Guys, Sorry for the lack of updates....school REALLY hates me and today I'm updating on my stories. Sorry I left you for so long...it's not going to happen again. Sorry!!!

-Casey

Chapter 7.

Soda kept running until he got to a place that he recognized. It was the Dingo. He walked in and collapsed in a table. He looked around. He noticed that Dally was over at a pool table collecting money. "Thanks for the cash guys, Dally's gettin a new pair of boots tonight!" He heard Dally say with a laugh. He decided to get up and go over. "Soda my man! where ya been?" Dally asked shooting a ball and watched as it fell into the hole at the end. "SCORE!" Dally exclaimed with a victory dance.

"You know where I was Dal." Soda said watching him shoot another ball that didn't make it in. "Damn!" Dally said adjusting his cigarette to the other side of his mouth. "Yeah....I know....you was in that damn foster home wasn't you?" Dally asked shooting at it again and making it in. "Yeah, but not no more....I aint ever going back to that god damn hell hole. You wouldn't even believe what the hell them people do.

Dally looked up and over at Soda. "Now that you mention it man.....you look like shit..." Dally said taking off his sunglasses too. "Yeah that god damn foster father of mine beat my ass." Soda said wiping some blood running down from a cut on his forehead that was hidden beneath his hair. "Why the hell didn't you fight back?" Dally asked in amazement. "You know I can't do that. I'll have his ass in jail if I don't do nothin. But if I do somethin...then he could have my ass in jail....get it?" Soda asked. "Nope not really..." Dally replied shooting again.

"Look, Dal I got to beat it. I got to get home and talk to Darry." Soda said starting to walk away from the table. "Alright.....and Soda....take care of yaself alright?" Dally said shooting another ball. "No problem man." Soda replied walking out of the Dingo. He walked for a few more minutes when he finally got to the front of his house. He could hardly believe it. He leaned against the fence and undid it so it would open.

He walked up to the door and thrust it open. Darry was looking through some papers. He finally looked up to see who had walked in and saw Soda. His eyes widened with disbelief. "Soda....what happened?" Darry asked standing up. "That stupid son of a bitch....." Soda said falling onto the couch. "Who?" Two-Bit asked walking in with a bottle of beer. Darry went into the kitchen to get some ice.

"Was it Kindler Soda?" Darry asked when he returned. "Yeah....and I aint goin' back there Darry." Soda said clearly. "Plain and simple....I wont go back...they'll have to kill me first." Soda said shaking his head. "Did you meet Cooper?" Darry asked under his breath. "Yeah...." Soda replied. "How's that kid doin?" Darry asked. "Well, it's hard to say...I mean...Kindler has his daughters frame Cooper....to give him a reason to beat him. Damn that guy is sick...." Soda muttered.

"Look....you wont have to go back there.....I'm calling child services and getting you out of there...." Darry said picking up the phone. "Darry....while you're at it....try to help Cooper to...." Soda said slowly then fell asleep right then and there. So Darry picked up the phone again.

"Hello....am I speaking to Katherine Brown?.......Yes...this is Darrel Curtis......Yeah....the family you placed my brother Sodapop in.....well the Kindler family....you might want to go check this guy out.....my brother ran away from there.....once I saw how he looked......there's no telling what I think....I'm not letting him go back there.....you hear me out Miss. Brown. There is no way he's going back. He came home all cut up and bruised....I don't know what you guys were thinking sending him there. But you best know he isn't going back."

There was a long pause.

"Alright....until then Soda is staying here. Me and him are going to go for a visit to see Ponyboy...........No..........HE IS NOT GOING BACK. You can't make him." Darry yelled slamming the phone down. "Who was that Darry?" Two-Bit asked coming in the room. "The god damn child agency.....you know what.....I aint putting up with their shit. you know how Soda looks right now?" Darry asked as Two-Bit and him took a glance over at Soda sleeping on the couch curled in a ball. "Well, that Katherine Brown child service person wants him to go back there. You know what....I will take her ass to court. I'm not sending my brother somewhere where there's danger. What kind of brother does she think I am?" Darry asked Two-Bit. Two-Bit took a bite of chocatle cake. "Well, I guess she thinks you're retarded or somethin...." Two-Bit said with his mouth full.

"Well, she has another thing coming I guess." Darry said trying to calm down. "I'm going outside for a little while..." He said and took his football with him. "Well I guess Soda can entertain me then..." Two-Bit said sarcastically turning on the T.V. "MICKEY!!!!!!" Two-Bit said so loud nearly waking Soda up. "M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!!!!!" Two-Bit was chanting along with the T.V.

"Two-Bit....do me a grand favor and shut up..." Soda muttered from the couch. "Sorry fizz boy." Two-bit said taking a drink from his bottle.

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"Ponyboy....are you alright?" Mrs. Valance asked as he was throwing a hand ball against a wall and catching it. "No." Ponyboy said softly. "I know I'm not your mother....but I'd like to help you." She said walking out into the garden and sat beside him. "It's nothing." Ponyboy said again. "Look...I've gone through this same thing with Sherry." Mrs. Valance said.

"Alright if you really want to know, I miss my family....I don't want to be here I want to be home with my brothers. I just lost my parents and I automatically got sent to a boy's home and I really don't want to be away from my brothers anymore. I need them both right now. Even if it makes no sense at all...I don't want to be anywhere else right now. I have to wait for a stupid god damn hearing to know if I even get to see my brothers!" Ponyboy said finally taking a breath.

"Ponyboy....someone's here to see you." Came Mr. Valance's voice from the doorway. "I got to go." Ponyboy said getting up and going inside.


-----Sorry but that's all for now...I have some things I got to do...so sorry it was kind of short....but hope you liked it anyway....

-Casey