Chapter 6
Tuesday
R-R-I-I-N-N-G-G!
Darry dried his hands on the dish towel due to his soapy hands. "Hello?" he answered, picking up the telephone.
"Mr. Curtis?" a rather tight voice replied back. "I am Mr. Martin, I am the headmaster at St. John's Boy's Home, I am calling on behalf of your brother, Sodapop. It seems he had a fight with a teacher, though I assure you, everything is fine. Due to his actions, however, you will not be permitted to see him this Sunday, only the youngest."
Darry sat on the chair, his legs seemed to have given out on him. How could Sodapop punch a teacher? It was so unlike him. "Wh-when do I get to see him next?" Darry's mouth went dry saying those words. Something just did not seem to fit in.
"In two weeks," Mr. Martin told him shortly.
"Alright, thank you, Mr. Martin," Darry said, trying to avoid yelling. His patients was really wearing down low nowadays. "Good-bye."
The dial-tone was the last thing the older Curtis heard before he slammed his fist onto the table, earning a loud smack and a very sore fist.
Two-Bit and Steve walked in at that moment.
The door slammed. "Did we catch you at a bad time?" Steve asked, looking around to see if Darry had broken anything yet.
"Can you believe it?" Darry roared. "Sodapop! He punched a teacher!" He stopped for a second, getting dumbfound looks from Two-Bit and Steve. "The headmaster of St. John's just called and told me that I wasn't allowed to see Soda for another two weeks. Apparently, Soda got into a fight with some teacher and now this." He threw his hands up as if praising God, but he felt like doing just the opposite. "What was he thinking?"
"Hold on," Steve said, still in a bit of shock. "Sodapop punched a teacher?"
Two-Bit raised an eyebrow. "Never thought he'd get mad enough to. Wonder why he did it?"
Darry was rubbing his temples at this point. What on Earth could have possessed Sodapop to do such a thing?
"Maybe he went mental." Two-Bit shrugged, answering his own question and reading Darry's mind. "I mean, he doesn't like it there and you said Pony wasn't sleepin' well, so maybe the teach just set him off."
Darry sighed. "I know he doesn't," he said getting more furious by the second. "But he knows that he can't go around punching teachers! If he wants to get out of there, he better smarten the hell up!" Darry's fists slammed onto the wooden table. His breaths came fast as he had the sudden urge to hit something. Anything.
"-weird things to people, you know?" Steve said.
"I'm gunna give them a call, do you mind, Dar?" Two-Bit asked, assuming it was better than trying his friends patients.
"Go for it," Darry said, nodding, not really caring. All of this was too much on him. What he wouldn't do to have his parents right now. To have some kind of assistance would make him happy. He never had kids of his own and he was already taking care of two teenage boys.
"Where's the number?" Two-Bit asked, breaking into the Curtis' thoughts once again.
"On top of the fridge," Darry answered simply. It had remained there since the day Tom Brown had given it to him, Darry was not allowed to call the boys yet, but would be permitted to do so by the end of the following week.
He's still angry but he's being quiet about it...something tells me this won't last for too long... Steve thought as he watched Darry stare blankly out of the window.
Steve sat down on the opposite side of the table, facing Darry. "You wanna play a game of poker?" Steve asked, hoping to get Darry's mind off of Pony and Soda, knowing all too well that it was impossible.
By now Two-Bit was on the phone waiting for Sodapop or Ponyboy to pick up.
Darry smirked a little. "I would, but you cheat."
Steve smiled. "Yeah, but if you're sneaky, you can too. Come on." He stood up to get the deck of cards.
"You really miss him, don't you?" Darry asked quietly.
"Yeah," Steve admitted, shuffling his feet. "It's too weird not having him or Ponyboy around." Despite the fact that Steve never actually liked Ponyboy, he knew that there wouldn't really be a Sodapop without the tag-along.
Darry looked down. "I can't wait to get them back."
"We all can't," Steve said, dealing out the cards.
"You're DITCHING ME?" Two-Bit practically yelled. Until now, his conversation was pretty quiet and Steve and Darry almost forgot he was even in the house.
Darry shook his head with the small traces of a grin. "I'm surprised he stayed quiet that long."
Steve chuckled. "We could gag him once in awhile," he suggested.
"-Way to keep up the Greaser name Soda!" Two-Bit shouted.
Darry picked up the phone book and threw it at him and missed by half an inch.
"Think it's too late to get that gag?" Steve asked.
Darry sorted through his dealt cards. "Two-Bit," he said, without looking up, "tell Pony that I'll be there at Sunday around 3:00, got it?"
