A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated for such a long time! Here's a nice long chapter to make you all happy :o) :o) :o)
First and foremost, I really must extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you reviewers. I can't put into words how grateful I am with your helpful comments and praise. To be honest, I was almost going to give up on this story until I got hit with yet more reviews, urging me to go on. So thanks, for giving me the drive to carry on!
A special thanks to Glitch! Thank you not only for your two wonderful reviews, but also for your ideas and inspiration. This chapter is dedicated to you.
I would love to acknowledge all of you fantastic reviewers individually, but I'm afraid time is running out (I think my mum is coming home in the next half hour and I'm not actually aloud on the computer guilty smile)
Glitch: laughs Oklahoma? Texas! Actually, I don't live in the US. I live in Hong Kong! teehee.
Hahukum Konn: Thanks for your words of support! I really appreciated them.
Stealth67: Whoops! I did make a mistake- thanks for catching that. If I have time I'll go back an change it!
Animefreak54: lol, I'm updating, I'm updating!
Karategel: Whoa! Sorry you had to stay up so long. Thanks for enjoying the story, though!
Rehgai: Oooh! Favourites! huge huggle Thanks!
Maravillastar: Thanks for catching my mistake- I'll fix it if I have time :o)
Joce: teehee. I'm such a sucker for anything LotR!
Legaldruglover: teehee. I'm proud of Pony too. huggles Thanks for understanding about the homework. Whoa- Japanese reports sound tough!
SharpShooter626: haha, thanks for appreciating my corny humour :o)
Twitch in my eye: hehe thanks! I love you too!
Tensleep: Aww! blushes Thanks for all that praise! It made my week!
Luna: wow, you actually check regularly? blush That's such a compliment! Sorry I haven't updated for so long… writer's block… I agree that this story isn't entirely realistic, but that's why it's fanfiction!
Varinia: pushes you back onto seat there you go, hun :o)
Thanks also to goldengreaser, Angel02, Jenny, candyclouds711, CrazyAlchemistgrl017, Kathy, Fallingstar, Two-BitGortez, Turner, and Lisa14.
I'm really sorry if I missed anybody out!
Oh, and one more thing before I shut up :o) The end of this chapter is a tad graphic, so squeamish people, STAY AWAYY! Just wanted to warn everybody wink
Chapter 21
TWO-BIT'S POV
I groaned unhappily as I awoke, keeping my eyes firmly shut against the harsh glare of blinding sunlight shining across my face.
"Morning, Two-bit!" I groaned again as an unnecessarily loud voice near me broke through my semi-stupor, echoing and reverberating inside my skull. I cracked open an eye unwillingly, summoning up the energy to swat my offender in the head. Darry was looking down at me somberly and for a second I suffered a moment of disorientation. Then reality came crashing down. With a struggle, I sat up, holding my head in both hands as the world spun alarmingly. Darry caught my shoulder as I swayed in my seat. He offered me a pill and some water, which I gratefully swished down. Leaning back on the couch, I groaned again, partly because of my flair for theatrics and my childish need for sympathy, and also because the firecrackers inside my head seemed to be doing their job just fine along with the hammer hurling itself mercilessly against the back of my skull.
"What happened?"
"You really don't remember?"
"Errghh. . . you don't have to shout," I begged, flopping back down on the couch face forward.
"You went over to Buck Merril's and got yourself completely wasted," Darry continued in the same tone, not taking pity. His quiet footsteps seemed more like deafening gunshots as he walked around the couch, settling himself down on the little space that I had not occupied.
"Drinking yourself into oblivion every night isn't going to achieve anything. It's not good for yourself and it sure ain't helping Ponyboy. I know it may seem like the best thing to forget everything once in a while… grant yourself a reprieve from all this drama... god knows I've considered that option myself, but you're taking this to the deep end. You've really got to snap out of it."
I froze, stiffening all over, the roaring in my ears reaching a new level of defeaning at the mention of Ponyboy's name. Of course, Ponyboy... the trial that was to be held tomorrow morning... oh god, it was too soon. I wasn't ready. The memories that flooded back were painful and I tried my best to push them away. Despite the pain I was already in, I desperately yearned for another few bottles of beer to put my back into the blissful ignorance I had been in. I retched, not knowing whether my body was trying to expel vile toxins or unwanted memories, but my stomach was empty. Darry rubbed my back soothingly and I heard him bite back a sigh.
