~ Pony
"Curtis!" A voice called me, but I didn't stop running.
"PONYBOY!" I froze, knowing now who called me and not liking it one bit.
"Hey." I nodded at Curly Shepherd as he jogged to reach me, "Didn't hear you there."
"Like hell." Curly ran up beside me, panting, "Where you going so fast, Curtis?"
I hesitated on telling Curly my task but figured it couldn't hurt, "Goin to see a doctor. What's it to you Shepherd?"
"You goin for that crazy head of your's?" With the cool look I gave him Curly shut up real fast.
"What d'ya want?" I asked, my feet on fire to leave.
"Did you know that Doctor of your was going with Tim?" Curly flexed the muscles in his arms. A rather annoying habbit of his.
"Yah." I affirmed, thinking back to last night and sighing.
"Know that you won't find 'er wherever you're looking for her?"
I spun on him, "Why's that?"
"Tim told some reporters her dirty little secret. She ain't free now, she's hunted." Curly beamed, "Tim's famous."
I barely managed to restrain from knocking that proud little smirk off of his face.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked, my voice strained behind gritted teeth and clenching fists.
An unnaturally cool breeze blew suddenly and I shivered. Sickness was not unknown to me. I had been sick real bad before..but something I'd noticed before was tugging at the back of my brain.
Autumn wasn't really as tough as she acted. But there wasn't a disease in the whole world that could hurt her! Was there?
I shifted my gaze to Curly's hard eyes, so much like his brother.
"Didn't you know?" Curly laughed, "Doctor Autumn Brawning has Leukemia."
A panic so strong I shook circled my body- it all became clear in that moment. That's why she was so skinny and small. That's why she was so bitter about life and hated the behavior of those who thought they could just throw their's away so easily.
Their lives, I mean. I was the perfect example..when I told her I wanted to join my parents in the grave.
That's why she taught me to be grateful for life. That's why.
Somehow during my revelations Curly seemed to be having the time of his life.
Suddenly I was furious at Curly, at Tim, at Autumn.. but mostly at myself.
I grabbed Curly's shirt front roughly right below the collar and pulled his down to me- at eye level. Surprisingly he didn't struggle against my hold..
"You listen and you listen good, Shepherd." I said real threateningly, applying slight pressure to his collar bone, "Tell me Where Doctor B. is, and you tell me straight or you ain't gonna see the light o'tommora" Now I'm not one to make threats but really, enough was enough. I don't stand for other people taking pleasure in the pain of others.
Curly pulled my fingers off him slowly, "That's why I'm freaking here, Curtis." He began to walk away slowly , "Autumn's at her office, clearing out. Get there in time and maybe you can stop her before the press get to her and rip her apart..and not just physically either."
I called after his fading figure, "Why'd you tell me this?"
"Tim told the press..But Dr. Brawning helped my out once. I owe her favor." Then he was gone, blending into a dark alley where he disappeared.
"What's up with the drama these days!?" I cried, thinking back to the door slamming and yelling back at my house. It was hard to believe yesterday had been one of the happiest days in my life.
I sprinted back to the house, wishing I hadn't cut track practice the past week.
My brothers weren't outside and I was too out of breath to shout for them so I burst inside- sweating like the dickens.
Darry didn't look up from yesterday's paper. His lips were pressed into a thin line and he stared blankly at the newspaper in front of him.
"We have to go! Dr. Brawning's leavin' and we gotta stop her!" My heart was pounding a thousand miles an hour and I could barely move my lips fast enough to keep up with my spinning brain.
"Please!" I begged Darry who sat silently as if frozen. A muscle in his jaw twitched.
"Pony, Autumn can do whatever the hell she wants. And anyone for that matter.-he glanced at Sodapop- It doesn't matter to me anymore." His voice was cold as ice and emotionless. His expression was carefully blank.
I nearly sobbed with impatience.
"Soda!" I called desperately to my other brother, "Will you help me out here?" We need to get Darry to Dr. Brawning."
Soda turned to face me sadly, his eyes rimmed with red. "There ain't nuthin I can do now, Pony."
In an instant I knew what had happened. How could I have been such an idiot?!
Soda knew! Of course he knew Dr. Brawning was sick and wouldn't tell Darry. He wouldn't betray her trust for anything. So Darry, having given Sodapop his jecket got the wrong idea about Autumn and Sodapop.
Now he was jealous and blaming Soda. Apparently he was still mad as hell too.
