Chapter Twelve
Hello everybody. Thanks to everyone who reads, and most of all my reviewers!
Dolls-Brace yourself before you start looking for that crossover. I could've cried over it...
Deadly-thanks! I can always depend on hearing from you.
News: Project at the ski-ming's website: some of us are gonna write a group fic. If you're interested, go the site. www.angelfire.com/ok5/outsiders.fans
Okay, heres it goes.
---
It was hard not to notice the noise. Anybody within a ten mile radius of the train station could hear the Ford skidding wildly through the gravel, accompanied by whoopping, yelling, and honking. Mark probably would have heard them even if a train had been passing by right then.
Soda was driving, obviously practicing his drag racing. When the truck got closer, it was visible that Two-Bit was leaning over Sodapop, pressing down on the horn multiple times. Darry was yelling at them both. Steve was in the back of the truck, edging Soda on, as he always did, asking "Can't you go any faster?" with one hand holding on tightly and the other with a cigarette calmly dangling from it. The most important question was: "Why hadn't the cigarette gone flying?" But Mark decided to skip over that question.
Two-Bit pushed past Soda and out the door towards Mark. If the window would have been rolled down a little bit more, he might have taken that route. He clapped his hand down on Mark's shoulder, but Mark scowled, eyeing the truck coldly.
"Why are they here?"
"C'mon! I got us some wheels. Much better than trying to stowaway on a train..."
"That was your plan? Try to hide on the train?"
"Yeeeeessss..."
"Trying to get me arrested or something, man?"
"Nooo..."
"Where's Pony? Thought you guys were lookin' for him."
"Yeah. We're gonna meet him where we're going."
Mark rolled his eyes.
"Got any more?" He called out to Steve.
"Huh?"
"Got any more cigarettes?"
"Sure do."
Steve leaned over the side of the truck and tossed a pack at Mark. Catching it, Mark jumped into the back of the truck. Two-Bit grinned and decided to get into the back, too. For one, he wanted to sit with Mark, and two, Darry wasn't about to let him near the horn again.
"Slow it down this time, kid brother." Darry yelled at Soda, who was revving up the engine.
"Say what?" Soda asked, tearing down the road.
Mark managed to ask Two-Bit where they were headed.
"It's a supriiiiise." He told him.
Lighting up, Steve plainly said, "A rodeo."
~a little earlier~
Two-Bit had been assigned to stay at the Curtis house in case Pony phoned or popped up. He hated sitting still, but agreed. He turned on the telly, bored out of his mind, to watch the latest adventures of Mighty Mouse, but after 30 minutes Mighty Mouse deserted poor Two-Bit. He ransacked the ice box, but no one had restocked it since everyone had been too busy looking for Pony. Grumbling, Two-Bit plopped back on the couch and fell asleep.
And then there was this weird noise coming from somewhere...was some beautiful blonde calling him? No, all the blondes in the world were right there beside him, feeding him chocolate-and-rum cake...The noise wouldn't stop though...
Opening his eyes, Two-Bit jumped up and lunged towards the phone...picking it up, all he could hear was his own raspy breaths and a dial tone.
"Shoot."
:Ponyboy walked out of the store, the bell tied to it ringing behind him, and began walking. He wrapped his arms in each other and went on stubbornly. He craned his head back at the door and then jerked it back and gritted his teeth. But soon he was redialing the number back inside of the gas station.
"'Ello?" Two-Bit answered eagerly.
"Two-Bit?" Pony mumbled, pushing his hair out of his face.
"Pony? Pony! Thank GAWD! Sorry about before, you know you don't have to mention that to Darry...Where are you? What's up? Where you been?"
"I'm at..." Pony hesitated.
"Everyone's worried sick! Sick! Where ya at? We'll come and pick you up right now."
Pony shifted.
"Um...what are you doing later tonight?"
"Tonight? What's that matter? Where are ya?"
"What are y'all doing?"
"Going to some rodeo out past Gary. Pony, where ARE you?"
"I'll meet you there."
And the line had gone dead. Two-Bit sighed, debating whether or not to stick around and hope for another call or go and find the boys. He picked the latter choice and ran out the door.
On the other end, Pony sighed, too. Maybe Darry wouldn't start yelling at him right in front of a lot of other people. Besides that, Pony still wanted some time away from the gang to think.
They drove on, enjoying the wind and watching for cops at the same time. The scent of the city faded behind them, and they went on into the lazy yellow country. Two-Bit recounted the episode of Mighty Mouse to Mark, who nodded and breathed out the twisting waves of smoke from his mouth. Steve leaned over the tire hump and talked to Soda a little bit. Darry stayed quiet.
Everyone soon modeled Darry, noticing cars out in the distance.
"A rodeo, huh?" Mark said, thinking of a golden-eyed, traveling man...
"Yes indeedy. It'll be fun. Lots of crazy stunts, beer, and chicks." Two-Bit said reassuringly.
And horses, Soda said to himself, hearing Two-Bit, thinking of days when he rode, thinking of Mickey Mouse.
Buck Merril stood beside another dusty truck, with the radio turned on and up loud, reaching into an ice-box and pulling out a dripping beer.
Darry, Steve, Two-Bit, and Soda all thought of Dally.
Soda swallowed and parked close by. Darry nodded at Buck, and stepped out of the truck. Mark ran a finger over his eyebrow, and then hopped out and reached out for a drink. Steve raised his head and dropped down from the back. Soda slowly clicked open the door and got out. Two-Bit followed.
________________
---So whadja think?
