I was living in a nightmare. after my parents had died, I really thought it couldn't get any worse. Then, three nights ago happened. Darry hit Ponyboy and now him and Johnny were missing with a soc dead in a park. We hadn't slept at all in those nights, calling anybody and everybody we knew. Then, as if it couldn't get worse, Sandy left me. Not just broke up with me, she moved halfway across the country to Florida. Her parting words 'I'm sorry Sodapop. I truly am.' before she turned away with tears in her eyes and closed the door in my face, running through my head. I was running on desperation and exhaustion, Darry so stressed for the first time in maybe his entire life, he crumbled with the pressure. It happened this morning, he physically fell to the ground with grief and regret, I had never seen anything like it, especially from my older brother. Which brought me here, as I angrily stormed into Bucks, looking for Dallas Winston.
"Where's Dally?" I snapped at him, in no mood to put on a happy display. He had been awful quiet since they hauled him back from the station. I knew damn well that Johnny and Ponyboy couldn't just disappear like this on their own. Steve would never keep a secret like this from me and Two-bit was ready to go down to Texas to look for them, but I didn't believe for a second what Dally had told the police was true.
"Upstairs." Buck shrugged, cleaning a beer glass with a rag. I stormed upstairs to the room Dally crashed in, slamming open the door to see him sleeping in bed, the shades closed.
"Dallas wake up." I boomed, forcefully tugging the curtains open.
"man, it's too early for this." he groaned, squinting up at me.
"Where in god's name is Ponyboy, Dally? We can't take not knowing anymore!" I yelled; I had never felt so mad. In this moment, it felt like all my problems had embodied themselves into Dallas Winston.
"I told you man, I don't know." he grunted, sitting up, his icy blue eyes searing.
"Yes, yes you do, and you know it." I said, I could feel my face hot.
"Soda cool it. I don't-"he began, but I blew up. Tackling him and fighting with him on the bed, he got the upper hand and rolled me onto the floor, his hands wrapped around my neck. I gritted my teeth, still hitting him back even though it was clear he could easily choke me out. "Soda get your shit together!" he yelled. "if your little brother weren't missing, I'd kill you for attacking me like that man." he threatened. I couldn't stand not being able to breathe any longer, tapping the floor to tap out. He let go, getting off me as I rolled over on my side and heaved in heavy breaths, coughing and feeling the color returning to my face. "Look," Dally said, sitting back on the bed and watching me get up from my hands and knees. "I don't know where Ponyboy is, but maybe if you give me some cash, he'll receive a letter you wrote."
"How much?" I asked, rubbing my neck where he had a grip on me.
"25 bucks." he replied smoothly.
"Done." I replied without hesitation. It was half my weekly paycheck, but if it meant Ponyboy would hear from me and what I had to say, I didn't even have to think about it. "Come with me to pick it up." I replied, wanting him to see firsthand how shattered our already broken family was. He nodded, putting on a shirt and slipping on his shoes, the two of us walking back to my house. When we got back, Darry was in his armchair, talking with somebody on the phone about any updates. He looked awful, his eyes sunken in with dark bags under them.
"Jesus Christ man, you look like hell." Dallas said as I went in my room and grabbed the cash from my last paycheck. I could hear them talking as I wrote my letter, a thousand things I wanted to say racing through my head but not knowing how to put it well worded. Darry would be better at writing it, but if he knew about any of this, Dally would get his skull crushed in before he could even blink. When I was done I walked out, my brother's face flat but you could tell he was a broken man. We walked out without exchanging another word with him. "I never seen muscles like that man." Dally whistled, shaking his head. I handed him the money and my letter.
"You promise this'll make it to Ponyboy and Johnny?" I asked, he shrugged.
"Like I said man, I don't know where they are, but I'm sure this'll reach him just fine." he replied, walking away. I stared longingly, wishing they would just come home. Hoping they were safe.