Chapter 5

Brotherly Love

Dislaimer: I don't own any original characters.

The summer went quickly, and soon it was time for school again. Soda was no less excited about starting grade one, than he had been about kindergarten. To Darry, however, grade five was just another year. Pony still had one year left before he even started school. He finally understood where his brother's were going every day, and soon complained to his mother that he wanted to go too.

Their mother dropped them off at the school again, and Soda immediately ran to his new classroom. He was delighted to see that Johnny, Steve and Alyssa were all in his class again.

Darry went to his new room, and also saw that Kaley was in his class. She didn't look any different, because he hadn't seen her all summer. Her hair was a bit longer, and it looked darker than it had last year, but other than that, she looked the same.

Soda ran to his friends. Alyssa ran up and gave him a hug.

"Soda, how are you?" She asked.

Soda sat down at his desk. "Great!" He said, looking around at the classroom.

"What did you do all summer after your birthday?" Steve asked.

"Not much. Me and my family went to the country and stayed in a cabin for a couple days. I got a pretty bad sun burn, but it was fun other than that." Soda replied.

Across the school, Darry was talking to Kaley.

"How was your summer?" He asked. " I didn't see you at all."

Kaley nodded. "It was fine. Sorry I didn't call you or anything. My dad was home all summer, and I didn't want to risk him finding out about you, Darry. I couldn't stand it if he made me transfer classes in the fall, just because of you." Kaley said.

Darry shook his head. "That would've been terrible. Would he really have done that, just because of me?"

"You don't know my dad, Darry. He could very easily do that. He has power in this town. People respect him. I just wish I could respect him." Kaley said.

"So you think that even if your dad met me, he still wouldn't allow me to come over?" Darry asked.

"Nope. That would make it worse. We'd be better off sneaking you around, than actually introducing you."

Darry smiled. "I'm not very good at sneaking." He said.

Kaley laughed. "Well, I think I might have to teach you."

Darry and Kaley went out to the playground at recess and sat on their usual swings. They talked the whole time about their summer, and what they had done.

Across the school, Soda was heading back into the classroom with Alyssa, Steve and Johnny.

"What did you bring for lunch?" Steve asked Soda.

"My mom packed me a sandwich and some cookies. Then she gave me a juice pack." Soda replied, looking into his lunch bag.

"You wanna share some cookies with me?" Steve said, looking into his own lunch bag.

"What do you got to trade with?" Soda said, grinning.

Steve groaned. "Not much. At least nothing you'd want. I got an apple."

Alyssa looked over at Steve. "Yum, I'll give you pudding for your apple."

"Are you for real?" Steve asked, giving Alyssa a weird look.

Alyssa looked around at the stares she was getting. "Yes. Why? I like apples better than pudding"

Steve shrugged and handed Alyssa the apple.

During lunch, Soda, Steve, Alyssa and Johnny stayed inside and played with the blocks. They made two towers. Steve and Johnny, took on Soda and Alyssa, trying to see who's tower could stand the most pelting with other blocks. Alyssa and Soda won, and Steve reluctantly handed Soda his baseball card that they had bet with, and handed Alyssa another apple.

After school, when Mrs. Curtis came to pick up the boys, Darry climbed into the back seat after Soda, and turned to his brother.

"You ever meet that kid, Johnny's parents, Soda?" Darry asked.

"No, why?" Soda asked.

"I don't know. He just seems kind of quiet, like he's scared or something. I just wondered if you'd ever seen his parents."

Mrs. Curtis looked at Soda. "He does seem kind of nervous, Soda. Maybe you should go over to his house sometime, because he's already been here."

When they got home, Mr. Curtis was outside with Ponyboy, fixing something on the roof.

"What are you doing daddy?" Soda asked.

"Fixing the leak in the roof. This way, we'll all be a little bit drier, won't we?"

Darry strode up beside the ladder his father was standing on.

"Need any help?" He asked.

His father looked down at him. "Not on the roof I don't, but maybe you could hand my some of those shingles on the ground there. It would save me a trip down." He said.

Darry spent the next half hour, passing up shingles to his father.

At the supper table, Mrs. Curtis came in with a plate full of green pancakes.

"Well, these look…interesting." Said Mr. Curtis, poking one with his fork.

"They're just pancakes." Mrs. Curtis replied. "Your son helped me with supper tonight, Darrell." She said, motioning towards Soda. "He wanted to try something different. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to him in time, he had already put the food coloring in. Luckily, it didn't ruin them, and it can't hurt you. So dig in." She said, passing the plate around.

Darry looked at the pancake in disgust, then glanced over at Soda, who was happily digging in.

"Can you ever be normal?" He asked.

Soda glanced up, and grinned. "What would be the fun in that? You're only six, once." He said

Darry sighed, and took a bite of the green pancake on the plate in front of them.

Luckily, Mrs. Curtis had persuaded Soda that she didn't need help with desert, and they all enjoyed a very delicious, and normal looking, pie.

After supper was over, Soda rushed upstairs after Darry and cornered him before he could go into his room.

"You wanna play cops and robbers with me?" He asked.

Darry groaned. "Not know kid, I've got homework."

