"You need to multiply it by six because there's six crates." Darry said, trying to explain the word problem in his brothers math book.
"Fine." Soda grumbled, following directions. "Now what?"
"Well read the next part and tell me what you think."
Soda read over it carefully. "I don't get it!" He yelled, pushing the book away when he was done. "It doesn't make any damn sense!"
"Soda, watch your mouth." Darry pulled the book back over. "Now calm down a minute and let me explain it to you."
"I'll never understand it." Soda half cried and half whined as he looked at the page in utter disgust.
"Well you sure won't if you keep talking like that. Look here." He said, trying to draw out an example of how many crates had to be shipped and how much money each cost.
Soda turned away and buried his face in his arms. "I hate math." He sniffled.
"Soda it's really simple. If you'd just let me show you-"
"It ain't simple!" Soda exclaimed.
Darry sighed. "All-right, you take a breather and then we'll try again." He patted his little brothers back, gently.
"I want some cake." Soda mumbled.
"After we finish this math problem. Right now just relax for a minute. You're getting to frustrated and that doesn't help anything."
"Can't you just write a note to my teacher and tell her I don't get it."
"No, I'll teach it to you. Now relax for a few minutes." Darry walked out to check on his youngest brother and make sure he knew his spelling words. "Ponyboy. Are you through studying?"
"Yes." Pony said.
Darry walked in the room. "Lemme see the list." Pony handed it to his brother. "All-right. Spell 'deliver.'
"D-E-L-I-V-E-R." Pony spelt it out.
"Good. Happiness."
"H-A-P- Hey Darry?"
"Yeah?"
"How come you havta work so much?"
"What're you talking about, baby?"
"You always have to work. How come you have to work so much when other grown ups only have to work during the daytime?"
"Well, they probably went to college."
"Did our parents go to college?" Pony asked. "They had to work a lot to but not as much as you do."
"No. But they did have better paying jobs than I do."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Darry sighed. "Spell happiness, Pon."
"Darry, if you weren't here with me and Soda would you be in college?"
Darry paused for a moment. "I don't know." Darry said.
"Are you sad that you're here with me and Soda?" Pony asked, slowly.
"No, of course not." Darry said, getting up and sitting beside his youngest brother. "Of course not. Why?"
"I was just wondering." Pony shrugged.
"Well don't worry. I'm not sad." He kissed his little brothers forehead. "Now, spell happiness for me Ponyboy."
"H-A-P-P-I-N-E-S-S." Ponyboy said.
"Good. Spell 'drought.'" Darry finished testing his youngest brother and went back out to help the other one. "Soda?"
"What?" Soda groaned. He still had his head in his arms.
"C'mon, sit up and lets try this again." Darry said.
"No. I hate this stupid crappy math work!"
"Sodapop Curtis, I told you to watch that mouth. No more swearing. Hear me?"
"Fine." Soda said dully. "But I don't wanna do this."
"Well you have to learn this stuff. Sit up, munchkin." Two hours later both frustrated brothers finally finished the work. Soda jumped up happy as ever to be free and dashed for the front door.
"I'm going to the lot!" He yelled over his shoulder.
Ponyboy heard this statement and dashed out of his room to join Soda. "Me too!" He yelled. Darry opened the freezer and got out the frozen pasta. He didn't have time for an elaborate dinner tonight. He glanced out the kitchen window at his brothers, confirming that they were both all-right and then continued with dinner. He looked back out the window a couple minutes later and saw both of his brothers climbing the forbidden tree. He sighed and went outside.
"Sodapop! Ponyboy! How many times do I have to tell you kids to stay off of that tree?" He made his way across the street and over to them. He looked up sternly.
"We're being careful." Soda said.
"It doesn't have anything to do with you being careful. Get down here. That tree is older than my age times five. The branches are thin and they won't hold you. I've seen kids your age fall off of it before and break their arms and legs. Get down here!" Both boys looked at each other and silently agreed that it was best to obey. They made their way down the tree carefully. Darry let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as their feet both touched the ground. "Thank you. Now stay off the tree. Got it?"
"Yes." Both children sighed.
"It stinks though, Darry. That's the best climbing tree in the whole neighborhood."
"Well, you're just going to have to find another one." Darry said, as he made his way across the street.
*************
"Sodapop, would you please discontinue your constant interruptions while I am speaking to the class?" Mrs. Burrow said, agitated. "One more disruption and you will be sent to the principals office. Is that understood?"
"Um, not really. I mean, what's discontinue mean?"
"It's one of our vocabulary words from last week, you big doofus." Ernie whispered.
"Shut-up four eyes!" Soda yelled back.
"Soda!" Mrs. Burrow yelled.
"But he said-"
"You are this close." She held her index finger and her thumb a centimeter apart.
"I'm sorry. I'll be quiet." He said.
She sighed. "Soda, discontinue means to stop whatever it is you are doing. In this case it would be your constant talking. Understand what it means now?"
"Yes." Soda said.
