Chapter 6 - Mean Things

Two-Bit had never been tied up before. Now he knew what it felt like. He had spent the last hour tied to a chair in the living room with a gag in his mouth. He was uncomfortable and hungry. He wanted to call the doctor now more than anything. There was something wrong with Ponyboy. Two-Bit listened to the different things he had been doing since he had tied him up. He went in his own bedroom to use the phone in there. Two-Bit thought that if only he could get to the bedroom, that's where he could call the doctor. Ponyboy had thrown the other telephone somwhere else and he had idea where he had put it. Then, Ponyboy went into the kitchen to make some lunch. Two-Bit couldn't believe that roles had been reversed. Now POnyboy was taking care of him, in a bad way of course. Ponyboy's laughter echoed from the kitchen as he cooked something. Two-Bit groaned until he was tired. The gag in his mouth was driving him nuts. If anything, he just wanted that gag out of his mouth.

"What would you like for lunch, Two-Bit?" Ponyboy asked from the kitchen. He was laughing still. Two-bit sighed as he tried to break his arms free from the ropes that had him tied to the chair. "How about a nice, big, juicy rat?"

Two-Bit shook his head as Ponyboy walked into the room, holding a rat in his hands. He was laughing as he held the rat in Two-Bit's face. Two-Bit closed his eyes as he moaned. "I'm jsust kidding. I wouldn't feed you a rat, Two-Bit. I am just joking with you." He went back into the kitchen and brought out a tray with two sandwhiches on it. Two-Bit smied for the first timet hat day as Ponyboy took the gag away from his mouth. Two-Bit breathed in fresh air.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Two-Bit asked.

"Doing what to you?"

"Tying me up and treating me like this? You're not yourself, Ponyboy. You're going crazy!"

"Oh, stop! Everytime I have fun, you always say something to make me feel bad. I am not crazy, I'm just having fun. You told me you'd do anything for me to let me have fun, so now you're letting me tie you up because I find it humerous."

"Well, think about how I feel! I've been tied up for an hour and I need to go to the bathroom!"

"Big deal! The only person here is me. Don't be embarassed to go here. It's not that big of a deal. All I want is for you to cooperate with me. ONce you do, i'll untie you. But until then, you're staying in this chair."

Two-Bit sighed as Ponyboy fed him the sandwhich. He was starving. He had eaten dinner, but he was still hungrier than ever. When Ponyboy offered him some water, he shook his head.

"Why not? You must be thirsty!"

"Maybe I am, but if I drink something, I'm gonna wet myself."

"I already told you that I don't care what happens. Brothers shouldn't be embarassed in front of their brothers. And you said that you're my brother now, so your'e basically setting your own rules, Two-Bit. Don't be embarassed about anything." The phone rang. Ponyboy put the gag back on Two-Bit's mouth and ran to the bedroom to answer it. It was Steve. 'Oh, hello, Steve. We're doing just fine here. Two-Bit can't talk right now. He's in the bathroom. I'll call you back later then."

He hung up the phone and returned to the living room where Two-Bit just began to wet his pants. Ponyboy sighed as tears streamed from Two-Bit's eyes. "It's okay, Two-Bit. I told you not to be embarassed. Everyone has an accident once in a while. They happen. Just like the one that got my brothers. That was an accident and it was one that should have never happened."

He groaned as he made a fist and pounded at the wall. "Why did they have to go? Why? My two brothers! Why did they go? Everyingh happens to me!" He screamed and ran down the hall to his bedroom where he went onto his bed, crying and screaming. Two-Bit only wished that he could give Ponyboy some of those tranquilizers to calm him down. He was out of control. He had tied him up just for fun and made him wet himself. And then he lied to Steve by telling him that he wasn't available. What was he going to do? Ponyboy became quiet after a while and eventually fell asleep on his bed. Two-Bit felt disgusting with his pee down his leg and a gag in his mouth. He had tried numerous times to untie himself, but the ropes were tight. Ponyboy had really thought this one through. Two-Bit looked outside. A neighbor would once in a while walk by and he wished that he could somehow get their attention. He was so tired that he ended up falling asleep in the chair with the ropes still tied to him.

He awoke to see Ponyboy untying the ropes and carrying him to the bathroom. It was later. The sun had gone down outside and it was night. ONce int he bathroom, Ponyboy started a bath for Two-Bit as Two-Bit laid on the floor, sighing with relief. A bath would feel real nice.

"I'm so sorry, Two-Bit," Ponyboy explained.

"It's okay."

"I wasn't feeling myself at all today. I'm very sorry. I promise that won't happen again. I guess I was taking things too far."

"Yes, you were."

"I am sorry. The bath is filling for you. I thought you might feel better to wash off. I didnt' realize how bad you must feel. You must be so mad at me for tying you up like that and holding a dead rat in your face. You must have really thought that I was crazy." Oh, boy, do I, Two-Bit thought.

"No, it's fine," Two-Bit said. "You're under a lot of stress, that's all. You can't take the fact that your brothers died. I understand that, but you can't take out your stress on me liek this. I was scared to death today, Ponyboy. I don't know if I've ever been so scared. You did awful things to me. I'm so embarrased. I peed in my pants, Ponyboy! I feel awful!"

