"Where did you get this?" Soda repeated when neither Dally nor Tia answered.
Tia mind raced for a lie and she risked a glance at Dally. He looked just as lost as she did.
"Pony had stopped by last night, he had gotten his sweatshirt wet and wanted a dry one." Tia said trying to keep her voice calm.
"What time was it?" Soda demanded.
"Jeeze I dunno, 2:30 maybe 3." Tia replied glancing at Dally again for help.
"Yeah, so I just borrowed a shirt from Meril and sent him on his way. I didn't want him sticking around here since Darry doesn't want him here." Dally said shrugging.
"Yet he doesn't mind having a 13 year old girl sleeping here." Soda said coldly.
His words stung Tia, she knew he didn't approve of her hanging out around here. But since they weren't her acutally brothers, they could not order her not to go there.
"Why does it matter?" Tia asked Soda trying to keep her temper under control.
"Pony ran away last night." Soda said sadly.
"What?" Tia asked trying to sound shocked. "What happened?"
"Pony fell asleep in the lot and didn't come home until 2. Darry got really mad and hit him." Soda said but added quickly "He didn't mean to, he would never hurt Pony on purpose. It was just the heat of the moment."
"Don't worry, I'm sure he will turn up eventually." Tia said hoping to make him fell better.
"You knew this already didn't you?" Soda asked his tone angry.
"First time I heard this. Pony wouldn't say how he got wet but he seemed fine." Dally replied.
"Your lying." Soda said scowling.
"Soda we ain't lying!" Tia said rolling her eyes letting her frustration show "We care about Pony too and if we knew where he was we would sure as hell tell you!"
Soda just shook his head with anger and headed for the door.
"Lets go." Soda said as he left the room.
Tia felt horrible having to lie to Soda but she knew that she had to. Dally put an arm over her shoulders to comfort her as they followed Soda down the stairs.
The drive home was quiet. Tia said in the back staring blindly out the window, not wanting to meet Soda's sad eyes. When they got to the house and opened the door, the usual noise of the TV couldn't be heard. Instead a heavy silence filled the house, it was almost sickning.
Tia found Darry sitting at the kitchen table drinking a coffee. He glanced up when they came in but didn't say anything. When Tia put her hand on his shoulder as she approached him, he flinch.
"Soda told us what happened." Tia said quietly.
"Then you heard what a monster I am." Darry said bitterly.
"You aren't a monster, you are only human." Tia reassured him.
"You aren't scared I am gonna do the same thing I did to Pony, to you?" Darry asked looking up.
"You only hit him because you had been so scared for him before. It was an overreaction, you never meant to cause him harm." Tia explained sitting down next to him.
Darry just sighed and took another drink of coffee.
"I phoned the fuzz. I know its taking a chance of loosing Pony but I don't want anything to happen to them. They said that they would get someone to stop by to talk to me around 5." Darry explained. "There was also a Soc killed in the park. The Socs friends described Pony and Johnny as they killers. Well, they said that Johnny was the one that actually killed the Soc."
The guys didn't say much, they mostly just sat there in sorrow and guilt. Tia couldn't stand the silence and headed for the phone. She dialed KJ's house, hoping to either talk to him or Lisa.
"Hello?" KJ's familiar voice answered.
"Hey, its me." I said smiling when I heard his voice.
"I heard what happened to Johnny and Pony." KJ said slowly.
"Yeah, the guys are taking it pretty hard. Did Lisa find out?" I asked knowing how close she was with Pony.
"Yeah, she is pretty depressed so I will be staying around here for the night, just to hang out with her." KJ explained.
"Sounds good, she needs you right now, I can come out if ya want." I offered.
"Nah, we wouldn't mind your company but my parents...um...kinda know about Dally and Two-Bit and the rest of 'em...." KJ said sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it, I get it, they think I am some crazy girl." I said chuckling.
"Yeah that pretty much sums it up." KJ replied.
After saying their goodbyes Tia they hung up. The heavy silence was broken by the sound of the door opening and closing. Two-Bit and Steve came into the kitchen, somber looks on their faces.
"We heard what happened." Steve said slowly.
"You guys holding up alright?" Two-Bit asked.
"Yeah, we're alright." Soda said shrugging.
Tia was glad that Soda hadn't said anything about the sweatshirt, she knew it would have been a whole lot harder lying to Darry. Darry explained to Two-Bit and Steve about the fuzz coming by tonight.
