Whoa~ you guys are absolutely AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *grinz* 22
reviews!!!! Whoooooooo!!!!!!!
Okiez firstly: thank you all for reviewing!
Killslay: I luv the scene with Pony wishing on the star too! Thanks so much for your review. The state's only allowing pony to get back for a short time to wait for the trial; those evil meannies wouldn't give Darry custody again so soon! But they're gunna be forced to when Darry yells at them (when he finds out what happened to Pony)- but that's in the next chappies.
David: lol you dummiee! Kevin. . . Kevin. . . come on! How hard is it?? lol. Well, obviously Kevin Ho and Kevin Wu *snarlz* absolute total fucking bastards!!!!!!!!!! Sorry~ had to swear. The mere thought of them makes me sooo angry!!!! It was like reading the real book?? Thanks!!!! :o)
Amanda: aaw~ I'm sorry- I made you cry? *hands over a tissue* :o) thanks for your review!
Pinkdaisy_01: hey! Thanks for your review!
Battosai Yuriko: whoa! Three reviews! You rock! 'bibi' means 'bye bye', but I was too lazy to type the whole thing out~ lol! Sorry if that confused you. Thanks so much for the long reviews! Oh yea! Dally WAS Dillon in the movie! Lol I totally forgot. Thanks for bringing that up. Lol- *agrees and helps choke ms. vide*
Squid-holes: yup- I'm finally updating! Sorry for the long wait~
Wanda: heehee~ us fans of pony-torture!!! *evil grin*
Latinagal: hehe. yup- we all hate Kevin. Only 5 more hours!!!
Porcelain Princess: I'm glad Pony's getting away from him toooo!!! Hehe. evil Kevin. Thanks for your review!
Joce: lol don't worry- I'm not that mean! Nah- he's not gonna miss his flight. :o)
Anon: thanks for your review!
CrazeLilDreamer: *agrees and hugglez pony too* heehee!
Maddy RAdd: yup I did! Thanks for helping!
Lis: thanks for the compliments *blush* and for emailing me! it was so nice of you!
Hana Chino: ooh! I'm on your favorite's!!! thanks sooo much! And thanks for the review!!!
Lisa: lol- I tend to use the same letter all over again too- I'm so bored, I'm so bored, I'm so boooooooooored~ lol! Sorry~ that's what I've written that soo many times this year - biology class is SO boring!!!!!!! Thanks for your review!
Trinity star and Her Muses: lol. Again, sorry for the wait~ here's the next chappie!
Two-BitGortez: thanks for luvin the story! U make me so happie!~ hehe.
Kurupt-emocions: oh yea! I totally forgot about Johnny!!! Thanks for the reminder!
Lin3: hey! Thanks for your review~ omigod! That guy's called Kevin too? Hehe. it seems like all the kevins I know are idiots. He called u an asshole?? What a BASTARD!!!!!! LOL that wuz brave of you to say that to him! Heehee~
Lillia: ooh!! Two reviews!!! :o) thanks so much! I was almost going to give up on this story because of MAJOR writer's block and absolutely NO free time, but I those questions you asked really helped me finish this chappie off!! =D
A/N: I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated so long!! sorry! I was going to- I swear! But, with the ever-increasing homework load, and my recent OBSESSION with lord of the rings. . . *aragorn and legolas- aaahhhh hottieeeeezz!!!* lol. I really haven't had that much time. . .
Well, without much ado, I present . . . (sorry- my stoopid world cultures teacher keeps saying that and it kinda rubbed off on me! LOL)
Chapter 15:
~*~PONYBOY'S POV~*~
My eyes opened and I jumped slightly as I heard the front door slam closed. Kevin was home. I sat up abruptly, wincing as the movement made my injured body ache and my back sting fiercely.
"Where the fuck are you kid?" Kevin shouted from the living room. I shrank away from him involuntarily as the door to my room opened and he walked in. Not for the first time, I cursed myself inwardly for my weakness.
"Start packing. I have to drive you to the airport in an hour and you'd better not be late. Damn social workers are gonna be there."
