was a little confused but after that you know any kid would be. He was going to be okay.
Wasn't he?
He opened his eyes again, looking at me.
"Two-bit?"
"Yeah?" I said, sounding nonchalant.
"Is Darry mad at me?"
"No."
"Is Soda?"
"Definitely no."
"Steve?"
"Not that I know of."
"You?"
"Nopes."
He paused, looking at the metal post of the bed.
"Is social services gonna step in?"
"Not that I know of." I actually knew they'd do something, most likely, but I didn't want to worry him.
"Oh." He bit his lip, biting his finger nail. "I'm going back to sleep now." He looked at me. "I'm awful tired." I nodded, and watched as he fell back asleep.
By nine the next morning I was awake, and everyone else was asleep. I sat next to the bed, watching Pony. Golly, he looked little, both in size and age. I never really looked at him in that way. Ya know, he's always just been there, and always been okay. . . even with the rumble and Johnny and Dally, though he changed, in a big way, he was still Ponyboy.
I noticed he was fidgeting a lot, tossing from one side of the bed to the other, as if he was dreaming. I remember the dreams Soda told me about, how he used to wake up screaming and stuff. I sure hope he doesn't do that. I'm not good a comforting no one, especially anyone panicky or scared. I could handle worried. . .
I watched him like a hawk as his greenish eyes slowly opened. He blinked, his eyebrows dipping in as he searched the room with his eyes. Slowly he sat up. I grabbed his shoulders, keeping him down before he hurt himself.
"Stay still, Pony." I whispered so I wouldn't wake the others.
"Two-bit?" He asked, his voice squeaky.
"Yeah." I nodded. "It's me." He looked around the room again, then back at me.
"Where am I?" He asked, puzzled. I inhaled. He was waiting for an answer. "What happened? Everything's so. . . . . fuzzy." He yawned, resting his head back on the pillow.
"Don't worry about it." I said. "Go back to sleep, buddy." I squeezed his shoulder. His eyebrows were still dipped in, confusion on his face.
He curled up on his side, facing me. I couldn't tell if he was scared or anything, but he looked anxious. I comfortingly pulled the covers over his shoulders, patting his arm again. Slowly his eyes closed.
I was relieved. He was going to make it. I was very confident now. I mean, he woke up, and was talking normal, and was a little confused but after that you know any kid would be. He was going to be okay.
Wasn't he?
He opened his eyes again, looking at me.
"Two-bit?"
"Yeah?" I said, sounding nonchalant.
"Is Darry mad at me?"
"No."
"Is Soda?"
"Definitely no."
"Steve?"
"Not that I know of."
"You?"
"Nopes."
He paused, looking at the metal post of the bed.
"Is social services gonna step in?"
"Not that I know of." I actually knew they'd do something, most likely, but I didn't want to worry him.
"Oh." He bit his lip, biting his finger nail. "I'm going back to sleep now." He looked at me. "I'm awful tired." I nodded, and watched as he fell back asleep.