"If you don't mind, I wouldn't like to stick around when they are here." Two-Bit said shifting uncomfortably.
"Its okay, it would probably be better if you weren't here anyways, no offense." Darry said slowly.
"No offense taken, I know what you mean, the fuzz likes me almost as much as Dally." Two-Bit said cracking a smile.
Dally just rolled his eyes at Two-Bit, a habit he had learnt from Tia. In the mean time, Tia could tell that Darry kept glancing at her. She understood what he wasn't saying.
"Its alright Darry, I will clear out of the house too." Tia said kindly.
"You don't have to." Darry said quickly, clearly embarrased.
"Its alright, I know it would look odd having one girl living with a bunch of guys." Tia said shrugging.
"She can hang out with me Darry, don't worry." Two-Bit said happily.
"Thanks." Darry replied giving Tia an appologettic smile.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where too now?" Tia asked Two-Bit as they crossed the street.
They had just left Bucks after playing some poker with him and Dally. Tia glanced at Two-Bit, he was clearly slightly drunk. He almost fell off the curb but Tia caught him by the arm just in time.
"Hmmm?" Two-Bit asked.
"I have been following you for the last 20 minutes, where are we going?" Tia asked laughing.
"What? I have been following you!" Two-Bit exclaimed before bursting out laughing.
"Great!" Tia said looking around to see if she recognized anything. "Any idea where we are then?"
"Hmmm Tulsa." Two-Bit replied nodding.
"Where in Tulsa, smart-ass?" Tia asked rolling her eyes.
"Well better a smart-ass then a dumb-ass." Two-Bit replied shrugging.
Tia tried to keep a straight face but burst out laughing. Tia stopped laughing abrutley when she heard the sounds of a car approaching. Even Two-Bit's laughing was replaced by cussing. Tia quickly flipped the hood up on her sweatshirt.
"How much you wanna bet its not Santa Claus?" Tia joked with a grim smile.
They turned around to see a car approaching them. The car pulled up to the curb close to them and the engine cut. Tia put a hand in front of her, trying to block out the painful glare of the headlights. When the headlights dimmed off she blinked a few times trying to focus on the oppising threat.
"Hey look T, Super Soc's." Two-Bit said laughing.
Tia felt like hitting him right then and there, by the looks of things, they were out numbered by about 3 and Two-Bit was wise cracking! Their faces were not clear but she could tell that they were Socs by the way they dressed. High schoolers by the size of them.
"Oh look, two Greasers out all alone." One of the Socs sneered. "What do you think you are doing out of your territory."
Tia bit her lip knowing that if she said they were lost it would just make them sound stupid. Two-Bit held his tongue for one of the very few times in his life. He glared coldly at them.
"Looks likes the Greasers are scared, don't they boys?" The same Soc continued coming closer. "Look at the scrawny one on the right, couldn't fight if his life depended on it."
I clenched her teeth, she was the one on the right but she didn't dare talk. They still didn't realize she was a girl and she would like to keep it that way.
"Look, its been a long night and we really aren't in the mood for pounding you guys into the ground." Two-Bit said jamming his fists into his pockets.
"Watch your smart mouth Grease, or else we might have to shut it for ya." The Soc shot back at Two-Bit.
Tia could feel the Socs eyes on her. She was silentley grateful that she had her hood up, she stared at the ground and didn't say anything. The Soc was coming closer to Tia, she braced herself ready to throw a punch in case if he attacked her.
"C'Mon guys, do we really have to do this?" Two-Bit spoke up hopping to make the Soc stop.
"I recognize you but this little guy, never seem him around before." The Soc said ignoring Two-Bit's comment. "Whats your name, boy?"
"Go screw yourself and leave us the hell alone." Tia said when she couldn't keep her silence anymore.
She immediately regretted it, he knew she was a girl.
"Look what he got here boys, a greasey girl." The Soc replied with a sly smile as he pushed her hood back. "How about we don't beat you and your friend up, if you come with us?"
"Like hell I would go anywheres with you." Tia retorted.
"Nobody says no to us." The Soc replied snaking an arm around Tia's waist.
She glanced at Two-Bit before she looked up at the Soc, raising her eyebrow. She gave him a sharp shove to the chest, knocking him off balance. She took advantage of his surprise and knocked him to the ground. He never knew what hit him.
