Two-Bit: What The…

Thanks to everyone who reviewed my chapter…I would mention you guys except I'm in Utah and I don't have access to the internet at this moment. Sorry.

Blatty: hehe….WAAAY too late to stop now…I'm positive you reviewed 'cause you always reviewed.

            When Ponyboy walked into gym class twenty minutes late, I sighed in relief because I was really starting to worry. Ponyboy had never been late to any class, much less twenty minutes late. I hoped he had at least a pass because Coach wasn't playing any games this week. I watched as the small 14 year old walked into the gym slowly, dragging his feet behind him and looking down. He gave the pass to the coach who told him to sit on the bench until next rotation in any of the volleyball games that were going on now. The kid looked up and I gasped. It was Ponyboy…only it wasn't really. Pony never got into fights in school, but this kid looked like someone had beat him up bad. After class I ran up to Pony in the locker room, "Hey, Ponyboy!" I said cheerily. Ponyboy looked up at me, "Oh, hey Two-Bit."

            "How come you were late to gym?"

            "I went to the nurse."   

            "Why'd you have to do that?"

            "Can't you see?" he snapped. I stepped back,

            "Sor-ry."

            "It's okay, I'm sorry." He mumbled quietly. I smiled at him, "What do you have next period?"

            "History, then lunch."

            "Okay, let's go then."

We started walking down into the long endless corridors and I was itching to ask Ponyboy who had beat him up so badly, but I saw that as a touchy subject so I stayed away from it. Instead I entertained myself with making both me and Pony laugh.

            After school that day, I went with Steve down to the DX while Ponyboy went to track practice. Soda was there at the DX, like usual, talking to some girls who went to the private school nearby. They were giggling and not so subtlety flirting with Soda. Steve and I exchanged glances. Ever since Sandy left, Soda hadn't really been interested in any girls. He had always flirted back or entertained the girls' flirting, but he had never been interested. Except for this time. He was staring at the girl on the right. She had auburn hair and light eyes. We couldn't tell from the distance that we were standing from Soda, but she was a real looker, shy too. I was happy for Soda because if you asked me, it was about time he got over that stupid little broad, Sandy. She was supposedly in love with him like he was with her, but when the chance came to prove her love, she ran away (A/N: I have nothing against Sandy personally…she's a character).

            "Hey, Sodapop!" Steve called from where we were standing. Soda looked up and grinned his crazy grin, "Hey, Steve! Hey Two-Bit!!" We walked over to the girls and Soda. There were three of them. The one on the left had strawberry blondish hair, the one in the middle was a pure blond and the one on the right was gonna end up as Soda's new girl if we had any say in it. Of course, she was interested in him too. They kept on glancing at each other, then quickly looking away.

            "Guys, this is Sarah," the strawberry blond one, "Bianca," the blond one, "and Teri," the auburn haired one, the one Soda had eyes for.

            "Sarah, Bianca, Teri, this is Steve and Two-Bit," he continued.

            "Hi!" they exclaimed, looking our way. We sat around talking for awhile, Soda and Steve occasionally getting up to serve a customer. After about an hour and a half, I saw Ponyboy walking past the DX without once looking our way. He was walking at a rapid pace. Last time I saw him at school, he was starting to look a little better, but not much.

            The three girls obviously knew Ponyboy because as soon as Teri saw him, she tapped Bianca and Sarah on the shoulders, whispering and pointing. I thought they were going to make fun of him because most middle-class girls do. He's not too big for age. I guess Soda thought so too because he looked a little let down glancing at the girls, pointing. But they didn't make fun of him at all. Instead they lit up, "Hey, Ponyboy!!" they shouted. Pony looked up slightly and I heard Soda gasp and Steve make a funny noise. But the girls didn't notice a thing. They ran over to him and he obviously knew them too because his face lit up into a smile when he saw them, "Hey Sarah, Teri, Bianca!" They hugged him and dragged him back to where we were sitting.

            "You know Ponyboy?" Soda asked, confused.

            "Of course we know Ponyboy!" Bianca exclaimed.

            "How?" I spoke what Soda and Steve were thinking as well.

            "Well," Sarah started, "us private school girls always head down to the high school to watch the track meets and everyone at the Tulsa Academy knows that Pony is a star runner."

            "Plus he helped us with a few projects at the park the other week!" Bianca said.

            "And we hung-out a few times after school when there was no practice." Ponyboy added quietly. We all looked over to him. I had almost forgotten he was there. I always forget that Pony's there. Even before the whole Windrixville incident, he was a quiet kid, but we always knew he was there because he would always be speaking on Johnny's behalf. But after Johnny died, Pony's had no one to speak up for. Either that, or he was just in a state of not talking because of Johnny and Dally's death. I don't know what it was…but it was like Ponyboy was a ghost. We never noticed he was there.

            I tuned back into the conversation. Soda was already giving Pony the third degree on the new bruises on his face. I sighed and looked over at the girls who were staring at Soda with admiration. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

Okay, I know romance was not part of this story but I just went with the flow and it's really only going to involve Soda, not Pony, and Soda isn't really in the latter part of the story. So anyway…REVIEW PLEASE!!!!