Wow, thanks for all of the reviews guys! Man, y'all rock my socks! Reading every one makes me want to cry for joy because it makes me feel good that people like this. So thank you very, very much!
Apologies if I made Soda a little too childish. I must confess that it most likely resulted from my ridiculously OOC Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfics. Any time there was moments where Soda had a 'dumb' moment (like, counting the hours or not knowing what 'sarcastic' meant), it was just to have dumb humor... yeah. I will try to make him a little more mature though, since from the looks of it, the fic is heading into a more dramatic point... I think. I'm sorry, I'm being an idiot again, but again, apologies for this mishap.
Please enjoy this next chapter.
Friday morning- 11:36 AM
Steve was blinking rather oddly. "Uhh...?"
I scrunched my eyebrows together, looking to the side. "Steve... ya don't think that... Pony feels... ya know, responsible or somethin', do ya? About Johnny-cake and Dal?"
He wasn't saying anything. Even his face was blank. I can't tell what he's feeling or anything.
"...Steve?"
Sighing, he tugged at one of his curls. Is he nervous or something? "Soda... look, I honestly can't tell ya what goes on in that kid's head, okay? In all honestly, I don't really pay attention to the kid... hell, I don't even talk to him that much."
Steve's never talked like this before. It's a little... strange, seeing him act like this.
"So, if ya gonna ask someone about your brother... ask someone who actually bothers to talk to him... like Two-bit or Superman or somebody." He finished off, shrugging his shoulders like it was nothing.
Wow... this is bothering me like nothing else. I feel as if... if I don't get away or something, I might not be able to hold myself back. "So... what ya sayin' is to forget about Ponyboy if I'm with you? You just really don't give a damn what happens to Ponyboy, is that right?"
"Soda..." He's staring at me like I just called him trash or something. "C'mon Soda, ya know I don't mean it like that. Alright, look, how about this then? After work, I'll walk home with ya and see how the kid's acting. If he's all loony or whatever, then ya can babble all ya want about 'im. If he's the same as always, enough."
"No."
He blinked. "Huh?"
That's not going to work. "No, not tonight." I need some more time with Ponyboy alone, just to make sure of things. "Sunday, our day off."
"Wait a minute..." Steve frowned, holding a hand up. "Wait... yer sayin' that you want me and you and him to spend all day Sunday together, just to see if he's actin' weird?"
"Right. We'll do stuff that needs us to like, talk and that."
"What! No, c'mon! Why can't I just come over tonight? Since it's not a school night and all, he'll be able to stay up later and do stuff."
Damn it, he's just ain't getting it at all! "Steve! Think about it! Do ya really think Ponyboy wants to go out at night now? No!"
I'm really starting to wonder what Steve's thinking now. It's almost as if he... hates being near Ponyboy or something. Is it really too much to ask to spend a day with my little brother to see if he's alright? He's acting like I told him to go on vacation with him to China for a few months!
Neither of us said anything for a moment. Looking up at him, I noticed that he was swallowing. He looked at me... opened his mouth...
Damn that car outside!
"Umm, I'll get it." And with that, he quickly ran outside to pump gas for the customer.
We're not getting anywhere with this.
Sighing, I leaned back onto the stool, head bent down again. I could see my hair flopping forward in my face. Maybe I should get it cut? Or just shave it. But then the girls won't come visit me while I'm working. Damn this hair.
Looking around the nearly empty garage, I picked up a couple soda pop and beer cans off the floor just for the sake of something to do. Knowing Steve, he'll probably try to drag out his work outside just to avoid me.
Though the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I should just lay off. Or just leave Steve out of this. I know he would like that idea, from the way he's acting, but I really need someone else's opinion since I don't know if its just me going loony.
Maybe being loony is a Curtis thing? Darry's always been a bit weird and Pony's so different from everybody else... then I must be a nutcase. Great, at least I don't have to make up excuses for my weirdness, as Pony likes to call it.
Going back to my first thought, what was Pony thinking when Johnny and Dally died? He was the one with both of them and the only one to make it out alive. There must be something going on in his head about it. I mean, it bothers me everyday whenever I'm not busy with something else.
When Steve finally came back, I was back in my place on the stool. Looking over, I watched as he slowly walked towards his own stool. Sitting down, he stared at the ground, not saying nothing.
"Steve?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm gonna talk to Pony tonight... and you don't hafta come if ya don't wanna." Yeah, this is a good idea. Research, then involve other people. Isn't this what they taught us at school? Well, I wouldn't really remember after not being there for so long, but still..
My buddy looked at me, not blinking. How does he do that? "Are ya sure?"
"Hmph, I can talk to my brother perfectly well." I mean, c'mon, Pony and I are like, best friends, aside from Steve and the others of course.
"Ya know that's not what I meant." I did know, but I just had to keep picking at him. A bad habit, I know. Probably what starts a bunch of our fights, but we always make up the next day, so I never really think about it.
"Yeah, I know. I'm just gonna talk to him like I usually do. See what he says and stuff."
"All right."
Friday evening- 8:13 PM
"I'm home!" I made sure to yell as loudly as possible, letting the screen door slam behind me. I knew Darry was glaring at me from his chair without even looking at him. I swear that guy is way too predictable anymore... is that the right word? Pony used it before, saying that Dar does stuff in a 'routine-like fashion'... whatever that meant.
I swear that kid has too much time to read to be talking stuff like that... though I suppose its a good thing, huh?
"So, since you're home and all... are you gonna walk in any further or are you going to sleep standing in front of the door?" His deep voice cut into my thoughts, making me jump.
"Gheez, Dar, ya don't gotta get all worked up about it." Hooking onto the backs of my sneakers, I slid them off, dropping them somewhere near the door. Taking off the jacket, I placed that on the arm of the couch.
"Well, maybe ya stop leaving yer junk all over the place, I wouldn't get 'worked up' about anything ya do."
This guy... "Yeah, yeah, like I haven't heard that before." Waving my hand as in to shoo him away, I watched as he snorted, shaking the paper back into reading position. "Hey, before ya start obsessing over the president and stuff," Here he snorted again, but I think it was to cover up a chuckle. "Where's Pony?"
"You should know the routine by now... in your room."
Routine... so Pony follows a routine as well? "Just checking, gheez." Picking up my jacket, I made sure to drape it over Darry's head, only to annoy him of course. Making a quick wave, I walked through the kitchen, into the hall and came to our... closed door.
Why is it closed? Is Pony doing something... secretive? Could he be doing something... naughty?
Placing a hand over my mouth, only to be sure I wouldn't make any sudden noise and end up embarrassing the hell outta Pony, I put my other hand on the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it down, hearing the click. Cautiously, I slid the door open, leaving enough space open for my head to slide through. Squinting in the surprisingly dark room, I leaned in a little further to see the bed, only to discover that he was...
... sleeping. At this hour.
YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!
And we're ending it here! Oh my God! Another crappy ending to these ridiculous chapters! What the hell is my problem? Perhaps I just like to... ANNOY ALL OF YOU! HAHAHAHAHA!
Please read and review and maybe I'll update faster. wink, wink, nudge, nudge