Before we got home Darry stopped at the DX gas station where Steve Randall worked part time fixing cars and pumping gas. Darry pulled the truck to a stop and jumped out to pump his own gas. He was looking forward to the fresh air and having a few minutes to himself to think without Pony glaring at him.
Immediately Soda scooted across the vinyl seat and out the driver's side door. He was headed in to find his friend. Steve was normally in school at this time, but there were daytime hours available and he loved to skip school to make money. Pony and I stayed in the truck and watched Soda disappear into the garage. I wondered if Pony really wanted to be following Soda into the station or just sitting out here with me.
"Don't worry Scout, I aint gonna leave ya." Pony said angrily.
I was worried. In my heart I knew that Darry would never be willing to give me up for adoption, but the cold hard facts were true. Darry was not the most capable man to provide for me physically, emotionally and financially. Those were the facts, and Darry never made his decisions based on emotions.
Steve noticed Soda come in.
"Hey Sodapop." Steve called out apprehensively knowing that Soda had been to court and he may have had bad news. "Wha'd ya all find out in court today?"
Soda's welcoming grin fell from his face. "Not a whole lot. The judge told me I needed to start getting better grades." Both boys shared a laugh over that. They knew Soda just wasn't the learning kind. "The judge talked to each of us and then he talked to Darry alone." Soda looked down into the car engine as if he was looking for a specific part. "Judge told Darry he won't be making a final decision until Monday. Sounds like we will be able to stay with Darry as long as we don't get in no trouble. Well I mean Ponyboy and me, not Scout. Judge says he wants Darry to consider giving Scout up for adoption. Something about how he could never be able to teach her how to be a good mother or be able to give her fancy clothes or stuff like that."
Steve felt bad seeing Soda hurting and yelled out in disgust. "Hell Soda we know Scout don't want no fancy clothes or fancy things. And she learned all she's gonna need to know about being a mama from your mama."
"I know that, and Darry knows that too." Soda continued to lean on the car and looked up at his best friend. "Thing is even if Darry doesn't want to give her up the judge can still force her to be put up for adoption."
"Poor thing. I bet she's just sick." Steve Randall was rarely the empathetic type, but in the last week he was learning to be a little more caring for others.
"See the thing is, if we just had a little more money we probably wouldn't be in this mess." Soda spun around and sat on the edge of the car. "I been thinking about dropping out of school and getting a full time job."
"Come on now Soda, Darry aint never gonna let that happen."
"He aint got a choice. I'm sixteen and I can drop out if I want to."
Steve's face suddenly lit up. "Soda! Bud the owner is in today and he told me Frank quit and he is looking for a full time guy. Day shift."
Soda grinned from ear to ear. Steve slapped his buddy on the arm and led him to Bud's office inside the station. "Hey Bud, I got ya a new full time guy."
When we reached home everyone went straight to their rooms to change clothes. Regardless of what the judge thought we all felt better in jeans and t-shirts. Darry went to his room and stayed there for a while. Ponyboy and I were glad because we were still real mad at him. We headed to the couch to watch TV. Soda sat there with us for about 10 minutes, that's about all the sitting he could take.
"I'm gonna go check on Darry." Soda hopped up and said.
Pony and I didn't even look up.
"Hey now!" Soda stuck up for his older brother. "You two know there aint no way in hell Darry is going to give Scout up. Not even if he has to hire a lawyer to keep you with us."
"Well it'd be nice to hear him say that." Ponyboy got cocky. "All we heard him say was the judge had some good points and he can't give Scout everything she always wanted."
When Pony and I felt strongly about something we were a strong team. We knew what each other was thinking and feeling so I let him handle the argument.
"Come on Pon." Soda pleaded for a little forgiveness for Darry. "Lighten up on him a little, would ya."
Pony's gruff voice rang out. "Easy for you to say. You're not on the chopping block. And besides I've been with Sissy since before we were born, and I aint ready to leave her now."
Soda knew he wasn't going to change Ponyboy's attitude so he walked back to Darry's room and knocked on the door.
"Darry, can I come in?" Soda asked, but he wasn't waiting for a reply, he just went in anyway.
Inside Darry was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He didn't move when Soda came in and shut the door, just answered the question he felt was sure to come up. "For the last time I'm not going to give her up for adoption, but it's not really my choice."
Soda sat down on the bed and sighed. "Darry maybe we should look into getting a lawyer or something."
"And just where are we gonna get the money for that? I only got about fifty dollars left in my college account. I spent nearly all of it on the funeral."
Soda looked down at his stocking feet. "You know I aint no good in school, right?"
"Stop it Soda, you do the best you can."
"No what I mean is I'm not ever going to be able to graduate. So I have come up with a different plan."
"This better not involve running off to join the circus." Darry said with a smile.
"No, better." Sodapop grinned. "Bud at the DX offered me a full time job, $1.15 an hour. That's more than minimum wage. I can work full time and help provide for Ponyboy and Scout."
Darry sat up and looked at Soda's soft and caring expression. "No way Soda, the judge said he wanted your grades up, he wouldn't be to pleased with you dropping out."
