Author's note: Sorry, guys. This one's gonna be kind of short. Also, this is the second to last chapter. Almost there. I'm happy, but at the same time, I'm not. Either way, thanks for the support.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Chapter 6: The Most-Used Phrase In the House

PONYBOY'S POV

Soda started sleeping with me after that. I didn't really have any problems with that. I felt a lot safer, a lot more secure, knowing for sure that there was somebody there for me. The dreams were less frequent. I didn't have them every night anymore, more like a few times a week now. The change was so nice, such an improvement, that I didn't think we needed to do anything else about it.

But I guess Darry did, because I few weeks later, he announced I was gonna go see a doctor.

"Huh-what?" I wanted to be sure I heard him right.

"I said you're gonna go see a doctor. I'm worried about you, kiddo. Most people don't have dreams like that."

"So? They ain't that bad anymore. We can handle em." I hated doctors with a burning passion, and the idea that Darry was gonna make me go see one about something this personal… well, let's just say it wasn't popular with me.

"Ponyboy," he said angrily, "when I say you're goin' to a doctor, you're goin' to a doctor, and that's final. Now I'm goin' to work. Be good."

As soon as he left, Soda came and sat down in front of me at the table. "Look, I know you're pissed, but it's for the best, 'kay?"

"Define the best."

"Hardy har har. Listen, I got somethin' I need to talk to ya about, so can ya not think about that for a couple minutes?"

Interest piqued. "Sure. What's up?"

"Look, kiddo, I… I dropped out."

"Yeah, right. Real funny, Soda. What's this really about?"

"No, Pone, I'm serious."

It took a couple seconds for this to sink in. "You… you actually…"

"Pone, I-"

"Why the hell would you do somethin' like that?!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. "Ya can't go nowhere if ya drop out! That's not how life works! You're gonna be stuck here till the day you die! What the shit's the matter with you?!"

"Ponyboy, please calm down." he begged. "Look, I knew ya wouldn't take it well, but Pone, I had to."

"But why? Why didja have to? It don't make no sense, Soda!"

"I was flunking, kiddo. I wasn't passin' anythin' except auto mechanics and gym. Besides, Darry could use the help. Y'know, financially."

Suddenly, I laughed. "Oh man, Darry is gonna kill you."

Soda sighed. "I know he ain't gonna be happy about it, but that don't mean he's gonna kill me. Besides, he can't stop me. It's already happened."

"But you can still fix it, right? Go back to the school, tell em you were on LSD or somethin', and you ain't really lookin' to drop out and your sorry?"

"Pone, it don't work that way. Besides, ya think I'm gonna get a good reaction if I tell em I was on LSD?"

Oh. That was fair. He'd go to jail. Hmm… "But can't ya go back and fix it?" I sounded kinda desperate at this point. Soda couldn't drop out, he just couldn't.

"I'm sorry, kiddo, but what's done is done, and there ain't nothin' I can do about it. But listen, I would really appreciate it if ya could be here when I tell Darry. As much as I trust him, I dunno if I wanna drop this bomb on my own."

"You're an idiot." I snapped. "How could ya do somethin' like this, Soda? You've completely screwed yourself over."

"Ponyboy, c'mon, I need you to understand…"

"I don't wanna understand. You want someone to understand, go talk to Steve. He'll probably drop out soon enough anyhow."

"Hey, ya don't need to snipe at Steve just 'cause you're mad at me."

"I can snipe at whoever I want. And tell Darry by yourself. You're on your own." And I left out the door too. What was the point in sticking around?

SODAPOP'S POV

"Damn it, Pony." I muttered as he walked out the door. "I didn't think ya'd take it like that. Didn't even get the chance to tell ya I got a fulltime job. At least I won't be completely useless."

I stood up and went over to the couch. Maybe there was something interesting on. Oh, Looney Tunes. Alright, I love this show.

It felt like five minutes, but I guess it'd been hours, when Darry came in. I looked at the clock. Noon. Hmm, curious. "Hey, Dar, what're you doin' home?"

Darry smiled at me. "Forgot my lunch, thought I'd try and come over here and eat somethin' real quickly while I'm on break." He looked around. "Where's Ponyboy?"

I shrugged. "Dunno."

"Soda, how d'you manage to lose a whole kid?"

"I didn't lose him, he ain't a set of keys. He left 'cause he was mad at me."

Darry looked surprised. "At you? Why the hell would he be mad at you?"

I was quiet for a second. Should I tell him now? I'd really hoped I could have somebody else here when I did this, but I guess not. Pony'd said I was on my own, after all. "Listen, Darry, please don't hate me, okay?"

Darry looked at me more closely. "Soda, what'd you do?"

The most-used phrase in the house.

"I… well… I sorta… dropped out."

Darry didn't even respond for a whole minute, then, "You what?"

"C'mon, Darry, there wasn't no point in my stayin' anyhow. You saw my grades. They ain't a pretty sight. Besides, you could use the help. Y'know, with the bills and shit."

"Watch your language, little buddy." he said absentmindedly, still trying to wrap his head around what I was telling him.

"Fine. Bills and stuff, then."

"I can't let ya help with the bills, Soda; I just can't. I'm supposed to take care of you, not the other way around."

"It ain't gonna be like I'm takin' care of you, Dar. Think of it like I'm helpin' take care of myself."

"Soda, I can't take your money. It's yours. You were savin' up to buy a car with it…"

"I don't need a car, Dar. Besides, I'm gonna work full time at the DX now, so I'm gonna have more money than I know what to do with."

Darry sighed. "Fine. But you can't give me your whole paycheck. I won't have it."

"Three fourths."

"One fourth."

"Half. And that's my final offer; otherwise, you're gettin' all of it, one way or another."

He sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Fine."