After work, I went home to find Soda making dinner and Ponyboy reading a book on the couch. The things I had asked them to do that morning were done. Which meant that I could sit down and relax for a while.

"Darry, a past due notice came in the mail." Ponyboy said as he turned the page in his book.

"Which bill?" I asked.

"I think it's the electric bill." Pony said handing me an envelope. "Our electricity isn't going to get shut off, is it?"

I frowned as I opened the envelope and read the notice inside. The warning of the electricity being shut of if the bill wasn't paid by a certain day glared back at me as I read.

"Well, so much for a game of football." I mumbled.

"Huh?" Pony looked at me.

I sighed, "I thought we could all play a quick game of football before I left for my second job, but it looks like I have to go pay this bill. I could have sworn that I paid the electric bill last month."

"Maybe it's a mistake." Pony suggested.

"I wish it were." I told him. "But even if it is, I have to pay it or else they'll turn off the electricty."

"When?" Pony asked.

"Yeah, when?" Soda asked as he entered the room. I hadn't been aware that he was listening. "Should I start setting aside money to help pay the electric too?"

"If I don't pay the bill they'll shut off the electricity in a week." I said, answering both of them. "And Soda, why don't you take on the responsibility of giving Pony his allowance every week, okay? I'd rather have you do that than worry about helping me with another bill."

"Okay Darry." Soda agreed. "Dinner's almost ready."

I didn't bother asking what we were having. Knowing Soda, it could be anything and any color. But, it would also probably be really good. Out of the three of us, Soda somehow picked up on our mom's talent for cooking. He could also be a good baker if he didn't over do it with the sugar. Of course, mom had always encouraged his creative cooking techniques. So, it's no wonder that he makes dinner on most nights.

I looked at Ponyboy who had put down the book. "Have you had any dreams lately?"

Pony knew what I was getting at. I wanted to know if he still had that dream that seemed to scare all three of us even though he was the only one who had the dream. I was glad when the dream stopped occuring on a regular basis when Soda moved into Pony's room. However, I knew he still had it on occassion and I wish he knew what what was scary about it."

"Darry, if I've had that dream, I'd tell you. You know that." Ponyboy replied.

"Yeah, I know." I admitted. "But, I still wonder about it."

"Dinner's ready." Soda announced from the kitchen.

"I wonder what weird thing he did this time." Pony whispered to me as we walked into the kitchen.

We all sat down to dinner which was tacos. It's kind of hard to do weird things with tacos, even for Soda. So, he put blue food coloring in the sour cream.

"When do you have to leave?" Pony asked me as he made himself a taco.

"Since I have to go pay the electric bill, probably around six, why?" I usually leave around six-thirty in order to get to my second job by seven.

"I need help with my math." Pony admitted. That didn't surprise me. Ponyboy is taking algebra and always seems to have trouble understanding it.

"I'll help you as soon as we're done with dinner okay, little buddy?" I said.

Pony nodded and grinned at me. "Thanks Darry."

I grinned back at him and made myself a second taco.