"Come on Darry, I can legally drop out anyways. Besides, then you wouldn't have to worry about meeting the judge's orders for me to get my grades up and we'd have a lot more money. That would be two less things the judge could hold over your head."
Darry knew the plan made perfect sense. The best thing for Soda would be a job that only required on the job training and the DX was a good start. "You may have a point, are you sure this is what you want."
"Sure I'm sure!"
"Alright, but wait until after the judge makes his decision. I don't want us getting in anymore trouble than we are already in."
Soda smiled as his plan came to reality. "See Darry that's where you're wrong. If I start tomorrow by the time the judge makes his decision I'll have made a few dollars, and we may need that money for a lawyer or something."
Darry laughed because he could never understand how Soda failed at school, but was the most clever guy in the family. "Fine, you can start tomorrow, you got what you wanted now get out of here and leave me alone."
"Nah uh." Soda pulled on his arm. "We got one sad Sissy girl out there and she needs to know that you aren't gonna let her get traded to the Socials."
Darry followed Soda out of the bed and into the living room. Darry was dressed in a white t-shirt with jeans as he came to stand by the television set. "Scout?" When I deliberately paid him no attention he moved forward and squatted down in front of me. "Awe kiddo. I'm so sorry everything has been such a mess for you."
I could feel my throat tighten as I waited to see what he was going to say next, but I didn't look at him.
"I want you to know that I will never give you away." Darry rubbed the side of my arm with his strong warm hand. "And Soda and I have a plan to get a lawyer or something if we need to."
I turned my head to look at Soda who was grinning ear to ear and he laughed, "Hell we don't need a lawyer, we could just hide her over at Two-Bits. His house is so messy they'll never find her there!"
Everyone in the room laughed, even Pony.
I thought about how great that would be to have someone fighting on our side. Then it occurred to me the amount of debt that would cause Darry. "How are you two ever going to get enough money to hire a lawyer if we needed one?"
Soda jumped into the conversation. "I got myself a full time job at the DX today." Soda's pride was glowing through his wide smile. "A dollar fifteen and hour!"
Pony looked up at Soda. "How you gonna work fulltime and get your grades up at school?" Soda exchanged a nervous glance with Ponyboy and immediately Pony caught on to Soda's plan. "Uh uh Soda! You aint dropping outta school."
"Pony....you know this is for the best..." Soda pleaded for Pony to understand.
Pony stood up from the couch and confronted our oldest brother. "Darry you aint gonna let him drop out of school?" School was important to Pony. He understood the only way out of this neighborhood was through a good education.
Darry held his hands out to calm Pony's reaction. "Ponyboy there aint much I can do about it. Soda is sixteen now and he legally doesn't have to be in school."
"Aint much you can do about it?" Pony's repressed anger began to boil. "You seem to be saying that a lot lately! First you let the court tell you that Scout needs a new home and now you are letting Soda drop out of school and all you can say is there aint nothing you can do about it!" Pony stormed into the dining room and turned back to yell at Darry. "I hate this, I hate everything that you let happen. I hate that you don't have the backbone to stand up to anyone now that you are in charge!" With that Pony turned and finished storming off to his room and slammed the door.
Soda, Darry and I exchanged glances. Ponyboy was out of line and we all felt that way but no one said anything about it. We didn't have much of a chance because Ponyboy came storming back through the house with his shoes and sweatshirt on.
"Where you going?" Darry commanded an answer.
"What do you care?" Pony snapped back. "I'm going out and there aint much you can do about it anyway!" As Pony huffed through the living room on his way to the front door I could see there were tears in his eyes. He was hurting and he didn't seem to know how to deal with it.
Soda called to him. "Ponyboy just hold up a second."
Pony ignored him, that didn't happen often. It was clear to each of us Ponyboy was upset and looking to run away from his problems.
I was the last line of defense for the family so I popped off the couch and pulled hard at pony's arm to keep him from leaving. "Pony just wait...!"
"Get off me Scout!" He yelled. Pony was really angry. I'd say he was as angry as the time I had smashed his model aircraft carrier to pieces in the backyard with dad's hammer. Just so you know, I did it because he cut the hair off my Barbie doll's head.
"Pony you need to calm down." I pulled harder and yanked him to the floor. In an instant the caring tug turned into brawl. Since I wouldn't let go of Pony's arm he pulled his left hand back and punched me in my right arm. War had been declared! I may have mentioned that I was shy and timid, but I was also a scrapper and in my neighborhood, with my gang, a girl had to know how to fight and that is exactly what Pony and I did.
Now my right arm was in pain, but also free to punch Pony in the cheek. Pony then punched my in the ribs on my left side and I kicked him in the gut sending him flying back toward the door. By this time the refs had come in to break off the fight and cool us down.
I stared down Pony as Darry held him back. I figured all Pony needed was to vent his anger in a good fight and I wasn't opposed to egging him on. "You fight like a girl, you're the sissy in the family!"
With that Pony made an unsuspected lunge over Darry's arms and pushed me into the living room floor. Soda had been by my side and Pony had caught Soda's cheek with his knee in the process. I grabbed Pony's long hair at the back of his head and pulled him over to my right. He then used his fist and struck me on my cheek as payback for the hit I gave him a moment ago.