"All-right, now everyone please turn to page two hundred and fifty six in your books and Marie you may begin reading at the top where it says 'rocks and minerals.' Soda sighed and got out his book, turning to the requested page. School had only been going on for twenty five minutes and he was already getting yelled at. At long last the bell for recess wrung and he gathered his books and ran outside to find Steve and Ponyboy. His quest ended as he spotted them both near the lunch tables next to the playground.
"Hey!" He yelled, running over.
"What'd Dar give us for snack, Pon?" Soda asked, taking out his paper bag to look inside.
"Peanut butter crackers." Pony said, with a mouthful. Steve was just a few feet away talking to a couple guys momentarily before he came over and greeted his best friend.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"Not much. I almost got kicked out of class though."
"So, what else is new?" Steve giggled.
"She told me to discontinue my talking." Soda took a bite out of a cracker and sat down on the bench. "Stevie what do yah say we just walk right out of hear. The place is really big. They don't have someone at all the different exits. We could just walk right out and go down the street."
"My dad would kill me." Steve said.
"Why's he gotta know? We'll come back before schools over and wait in the carpool line to get picked up. Ponyboy, you wanna come?"
"Uh uh." Pony shook his head, sure that what his brother was suggesting had to be one of the naughtiest things ever. "Darry'd gonna go nuts, Soda. Don't leave."
"Like I said. They don't gotta know about it."
"I'm still not going." Pony said, shaking his head. "Please don't Soda. If you get caught you'll be in so much trouble."
Soda sighed. "We ain't getting caught. But anyways suit yourself. I'm out of here. You'll come with me, won't you Steve?" Soda asked.
"Sounds like a good plan to me." Steve said, getting up.
"I'll see you later, Pon." Soda said, ruffling his little brothers hair.
"Soda! Don't play hooky." Pony begged.
"Shhh. Someone'll hear you. Don't worry so much. I'll see you later." Soda said again. "Sure you don't wanna come?" Pony nodded. "All-right, bye Pon. Cover for me if I don't get back in time."
"I will." Pony said, sighing and walking off to find his friends.
"C'mon! This way." Steve pulled his friend to the right, as they scurried behind the building and made their way out the back gate and onto the sidewalk. "That was easy enough." Steve said.
"Sure was. C'mon, lets go to the pet store. I wanna see the puppies."
"What is it with you and animals, man?" Steve asked.
Soda shrugged. "I dunno, I like um. They're cute."
****************
Oh, c'mon Sodapop. Why ain't you here yet? Darry'll be here any minute to get us. What in the world am I supposed to tell him. Pony rubbed his hands against his pant legs nervously as he tried to figure out what he was gonna do if Soda wasn't back when Darry got there and he was sure that their eldest brother would be arriving any minute. Darry'll kill him if he finds out. He'll just kill him. What am I supposed to say he is? Why do I always get stuck with the hard job?
No less than three minutes later Darryl Curtis pulled into the school carpool. He saw Ponyboy but there was no sign of Soda. "Where's Sodapop?" He asked, as Pony climbed into the front seat of the Ford. Pony hesitated for a minute, chewing on his bottom lip. "Pony." Darry persisted.
"He uh- he- he's on the potty. He don't feel good. He needs laxative." Pony said the first thing that popped into his head.
"You're kidding." Darry said. "Well ain't he coming out soon?"
"He said he'd just be a few minutes." Pony said. "He just wants us to wait a few minutes."
"All-right." Darry sighed. Why couldn't he just wait till we got home? He thought. "Well, I'll park then and go see if he's all-right."
"NO!" Pony said.
"Why not?" Darry asked, surprised at Pony's outburst.
"Well, just because. Because he says he feels really yucky and he doesn't want anyone to bother him. He said he'd be out in a few minutes Darry."
"All-right." Darry said, shrugging. He parked and sat in the car, waiting and staring at his watch. Ponyboy fidgeted nervously in his seat. C'mon Soda. I bought you some time. Can't you just hurry up now? Pony thought. "Pon, stop wiggling so much." Darry said. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing." Pony said, softly. They waited for a couple of minutes and then Darry decided he'd better go check on his brother. Just as he reached for the door handle though he saw Mrs. Randle's car park right nearby him. And what he saw next really surprised him. The door opened and his little brother came loping out, staring at his shoes.
Darry got out. "Soda? What are you-"
"I spotted them both at the ice-cream parlor while I was out shopping twenty minutes ago." Mrs. Randall nodded to her own son, who sat in the car and then to Soda.
"At the ice-cream parlor? Sodapop Curtis what were you doing there?"
"Getting ice-cream." Soda mumbled, still not looking up.
Darry sighed. "Yeah, well I figured that much. What business do you think you have getting ice-cream when you're supposed to be in school?" Soda shrugged. "Soda." Darry said, sternly.
He finally looked up. "I don't like school." He mumbled.
"I would've taken him home because there was only several minutes of school left but I figured you'd be here." Mrs. Randall broke in.