Soda moaned. "Please, Pony's not going to play, and I'm bored. Please?"

Darry sighed. "Soda, I'm really busy. Can't you just pretend…or something?"

Soda pouted. "Sure, I guess. I'll just go. See ya later Darry." He wandered down the stairs with his head down and his arms hanging limply by his sides.

Darry rolled his eyes. He was a sucker for Soda's pout. As much as it annoyed him to admit. He was a sucker.

"Soda, get back here. I'll play. But only for a little while." He called after him.

Soda's head immediately perked up, and he ran back up the stairs.

"Ok, I'll be the robber. You have to count to 29 and then come find me."

"Why 29?" Darry asked.

Soda shrugged. "I dunno, It's a cool number." He said, and handed Darry one of the plastic water guns he was holding in his hand.

"What do I do when I find you?" Darry said.

"Chase me. If I touch the secret base before you get me, then you're it again." Soda explained.

"So, basically, this is a glorified game of hide and seek meets tag?" Darry said.

Soda nodded. "Pretty much ya. Ok, go count, and I'll hide."

Darry sighed, and turned his head to the wall, and started counting.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10…and so on. Ready or not, here I come." He said, opening his eyes and turned around.

Soda wasn't still in the hallway, which was an improvement on what he used to do when he was younger. Soda used to think that 'hide and seek' meant hiding behind Darry.

Darry went down the stairs and into the kitchen. His mother was in there.

"Hey Darry. What are you wandering for?"

Darry shrugged. "Looking for Soda. We're playing hide and seek."

Mrs. Curtis nodded. "Ah, I see. Well, I didn't see him."

"Thanks." Darry said, and walked out into the living room. Ponyboy was sitting on the couch, trying to read a book.

"Hey, kid. Did you see your brother anywhere?" Darry asked.

Pony nodded and pointed to behind the couch. "He's there."

Darry smiled when he heard Soda's voice come from behind the couch where Pony was pointing.

"Pony, you're not supposed to…oops."

Darry pulled the couch out a little bit, and Soda was sitting behind the it, tucked into a little ball, wearing the mask and holding the water gun.

"No fair, you didn't count to 29!" Soda said, coming out.

"More or less." Darry said, helping him up.

"Ok, fine. It's my turn, I have to count. You go hide. I'm really gonna count to 29." Soda said, putting his head down into the couch.

Darry walked calmly out of the living room and up the stairs. He went into his room and sat on his bed. He knew that Soda would never look in his room first, but when he did, Darry would be ready for him. He went into the bathroom and filled up the water gun with water. Then he went back to his room and sat down on the bed and waited for Soda.

It took Soda about 5 minutes before Darry heard him coming up the stairs.

He sat as quiet as he could on the bed, and finally Soda opened the door. Darry hid the water gun behind his back.

"I found you." Soda said, coming over to the bed.

"So you did." Darry answered.

Soda came over and Darry pulled the water gun out. Just as he was about to shoot it, Soda pulled the water gun from behind his back and shot

Darry with a string of cold water.

Darry was so surprised, he leapt off the bed and tackled Soda on the floor.

They thumped around and Darry squirted Soda with the water in his water gun.

Soda screeched with laughter and soon, Mrs. Curtis came up the stairs and peeked around the door.

"What in the world are you boys doing up here?" She asked, coming in to Darry's room.

"Just playing mommy." Soda said, between squirts of the water gun.

Mrs. Curtis laughed and went back downstairs.

Darry and Soda rolled around for a good ten minutes, until they were both out of water, then they went downstairs.

Pony was still sitting on the couch, reading the same book, even though it was upside down.

"What's up Pony?" Soda asked.

"What does R-A-T spell?" Pony asked.

"Rat." Darry replied.

"What book are you reading?" Soda asked.

"I dunno." Pony replied. "I'm just looking at the pictures."

Darry went into the kitchen and sat down at the table by his mother.

"I'm bored mom." He said.

"Have you done your homework yet?" She asked.

"No." Darry said.

"Well, then how can you be bored?" Mrs. Curtis asked.

"Homework doesn't keep me entertained." Darry said. "It's more like a chore."

"Go." His mother said, pointing upstairs.

Darry went upstairs and sat down at his desk. He hated homework and especially math, when it was forced on him. He sat there for a good half hour, and finally, he got it done.

By the time he finished, he noticed that it was almost 8:30. Soda and Pony were already in bed, and he went downstairs to watch TV.

"Did you finish Darry?" His mother asked.

"Yes." Darry replied, and went to sit down on the couch.

He sat there and watched some cartoons on TV. In about 10 minutes, he heard a knock on the door. He went to open it, and saw Kaley standing outside.

"Kaley, come in." Darry said, opening the door wider.

"I can't." She shivered.

Darry took a look at her eyes. They were red, as if she'd been crying.

"Kaley, what's wrong?" He asked.

Kaley gulped and took a breath before she answered.

"Darry. I need your help." She said.

I thought I'd leave you hanging there, sorry. :). Please R&R!

Jess

P.S. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

P.P.S. I won't be updating for about a week, because I'm going to camp.