"Alright you two knock it off!" Darry's command was ignored as Soda tried to pull me from the floor by my arms.
"Let me go Soda!" I yelled because I was defenseless with him pulling on me. Ponyboy seized the opportunity to kneel on my chest pinching my lungs. Just as he prepared to punch me one last time Darry grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards toward the door again.
"Knock it off NOW!" Darry screamed with all his anger and the muscles in his neck and arms bulged. This time Pony and I ceased our argument. Pony sat against the door breathing heavy from the scuffle and I sat on the floor with Soda by my side breathing in the same pattern as my twin brother. "How stupid are you two? ... Huh?" Darry questioned.
I felt cocky and compelled to give him and answer, but I didn't have any quick wit thing to share so I kept my mouth shut.
My family always believed in the concept of a fair fight. So Darry let the brawl go unpunished. Besides, it wasn't the first mini rumble Pony and I had ever had. We usually got into a confrontation like that once or twice a year. Heck even Soda and I had roughed it up few times over stupid stuff.
Darry turned on Ponyboy first. "Come on Ponyboy use your head! Mom and dad barely had enough money to support this family and they both worked." Darry kept his eye on Ponyboy to keep him from fleeing. "Soda just isn't going to graduate, we have all known this for a long time. Mom and dad just didn't want him to have to grow up to fast by getting a job. Now we don't have a choice. Everyone in the family is going to have to do a lot of growing up, especially you two!" Darry pointed his finger at both of us.
I knew Darry was right, Darry was always right. We would all have to grow up a little faster and Soda had no chance to graduate, even if he pulled his grades up. His brain just wasn't made for school.
Last semester I had a United States History class with Sodapop. Mom and dad were sure he would pass that class because I would be able to help him with his homework and studying. Everyone was surprised to hear I followed in Soda's footsteps other than the other way around.
It was a Tuesday when we were in class. Mr. Torres had us stand and read out loud from the textbook. We sat in alphabetical order so I read before Soda. I remember we were reading about the Boston Tea Party. After about four paragraphs Mr. Torres directed Soda to read the next few paragraphs. My brother stood up grinning, mostly because he knew the task would be hard for him, but that never stopped Sodapop. He began to read, or at least tried to read out loud, Soda struggled through many of the words. I sat next to him at my desk and read along. When he would stumble on a word I would whisper the correct pronunciation to him. Soda appreciated my help, Mr. Torres was annoyed, he preferred the socials and wasn't fond of Soda, and that didn't help. "Ms. Curtis! You are not going to be around to help your idiot brother do everything! Now let him be!"
I paused and rethought about what the teacher had just said. Looking up at Soda I could see his face was becoming flush with embarrassment as greasers and socs in the class began to snicker. Idiot? That's just not acceptable! I thought.
Before Soda started to read again I stood up to confront the teacher. "Mr. Torres your comments toward my brother are malicious and a breach of school board policy." What Mr. Torres didn't know was that I had done research on school board policy the year before for speech class. My nerves began to shake but I continued with my accusations. "According to policy 17 no teacher is to make derogatory comments toward a student or fellow faculty member at anytime. Any teacher who does not follow this policy will be reprimanded and considered for suspension!" The whole class fell silent as I spoke. "I suggest you apologize to Soda for your comment or you will be promptly reported for your indiscretion."
Mr. Torres stared back at me. I don't think he had ever been so accurately challenged by a student. "Ms. Curtis, I will not apologize to your brother, but what I will do is promptly send you to the principal's office! You are not to speak to me in that manner, go!" He pointed towards the door.
I was broad sided, I didn't see that coming. How can he send me to the principals' office when he was the one that was wrong? Before I could move Soda was at my defense.
"You can't send her to the principal's office for being right! You're the idiot." Soda smirked. With that comment the room snickered and laughed and it was Mr. Torres' turn to be embarrassed.
"What luck Ms. Curtis! Your retarded brother will be joining you. Both of you OUT!" He yelled and pointed for us to leave.
Soda proudly galloped out of the room grinning from ear to ear. I looked around at everyone who was staring at me. I was not proud like my brother. I was ashamed and petrified. I had never been to the principal's office and I had never wanted to go there.
I joined Soda in the hall and started to cry. Soda bumped me with his elbow to get my attention. "Sissy, don't cry. You nailed him to the wall in there. Were not going to get in any trouble."
I wished I had a quarter of the amount of confidence Soda had. It turned out the principal didn't punish us, but he didn't punish Mr. Torres either. The family was proud of me for sticking up for Soda. He only got a D in that class. Which for Sodapop was grounds for a party!
I looked over at Pony and could see his cheek getting redder. I wondered if mine was looking the same. "Pony," I said in defense of Soda. "You need to let Soda make his own decisions. He knows what is best for him, he always has."
By now Pony had calmed down and he frowned. "I just don't like the idea of him being a dropout."
"I know you don't Pony," Soda smiled and walked on his knees over to Pony's side. "I don't like the idea either, but it's just better this way. You'll see."