I nodded, getting off the bed as fast as my injured body allowed me to. Instead of leaving, Kevin stood where he was, his hands on his hips, as he watched me move around the room, trying to put myself as far away from him as possible. My hands shook a little as I reached over to the desk he was standing near to put a small hardcover book into my suitcase.
A small smile played along his lips.
"Scared?" he mocked, smirking at me. Although I was trembling inside, I lifted my chin up to meet his eyes. I would not let him win this final battle. We stared at each other steadily for a few minutes. Kevin's mouth tightened into a thin, hard line and he held a fist up to my face.
"You really askin' for it, kid," he threatened. I kept my eyes on his, not letting him force me to look away. I knew he couldn't strike me. We were going to the airport soon and we both knew he couldn't risk hitting me again.
Kevin gave me one last glare and strode out of the small room, slamming the door behind him. Finally alone, I sat down shakily on the bed, succumbing to the weakness I never let him see.
"Hurry the hell up," Kevin shouted from outside. I sighed, getting off the bed. I moved around the room slowly, putting the few possessions I had brought with me into the suitcase.
* * *
There was a social worker waiting for us outside the airport. Kevin grabbed my suitcase, smiling and shaking her hand.
We walked into the airport, the social worker leading the way. I trailed behind Kevin and her, happy that his attention wasn't on me.
They stopped outside the boarding gate.
"I'm gonna miss ya, kid," said Kevin, reaching over to mess up my hair, a show of affection for the benefit of the social worker. I flinched away from his hand. He narrowed his eyes at me, glancing to see if the social worker had noticed my reaction. She hadn't.
"What a pity you only had a month to get to know each other," she said, smiling broadly. "Remember Ponyboy- the trial's in a week. With any luck you could be living with Kevin again."
I forced a smile, and turned to leave. I walked away from them, not looking back. I knew I should have felt ecstatic at finally escaping Kevin's clutches, but instead I just didn't feel anything. I got into the plane. This time I was early. It was almost empty. I found my seat and sat down. It was a window seat again. I looked out of the window disinterestedly, absently watching people outside scurrying around. I looked up at the sky, finding it an ugly gray-black hue. Sighing, I pulled the plastic cover over the window, blocking out the view.
I rested my head on the back of the chair, closing my eyes.
* * *
When I next awoke, the plane was in the air and there was an old lady sitting next to me. She scowled at me when she saw my gaze on her, turning back to her knitting. I closed my eyes again, trying to block out my headache.
The plane ride seemed to last forever. I kept my eyes trained on the small clock on the wall of the plane. The second hand crawled by frustratingly slowly.
I tried to think of my brothers and the gang waiting for me in Tulsa. For some reason, they didn't bring a smile to my lips. They all wanted to get rid of me. . . they wouldn't be happy to see me . . . Nobody loves me. . .
The thoughts kept swirling around and around in my head, making it throb painfully. No! It wasn't true. Soda loved me. He had to. I knew he did. Content with that one comforting thought, I fell back into a dreamless sleep.
The sound of a woman's voice on a speaker woke me up again.
"Welcome to Tulsa. It is half past seven at night. It's a little chilly, about 16 degrees Celsius. We hope you enjoy your stay. Thank you for flying with Tulsa Air."
Everyone buckled their seatbelts again. I didn't bother to look out of the window to watch the scenery below gradually grow larger as the plane slowly lost altitude. It just didn't seem as interesting as it had before. The plane finally landed with a small bump, and slowed to a halt. People stood up, picking up handbags or backpacks, and filed out of the plane.
I stood up, following the line of people out of the plane.
~*~TWO-BIT'S POV~*~
I couldn't believe how much I had missed the kid. I mean, I had liked him, but I was supposed to be tough. I was a greaser. I just missed the way the kid was always there, even though he never said much. I chuckled to myself, remembering the way I had joked about his and Johnny's friendship. I mean, both of them never said anything. It was interesting how they were both best friends. How did they know each other so well?
