Author's Note: So sorry this has been so long in coming! I was working on something else that I wanted to get through long before the baby comes, so now that that is in its next stage I can get back to my fics! Sorry again, the next update shouldn't be nearly this long!
Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. I'm writing this story for fun, not making money or anything!
Dedication: This one goes out to all of you who have been waiting for the next chapter – sorry it's taken so long! Thanks for being so patient and so politely demanding! Liz
Pony's POV
I leaned the ladder up against the gutter and gave it a little shake to check for stability. "So, uh…feel like taking this end of the lights up the ladder while I keep unraveling the other side?"
"Not particularly," Darry answered.
"Really? I mean, you go up ladders all the time," I said, trying to convince my brother without admitting that I'm afraid of heights. I'd gotten this far in life without him knowing, no need to say anything now.
"I was thinking the same thing. Have a ball." Darry was patiently working on the ball of lights that Melissa had been toting from apartment to apartment for the past four years.
"But you're good at it," I suggested helplessly, staring up the ladder and getting dizzy already.
Darry looked up at me. "Pone, this is your house. Your lights. Your ladder. Your bushes to break your fall. I'm just here to watch."
Left with no options, I began my slow ascent up the rungs, wishing I had sprung for the expensive ladder as I felt it rattle beneath me. I bit my lower lip and kept going, keeping my eyes on the roofline. When I got to the top I adjusted the end of the light string against the wood and pressed the staple gun against the wire, attaching it firmly. Pulling the lights a little further along the roofline, I followed suit with a second staple. This wasn't so bad after all.
"Hey Pony," Darry called up.
"Yeah?"
"When you were growing up – if I had started selling drugs, what would you have thought of me? Would you have been disappointed?"
I almost fell off the ladder from the sheer surprise of his question. "Drugs? Wow, that's big. Hold on, I need to think about that one." I tried to take myself back ten or eleven years. What would I have thought if my big brother was selling drugs? "No. I don't think I would have been disappointed. I think at that age, I would have thought that if you were doing it, it was an okay thing to do."
"But it's illegal. What exactly have I taught you?" He sounded miffed.
"You taught by example," I answered, realizing I was nearing the end of my arms reach with the lights. "I see it all the time. Kids know what the cops say is wrong, they know the law, but if someone they love is doing it, the cops are the enemy."
I heard Darry sigh from below. "When was the last time you saw that girl, Tracey?" he asked.
I thought for a second before I realized who he was talking about. "Tracey? The one whose roof you fixed?"
"Yeah, her."
"Couple months ago. I don't go there regularly. She's the kids' legal guardian, so there's no call for monthly check-ins or anything like that. Why?"
"I saw her on Saturday. Pony, she's one of Tim's girls."
"Tim's girls? You mean she's a…"
"Yeah," he cut in.
"Are you sure?" I couldn't imagine Tracey doing something like that.
"Yeah I'm sure, I was there to collect her cut," Darry snapped.
"Alright, sorry. I just can't believe she would do that." I thought for a minute. "There's normally no reason to check into someone in her position without a complaint, just like any other parent. This isn't something my office would have even been aware of."
"So you think I shouldn't have said anything?" He sounded like he was ready to challenge me.
"No, don't get all defensive. Those kids can't live there with that going on, any more than they should if it was their own mother doing it. It's illegal. I'll check with my boss tomorrow; this will probably get taken care of by somebody other than me. They'll have to get verification that she's doing it."
"Good, because I gave her three days to stop. So if she did and they don't find anything, she's off the hook?"
"Basically, yeah. For the kids' sake let's hope she took you seriously."
"Are you ever coming down off that ladder?" Darry asked a couple minutes later. I was still standing there with the string of lights dangling from my hand to the ground below.
"Yeah, right now," I answered, and made the mistake of looking down. Oh, shit. I could feel my knees giving out, almost knocking together. My head swam, my heart raced, and I couldn't move.
"Pony?"
I stood there feeling stupid and humiliated. How could anyone be this scared at this height? We live in a ranch house, I was only as high as the lowest point in the attic.
"Pony?" Darry repeated. "What's wrong?"
"I…I can't move," I finally stammered.
"Did you hurt yourself?"
"No, I just…I can't move." There was no other way to say it. I stiffened as I felt the latter sway and shift beneath me. In another few seconds Darry was standing behind me.
"You never told me you're afraid of heights," he commented.
