Chapter Two: I Think I'm Lost

Disclaimer: The Outsiders belongs to S.E. Hinton.

Soda and Ponyboy drove Darry to the train station. "We're gonna miss you, Darry," Soda said tearfully.

"Stop bawling, Soda, you're gonna make me start!" Darry protested. The whistle blew.

"Go, Darry, you're gonna miss the train!" Ponyboy yelled over the general racket at the station. He handed Darry his suitcase.

Darry leaped onto the platform and waved one last time at Ponyboy and Soda before handing the conductor his ticket.

He stepped onto the train and couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face. He was finally going to college! He just couldn't get over that fact.

Meanwhile, Ponyboy and Soda drove back in silence. Finally Soda broke the silence. "I can't believe it. Darry's finally realizing his dreams."

"Whaddya mean you can't believe it? You're the one who had the bright idea!" Ponyboy exclaimed. Soda sighed and said, "Here's my stop."

Ponyboy dropped Soda off at the DX, where he still worked all these years later with his best friend, Steve, who was now married to Evie and had two kids. "I'll pick you up later, Soda. When d'you get off?"

"Around seven. See ya later, Pony." Soda shut the car door and ran inside. His brothers were all leaving him, he thought unhappily.

Ponyboy lived in New York with his girlfriend, and now Darry was off to college in Chicago. Steve had his family to worry about, Two-Bit was a comedian traveling from city to city, and Soda had no one. He didn't even have a girlfriend. He never had really gotten over Sandy.

Ponyboy drove back to his old house. It was great to be back home. He would stay for a few more days, and then he was back to New York. He loved the city. From Dally's stories, he always thought it would be a giant death trap.

He pushed those thoughts out of his mind. Thinking of Dally made him think of Johnny. He didn't want to deal with that.

Meanwhile, Darry tried to figure out his schedule and university campus from a small, vague map, while listening to the banter of the two small children and harassed parents he was sitting by.

He sighed to himself. This is not going to be an easy journey, he thought miserably as applesauce splattered on his shirt.