Later that afternoon, Johnny and I came back to the house after swimming. We had forgotten to bring towels with us to the pool so we were dripping all over the floor. For half a minute, I expected Mom to come running out of the kitchen, trying to swat me with a dishtowel. "Oh yeah," I thought glumly. Mom wasn't there, but Darry was.
"Hey, Johnnycake. Pony, do you gotta soak the carpet? Go dry off."
I stared at Darry for a minute. He'd been in a neverending bad mood since Mom and Dad died. "Sorry, Darry." I went to the bathroom and grabbed a couple of towels for Johnny and myself. We opened the door to go on the porch to dry off, and ran smack into Soda and Steve. They had just then ran up to the door, and were now fighting to see who could get through first. Steve slipped through, barely, and took a nosedive. Soda yelled excitedly and jumped over Steve's head.
"I can't believe it!" Steve yelled.
"So fuckin' tuff, huh Stevie!" Soda whooped.
"You better watch your mouth, little buddy," Darry said
"Hey Dare, what are you doing home so early?" Soda asked, running to the kitchen table.
He looked up from the papers he held in his hands. "Checkin' the bills. I'm thinking about getting a 2nd job. I don't know how we're going to pay off all these debts otherwise."
"Well, then you'll be thrilled to know that both me and Steve here got a job today!"
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"We're gonna work over at the DX. Steve's gonna go part time after school starts, and I'm going full time now."
Darry glanced sharply up at Soda. "Full time, Soda? What about school?"
"I ain't going." Soda looked at Darry defiantly, chin up and eyes gleaming. My jaw dropped. "I'm gonna drop out. My grades are horrible and they ain't gonna get better, especially now... I want to help out, anyway."
"Hey, can I drop out too, Darry?" I piped up. His response was a glare.
"You're not even old enough to get a job, Pony!" Steve snapped.
I gave him a look and headed for the door to go smoke. Darry didn't like me smoking, but he let me after Mom and Dad died because I was so tense.
"I don't know about this, Soda..." Darry asked.
"My mind's not changing."
Steve broke out laughing "Mind snot.." I started laughing too, when I saw Johnny staring at Steve like he was from Mars.
"Hey, Johnnycake. Pony, do you gotta soak the carpet? Go dry off."
I stared at Darry for a minute. He'd been in a neverending bad mood since Mom and Dad died. "Sorry, Darry." I went to the bathroom and grabbed a couple of towels for Johnny and myself. We opened the door to go on the porch to dry off, and ran smack into Soda and Steve. They had just then ran up to the door, and were now fighting to see who could get through first. Steve slipped through, barely, and took a nosedive. Soda yelled excitedly and jumped over Steve's head.
"I can't believe it!" Steve yelled.
"So fuckin' tuff, huh Stevie!" Soda whooped.
"You better watch your mouth, little buddy," Darry said
"Hey Dare, what are you doing home so early?" Soda asked, running to the kitchen table.
He looked up from the papers he held in his hands. "Checkin' the bills. I'm thinking about getting a 2nd job. I don't know how we're going to pay off all these debts otherwise."
"Well, then you'll be thrilled to know that both me and Steve here got a job today!"
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"We're gonna work over at the DX. Steve's gonna go part time after school starts, and I'm going full time now."
Darry glanced sharply up at Soda. "Full time, Soda? What about school?"
"I ain't going." Soda looked at Darry defiantly, chin up and eyes gleaming. My jaw dropped. "I'm gonna drop out. My grades are horrible and they ain't gonna get better, especially now... I want to help out, anyway."
"Hey, can I drop out too, Darry?" I piped up. His response was a glare.
"You're not even old enough to get a job, Pony!" Steve snapped.
I gave him a look and headed for the door to go smoke. Darry didn't like me smoking, but he let me after Mom and Dad died because I was so tense.
"I don't know about this, Soda..." Darry asked.
"My mind's not changing."
Steve broke out laughing "Mind snot.." I started laughing too, when I saw Johnny staring at Steve like he was from Mars.