SIX:
Despite the fact that it was actually Darry's news it was Soda who rang me with it later that day. After Mandy and I'd had breakfast and she'd gone to meet Brian to work on their assignment I'd decided to go to the library and put in some work on an assignment of my own. I managed to finish the essay I'd been struggling with and it was ready to be handed in on Monday. I was so impressed that I'd managed to get it done that I treated myself to some nachos for lunch and took them back to my dorm room to eat. I'd only just gotten back when the phone rang.
"Hey Pony, not interrupting anything am I?" Soda asked.
"If you count eating nachos and reading a book something." I replied with a laugh.
Soda snorted. "And here I was thinking college was for doing wild things like partying and drinking!" He said. "I must have been way off track."
"You forgot the studying." I reminded him.
"Yeah, how's it all going? Hard is it?" Soda asked.
"It can be, but it's not too bad yet. Give me a call in a few months when I'm really in the middle of things and I might be able to tell you differently." I replied. "So, what's with the phone call? Second one in a few days!" When I'd left for college Soda and Darry had told me they would only call me occasionally since they didn't want me to feel like some kind of baby whose older brothers were constantly checking up on him!
"Well it's actually about Darry." Soda explained.
I felt my heart skip a beat. I can't help that, after all the things I've been through in my life when I hear that there is news I automatically think it's bad news. This despite the fact that Soda was obviously in a good mood and therefore nothing too serious could have happened to Darry. But I didn't think logically. I never do when I'm afraid. "Is he all right?" I asked anxiously.
"Yeah he's fine." Soda replied and he was silent for a moment. I had the feeling he was struggling with something; like how to ask me why I always thought the worst? As if seeing Johnny kill the soc Bob when he and his friends jumped me wasn't enough, then there was the whole episode where we had to run away, and where Johnny had saved the lives of children ending his in the process. And follow that by seeing Dally die, and having Soda's heart broken again by Sandy. No bloody wonder I always thought the worst.
Apparently Soda thought better of this, and instead he went on with the news he'd rang me to give. "Darry's getting married Ponyboy." He said.
I nearly choked on my nacho. "Married? Darry?" I repeated.
"Yeah, I think perhaps young Jessica-that's her name- is in the family way and Darry is doing what he thinks is the right thing." Soda replied.
I noticed the way he said that; Darry doing what he THINKS is the right thing is what Soda said. "And what about you? What do you think?" I asked.
"I don't know." Soda said, but I knew he was lying. "I guess what's right for some people isn't always right for others. And Jessica seems a very nice person, and they're a few years older than we were..."
"Are they going to live there? In our house?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess perhaps I'd better start looking for somewhere new to live." Soda said thoughtfully.
"Why would you?" I demanded angrily. "Sodapop you've got as much right as Darry to stay there and more right than this Jessica girl for gods sake!"
"I know, I mean they've never said anything like that, but I'd just feel like I was in the way y'know?" Soda said.
"Have you spoken to Darry about it?" I asked. Personally I wouldn't have been able to speak to Darry about something like that, even though we sure as heck got on a lot better in the last few years. But Soda and Darry had always been closer.
"I'm not really sure how to." Soda admitted. "Anyway I better get off the phone before this call costs me a fortune and Darry goes through the roof when he gets the phone bill."
"Okay, well tell Darry congrats for me. And say hey to Two-Bit for me." I replied, purposely leaving out Steve. To be honest he was the only one I didn't miss.
"Sure thing, and Pony?" Soda asked.
"Yeah?"
"I miss you y'know." Soda said, sounding as though it wasn't exactly something he wanted to admit. "I sometimes wish you were here to talk to now Darry's got other things on his mind and all..."
What could I say to that? "Yeah, well I miss you too Soda, and the gang." I replied.
"See ya buddy." Soda said.
After I hung up the phone I sat down with my book and nachos, but the book remained unopened on my lap. How would Soda cope with Darry getting married and further would he have to move out of the house? It seemed a little unfair to me, even though it was only natural that Darry and his new wife would want some privacy. But there was one thing I knew for sure: I was glad I was here at college rather than back there. Darry getting married and having a kid could only bring back bad memories for Soda, and as much as I should have wished I was there to comfort him, I selfishly was glad I was at college where I didn't have to put up with it all. I decided after I finished my nachos I'd go and let Mandy know the news. However Eric arrived back then, and all thoughts of Darry's marriage went out of my head as Eric announced proudly "It so happens that the president of the frat happens to be an old friend of mine. We used to muck round together back home in Beverly Hills. And therefore he's quite willing to let you join as a favor to me. It seems he hasn't forgotten the favor I did for him the other year when he was on his college break!"
