Chapter 2: You Were Serious?
Two-Bit opened the screen door to the Curtis house and let it slam shut, smirking a little, knowing the Curtis brothers hated that, letting himself in.
He nodded to Steve, who was already at the couch eating cake, waiting for the others to get ready for school. "Hey Steve."
Steve, who lay on his back looking up at the ceiling as he chewed, grunted. "Hey."
Two-Bit smiled with raised eyebrows at the seventeen year old and made his way into the kitchen, passing a bouncing-around-in-search-for-his-shoes Sodapop.
"Did ya try the bathroom?" Two smirked, watching Soda wander around in amusement.
"Nah, already tried that!" Soda called as he went off into Pony's room.
Two-Bit smiled and went into the kitchen, heading right for the cake that was set out on the table, making grabby hands greedily.
Darry eyed Two-Bit when he saw him, eyes slowly narrowing as he stopped packing his lunch for a minute.
"Two-Bit….." He started in a slow tone, watching him.
Two-Bit grabbed his slice and looked up, licking his fingers, grinning, glancing around for Ponyboy, who he guessed wasn't up yet.
"Yeah, in the flesh and blood," He winked at Darry. "You miss me?"
"Two-Bit, what are you doing here?" Darry frowned, lips pursed.
Two-Bit looked up, swallowing, remembering last night's conversation, hoping this wasn't what he was talking about.
"I always come here, Darry," He just chirped, grinning, hoping if he acted naturally, Darry wouldn't suspect anything. "Kinda live here too."
"I told you to stay away, Two-Bit." Darry just huffed, closing his lunch box loudly, making Two-Bit flinch a little.
"You-you…..but Darry, you were serious about that?" He asked quietly with a frown, hoping it was just a joke.
"Yes, I was serious about it!" Darry huffed, grabbing his toast from the toaster. "But maybe I shouldn't expect you to understand what serious means, Two-Bit." Darry gruffed, frustrated with the red-head.
Two-Bit frowned, not liking the tone of this conversation, nor the seriousness of it.
"But Darry, you just said to stay away from Pony, n-not the house too," He finally said after a minute, looking at him expectantly.
"Well my kid brother just so happens to live here too, so I think in order to stay away from him, you'd best stay away from his house too." Darry huffed, taking bites of his toast in between talking.
Two-Bit frowned and swallowed hard, glancing once at Soda who came in through the kitchen, passing through and was gone quickly.
"But Darry, where will I get all my cake and my beer and my Mickey?" He frowned at Darry, licking his lips nervously, not wanting this conversation to be happening.
"And what's wrong with your mother's house?" Darry huffed and glared a little, sick of Two-Bit always loitering around at his house and ransacking their ice box.
Two-Bit frowned deeply at that, suddenly realizing what this actually meant. Darry was saying he didn't want Two-Bit over at the house; but that means no more hanging out with gang, ever.
No more coming over before school, no more free food and beer, no more parties or cookouts.
But if he couldn't come over, how would Two-Bit be able to spend time with the gang? Not just Ponyboy, but the gang as well.
And Two-Bit certainly didn't want to stop hanging out with his buddies. He needed them.
"Now get goin' before Pony comes out," Darry huffed at Two-Bit, grabbing something from the fridge.
Two-Bit frowned deeply, swallowing hard, suddenly hurt. He couldn't believe Darry was serious about this.
"D-Darry, can't we work somethin' out? I-I can pay you," He offered sincerely, feeling bad.
"I don't want your money, I want you to leave." Darry huffed and gave Two-Bit a cold look and Two-Bit shrunk back, quickly turning to leave, his slice of cake still in hand, eyebrows furrowed hard.
Steve sat up when he saw Two-Bit walking out, raising a brow. "Hey Two-Bit, where you goin' man?"
Two-Bit didn't answer and just hurried out, still trying to process what had just happened.
Had Darry just thrown him out? Seemed like it.
