"Ponyboy? Ponyboy?" Darry called for our brother as we searched each room hoping to find him. "He's not here." Darry confirmed when we all met up in the kitchen. Superman's eyes began to tear up as he clenched his fists and shook his head in agony. "He's not here."
"Darry maybe we oughtta go look for him with the truck." Sodapop suggested hoping to find Pony so he could ease Darry's pain. "Besides we don't know for sure he had anything to do with that boy being dead." Soda turned to me and saw the doubt on my face. "Scout you stay here in case he comes home. Two-Bit you stay with her?"
Two-Bit's round eyes stared back at Sodapop. "Yeah sure … whatever you need." Two-Bit waited for the boys to leave and the rumble of the truck engine before he turned to me and asked. "Sissy what happened?"
I sat down on a kitchen chair and my head began to throb from lack of sleep. "I don't really know how it all started. Pony was very late for curfew…" I began to recall the moments that woke me from my sleep. "…I fell asleep waiting for him then the next thing I know Darry and Pony were arguing and yelling at each other then… then Darry hit him."
"Whoa." Two-Bit said softly and pulled a chair up beside me. Shock filled his face as he reconfirmed what he had heard. "Darry hit him?"
"Yeah." I tried to hold back emotions. "Ponyboy ran out and I … I yelled at Darry." At that moment I began to realize I may have been the reason we couldn't find my brother. "So we never went after Pony… and look what happened." I considered not crying in front of Two-Bit but human nature forced my emotions out. Two-Bit didn't care. Truth was he was probably the most understanding guy in the gang, outside of Sodapop.
"Come on now Scout, you don't know that Pony had anything to do with that boy in the park."
"I do … I don't know how but I just do." I cleared my eyes of tears but they just refilled. "Remember the time Ponyboy fell off the monkey bars at the park, and I knew he did it, but I was at home?"
Two-Bit remembered that day and many others when Ponyboy and I just knew strange things about each other, but he wanted to comfort me. "Yeah, but you don't always know."
I sighed heavy and looked toward the worn linoleum flooring in our kitchen. "Yeah, but I know now." I whispered quietly. "I know now."
After four in the morning Soda and Darry slowly strolled through the front door. They both looked as exhausted as they felt. Darry's face turned sick and pale as he realized Ponyboy wasn't waiting in the living room as he had hoped.
"No luck?" Two-Bit quietly asked. Sodapop collapsed onto the couch with Two-Bit and I and shook his head no.
I sat forward and looked to Darry, "What are we going to do?"
"Aint much we can do, I guess we just wait." Darry's face tensed up and he looked so defeated it broke my heart. I crossed the living room, sat in Darry's lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. My stoic brother began to softly cry and buried his head into the side of my neck. I didn't know what to do, but I did know I wasn't about to leave his side. I stayed with him till I finally was inundated by sleep.
Hours later I was the only one who woke from the sound of a car door slamming shut outside of our house. I lifted my head to find I was still in Darry's lap, the sun was shining and everyone was asleep in the living room. I stood up and stretched on my way to look out the window. Steve surprised me as he hurriedly came through the front door and shook Soda's body awake. "Soda get up! We gotta go!"
Sodapop jerked awake, "what… what is it? Did you find Ponyboy?"
"No man, I don't know anything about Pony… It's Sandy! Her parents are sending her away to live with her grandmother." Steve's voice woke the other two in the room.
Soda's mind was still asleep as he rubbed his eyes. "What?"
"Evie just told me… Sandy's pregnant and her parents are making her move to Florida, she's leaving today! Buddy we gotta get over there." Sodapop grabbed his shoes and ran out the front door with Steve in tow.
Knowing this was just one more piece of devastation for the family I timidly looked over at Darry who took the newest tragedy hard. His mouth was dropped and he slowly shuddered his head in dismay. Everything he has tried to do right in the past eight months was only leading to destruction of our close knit family.
I turned my attention to Two-Bit and we shared a long unspoken stare of concern. My mind began to flood with everything that had gone wrong in my life since that last snowy day in February. I spoke my unsettling feelings. "They're never going to let us all stay together now." Two-Bit opted not to add in his two bits and that was a tell tale sign that things had gone from bad to worse.
As if sleepwalking Darry wandered into the kitchen and I could hear him digging through the cabinets searching for something to eat. My stomach was in so many knots I knew there was no way I could choke down any food. Two-Bit didn't share my lack of hunger. He strolled into the kitchen behind Darry for breakfast. I followed the two of them because I didn't want to be alone.
"What do you think Sodapop is gonna do?" Two-Bit asked as he began dipping bread into the mixed egg batter my brother had given him.
"Huh?" Darry was lost in his own thoughts and didn't hear what Two-Bit had asked.
"You think Sodapop will marry her?" Two-Bit rephrased the question.
"He's too young to get married." Darry stated assuredly. "He probably will when he is older though."
I thought about what it would be like, Soda having a baby to take care of. Heck he could barely take care of himself sometimes. I imagined him having to get up in the middle of the night and rock the baby, having to give it baths and deal with it's crying. It would be hard work but I believed Soda could do that. In fact I bet he would be a great dad, just like ours was.
Darry and Two-Bit sat at the table and ate their french toast for lunch. Darry forced me to drink I glass of milk since I refused to eat. No one talked about Ponyboy just Sodapop and Sandy. Darry and Two-Bit discussed if Soda would be able to convince Sandy's parents to let her stay in town. We knew how miserable Soda would be if Sandy really had to leave. We also wondered if she had to leave, would she ever come back?
