*DARRY'S POV*
I came home an hour earlier today. Boss told me to take a break after I sprained another muscle in my shoulder. I flexed it and winced.
Walking up, I found that Two-bit was already at our house.
"Where's Pony?" I asked immediately. Two-bit looked up.
"Hey Superman. You're home early. Ponyboy's asleep."
"Again?" I was starting to get worried.
"I came home an hour ago and he was asleep. I didn't want to wake him up so I just turned off the lights and left him."
"You turned off the lights?" I repeated. "Did you leave one on?"
He looked at me, puzzled. "No, why?"
I didn't answer. I ran into Pony's bedroom. He always gets nightmares when you turn off the lights and no one's in the room with him. I don't know why. I could tell he was having one as soon as I opened the door and walked in. He was tossing and turning feverishly in his sleep.
"Mom . . . dad?" he mumbled. "No!"
I stiffened. He was having 'The Dream'. Rushing over to his bedside, I shook his shoulder, trying to wake him up. His body was unnaturally warm. I felt his forehead with the back of my hand. It was burning hot. He was using a textbook as a pillow, one hand holding a pen and the other holding a crumpled piece of paper with some notes on it. It looked like he had fallen asleep working.
"Ponyboy, wake up," I said, still shaking him.
His startled eyes popped open suddenly, filled with fear. As they took in his surroundings they filled with tears.
"S- Soda?" he whimpered, grabbing my arm.
"It's Darry," I said, feeling that familiar pang of jealousy I always had for Pony and Soda's close relationship. Ignoring it, I pulled Pony into a hug. Pony hadn't dreamed about our parents for a long time. Usually he dreamed about Johnny, and sometimes Dallas. It was strange that he hadn't had one in two days. "Well, I'm not complaining," I thought.
I couldn't see his face, but from the way his shoulders were shaking and the left shoulder of my shirt was getting wet, I could tell he was bawling. I rubbed my hand on his back in attempt to comfort.
"It's okay Ponyboy. Just a dream."
Eventually his sobs subsided and he fell asleep again, his head resting on my shoulder. I took his homework off his bed and I gently laid him back down, tucked the covers around him and turned on the small night lamp next on the table. I walked out to get the thermometer.
As I walked into the living room, Two-bit turned around.
"The kid okay? I thought I heard someone crying."
"He had a nightmare. Hey, if you catch him sleeping again, keep the light on the table on okay?" I knew Pony would kill me for telling Two-bit that, but right now I thought it was much more important for his nightmares to stop.
Two-bit cocked an eyebrow.
"Afraid of the dark?"
"No. He just gets nightmares when he's alone and in the dark. Hey, don't tell him I told you okay?"
Two-bit grinned.
"Sure thing."
I nodded gratefully and headed over grab the thermometer. I ran back to Pony's room. This time he was sleeping peacefully. I sighed as I watched him for a while. He looked so young and vulnerable. I just wanted to hold him in my arms forever and shield him from the cruelties of the world. He had been through far too much for a kid his age. I didn't want to wake him but I knew I had to.
"Pony, wake up," I said, sitting on the edge of his bed. His eyes opened again.
"Darry?" he mumbled. "I feel kinda sick . . ."
"Yeah honey I know. I just need to check your temperature and then you can go back to sleep okay?"
He nodded tiredly and opened his mouth. He was asleep before I finished. I stormed back into the living room. Two-bit looked up from the television again.
"What got you all pissed?"
"Ponyboy's Coach for track."
"And?"
"I'm calling him right now."
"What? Why?"
"Pony's got a fever of 101.7 and it's because that Coach made him do all those extra laps in the freezing rain!"
Two-bit jumped up. "No! Don't call his Coach!"
I looked at him strangely. "Why?"
"Uh . . . he's busy?"
"Two-bit, you know something about this, don't you?"
Two-bit looked decidedly shifty. "No! Of course not! Why would I?"
I took a step toward him and he backed up. "Two-bit!"
"Okay, okay. Fine."
I crossed my arms over my chest.
"I'm waiting."
*TWO-BIT'S POV*
"Well," I started, "You know yesterday?"
He nodded impatiently, motioning me to go on.
"I skipped school and Pony said he'd walk to school? Well, I don't know where he was because I went back to school halfway through and there was no sign of Pony. Steve was at school the whole day and he didn't see him either. I went back here right after school because I thought he might be here, but he wasn't. He came home at about four soaking wet. I was going to ask him where he was, but he took a shower and went straight to bed. And that's all I know! I promise!" I said, throwing my hands up in surrender.
"He skipped school and came home an hour before track ends." Darry paced around the living room. "Where the hell did that kid go?"
