Darry's POV
Pony had been home for a few weeks. He was back in school and close to failing a few of his classes. Something I wasn't to happy about. He was a smart kid and here he was getting Ds and Fs. It was as if he had stopped caring about his school work. And it frustrated me. I wanted to see him get a good education. I wanted him to go to college.
"Pony, have you started your theme for english?" I asked during dinner.
"Umm..." Pony mumbled around a mouth full of food.
"I'll take that as a no." I told him. "Come on Pony, can't you use your head? If you don't do your school work, you fail. Is that what you want?"
Pony just gave me an even stare. He used to look at the floor when I'd yell at him. But lately, he was talking back at me. "What's the big deal about school? I'll probably have a job after I get out of school anyway. Besides, look at Soda, he has a job and is doing okay. And he dropped out! So lay off!"
I shook my head. "If you think you're dropping out, you're wrong. Pony, you're a smart kid. You could win scholarships and we could put you through college. You could make something of yourself. But instead, you're choosing to quit. And if you don't like how I run things in this house, you can pack your things and leave."
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Pony asked. He looked at Soda who had been quietly picking at his potatatoes which for once weren't dyed some weird color. "Well, it's not so easy, is it Soda?"
Soda looked pained. "Oh, guys why can't you..." He jumped up and ran out of the house before Pony or I could say anything. He had dropped an envelope on the table before he ran out.
"It's the letter he wrote to Sandy." I said to Ponyboy. "Returned and unopened." I went on to explain why Sandy had left.
"You don't have to draw me a picture." Pony mumbled.
I sighed. "Come on, let's go get him."
Soda's POV
I had made it to the park before Pony caught up with me. I tried to dodge him, but he tackled me and we both fell to the ground gasping for air. "You should have went out for football instead of track."
By then, Darry was sitting on the ground next to us.
"Where did you think you were going?" Pony asked.
"I can't stand to hear you two fight. And it's like I'm the middle man in a game of tug o' war. You dig?" I looked at them before continuing. " I can't take sides. It'd be easier if I could. But, I see both sides."
I went on to tell them what I saw in each side of their argument. I even told them that we should be able to stick together. After all, we're all we had left.
"Please, don't fight anymore." I said when I finished.
Darry and Pony both looked guilty. Darry was the first to speak. "Okay little buddy. Hey, Pony, no more fights, okay?"
"Okay." Pony agreed. Then, he grinned. "I'll race you guys home."
The three of us stood up and ran towards our house. But it was more like we were running together instead of having a race. I think that's how we all wanted it. But as we ran, Pony seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving me and Darry to run home by ourselves.