I squeezed the back of Soda's neck gently. My brother was like Johnny in some ways. He didn't hate it when one of the gang was mad at him.but we got mad at Soda so rarely that he'd never really gotten used to the fact that people got mad all the time. In my case, I didn't see how anyone could ever be mad at Soda at all.
Well, Soda might've promised Autumn not to tell Darry but I sure hadn't.
"Dr. B's sick, Dar." I said.
Slowly my oldest brother put his paper down, "What"
"I said she ain't well. I don't know why she ne'er told one one but she's leaving now."
Darry's mind was as quick as min, "She okay?"
| "Press sure ain't gonna be kind to her." I said, but Darry was already up and moving.
Soda stared and shot me a grateful/hurt look. I pulled him up and we rushed to the door.
"Sorry pepsi-cola" Darry ruffled Soda's hair, "I should've known you wouldn't do anything like that...but you see-
"You love her." Soda added helpfully.
"Yah, I guess I do."
Then we were off to the clinic.
~Autumn
I yanked my blinds shut, turned the classical music u so I couldn't hear the 'click' of camera shutters outside of my window.
How had the press found out so fast?
Then a thought struck me. "Tim, that cheap skate!." Except I didn't say cheapskate.
Fear raced up my spine, how much did Tim know about me anyway?
My bag of odds and ends sat forlornly at my feet and my boss had given me a final pay check as the clock struck the noontime hour. The shouting grew louder when I was caught in view on the cameras. The glass door seemed to magnify my very worst feeling.my nervousness..my fear.
Vaguely I registered the familiar humm of a car but my thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash.and then a rock hurtling dangerously close to my face.
To the satisfaction of whoever threw the rock.and the press, (who could very likely be the same people) I screamed in fear. It wasn't something I could control but when you're faced with a crowd that size..terror just seems to sneak up on you.
Bright flashes of film caught me full in the face, trying to capture the look of horror I'm sure was plastered on my betraying features.
Some paparazzi was even audacious enough to yell, "Look this way Autumn, doll. Don't be shy now!"
I would have been extremely angry if I wasn't so upset right then.
People surrounded me from all sides. Some looking nervous and sad- but most looking mean and angry. One woman held a sign saying, 'an eye for an eye!'.
Tim had told them everything.
"Curtis!" A voice called me, but I didn't stop running.
"PONYBOY!" I froze, knowing now who called me and not liking it one bit.
"Hey." I nodded at Curly Shepherd as he jogged to reach me, "Didn't hear you there."
"Like hell." Curly ran up beside me, panting, "Where you going so fast, Curtis?"
I hesitated on telling Curly my task but figured it couldn't hurt, "Goin to see a doctor. What's it to you Shepherd?"
"You goin for that crazy head of your's?" With the cool look I gave him Curly shut up real fast.
"What d'ya want?" I asked, my feet on fire to leave.
"Did you know that Doctor of your was going with Tim?" Curly flexed the muscles in his arms. A rather annoying habbit of his.
"Yah." I affirmed, thinking back to last night and sighing.
"Know that you won't find 'er wherever you're looking for her?"
I spun on him, "Why's that?"
"Tim told some reporters her dirty little secret. She ain't free now, she's hunted." Curly beamed, "Tim's famous."
I barely managed to restrain from knocking that proud little smirk off of his face.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked, my voice strained behind gritted teeth and clenching fists.
An unnaturally cool breeze blew suddenly and I shivered. Sickness was not unknown to me. I had been sick real bad before..but something I'd noticed before was tugging at the back of my brain.
Autumn wasn't really as tough as she acted. But there wasn't a disease in the whole world that could hurt her! Was there?
I shifted my gaze to Curly's hard eyes, so much like his brother.
"Didn't you know?" Curly laughed, "Doctor Autumn Brawning has Leukemia."
A panic so strong I shook circled my body- it all became clear in that moment. That's why she was so skinny and small. That's why she was so bitter about life and hated the behavior of those who thought they could just throw their's away so easily.
Their lives, I mean. I was the perfect example..when I told her I wanted to join my parents in the grave.
That's why she taught me to be grateful for life. That's why.
Somehow during my revelations Curly seemed to be having the time of his life.
Suddenly I was furious at Curly, at Tim, at Autumn.. but mostly at myself.
I grabbed Curly's shirt front roughly right below the collar and pulled his down to me- at eye level. Surprisingly he didn't struggle against my hold..