"Yeah, well, it never came up."
"It could have, about ten minutes ago, before you walked up here." He almost sounded amused. I felt my face getting hot.
"Are you up here to laugh at me or help me down?" I asked irritably.
"Well if you're gonna get nasty about it you can just stand here for the rest of the holiday," he answered, starting to back down the ladder.
"Dar!" Just having him stand behind me had gotten me breathing a little easier. He stepped back up. "Sorry. Just get me down from here, please."
"Step down once," he instructed, arms on either side of me holding the ladder. I took a shaky step down. "Now the other foot." Five minutes later we had reached solid ground. I couldn't even look at Darry, I felt so stupid. I knew my face was still red; I was probably glowing brighter than the lights, the way it felt.
Darry patted me on the back. "Hey Pone."
"What?"
"Look at me." I did, knowing if I didn't do it on my own he'd get hold of me and make sure I looked at him. "Someone who can run into a burning building without a second thought to save some kids is allowed to be afraid of heights." He grinned at me and took the lights out of my hand, where they had been clutched so tightly they were damp from my sweaty hand.
"Thanks. And thanks for getting me down."
"Yeah, well, Melissa wouldn't have been too happy about having you as a Christmas decoration anyway. And I sure as hell wouldn't have wanted to be the one to leave you up there and have to deal with the wrath of a pregnant female. So thank your wife."
I stood on my front lawn for the next forty minutes unraveling the lights as Darry stapled them to the roofline.
Soda's POV
"Soda?"
"Hmmm?"
"Could you let go of me now? I need to get dressed." Melanie was trying to wiggle out of my grasp, so I held on a little tighter. She laughed. "I really do need to put my clothes on now."
"Yeah, yeah. Clothes. Way overrated." I watched her crawl out of the bed and cross the room to the bathroom, resisting the urge to follow and annoy her further while she was in the shower. I felt like I had won the lottery. I couldn't remember ever meeting anyone like Melanie. Sandy felt as far away and distant as winter does when you're sitting on the porch being warmed by the late-summer sun. I took a deep breath and tried to think about something other than Melanie. Cars. Chocolate Cake. Should buy some stuff to make chocolate cake. Need to pick up some other things from the grocery store, too. Soap, need to get more soap. For the shower. Ah, what the hell. I jumped out of bed and ducked into the bathroom. "Need any help?" I called out.
"I think I can wash my hair on my own," came the reply, followed by a pause. "But if you feel like helping…"
Not one to wait for a second invitation, I pulled the shower curtain out of my way and stepped inside.
>>>>
I pulled into the circular drive in front of Melanie's folks' place and tried not to stare at the house. It was huge. Two people live in there? "Where are all the cars?" I asked.
"Give your keys to Mr. Fairmont. He'll put you car around back with the others," Melanie answered.
We stepped out of the car and I handed the guy the keys. "Now make sure it doesn't come back all dented," I told him. He took a good look at the scratches, dings, and dents covering the car and gave me a strange look before climbing inside and attempting to start the engine.
"Hold on," I said, "pop the hood." He did, so I adjusted the idle. "Give her another go!" He did, and the car started. Mr. Fairsomething drove around the back looking kind of annoyed. Maybe he was afraid he'd get dirt on his nice tux.
We stepped up to the door, and Mel rang the doorbell.
"Isn't this your parents' house?" I asked.
"Oh, sure, but they have a butler. He'll let us in."
"Okay, whatever you say." We stood there waiting for a minute until the door was answered.
"Welcome, Miss Roth, and Merry Christmas."
Melanie stepped forward and gave the butler a hug. "Merry Christmas, Marcus!"
Marcus led us into the foyer and took our coats before directing us toward the back of the house, where I could hear voices and soft music. I wondered briefly if Marcus was going to toss our coats onto a big pile on a bed upstairs. It made me smile.
"What are you thinking about?" Mel asked, grinning at my amused look.
"Just thinking about how parties usually work where I'm from."
"Well, don't worry, everything will be fine." I don't think I was half as worried as she was, or maybe as she should have been.
We entered a room full of people, where a huge Christmas tree stood at the far end next to the fireplace, which was burning merrily. "Melanie dear!" someone called out, and a woman who bared a slight resemblance to Mel walked over with a drink in her hand. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Mom." Melanie hugged her mom before introducing us. "Mom, this is Sodapop." Melanie's mom gave me an odd look, but held out her hand and gave me a genuine smile.
