"Soda, you're not getting it, man! We have to go, everyone's gonna think we're losers if we don't show!"
"And you're not getting that somebody's gotta stay with Ponyboy, Steve! We can't just leave him here on his lonesome!"
"It's wild, boys! I'm tellin' ya, get your butts over here asap or be square! Everyone's here, man, it's like the party of the century!"
With Two-Bit's voice blaring through the phone on my left shoulder and Steve practically hanging off my right, I felt like I had a pair of devils egging me on instead of the regular angle/devil combo you saw in cartoons. Hell, if that ain't a metaphor for the life and times of Sodapop Patrick Curtis I don't know what is!
"Soda, buddy, come on!"
"Alright, geez will you both shut up for a minute! Just lemme think…" Truth be told, I really wanted to go. It had been a long, slow week at work and I was itchin' to blow off some steam but I had a kid brother sleepin' down the hall that I needed to consider. Darry'd left me in charge and I'd be damned if I was gonna screw it up. Before I could even start to get things straight in my mind a bunch of whooping and hollering erupted from the receiver, quickly followed by Two-Bit's delighted laughter.
"Not to rush you, Mr Deep Thinker, but I'm pretty sure some girls just started takin' their shirts off…" Two trailed off, sounding like he could hardly believe his luck. I meanwhile was silently cursing mine. Of all the weekends for Darry to go camping, it just had to be this one! Beside me Steve swore, reaching across to try and yank the phone out of my hand.
"Quit!" I snapped, twisting away from him and quickly blurting out the response my conscience was tellin' me to before things started gettin' outta hand. "Two-Bit, it sounds like a gas but I ain't gonna make it over, I've got Ponyboy tonight and there's noone else who can watch him."
"Ponykid?" He repeated, as if I would be talking about anyone else. "Just drop him off at my place on your way over - oh no, shoot, ma's workin', never mind. Hey, just bring him along! He's old enough now, right? We were crashin' high school parties when we were his age, he'll love it!"
"Keith, have you met Pony?" I dead-panned, not bothering to hide my annoyance. A loud, sweaty, over-crowded mess of drunken strangers was basically my little brother's nightmare. I turned back towards Steve to see if he'd heard the shit Two-Bit was spoutin', momentarily forgetting to keep the receiver out of his reach. Quick as a snake he'd wrestled it out of my grasp and was shouting into the mouthpiece.
"We'll be there, Two. I'mma talk sense into Sodapop and we'll be on our way so keep an eye out."
"Yeah!" I heard Two-Bit cheer down the line. "That's what I'm talkin' about! Make it snappy though, boys, this party's got cop raid written all ov-" He was cut off mid-sentence by Steve slamming down the phone. I turned to stare at him incredulously, shaking my head in disbelief when he shrugged back at me.
"What the hell did you say that for?!"
"What? You heard the man. Grab the kid, throw him in the car and let's split!" He was already starting to jostle me away from the phone and down the hall until I got wise to his antics and firmly planted me feet to stop him.
"Steve stop, we can't take him with us, that'd be crazy!" He stepped back from me, hands on his hips and one eyebrow raised. "…Wouldn't it?"
"Kid's sleepin' ain't he? Won't make no difference to him if it's in a bed or in a car!" Steve shrugged, like it was the most obvious thing in the world and I was the biggest dumb dumb for not bein' one hundred percent on board with it. I guess it did kind of make sense. Pony could fall asleep literally anywhere if he was tired enough.
"Darry'd go apeshit…" I trailed off, reluctant to admit how easily I was letting him twist my arm. I could feel the corners of my mouth lifting up into a smile, giving me away despite myself.
"Well Darry ain't here," Steve crowed, elbowing me in the ribs and wriggling his eyebrows up and down, fully aware that he was winning me over. "It's a Friday night, the kid's out for the count - what more can Superman want from you?"
A heck of a lot more than that, that's for sure! Steve was heaps smarter than me in almost every way but he sure could be dumb when it came to taking care of Ponyboy.
"Yeah, that's not really how it works, Steve-o. Watchin' a kid ain't like watchin' a dog, you can't just ditch 'em someplace whenever you feel like it!"
