Chapter Seven:

Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns the Outsiders. The song is from the Even Stevens musical episode and the second one is "Angels Through The Night" arranged by Jay Althouse. I did that one from memory, so I might have missed some lyrics.

Ponyboy groaned again, miserable. "I can't believe I missed the track meet! He'll throw me off the team, then goodbye any chance of getting a scholarship for college!"

Then he sat up straight suddenly, remembering something else. "Aw, sh…sh…sugar!" Ponyboy cursed, punching the sofa. "What?" asked Soda, worried.

"I cannot BELIEVE it. I just cannot believe it!" Ponyboy cursed himself. How could he have forgotten? Even if he was sick, he could have gone. He had missed his one chance.

"I could have won!" he wailed. "What! Won what?" Soda demanded. Ponyboy was starting to worry him.

"The scout from Washington University was there tonight! Soda, I could have been there! I could have gotten discovered!" Ponyboy was practically bawling. "That's a really good school! I could have won! The track meet AND a scholarship!"

Soda tried to calm down Ponyboy. "Relax, Pony. There'll be other scouts, from better schools. Anyway, I thought you had your heart set on Williams, not Washington."

Ponyboy blew his nose noisily. Soda wondered briefly if it was because he was crying or because of his cold. "Still, Soda. I'll get thrown off the team!"

"No, you won't, Pony. Not if I have anything to say about it. And Two-Bit called you in sick, remember? You have an excuse. So he can't throw you off the team."

Ponyboy tried to wipe his eyes subtly. He didn't want Soda or Steve to see that his eyes were running from his cold and mistake it for crying.

He was pretty upset, even though he knew he was overreacting. Before his coach had mentioned the scout was coming, he had never even heard of Washington University.

"Just chill, Pony, you dig?" Soda was saying. "There'll be other chances, other scouts. Now get some sleep. I don't know if it's your illness that's making you crazy like this or what. Heck, you're worse than Sandy once a month, if ya know what I mean," Soda snickered.

Ponyboy was utterly confused. "Huh?" he asked, while Soda and Steve guffawed. "Never mind, Pone. You'll get it eventually," Soda sighed, still laughing to himself.

"Never mind about the track meet, Pone. Just get some rest. You'll feel better soon. Anyway, it's just an award." Ponyboy thought it sounded reasonable enough. He was beginning to calm down. He sneezed. Then the music started.

Soda opened his mouth, spread out his arms dramatically, and started to sing, much to Ponyboy's horror.

"There'll be no award,
you missed a day of school.
You never should have gotten influenza.
It's just an award, it doesn't mean a thing.
I think we should sing another stanza.

It's just an award.
It's just an award.
It's just an award.
It's just an award."

Soda finished, grabbed his coat and said, "Let's go, we're gonna be late," leaving with Steve. Ponyboy flopped back down. Was he hallucinating? Or had everyone in Tulsa gone crazy?

Ponyboy could hear Steve's car sputtering and choking outside and Steve cursing about his stupid car. "Uh, Steve? Maybe it's just out of gas," Ponyboy could hear Soda saying. Ponyboy laughed quietly to himself. Maybe Steve was good with cars, but every once in a while he did something so utterly stupid that it was unreal.

He rolled over and tried to get some sleep. He was almost out when the front door slammed again. What is it with people and slamming doors! Ponyboy thought irately.

It was Dally and Two-Bit. "Hey, Pony," Two-Bit greeted. "What do you want?" Ponyboy demanded crabbily.

"Ooh, touchy," Two-Bit teased. Ponyboy said nothing, but rolled off the couch and started towards his room. "Hey, Pony, we're sorry," Two-Bit apologized.

"Whatever. Just keep it down," Ponyboy said grumpily. He sneezed, then turned back and grabbed the Kleenex. "Pony, we're sorry you're sick, but don't pin it on us!"

Ponyboy sighed and turned to Two-Bit, who looked mad. "I'm not blaming you. I'm going to get some sleep and see if I feel better in the morning." He blew his nose just as he sneezed again. Yuck!

"Of course, dear Ponyboy, sleep. Sleep your life away," Two-Bit said dramatically. Uh oh, Ponyboy thought. He knew what was coming. No music started, but Two-Bit started singing anyway.

"Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee,

All through the night

Guardian angels, god will send thee,

All through the night

Soft the drowsy hours are creeping

Hill and vale in slumber sleeping

God his loving vigil keeping

All through the night

All night, all day

Angels watching over me

All night, all day

Angels watching over me

Hill and vale in slumber sleeping

Sleep my child, and peace attend thee

All through the night."

"Well, good night, Pony. See you in the morning," Two-Bit flopped down on the couch.

But Ponyboy had had enough. "Alright," he said angrily. "What's going on?"

Dally and Two-bit looked up, surprised. "Whaddya mean?" Dally demanded.

"I MEAN, why the fudge is everyone singing? Am I crazy, or are all of you?"

"What do you mean?" Two-Bit demanded, staring at Ponyboy like he was demented. "What d'you mean, why are we all singing?"

"I mean, why are you all singing all of a sudden!" Ponyboy practically screamed. "Whoa, Pone, chill," Dally said, looking slightly alarmed.

"Yeah, Pony, what's up? And what d'you mean, all of a sudden? It's always been like that," Two-Bit said calmly.

"Huh?" Ponyboy gasped, shocked.

"Yeah. It's nothing special. It's just always been that way."