Sodapop POV

Sitting around on the couch with a broken leg wasn't all that bad. I'd be missing a lot of my work, but still getting paid. So I was basically getting paid to sit around at home all day… literally. I was chilling on the couch while Pony and Darry were going at it about Pony's health. This wasn't one of those fights I could break down at, this was the kind of argument I wanted Darry to win. Pony was getting to look pretty under the weather, but he wouldn't admit it.

"Pony, listen to Darry. He knows what he's doing." I put in. Pony turned around to face Darry and they were at it again.

"Wow Pone, you're kinda warm. Why don't you take off that hoodie?"

"Hot?! It's freezing in here! At least Two-Bit can agree with me! Right?"

Two-Bit looked confused. I think he was. "What? I'm sick!" Before anyone else could say anything, the front door was swung open.

It was Steve who was drenched with the scent of alcohol. It made my nose crinkle and my face cringe. He was drunk just by the way he was staggering along with a stupid grin he had on his face. He held in one hand nothing, the other, a bottle of beer. "H-h-hey Curtis's f-family! What'd I miss?" His words were slurred all over the place.

"Steve, where they hell have you been? And why the hell are you drunk?" Darry asked, walking away from Pony. Steve was sometimes a vicious drunk, and back when Steve didn't really enjoy the company of Pony; whenever he was drunk, he would beat and yell the tar out of Pone. So when Pony saw Steve come through the door, he took it as his chance to beat it out of there and went to our room, shutting the door in the process very quietly.

Steve fumbled around with door, trying to close it and when he did, he laughed in accomplishment and walked over to the big armchair; tripping a couple times in the process. "I… I was just, I was… it doesn't m-m-matter right now!" He screamed while laughing together.

I sat down, wondering if Steve would be drunk enough to give my leg a good slap. Luckily, he didn't. Darry walked over to beside the chair and stared at Steve. "Steve… how long have you been like this?"

Steve looked down at his clothes. "Been like what? D-D-Darry, are you… drunk?!" Steve asked, really emphasising drunk.

Darry let out a sigh. "No Steve… you're drunk. And what I'd like to know if when, where and why?" But before Darry could finish his explanation or Steve could answer, Steve bolted to the bathroom and relieved himself of his beginning hangover.

We could all hear him, and it didn't sound pleasant. Then, we heard Pony shout, "SHUT UP! I'VE GOT A HEADACHE, SO IF YA DON'T MIND, THANKS!" That surprised all of us. Pony was never one to shout and yell back or get sassy to anyone of us. Not even if something truly annoyed and irritated him; he'd just put up with all of it.

Darry sat down in the chair Steve was sitting in while Two-Bit went to go comfort Steve. Darry spoke up. "Soda, when the two of you were at the hospital, did anything seem odd or strange about Steve?"

I shrugged. "Well… he did excuse himself to leave the room a little too much. Even when Sally began flirting with me."

"Soda, I don't want you getting into any relationships right now. Right after Sandy and now with that." He pointed to my cast.

"Yeah, I know Darry. What were you saying about Steve?"

"He's just not himself lately. I don't know if you've noticed it too."

"I don't get it. Steve just turned completely around…" I mumbled a bit too loudly. Darry heard me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, on the way to the hospital, he kept trying to start a conversation. And while we were there, he kept teasing me about the nurse Sally. Then, when I mentioned I wanted Ponyboy to decorate my cast, he just kinda turned around. He got really quiet and he excused himself from the room for a while,"

"He called me."

I nodded. "He told me. Then, he just kept really quiet the rest of the time we were there! I don't get it, Steve never really gets drunk."

Darry shrugged. Then we heard, "I don't get it! Why can't I be like them?! Where's my attention Two-Bit?!"

Then, we faintly heard Two-Bit's raspy and sick voice. "I don't know Steve, but we all love you just the same as Ponyboy. Just because he's Soda's kid brother doesn't mean Soda's gonna exclude you from everything. Tell me," Two-Bit cleared his voice. He shouldn't be talking so much. "When was the last time Soda told you you couldn't do something with him because Pony was coming along?"

It was quiet for a minute. I looked at Darry but he was staring at the bathroom. "Never. He always brought Pony along with us. It's always about Ponyboy! Pony this, Pony that!" Then Steve mocked in a high pitched voice, "Oh, Pony's coming along with us! Oh, but Pony's allergic to that! Oh, but Ponyboy doesn't like drag races! Maybe we could do something that Pony likes so he can come along!" Steve started yelling in his normal voice again. "See?! It's always about him just because he's the youngest!"

Ponyboy was now standing in the doorway of his bedroom, leaning on the door frame listening to the conversation with me and Darry. Two-Bit spoke up, "But that's changed now. You and Ponyboy have been getting along real well and we're all proud of that."

"But what if I'm not proud? Look at me Two-Bit! I'm turning into my father! I…" It was quiet before Steve appeared in the hallway, staring at all of us with Two-Bit watching from behind. "I gotta go…" He stopped beside the couch from where I was sitting, stared at me, then took off out the door.

Everyone was staring at each other. Two-Bit whistled in a low tone. "So, Darry," Two-Bit said hoarsely. Darry and everyone else stared at him. "Where's my drink?"