I shrugged, leaning back in my seat, earning a shove from Steve, who was squished up next to me.
"Move it, you fat greaser," Steve growled at me, half jokingly.
I shot him back my most charming smile.
"Who are you calling fat, fatso?"
The whole gang was squashed in the back of Darry's truck, except for Dally, who had fought his way to the front seat, and Darry obviously, who was driving us all to the airport.
Soda couldn't stop bouncing up and down in his seat on the other side of Steve.
"We're gonna see Pony! We're gonna see Pony!"
~*~DARRY'S POV~*~
I chewed on the inside of my lip nervously as I parked the truck near the airport. It had been a month since I'd seen my kid brother. Would he be glad to see me again? Did he blame me for getting sent away?
I had this nagging feeling that I had been pushing away to the back of my head ever since Pony had left to Murray. I didn't know what it was. Just some gut feeling that something bad would happen to Pony. Not the first time, I shook it off. It was just more of my over-protectiveness of my youngest brother. Pony was fine. He had to be.
"Hey, Darry! Are ya getting out or not?"
I jumped a little as a loud voice shouted near me. I looked up, realizing everyone except for me had gotten out of the truck. Shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts, I opened the door, getting out. We walked into the airport.
~*~PONYBOY'S POV~*~
I walked through the gate, almost immediately seeing the gang. They looked exactly the same as I had last seen them. My footsteps faltered a little as I walked slowly toward them.
"Pony!" shouted Soda, suddenly seeing me. I saw him break into a run toward me. He gave a huge bear hug, whirling me happily around. He didn't notice my small, sharp intake of breath as his arms accidentally touched some of my bruises and the deep wounds across my back. I closed my eyes, concealing my pain. I had gotten pretty good at it after a month of practice. I let myself relax completely for the first time in a long while, feeling safe in my older brother's arms.
The rest of the gang was jogging over to us. Soda finally let go of me and put me back on the ground. As soon as I was released from Soda's grip, I felt another pair of arms surround me as Darry crushed me to his chest. I tensed unconsciously as he hugged me, momentarily reminded of Kevin.
I sagged in relief as Darry let go of me quickly, looking away.
~*~DALLY'S POV~*~
My eyes narrowed as I watched the kid stiffen in Darry's embrace. Pony didn't seem to catch Darry's hurt look as he looked down at the ground.
We got back into the truck outside the airport.
"Are you guys coming in?" asked Darry as we got near the house.
"Nah," answered Steve. "My old man's gonna kill me if I spend another night outa the house."
"Same," agreed Two-bit. "I'd better sleep in my own bed for a night. My mom's getting upset about me sleeping over all the time."
"Dal? Johnnycakes? What about you guys?" asked Soda, looking over.
"Johnny's staying over at my place tonight," I said, answering for Johnny. I knew he wouldn't open his mouth anyway.
Darry parked the truck again, and we all got out. Darry walked into the house first.
"See you tomorrow!" Soda said, his arm around Pony.
"Hey! Soda," shouted Darry from inside the house. "Your turn to cook!"
Soda rolled his eyes at us, but let go of Pony, running into the house.
"I'm coming!"
Steve left after Soda had gone.
"It's great to have you back, kid," said Two-bit, reaching out to mess up his hair. I watched as Pony flinched away from the hand, his eyes widening a little in terror at Two-bit's words.
He took a step back, away from Two-bit, and then turned and ran into the house, leaving us staring at each other, surprised.
My eyebrows furrowed. What the fuck?
Argh- please excuse this chapter. It was absolute pure torture to write. But review anyway! :o) *puppy dog face* I'm asking for 20 before I update!!!
One note: I'm pretty sure I left a LOT of grammar/spelling mistakes, or weird sentences that don't make sense. . . but I'm really sleepy and I can't be bothered to double check. . . so please excuse them! =D
And I'm sorry- I think I said somewhere before that this was the chapter that the gang finds out about what happened to Pony in Murray, but it's getting late. . . *yawn* and I'm a very lazy person *nod nod* so. . . I'll try and post up the next chappie soon. . . nite night!