"I know. You must feel terrible. If you want, I'll go and get some pizza for you at the pizza place. Then when you get out of your bath, we can eat pizza and watch Mickey Mouse. I bet you'd like that, huh?"

Two-Bit couldnt' help to smile. "Now you'res tarting to recognize me, ponyboy. Now wer'e like brothrs." Ponyboy smiled as he wen tout into the hall. "I'll do anything for you, Two-Bit. Just dont' do what I ddi tody. You have to understaznd that I had no idea what I was doing. It doesn't give you permission to tie me up to a chair and try to feed me a rat."

Two-Bit shook his head even though that was exactly what he felt like doing. He felt angry at Ponbyboy, yet he still wanted to get a ong with him. Ponyboy closed the bathroom door to let Two-Bit take a bath. Two-Bit undressed and threw his clothes in a pile. He needed them washed now. As the water continued to pour from the tap, Two-Bit laid in the filling tub, loving the warm water coming over him. It made him feel a sense of relief as he felt clean again. He did a lot of thinking as he laid in the tub. How could he find out what ponyboy was doing in his room? How could he prevent more events of getting tied up to a chair? How could he reason with Ponyboy? He was getting very confused and he had to come up with a solution soon.

After his bath, Two-Bit dressed into a new pair of clothes and went to the kitchen where Ponyboy had the pizza laid out on the table. Ponyboy was smiling. He had dressed into something nicer. He seemed like he was going back to normal. Two-Bit smiled as he sat down with him. They began to eat the pizza together as Ponyboy brought in the television fromt hte loving room. They watched Mickey Mouse to Two-Bit's delight as Two-Bit tried to talk with POnyboy.

"So, POnyboy, are youf eeling better tonight?"

"Yes, Much better. Im still ashamed that I did such mean things to you today though. I've never acted like that before. It's probably because of so much stress i've been having on me lately."

"That's exactly what it is, Ponyboy! You're stressed and you might consider getting some help or something."

"Help?"

"Yes, and I know that you might not like the idea, but it's probably the best hing for you. There's this real nice doctor and i'm sure that hel'l be happy to ehlp you out."

"Please, tWo-Bit. I dont' want to go see a doctor. I've already told you that I don't need one. I'm perfectly healthy. I'm doing just fine. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me. Look, I got you pizza and I brought in the TV for us to watch your favorite show. If there was something wrong with me, i wouldn't have done these things for you."

"Oh, I know that, Ponyboy. I know that you're okay. It's just that-"

"Just that what? I'm very confused when you talk like this, Two-Bit. I wish you would make sense when you talk. It's been a while since we've been able to have a nice, normal conversation that has nothing to do with being healthy and stress and all that sort of thing. I don't want to think about it. I want to have fun. I want to make money!"

"Right, Ponyboy. And with money, there comes lots of responsibilites. You have to show up to work everyday and make the money. Are you willing to do that?"

"Of course! I'm willing to do that! I'm going to sell my book first and get lots of money for it. Oh, Two-Bit, we'll have so much money. We won't even have to live in this house anymore. we can move somewhere else. Maybe a nicer place like California. We can get a nice house in California and be brothers! That's what I want, Two-Bit. I want to be brothers with you. And I want to meet a girl. I think I want to be with Cherry. She's the girl of my dreams and I could never let her go. She could come with us. And you could be with Marcia. I know you like her."

"Well, yes, that's true, but I think we're thinking ahead a little to fast-"

"Why do you always crash my dreams? Why? I just want to have fun!"

Ponyboy stood up, looking upset as he pounded the wall. "I can't stand it when things are taken from me! It was like when I found out that my parents were gone. I couldn't take it and neither could the others. And when Johnny went away, I didnt' know what to do. Dally took that even worse than I did. Just be happy that I didn't end up like him. That would be worse. After they both went away, I lost my brothers and that was even worse!"

"And that's why you're acting like this! You have to understand that that's why all of this is happening!"

"Nothing's happening! Stop reminding me about them! Stop! Stop! Stop!"

Ponyboy ran from the room as Two-Bit followed him. Ponyboy slammed his bedroom door shut as Two-Bit sighed. "Ponyboy, open the door and stop acting like this!"

"No, Two-Bit! Leave me alone! I don't want to talk about my brothers!"

"I'm not talking about them! You're the one who keeps bringing them up!"

"No, you're the one who keeps talking about them! Stop, Two-Bit!"

Two-Bit listened. It sounded like Ponyboy was crying. He was going into hysterics. The pills! He ran to the bathroom and got the tranquilizers. If only he could get in the bedroom, he could give them to Ponyboy to calm him odwn.

"Come on, Ponyboy! Open the door!"

"No, Two-Bit. I'm tired! I'm exhausted! I don't want to talk now!"

"Please, Ponyboy. This is important. We need to talk about this stuff! It's important! You need help! It's very important that you listen to me!"

"No!"

"Stop acting like this, Ponyboy! I'll leave the house if that's what you want! I'll leave the house!"

There was now no sound that came from the bedroom. Two-Bit sighed as he dropped the sleeping pills to the floor and ran out the front door. He needed to get away from the house.