Chapter 18: Gone?
The next morning, when Soda got up, Darry immediately could tell his brother was still upset.
He frowned, watching his brother, swallowing.
Soda came out and glanced once at the table of unopened presents, coming to the kitchen where Darry was starting breakfast, getting some juice from the icebox, glancing once at the newspaper article from yesterday that they had taped up.
"Soda…...m-morning." Darry watched him.
"Morning." Soda said quietly, with a frown, going into the living room, glancing at the empty room.
"Everyone went to Buck's after you went to bed," Darry followed him in. "They had fun though."
"Not everyone though." Soda frowned, looking at the door. "I-I jus' don't get it, Darry….why didn't Two-Bit stop by?" His eyes were wide, looking upset.
"Soda, I-I…..I don't know," Darry breathed out, biting his lip softly.
Soda shook his head, grabbing a cigarette. "I'm gonna smoke." He huffed and went outside, smoking on the porch, looking around with watchful eyes.
He hadn't seen Two's present on the doorstep when he stepped over it, not noticing it until now, his eyes widening a little.
Putting out his cigarette, he walked over and picked it up, looking it over.
Soda didn't see a name tag but he knew, somehow knew deep down, this present was from Two-Bit.
Holding the present in his hands, he sat down on the porch steps, opening up the box in his lap, taking off the cover.
Soda's eyes widened, immediately smiling, picking up his gift with almost happy shock.
It was what Soda had been wanting for months now; the perfect gift for him.
It was multiple, several pairs of socks that read on the top: "I Hate Shoes So I Wear Socks; Don't Judge."
When Soda had seen them in the stores, he had laughed and jokingly said he wanted them, figuring everyone would find it funny.
He was always having difficult times with his shoes, misplacing them or forgetting to wear them and ruining his socks, everyone always having to help him find his shoes and remind him to put them on.
Soda looked at the pairs of socks, smirking, grateful to get these as a gift from Two-Bit, shaking his head with a smile.
At least Two-Bit had dropped off his present, he thought.
Glancing back into the box, Soda noticed something else, picking it up, eyes widening.
"Darry!"
Soda burst into the house, looking troubled.
Darry came in, frowning. "Soda? What's wrong?"
Soda hurriedly came to him. "Darry, Darry look." He handed Darry some money.
Darry frowned and looked at the money, counting it, eyes widening. "Th-This-This is 300 bucks!"
Soda nodded with wide eyes. "H-Here, look." He handed Darry a slip of paper.
Darry read it.
To Darry, Soda and Ponyboy, Y'all need it more than anyone else
Darry's mouth opened, eyes wide.
"Darry, Darry, that's all of Two-Bit's money, all his money he's been saving up. Why would he give it all to us? S-Something must be wrong." Soda frowned deeply, almost shaking, bouncing on his feet.
Darry was still open-mouthed, swallowing hard. "Soda, I-"
"We should go check on him," Soda urged, turning for the door. "Give him this money back…."
"Soda." Darry frowned, grabbing his brother's arm. "I-I have to tell you something."
Soda turned, hearing the seriousness in Darry's voice, eyebrows furrowing. "What is it?" He whispered.
Darry swallowed the lump in his throat, frowning deeply. "I-I know why Two-Bit hasn't been coming around here no more or hanging out with you or Pony…..i-it's 'cause of me."
"What?" Soda frowned, standing up straighter, eyebrows furrowed. "Darry?"
Darry let out a sigh. "I-I told Two-Bit he couldn't be friends with you or Ponyboy anymore…...I treated him awfully. I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to get this outta hand."
Soda's eyes went wide, shaking his head no with a frown. "Wait, wait, you told Two-Bit he couldn't be our friend? Phh, Darry, you can't jus'-"
"I know I shouldn't have but I jus'...wanted what's best for you and Pony. I didn't mean to hurt him, or you two." Darry frowned deeply.
"Well, Dar, you couldn't have hurt him too badly, you're-"
"I'm the one who nearly drowned him, Soda," Darry admitted. "I'm the one whose been beating him up and hurting him, it was all me."
"What?" Soda gasped in a whisper, eyebrows furrowing. "You-you're the one who-? Darry, I-I can't believe this….."
"I'm the one who did this to him, I-I even beat him up during the rumble, i'm the one who screwed everything up and told him not to come to your party, I-"
At hearing this, Soda gave Darry a rough shove with a growl, now angry. "Darry, you jerk! How could you do this?! You can't do this to Two-Bit! You can't do this to one of my friends!" He growled, angry with his brother.
"No wonder he's been so outta sorts, you a******," He snarled, cussing, shoving Darry again. "He saved my life! He's one of our best friends! We've been friends for years! How could you do this to him?! Ugh!"
Darry frowned at his brother's shouting.
"I'm going out to talk to him," Soda huffed.
"No you're not," Darry grabbed his arm, swallowing, giving Soda a hard look.
