I've decided to make it a multi-chapter...yey, let's just see how far it goes... I want to thank all of my reviews. You are all too kind, but since I love the attention, keep it coming! And for WonderGirl, I think it was sheer coincidece that your aunt's name is Linda...Lol. (For people who don't know us, we're related, so check some of her stories our!)
Not a word was spoken as Tom, Sodapop, and Ponyboy drove out of Tulsa. Tom was humming to a Hank Williams song and just the twang of the singer's guitar rubbed the two Curtis brother's nerves raw.
Soda finally had enough. "Would you shut that off," he spat. Tom glanced in the mirror and simply gave him a look. "Er- I mean, please?" he added.
Tom shut off the radio and for a few minutes, all was quiet. That did not last too long.
"The boy's home you boys are going to is one of the finest," Tom spoke up. "They have schooling, a tennis court, all the real necessities. You'll really like it."
Ponyboy glared at the back of the man's head. "We liked it just fine where we were." He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from cursing.
"Besides," Soda cut in, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, "I'm a drop out."
Tom made a noise that showed no approval. "Well, that can be fixed. What grade were you in when you dropped out?"
"You're not gettin' it," Soda said calmly. "I don't want to go to school. I work at a DX gas station. I like it there."
Tom sighed. "That's what you think now, wait five more years and you will regret it."
They passed a sign saying, "Oklahoma State Limits: 20 miles".
Pony leaned against Soda. "When do we get to see Darry again?"
"About two months," Tom replied without looking up.
"WHAT!" Pony and Soda cried in unison.
"We'll go crazy!" Soda claimed.
"He will," Pony said quietly. "We have each other, who does he have to come home to after work? Just an empty house and maybe Two-Bit and Steve."
Soda thought about what his brother had just suggested. "You're right, Pony."
"He really should have thought about that before he hit you boys," Tom said, his eyes never moved off of the road. "You should be glad you're out of there."
That was the breaking point for Soda.
"Glad?" he screamed furiously. "We were happy! We were together! We were-"
"A family," Pony intercepted. "Besides that, Mr. Brown, Darry only hit me. One time. That's it, and it was for a good reason too." The youngest Curtis brother was shaking by now. He was angry, but not so much as Sodapop, who he did not want to see in trouble.
"There is never a good reason to hit someone, especially a loved one."
Was this guy for real? He ran off that passage as though he said it daily.
"I wasn't using my head! Like usual!" Pony slouched.
"Who tell you that you don't use your head?" Tom asked with a hint of suspicion.
"Darry..." Pony mumbled.
"Ah hah," Tom said in a monotone exclaimation. "So he verbally abused you as well?"
"No," Pony answered, getting rather annoyed. "Well-"
Soda moved so that his arm was over his brother, and Pony's head was on his lap. "Just stay quiet, Pony," he hushed. He looked up at Tom. "Do we get to share a room?"
"I don't believe so. Sodapop, you will be in with the fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen-year-olds. Ponyboy, you will be in with the twelve, thirteen, and fourteen-year-olds. Is that alright?"
Both Curtis brothers were thinking the same thing: Pony waking up in the middle of the night, screaming and crying, due to his nightmares.
"Um, I don't think that will work, sir," Soda said, playing with Pony's hair.
The younger Curtis looked frightened. He had not thought about the sleeping arrangements, only leaving Darry.
Tom gave Soda an odd look. "Why? Are one of you afraid of the dark?"
Soda gave him the dirtiest look he could muster. "No," he said dryly. "Ponyboy gets nightmares."
The state worker was surprised. "When did these start to occur?"
"After Mom and Dad died."
"This was never brought to our attention..."
"That's because we thought that Pony and me would be taken away," Soda seemed dazed as he said those words. His eyes met Tom's in the mirror. "Guess it's too late for that."
"Mmm-hmm," Tom replied. He suddenly decided to switch the topic. "St. John's Boy's Home is fairly strict on their rules. Lights out at 11:00 o'clock, all troublemakers will be punished, no noise, just things like that."