When the breakfast dishes were cleaned and put away Darry called out to Two-Bit and I. "Let's go down to the lot. I want to see if Ponyboy is there now or maybe at Johnny's house." Two-Bit and I shared a look to confirm that we had both thought Darry was out of his mind. There was no way Pony would stay at Johnny's house. I slid on my tennis shoes and didn't argue the thought, but Two-Bit did.
"Do you really think they are at Johnny's house?"
"No," Darry tucked in his shirt. But it's a place we haven't checked yet." Darry had a good point so we followed him down the street, but not to Johnny's front door. That duty was best suited for the sturdiest man in the gang. Two-Bit and I gathered nearby on the curb by the vacant lot where we could watch Darry.
My brother stood up straight and walked up to the Cade family home. After the knock Johnny's mother came to the front door. Her hair tussled and her housecoat filthy like Johnny's clothes often were. "Whadda ya want?" She snapped.
Darry cleared his throat and used his best "All American Boy" manners. "Mam' I'm looking for Ponyboy Curtis. I am wondering if he has been by here or if he stayed here last night with Johnny."
The woman leaned out of her doorway toward Darry and screeched. "You think I'd let one of you no account hoodlums in my house?"
Darry ignored her degrading remark. "Is Johnny home?"
The woman looked over her shoulder and yelled into her house for her son. When there was no reply she answered Darry's question. "Nah he aint here so why don't you go find something better to do then bother me?"
Darry ignored her again without adding any of the snide remarks about her he kept guarded in his mind. He thanked the lady for her time and joined us in the lot. "That woman sure is a horrible person."
We agreed with him and walked toward the abandoned cars, searching each one, hoping to find Ponyboy curled up inside. The vacant lot and all of it's hiding spots were empty. Crushed, we sat down on the tree trunk stumps and old car seats as Steve's car pulled up along the curb. It had been over an hour since they had left and we were all surprised to see them back so soon. Steve and Soda climbed out of the car and wandered over to where we were sitting. Sodapop looked absolutely miserable as he approached.
"Is everything ok?" Darry stood up and grabbed Sodapop's shoulder with his powerful hand. Soda meekly shook his head no. At that moment our brother couldn't speak for fear he would breakdown and cry.
Steve spoke for his friend, his voice angry and agitated as he lit two cigarettes, one for him and one for Soda. "Sandy was two timing Sodapop. She says the baby aint even his. We couldn't believe it, he had been so good to her!" Darry exhaled a sigh of relief that made Soda wince, Steve continued. "Soda offered to marry her anyway and her father just about threw him out the front window. Sandy didn't want to marry him neither. So she packed her bags and left with Soda standing there on the sidewalk watching her go."
Before anyone else could comment Soda spoke to change the subject. "Any news on Ponyboy yet?"
"Nothing." Darry told him. "Little buddy I am sorry to hear about Sandy."
Sodapop shrugged his shoulders and Steve looked to us for more answers about Pony and Johnny. "Soda told me what happened last night, have the fuzz been to your house yet?" Darry shook his head no as Dally's voice casually yelled out from the far end of the lot.
"Hey ya'll are we going to play football today or what?" His question reminded the gang that we hadn't played out usual weekend game of football since the day Duke Dobbins came to town. Dally eyed our long faces and played it cool. "How's it hanging?"
We looked at him and Steve spoke up. "Not too good. Soda just learned that Sandy was two timing him and got knocked up. Worse, Johnny and Ponyboy ran away last night and a dead soc showed up in the park about the same time. We're starting to think maybe they killed the kid."
Dally looked at no one as he put his cigarette to his lips and took a long drag before responding. "What makes you think they had anything to do with it?"
"Ponyboy and Johnny are still missing." Darry quietly spoke.
"Don't sweat it Darry, those boys'll show up." Dally took another stalling drag on his weed.
In the street a passing squad car noticed our gathering and screeched to a halt. Two officers quickly exited the car and marched up to where the six of us were gathered. "Dallas Winston!" The lead cop yelled. "Your coming to the station with us."
Dally stood tuff, tossed his still burning cigarette aside and stared down the officer. "What for?"
The young officers grabbed Dally and forced his hands behind his back. Each of us wanted to jump in and help our friend but we knew better than to get involved. While the officers pulled him toward the squad car one of them answered. "Murder."
"Murder?" Dally questioned.
"Yeah, unless you got a rock solid alibi for where you were last night you are the prime suspect in this neighborhood for the stabbing death of a seventeen year old boy." The cocky officer grinned as if he had the case all figured out. "I bet you aint got one!" Dally just flashed his deviant smile as the two men hauled him off to jail.
I sat down on a log and tried to sort out the conflicting facts in my head. "Ya'll don't think Dally … I mean…"
"No way!" Steve turned to defend his friend. "There aint no way Dally would've murdered that soc."
I glared over at Steve and snapped. "Oh you don't think Dally would do it but maybe Ponyboy would have?"
Steve barked back. "I aint saying that! I just don't think Dally would've stabbed that boy then stayed in town." Steve immediately realized what he had said as he glanced at our dropped faces. Nervousness filled Steve's body as he hitched his thumbs in his belt loops and peered his eyes upon me. "I aint saying Pony or Johnny did it either!"
"Sure as hell sounded like that was what you were saying." I didn't care how mean I was being to Steve and I wasn't sticking around for any more argument. I stood up from the log and headed home. No one called out to me so I figured they were staying at the lot. I stepped off the curb and took a few steps toward my house when the site of two squad cars made my stomach turn uneasy and my feet stop. I glanced back in the direction of the lot to find the gang was only a few dozen feet behind me.
"Oh glory what now?" Two-Bit called out as Darry and Soda ran ahead of me to our house.
Steve sympathetically grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it tight. "Don't worry'bout it Sissy, everything is gonna be alright." Then he pushed me from my frozen stance and walked me home.