OK, THIS IS OFFICIALLY A RE-WRITE OF MY ORIGINAL CHAPTER ONE. THE END OF THE CHAPTER IS LONGER AND DIFFERENT.
Chapter 1.
Morning At The Curtis House
"Ponyboy! Soda! C'mon, you boys are gonna be late for school!" Mrs. Curtis called down the hall. "Comin' ma!" Soda yelled coming down the hall shifting his backpack onto his shoulder. "Where's Ponyboy?" Mrs. Curtis asked. "Um...Dunno?" Soda said with his usual smile.
"Ponyboy Curtis! You better be out here in the next 10 seconds or I'll...." Mrs. Curtis was cut off by Ponyboy running into the room. "What? Am I late?" He asked nervously. "You will be if you don't get out that door." His mother said with a smile. "Is dad takin' us to school today?" Soda asked picking up a piece of toast that his mom made.
"Yes, he's waiting outside for you two, now get goin' or I may have to get the spoon and make ya more late." She teased. It was an old Curtis family injoke that if you weren't going quick then mother would get the wooden spoon and beat you with it. "Aw, c'mon ma, we know well that you aint never gonna do that." Soda said laughing and hugging her. She gave Soda a kiss on the cheek. "Have a great day sweetie." She said wiping some toast crumbs off the side of his mouth.
"I will ma." He said walking out the door. "See you later mom." Ponyboy said giving her a hug. "Get those good grades for me big guy." She said kissing him on the cheek. "you know it." He said with a smile and walking out the door.
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After school Soda was playing poker with Two-Bit and winning. "Soda, I know you ain't that good at this game...so quit your cheating!" Two-Bit pouted. "The only one cheating here is you!" Soda said spotting a card hidden up his sleeve. "Aw, I can 't even win when I cheat!" Two-Bit said throwing down his cards and went and sat in front of the TV.
"Shouldn't mom and dad be home by now?" Ponyboy asked Darry. "Yeah, but I wouldn't think nothin' of it...they could be shoppin' or somethin'." Darry said looking up from his paper. "Yeah kid, why don't you go do somethin' constructive?" Two-Bit said while watching the TV. "Oh you're the one to talk." ponyboy said rolling his eyes. He had a feeling that something wasn't right. His parents never took this long to get home.
Suddenly they heard the doorbell ring and a man cough. Darry got up and opened the door. There was two men and a woman standing outside the door. The two men were dressed in a black suit and tie. The woman was wearing a black buisness suit with a skirt instead of pants. All of them looked in their early thirties. One man had a beard and the other had glasses. "Um, is this the Curtis residence?" The man with the beard asked.
"Uh, why yes it is." Darry responded in confusion. "We work for the Children Agency. Might we talk to you for a few moments?" The woman said formally. "Oh yes, sorry please come in." Darry said clearing his throat and opened the door for them. "We have some very serious news for you but a policemen will be along shortly with it, I'm not the one to utter the news to you." The man with the glasses said with a weak smile.
"First of all, we would like to introduce ourselves. I am, James McGraw, this is Daniel Thompson." The man with the beard pointed to the man with the glasses. "And this is, Katherine Brown." He finished. Darry shook all of their hands and offered them some water which they gratefully accepted as they waited for the arrival of the policemen.
As intended a policemen arrived. "I'm very sorry to say, that there has been an accident." He said. "What kind of accident?" Darry said with hesitation. He didn't know if he really wanted to know. "Your parents...were in a car accident. The Curtis boys all felt their hearts skip a beat. "What? It can't be!" Soda said breathing heavily. Ponyboy reamined quiet feeling like his insides would burst.
OK, HERE'S WHERE THE RE-WRITE IS.....
"Are....they ok?" Darry said trying to take the news in. "Oh, I'm afraid not...The car accident was fatal. They were killed in the wreck." The cop said taking off his hat. Ponyboy felt as though a knife had been shoved deep into his heart. He felt there was no more reason to live. "No..." Ponyboy said trying to find his voice. He tried as hard as he could not to cry but he had no luck. Tears spilled out and there was just no containing them.
Soda was already on the floor bawling his eyes out. He was the most emotional out of everyone in the Curtis family. It was no suprise that he would react this way. Distinctly Ponyboy could here Soda whispering, "They're not dead...they're not dead..." He didn't know what to say. He looked over at Darry who suprisingly was not crying. Just tensed up. But when he spoke his voice shook a little.
"What are my brothers and I gonna do now that our parents are gone?" Darry asked. Ponyboy couldn't believe that Darry was just sitting there with his fists in his pockets not even taking any emotion to this. "Sounds like you really care Darry..." Ponyboy whispered. He couldn't help himself. Seeing Darry take it like no big deal was just sickening him. For the first time in his life he saw Darry a different way. He saw him as a cold hearted guy who couldn't hack it. Instead of that warm brother he would always watch playing foot ball with his dad in the yard.