Tia mind raced for a lie and she risked a glance at Dally. He looked just as lost as she did.
"Pony had stopped by last night, he had gotten his sweatshirt wet and wanted a dry one." Tia said trying to keep her voice calm.
"What time was it?" Soda demanded.
"Jeeze I dunno, 2:30 maybe 3." Tia replied glancing at Dally again for help.
"Yeah, so I just borrowed a shirt from Meril and sent him on his way. I didn't want him sticking around here since Darry doesn't want him here." Dally said shrugging.
"Yet he doesn't mind having a 13 year old girl sleeping here." Soda said coldly.
His words stung Tia, she knew he didn't approve of her hanging out around here. But since they weren't her acutally brothers, they could not order her not to go there.
"Why does it matter?" Tia asked Soda trying to keep her temper under control.
"Pony ran away last night." Soda said sadly.
"What?" Tia asked trying to sound shocked. "What happened?"
"Pony fell asleep in the lot and didn't come home until 2. Darry got really mad and hit him." Soda said but added quickly "He didn't mean to, he would never hurt Pony on purpose. It was just the heat of the moment."
"Don't worry, I'm sure he will turn up eventually." Tia said hoping to make him fell better.
"You knew this already didn't you?" Soda asked his tone angry.
"First time I heard this. Pony wouldn't say how he got wet but he seemed fine." Dally replied.
"Your lying." Soda said scowling.
"Soda we ain't lying!" Tia said rolling her eyes letting her frustration show "We care about Pony too and if we knew where he was we would sure as hell tell you!"
Soda just shook his head with anger and headed for the door.
"Lets go." Soda said as he left the room.
Tia felt horrible having to lie to Soda but she knew that she had to. Dally put an arm over her shoulders to comfort her as they followed Soda down the stairs.
The drive home was quiet. Tia said in the back staring blindly out the window, not wanting to meet Soda's sad eyes. When they got to the house and opened the door, the usual noise of the TV couldn't be heard. Instead a heavy silence filled the house, it was almost sickning.
Tia found Darry sitting at the kitchen table drinking a coffee. He glanced up when they came in but didn't say anything. When Tia put her hand on his shoulder as she approached him, he flinch.
"Soda told us what happened." Tia said quietly.
"Then you heard what a monster I am." Darry said bitterly.
"You aren't a monster, you are only human." Tia reassured him.
"You aren't scared I am gonna do the same thing I did to Pony, to you?" Darry asked looking up.
"You only hit him because you had been so scared for him before. It was an overreaction, you never meant to cause him harm." Tia explained sitting down next to him.
Darry just sighed and took another drink of coffee.
"I phoned the fuzz. I know its taking a chance of loosing Pony but I don't want anything to happen to them. They said that they would get someone to stop by to talk to me around 5." Darry explained. "There was also a Soc killed in the park. The Socs friends described Pony and Johnny as they killers. Well, they said that Johnny was the one that actually killed the Soc."
The guys didn't say much, they mostly just sat there in sorrow and guilt. Tia couldn't stand the silence and headed for the phone. She dialed KJ's house, hoping to either talk to him or Lisa.
"Hello?" KJ's familiar voice answered.
"Hey, its me." I said smiling when I heard his voice.
"I heard what happened to Johnny and Pony." KJ said slowly.
"Yeah, the guys are taking it pretty hard. Did Lisa find out?" I asked knowing how close she was with Pony.
"Yeah, she is pretty depressed so I will be staying around here for the night, just to hang out with her." KJ explained.
"Sounds good, she needs you right now, I can come out if ya want." I offered.
"Nah, we wouldn't mind your company but my parents...um...kinda know about Dally and Two-Bit and the rest of 'em...." KJ said sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it, I get it, they think I am some crazy girl." I said chuckling.
"Yeah that pretty much sums it up." KJ replied.
After saying their goodbyes Tia they hung up. The heavy silence was broken by the sound of the door opening and closing. Two-Bit and Steve came into the kitchen, somber looks on their faces.
"We heard what happened." Steve said slowly.
"You guys holding up alright?" Two-Bit asked.
"Yeah, we're alright." Soda said shrugging.
Tia was glad that Soda hadn't said anything about the sweatshirt, she knew it would have been a whole lot harder lying to Darry. Darry explained to Two-Bit and Steve about the fuzz coming by tonight.