I came home an hour earlier today. Boss told me to take a break after I sprained another muscle in my shoulder. I flexed it and winced.
Walking up, I found that Two-bit was already at our house.
"Where's Pony?" I asked immediately. Two-bit looked up.
"Hey Superman. You're home early. Ponyboy's asleep."
"Again?" I was starting to get worried.
"I came home an hour ago and he was asleep. I didn't want to wake him up so I just turned off the lights and left him."
"You turned off the lights?" I repeated. "Did you leave one on?"
He looked at me, puzzled. "No, why?"
I didn't answer. I ran into Pony's bedroom. He always gets nightmares when you turn off the lights and no one's in the room with him. I don't know why. I could tell he was having one as soon as I opened the door and walked in. He was tossing and turning feverishly in his sleep.
"Mom . . . dad?" he mumbled. "No!"
I stiffened. He was having 'The Dream'. Rushing over to his bedside, I shook his shoulder, trying to wake him up. His body was unnaturally warm. I felt his forehead with the back of my hand. It was burning hot. He was using a textbook as a pillow, one hand holding a pen and the other holding a crumpled piece of paper with some notes on it. It looked like he had fallen asleep working.
"Ponyboy, wake up," I said, still shaking him.
His startled eyes popped open suddenly, filled with fear. As they took in his surroundings they filled with tears.
"S- Soda?" he whimpered, grabbing my arm.
"It's Darry," I said, feeling that familiar pang of jealousy I always had for Pony and Soda's close relationship. Ignoring it, I pulled Pony into a hug. Pony hadn't dreamed about our parents for a long time. Usually he dreamed about Johnny, and sometimes Dallas. It was strange that he hadn't had one in two days. "Well, I'm not complaining," I thought.
I couldn't see his face, but from the way his shoulders were shaking and the left shoulder of my shirt was getting wet, I could tell he was bawling. I rubbed my hand on his back in attempt to comfort.
"It's okay Ponyboy. Just a dream."
Eventually his sobs subsided and he fell asleep again, his head resting on my shoulder. I took his homework off his bed and I gently laid him back down, tucked the covers around him and turned on the small night lamp next on the table. I walked out to get the thermometer.
As I walked into the living room, Two-bit turned around.
"The kid okay? I thought I heard someone crying."
"He had a nightmare. Hey, if you catch him sleeping again, keep the light on the table on okay?" I knew Pony would kill me for telling Two-bit that, but right now I thought it was much more important for his nightmares to stop.
Two-bit cocked an eyebrow.
"Afraid of the dark?"
"No. He just gets nightmares when he's alone and in the dark. Hey, don't tell him I told you okay?"
Two-bit grinned.
"Sure thing."
I nodded gratefully and headed over grab the thermometer. I ran back to Pony's room. This time he was sleeping peacefully. I sighed as I watched him for a while. He looked so young and vulnerable. I just wanted to hold him in my arms forever and shield him from the cruelties of the world. He had been through far too much for a kid his age. I didn't want to wake him but I knew I had to.
"Pony, wake up," I said, sitting on the edge of his bed. His eyes opened again.
"Darry?" he mumbled. "I feel kinda sick . . ."
"Yeah honey I know. I just need to check your temperature and then you can go back to sleep okay?"
He nodded tiredly and opened his mouth. He was asleep before I finished. I stormed back into the living room. Two-bit looked up from the television again.
"What got you all pissed?"
"Ponyboy's Coach for track."
"And?"
"I'm calling him right now."
"What? Why?"
"Pony's got a fever of 101.7 and it's because that Coach made him do all those extra laps in the freezing rain!"
Two-bit jumped up. "No! Don't call his Coach!"
I looked at him strangely. "Why?"
"Uh . . . he's busy?"
"Two-bit, you know something about this, don't you?"
Two-bit looked decidedly shifty. "No! Of course not! Why would I?"
I took a step toward him and he backed up. "Two-bit!"
"Okay, okay. Fine."
I crossed my arms over my chest.
"I'm waiting."
*TWO-BIT'S POV*
"Well," I started, "You know yesterday?"
He nodded impatiently, motioning me to go on.
"I skipped school and Pony said he'd walk to school? Well, I don't know where he was because I went back to school halfway through and there was no sign of Pony. Steve was at school the whole day and he didn't see him either. I went back here right after school because I thought he might be here, but he wasn't. He came home at about four soaking wet. I was going to ask him where he was, but he took a shower and went straight to bed. And that's all I know! I promise!" I said, throwing my hands up in surrender.
"He skipped school and came home an hour before track ends." Darry paced around the living room. "Where the hell did that kid go?"
