Ponys Pov

I was able to hear the sound of footsteps running towards me. I suddenly had the fear that Bob and his friends were back for more.

"No more...please." I weakly begged.

I heard someones breath hitch, "Shit kid, they got you good."

Dally.

"Don't just stand there Dal! Help him!" Johnny begged.

Dally seemed hesitant, not knowing how to handle me. He slowly knelled besides me, inspecting my wounds. He suddenly put pressure against my ribs and I cried out in pain, trying to move his hand away, not succeeding.

Dally cursed under his breath, ''One of his ribs are broken. He doesn't have any serious wounds, but hes seriously hurt. Why didn't you call Soda, or heck, even Darry?"

"He...he didn't want me to." He chocked out.

"Pony? Kid, can you hear me?" Dally's voice was soft which surprised me. He always seemed cold and closed off, seeing this side of him really shocked me.

"Loud...loud and clear...Dal."

I heard heard him scoff in amusement "I'm gonna have to carry you alright? Suck in your breath, this is gonna hurt."

I sucked in my breath as he picked me up, and bit my tongue once I felt my ribs scream in agony. Tears sprung at the edge of my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.

"I'm gonna take you to my place, I have some equipment to heal you up. Bare with me Ponyboy, it'll feel better soon." He said, as he begun walking, Johnny trailed behind me, keeping an eye on me.

"You okay?'' He nervously asked.

I tried to move my head, but stopped once I felt my head spin. "Yeah.''

"I'm sorry Pony. I'm the worst friend ever." He said as he balled his fists and covered his eyes.

''I'm... I'm okay Johnny, really I am. Thank you for not getting Soda 'nd Darry." I mumbled sleep clouding my mind.

"Yeah... you owe me one." He gave out a small laugh.

I smiled and closed my eyes.

"Shouldn't we wake him up and see?" An urgent voice came.

"No, if he does have amnesia or a concussion, us waking him up would only bring more confusion."

A groan came out my mouth, and I weakly opened my eyes. Seeing Dally and Johnny right in front of me.

"D-Dally?" I said.

He nodded, and I looked at Johnny.

"Hey Johnny." I said, and gave him a soft smile.

Johnny let out a breath, ''That's a good sign right?"

He nodded seeming unsure, "Whats your name?" He asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. ''What do you mean?"

"Whats your name?" He repeated.

"Pony-Ponyboy Curtis. Why?" I asked.

He smirked, ''Welcome back to the land of living kid.''

Thankfully I hadn't been out for too long. Only about 4 hours. Dally had told me to go home, realizing that Darry must be worried sick. I had bitten my lip, the realization coming into view. I had already dismissed the thought that Darry would grant me mercy. I bet he wouldn't even believe that I had gotten beaten up by the Socs.

My face didn't really indicate what had happened. I only had a cut lip, and a black-eye but it was barely noticeable unless you looked extremely close. Dally had told me that one of my ribs was broken and that I wouldn't be able to run, which I only scoffed at, I already knew that I wouldn't be able to. Darry had taken that privilege away. Dally had enveloped my stomach with gauze's, going around my back and stomach, my shoulder was covered in bruised-as well as my back. Dally also had told me that whenever I coughed, or took in deep breaths, I would feel pain, but in short weeks it would go away.

I had asked him how he knew about all this, which he only shrugged answering, ''From experience.'' I had waited for him to elaborate but he only began to put away everything in the emergency kit.

Johnny had offered to come walk back with me towards home, but I had declined saying that I wanted to face Darry's wrath alone. Dally didn't press for anything, he offered , but he shrugged his shoulders once he saw the look on my face. It wasn't that I didn't want their help- no that was what I wanted the most- but I didn't want them to know how scared I was.

I didn't want them to know that I felt just like Johnny now.

Dally had given me a knife in order to protect myself if anything happened, I hesitated but accepted it anyway. The whole walk home seemed like blur, one minute I find myself walking out of Dally's place, and the next I find myself standing on my house porch. My whole body ached after today, all I wanted to do right now was to sleep for thousands of years, but once I saw Darrys shoes outside the door. I knew he was home and there was no possible way of being able to do that.