"Yeah what are we going to do?" Soda asked trying to hold his tears back long enough to speak. Katherine opened her brief case. "You're two brothers will be taken into my custody for the time being. Until I can find them foster homes-" Katherine was soon cut off by Darry. "What? Foster homes?! They don't need no foster homes, I can take care of them as well as my parents could." Darry objected.
"There's no possible way I could do that. I may however, let you go to a custody hearing of the matter, but for now, I must take them to a boy's home." Katherine said trying to pick her words carefully. "Is that my only option?" Darry asked. "Yes. You have to call this number to set up the hearing..." She said handing him a paper. While he looked it over Katherine turned to Soda and Ponyboy who were still crying.
"Would you go and get some things you wish to bring with you?" She asked trying to be as kind as she could. "No..." Soda said looking away from her. "I'm sorry but you have to come with us." She tried to explain. "I don't have to go anywhere." Soda said getting a bit more anger raised in his voice. He was still crying but anger was showing through the tears. "By order of the state you have to. Plus, It wont look good on your brother getting custody of you and Ponyboy if you don't. It'll only be temporary." She said getting a little flustered.
Soda opened his mouth to object some more when Ponyboy got up and took him out to the hallway. "Well, we have a chance at Darry getting custody...we only have to go for a little while..." Ponyboy said. He knew that this, "Little while." Was more then just little. It took more time for this kind of thing. But he was trying to calm Soda down and he was trying to tell himself something different so he could calm down himself.
"But I can't go! Mom and dad are dead and they expect me to go, "Oh ok...my parents are dead but sure I'll go with you..." Soda asked letting more tears spring out. He slid down the wall and buried his face in his knees. Ponyboy walked into his and Soda's room and looked at the picture of him and his family at Darry's football game. It was sitting on his desk in a frame. 'We all looked so happy...mom...and dad...those smiles we never think could fade have actually faded forever.' Ponyboy thought with more tears. He didn't want to believe his mom and dad were never coming back. It was too hard to take in.
"Is it even the right thing to do?" Soda asked from the doorway. "What?" Ponyboy asked tearing his eyes away from the picture. "Is it a right thing to just get up and go and leave Darry?" Soda asked. "I don't know what's right but Darry....he's got a lot of nerve..." Ponyboy said feeling his face turn hot. "What are you talking about." Soda asked confused. "It's like...he doesn't even care that mom and dad are dead. He sat there with his fists in his pockets and went on acting like he couldn't even give a damn." Ponyboy said shaking with anger.
"Aw c'mon Pony, you know Darry cares. He just has that tough guy image you know? He never wants to break his image. He does care and you know it." Soda said not wanting to believe that Darry didn't care. "I still can't believe they ain't comin' back." Ponyboy said trying to instill this in his mind. This was the hardest thing to take in. He never had to deal with this much sorrow in his life ever. He didn't even know if he was going to make it through or not.
"One thing though Pony, even if Darry can't help us, we got to stick together through thick and thin. No matter what." Soda said still trying to hold back his tears. "Alright." Ponyboy replied still trying to imagine what life would be like from that time on. Everything would be different. "Do you reckon that we'll ever get over this?" Soda asked. Ponyboy layed back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Well, you know how certain cuts become scars...and some don't? Well, this is one cut that will become a scar. It hurts a lot...and it will for a while...but eventually it becomes a scar. You always know it's there and it doesn't go away. But eventually you'll go on....and you wont try and think of that cut anymore." Ponyboy said trying to give the best advice he could.
"Pony, you should write a novel or something because that was really good." Soda said. "Boys, are you almost ready?" Katherine called. Soda turned back to Ponyboy. "Should we go with her? I don't wanna leave this house...it's mom and dad's house." Soda said trying to think quickly. "Might as well. If we make a good impression then Darry can get custody and we can probably keep the house..." Ponyboy said shrugging.
"I'm gonna miss them Pony...." Soda said not getting up. "I know, I already miss them...." Ponyboy said shoving some things into a bag. Soda soon got up and slowly packed things into a bag. They walked out of the room slowly. "Come on Boys." Katherine said ushering them towards the car. "Wait!" Darry called from the door. He ran and caught up with them.
"I'm gonna try and get ya back ok? Even If I got to work day and night to do it, I'm gonna try. I'll keep in touch alright?" Darry said with one last hug for both of them. Then they shared a group hug.
Soda and Ponyboy were ushered into the car. They felt nothing but misery sweep over them as they looked at Darry standing by the mailbox watching the car until it was out of sight.
