We stayed at the hospital a while more. During that time there were a lot of reporters coming to interview Ponyboy. There was a big crowd of reporters and cops. It was quite boring, but like always Soda can make something boring, fun. He had grabbed one guy's hat and some other person's camera, and started mimicking the reporters by interviewing the nurses. It was really funny. Then he tried to lift some cop's gun and was grinning madly that when he got caught the police gave a little laugh. I started laughing too. I was glad to have Soda as a friend. I tried to imagine life without him one time, and thought that life would be really boring.

Reporters started taking pictures of the Curtis brothers. They took a lot of pictures of them considering all three of them are very good-looking. Like always, Soda was really enjoying taking pictures. He was really digging it, but like always he gets bored eventually and he stopped. He went right to sleep after that.

I was really tired too, so I rested my head on Darry's shoulder and closed my eyes trying to fall asleep. I was kind of awake because I could hear Darry and Pony talking, but just barely.

".hardly slept at all." I heard Darry say.

"Hhhmmmm, you didn't either," Soda said. He sounded really tired. We were all really tired. I couldn't sleep because I knew that Soda and Darry were really having a hard time. I can never help, but worry about them. I mean as much as I hate to say it, I wasn't worried about Ponyboy too much.

".much family as they have. Just tell us how they are and we will leave you alone," I heard Darry say.

"Okay, well, Dallas is going to be able to get out in a couple of days. His arm is badly burned, but that is about all." The doctor hesitated a moment, then continued. "Johnny, well, he's in critical condition. If he lives he will not be able to walk for the rest of his life."

I stood up immediately. I couldn't believe it. Johnny, little Johnnycake might die. I felt my lips tremble as if I was going to cry. Poor Johnny, but it was what he always wanted.

By then I was really tired. Ponyboy had gone back to sleep, and I wanted to go home.

"Darry, can we go home now?"

"Yeah, Coke. We'll go home now. Let me just get Pony up."

Ponyboy finally got up and we drove home. We were in our car when Ponyboy went back to sleep."

"Hey, Ponyboy, wake up. You still got to get to the house," Darry said.

"Hm." Ponyboy said.

Soda went to go shake him harder, "Oh, come on, we're sleepy too."

He didn't get up, so Darry just picked him up and carried him in.

Soda said, "He's getting mighty big to be carried."

"He's sure lost a lot of weight," Darry said. I could tell. I mean hiding out in a church for a week with almost nothing to eat has to make you skinnier.

As soon as I got in the house I went straight to bed. I didn't say goodnight because I was really tired. I didn't even bother changing, I just went straight to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, Ponyboy was already up.

"Morning, Pony."

"Morning."

"Are Soda and Darry up yet?"

"No, I think they're really tired."

"I would think so too. That whole week you were gone they were worried about you. They wouldn't sleep. No matter how much I told them that they needed rest, they would not go to sleep."

"Well then let them rest, but they gotta wake up in a little while cause they got work."

"Yeah I know. Well I'll be right back." I left the kitchen and went to take a shower. After that I put on some jeans and a tank top.

"Hey Coke!" It was Two-Bit and Steve.

"Hey you guys! When did you come?"

"Not so long ago. We came to see baldy here," Two-Bit said pointing at Ponyboy. Two-Bit had been cleaning some egg that was on the floor. Ponyboy was reading an article in the newspaper, while Steve was just sitting there eating chocolate cake.

"What's he reading about?" I asked.

"You mean.that they're thinking about putting me and Soda in a boys' home or something?"

"Somethin' like that," Steve said.

"No," Ponyboy said out of nowhere.

"No what?" Two-Bit asked.

"No they ain't gonna put us in a boys' home."

"Don't worry about it," Steve said. "They don't do things like that to heroes. Where's Soda and Superman?"

Darry came in right after he said that, and picked up Steve and dropped him on the floor. After that Soda came into the living room, and straight to the kitchen. "Where's that blue shirt I washed yesterday?" He got the container of chocolate milk and took a drink out of it.

"Hate to tell you, buddy, but you have to wear clothes to work. There's a law or something," Steve said, still lying on the floor.

"Oh, yeah. Where're those wheat jeans, too?"

"I ironed," Darry said. "They're in my closet. Hurry up, you're gonna be late."

"I'm hurryin', I'm hurryin'." Soda went to go get dressed, and Steve followed him. There was an instant pillow fight.

I decided to go inside my room and go read a book or something. I didn't want to stick around and hear everyone talk.

I decided to go outside for a little while, just to get some fresh air. I looked inside the house and saw that there was chocolate cake, so I went to go get a piece.

".stomp the Socies good, me and Stevie here are gonna throw a big party and everybody can get stoned. Then we'll go chase the Socs clear to Mexico," Soda said.

"Where you gonna get the dough little man?" Darry asked.

"I'll think of somethin'," Sodapop said while eating cake.

"You going to take Sandy to the party?" Ponyboy asked. We all became quiet. We all knew how much Sandy meant to Soda. He's been really upset ever since he got that letter, and I knew how bad he felt after Pony said that. "What's the deal?" Ponyboy asked.

"No," Soda said. "She went to go live with her grandmother in Florida."

"How come?"

"Look," Steve said. "Does he have to draw you a picture? It was either that or."

"Look Steve, lay off," I said. "He didn't know. Just leave him alone. There's no reason to get angry with him." Then I said to Ponyboy, "She just didn't want to get married. Her parents got real mad at the thought of her marryin' a sixteen-year-old guy."

"Seventeen," Soda said in almost a whisper. "I'll be seventeen in a couple of weeks."

After that there was silence. Nobody said a word. I could see the misery in Soda's eyes. He really loved Sandy. It was too bad that she didn't feel the same way about him.

"We'd better get to work Pepsi-Cola," Darry said. That seemed to cheer Soda up a little.

"I gotta go too. I gotta do some community service detention hours," I said. "Bye guys. See y'all later."

"Bye," They all said.

I left to the community service center. I decided that I was going to visit Dally and Johnny later today, but for now I had to get to work.