"If you don't mind, I wouldn't like to stick around when they are here." Two-Bit said shifting uncomfortably.
"Its okay, it would probably be better if you weren't here anyways, no offense." Darry said slowly.
"No offense taken, I know what you mean, the fuzz likes me almost as much as Dally." Two-Bit said cracking a smile.
Dally just rolled his eyes at Two-Bit, a habit he had learnt from Tia. In the mean time, Tia could tell that Darry kept glancing at her. She understood what he wasn't saying.
"Its alright Darry, I will clear out of the house too." Tia said kindly.
"You don't have to." Darry said quickly, clearly embarrased.
"Its alright, I know it would look odd having one girl living with a bunch of guys." Tia said shrugging.
"She can hang out with me Darry, don't worry." Two-Bit said happily.
"Thanks." Darry replied giving Tia an appologettic smile.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where too now?" Tia asked Two-Bit as they crossed the street.
They had just left Bucks after playing some poker with him and Dally. Tia glanced at Two-Bit, he was clearly slightly drunk. He almost fell off the curb but Tia caught him by the arm just in time.
"Hmmm?" Two-Bit asked.
"I have been following you for the last 20 minutes, where are we going?" Tia asked laughing.
"What? I have been following you!" Two-Bit exclaimed before bursting out laughing.
"Great!" Tia said looking around to see if she recognized anything. "Any idea where we are then?"
"Hmmm Tulsa." Two-Bit replied nodding.
"Where in Tulsa, smart-ass?" Tia asked rolling her eyes.
"Well better a smart-ass then a dumb-ass." Two-Bit replied shrugging.
Tia tried to keep a straight face but burst out laughing. Tia stopped laughing abrutley when she heard the sounds of a car approaching. Even Two-Bit's laughing was replaced by cussing. Tia quickly flipped the hood up on her sweatshirt.
"How much you wanna bet its not Santa Claus?" Tia joked with a grim smile.
They turned around to see a car approaching them. The car pulled up to the curb close to them and the engine cut. Tia put a hand in front of her, trying to block out the painful glare of the headlights. When the headlights dimmed off she blinked a few times trying to focus on the oppising threat.
"Hey look T, Super Soc's." Two-Bit said laughing.
Tia felt like hitting him right then and there, by the looks of things, they were out numbered by about 3 and Two-Bit was wise cracking! Their faces were not clear but she could tell that they were Socs by the way they dressed. High schoolers by the size of them.
"Oh look, two Greasers out all alone." One of the Socs sneered. "What do you think you are doing out of your territory."
Tia bit her lip knowing that if she said they were lost it would just make them sound stupid. Two-Bit held his tongue for one of the very few times in his life. He glared coldly at them.
"Looks likes the Greasers are scared, don't they boys?" The same Soc continued coming closer. "Look at the scrawny one on the right, couldn't fight if his life depended on it."
I clenched her teeth, she was the one on the right but she didn't dare talk. They still didn't realize she was a girl and she would like to keep it that way.
"Look, its been a long night and we really aren't in the mood for pounding you guys into the ground." Two-Bit said jamming his fists into his pockets.
"Watch your smart mouth Grease, or else we might have to shut it for ya." The Soc shot back at Two-Bit.
Tia could feel the Socs eyes on her. She was silentley grateful that she had her hood up, she stared at the ground and didn't say anything. The Soc was coming closer to Tia, she braced herself ready to throw a punch in case if he attacked her.
"C'Mon guys, do we really have to do this?" Two-Bit spoke up hopping to make the Soc stop.
"I recognize you but this little guy, never seem him around before." The Soc said ignoring Two-Bit's comment. "Whats your name, boy?"
"Go screw yourself and leave us the hell alone." Tia said when she couldn't keep her silence anymore.
She immediately regretted it, he knew she was a girl.
"Look what he got here boys, a greasey girl." The Soc replied with a sly smile as he pushed her hood back. "How about we don't beat you and your friend up, if you come with us?"
"Like hell I would go anywheres with you." Tia retorted.
"Nobody says no to us." The Soc replied snaking an arm around Tia's waist.
She glanced at Two-Bit before she looked up at the Soc, raising her eyebrow. She gave him a sharp shove to the chest, knocking him off balance. She took advantage of his surprise and knocked him to the ground. He never knew what hit him.