"So glad you could come…er…Sodapop." Her saying my name was like hearing a nun swear or something. It just didn't fit.
I shook her hand and grinned back. "Thanks for the invite. And you can just call me Soda, ma'am."
"Well, I'm just so glad to finally be meeting you. Melanie has talked so much about you. Please, mingle. I'm sure Melanie will be introducing you to some of our family and friends."
"Thank you." I wasn't sure what I was thanking her for, but she seemed nice enough. Melanie took my arm, and we began strolling over toward the bar. I was still trying to get over how two people were living in the monstrosity surrounding me. Hell, if we had lived in a house that big we never would have seen each other.
On the way over to the bar a woman stopped us. She looked to be about in her sixties, and came off as very sophisticated. "Melanie, you look wonderful," she said, pulling Melanie into a quick hug. "I understand you will be coordinating the food for the winter festival this year."
"Yes, that's right," Mel confirmed. "Aunt Bethany, this is my boyfriend."
I stepped forward and took Aunt Bethany's hand and shook it. This was a little more formal than I was used to; at any rate, I smiled and introduced myself. "Sodapop."
She looked at me for a second. "Well, yes…I believe they have that over at the bar. You'll have to ask the bartender what kinds, I know you kids these days…"
"No, no, Aunt Bethany," Melanie interrupted, "that's his name. This is Soda."
She looked surprised for a second, then started laughing. "Oh, wonderful! How original! Good gracious, very happy to meet you." She leaned close to me and lowered her voice. "I'll tell you, if I had to meet another George or Biff or Lance, I would just scream."
"Ah, Bethany, there you are!" A large round balding gentleman came over and gave Aunt Bethany a hug.
"Hello, George," she greeted, glancing at me for an instant. I stifled a laugh. "And look who else is here – Melanie, with her new boyfriend Fountaindrink."
"Sodapop," I corrected politely, extending my hand to George. All in all, Melanie's family seemed real nice. I had met her twin brother, Michael, before, so it was good to see a familiar face when he arrived. He's about as laid back as she is, with a quick smile and good sense of humor. We mingled for a while, talking and helping ourselves to the constant stream of appetizers provided by men in tuxedos carrying silver trays. Half of the appetizers were covered with salty black fish eggs, which I found more than a little repulsive, and there weren't any of those little hotdog ones, but the shrimp things were decent. Just when I was starting to wonder if that was what they counted as dinner a woman with a tight bun in her hair opened a set of large doors and announced that it was time to eat.
We all filed into the dining room, where a long table was set with china and silver, and there were actually place cards on each plate. I'd have to tell Pony about this. Mel and I found our seats, right across from one of the few people who had rubbed me the wrong way – Mel's cousin, Jason. He was tall and slim, and wore a crisp expensive suit. That didn't bother me. What had gotten to me was the way he huffed when he looked at me, and his comments about being one of the lucky ones who had gotten around the draft somehow during the Vietnam War.
The servants, or whatever you call them, started bringing out plates of salad and bowls of soup. "Mr. Curtis," Melanie's father boomed from the head of the table, "Melanie has told me that you used to work for DX, and have recently started your own business."
I nodded. "That's right, sir." Wasn't too much else to say about it. I wondered why Melanie was getting tense beside me.
"You might be familiar with an acquaintance of mine – Frank Mills. Ever heard of him? He was one of the higher-ups with Sunoco when they merged with DX back in '68."
"No, doesn't ring a bell," I answered honestly.
"Hmph." He scratched his head, and Melanie made a little noise in her throat next to me. "His son, maybe. Frank Junior was his name. Worked in marketing with Sunoco. About your age, in fact."
"Nope, didn't know him either." Why he thought I would have heard of Frank Mills when I had never heard of his father, Frank Mills, I have no idea.
"Well," suggested Melanie's Uncle Jerry, her father's brother, "perhaps it would be more effective to just ask the boy what department he worked for. Well then?"
I grinned, getting the picture and understanding Melanie's near-stroke condition while listening to the conversation evolve. "Sir, I worked in the gas-pumping and car-fixing department," I answered, finding this whole thing amusing. They thought I had actually worked for the company, inside of one of those glass-walled air-conditioned suit-laden buildings downtown?
Both men stared at me for a minute before Mel's father started laughing. He gave the table a slap with his hand, making everyone jump. "The boy works for a living! Hallelujah! Don't get that much anymore these days."