"I'm fine," I gasped. "I'll be even better if you hand over two more of those pills."
Darry got up wordlessly and retrieved them and once again I swallowed them down, this time emptying the full glass of water as well. I sat back, waiting for the pills to take effect.
STEVE'S POV
The small white tablets seemed to clack defeaningly against the walls of their orange plastic container I held in a sweaty palm. They seemed abnormally heavy and I tightened my hold on the smooth plastic to prevent it from slipping out of my grasp.
"It's the best thing," I tried to convince myself. "There's no other way."
With new resolve, I completed my journey to the Curtis house. As I jogged up the front stairs leading to the porch and placed a hand on the doorknob, a voice stopped me short.
"Hey, Randle! Wait up."
I jumped, swinging around to shoot my most withering glare at Dally.
"What's up?" he asked, completely unperturbed. Not waiting for an answer, he spoke again, keeping his eyes on mine.
"What are you holding?"
I cursed. I knew Dally had a trouble radar, but I had never known it was that effective. Realizing that I had no intention of sharing, Dally made a lightning-quick grab at it. He caught me off guard, and it only took seconds for Dally to gain possession of the small container.
"Like taking candy from babies," he smirked.
"Fuck you, Dallas," I scowled, almost hoping that he would take the bait. He was unruffled, and I should have known better. Insults and threats bounced off Dally's hardened shell.
"Give it up, Steve," he taunted, waving the container before my face. Planning to drug that Curtises in their sleep?"
I scowled harder, annoyed at how close he had come to the truth. I made an unsuccessful swipe for it, and Dally wisely took a step back.
"Tell me what they are and I'll hand them back over," Dally promised.
I made a quick decision. I didn't know how good Dally's word was. I couldn't tell whether he was bluffing or not. On the other hand, I was hyper-aware of the fact that we were standing on the Curtis' front porch and that at any second the door could fly open and we would be discovered. I took the risk.
"Sleeping pills," I muttered through gritted teeth. There was a silence.
"Damn, Randle," Dally whistled through his teeth, tossing them back to me. I thought I could detect a hint of admiration in his voice. "I didn't know you had it in you."
I tucked the container safely out of sight and into my back pocket, turning away from Dally and striding into the house quickly before I changed my mind about what I was going to do. After a moment, Dally followed.
TWO-BIT'S POV
I was up and running in no time. After all, who could battle a hangover better than Two-bit Matthews himself? I had mastered walking in a straight line by the time a bleary-eyed Sodapop had stumbled into the living room, and I had almost finished making breakfast when Steve and Dally entered. I was sure neither Soda not Darry were up to cooking; I was worried enough about either of them holding a razor near their throats, let alone being close to a fire. I doubted that they had a good night's sleep ever since Ponyboy had come home. Come to think of it, they hadn't exactly slept throughout Pony's absence, either.
I shook my head as I dumped yet another half-burnt egg onto a clean plate. Hey, I never said cooking was a particular talent of mine.
STEVE'S POV
I sat down at the table, not even noticing that half my egg was burnt, and the other half was still runny, until I had bitten into it. The silence was almost unbearable and I took a furtive peek around the table at Two-bit, Dally, Darry, and Soda, watching as they chewed the elastic-like egg white in stoic silence. I could hardly believe that nobody had spoken yet.
Darry was staring at his egg as if it were the most captivating object in the universe, and Soda kept glancing in the direction of the room he and Pony shared, as if there was some invisible string that was pulling him toward his younger brother's direction.
My emotions toward the kid were so mixed that I tried not to think of him too much. It was difficult to let go of the jealousy and hate that had accumulated over the duration of so many years: envy for Soda's attention and unconditional love, and for Ponyboy's annoying innocence and his brains. I hated him more because of his unwillingness to hate me back, his readiness to put up with me for his older brother's sake. But at the same time, I felt guilty, guilty for making the kid's life miserable for nothing other than my own selfish, petty reasons. Annoyed with myself, I pushed my mind away from such confusing thoughts. Everybody was worried sick about the kid. It was my duty to look after Soda.
