Pony's POV
"Hey, grease."
A chill ran through my body. What were they doing here? Why did they have to come here? At our house? Where was the gang when you needed them?
I turned over and tried to crawl away from them. One of them pinned me to the ground by my wrist. I felt the pain in my wrist, but I couldn't break free.
"Where you trying to go, greaser?" They asked, mocking me.
I reached for a discarded book with my free hand. It wasn't much to use as a weapon, but it would have to do.
They realized what I was doing and the gun was aimed at my chest.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you." The guy holding the gun said.
My eyes were locked on the end of the gun. When he'd point it somewhere else, my eyes followed. There was nothing I feared worse than death, and that's what they were using to taunt me.
One of the Socs walked out of the room. I wondered what he was going to do. Probably steal something from us, though we don't have much worth stealing.
I moved, trying to get to a point where my arm didn't hurt so much. The guy stepping on me added more pressure, and then the guy with the gun pointed the gun back at me.
"You'd better not be thinking of pulling something, grease, or I'll blow your head off."
I whimpered.
"Stop whining, you baby." He snapped at me.
I felt the tears prick at my eyes, and I thought, "this isn't the time."
"You gonna cry, greaser?" One of them asked me.
I shook my head stubbornly.
I quickly took my fist and hit the one standing on me in the leg. He yelped and jumped, freeing my arm.
I crawled backwards as fast as I could to the closet. I couldn't stand, so it was my only defense.
"Stop right there, greaser!" The one with the gun said, pointing it at my heart.
I would have stopped, but I took a chance that he was bluffing.
"Stop!" He screamed.
I continued to back away.
"Okay, greaser. It's time we teach you a lesson." The one with the gun pointed it straight at me. He took his aim and then prepared to fire. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see this.
A gunshot rang through the house. My heart stopped beating. But I was still alive.
I opened my eyes, as my heart tried to beat normally again.
What I saw disgusted me. The Soc that had left was holding a deflated balloon in one hand, and a pair of scissors in the others.
They all began to laugh, and I fell back to the floor, scared out of my mind.
The Socs stood above me.
"You think we should do the real thing now?"
"Nah. We should wait a little while longer. He doesn't deserve to be let off so easy."
"Maybe we should beat him up some more."
I shook my head. I was too scared to speak. Why wouldn't they leave me alone?
One of the kicked me in the side, hard. I yelped with pain. They knew where to hit. It was where my broken ribs were.
I felt tears begin to fall. I can't take this. I just can't take it!
"Greaser. Greaser. Greaser." They all began to chant. I covered my ears, trying to block out their mocking voices. But it didn't work.
"Stop it! Stop!" I screamed.
I sat up in bed, screaming bloody murder.
Darry's POV
"Pony!" I yelled, as I heard him scream. His voice carried across the whole house, sounding like someone falling off a cliff.
I jumped out of bed, running so fast that I nearly fell as I turned the corner to Pony and Soda's room.
"Pony!" I exclaimed when I ran into his room.
Soda was holding him, trying to calm him down. His sobs were louder than usually, and I couldn't help but notice the way he continued to tremble under Soda's arms. This was one of the worst I've seen.
I sat down on the bed, and met Sodapop's worried glance.
I patted Pony's back, and at my touch, I felt a shiver run through his body. This was worse than I thought.
"Sh. Pony. It's just me." I said, trying to ease his fears.
The sobs became faster, and soon he was hyperventilating. Soda squeezed him tighter to him, trying to calm him. But it wasn't working.
Soda's POV
What have I done? I should know better by now! Why did I turn over? I know Pony gets nightmares when I don't have my arm around him. How could I be so stupid?
I rocked Pony back and forth. His breath was coming too fast. He needed to calm down.
"Pony. Calm down." I said in my most-stern voice. It didn't work very well, though. I think Pony wasn't scared by it, though he seemed scared of most everything now.
"Ponyboy." Darry said in a warning voice.
It wasn't working. Darry caught my glance in his direction. He shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to do.
Pony's breathing didn't slow. It only began to quicken. He had to stop!