Two-Bit relayed the message and hung up the phone and sat down in the that was chair vacant. Darry reached over and punched the Matthews boy's arm.
"Yow!" Two-Bit rubbed the now red spot on his arm. "What was that for?"
"The phone book missed," Darry answered shrugging and continued his turn.
"You're one messed up guy, you know that, Superman?" Steve said.
Superman? Not anymore. Darry thought. Superman could protect the world, I can't even manage my own brothers. I gave up everything for Soda and Pony and I don't regret it, they need me, but...I think I need them more.
Darry stayed quiet for another minute. His next movement was toward the clock on the wall.
6:46, it read.
Darry folded down his cards. "You guys want to catch a movie or something?" Darry asked. "My treat."
"Sure," was the majority's answer.
They hopped into the old Ford and made their way to the drive-in. Usually, Two-Bit would have slipped in undetected by the security officer and Steve would follow the same manner, despite the fact that they were being treated, but Darry was always a stickler for rules and they paid their way in.
The movie playing tonight was one of the Abbott and Costello movies, by now, though, the two comedien's acts had lost their spunk. Regardless the three greasers watched, thankful they had something to preoccupy their minds for atleast another hour or so.
The end credits were rolling up the big screen as Steve, Two-Bit, and Darry stood up stretching.
"Those two were funnier when they first came out, now they're just has-beens," Two-Bit criticized. "But man, they're still good."
Darry dropped Steve off at his house. Two-Bit decided that he would spend the night again. Darry wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want him to be alone or if his mother finally got sick of him, but he obliged. It was awkward being in that house all alone at night.
Sunday
Darry walked out of his bedroom with messy hair and a smile on his face. Today was finally here. After waiting an entire month, it showed up.
He walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the aroma of burnt eggs, toast, bacon, and what sort of smelled like orange juice. Two-Bit was standing by the stove turning over an already burnt egg while Steve sat at the table watching in sheer amazement.
"Two-Bit," Darry said cautiously, "what in God's name are you trying to cook?"
Two-Bit turned around and smiled. "What does it look like?"
"Shit," Steve answered from the table. "Smells like it too."
"Here's a better question; why?" Darry raised an eyebrow.
"There's nothing wrong with me cooking on a Sunday," he said.
"Except for your cooking..." Steve added.
Darry sighed and looked up at the clock. 8:27, just six and a half more hours.
The day went by as slow for Darry as a kid on Christmas Eve. The only thing that actually kept his mind off of his brothers was when Two-Bit almost caught the kitchen on fire and that only lasted until he got out the fire extinguisher.
Finally, the time came for Darry to leave. The drive was long and boring. Sodapop must have been bored out of him skull, Darry thought, knowing his brother had the attention span of an old ball of lint. Ponyboy would have atleast enjoyed the scenery, but Sodapop was more for moving around.
When he arrived, he pulled into the long gateway and looked up at the huge house. Not a house, he corrected himself, a prison.
He walked into where there was an office. "Excuse me?" he asked quietly to an older lady. "Do you know where I could find Ponyboy Curtis? I'm his brother."
The woman looked up and stared at him like he was crazy.
"I'm telling the truth. Could you tell me what room he's in? Please?"
"You are only permitted into the living room," the woman said. "But, I'm going to have to see some ID."
It was Darry's turn to give a look of confusion.
"It's to show that you are his guardian or parent."
"Oh," Darry said, taking out his license.
"Very well," she said, pointing down the hall. "He should be in there. Three doors on the left."
Darry thanked her and walked off toward the room that she had instructed. Inside were lots of boys and many parents/guardians. Some of them were crying and others looked as if they had somewhere better to be. Two security personnel were standing at the entrance to the room. Sitting in the back of the room with his nose in a book, was Ponyboy.
Or atleast, what looked kind of like Ponyboy. Darry took a good look at his brother before saying anything. His body looked rigid and tired. He could barely keep his eyes focused on the book he was reading. His face seemed a few shades paler as well.
"Pony?" Darry said quietly, silently hoping that this boy was not his youngest brother.
The boy's face raised from the book. His eyes looked sad, but at the mention of his name, they danced with life.
"Darry!" Ponyboy stood up and clasped his arms around his oldest brother. He breathed the familliar scent that he missed.
Darry hugged back, not caring who looked their way. He was with Ponyboy, and right now, that's all that mattered.
Alright, so I'm going to have a sequel to this chapter...is that possible? Besides the point, tell what you think, please? By the way, I think I know how I'm going to end this story... but if you have any suggestions, I'm still open to them.
Bittersweet