"Hey, Darry. . . Soda. . ." Everybody looked up at the unexpected sound of my voice, and I forced myself to continue, to speak past the lump in my throat. "You guys should really. . . get some more sleep," I said awkwardly. I received nothing but blank stares for my efforts. I gestured helplessly, feeling stupid for speaking at all. "You just look. . . really tired lately," I finished lamely. All Soda did was turn his head to glance at Pony's room for the tenth time. Darry muttered something alone the lines of, "We're fine, Steve," and went back to staring at his egg.
I sighed helplessly. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. As I got up, my chair squeaked loudly, once again attracting everybody's attention.
"Drinks, anyone?" I offered.
"Sure," said Soda, as I knew he would.
I walked over slowly to the fridge, getting out a carton of chocolate milk. My hand shook as I took out two glasses, filling them to the brim. I slipped a hand into my pocket, surreptitiously removing two tablets and slipping one into each glass. I watched as they almost instantly dissolved into the brown liquid, leaving no tell-tale trace of white.
I paused for a second, letting the implications of what I was doing sink in. If Darry or Sodapop found out, they would not understand. Soda would hate me. He would have every right to. For god's sake, I was drugging my friends without their consent or knowledge! What was I doing? I paused for a second, running a sweaty hand through my heavily greased locks, not caring that it would disrupt strands that had been carefully gelled into place. Taking one more quick glance at Darry and Soda, I made up my mind. It was all for the best, really. And what was all the fuss about anyway? They were only harmless sleeping pills, goddamnit, not poison. What was the worst thing that could possibly happen? It was the only way they would get any rest before the trial. Not leaving myself a second's hesitation, I picked up a full glass in each hand, setting one down before each Curtis brother. I mentally punched myself as I walked back to my seat, realizing how painfully obvious my actions had been: my reluctance at pouring the drinks, my slipping in the pills while I was in plain view of practically the entire gang, and merely the fact that I had served anybody at all! But to my surprise, Soda gave me a small smile of thanks that did not quite reach his worn-out eyes and, picking up the glass, drained the whole glass in one long swallow.
Cautiously, I looked around the table once again, locking eyes for a second with Dally. His ice-blue eyes seemed to bore right through mine as one pale blonde eyebrow arched up tauntingly, as if saying, "Nothing slips past me; I know what you just did."
With difficulty, I tore my gaze away from him, forcing myself to stare down at the poorly-cooked egg I had no intention of eating. I was hyper-aware of each time Darry raised the seemingly innocent glass of milk to his lips.
SODAPOP'S POV
I was beginning to feel slightly woozy all of a sudden, as if my head was filled with cotton. I stood up with difficulty and Steve and Dally immediately looked up. I mumbled something incoherent and the world swayed dizzyingly. Putting a hand on the back of my chair to balance myself, I waited until the ground felt stable again and slowly walked back into my bedroom. Dropping down on the bed, I paused for a second to look at Pony. He looked so peaceful, his eyes firmly shut and the weak sunlight making patterns across his hair.
I didn't have time to figure out whether he was once again faking sleep or truly slumbering before I crashed down next to him and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
STEVE'S POV
I watched in silence as first Soda and then Darry staggered off to bed, the sleeping tablets immediately taking effect upon their systems. Finally, Two-bit broke the silence.
"What exactly just happened?"
I grinned mentally when he looked at Dallas, who shook his head, pointing at me.
"Hey, for once, it isn't my fault. Ask that bastard what happened."
They both looked at me expectantly.
"Well…", I floundered, "I thought they needed some sleep… and come on! That was the only way they would get any rest!"
Two-bit still looked confounded, but Dally finished off my explanation. "So you figured you would just drug them."
Two-bit jumped out of his seat in shock.
"You did WHAT?"
Dally looked smug. "He slipped sleeping pills into their chocolate milk. And if you were paying any attention just now, you would have noticed."
"All right guys… no need to freak out," I spoke up nervously. "In fact, we shouldn't shout at all, considering the fact that everybody's asleep right now. In fact, we can just… leave…"
Two-bit looked like he wanted to slaughter me right then and there, and Dally looked extremely amused at the situation. I fought the sudden urge to bash his head in, annoying smirk and all.
We were distracted by the soft pad of bare feet coming down the corridor.