"Pony. Stop it. Right now!" I said, and this time, my voice sounded harsher than before.
Pony made an effort to stop, but he was having a hard time.
"Come on, Pony. You can do it, baby." Darry encouraged.
Pony squirmed out of my arms and grabbed on to my hand. He squeezed it, hard, trying to stop his quick breathing.
Eventually, his breathing slowed. Darry breathed a sigh of relief.
I looked at the clock. 4:30. We'd have to get up in a few hours.
Pony laid against the pillow, exhausted. Tears were still streaming down his face, and every few seconds, a shiver would run through him.
I laid down beside him, and put my arms around him, pulling him to my chest. He turned his face into me, and cried into the front of my shirt.
I held him close to me. Darry got up and stalked out of the room, looking angry. Why was he so mad?
Johnny's POV
This morning was my turn to stay with Pony. I didn't know what good they thought I'd do. I'm pretty small for 16, and I scare easily. But the gang had faith in me. That's all that mattered.
I walked away from my house, but that wasn't all I was walking away from. I was walking away from the drunken screams of my father, the rage of my mother, and the unloving home that I had to live in.
It wasn't far from my house to the Curtis'. I walked up the sidewalk to their house. I walked up the steps and walked inside. Darry must have left already.
I walked into Pony's room. I saw Soda laying beside Pony, looking down at him with more worry anyone had ever looked at me with.
I knocked on the door frame.
Soda looked up.
"Hey, Johnnycake." He said.
"Hey. How's Pony?" I didn't like talking so much, but I wanted to know.
"He's getting better in health, but worse in emotions."
Soda got up, leaned down to hug Pony, and walked toward me.
"I'll be back by three, okay? Two-Bit should be here by noon, if you want to leave after that."
"Okay."
"Take care of him, Johnny. He needs help." Soda said as he looked back at Pony's sleeping form.
"I will."
Soda squeezed my shoulder, and left for work.
I walked over to Pony's bed and sat down on the end. It was an hour before he woke up.
"Soda?" He called, with a worried voice.
"No. It's me, man." I said, trying to comfort him.
"Johnny? How are you doing?" He asked.
"I'm getting by. What about you?" I asked.
"Horrible." He tried to smile at his comment, but it didn't come out.
"I know."
Pony sat up in bed, wincing at the pain.
"You all right?" I asked, worried about him.
"Yeah. It just hurts to move too much."
"Well, don't worry about moving for my sake. I'm fine."
"Thanks, Johnny."
"You want something to eat or drink?" I asked.
"No. I'm fine." Pony sat back against the pillows.
"Johnny?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm scared." His words caught me off guard.
"Why? You know Darry and Soda will do anything to protect you. Heck, the whole gang would."
"I know. But. . . what if they come back?"
I thought for a minute.
"Well, if they come back, we'll be ready for them this time. The gang's going be with you at all times."
"What!" Pony exclaimed, outraged.
"Yeah. Darry and Soda want someone to be with you at all times, just to be on the safe side. Didn't you know?"
"I don't need a babysitter!"
I moved up the bed so I'd be sitting by him.
"Pony. Calm down! You're not getting baby sat. Your brothers are worried about you, and they want to make sure the Socs never come back. And if they do, he wants us to be there, so nothing else happens to you. Don't you get it?"
Pony grumbled under his breath.
"All right. All right. Sorry, Johnny. I just don't want them to think I need a baby sitter.
I smiled at him.
"Pony. You're the youngest of all of us, but you also can hold your own pretty well. No one thinks you need a baby sitter. It's just that you're hurt and we want to make sure you don't get hurt even worse."
Pony smiled. "Really?"
"Really."
Pony looked tired, and I suggested he get some sleep.
"Okay. Thanks again, Johnny."
"No problem. 'Night, man."
"'Night."
I watched as Pony fell asleep. Once he was sound asleep, I got up and watched some tv, as I waited for Tw-Bit to show up.
Two-Bit's POV
I walked up the steps to the Curtis' house. I walked inside, and saw Johnny sitting on the couch.