Uncle Jerry nodded agreement. "That's right, I'll tell ya'. Our father came to this country as a boy with five cents in his pocket, and he worked his way up. And by God, that's the way he taught us! Wasn't any of this malarkey of sons taking the easy way out, making their way on their father's name." He barely glanced over at his son, Cousin Jason, who was glaring arrows at me. I stared back until he looked aside.
Dinner came out next. They put a little steak in front of me that was about two inches thick. I figured it would take a lot of jaw power to get through that sucker, but was surprised when I noticed Melanie was just cutting right through it with her fork. The thing was like butter, and a far cry from the chewy slabs of meat we cook up on the grill sometimes in the summer. Something else to tell Pony, though he'd probably know exactly what I was talking about.
After a dessert of poached pears with ice milk and raspberry sauce (one dinner and I'm already throwing around words like "poached") we all went back to the fireplace room and talked until everyone seemed to decide the party was over and it was time to go.
"So that wasn't so bad," I said as we pulled away.
"No, it wasn't," Melanie agreed.
"Mel – how come you didn't tell your dad what I do for a living?" I wasn't mad, but it bugged me a little.
"I'm sorry, Soda. It's just…I didn't even think about it. It wasn't until Dad started questioning you that I realized that he'd misunderstood me." She reached over and put her hand on my leg. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. Are you mad?"
I laughed. "Are you kidding? Your family was great. I had a terrific time. And I'm proud of what I do. So no, I'm not mad. But if you're feeling guilty, I can think of a few things you can do that would make it all up to me."
Melanie laughed. "You wish, stud."
I glanced over at her in her nice dress and shoes, sitting on my taped up car seat like she belonged there. I wondered what it must be like to come to a new country with five cents to your name, and see your children living in fancy houses eating fish eggs and steak that cuts like butter. They were real people, though. It took me back to something that Pony had said to me back when we were kids, after Dally and Johnny died. It ain't the money that separates a greaser from a soc. It's the attitude. Some of them had it, and some of them didn't. From what I had seen, Mel's family didn't. Other than Jason, I mean.
>>>>
BRRRRING!
I rolled over and swiped at the alarm clock on the nightstand.
BRRRRING!
"Dammit!" I hit the button again.
BRRRRING!
That time I just grabbed the thing and threw it across the room, hearing it thud to the wood floor and slide across to the opposite wall.
BRRRRING!
I looked up in a sleepy haze, confused that the clock was still ringing from its unplugged spot on the floor across the room.
BRRRRING!
Phone. It was the phone. I shoved around on the nightstand, knocked the receiver off the hook, picked it up, and put it to my ear. Wrong way. I turned it around while reaching for the light. "Hello?"
"Hey Soda. It's me."
"Pony?" A rush of adrenaline shot through me, and I was instantly wide awake. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Nothing, sorry. Everything's okay. Were you sleeping?" He sounded shaky.
"Sleeping? Naw. I mean, it's…well, I don't really know what time it is, the clock's on the floor at the other side of the room. What's goin' on?"
"I'm sorry Soda, I shouldn't have called. It's two-thirty. It's just…I had a dream."
As soon as he said it I knew exactly what he was talking about and why he had called. "Was it bad?"
"It was the worst one yet," he replied, voice quavering slightly. "Every year, Soda. Only it hasn't even been a year yet this time. It's still a couple months away."
I sat up and leaned against the headboard. "Pony, you've got to tell someone. You need help for this, and I don't know how to give it."
There were a few seconds of silence. Just when I was beginning to think we had been cut off he spoke again. "I know, Soda. I just can't. I can't tell Melissa. Or Darry. I don't know how. What would they think of me?"
I sighed. "Pony, you did what you had to do. You did what you were told. You did what kept the other boys alive. And you need someone to help you with this, especially if it's getting worse."
"I know, I know." I heard him take a deep breath. "It's hard, that's all. You were there. How come this doesn't happen to you?"
"I don't know, Pone. Maybe it's because you appreciate life more than a lot of people, no matter whose it is. Look, I'm getting dressed. I'll be over in ten minutes. Maybe fifteen if I get stuck in working traffic."
Ponyboy gave a little laugh. "You don't need to."
"I know. I'll see you soon." I hung up the phone and reached to the end of the bed for my jeans. There's a lot of things you don't need to do for your family. But hell, if you go by that theory all the time, you're not a family anymore. I pulled on my shirt and shoes and went out into the quiet dark night to go across town and sit with my little brother.
