Chapter 10

M.k. Pov

I was sitting on the bed as the nursed gave me a check up. When she was finished she gave me my pj's and went to get the doctor and my brother. I started to put on my platted blue green bottoms on with great difficulty when Darry and the doctor walked in. I had on a long grey shirt, which took me forever to do, so Darry didn't see anything.

The Doctor gestured to me that I should sit down on the bed, I did as he asked and set on the bed.

"Ok M.k. you are seemed to be alright to check out. I just have some rules for you to follow," Nodded my head signal to the good doc that I was listen and wished for him to proceed; "Now you need to take it easy on the knee at first. After a while you need to have physical therapy so you can get the knee working right again. And last and most importantly."

The doctor showed me a yellow-orange transparentbottle of pills, "You need to be careful with these pills. They are very addicting. I am gonna give them to your brother and tell him when to give these to you, but I need you to understand to be careful for these pills are very veryaddicting drugs." I nodded my head. God I get the fact that they are addicting I thought.

I was in the truck staring out the window think about things. When I heard Darry clear his throat, his signal that he wanted to talk.

"What's up Dar?" I asked turning my head to Darry.

"We need to talk as a family about the racing when we get home. The guys and Katie will be over at the house later but i told them that we, as a family, need to have a discussion." I nodded my head dreading this talk sinceI woke up and realized that was going on.

I was in the middle of the living room looking round the room when Soda and Pony come and tackle me down to the ground. I winced in pain and the guys got off me quickly.

"Sorry M.k. just glad that you are home," I hugged Pony and looked at Soda. He visited me every day I was in the hospital when he could. I wrapped my good arm around Soda's neck.

"Glad your back home, where you belong," Soda whispered in my ear.

"I am too." We stood there in the living room reminiscing this time, when it's just the four of us.

"I guess we need to talk," I said getting out of the reminiscing. Darry nodded his head and we all walked into the kitchen and set at the kitchen table. I set next to Darry who was to my left with Soda beside me and Pony in front of me.

"So were do we start?" I asked laying my arm on the table for my neck was hurting holding up the arm.

"How about when did you start," Darry suggested.

"About a month or two after Mom and Dad died," My brothers looked at me wide eyed.

"That long huh," Soda said. 'Yea' I said looking down at the table. My brothers set there comprehending what I said.

"Why did you do it M.k.? I mean after how Mom and Dad died of a car crash. Why would you do that? Put yourself in deliberate danger," Pony asked me looking at me hurt. I turned my head a way from my little brother.

"I don't know Pon. I guess I just had to do," Pony eyes narrowed.

"You didn't have to put yourself in danger M.k. I bet you didn't even think about us did you M.k.," I was flabbier-gasted by Pony's out burst.

"You wouldn't understand. I was grieving over there lost, Pony. I just had to do something, and the only way I could get over my grieving is by testing the limits. Do you know how exciting it is when you are in a racing and going a hundred miles per hours. I got addicted. I thought I would only do it for a few months and stopped. I never expected to last a years almost," Pony just stared at me. I sighed. I guess i should have expected this from Pony.

"M.k." I looked at Darry.

"That doesn't mean you can do that M.k. we are a family and when one is in need the others will be there for the other,"

"God Darry, you don't know what its like," Ishooved myself from the table and stood up pacing the kitchen."You feel it when you are racing don't you Soda? The blood racing through your veins." I asked Soda.

"Yea I do M.k., but god girl I know when to stop and when it's been enough. The question is do you know when to stop and when it's enough." I thought about what Soda said. I guess I don't know when to stop, but that is how I like it. When every thing is new and unexpected, Ilive my life with careful. Why can't I have my time to be wild and crazy.

"Maybe I don't, but I like it that way," I said looking Soda in the eye. He looked me in the eye, back with hurt. I turned away and started to wonder if I was being selfish for what I am doing.

I walked out into the backyard. I set down on the little wooden swing that dad made for us when we were little.

I looked up at the warm sun shiny down on me and rocked back and forth on the swing not really swing cause of my arm, but I did have my good hand hold on to the old brown twine like rope.

I closed my eyes and thought back to when Dad made this and how Soda and I took turns pushing each other all day.

"Been a while since we've been out backon the swing," I heard Soda say.

"Yea," I looked down it hurt to think about all the things my brothers and Iwill nevergonna get to do with are parents. I felt the swing get pulled back and turned to Soda. Who was lightly pushing the swing like when I was a kid and couldn't swing on my own.

"I don't mean to be selfish," I told Soda.

"I know, but do you know how scared all of us where when we found out it was you who was hurt and in the flipped over car." I never thought about really.

"No I guess I don't," the swing stop and Soda pulled me over to a bench in the neglected garden, Mom always fixed for the spring and summer.

"We were real scared. You know Darry was sitting there muttering on about god knows what, Pony and Katie were crying, I was pacing like crazy, Steve wouldn't leave you alone at all, if I or Dar weren't there he was. Two-bit and Dally were quiet and just staring at things," I couldn't believe it. I was shocked about all of it, but what shocked me was Steve. I never saw him while I was in the hospital. He must have stayed while I was sleeping, which I did a lot of.

"Oh Soda I didn't mean to scare you," I wrapped my arms around Soda and hugged him. We were soon joined by Darry and Pony.

Thursday

It was Friday and everyone was acting wild and crazy than usual. I was English class my last class of the day, thank god. I can't believe how many people still talk about the stupid race. It was last week yet still a big talk around for the greasers.

"So what you doing this weekend?" Karl asked me. I set there and thought that was a good question.

"I don't know never really thought about it," I talked with Karl for a while not really paying attention to what he was saying. 'What am I gonna do for Friday nights. I can't go to the football games 'cause are season finished last Friday.'

The final bell rang and I sprinted out of the class room and to Steve's car.

I set on the back of the car think when I felt a surge of pain go through my arm. I pulled out the pain reliever and swallowed them, the pain stop after ten minutes.

I was sitting in the service station, with a bad arm I was kinda useless to work on cars and pumping the gas. So lucky me got the job of sitting in the service station waiting for someone to come in.

I throw a paper ball at the trash can right when Soda and Sandy walked in.

"Hey M.k.," Soda said Sandy smiling at me for a greeting. I gave a half a smile. I was finally starting to be nice to her to make Soda happy. I watched as Soda got Sandy a Diet Pepsi and himself a Pepsi. I rolled my eyes and acted like I was doing something productive, fixing the magazines and the other products.

I wasn't really I was listening to what Soda and Sandy were talking about. Man are they boring. All they talk about is I love you, I love you more. I stared to gag at this. Soda looked over at me and glared at me to stop. I stopped and smiled at him wiggling my fingers at him acting like I was innocent.

"I got to go Soda, but you'll pick me up at seven right," Soda nodded his head and kissed Sandy.

I making sure that she was gone I walked over to the dazed Soda.

"Earth to Soda, come in Soda," I clapped my hands in front of Soda's face making him come out of his daze.

"So you have a date tonight," I told him casually. Soda 'yep' to me.

"You gonna pick her up at seven," Soda once again 'yep'. I followed Sod around the store asking him questions and each answer was a yep.

"So can I hide in the back and watch," Soda was about to say yep, but stopped and looked at me. I gave him puppy eyes.

"Yea alright, but I don't want to here a peep out of you," I nodded my head franticly with a big smile on my face. Soda wrapped his arm around my neck and gave me a noogy.

"Hey," I took off running after Soda running into Dally and Katie in the door way. I said a quick hey and took off running.