"Hey, Johnny. How's Pony?" I asked.
"Fine." Yay! I got a word out of him.
"You gonna stick around here, or are you going somewhere else?"
"I'll stay here for a while." Wow! This is some kind of record.
"Okay, man." I said, and sat down on the couch by Johnny, watching some television.
Steve's POV
"What's up with you, man? You look like you're in your own little world." I complained to Soda.
"Sorry, Steve. It's just, last night Pony had another nightmare, and Darry got mad for some reason. And this morning, he would barely look at me."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I think he's mad at me because Pony calls for me in his sleep, he talks to me, and he was hugging me last night. He doesn't realize that Pony loves us both equally."
"So he's jealous?"
"I guess."
I looked up at the clock.
"It's about time for you to go home, man. I'll finish up for you."
"Thanks, man." I knew how much Soda wanted to be home with Pony, instead of here worrying about him. He sure worried a lot about that kid.
"I'll see you later!" Soda called as he ran home.
"See ya, man!" I called back.
Let's hope that kid gets better soon, or Soda will lose his job.
Soda's POV
I waited up for Darry, wanting to talk to him. Pony was still asleep. He hadn't been awake for more than a few minutes since I got home. He must have slept the day away.
I looked up and Darry walked through the door. When he saw me, I saw him stiffen.
"Hey, Darry." I said, smiling meekly at him.
"Hey." He said, his voice harder than usual.
"Sit down, Darry. I want to talk to you." I said, gesturing to the arm chair that he always sat in.
He sat down, not looking too happy about it.
"What's going on, man? You seem so cold to me today. And then last night, you just stalked out of the room. What's wrong?"
A fire blazed in his eyes.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong! Damn it, Soda! Why does he go to you? Why does he call for you? What have I done not to deserve it? Why does he love me the same as he loves you? What have I done not to deserve his love and admiration? What have you done different? I don't get it! He's my brother, too! Why doesn't he love me?"
"Darry! Do you hear what you're saying? Pony loves you the same as he loves me!"
Darry laughed, but nothing was funny.
"Yeah. Right! Sure, Pony loves me the same. I mean, he's always calling my name after he has a nightmare. He's always telling me things. He opens up to me all the time. Sure, Soda. He loves us just the same!"
"Darry. Lower your voice. You're going to wake up Pony."
"I don't care! Damn it, Soda. I'm sick of this! I want him to love me!"
"He does, Darry. He does!"
"NO HE DOESN'T! HE LOVES YOU!"
"Darry. . .stop it, please." I pleaded with him.
"NO! This has gone on too long! Why, Soda? Tell me! What have you done so different?"
"Nothing!"
"Do you tell him bad things about me or something? He acts like he's scared of me have the time. I'm his brother, too! Why doesn't he talk to me?"
"Darry?" A quiet voice spoke.
"WHAT!" Darry said, as he wheeled around, hitting Ponyboy across the face with his fist.
Pony was slammed against the wall, and then slumped to the ground.
The room was quiet. We all were in shock. The only sound you could hear was Pony's quiet cries.
Snapping out of the shock, I moved to Pony's side.
"Damn it, Darry. Look what you've done." I reprimanded.
I brushed past Darry and knelt beside Pony. Of course he had to hit Pony on the side where he had the deep cut. I looked underneath it and saw he had opened up the gash again. I went into the bathroom and got a new bandage and then scooped Pony up and into my arms. I walked with him into our room, closing and locking the door behind me.
Darry's POV
What have I done? I heard the lock click on Pony and Soda's door. Was Soda that scared of what I'd do? Did he think I'd hit him again?
I looked down at my fist where I had hit Pony. Blood was on my knuckles, but it wasn't mine. It was Pony's.
I broke out of my shock, and grabbed the truck's keys. I ran outside and hopped into the truck, driving away as fast as I could.
Soda's POV
I heard the truck drive out of the driveway. I hoped Darry wasn't going to do anything stupid, and that he'd be back soon, no matter what he did to Pony.
