"Come up here with me, kid. I wanna have this conversation face to face." Well that sounded ominous as heck, but anything that got my ass out of the line of fire was a plus and I weren't exactly in a position to be sayin' no anyhow. So I stood myself up, wincing as my underwear chaffed against my stinging butt, and found Dar resting against the back of the couch with his legs and arms crossed, watchin' me with a smirk. "You feelin' sore, Pepsi-Cola?"
"You know I am, you jerk!" I grouched as I stepped out of my jeans, figurin' I could get away with a little backtalk since he'd used Dad's special pet name for me.
"Hey you do the crime, you do the time, bucko! You know how things work 'round here! Now quit givin' me lip and listen up because me and you still got some things to get straight." I sniffed and kept my eyes down as I nodded, understandin' that he'd let me get away with that one but wasn't gonna be as forgivin' if I mouthed off again. "Now I know there's been a lot of focus on Ponyboy tonight, since that's mostly what I'm pissed at the fellas about but I wanted to make it clear for you, Sodapop, that much as I hate the idea of him bein' at a party like that, I ain't too fond of it for you either."
I frowned in confusion. "Whaddya mean, Dar? I go to parties all the time, sometimes they get a little wild. It ain't nothin' new."
"Yeah but usually you stay on our turf, Soda, where you know how to get out if things go south. And don't insult my intelligence by tellin' me you weren't drinkin' either because I know you were!"
"Wait that ain't fair! You said I'm allowed to drink, just so long as I don't get drunk! And I weren't, Dar, I swear - I had like three beers or somethin'!"
"Take it easy, I believe you! I'm just sayin', lots of things that happened last night weren't like you, little buddy, you're usually more…careful y'know?" Without me even noticin' he'd somehow managed to manoeuvre me so I was standin' between his legs and, since he was sittin' back against the couch, he was able to cross his ankles behind me so I was trapped! He watched my face as I realised this and responded to my outraged expression with nothing more than a quirked eyebrow - the ass! "I'm just tryna understand what was goin' through your head, kid. Was there a girl involved?"
"Darry, come on!" I whined, annoyed that he'd managed to get me exactly where he wanted me without havin' to lift a finger. I tried to take a step back but he pulled his legs up a little to stop me so all I could do was huff in frustration and stay right where I was. "No, there ain't any girl."
"Ok, then was it 'cos you were mad about me goin' away for the weekend? Did you not wanna be stuck watchin' Pony all that time?"
"What, no, you know I don't think of Ponyboy like that!" I could feel my heckles risin' the longer this intergeneration went on and Darry doesn't quit, so I figured I might as well start speakin' my truth. "I guess, I dunno, it was more…it sounds dumb but it was the way you left. I wasn't mad about it, I just…sometimes…it can get annoying. You said that I was in charge last night, and I wanted to have a nice evening with Pony to make up for you bein' gone but then you went ahead and spanked him even after I told you not to! It felt like you were forcin' me to do things exactly like you even though that ain't how I like to run things."
"Right and your way of runnin' things included goin' to some red-neck party and draggin' your kid brother along for the ride, huh?" I knew even the suggestion that I didn't always agree with Darry's way of doin' things would get his back up but he was the one who'd been insistin' on real talk so I squared my shoulders and prepared to stand my ground.
"No of course not, that only happened after you got the hell outta dodge and left me with a cryin' kid and a list of chores as long as my arm! I get that you wanted to get away, Dar, and I don't blame you for it, but I'd had a pretty crappy week too and I ain't complainin' because it was my choice to drop out and work full-time but that should count for somethin' shouldn't it?! If you trust me to bring in a paycheck every week you should trust me to be able to keep things goin' for one weekend and it felt like you didn't!"
"So you went to spite me, huh? Is that it?" I had to stop myself from rollin' my eyes at my brother's defensive tone. The thing about Darry is he has a tendency to only see things in black and white which makes it hard for him to understand that just because we have a difference of opinion don't mean I'm against him. I'm always on his side no matter what - that's what bein' a family means!
"No, crazy, it weren't like that! Steve and me only found out about the party when Two-Bit called, just like I told you." I reached out and pushed his shoulder, keepin' my eyes locked with his until he grudgingly nodded his head to show he believed me. "It just sounded fun, Dar! You know how I am, I get too much energy in me sometimes and have to go hunt some action! I woulda gone even if you'd been here to stay with Pony!"
My brother took a minute to process that before speakin' again. "And how about if I'd told you you couldn't go? Would that have stopped you, kid?"
Now it was my turn to hesitate. After a few rocky months right after our parents deaths, Dar and I had eventually settled into a 'don't ask don't tell' system when it came to what I did with my free time, which basically meant as long as I didn't bring trouble to the door or rub Pony's face in the fact that I got way more passes than Darry gave him, things generally trundled along pretty smoothly between us. But now he was askin' and lyin' to Darry's face was a whole different ballgame that I really didn't wanna play.