"We dig," Soda mumbled.
"I beg your pardon?" Tom said quizically.
"We understand," Soda corrected his english.
"Oh, good."
Soda looked down at Ponyboy who had yet to say anything on the new topic. The youngest Curtis was asleep on his brother's lap. He looked exhausted and...sad?
Can you look sad when you sleep? Soda thought. Maybe. But don't be sad, little brother, we'll be fine. He sighed and leaned his head back, still playing with Pony's hair.
"You're very close to your brothers, aren't you?" Tom asked quietly.
"Yeah, they're all I've got," Soda murmured. "They mean the most. Darry gave up so much just so we could stay together; college, a good job, money, maybe even getting getting younger."
Tom gave him funny look.
"See, Darry took on a lot of responsibility, us, I mean. So he kinda got old fast, you dig?" Soda explained.
Tom nodded.
"Well, Pony, he's still a baby and he's seen and been so much, he's strong. I don't think I could have done it." Soda thought back to the week Pony had spent at the church. Johnny. Dallas. "I'm the middleman, you dig? They argue, but that's only 'cause they love each other and want the best, but can't get it. And now this..." Soda stopped what he was saying. He had tears running down his face and he looked miserable. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I told you all of that," he whispered.
Tom gave a small smile. "Don't apologize. You and your brother will be fine."
"It's not just us I'm worried about," Soda mumbled.
"Darrel knows what he has to do to help your situation," Tom said.
Soda raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"
"He has to take some sessions with a social worker, anger managment classes, just until he becomes a better guardian."
Soda rolled his teary eyes. "He was already a great guardian, now you just broke our family. After tryin' to stay together for so long, you finally did it. Congratulations," Soda spat.
Though Soda had been crying, his voice was confident. However, when he finished the sentence with "broke our family", his voice began to crumble, and reality set in. He was not going to live with Darry until he was eightteen, but then Pony would still be in the home. They would not be a family until Pony was eightteen. This would never work.
Tom sighed. "Sodapop, don't be like that. You will thank the state for doing this. You and your brothers will become better people."
"But not the same," Soda corrected. "Darry won't let us wrestle, we won't tickle Pony to wake him up, he won't think movies are boring, he'll ask us to "express ourselves", he won't be "he paused, "-Darry."
"-Darry," Pony mumbled in his sleep.
"Shh, baby," Soda soothed. "We'll see him soon."
Pony began to stir. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry...Please no..."
"Shh, baby, you ain't done nothin' to be sorry for. Now wake up, hun, come on." Soda shook Pony's shoulder.
"Is he alright?"
"He's fine, just a nightmare," Soda said, now shaking his little brother's shoulder a little more.
"Darry, S-Soda." Tears seeped out of Ponyboy's closed eyes.
"I'm here, baby. Come on, Pony, wake up," Soda begged.
"I'm sorry," Pony cried. He sat up from Soda's lap with his eyes wide. He looked around wildly. "Soda? Darry?"
"I'm here, baby," the middle Curtis rubbed his brother's arms. Pony was always shivering when he woke up from a nightmare.
Pony's eyes met with the back of Tom's head and everything came flooding back. "I-I thought it was just a nightmare," he said quietly. He looked down and held his head in his hands. "How long was I sleeping?"
Soda gave his brother a small hug. "'Bout fourty-five minutes," he replied.
"We're here," Tom proclaimed.
The black Cavalier pulled into a driveway with the largest building the boys had ever seen. It was white with a light blue trimming. There was a pool and a tennis court, as Tom had promised. Trees sprouted all over the place, some boys were climbing in them, while others were reading under them.
To anyone else, this could be considered heaven. To Ponyboy and Sodapop Curtis, this was they're own personal Hell.
Ha! Sweet, I was wondering what that line thingy was! Now I know! Oh and!I said in the first chapter thing, I need suggestions so I know how this will end. Seriously, I'm just playing things over and am not sure if the boys are going to end back with Darry or not... so tell me!
Bittersweet