Okiez firstly: thank you all for reviewing!
Killslay: I luv the scene with Pony wishing on the star too! Thanks so much for your review. The state's only allowing pony to get back for a short time to wait for the trial; those evil meannies wouldn't give Darry custody again so soon! But they're gunna be forced to when Darry yells at them (when he finds out what happened to Pony)- but that's in the next chappies.
David: lol you dummiee! Kevin. . . Kevin. . . come on! How hard is it?? lol. Well, obviously Kevin Ho and Kevin Wu *snarlz* absolute total fucking bastards!!!!!!!!!! Sorry~ had to swear. The mere thought of them makes me sooo angry!!!! It was like reading the real book?? Thanks!!!! :o)
Amanda: aaw~ I'm sorry- I made you cry? *hands over a tissue* :o) thanks for your review!
Pinkdaisy_01: hey! Thanks for your review!
Battosai Yuriko: whoa! Three reviews! You rock! 'bibi' means 'bye bye', but I was too lazy to type the whole thing out~ lol! Sorry if that confused you. Thanks so much for the long reviews! Oh yea! Dally WAS Dillon in the movie! Lol I totally forgot. Thanks for bringing that up. Lol- *agrees and helps choke ms. vide*
Squid-holes: yup- I'm finally updating! Sorry for the long wait~
Wanda: heehee~ us fans of pony-torture!!! *evil grin*
Latinagal: hehe. yup- we all hate Kevin. Only 5 more hours!!!
Porcelain Princess: I'm glad Pony's getting away from him toooo!!! Hehe. evil Kevin. Thanks for your review!
Joce: lol don't worry- I'm not that mean! Nah- he's not gonna miss his flight. :o)
Anon: thanks for your review!
CrazeLilDreamer: *agrees and hugglez pony too* heehee!
Maddy RAdd: yup I did! Thanks for helping!
Lis: thanks for the compliments *blush* and for emailing me! it was so nice of you!
Hana Chino: ooh! I'm on your favorite's!!! thanks sooo much! And thanks for the review!!!
Lisa: lol- I tend to use the same letter all over again too- I'm so bored, I'm so bored, I'm so boooooooooored~ lol! Sorry~ that's what I've written that soo many times this year - biology class is SO boring!!!!!!! Thanks for your review!
Trinity star and Her Muses: lol. Again, sorry for the wait~ here's the next chappie!
Two-BitGortez: thanks for luvin the story! U make me so happie!~ hehe.
Kurupt-emocions: oh yea! I totally forgot about Johnny!!! Thanks for the reminder!
Lin3: hey! Thanks for your review~ omigod! That guy's called Kevin too? Hehe. it seems like all the kevins I know are idiots. He called u an asshole?? What a BASTARD!!!!!! LOL that wuz brave of you to say that to him! Heehee~
Lillia: ooh!! Two reviews!!! :o) thanks so much! I was almost going to give up on this story because of MAJOR writer's block and absolutely NO free time, but I those questions you asked really helped me finish this chappie off!! =D
A/N: I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated so long!! sorry! I was going to- I swear! But, with the ever-increasing homework load, and my recent OBSESSION with lord of the rings. . . *aragorn and legolas- aaahhhh hottieeeeezz!!!* lol. I really haven't had that much time. . .
Well, without much ado, I present . . . (sorry- my stoopid world cultures teacher keeps saying that and it kinda rubbed off on me! LOL)
Chapter 15:
~*~PONYBOY'S POV~*~
My eyes opened and I jumped slightly as I heard the front door slam closed. Kevin was home. I sat up abruptly, wincing as the movement made my injured body ache and my back sting fiercely.
"Where the fuck are you kid?" Kevin shouted from the living room. I shrank away from him involuntarily as the door to my room opened and he walked in. Not for the first time, I cursed myself inwardly for my weakness.
"Start packing. I have to drive you to the airport in an hour and you'd better not be late. Damn social workers are gonna be there."