"I honestly don't know, Darry. Like I say, it just sounded like a good time and I felt like I'd earned the right to have a good time y'know?!" I shrugged as Darry let out a groan, runnin' his hand down his face.
"Cripes, Soda, what am I gonna do with you,huh?! Lucky for you I ain't in the habit of dolin' out punishments for things you might've done…but you gotta tell me when you're startin' to feel like that so I can find a way to give you a break. I know you work hard, harder then any other kid I know, but you still gotta be smart and not let it get the point it was yesterday!"
"I know, I'll work on that, Dar, I promise."
"And you should know, kid, when I snap at you boys or tell you what to do rather than askin', that's just my way of tryna keep a handle on things. I don't mean it to come across like I'm wantin' to control everythin' but I understand how it might seem that way so how about I work on that too, huh? Maybe that way me and you will end up meetin' somewhere in the middle. Deal?"
"Deal!" I agreed, shakin' his outstretched hand. We smiled at each other and all felt right in the world until I realised with a sinking feelin' that Dar hadn't released me from his leg prison. "So…we all good here or…?"
Darry smirked dangerously. "Nice try, little brother. Things might be even stevens between us as brothers, but I'm still your guardian and I ain't gonna let you runnin' off to some skeezy backwoods party slide just because you don't like me settin' ground-rules for y'all. No siree, bob, you gotta answer for that one, kid!" I couldn't help the groan that came outta my mouth because dammit, I really thought our heart to heart might've got me off the hook. "We're done with the belt but I think it's high time my hand and your butt got reacquainted. Come on, you can go over my knee."
Oh yeah, just like that! I musta scoffed because my brother quirked that damn eyebrow again. I stared him down for a long moment, just in case he'd come to his senses and realised how ridiculous this was but eventually had to admit defeat and shuffle around to his right side. My brother He adjusted himself slightly so he was sat further back on the couch back and patted his thigh. "Go on then, over you go."
I eyed him sceptically. Even now he was still more leanin' than sittin' so his legs were kinda slanting downwards instead of parallel with the floor like they'd usually be if he was puttin' one of us over his knee.
"Seriously, Dar," I groaned as I reluctantly bent over. "This ain't gonna work! I'm a lot bigger than Ponyboy is!" My brother just tutted.
"You ain't as grown as you think you are, buddy boy," he scolded and next thing I knew he'd hauled me forward by the back of my shirt so my feet were fully off the grown and my upper body was danglin' in mid-air. I'd just started to slide down his thighs, which is exactly what I'd been worried about happenin', when a burly arm wrapped itself around my waist and held me in place. "There we go, I got ya, kid. You ain't goin' nowhere."
"Swell," I grumbled, although to tell the truth I could feel my emotions risin' just from being in this stupid position. Darry responded with a sharp slap to the back of my leg that had me yelpin'.
"Keep it up, kiddo, see how that works out for you. Now I know you ain't gonna like this but these," I felt his hands tug at the elastic of my underwear, "are gonna have to come down. I gotta see what I'm doin' since you're already sore."
I whined as I felt him pull 'em down but quit when he stopped just below my butt. If this was gonna be a serious spanking, Darry would've yanked my shorts all the way down to my knees; the fact that he'd really only bared my bottom gave me hope that this would just be short, sharp reminder to not let my emotions cloud my judgement. Dar patted my back gently.
"Try and keep still, little buddy. You weren't wrong when you said you're a mite bigger than your brother." And with that he bought his hand down hard across my backside and I hollered like a banshee because goddamn that hurt. To think I'd been feelin' all bad about him throwin' his shoulder out - ha!
"Ow, Darry, jesus!" I yelped as he bought his hand down again just as hard. "Take it easy will ya?!"
"I ain't havin' you grow up to be some hothead, Sodapop Curtis. No sir, not on my watch!" Darry completely ignored my outburst and kept on swatting slow and heavy like my butt wasn't already mincemeat thanks to his earlier efforts. "You're gonna start tellin' me what's goin' on with you, because we caught a break this time around but next time we won't be so lucky and I ain't about to let that happen. You understand me?"
"Yes Sir," I mumbled, sniffling a little as I felt my eyes start to prick with tears. Somethin' about bein' bent over and held like this, with Darry's deep voice rumblin' above me, sent me right back to all the times I'd found myself over my Dad's knee when I was a kid and heck were there a lotta them. Dar even used the same Old Spice aftershave as he did and, with my feet kickin' out at nothin' but air, I could almost believe I was six years old again layin' across his broad lap. It hurt my heart a little but was also…calming somehow. All I'd been longin' for since things went south last night was for my big brother to come in and take control of the situation and now he finally was.
"You need to start lettin' me in, Soda, not just keep everything cooped up inside until it blows up in your face, because that's when me and you will start havin' issues. You hear what I'm sayin' to you, buddy? I can help you but you gotta give me the chance!"
