*PONYBOY'S POV*
I had to stop after the first few miles. I was already soaked to the bone and tired out, not to mention being freezing cold. I sneezed, rubbing my hands together. Even walking was tiring, because of the extra energy it took to drag my feet through the thick mud the rain was making.
I was ready to give up and curl up somewhere under the shelter of a nearby tree, but the promise Darry and I had made to Soda wouldn't leave my mind. No fighting. That meant I had to get home before 6:15pm, when Darry came home. Hopefully before a quarter past five, which was when I usually came home from track practice, which luckily was today. I broke back into a jog.
Still lost in thoughts, I accidentally tripped on a tree root. My hands reached the ground first, cushioning the fall. I fell into the mud. Cursing my carelessness, I got up, examining myself for injury. The palms of my hands were skinned and both my knees were bleeding. I was covered in mud. I shrugged. All were explainable. Concentrating on the ground, I carried on.
*TWO-BIT'S POV*
It was the end of school. I immediately headed to the Curtis house, to see if the kid was at home. He wasn't. I sighed and sprawled on the couch, flipping the TV on. Mickey Mouse!
*PONYBOY'S POV*
I checked my watch again and sighed with relief. It was only half past four. With a bit of luck, nobody would be home yet. I was down to walking and ready to collapse. Originally, I had planned to wait outside the house until quarter past five, so I could say that I had track, but right now all I could think of was a hot, steaming shower, warm chocolate milk and bed. I stumbled on the doorstep and grabbed onto the door handle to keep my balance. Catching my breath, I sat for a moment and then walked as casually as I could into the house. The first person I saw was Two-bit, sitting on the couch watching the television.
*TWO-BIT'S POV*
I was just about to call Darry or Soda and tell them about Pony's mysterious disappearance as I heard the door squeak open. I whirled around. It was Pony. I sighed in relief, and then looked at him closely, concerned. He was soaking wet, his clothes hanging limply on him, and looked as if it was costing him all his strength to remain upright.
"Glory Ponyboy! What happened?" I jumped up.
"Coach ended track practice early because of the rain, but he made me do extra laps around the field," he replied quickly. The sentence sounded rehearsed, but I was too relieved at seeing him to dwell on it.
"Pony, don't lie. I went to school halfway through and you weren't there-" I started. He stopped me.
"Two-bit, can we talk later? I really want to have a shower," he interrupted, coughing.
"Okay, but we're not finished with this conversation," I warned. I grinned inside. I sounded like Darry. Ponyboy must have thought so too, because he stared at me a little, but then he nodded and headed to the bathroom. Seconds later I heard water turn on.
*PONYBOY'S POV*
I sat down in the bathtub after turning on the hot water. I couldn't stop shaking, partly from exhaustion and cold. But inside, I felt content. I had finally come to terms with Johnny's death. The hot water swirled around me, making me so comfortable I felt light-headed. I rested my head on the side of the bath . . .
I woke up just as the water was threatening to spill over the top of the bath. Quickly, I turned off the tap and jumped out of the tub. The water in the bathtub was murky and brown. I wrinkled my nose. Was I THAT dirty? My skin was slightly pink because of the hot water and the whole bathroom was misted up. I sighed as I discovered that, in my eagerness to get to the shower, I had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. I threw my old clothes into the basket, wrapped a towel around myself, and walked out of the bathroom.
Judging from the sound of the Mickey Mouse voices from the TV, Two- bit was still entertained. I grinned, shaking my head. Twenty-one and still interested in cartoons. My legs almost giving way under me, I stumbled into the room Soda and I shared, grabbed one of Soda's shirts and a pair of boxers, and collapsed into bed, where I sank into a deep sleep . . .
I had to stop after the first few miles. I was already soaked to the bone and tired out, not to mention being freezing cold. I sneezed, rubbing my hands together. Even walking was tiring, because of the extra energy it took to drag my feet through the thick mud the rain was making.
I was ready to give up and curl up somewhere under the shelter of a nearby tree, but the promise Darry and I had made to Soda wouldn't leave my mind. No fighting. That meant I had to get home before 6:15pm, when Darry came home. Hopefully before a quarter past five, which was when I usually came home from track practice, which luckily was today. I broke back into a jog.
Still lost in thoughts, I accidentally tripped on a tree root. My hands reached the ground first, cushioning the fall. I fell into the mud. Cursing my carelessness, I got up, examining myself for injury. The palms of my hands were skinned and both my knees were bleeding. I was covered in mud. I shrugged. All were explainable. Concentrating on the ground, I carried on.
*TWO-BIT'S POV*
It was the end of school. I immediately headed to the Curtis house, to see if the kid was at home. He wasn't. I sighed and sprawled on the couch, flipping the TV on. Mickey Mouse!
*PONYBOY'S POV*
I checked my watch again and sighed with relief. It was only half past four. With a bit of luck, nobody would be home yet. I was down to walking and ready to collapse. Originally, I had planned to wait outside the house until quarter past five, so I could say that I had track, but right now all I could think of was a hot, steaming shower, warm chocolate milk and bed. I stumbled on the doorstep and grabbed onto the door handle to keep my balance. Catching my breath, I sat for a moment and then walked as casually as I could into the house. The first person I saw was Two-bit, sitting on the couch watching the television.
*TWO-BIT'S POV*
I was just about to call Darry or Soda and tell them about Pony's mysterious disappearance as I heard the door squeak open. I whirled around. It was Pony. I sighed in relief, and then looked at him closely, concerned. He was soaking wet, his clothes hanging limply on him, and looked as if it was costing him all his strength to remain upright.
"Glory Ponyboy! What happened?" I jumped up.
"Coach ended track practice early because of the rain, but he made me do extra laps around the field," he replied quickly. The sentence sounded rehearsed, but I was too relieved at seeing him to dwell on it.
"Pony, don't lie. I went to school halfway through and you weren't there-" I started. He stopped me.
"Two-bit, can we talk later? I really want to have a shower," he interrupted, coughing.
"Okay, but we're not finished with this conversation," I warned. I grinned inside. I sounded like Darry. Ponyboy must have thought so too, because he stared at me a little, but then he nodded and headed to the bathroom. Seconds later I heard water turn on.
*PONYBOY'S POV*
I sat down in the bathtub after turning on the hot water. I couldn't stop shaking, partly from exhaustion and cold. But inside, I felt content. I had finally come to terms with Johnny's death. The hot water swirled around me, making me so comfortable I felt light-headed. I rested my head on the side of the bath . . .
I woke up just as the water was threatening to spill over the top of the bath. Quickly, I turned off the tap and jumped out of the tub. The water in the bathtub was murky and brown. I wrinkled my nose. Was I THAT dirty? My skin was slightly pink because of the hot water and the whole bathroom was misted up. I sighed as I discovered that, in my eagerness to get to the shower, I had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. I threw my old clothes into the basket, wrapped a towel around myself, and walked out of the bathroom.
Judging from the sound of the Mickey Mouse voices from the TV, Two- bit was still entertained. I grinned, shaking my head. Twenty-one and still interested in cartoons. My legs almost giving way under me, I stumbled into the room Soda and I shared, grabbed one of Soda's shirts and a pair of boxers, and collapsed into bed, where I sank into a deep sleep . . .