I nodded, getting off the bed as fast as my injured body allowed me to. Instead of leaving, Kevin stood where he was, his hands on his hips, as he watched me move around the room, trying to put myself as far away from him as possible. My hands shook a little as I reached over to the desk he was standing near to put a small hardcover book into my suitcase.
A small smile played along his lips.
"Scared?" he mocked, smirking at me. Although I was trembling inside, I lifted my chin up to meet his eyes. I would not let him win this final battle. We stared at each other steadily for a few minutes. Kevin's mouth tightened into a thin, hard line and he held a fist up to my face.
"You really askin' for it, kid," he threatened. I kept my eyes on his, not letting him force me to look away. I knew he couldn't strike me. We were going to the airport soon and we both knew he couldn't risk hitting me again.
Kevin gave me one last glare and strode out of the small room, slamming the door behind him. Finally alone, I sat down shakily on the bed, succumbing to the weakness I never let him see.
"Hurry the hell up," Kevin shouted from outside. I sighed, getting off the bed. I moved around the room slowly, putting the few possessions I had brought with me into the suitcase.
* * *
There was a social worker waiting for us outside the airport. Kevin grabbed my suitcase, smiling and shaking her hand.
We walked into the airport, the social worker leading the way. I trailed behind Kevin and her, happy that his attention wasn't on me.
They stopped outside the boarding gate.
"I'm gonna miss ya, kid," said Kevin, reaching over to mess up my hair, a show of affection for the benefit of the social worker. I flinched away from his hand. He narrowed his eyes at me, glancing to see if the social worker had noticed my reaction. She hadn't.
"What a pity you only had a month to get to know each other," she said, smiling broadly. "Remember Ponyboy- the trial's in a week. With any luck you could be living with Kevin again."
I forced a smile, and turned to leave. I walked away from them, not looking back. I knew I should have felt ecstatic at finally escaping Kevin's clutches, but instead I just didn't feel anything. I got into the plane. This time I was early. It was almost empty. I found my seat and sat down. It was a window seat again. I looked out of the window disinterestedly, absently watching people outside scurrying around. I looked up at the sky, finding it an ugly gray-black hue. Sighing, I pulled the plastic cover over the window, blocking out the view.
I rested my head on the back of the chair, closing my eyes.
* * *
When I next awoke, the plane was in the air and there was an old lady sitting next to me. She scowled at me when she saw my gaze on her, turning back to her knitting. I closed my eyes again, trying to block out my headache.
The plane ride seemed to last forever. I kept my eyes trained on the small clock on the wall of the plane. The second hand crawled by frustratingly slowly.
I tried to think of my brothers and the gang waiting for me in Tulsa. For some reason, they didn't bring a smile to my lips. They all wanted to get rid of me. . . they wouldn't be happy to see me . . . Nobody loves me. . .
The thoughts kept swirling around and around in my head, making it throb painfully. No! It wasn't true. Soda loved me. He had to. I knew he did. Content with that one comforting thought, I fell back into a dreamless sleep.
The sound of a woman's voice on a speaker woke me up again.
"Welcome to Tulsa. It is half past seven at night. It's a little chilly, about 16 degrees Celsius. We hope you enjoy your stay. Thank you for flying with Tulsa Air."
Everyone buckled their seatbelts again. I didn't bother to look out of the window to watch the scenery below gradually grow larger as the plane slowly lost altitude. It just didn't seem as interesting as it had before. The plane finally landed with a small bump, and slowed to a halt. People stood up, picking up handbags or backpacks, and filed out of the plane.
I stood up, following the line of people out of the plane.
~*~TWO-BIT'S POV~*~
I couldn't believe how much I had missed the kid. I mean, I had liked him, but I was supposed to be tough. I was a greaser. I just missed the way the kid was always there, even though he never said much. I chuckled to myself, remembering the way I had joked about his and Johnny's friendship. I mean, both of them never said anything. It was interesting how they were both best friends. How did they know each other so well?
I shrugged, leaning back in my seat, earning a shove from Steve, who was squished up next to me.
