If He Won't Listen, How Can We Talk?

Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders. I own the plot.
A/N. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, they really motivate me.

*Two Bit's POV*
*Right where we left off*

I had nothing left to do after Steve left, and I was bored out of my mind. I was trying to think if there was anything good to steal from the drugstore and then remembered that there wasn't. I'd already checked yesterday.
" Where do I always go when I'm bored?" I thought.
" Oh yeah, The Curtis's."
I started on the short walk towards their house. I always like going over there, it just seems inviting to me. In a way, the Curtis house has become sort of our hang out. I didn't bother to knock or anything when I got there. That sort of formality was never necessary. Ponyboy was hunched over the couch, reading something.
" Hey Pony, what are you up to?" I asked him.
He looked up at me and sighed.
" Hi Two Bit, nothing really," he said.
He sounded kind of upset so I decided to see if anything was wrong.
"I'm gonna sit here for a minute, ok?"
" I don't care," his voice was dull and emotionless.
" Is something bothering you? You don't seem like you used to,"
He opened his mouth to say something and then quickly shut it and turned away.
" Your brothers are really worried about you," I told him.
" I'll be fine, they shouldn't worry about me," he said while staring straight ahead.
I decided to give up for now. Reaching Pony seemed almost useless. I didn't even say good bye as I rose from the couch and went into the kitchen.
The scene there wasn't what I really expected. I didn't really expect anything, but this was overwhelming in a way. Soda, Steve, and Johnny all sat around the kitchen table with somber expressions on their faces. Soda looked like he had been crying and Steve and Johnny looked shocked.
" Hey guys, what happened?" I asked.
" Hey Two Bit, come sit down," Soda said in a weary voice.
" I'm not going to like this am I?" I asked.
" Probably not," said Steve.
" We're pretty sure we know what's wrong with Ponyboy," Johnny said and looked straight at me.
" It's not drugs or sex is it?" I asked.
" At this point, I almost wish it was," said Soda in a small voice that was very much unlike his own.
" Tell me guys, I want to know so I can help the kid." I said.
They all looked at each other as if to debate who was going to tell me the news. The suspense of all of this was killing me. How bad was it? Soda took a deep breath and looked at me. It made sense he was telling me because Pony was his brother. I braced myself for whatever news was to come.
" We think Pony's using a razor blade to cut himself," Soda said.
Those words stopped me. My breathing, my heart, my thoughts were all halted for one second. Cutting himself? Ponyboy was deliberately hurting himself, and I knew it wasn't for the attention. I could feel the blood draining from my face and I knew the other's felt the same way.
"Why?" was all I could manage to say.
" Who knows?" said Steve.
"I think he blames himself for everything," Johnny said.
" How could he?" I asked.
" I wish I knew Two Bit, I really do," Soda sounded like he was going to cry.
" Do you think we could talk to him?" I asked.
" We could try,"said Johnny.
" I don't think he'll listen," said Steve.
"He has to, I don't want to loose him." Soda choked out.
" Hey buddy, it's ok," said Steve.
" If he won't listen, then how can we talk?" I asked.
" Very patiently," said Johnny.
" He doesn't know you know, does he?" I asked them.
" He might by now, we're not exactly whispering," said Steve.
" One of the worst things is, I don't think he'd care even if we did know," said Soda.
" He can't be that far gone," I said and tried to reassure Sodapop.
" I don't think any of us have ever been that depressed," said Johnny.
" I've teetered over the mouth of the hell hole of life,though," said Steve.
" Pony's already fallen in," I said quietly.
" He said something to me last night when he had a nightmare and wouldn't tell me about it,"said Soda.
" What? About falling?" I asked.
" Yeah, when I asked him why he wouldn't talk to me and he said, " Because I'm falling too fast."
I could remember a night not too long ago, full of sadness and terror, when a fourteen year old boy fell to the ground and didn't wake up for a while. Was that what it was like for Ponyboy now? I had a sickening feeling in my stomach that this time, when Pony hit the ground he would never really wake up.
" Could you send him to free therapy or something?" I asked.
" Yeah, we could do that, but I don't think he wants help," Soda said sadly.
" You have to make him hear you," Johnny said.
" Yeah he's right, we should catch him before it's too late," said Steve.
Soda mumbled something about how he thought Steve didn't like Pony.
" I don't really, but I don't want your little brother to die," Steve said.
" At the word "die" Johnny gulped and Soda moaned. We were already talking about Pony being dead, I couldn't believe how fast this all seemed to happen. Soda seemed to read my mind.
" It seems like only a few days ago he was fine, but now......" he didn't continue.
" We have to make him understand we care," said Johnny.
" Right, or else he'll think he's all alone in this," I said.
" Why did this have to happen to him?" Soda asked us.
" Sometimes, things happen," Steve said.
I remembered a quote that one of my teachers told us last year,
" Bad things happen to good people," I stated.
" Ain't that the truth," said Johnny.
None of us heard the door open, and we were all surprised when Dally appeared in the doorway as if by magic.
" What's wrong with the kid, he sick or something?" Dally asked, jerking a thumb back towards Ponyboy.
" He's cutting himself," I told him.
Just like that. No preparing him for the news or asking him to sit down. This was too serious to waste time over. Pony needed help now, and fast. Dallas Winston was the color of a white bed sheet. It made an interesting contrast against his hair. His eyes widened and he ran a hand through his hair, swearing.
" You sure?" he asked us.
" If I want anything, I wish it wasn't true, but it is," Soda said.
" Damn," said Dally and sat down next to Steve.
Damn, indeed.

A/N. That concludes the fifth chapter. Tell me what you think, you know I love to hear from you guys.
I hope this didn't seem too much like chapter four. For a while, the guys are just going to sit around and talk about Ponyboy.
Fyremoon