Chapter 21 (thanks to everyone who has reviewed and please keep reviewing!)
"Who's going with him?" Blake's getting impatient with us. I can tell he just wants to get out of here.
Darry and Soda start right in, each deciding they should go. But I've been thinking about it, and I want Two-bit. Blake and Two-bit are obviously old friends. And besides, I don't intend to go at all. But Blake doesn't know that. Not yet, anyways.
"Two-bit, you go with me, will you?" Darry and Soda stop in mid fight and stare at me like I've completely lost my mind. But Two-bit nods. "Yeah, sure, I'll go. Where're we going?"
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It's real late, and we're all trying to sleep in Darry's truck. We can't go home because of the agency and they'd probably find us if we went to Steve or Two-bit's house, so we went to a lake in Arcadia and slept.
Suddenly, I feel Two-bit's strong hands on my shoulder, tugging. "Come on, Ponyboy, we got to get going, or else it'll be day before we ever get over there." I decide that now's a good time to tell him I can't and never intended on killing her.
"You don't actually think I can kill someone, especially Kayla, do you? Come on, Twobit! I just said I would so I wouldn't be killed!"
Two-bit sighs, his voice trails off as he explains, "We're goin', Pony, whether you like it or not. Blake isn't someone you mess with. If we don't do this, Blake'll come after all of us, and I'm not gettin' killed just 'cause you don't want to follow through." He starts searching through the stuff in the bag Blake gave us. "Where's the gun, huh, Pony?"
What? The gun? As in, the gun to kill Kayla with? That gun?
"Don't know." Is all I can manage. My mind is filled with wild ideas and I'm having trouble comprehending the situation at hand. I decide I'll just let Two-bit lead. I know Two-bit. He's easy-going and wouldn't hurt someone just for the heck of it. He'd hafta be real mad to kill someone. I'll have to trust him to get me through this.
BANG!!!
The gun firing scares the hell out of me and Two-bit, but when we turn to see who is there, Steve is smiling at us. "This what you're lookin' for?"
Two-bit laughs. "Yep, that's it. Now give it here, Stevie, me and Pony've got to get going. Got a lot to do and we need that gun to do it with."
"Where are you going, anyways? Blake ain't here, you can tell us now." The noise from the gun woke up Darry and Sodapop, and Soda's still mad at me for choosing Two-bit. "Brother to brother, Ponyboy, what're you going to be doin' and should I be worried or is it some little thing like holdin' up a gas-station or somethin'?
I grin at what Soda considers a "little thing." I'm not quite so sure holding up a gas station is a "little thing," But I am sure that killing someone is a REALLY BIG thing. I don't know what to say, I don't want them to worry, but I can't lie to Sodapop. Luckily Twobit comes to my rescue. He always knows just what to say. "No, it's no little thing. But it ain't nothin' we can't handle, right Pony? I swear, Darry, I won't let anything happen to Pony. He'll be fine; I'll put him before myself. You have my word, Pony'll be fine."
As if by magic, Darry calms down a whole lot. Even though Twobit was constantly making fun of things, there's one other quality that he had better than anyone else in the gang and that was his word. If he said he'd do it, he'd either do it or die trying. I envied Twobit and often wished I had his kind of self-assurance. He could do anything he set his mind to do. So when he said he'd make sure I was fine, Darry just assumed I'd be fine.
But there was little chance that I'd be fine in my mind. There was really no way to get out of this.
"We got to go, guys. Come on, Ponyboy, let's get out of here. We're late."
It's almost too dark to walk strait, but when we finally get to the main road, we realize how far we are from Kayla's house. At least an hour. "We'll hafta hitch a ride. Or, we have some cash here. We could find a bus, but I doubt they're running this late." I notice that Two-bit's voice doesn't sound as assured as it was when we left. He's already getting nervous.
"There's an old farmer's truck, Twobit, over there." I say, pointing to a dirty old red Ford. "We can probably hitch a ride with him."
Two-bit tries to flag it down, but with no luck. It's one-0'clock in the morning, and I'll bet we don't look like the best guys to be picking up. Especially since you can tell Twobit's got a gun in his pocket. "Here, Pony, You put the gun in your coat pocket. I doubt the bump will show since its way to big for you anyways, it being Darry's and all.
I'm hesitant to take it, remembering what it's supposed to be used for. Besides, I just don't like the feel of having a loaded gun in my pocket. But I take it anyways, because otherwise we'll never find a ride.
After attempting to flag down cars for around an hour, an old man finally gives us a lift. He drops us off at my house, because we obviously didn't want to be dropped off at Kayla's, than we walk the path to her house that I know so well.
I half expect to see her there, waiting for some new guy to take her out or just watching the stars. She's always liked to watch the stars. But, of course, she's not waiting or watching stars.