TWO-BIT'S POV
Christ, the kid looked like a scared rabbit, ready to bolt at any sound or sudden movement. Soda's shirt almost swallowed him whole; it fell almost to his knees, and the short sleeves ended near his elbows. His light tousled hair and the way he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with a fist made him look much younger than his years. The wide-eyed stare he gave us and the angry red scratch marring his cheekbone made me understand why his big brothers were so protective of him. His oversized shirt slipped down one shoulder, exposing a series of mottled purplish bruises along his pale neck and collarbone. I heard Dally suck in a breath at the sight, and the sound startled Pony, who backed up against the wall, his eyes darting around the room for an escape just like a terrified animal. I realized that the attention of the three of us was probably making him more than a little uncomfortable. I turned around to face Steve and Dally.
"You two. Get out. Go and find Johnny or something. I think we're scaring him," I muttered under my breath. "We'll finish our conversation later."
Both of them took a step away from me, obviously unused to the livid sparks flying out of my normally carefree gray eyes. I would have smiled at Dally's shocked expression, but I was still angry about the fact that they had actually drugged Darry and Soda. Looking almost relieved, Steve and Dally quickly exited, leaving me alone with the frightened kid.
"Hey Pone," I grinned, trying my best to act normal. "What'r you doin' up?"
"I… I… had to use the bathroom," the kid squeaked, focusing on the tiles nearest his toes. It took me a second to realize that I was blocking the way, and I took a step aside. Taking a furtive glance up to make sure I was a safe distance away, Pony walked into the bathroom, obviously fighting the urge to run.
The kid was obviously not ready at all for the trial tomorrow. I pinched the bridge of my nose in an attempt to rid myself of my pounding headache, cursing myself for drinking all that alcohol. Stumbling over to the couch, I lay down, drifting almost immediately into a semi-sleep.
The flushing of the toilet a few seconds later woke me up, and I waved a hand at Pony.
"I'll be your best friend if you get me a huge glass of water," I wheedled tiredly. A few seconds later, I felt a cool glass enter my hand and I cracked open an eye. "Thanks, bud," I said, even though the living room was empty. I assumed that Pony had gone back to sleep. Unwilling to sit up, I tilted the glass into my mouth, spluttering and swearing as most of the water splashed up my nose. Preferring sleep to water, I set the glass down on the ground and closed my eyes, smiling contentedly as sleep claimed me.
The obnoxiously shrill sound of the doorbell awoke me and I swore once again, swinging my legs onto the ground and sitting up. My head felt a hundred times worse than before, and the world seemed to pound in beat with my brain. The doorbell shrieked once again, louder and more piercing than before. The sound alone made me bolt upright, and I massaged my temples, muttering, "Geez! I'm coming… I'm coming!"
Falling out of the couch with an awkward bump, I picked myself up and staggered to the front door, pulling it open with more difficulty than normal. I scratched the back of my neck, staring blankly at the smartly dressed man standing at the door.
"Hello. Is this the Curtis house?" he asked with a smile.
"Uhh… yeah," I mumbled. "What's up?"
"I am from the state. I'm here to check up on Ponyboy Curtis."
I stared at the dark haired man, suspicion flaring up in me for a second. There was something about that smile… something that I couldn't quite grasp… something about those black eyes… A flash of pain shot through my head and I forgot my skepticism, stepping aside to let the man in.
"He's somewhere in the house," I mumbled through my beer-fogged haze. "Ponyboy!" I spoke louder. "There's someone from the state here to see you."
I stayed awake until I saw Pony walk into the living room.
"Hey kid. I'm crashing. Call me if you need anything, okay?" Not hearing his answer, I fell back onto the couch and gave in to the influence of the beer that was clogging up my mind.
PONYBOY'S POV
I froze, unable to move, as I saw Kevin standing in the middle of the living room. It was a shock to my system, seeing the monster that had haunted my dreams for so long, invading the safe haven on my house. I struggled to breathe, to unlock my throat and scream out to Two-bit, but all I could do was stand there and fight to stay upright. Kevin locked his cold black eyes on mine and I shuddered as flashes of hazy, pain-filled memories attacked me, breaking through the weak defenses I had built up during the short month of relief I had.
He took a stride toward me and I faltered, feeling as if I were trapped in one of my nightmares, the ones where Kevin was beating me and my brothers were standing there watching in glee, cheering him on.