"Move it, you fat greaser," Steve growled at me, half jokingly.
I shot him back my most charming smile.
"Who are you calling fat, fatso?"
The whole gang was squashed in the back of Darry's truck, except for Dally, who had fought his way to the front seat, and Darry obviously, who was driving us all to the airport.
Soda couldn't stop bouncing up and down in his seat on the other side of Steve.
"We're gonna see Pony! We're gonna see Pony!"
~*~DARRY'S POV~*~
I chewed on the inside of my lip nervously as I parked the truck near the airport. It had been a month since I'd seen my kid brother. Would he be glad to see me again? Did he blame me for getting sent away?
I had this nagging feeling that I had been pushing away to the back of my head ever since Pony had left to Murray. I didn't know what it was. Just some gut feeling that something bad would happen to Pony. Not the first time, I shook it off. It was just more of my over-protectiveness of my youngest brother. Pony was fine. He had to be.
"Hey, Darry! Are ya getting out or not?"
I jumped a little as a loud voice shouted near me. I looked up, realizing everyone except for me had gotten out of the truck. Shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts, I opened the door, getting out. We walked into the airport.
~*~PONYBOY'S POV~*~
I walked through the gate, almost immediately seeing the gang. They looked exactly the same as I had last seen them. My footsteps faltered a little as I walked slowly toward them.
"Pony!" shouted Soda, suddenly seeing me. I saw him break into a run toward me. He gave a huge bear hug, whirling me happily around. He didn't notice my small, sharp intake of breath as his arms accidentally touched some of my bruises and the deep wounds across my back. I closed my eyes, concealing my pain. I had gotten pretty good at it after a month of practice. I let myself relax completely for the first time in a long while, feeling safe in my older brother's arms.
The rest of the gang was jogging over to us. Soda finally let go of me and put me back on the ground. As soon as I was released from Soda's grip, I felt another pair of arms surround me as Darry crushed me to his chest. I tensed unconsciously as he hugged me, momentarily reminded of Kevin.
I sagged in relief as Darry let go of me quickly, looking away.
~*~DALLY'S POV~*~
My eyes narrowed as I watched the kid stiffen in Darry's embrace. Pony didn't seem to catch Darry's hurt look as he looked down at the ground.
We got back into the truck outside the airport.
"Are you guys coming in?" asked Darry as we got near the house.
"Nah," answered Steve. "My old man's gonna kill me if I spend another night outa the house."
"Same," agreed Two-bit. "I'd better sleep in my own bed for a night. My mom's getting upset about me sleeping over all the time."
"Dal? Johnnycakes? What about you guys?" asked Soda, looking over.
"Johnny's staying over at my place tonight," I said, answering for Johnny. I knew he wouldn't open his mouth anyway.
Darry parked the truck again, and we all got out. Darry walked into the house first.
"See you tomorrow!" Soda said, his arm around Pony.
"Hey! Soda," shouted Darry from inside the house. "Your turn to cook!"
Soda rolled his eyes at us, but let go of Pony, running into the house.
"I'm coming!"
Steve left after Soda had gone.
"It's great to have you back, kid," said Two-bit, reaching out to mess up his hair. I watched as Pony flinched away from the hand, his eyes widening a little in terror at Two-bit's words.
He took a step back, away from Two-bit, and then turned and ran into the house, leaving us staring at each other, surprised.
My eyebrows furrowed. What the fuck?
Argh- please excuse this chapter. It was absolute pure torture to write. But review anyway! :o) *puppy dog face* I'm asking for 20 before I update!!!
One note: I'm pretty sure I left a LOT of grammar/spelling mistakes, or weird sentences that don't make sense. . . but I'm really sleepy and I can't be bothered to double check. . . so please excuse them! =D
And I'm sorry- I think I said somewhere before that this was the chapter that the gang finds out about what happened to Pony in Murray, but it's getting late. . . *yawn* and I'm a very lazy person *nod nod* so. . . I'll try and post up the next chappie soon. . . nite night!