"Pony, is her mom or dad here at night?" Twobit's hands are shaking, and I'm not sure he'll be able to go through with this.
"Naw, her dad left a long time ago and her mom is always at a party or somethin'. We shouldn't have any problem with them."
What am I saying? What am I doing? I'm not going through with this, and yet, here I am, outside her door.
"Goddamnit, I can't get this lock to budge!" Twobit's getting really ticked at this point. I look at the big brown door I'd picked so many times before to help Kayla out of her many messes. "Pony, you try." Now here I am, opening the front door so two men can get in and harm her. One of those men is me.
I work with the lock for about a second before it breaks loose. Even with everything that's going on, I can't help but think that'll be my trademark someday. Twobit is a good pick-pocket, Steve's great at lifting hubcaps, Soda can get any girl in town, and I can pick locks good and fast.
"Where do you think she's at?" Twobit asks, bringing me back to what was going on.
"Oh, I don't know, Twobit. It's three in the morning, she's probably sleeping or else she's at one of Buck's parties." We didn't need to be whispering, though, cause suddenly we hear Kayla's soft voice. "Pony? Pony, baby, that you?" I look at her, standing there in her long robe with her hair down and her eyes all sleepy. It makes me feel about ten times better than I'd felt before, just seeing how peaceful she looks. Earlier today I couldn't remember why I'd ever fell in love with her. Now I can't figure out how I was supposed to NOT fall for her. "Yeah, honey, it's me and Twobit."
Twobit eyes me, and I can tell he's getting frustrated with me. His voice in a hurry, Twobit says, "Pony, if I hold her, will you do what we're supposed to? Will you stay on my side?"
Kayla looks at us confused. "Well, Twobit, I'm flattered and all that, but I'd much rather Pony hold me than you." She smiles a bit at her own joke.
"Are you gonna be on my side or hers, Ponyboy. You've got to tell me." Twobit's whole body is shaking by this point. He barely whispered his words.
I look from Kayla to Twobit and back again. "Me or her," Twobit says, "me or her."
Kayla walks over to me, gently laying her hand on my cheek. "You feelin' ok, Ponyboy? You look kinda pail."
In my mind are images of the past few days. I was crazy to think this was my fault! Kayla had convinced me, this was HER FAULT! I was getting taken away from Darry and Soda, I was trying to get over a major addiction, I was paying back a debt she owed the drug-dealers because of her! My punishment for listening was having to do this.
Hers came when I nodded at Twobit. "I'm on your side. Let's do this."
"Who's going with him?" Blake's getting impatient with us. I can tell he just wants to get out of here.
Darry and Soda start right in, each deciding they should go. But I've been thinking about it, and I want Two-bit. Blake and Two-bit are obviously old friends. And besides, I don't intend to go at all. But Blake doesn't know that. Not yet, anyways.
"Two-bit, you go with me, will you?" Darry and Soda stop in mid fight and stare at me like I've completely lost my mind. But Two-bit nods. "Yeah, sure, I'll go. Where're we going?"
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It's real late, and we're all trying to sleep in Darry's truck. We can't go home because of the agency and they'd probably find us if we went to Steve or Two-bit's house, so we went to a lake in Arcadia and slept.
Suddenly, I feel Two-bit's strong hands on my shoulder, tugging. "Come on, Ponyboy, we got to get going, or else it'll be day before we ever get over there." I decide that now's a good time to tell him I can't and never intended on killing her.
"You don't actually think I can kill someone, especially Kayla, do you? Come on, Twobit! I just said I would so I wouldn't be killed!"
Two-bit sighs, his voice trails off as he explains, "We're goin', Pony, whether you like it or not. Blake isn't someone you mess with. If we don't do this, Blake'll come after all of us, and I'm not gettin' killed just 'cause you don't want to follow through." He starts searching through the stuff in the bag Blake gave us. "Where's the gun, huh, Pony?"
What? The gun? As in, the gun to kill Kayla with? That gun?
"Don't know." Is all I can manage. My mind is filled with wild ideas and I'm having trouble comprehending the situation at hand. I decide I'll just let Two-bit lead. I know Two-bit. He's easy-going and wouldn't hurt someone just for the heck of it. He'd hafta be real mad to kill someone. I'll have to trust him to get me through this.
BANG!!!
The gun firing scares the hell out of me and Two-bit, but when we turn to see who is there, Steve is smiling at us. "This what you're lookin' for?"
Two-bit laughs. "Yep, that's it. Now give it here, Stevie, me and Pony've got to get going. Got a lot to do and we need that gun to do it with."
"Where are you going, anyways? Blake ain't here, you can tell us now." The noise from the gun woke up Darry and Sodapop, and Soda's still mad at me for choosing Two-bit. "Brother to brother, Ponyboy, what're you going to be doin' and should I be worried or is it some little thing like holdin' up a gas-station or somethin'?