-----Most of it is the same, but I made the whole death thing longer and more believable. And this time it's not rushed...so hope you like it.
-Alex.
Chapter 1.
Morning At The Curtis House
"Ponyboy! Soda! C'mon, you boys are gonna be late for school!" Mrs. Curtis called down the hall. "Comin' ma!" Soda yelled coming down the hall shifting his backpack onto his shoulder. "Where's Ponyboy?" Mrs. Curtis asked. "Um...Dunno?" Soda said with his usual smile.
"Ponyboy Curtis! You better be out here in the next 10 seconds or I'll...." Mrs. Curtis was cut off by Ponyboy running into the room. "What? Am I late?" He asked nervously. "You will be if you don't get out that door." His mother said with a smile. "Is dad takin' us to school today?" Soda asked picking up a piece of toast that his mom made.
"Yes, he's waiting outside for you two, now get goin' or I may have to get the spoon and make ya more late." She teased. It was an old Curtis family injoke that if you weren't going quick then mother would get the wooden spoon and beat you with it. "Aw, c'mon ma, we know well that you aint never gonna do that." Soda said laughing and hugging her. She gave Soda a kiss on the cheek. "Have a great day sweetie." She said wiping some toast crumbs off the side of his mouth.
"I will ma." He said walking out the door. "See you later mom." Ponyboy said giving her a hug. "Get those good grades for me big guy." She said kissing him on the cheek. "you know it." He said with a smile and walking out the door.
------------------------------------------
After school Soda was playing poker with Two-Bit and winning. "Soda, I know you ain't that good at this game...so quit your cheating!" Two-Bit pouted. "The only one cheating here is you!" Soda said spotting a card hidden up his sleeve. "Aw, I can 't even win when I cheat!" Two-Bit said throwing down his cards and went and sat in front of the TV.
"Shouldn't mom and dad be home by now?" Ponyboy asked Darry. "Yeah, but I wouldn't think nothin' of it...they could be shoppin' or somethin'." Darry said looking up from his paper. "Yeah kid, why don't you go do somethin' constructive?" Two-Bit said while watching the TV. "Oh you're the one to talk." ponyboy said rolling his eyes. He had a feeling that something wasn't right. His parents never took this long to get home.
Suddenly they heard the doorbell ring and a man cough. Darry got up and opened the door. There was two men and a woman standing outside the door. The two men were dressed in a black suit and tie. The woman was wearing a black buisness suit with a skirt instead of pants. All of them looked in their early thirties. One man had a beard and the other had glasses. "Um, is this the Curtis residence?" The man with the beard asked.
"Uh, why yes it is." Darry responded in confusion. "We work for the Children Agency. Might we talk to you for a few moments?" The woman said formally. "Oh yes, sorry please come in." Darry said clearing his throat and opened the door for them. "We have some very serious news for you but a policemen will be along shortly with it, I'm not the one to utter the news to you." The man with the glasses said with a weak smile.
"First of all, we would like to introduce ourselves. I am, James McGraw, this is Daniel Thompson." The man with the beard pointed to the man with the glasses. "And this is, Katherine Brown." He finished. Darry shook all of their hands and offered them some water which they gratefully accepted as they waited for the arrival of the policemen.
As intended a policemen arrived. "I'm very sorry to say, that there has been an accident." He said. "What kind of accident?" Darry said with hesitation. He didn't know if he really wanted to know. "Your parents...were in a car accident. The Curtis boys all felt their hearts skip a beat. "What? It can't be!" Soda said breathing heavily. Ponyboy reamined quiet feeling like his insides would burst.
OK, HERE'S WHERE THE RE-WRITE IS.....
"Are....they ok?" Darry said trying to take the news in. "Oh, I'm afraid not...The car accident was fatal. They were killed in the wreck." The cop said taking off his hat. Ponyboy felt as though a knife had been shoved deep into his heart. He felt there was no more reason to live. "No..." Ponyboy said trying to find his voice. He tried as hard as he could not to cry but he had no luck. Tears spilled out and there was just no containing them.
Soda was already on the floor bawling his eyes out. He was the most emotional out of everyone in the Curtis family. It was no suprise that he would react this way. Distinctly Ponyboy could here Soda whispering, "They're not dead...they're not dead..." He didn't know what to say. He looked over at Darry who suprisingly was not crying. Just tensed up. But when he spoke his voice shook a little.
"What are my brothers and I gonna do now that our parents are gone?" Darry asked. Ponyboy couldn't believe that Darry was just sitting there with his fists in his pockets not even taking any emotion to this. "Sounds like you really care Darry..." Ponyboy whispered. He couldn't help himself. Seeing Darry take it like no big deal was just sickening him. For the first time in his life he saw Darry a different way. He saw him as a cold hearted guy who couldn't hack it. Instead of that warm brother he would always watch playing foot ball with his dad in the yard.