Hello everybody. Thanks to everyone who reads, and most of all my reviewers!
Dolls-Brace yourself before you start looking for that crossover. I could've cried over it...
Deadly-thanks! I can always depend on hearing from you.
News: Project at the ski-ming's website: some of us are gonna write a group fic. If you're interested, go the site. www.angelfire.com/ok5/outsiders.fans
Okay, heres it goes.
---
It was hard not to notice the noise. Anybody within a ten mile radius of the train station could hear the Ford skidding wildly through the gravel, accompanied by whoopping, yelling, and honking. Mark probably would have heard them even if a train had been passing by right then.
Soda was driving, obviously practicing his drag racing. When the truck got closer, it was visible that Two-Bit was leaning over Sodapop, pressing down on the horn multiple times. Darry was yelling at them both. Steve was in the back of the truck, edging Soda on, as he always did, asking "Can't you go any faster?" with one hand holding on tightly and the other with a cigarette calmly dangling from it. The most important question was: "Why hadn't the cigarette gone flying?" But Mark decided to skip over that question.
Two-Bit pushed past Soda and out the door towards Mark. If the window would have been rolled down a little bit more, he might have taken that route. He clapped his hand down on Mark's shoulder, but Mark scowled, eyeing the truck coldly.
"Why are they here?"
"C'mon! I got us some wheels. Much better than trying to stowaway on a train..."
"That was your plan? Try to hide on the train?"
"Yeeeeessss..."
"Trying to get me arrested or something, man?"
"Nooo..."
"Where's Pony? Thought you guys were lookin' for him."
"Yeah. We're gonna meet him where we're going."
Mark rolled his eyes.
"Got any more?" He called out to Steve.
"Huh?"
"Got any more cigarettes?"
"Sure do."
Steve leaned over the side of the truck and tossed a pack at Mark. Catching it, Mark jumped into the back of the truck. Two-Bit grinned and decided to get into the back, too. For one, he wanted to sit with Mark, and two, Darry wasn't about to let him near the horn again.
"Slow it down this time, kid brother." Darry yelled at Soda, who was revving up the engine.
"Say what?" Soda asked, tearing down the road.
Mark managed to ask Two-Bit where they were headed.
"It's a supriiiiise." He told him.
Lighting up, Steve plainly said, "A rodeo."
~a little earlier~
Two-Bit had been assigned to stay at the Curtis house in case Pony phoned or popped up. He hated sitting still, but agreed. He turned on the telly, bored out of his mind, to watch the latest adventures of Mighty Mouse, but after 30 minutes Mighty Mouse deserted poor Two-Bit. He ransacked the ice box, but no one had restocked it since everyone had been too busy looking for Pony. Grumbling, Two-Bit plopped back on the couch and fell asleep.
And then there was this weird noise coming from somewhere...was some beautiful blonde calling him? No, all the blondes in the world were right there beside him, feeding him chocolate-and-rum cake...The noise wouldn't stop though...
Opening his eyes, Two-Bit jumped up and lunged towards the phone...picking it up, all he could hear was his own raspy breaths and a dial tone.
"Shoot."
:Ponyboy walked out of the store, the bell tied to it ringing behind him, and began walking. He wrapped his arms in each other and went on stubbornly. He craned his head back at the door and then jerked it back and gritted his teeth. But soon he was redialing the number back inside of the gas station.
"'Ello?" Two-Bit answered eagerly.
"Two-Bit?" Pony mumbled, pushing his hair out of his face.
"Pony? Pony! Thank GAWD! Sorry about before, you know you don't have to mention that to Darry...Where are you? What's up? Where you been?"
"I'm at..." Pony hesitated.
"Everyone's worried sick! Sick! Where ya at? We'll come and pick you up right now."
Pony shifted.
"Um...what are you doing later tonight?"
"Tonight? What's that matter? Where are ya?"
"What are y'all doing?"
"Going to some rodeo out past Gary. Pony, where ARE you?"
"I'll meet you there."
And the line had gone dead. Two-Bit sighed, debating whether or not to stick around and hope for another call or go and find the boys. He picked the latter choice and ran out the door.
On the other end, Pony sighed, too. Maybe Darry wouldn't start yelling at him right in front of a lot of other people. Besides that, Pony still wanted some time away from the gang to think.
They drove on, enjoying the wind and watching for cops at the same time. The scent of the city faded behind them, and they went on into the lazy yellow country. Two-Bit recounted the episode of Mighty Mouse to Mark, who nodded and breathed out the twisting waves of smoke from his mouth. Steve leaned over the tire hump and talked to Soda a little bit. Darry stayed quiet.
Everyone soon modeled Darry, noticing cars out in the distance.
"A rodeo, huh?" Mark said, thinking of a golden-eyed, traveling man...
"Yes indeedy. It'll be fun. Lots of crazy stunts, beer, and chicks." Two-Bit said reassuringly.
And horses, Soda said to himself, hearing Two-Bit, thinking of days when he rode, thinking of Mickey Mouse.
Buck Merril stood beside another dusty truck, with the radio turned on and up loud, reaching into an ice-box and pulling out a dripping beer.
Darry, Steve, Two-Bit, and Soda all thought of Dally.
Soda swallowed and parked close by. Darry nodded at Buck, and stepped out of the truck. Mark ran a finger over his eyebrow, and then hopped out and reached out for a drink. Steve raised his head and dropped down from the back. Soda slowly clicked open the door and got out. Two-Bit followed.
________________
---So whadja think?