I grin at what Soda considers a "little thing." I'm not quite so sure holding up a gas station is a "little thing," But I am sure that killing someone is a REALLY BIG thing. I don't know what to say, I don't want them to worry, but I can't lie to Sodapop. Luckily Twobit comes to my rescue. He always knows just what to say. "No, it's no little thing. But it ain't nothin' we can't handle, right Pony? I swear, Darry, I won't let anything happen to Pony. He'll be fine; I'll put him before myself. You have my word, Pony'll be fine."
As if by magic, Darry calms down a whole lot. Even though Twobit was constantly making fun of things, there's one other quality that he had better than anyone else in the gang and that was his word. If he said he'd do it, he'd either do it or die trying. I envied Twobit and often wished I had his kind of self-assurance. He could do anything he set his mind to do. So when he said he'd make sure I was fine, Darry just assumed I'd be fine.
But there was little chance that I'd be fine in my mind. There was really no way to get out of this.
"We got to go, guys. Come on, Ponyboy, let's get out of here. We're late."
It's almost too dark to walk strait, but when we finally get to the main road, we realize how far we are from Kayla's house. At least an hour. "We'll hafta hitch a ride. Or, we have some cash here. We could find a bus, but I doubt they're running this late." I notice that Two-bit's voice doesn't sound as assured as it was when we left. He's already getting nervous.
"There's an old farmer's truck, Twobit, over there." I say, pointing to a dirty old red Ford. "We can probably hitch a ride with him."
Two-bit tries to flag it down, but with no luck. It's one-0'clock in the morning, and I'll bet we don't look like the best guys to be picking up. Especially since you can tell Twobit's got a gun in his pocket. "Here, Pony, You put the gun in your coat pocket. I doubt the bump will show since its way to big for you anyways, it being Darry's and all.
I'm hesitant to take it, remembering what it's supposed to be used for. Besides, I just don't like the feel of having a loaded gun in my pocket. But I take it anyways, because otherwise we'll never find a ride.
After attempting to flag down cars for around an hour, an old man finally gives us a lift. He drops us off at my house, because we obviously didn't want to be dropped off at Kayla's, than we walk the path to her house that I know so well.
I half expect to see her there, waiting for some new guy to take her out or just watching the stars. She's always liked to watch the stars. But, of course, she's not waiting or watching stars.
"Pony, is her mom or dad here at night?" Twobit's hands are shaking, and I'm not sure he'll be able to go through with this.
"Naw, her dad left a long time ago and her mom is always at a party or somethin'. We shouldn't have any problem with them."
What am I saying? What am I doing? I'm not going through with this, and yet, here I am, outside her door.
"Goddamnit, I can't get this lock to budge!" Twobit's getting really ticked at this point. I look at the big brown door I'd picked so many times before to help Kayla out of her many messes. "Pony, you try." Now here I am, opening the front door so two men can get in and harm her. One of those men is me.
I work with the lock for about a second before it breaks loose. Even with everything that's going on, I can't help but think that'll be my trademark someday. Twobit is a good pick-pocket, Steve's great at lifting hubcaps, Soda can get any girl in town, and I can pick locks good and fast.
"Where do you think she's at?" Twobit asks, bringing me back to what was going on.
"Oh, I don't know, Twobit. It's three in the morning, she's probably sleeping or else she's at one of Buck's parties." We didn't need to be whispering, though, cause suddenly we hear Kayla's soft voice. "Pony? Pony, baby, that you?" I look at her, standing there in her long robe with her hair down and her eyes all sleepy. It makes me feel about ten times better than I'd felt before, just seeing how peaceful she looks. Earlier today I couldn't remember why I'd ever fell in love with her. Now I can't figure out how I was supposed to NOT fall for her. "Yeah, honey, it's me and Twobit."
Twobit eyes me, and I can tell he's getting frustrated with me. His voice in a hurry, Twobit says, "Pony, if I hold her, will you do what we're supposed to? Will you stay on my side?"
Kayla looks at us confused. "Well, Twobit, I'm flattered and all that, but I'd much rather Pony hold me than you." She smiles a bit at her own joke.
"Are you gonna be on my side or hers, Ponyboy. You've got to tell me." Twobit's whole body is shaking by this point. He barely whispered his words.
I look from Kayla to Twobit and back again. "Me or her," Twobit says, "me or her."
Kayla walks over to me, gently laying her hand on my cheek. "You feelin' ok, Ponyboy? You look kinda pail."
In my mind are images of the past few days. I was crazy to think this was my fault! Kayla had convinced me, this was HER FAULT! I was getting taken away from Darry and Soda, I was trying to get over a major addiction, I was paying back a debt she owed the drug-dealers because of her! My punishment for listening was having to do this.
Hers came when I nodded at Twobit. "I'm on your side. Let's do this."