I opened the door, ready to accept my fate.

Soda was laying on the cough his arm bent over his face, snoring. I was confused wondering why he was here so early. Then mentally face-palming realizing he arrived about 2 hours ago. Thankfully Darry was nowhere in sight.

Once hearing the door shut, Soda yawned as he sat up, ''Heya Pony, where ya been?"

I avoided making eye contact with him. One of the things that I really disliked about Soda, was that he was able to read you like a book. He was observant, and anything strange didn't go unnoticed.

And frankly, I didn't think I was going to be unnoticed.

"Just...I just took a walk around the neighborhood for a little with Johnny to clear my head." I lied.

He tilted his head, furrowing his eyebrows. He walked towards me and just looked at me. He examined me, making me feel like some type of animal.

Then he looked at my face, and his eyebrows shot up. "Pony...what happened? How did you get this black eye?"

I felt my hands beginning to sweat, and my heart beginning to race.

Act normal. I told myself.

"What do you mean Soda? I'm fine." I answered, hoping he wouldn't catch up on my nervousness.

''I mean that Darry began worrying about why you hadn't returned and went looking for you. Darry went to Dally's house and found Johnny there too. Darry called me saying that you weren't there."

Well, I thought, I was there, but unconscious.

"Well, that was probably after I began walking home. I'm fine Soda, I don't know why your interrogating me, do you not believe me?" I said.

"No, as a matter of fact, I dont believe you. Why are you lying to me Pony?" He answered, hurt coating his words.

"I... Johnny and I walked around and did our homework. Thats all that happened. Nothin' more nothin' less."

He stared at me, "How'd you get hurt?"

"J-Johnny and I were playing around and he accidentally hit me."

He gave out a sarcastic laugh, "Yeah Pony, and guess what? My middle names Linda."

I stared at the floor, not bothering to look him in the eyes, "Soda.. please believe me. I... I can't tell you what happened I-"

I had begun to agitate myself, making me breath deeply. I cried out in pain as my ribs began to ache even more.

"Pony! Are you alright!?" Soda held me, his forehead had lines of worry. "Your stomach? Let me see baby."

"No! I-I'm okay. I just fell today, and I-"

"Ponyboy! Stop with the lies! Why don't you trust me?!" He exclaimed.

A knot formed in my throat, I hated that I was about to cry. "Because Darry didn't! So why should you?"

Sobs broke out in my chest, as it filled with pain, not physical pain, but the hurt Darry had caused me, and the hurt I had caused him. I didn't know if I was gonna hurt Soda. I just wanted to make them both proud. After the death of our parent's... I know both of them were still hurting. I was too, I missed mom, I missed dad. I thought, if I did good in school I'd be able to take some of that pain away. At the idea, I just laughed. How stupid could I be? Instead of helping Darry and Soda, I make things worse. Maybe all those things were true. Why had I gotten so hurt when he said those things? I knew they were true. Maybe hurt because I knew they were true, but hearing it from Darry, hearing it from my brother, it just made it so much worse.

Soda stared at me, his lips trembled, and my guilt worsened, "Pony," his voice broke, "I will always trust you, why would you say something like that?"

"Because, because I, I know its true. I'm sorry Soda, I'm sorry." I began to cry, things that had built up during all these months, suddenly poured out. Soda rested his chin on my head, as I sobbed in his chest.

"I'm sorry Soda, I'm so sorry." What was I sorry for? I wondered. Why was I crying? I wondered. I didn't know. The pain in my chest increased. The pain in my ribs, mixed with my tears, and at the moment, I didn't care if my ribs would collapse, I didn't care about the bruises that were hurting right now from Soda's embrace. I had wanted to hug one of my brothers, as I cried. The things that had happened lately, and the things that had happened so many years ago.

Soda hugged me, "No Pony, we're sorry."

"Pony? Soda?" a voice asked asked.

Upon hearing his voice, I only cried harder.