"Not-Not without me." He frowned. "I need to apologize to him."
Soda frowned with big eyes but nodded, walking out, heading out with Darry over to Two's house.
Soda was no doubt upset over what his brother did, he hollered at Darry the whole walk over, in shock at what Darry had actually done to their buddy.
He just couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe it!
He was mad, hurt by his brother's behavior, not understanding why he would do such a thing to one of their closet friends.
Soda was still glaring and ranting about it to Darry as they rang Two-Bit's doorbell.
"I can't believe you're just now telling me this, Darry, what about Pony? He doesn't know! You know how upset he is with Two-Bit right now and this must be why, huh?! How could you do this to your brother, breaking up his friendship with his best friend?!"
"Soda, I'm sorry, how many times do I have to apologize?" Darry frowned deeply, eyes wide.
"Apologize to Two-Bit, not me," Soda huffed with a glare, turning when the door opened, surprised to see Two-Bit's mother.
She was clutching something to her chest, looking upset, almost looking like she had been crying.
"Oh, hi Miss Mathews," Soda spoke softly, calming down a little. "Is Two-Bit home?"
"N-No, no, Two-Bit isn't home…." Miss Mathews frowned, her voice shaky.
"O-Oh, do you know when he'll be back or where he is now?"
"N-No," She shook her head, looking up at Soda and Darry with big eyes. "I don't know where he is now or when i'll see him again….."
"What?" Soda frowned, looking confused, glancing at Darry.
Miss Mathews sniffled and held out a piece of paper, looking troubled.
Soda frowned and took it, reading it over with Darry.
Dear Mama,
I'm sorry if you're reading this, it means i'm already gone. Please don't get upset but i'm running away. I don't know where i'll go or what's gonna happen but, I have to go. I just can't stay here anymore, I can't stay where I'm not wanted. Please don't worry about me, I'll be okay. I promise I'll call you every night to let you know how i'm doin'. Don't worry about the gang worryin' either, they prolly won't even ask about me. Just please at least tell them all this: Tell Pony I'm really sorry about upsettin' him and that I didn't mean to hurt him and that i'll really miss him. Tell him to always be himself and don't try to get tough like he's tryin' too, it jus' ain't him. I hope him and Mark have lots of fun together as friends. Tell Soda i'm gonna miss messing around with him and all those good times we had together, as best buds. Tell Darry he was right: I am a bad influence. I realise that now. He don't have to worry about me anymore. Tell Dally to quit getting arrested so much and to have more fun in life, like telling jokes and enjoying life, he needs more of that. I'll miss him too. And tell Steve he can have as much cake as he wants now, without havin' to worry 'bout sharing any with me. Imma miss them all, tell them that. Please.
I'm really sorry Mama, sorry for everything, everything i've ever done, for you and the gang, hurting my friends, everything that happened with Dad, i'm sorry. Take good care of Lizzy while i'm gone, tell her her brother loves her a lot. I promise i'll call you tonight, Mama, I swear on it. Please don't worry 'bout me. If school calls wonderin' about me, jus' tell 'em I dropped out. I've been missin' a lot of days anyways. Hopefully I can come home to see you and Lizzy for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Love you with all my heart, Mama
Love your son,
Two-Bit M.
Soda and Darry stared, open-mouthed, completely in shock.
Soda's eyes were welled with tears as he stared at the writing. "Two-Bit's gone?" He whispered out, scared now.
He glanced once at Darry with big eyes before he turned and ran inside the house, hurrying up to Two-Bit's room, Darry hurrying after him.
Soda opened Two's door and looked around, gasping softly.
Almost all of Two-Bit's things were missing, gone, the room looking lonely and empty.
Soda stepped in, shaking his head no with wide eyes, tears pricking at his eyes.
"No…..! No!"
He looked at the wall where he knew Two-Bit kept all his pictures taped up.
But the wall was blank now, bare.
Soda's eyebrows furrowed, a few tears falling, shoving at Darry with a snarl.
"This is all your fault!" He shouted angrily.
Darry gaped, his eyes wide with tears as well, frowning deeply.
"You drove Two-Bit away, Darry!" Soda cried, pushing at Darry's chest. "Two-Bit's ran away! This is your fault, how could you do this to him?!" He shouted, hot tears of anger and fear falling down his cheeks.
Darry frowned deeply, wide-eyed with worry. "Soda, I-I"
"This is your fault you monster," Soda spat, shoving Darry again, starting for the door. "I'm going out there to find him!"
"No you're not, Soda," Darry announced with a frown.
"Darry," Soda growled as another tear fell from his eye, turning to glare at his brother in anger.
"Not without us." Darry finished.
Soda tensed and swallowed hard, but nodded, turning and hurrying out with his brother, running as fast as they could to tell the gang.
A/N: Sorry Soda's Birthday Gift From Two-Bit was so cringy. I'm glad everyone seems to be liking the story and I love the reviews so thank you. :)