"I appreciate it." Darry said. She nodded and got back in her car to take Steve home. He waved goodbye to Soda briefly before his mother pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. "Get in the truck." Darry instructed, as he did so himself. Soda did so, reluctantly.
"What have you to say for yourself Ponyboy?" Darry asked, as he drove off. "I thought you told me Soda was ill."
"Sorry." Came the tiny and barely audible reply of the teary faced nine year old.
"Soda, you'd best have a better explanation than the fact that you don't like school." Darry said. "I don't like work and I go. I don't like washing dishes but I do it. I don't like vacuuming but I do. You know why? Because it's a responsibility. Just like your responsibility is to go to school."
"That's different." Soda said, softly.
"Different! How is it different, young man. Enlighten me."
"It just is!" Soda spat.
"No it isn't and if you wanna start getting sassy you sure picked a bad time to do it because you're in plenty deep already." Soda fell quiet and let the tears slip down his cheeks. They got back home several minutes later after driving home in complete silence. "You and your bedroom are gonna spend some quality time together, Soda, seeing as how you're gonna be in there until tomorrow morning. Go." Darry ordered as they exited the truck. Soda whimpered and ran into the house.
"Darry, don't be that mad at him. I helped."
"You didn't help him ditch. But you did lie about where he was. What have I told you about lies Ponyboy."
"You said their bad and that no matter what the more you lie the worse everything gets. And you said that we're not ever sposed to lie because it's dispectful and wrong."
"It's 'disrespectful' Ponyboy. And that's right."
"But you lied to us too, Darry."
"When?" Darry bent down to his brothers eye level.
"You said everything was gonna be ok and we'd feel better but it ain't ok and I don't feel better. My heart still hurts."
"Oh, baby." Darry pulled him into a tight hug. "You'll feel better. You just need time honey. We all do. We'll always miss them Pony but in a while it won't be that hard to think about them without crying. And soon after that you'll be able to talk about them all the time without getting so upset. And you can remember all the good, things baby. Remember all the good times."
"I want more good times." Pony broke down and sobbed.
It took every inch of Darry's strength to hold in his own cries but somehow he managed to do it. "I know, baby. I know." He picked his brother up and carried him into the house, mumbling comforting words and rubbing his back. Ponyboy calmed down in a minute or so and aloud himself to be put down. Darry could hear Soda's sobs in the other room and knew he had to tend to him as well. He quickly got Pony some chocolate cake and some milk, before heading back to his other brothers room. "Soda?"
"I don't wanna stay in here, Darry." He wailed.
"I know you don't kiddo." Darry flopped down beside him. "And I don't wanna make you but I need to."
"Why?" Soda said with a hitching breath.
"Because you did something you know you are definitely not supposed to do and now you're getting consequences."
"I don't like consequences." Soda cried.
"I know, kiddo." Darry put a comforting arm around his brothers back. "That's why they're called consequences. Now lets talk about what you did."
"I don't wanna talk about it." Soda said, hiding his face under his pillow.
"All-right, well you don't have to just yet. I'll talk and you listen for a minute. Now I know that you know that everything about playing hooky ain't ok and secondly I know that you know that you're not aloud to be walking around town without an adult."
"But I'm old enough to take care of myself." Soda protested, removing the pillow. He wiped his eyes off on his shirt sleeves.
"I'll be the judge of that, little man and you sure are not old enough. Maybe if we lived somewhere else but not in this neighborhood you're not old enough to be all by yourself."
"I wasn't alone. Steve was with me."
"I mean a grown-up Soda and you know it." Darry said. Soda sighed and hid back underneath his pillow. "And about ditching. How did you manage it? I drop you off right in front of school every day and watch you go in."
Darry heard the muffled reply from the pillow. "We went out the back gate."
"When?"
"Recess."
"What did you do all day, Soda?"
"We went to the pet store and got ice-cream and stuff."
Darry sighed. "Well, I'm sure I'll be getting a call from your school, seeing as how after recess you suddenly went missing."
"I hope I get suspended."
"Watch your mouth, kid. Don't you go thinking that you'll be having any sort of fun if you get suspended." Darry said. He heard a 'humph' from underneath the pillow and smiled slightly. "All-right, little man. You stay put in here. Understand me? You're in big trouble and you can't come out unless it's to go to the bathroom. Clear?"
"Yeah." Soda sniffled and sat up. "Do I get to come out for supper?"
"No, I'll bring it to you."
"Do I really have to stay in here all night? When Mrs. Clerk is here too?"
"Yeah, little-buddy. You do."
"Well do I get dessert tonight?"
"I don't think so. Not tonight." Darry said.
Soda sighed miserably. "Darry?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't be mad at Ponyboy because he lied about where I was. I told him to. Its not his fault."
"Well, I've got a hunch he would've lied for you even if you had told him not to but he's not in to big of trouble if that's what's bothering you."
"Ok." Soda said. "I love you Darry. I'm sorry. Really I am."
Darry smiled and came back over to hug his brother. "I love you too. Very very very much and I forgive you. Now you give some serious thought to why you have to be in here."
"Ok." Soda grumbled, lying back down.