"Yeah what are we going to do?" Soda asked trying to hold his tears back long enough to speak. Katherine opened her brief case. "You're two brothers will be taken into my custody for the time being. Until I can find them foster homes-" Katherine was soon cut off by Darry. "What? Foster homes?! They don't need no foster homes, I can take care of them as well as my parents could." Darry objected.
"There's no possible way I could do that. I may however, let you go to a custody hearing of the matter, but for now, I must take them to a boy's home." Katherine said trying to pick her words carefully. "Is that my only option?" Darry asked. "Yes. You have to call this number to set up the hearing..." She said handing him a paper. While he looked it over Katherine turned to Soda and Ponyboy who were still crying.
"Would you go and get some things you wish to bring with you?" She asked trying to be as kind as she could. "No..." Soda said looking away from her. "I'm sorry but you have to come with us." She tried to explain. "I don't have to go anywhere." Soda said getting a bit more anger raised in his voice. He was still crying but anger was showing through the tears. "By order of the state you have to. Plus, It wont look good on your brother getting custody of you and Ponyboy if you don't. It'll only be temporary." She said getting a little flustered.
Soda opened his mouth to object some more when Ponyboy got up and took him out to the hallway. "Well, we have a chance at Darry getting custody...we only have to go for a little while..." Ponyboy said. He knew that this, "Little while." Was more then just little. It took more time for this kind of thing. But he was trying to calm Soda down and he was trying to tell himself something different so he could calm down himself.
"But I can't go! Mom and dad are dead and they expect me to go, "Oh ok...my parents are dead but sure I'll go with you..." Soda asked letting more tears spring out. He slid down the wall and buried his face in his knees. Ponyboy walked into his and Soda's room and looked at the picture of him and his family at Darry's football game. It was sitting on his desk in a frame. 'We all looked so happy...mom...and dad...those smiles we never think could fade have actually faded forever.' Ponyboy thought with more tears. He didn't want to believe his mom and dad were never coming back. It was too hard to take in.
"Is it even the right thing to do?" Soda asked from the doorway. "What?" Ponyboy asked tearing his eyes away from the picture. "Is it a right thing to just get up and go and leave Darry?" Soda asked. "I don't know what's right but Darry....he's got a lot of nerve..." Ponyboy said feeling his face turn hot. "What are you talking about." Soda asked confused. "It's like...he doesn't even care that mom and dad are dead. He sat there with his fists in his pockets and went on acting like he couldn't even give a damn." Ponyboy said shaking with anger.
"Aw c'mon Pony, you know Darry cares. He just has that tough guy image you know? He never wants to break his image. He does care and you know it." Soda said not wanting to believe that Darry didn't care. "I still can't believe they ain't comin' back." Ponyboy said trying to instill this in his mind. This was the hardest thing to take in. He never had to deal with this much sorrow in his life ever. He didn't even know if he was going to make it through or not.
"One thing though Pony, even if Darry can't help us, we got to stick together through thick and thin. No matter what." Soda said still trying to hold back his tears. "Alright." Ponyboy replied still trying to imagine what life would be like from that time on. Everything would be different. "Do you reckon that we'll ever get over this?" Soda asked. Ponyboy layed back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Well, you know how certain cuts become scars...and some don't? Well, this is one cut that will become a scar. It hurts a lot...and it will for a while...but eventually it becomes a scar. You always know it's there and it doesn't go away. But eventually you'll go on....and you wont try and think of that cut anymore." Ponyboy said trying to give the best advice he could.
"Pony, you should write a novel or something because that was really good." Soda said. "Boys, are you almost ready?" Katherine called. Soda turned back to Ponyboy. "Should we go with her? I don't wanna leave this house...it's mom and dad's house." Soda said trying to think quickly. "Might as well. If we make a good impression then Darry can get custody and we can probably keep the house..." Ponyboy said shrugging.
"I'm gonna miss them Pony...." Soda said not getting up. "I know, I already miss them...." Ponyboy said shoving some things into a bag. Soda soon got up and slowly packed things into a bag. They walked out of the room slowly. "Come on Boys." Katherine said ushering them towards the car. "Wait!" Darry called from the door. He ran and caught up with them.
"I'm gonna try and get ya back ok? Even If I got to work day and night to do it, I'm gonna try. I'll keep in touch alright?" Darry said with one last hug for both of them. Then they shared a group hug.
Soda and Ponyboy were ushered into the car. They felt nothing but misery sweep over them as they looked at Darry standing by the mailbox watching the car until it was out of sight.
-----Most of it is the same, but I made the whole death thing longer and more believable. And this time it's not rushed...so hope you like it.
-Alex.