Kevin's mouth stretched into what seemed like a grin at my obvious terror. Quickly closing the distance between us, he grabbed me by the collar.
"Long time no see. Did'ja miss me, kid?"
Before I had time to respond or push away from his strong hands, he picked me up roughly, throwing me over his shoulder. I kicked out with all the strength I possessed, opening my mouth to scream. Kevin had anticipated this, however, and he wrapped a large hand around my throat, choking off any screams of protest that may have bubbled to the surface. Frantically, I clawed at his arm, trying desperately to draw a breath of deprived air. Just as my vision began to blur and gray at the edges, I was released. Kevin wasted no time, giving me no opportunity to escape or call for aid.
Deftly, he pulled a grayish, dirty looking handkerchief from his back pocket, tearing it in half with one strong jerk. My jaw was forced open and the coarse material shoved in deep. I immediately gagged, my throat muscles working to expel the unwanted article. Before I able to do this, the other half of the handkerchief was secured at the entrance of my mouth and tied around my head, effectively holding the cloth in place and gagging me. I struggled to breathe through my nose, trying not to allow the panic to overwhelm me as Kevin picked me up easily, swinging me over his shoulder as if I were nothing but an inanimate sack. Not giving up, I struggled with all my might, and a well-placed kick caused my kidnapper to double over, swearing softly. A hard punch to the back of my head momentarily stunned me and I slumped over his muscled shoulder, giving Kevin the time to soundlessly open the door and leave the house. I must have momentarily blacked out, because the next thing I knew I was lying on the ground and my wrists were bound tightly together. Kevin's face was looming before mine, his cold black eyes glittering in the dimness of the unknown place I found myself in.
"I warned you about spilling anything, kid," he snarled. "I think you've forgotten our little lessons together. Need a reminder?"
Not bothering to answer, I tried to crawl away, ignoring the painful throbbing of my skull that was threatening to make me pass out any second. I tasted my own blood, which trickled down from a lump somewhere on my head. However, escape was not so easy. Laughing manically, Kevin grabbed my ankle, squeezing it hard enough to make me yell out.
"I thought I taught you that escape was futile!" he sniggered. "You really do need that lesson again."
He flipped me onto my front, tugging off Soda's shirt. Without it, I felt vulnerable and alone, and I shivered, tasting salty tears on my tongue along with the metallic tang of blood. Kevin pinned me down on the rough gravel of the ground with one hand, while he unfastened his belt with another, slowly pulling it through the belt loops of his trousers. I felt my skin scrape raw on the coarse gravel and I knew with dread that worse pain was to come.
I cried out as the first blow landed on my unprotected back, immediately opening wounds that had almost healed. The pain was excruciating, and I felt as if my back was already on fire. Without waiting for me to recover, Kevin brought down the belt again, with all the force his straining biceps could deliver. I felt the buckle of the belt tear the skin on my shoulder and I blacked out again.
Kevin had not finished when I came to. I could feel every individual fiery mark on my back. I heard the horrifying swish as the cruel belt whistled through the air and landed with a smack on my bloody back. Strangely, it didn't add to the pain I was already feeling. I drifted into a semi-daze as I heard the swish-smack… swiishh-smack… of the belt as it tore my back again and again and again. I was in my own world of blazing red anguish.
When I gained consciousness once again, the beating was over. I lay on the cement, trying to calm my harsh breathing. I opened my eyes, shocked that the ground was stained bright red.
"Listen up, kid," Kevin snarled. "That's just a kind reminder. I'm going to gain permanent custody of your sorry ass and if you squeak to your brothers about what just happened or say anything to piss me off at that trial tomorrow, you're dead. I have a studded belt at home and I'll beat you with it until your screaming throat is raw and the skin on your back is nonexistent. Then I'll go after those beloved brothers of yours. Got it?"
I retched, spilling out the contents of my stomach onto the ground near Kevin's black shoes. He swore at me, making a fist to slug me. He seemed to realize that I couldn't take any more, and he half picked me up by the shoulders.
"Have fun with your last day. I'm going to make sure that the rest of your life is a living hell," he grinned. He dropped me roughly, and I groaned as the uneven pavement came into contact with my heavily bleeding back.
When I opened my eyes again, Kevin was gone.
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