"You listen and you listen good, Shepherd." I said real threateningly, applying slight pressure to his collar bone, "Tell me Where Doctor B. is, and you tell me straight or you ain't gonna see the light o'tommora" Now I'm not one to make threats but really, enough was enough. I don't stand for other people taking pleasure in the pain of others.
Curly pulled my fingers off him slowly, "That's why I'm freaking here, Curtis." He began to walk away slowly , "Autumn's at her office, clearing out. Get there in time and maybe you can stop her before the press get to her and rip her apart..and not just physically either."
I called after his fading figure, "Why'd you tell me this?"
"Tim told the press..But Dr. Brawning helped my out once. I owe her favor." Then he was gone, blending into a dark alley where he disappeared.
"What's up with the drama these days!?" I cried, thinking back to the door slamming and yelling back at my house. It was hard to believe yesterday had been one of the happiest days in my life.
I sprinted back to the house, wishing I hadn't cut track practice the past week.
My brothers weren't outside and I was too out of breath to shout for them so I burst inside- sweating like the dickens.
Darry didn't look up from yesterday's paper. His lips were pressed into a thin line and he stared blankly at the newspaper in front of him.
"We have to go! Dr. Brawning's leavin' and we gotta stop her!" My heart was pounding a thousand miles an hour and I could barely move my lips fast enough to keep up with my spinning brain.
"Please!" I begged Darry who sat silently as if frozen. A muscle in his jaw twitched.
"Pony, Autumn can do whatever the hell she wants. And anyone for that matter.-he glanced at Sodapop- It doesn't matter to me anymore." His voice was cold as ice and emotionless. His expression was carefully blank.
I nearly sobbed with impatience.
"Soda!" I called desperately to my other brother, "Will you help me out here?" We need to get Darry to Dr. Brawning."
Soda turned to face me sadly, his eyes rimmed with red. "There ain't nuthin I can do now, Pony."
In an instant I knew what had happened. How could I have been such an idiot?!
Soda knew! Of course he knew Dr. Brawning was sick and wouldn't tell Darry. He wouldn't betray her trust for anything. So Darry, having given Sodapop his jecket got the wrong idea about Autumn and Sodapop.
Now he was jealous and blaming Soda. Apparently he was still mad as hell too.
I squeezed the back of Soda's neck gently. My brother was like Johnny in some ways. He didn't hate it when one of the gang was mad at him.but we got mad at Soda so rarely that he'd never really gotten used to the fact that people got mad all the time. In my case, I didn't see how anyone could ever be mad at Soda at all.
Well, Soda might've promised Autumn not to tell Darry but I sure hadn't.
"Dr. B's sick, Dar." I said.
Slowly my oldest brother put his paper down, "What"
"I said she ain't well. I don't know why she ne'er told one one but she's leaving now."
Darry's mind was as quick as min, "She okay?"
| "Press sure ain't gonna be kind to her." I said, but Darry was already up and moving.
Soda stared and shot me a grateful/hurt look. I pulled him up and we rushed to the door.
"Sorry pepsi-cola" Darry ruffled Soda's hair, "I should've known you wouldn't do anything like that...but you see-
"You love her." Soda added helpfully.
"Yah, I guess I do."
Then we were off to the clinic.
~Autumn
I yanked my blinds shut, turned the classical music u so I couldn't hear the 'click' of camera shutters outside of my window.
How had the press found out so fast?
Then a thought struck me. "Tim, that cheap skate!." Except I didn't say cheapskate.
Fear raced up my spine, how much did Tim know about me anyway?
My bag of odds and ends sat forlornly at my feet and my boss had given me a final pay check as the clock struck the noontime hour. The shouting grew louder when I was caught in view on the cameras. The glass door seemed to magnify my very worst feeling.my nervousness..my fear.
Vaguely I registered the familiar humm of a car but my thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash.and then a rock hurtling dangerously close to my face.
To the satisfaction of whoever threw the rock.and the press, (who could very likely be the same people) I screamed in fear. It wasn't something I could control but when you're faced with a crowd that size..terror just seems to sneak up on you.
Bright flashes of film caught me full in the face, trying to capture the look of horror I'm sure was plastered on my betraying features.
Some paparazzi was even audacious enough to yell, "Look this way Autumn, doll. Don't be shy now!"
I would have been extremely angry if I wasn't so upset right then.
People surrounded me from all sides. Some looking nervous and sad- but most looking mean and angry. One woman held a sign saying, 'an eye for an eye!'.
Tim had told them everything.