Now for my reviewers (sorry for the quick responses, I wanted to get this posted tonight!):
notdapunkprincess: Thanks! Things are going well here, at about the halfway point. Hopefully I can update this a little more regularly now!
BlackLightningDX: Thanks so much, I am so glad you're enjoying the story! What a nice review that was to get!
kaz456: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed. No Vic in this chapter, but he'll be back soon.
caillion: Thanks, glad you liked it. I thought it was time for Vic to start seeing the bigger picture.
kiki-kirara: Wow, you really hate Tracey! Glad you liked the chapter, though, and that the characters are coming across as real. I kind of see Pony as more like a big brother to Vic, too, and that's more or less how their relationship develops.
Tsuppi: Glad you enjoyed! Darry had told Tracey that he was giving her three days to stop what she was doing, implying that he would report her, so to speak, after that.
Chronic Sarcasm: Yeah, ten bucks is way too low. If that's her cut, it makes you wonder how much Tim is getting from all this. Randy in the army – that would be a good one to write about! I don't get the gown thing either. And they put two little ties on the things.
Erika VonTrapp: Thank you so much. Vic is one of my favorite characters (of mine) for me to write.
kimmerkay: Thank you! No more morning sickness, and everything is going smoothly so far. Glad you liked chapter, hope this one was good for you too!
mrs sodapop curtis: Thanks! No, it wasn't the end, just took me a long time to update. Hope you enjoyed!
FoxFyre33: Thanks so much! Yeah, Vic has a lot to think about, and he's not a stupid kid by any means. I'll probably have Randy show up again, and possibly a couple of others if I can fit them before the end. Hope you enjoyed this one!
Rock: Thank you! Tracey is a little messed up, trying to be a mom and a young woman; she needed a little reality check, and Darry was definitely the one to give it. Yeah, I'm happy to be at a point where Vic and Pony's relationship is good, and Vic will open up more. It's not easy trying to show somebody's personality and cover it at the same time!
screaming666: Thanks, glad you enjoyed! So sorry this was such a long update lag, there have been a few other commitments I needed to take care of this past month. Here it is, though, hope you enjoyed!
Fairlane: Thank you so much for the detailed review, it's great knowing what was good and what didn't work. Darry seems like he shouldn't be too hard to write, but with so much left to the imagination by S.E. Hinton and trying to sort out what he's really like from how Ponyboy perceived him throughout the book makes it not so easy; so anyway, I'm glad he's coming across well! Thanks again for the review, and I'm looking forward to your next chapter!
virgil-t-stone: Thanks, I love writing this story! Next update shouldn't take so long.
Scarlett7: Thanks so much for the compliment, I love writing this. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Keira: Let's see…I think we covered both of your review comments already! I'll be working in that second one in a couple more chapters. Don't worry, I didn't forget! Thanks for the review!
Tensleep: Thanks for the great review! I figured you would want to see Darry getting tough. And I could see Randy and Ponyboy being even more on the same level once they are away from the pressures of teenage life. It's really cool to hear that you can relate to some of the stuff I've got in here, it makes it feel that much more real for me. Thanks!
MissA92: Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed!
Hahukum Konn: Thanks! Yeah, I think Vic will go places, especially now that he's got a stable life.
Just Playin: Yeah, in the movie they changed Randy's last name to Anderson, but in the book it's Adderson. I think they also changed Two-Bit's last name slightly. Thanks for the review!
babygurl33: Thanks! Hope you liked this one. Vic will be back soon!
ktk2005: Thank you! Hope you enjoyed!
Tessie26: Thanks so much for the review! I'm glad Darry came off as realistic; yeah, he's not so easy to write. I liked putting Randy in, and it took a lot of editing to get that last scene with Vic right, but I liked how it came out too, so thanks! More about Vietnam is coming up. Hope you enjoyed!
kaz456: Yeah, I think like that, too. In fact, that circle of thought is the underlying theme in something else I just finished writing. Glad you liked the chapter, thanks for the review!
Ale Curtis-Carter: Thanks so much! Sorry for the long update lag, I'm getting back on track with this now!
darkdestiney2000: Thank you! Randy's name was Anderson in the movie, Adderson in the book. Like our lives aren't confusing enough, right? Thanks for the review!