Like not on the streets but…...almost like, thrown him out of the gang.
No no, that wasn't right. Darry couldn't control who Two-Bit chose to hang out, that was for Two-Bit to decide himself.
And Darry said Two-Bit just had to stay away from Ponyboy, right?
He could find a way to hang out with the gang outside of the house. Like, at Buck's.
Yeah, and he had school with Stevie and he could easily hang out with him and Soda at the DX.
But no Darry or Ponyboy. Golly.
Two-Bit started on the walk to school himself, leaving his car at the house, figuring Steve could be the one to drive Pony to school.
That was another thing; Two-Bit usually drove Pony to school, Steve too. If he wasn't allowed at the house or with Ponyboy, how could he take him to school?
Two-Bit swallowed and forced his brain to think as he ate his cake, hoping it'd be useful brain food.
Darry didn't want him around Ponyboy, or the house. But what about school?
Darry wouldn't know if Two-Bit hung out with Ponyboy at school or anywhere else, really...
And assuming Pony doesn't know, he wouldn't suspect anything out of the ordinary, right?
Two-Bit relaxed a little, thinking maybe he could make this work, just a little bit. Maybe.
He just hoped this whole thing would pass over Darry's mind and he would forget it all by tomorrow.
Two-Bit really woulda paid Darry though, if he had wanted him too. Two-Bit got cash from his Ma and he really shoulda been paying Darry anyways, for all the food and beer and shelter.
The Curtis brothers really needed the money too and if more money was what Darry wanted, Two-Bit would've paid.
But Two-Bit wondered if Darry had thought he was just pitying him or that he was trying to bribe him and he refused.
But that wasn't what Two-Bit had been doing at all.
Two-Bit thought this all over as he walked to school and was still thinking about it when he walked into his first class.
Actually, since his first class is history and history's boring, he thought about it during most of first hour, too.
When lunch came around, Two-Bit suddenly didn't know what to do. How was he going to eat with Steve and Ponyboy if he couldn't get near Pony?
And they hung out at his car so he wouldn't be able to go out to eat…
But then Two-Bit reminded himself that Darry wouldn't be there to drive him away and he relaxed.
He'd have lunch with his friends no matter what and Darry wouldn't know the difference.
When he made it out ot his car at lunch, Steve raised a brow at him. "Hey where'd you run off too earlier? You left your car, man…..drove it for ya, hope ya don't mind." He gave the side door a pat with a smirk.
Two-Bit smirked a little, trying to perk up, glancing at Pony once. "It's alright man, I knew you would. I just uh, had to get goin' I guess." He shrugged a little, starting to eat his sandwich.
"Get goin' for what?" Pony looked at Two-Bit and he blinked, trying to think of somethin'.
"Oh ya know, get a good start on my nap for first hour, ya dig Pony?"
That earned an eye roll from the kid and Two-Bit knew he had saved myself from a real full blown questioning.
"You sure it didn't have anything to do with you talkin' to Darry?" Steve asked and Two-Bit quickly looked at him.
Had Steve heard everything they had said? Did he know? Two-Bit quickly glanced at Ponyboy, swallowing. "What?"
"I mean, I didn't hear what y'all were talking bout, but I heard y'all's voices. Then you just scurried on out. He finally tell you you can't have no more of his beer?" Steve smirked a little, eating.
Something like that, Two-Bit thought. "Uh yeah man, sure." Two-Bit offered a laugh and a nod, shrugging.
Everything else was smooth for the rest of the day. Two-Bit was just glad he got to hang out with Ponyboy at lunch and after school had ended, the two were going to hang out at the DX while dropping off Steve and Two was glad.
He'd get to spend time with Pony and the others and Darry wouldn't even know.
This wasn't so bad, I mean, s'long as Darry don't find out, it can't get worse right?
Wrong.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews so far! I'm happy to know that you're taking interest in my story; the feedback is already lifting my spirits :) Alright, so how was chapter 2...?