"Then leave him, what's the worst that can happen? So what if he wakes up and you ain't here, he's not a baby! They obviously have a phone there, you can call to check up on him if it's gonna bug you that much!" Steve threw his arms up in frustration, clearly starting to lose patience. I guess I was lucky he'd stuck around this long, it weren't like there was anything stoppin' him from heading out to this party. It sucked though because it really did sound like a good time and I hated missing out on any kind of action. But Ponyboy…
"Man, I can't, what if he wakes up from a nightmare and there's noone there for him? He's even more wound up than usual since Dar's out of town, I just ain't gonna risk it." I didn't mention the fact that Pony and Darry had gotten into it right before he left, something about not leaving all his homework until Sunday afternoon, and Darry had tucked Pony under his arm and peppered his behind with swats before sending him to bed and ordering me to make sure he stayed there "or else". It wasn't a proper spanking, but it was enough to get Ponyboy crying and it ticked me off as I'd been planning on letting him stay up late with me as a treat to start the weekend off on a good note. I knew he was anxious about Darry being away which is almost certainly why he'd acted up in the first place, and Darry should've been more sensitive to that rather than going all disciplinarian on his ass and leaving me to deal with the fall out.
What did "or else" even mean if he wasn't here to enforce it? I could've gotten Pony up the minute he'd walked out the door and he'd be none the wiser, but I hadn't because…well because following Darry's rules was just something I did for an easer life. But he'd told Pony and me in no uncertain terms that I was in charge this weekend so didn't that mean I should be able to make my own rules? Plus what Darry didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?
Steve must've been able to see the cogs turning in my brain because when I glanced up at him he had an expectant smirk on his face. Shit, looks like we were headin' out after all!
"I guess there's no harm in bringing him with us though. I ain't real fond of leavin' him out in the car but we could smuggle him in and try to find a quiet corner for him to curl up in, maybe even a coat closet or something? He's used to fallin' asleep with a bunch of noise goin' on anyway, thanks to you hoodlums. That way I can check up on him and it ain't really like we're ditching him…"
"Sure, Soda, whatever you want! Let's get movin' though, we don't wanna get there and find out we missed all the action!" Steve was already done with the conversation and ready to head out. "Go wake up Sleeping Beauty so we can get this show on the road."
I punched his arm good naturedly, already feeling the buzz of adrenaline I always got when we were about to head out for a good time. "Hey, you're coming with me buddy boy! You're the one who wants to go so bad and you can tell that to Pony when he pitches a fit. Actually, on second thought, let's just blame the whole thing on Two-Bit!"
I could hear Steve sniggering behind me as he followed along the hallway to mine and Pony's room. It was only around 10pm but I could tell Pony was dead to the world even before I gently eased the door open. I wasn't exactly surprised, he hadn't been sleeping well since Darry had announced his weekend away at the start of the week and it was bound to catch up with him eventually. The beam from the hall light fell over his sleeping form, spread-eagled across the mattress on his belly with one arm hooked tightly around Hoppy, the stuffed rabbit he liked to pretend he had outgrown but who always made an appearance when he was having a tough time. I smiled softly at the sight of him, love bubbling up in my chest like he was my own kid or something crazy like that.
I loved that he still slept like a little kid, all loose limbs and weird positions. Sometimes I'd wake up to find him hanging half off the bed, completely oblivious as Darry tiptoed in to scoop his dead-weight back onto the mattress. Other times I'd open my eyes to find a pair of stinky feet next to me on the pillow and would spend the day trying to imagine what the heck my brother dreamt about that sent him swimming down into the depths of our comforter. Darry got a kick out of it too, but only so long as he wasn't the one trying to sleep next to him!
"Why does he still have that stupid rabbit?" Steve hissed in my ear, completely ruining the moment. "He's way too old for that stuffed animal shit."
"Zip it!" I whispered back, not wanting to add any more fuel to the dumpster fire that was Steve and Pony's relationship. I knew that deep down they both genuinely cared for each other but dang did they hide it well. "It's only 'cause Darry ain't here so just shut up about it! Will you find me a decent shirt while I get him up? This one reeks of gasoline!"