"Ok, Dar, I get it!" I blubbered, properly cryin' now. "I'm sorry!"
"Hush, you don't need to be apologisin' to me, you know I've already forgiven you. We're doin' this so you can forgive yourself, little brother." Before I could even process what he'd said a volley of quick, sharp smacks started rainin' down on my ass like bullets and if I'd thought I was miserable before boy howdy was I wrong.
I was only able to cry out the word "Darry!" in shocked desperation before a huge sob sucked my breath away. I couldn't help but rear-up against the onslaught despite my somewhat unstable position.
"I know, Pepsi-Cola, it's ok. Just let it all out, I've got you." So I did. I cried like a little baby until I felt like there wasn't a drop of liquid left in my body and by that time Darry's right hand had quit spankin' and stated soothin', rubbin' calming circles into my back. "Good, Soda, take some deep breaths. You're gonna be ok, kid, it needed to come out."
He carried on sayin' stuff like that but I kinda tuned him out after a while so I could do a quick check in with myself to see how things were lookin'. No surprise my ass felt red hot and prickly with pain, my nose was stuffed up and I could feel the beginnings of a headache startin' from all the bawlin' I'd been doin' but apart from that I felt…better? Lighter, I guess, like I was finally able to put last night behind me and leave it there. Damn my big brother and his uncanny ability to know what I needed better than I knew myself.
"I'm ok now, Darry, you can quit bein' all mushy," I groused, cuttin' him off mid-sentence as it suddenly dawned on me that I was still layin' across his lap with my ass on display. "You wanna be a pal and let me up though? I think I'm gettin' a head rush."
"Wow, Soda, way to ruin a moment," Darry huffed in annoyance but dutifully grabbed my waist and guided my feet back to the floor. "It ain't like I've never seen your bare butt before anyway!"
"I know but that don't mean I gotta like it!" I shot back, quickly yankin' my shorts back up and tryin' to hide my wince of pain. Darry just rolled his eyes.
"Can you at least give your big brother a hug, tough guy?"
"Guess so," I mumbled, tryin' hard to keep the grin out of my voice as he tugged me back towards him. With Darry still half-leaning on the couch I found I was able to slot perfectly into the spot between his chin and his collar bone which is what Pony always likes to do when he cuddles with me and I can see why he digs it so much because it felt real nice. "Just don't tell no one, I got a rep you know!"
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Darry chuckled and smoothed the hair at the back of my neck as I smiled into his shoulder. We stayed like that for a little while, probably more than a little while in fact because I could just feel my eyes startin' to slip closed when Dar pulled back.
"How ya doin', kiddo? You wanna lay down on the couch and take a nap? I'm just gonna check on your brother then I'll come right back out and sit with you." I sighed sleepily but made myself push away from Darry and stand up straight.
"No, I wanna see Pone too," I yawned and Darry eyed me suspiciously.
"Ok, but if he's sleepin' I want him to stay that way so don't get your hopes up." I nodded obediently only because I knew there was no way in hell the kid had slept through everything that had just gone on, no matter how much Darry had worn him out.
Sure enough as soon as Dar creaked open the door to our room, Two-Bit's voice was right there to greet him.
"We're awake, Superman. I tried all my usual tricks but he weren't havin' none of it!" I pushed in behind Darry and saw Keith propped up against the pillows on our bed, Ponyboy and Hoppy tucked against his side.
"Alright, Two, thanks for tryin'," Darry sighed defeatedly, lifting the needle off the record player.
"Soda!" Pony yelped, scrambling up and startin' to climb across Keith the second he caught sight of me.
"Stay where you are, buddy, I'm comin' to you," I muttered, draggin' myself over to the bed and throwin' myself down on it face first.
"Geez, what am I - chopped liver?!" Two-Bit griped as Pony immediately snuggled against me, buttin' his head against my arm until I lifted it enough for him to burrow under.
"Ponyboy don't bother Soda, ya hear me? It's up to him what he tells you so don't be a pest else you'll have to go and lay down with Steve in my room." I felt Pony's huff of annoyance against my collar bone and smirked into my pillow. I'm sure he was about ready to burst with questions! The bed creaked and shifted as Two-Bit got to his feet, Darry's voice becoming fainter as they moved away from us to talk. "When did he wake up? Could y'all hear everything?"
I couldn't hear Keith's answer because right away Pony was whisperin' in my ear despite what he'd just been told. "Soda, are you ok? Are you grounded? Did Darry use his belt? Was it real bad?" I think he woulda kept goin' if I hadn't pinched his arm to shut him up.
"Shhh, Pone! Of course I'm ok, I'm Sodapop Patrick Curtis!" I was fronting, obviously, but it was what my brother needed to hear right now. "Now zip it or Darry'll make you go in with Steve and you can bet your red butt he ain't gonna be let you cuddle up with him like I do!"
Pony sniggered against my neck. "Ok. I love you, Soda."
"I love you too, kiddo."