Despite the fact that it was actually Darry's news it was Soda who rang me with it later that day. After Mandy and I'd had breakfast and she'd gone to meet Brian to work on their assignment I'd decided to go to the library and put in some work on an assignment of my own. I managed to finish the essay I'd been struggling with and it was ready to be handed in on Monday. I was so impressed that I'd managed to get it done that I treated myself to some nachos for lunch and took them back to my dorm room to eat. I'd only just gotten back when the phone rang.
"Hey Pony, not interrupting anything am I?" Soda asked.
"If you count eating nachos and reading a book something." I replied with a laugh.
Soda snorted. "And here I was thinking college was for doing wild things like partying and drinking!" He said. "I must have been way off track."
"You forgot the studying." I reminded him.
"Yeah, how's it all going? Hard is it?" Soda asked.
"It can be, but it's not too bad yet. Give me a call in a few months when I'm really in the middle of things and I might be able to tell you differently." I replied. "So, what's with the phone call? Second one in a few days!" When I'd left for college Soda and Darry had told me they would only call me occasionally since they didn't want me to feel like some kind of baby whose older brothers were constantly checking up on him!
"Well it's actually about Darry." Soda explained.
I felt my heart skip a beat. I can't help that, after all the things I've been through in my life when I hear that there is news I automatically think it's bad news. This despite the fact that Soda was obviously in a good mood and therefore nothing too serious could have happened to Darry. But I didn't think logically. I never do when I'm afraid. "Is he all right?" I asked anxiously.
"Yeah he's fine." Soda replied and he was silent for a moment. I had the feeling he was struggling with something; like how to ask me why I always thought the worst? As if seeing Johnny kill the soc Bob when he and his friends jumped me wasn't enough, then there was the whole episode where we had to run away, and where Johnny had saved the lives of children ending his in the process. And follow that by seeing Dally die, and having Soda's heart broken again by Sandy. No bloody wonder I always thought the worst.
Apparently Soda thought better of this, and instead he went on with the news he'd rang me to give. "Darry's getting married Ponyboy." He said.
I nearly choked on my nacho. "Married? Darry?" I repeated.
"Yeah, I think perhaps young Jessica-that's her name- is in the family way and Darry is doing what he thinks is the right thing." Soda replied.
I noticed the way he said that; Darry doing what he THINKS is the right thing is what Soda said. "And what about you? What do you think?" I asked.
"I don't know." Soda said, but I knew he was lying. "I guess what's right for some people isn't always right for others. And Jessica seems a very nice person, and they're a few years older than we were..."
"Are they going to live there? In our house?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess perhaps I'd better start looking for somewhere new to live." Soda said thoughtfully.
"Why would you?" I demanded angrily. "Sodapop you've got as much right as Darry to stay there and more right than this Jessica girl for gods sake!"
"I know, I mean they've never said anything like that, but I'd just feel like I was in the way y'know?" Soda said.
"Have you spoken to Darry about it?" I asked. Personally I wouldn't have been able to speak to Darry about something like that, even though we sure as heck got on a lot better in the last few years. But Soda and Darry had always been closer.
"I'm not really sure how to." Soda admitted. "Anyway I better get off the phone before this call costs me a fortune and Darry goes through the roof when he gets the phone bill."
"Okay, well tell Darry congrats for me. And say hey to Two-Bit for me." I replied, purposely leaving out Steve. To be honest he was the only one I didn't miss.
"Sure thing, and Pony?" Soda asked.
"Yeah?"
"I miss you y'know." Soda said, sounding as though it wasn't exactly something he wanted to admit. "I sometimes wish you were here to talk to now Darry's got other things on his mind and all..."
What could I say to that? "Yeah, well I miss you too Soda, and the gang." I replied.
"See ya buddy." Soda said.
After I hung up the phone I sat down with my book and nachos, but the book remained unopened on my lap. How would Soda cope with Darry getting married and further would he have to move out of the house? It seemed a little unfair to me, even though it was only natural that Darry and his new wife would want some privacy. But there was one thing I knew for sure: I was glad I was here at college rather than back there. Darry getting married and having a kid could only bring back bad memories for Soda, and as much as I should have wished I was there to comfort him, I selfishly was glad I was at college where I didn't have to put up with it all. I decided after I finished my nachos I'd go and let Mandy know the news. However Eric arrived back then, and all thoughts of Darry's marriage went out of my head as Eric announced proudly "It so happens that the president of the frat happens to be an old friend of mine. We used to muck round together back home in Beverly Hills. And therefore he's quite willing to let you join as a favor to me. It seems he hasn't forgotten the favor I did for him the other year when he was on his college break!"