I heard Steve grumbling as he moved towards the closet, grateful that he'd spent enough time in our room over the years to be able to find his way in the semi-darkness. I wanted Ponyboy to be woken up calmly, not by Steve crashing into something and cursing up a storm. With that in mind I made my way across to the bed, crouching down beside my brother and reaching out to shake his shoulder.
"Hey, buddy, it's time to wake up. Come on, Pone, wakey wakey now." After some gentle prodding he eventually let out a low groan, mushing his head into the pillow before turning towards my voice. "That's it kiddo, open your eyes for me. We're going on an adventure!"
I heard Steve bark out a laugh from across the room, but ignored him, instead focusing on stroking the side of Pony's face. Slowly his eyes fluttered open and he blinked at me drowsily, coming round but not yet fully awake. I smiled at him and pushed his hair out of his eyes.
"What's going on?" He whispered, mimicking my tone and making me smile even wider as he was the only person we were being quiet for. "Is Darry home?"
"No, bub, it's still Friday," I explained to his obvious disorientation, reaching down to untangle the sheets where they'd gotten wrapped around his legs. "But you, me and Stevie are goin' out so you gotta get up, ok?"
My brother frowned at me, taking a moment to process what I was saying. "Nu-uh Soda, it's night," he scolded, attempting to roll away from me. I grabbed his bicep to keep him in place, tugging Hoppy out of grasp so he didn't get any ideas about falling back asleep.
"I know, Pone, but it's gonna be so much fun! Come on now, let's get you sat up." I figured he was awake enough now that I'd be able to manoeuvre him into more of an upright position and soon enough I had him positioned on the side of the bed. He squirmed when his butt came into contact with the mattress so I guess maybe Darry had popped him harder than I thought, but then again my brother could be a bit of a drama queen when it came to spankings!
"I'm tired," he whined, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes. But he didn't protest when I pulled his pyjama top over his head, his body as heavy and pliable as a rag doll.
"I know you are," I cooed, barely even listening. He was just cranky at being woken from a deep sleep. A shirt and a pair of underwear hit my back a second later and I raised a hand in acknowledgement of Steve's smart thinking. I quickly yanked the shirt over Pony's head before he could start complaining for real, grabbing his arms to stand him up as soon as I'd pulled them through the sleeves.
"Steve's here?" Pony announced in confusion as his new vantage point enabled him to see over my shoulder. I was busy peeling his pyjamas off but glanced over just in time to catch sight of a classic Steve Randle scowl.
"Woah, nothing gets past this little braniac, eh Soda? Quit gawking and tell me where you keep your jeans, kid."
"On the chair," Pony replied, not reacting at all to Steve's sarcastic tone so I knew he still wasn't entirely with us. He made to move towards his desk, not seeming to realise that I was currently threading his feet into his underwear and he would've pitched right over if I hadn't grabbed his waist.
"No you're wearing your good jeans tonight, kiddo." I corrected, glancing up to meet his confused look. "Dresser, third drawer, Steve."
"Why?" Pony responded as I tugged the briefs up his legs and over his hips.
"Cause we're goin' to a party!" I exclaimed, hoping my enthusiasm would be enough to buoyant him along. "Don't that sound like a blast?"
"No," he responded plainly and Steve's obnoxious laugh rang out once again. "I think I wanna stay here, Soda. Wait, is it a birthday party?"
I swear to god only Ponyboy could manage to be so goddam cute and goddam infuriating at the same time.
"No, honey, it's a different kind of party," was the best I could come up with. Pony crossed his arms and stared me down, entirely unconvinced. Sensing a stand off, Steve decided to jump in.
"Who's in charge when Darry ain't here, kid?" He demanded, antsily palming Pony's good jeans back and forth in his hands. I knew if he'd had his way we would've dumped Pony in the car in his pjs and been long gone by now.
"Sodapop," Pony replied immediately, not even having to think about it, god love him.
"Right, so if Soda's tellin' you you're goin' to a party, then you're goin' to the goddamn party. He's gonna be stuck here all weekend babysittin' your stupid ass so the least you can do it shut up and let him have a bit of fun!"
