Johnny's POV
Dallas looked worse than ever. I'd seen him after he got knocked off a bull in a
rodeo. He ended up with five broken ribs, a bloody nose, and a black eye. But he
still looked worse now than he had then.
I sat down on the floor by the couch. Steve had already left for work, so I was alone
with Dallas. I hope he and Pony would be okay.
I had been scared lots of times in my life. Sometimes, I scare myself. I know that
sounds funny, but it's not the way I mean it.
My parents are abusive. They beat on me, as well as each other. Half the times I
wonder if they know I'm there. Then, they start beating on me, and I know they know.
But sometimes, I just can't stand it. I've considered killing myself before, and that
scares me. I'd hate to die, but then, it'd be better than putting up with my
"family."
My real family is the gang. If it weren't for them, I probably would have killed
myself years ago. Another scary thought. Thank God for the gang. If I didn't have them, I'd have absolutely nothing.
Dallas began to stir. I was hoping he was okay.
"Dally?" I said quietly.
He opened his eyes and looked at me.
"Hey, Johnny." He said, almost weakly, which was very unlike Dallas.
"Hey, Dally." I said, forcing a smile.
"What happened?" He said groggily.
"You got beat up by some Socs, then they beat up Pony, too."
"What!"
"Yeah. We figure that beating you up was just a diversion, so we'd all go there and leave Pony alone. Then they beat him again."
Dally cursed not-too-quietly.
"Damn it! I should have beat those Socs heads in. How could I let them get away and do something like that to Pony? He's been through enough already. He doesn't need anymore of this!"
"I know."
"I'm going to go get them. Right now!" As he tried to sit up, I reached out and pushed him back down.
Dallas glared at me. I flinched, expecting him to hit me for doing that, but he didn't.
"Wait." I said.
He nodded, but he still didn't look too happy about it.
Soda's POV
I sat beside Pony's bed, next to Darry. I looked over at Darry and found him staring at the wall in front of him, deep in thought. A battle raged within him, and I could see the war through his eyes.
He was probably blaming himself, like I was blaming myself. I wish we had stayed with Pony. It would have been so much better that way.
Pony had only awakened once since we'd been here. The fear showed plainly in his eyes, and it tore at me. Darry had been gentle, loving, but Pony still flinched at his touch.
"What's happening to him, Darry?" I asked, nearing tears.
"I don't know." Darry said, shaking his head.
He looked over at me and saw the scared look on my face.
"It's okay, little buddy." He said to me.
I buried my face in his shoulder and he hugged me. I cried into his shirt sleeve as he held me to his side.
"Darry? Soda!" I heard the panic in Pony's voice. I looked up to see him looking around the room in fear, then settling when he saw us.
"We're here, kiddo." Darry said, getting up and walking toward him.
Pony's breathing calmed some, but not as much as it should have.
Pony turned sad eyes on me.
"Soda. . .I'm scared." He said.
I smiled reassuringly at him.
"It's okay, baby. You're safe now."
"That's what I thought last time." He turned his gaze away from me. I looked to Darry, who looked ashamed.
"I know, bud. No one thought it'd happen. It was just so fast. We weren't gone ten minutes." I said, trying to defend us.
"That's all it took." Pony said, and began to shiver, reliving the moment.
"It's okay." Darry said and he stood beside him and placed arm around his shoulder.
Pony turned and buried his face in Darry's shirt, as though hiding from all the bad memories.
Darry moved his arms around Pony's back and held Pony close against him.
Darry stooped down until he was face-to-face with Ponyboy.
"Pony. . .I'm so sorry this happened. We all are. But you're going to okay. We're all here for you. We're going to get them back for what they did to you. I promise." Darry spoke.
"You said that last time." Pony turned his head and buried his fae in his pillow, hiding from us, the pain, the memories, the fear. We couldn't help him, and it was killing us.
I didn't realize that day would be when he'd speak the most for a long time.
Darry's POV
I hated the look of anger in Pony's eyes. It was almost hidden behind the fear, but a glimmer of anger shone in his eyes. I put it there, and I hated myself for it.
I looked at Soda, who was watching Pony with a worried look.
"Baby. . .we're sorry..." Soda said, trying to win Pony's forgiveness.
"I know. I am, too." Pony said, after that, he wouldn't speak.
Soda and I spent the night at the hospital. They hoped to get Pony out in a few days. In ways, I think he's safer here.
Dr. Stevenson came in the next morning right before I was going to leave for work.
"I'd like to talk to you a minute." Dr. Stevenson said to me.
"Yes, sir." I said, following him out into the hallway.
"I'd like to know how this happened." He gave me a cold look, as though he suspected I had done it.
So I went on to tell him how the Socs had been beating up on him for no reason. I didn't call them Socs, though. Only the younger people knew them as Socs.
"I see." He said after I was done talking.
Dr. Stevenson walked in real closeto me, until we were face to face.
"I'm going to let it go this time, but if that kid is in here again in the next couple of months, I'm calling social services. Got it?"
I glared back at him. How dare he suspect me of abusing my own brother!
"Yes, sir." I said through gritted teeth.
"See that it doesn't happen again, or he'll go to a boys' home." He said as he turned and stomped away. I wanted to hit him, but my better judgement told me not to.
I opened the door for one last look at Pony and Soda before I went to work. Pony was asleep and quietly whimpering. Soda was laying next to him with his arm wrapped around Pony as he slept, too.
I smiled at them and then turned to go to work.
Steve's POV
Soda had called saying that he wouldn't be able to come to work. If he weren't my best friend, I'd tell him to get his lazy butt over here. Now I had the whole shift to cover. I hope we wouldn't have many customers.
Before the DX opened, I went over to the Curtis' house.
"Anyone home?" I called.
Dallas was laying on the couch, glaring at me.
"Hey, Dally." I said, coming over to sit in Darry's chair.
"Hey, man." He said groggily.
"How you feeling?"
"I've been better that's for sure."
"I can imagine. Did Johnny go home?" I asked.
"Yeah. I sent hin home with Two-Bit. Man, I'm telling you, none of us should walk around alone. Too bad there's seven of us. I warned Tim the other day about what's going on. He says his gang's ready for a rumble anytime we need them, so they have our back."
I smiled. "They always do."
"Yeah, and we have theirs." Dallas said. He laid back against the couch, closing his eyes.
"I'm heading to work."
"I'll come with you." Dallas said, trying to sit up.
"No you won't. Stay here. It's not that far from here to DX. I'll run if I have to."
"Okay, but be careful man. Them Socs are everywhere."
"I know. See ya, man!" I called as I ran out the door. I'd run, just to ease Dallas' worries.