"Alright, Steve," I tried to butt in, not wanting him to get up on his soapbox. He honestly bitched more about me having to watch Pony than I did. My brother had dropped his gaze guiltily, clearly uncomfortable with our raised voices.
"You're just a kid so what you say don't matter any-"
"Steve!" This time I made sure I was loud enough to override him. Whenever Steve started breaking out phrases I'd heard his dad use, it was time to cut him off. "We didn't wake him up in the middle of the night just to yell at him! Give him his freaking jeans already so he can finish gettin' ready."
He at least had the good sense to look sheepish. "Sorry," he muttered, handing a dazed Pony his clothes. "I just really wanna go to this thing. Put your pants on, kid."
My brother hesitated, biting his bottom lip anxiously. "You really wanna go too, Soda?" He asked after a moment, watching my face in that careful way he has. I nodded, never able to lie to him.
"Yeah, I do, kid. I know it ain't exactly your scene but I promise we'll find you somewhere quiet to hang out and no one will bother you."
"Come on, kid, you'll get to brag about it to all your little nerd friends on Monday," Steve chimed in, trying a different tactic.
Pony pushed his mouth to the side, still looking a little unsure until I reached out and poked him in the belly where he was notoriously ticklish. He squirmed and tried to push my hand away but I kept on until he broke out into a grin. "Come on, Pone, whadda ya say, huh? You gonna come to a supercool party with me and Stevie? Huh? Huh?"
"Soda, quit!" He grouched through a reluctant smile and I knew I'd won him over but I kept on messing with him just because I could. "Ok, we can go! We can go!" He finally yelped, batting at my hands then laughing for real when I grabbed him up in a bear hug and cheered.
"I knew I could count on you, kiddo! You're the best kid brother in the whole wide world!" I rocked him from side to side obnoxiously, squeezing as hard as I could and only letting go when Steve started making puking noises in the background. "Ok quick, finish gettin' dressed, Pone, before ol' Steveo blows a gasket!"
Pony obeyed without comment and I quickly stripped off my own shirt and ran some deodorant under my arms. I really could do with a shower but a clean shirt would have to do. Luckily Darry'd done the latest batch of ironing since Pony and I were both terrible at it!
"Alright, we're lookin' tuff boys! Let's blow this popsicle stand and go have us a good time!" Steve whooped loudly and Ponyboy gave me a tentative smile, giggling a little as I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of our bedroom. He came stumbling after me, squinting in the light and tripping over his own feet. I quickly understood why Darry often swung him up into his arms when he wanted to get him someplace quick. Despite him no longer being sleep-heavy I still wasn't strong enough to carry Pony like our brother could so I concentrated on keeping him at my heels.
"Shit, Soda his hair! I ain't bein' seen in public with him lookin' like that!" Steve suddenly yelled from where he was bringing up the rear. I sighed at his dramatics, quickly yanking Pony around in front of me to look him over in the light. Yikes, his hair was pretty bad.
"Well fuck, Stevie, you're the hair expert 'round here! Fix it for him while I find our shoes else this party's gonna be over before we even get there!" I took off before either of them could protest and returned with mine and Pone's sneakers just in time to see Steve slap a handful of water onto Pony's head. Grabbing his shoulder to stop him cringing away he quickly began flattening down the kid's bedhead as best he could, cursing under his breath as he went. I ducked down and began ramming Pony's feet into his shoes before making quick work of my own. Jesus, talk about a group project.
"It ain't great but it's gonna have to do," Steve declared a few seconds later, standing back and examining Pony critically as a strand of hair flopped back across his forehead stubbornly. "Christ almighty let's just go, it ain't like he's got a reputation to keep up anyway! But if anyone asks, you don't know me, ok kid?"
"Hell yeah, let's gooo!" I hollered, pointedly ignoring Steve dig and grabbing ahold of Pony once more to get him to hustle. I made sure to snag his current paperback off the coffee table as we passed, just in case he couldn't fall back asleep once we got there. "You've got the coolest big brother in the world, kiddo, and you don't even know it! This is going to be the best night EVER!"
We're back in my Raising Ponyboy 'verse but this time from Soda's POV! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my other stories and helped spark inspiration for this new work. I think this will be similar in length to The High Rock so hopefully you'll all stick with me for the ride!