"Tell him he's a liar. Darry they didn't die! They can't die!" Soda cried. Soda took of running down the hall. I couldn't move. It was like I was frozen and time was speeding by me. I was going to college soon. I needed my parents for support. Pony was still a little boy. How was he going to grow up and Soda he was a mama's boy no matter what. What the hell was happening?
"Why?" Pony choked out.
"I don't know." I looked down at my baby brother. He seemed dazed and tears were coming out of his eyes. I glanced around, Soda, where did he go? Pony was starting to bawl now. I just grabbed him and picked him up. He really hadn't gone through the teenage growth spurt so he was still small but Pony was small to begin with so it didn't matter. I walked down the hall and saw Soda starring into our parents' room, the proof that they were gone.
"They aren't coming back, are they" It was more of a statement then a question.
"No, little buddy they aren't." Those words and room forced the reality on Soda. He fell to the floor crying. I felt my neck grow hot from Pony's tears. I shut my eyes tight and allowed my back to connect with the wall and slid down it. Soda scooted over and cried right into my heart.
"They weren't bad. They didn't do anything wrong. Why did they have to die?" He sobbed in my chest.
"I don't little buddy." I answered. Why now, why did all of this have to happen now? I rubbed Soda's head.
"What happens now; we're orphans." Pony asked looking up at me.
They kept asking questions that I couldn't answer.
"We cope." I answered. I wanted to get out. I couldn't sit here and let them cry. I knew they needed me but what the hell could I do? "Boys, I want you both to go back to sleep. I have to go to the morgue."
"I'll go with you." Soda said wiping his eyes off.
"Me too." Pony clung tighter to me.
I bit my lip unsure if a morgue was a place to bring two kids. "Alright. Go get dressed."
We drove down to the morgue. I wasn't sure what to expect. A car accident I knew could get pretty nasty but a train crash was horrible. I walked up to the attendant she led us to the room we were supposed to go too. There were to bodies with sheets over them on a table.
"Over here boys." A man called. He put his hand on the edge of a sheet. "A simple nod is all I need." He said. He glanced nervously at Soda and Pony.
I felt my nerves pinch together and my stomach dropped. What ever was under that sheet I didn't want to see our parents with their faces smashed into their skulls.
"Ready?"
"Yes" I was surprised at how normal my voice sounded. I watched his hand tighten around the sheet and on instinct I shoved a hand over Pony's eyes and turned Soda around to face me. I hugged him close to me putting my hand on his head so he wouldn't turn it. They didn't need to see it. Mom, there she was lifeless the damage to her made me want to puke. I knew it was her from the wedding ring. He put the cover back over her.
"Sodapop, Ponyboy wait in the hall." I ordered. They didn't argue. I watched the door shut and then turned my attention to the man. He had reveled Dad.
"That's him." I said. "Sir Do you have a bathroom?"
"I'm sorry you had to see that. Down the hall on the left."
"Me to." I walked out into the hall and found Soda and Pony huddled in a ball on the floor with their backs against the wall. "I'll be right back, something I have to do." I rushed right past them and into the bathroom. I let my knees collapse and brought myself onto the floor. I puked until tears came out of my eyes and it hurt to breathe. I never wanted to see my parents like that. It was unbearable; words could not describe how graphic they looked. I picked myself up off the floor afraid someone would see me. I went over to the sink and rinsed my mouth out. I looked up into the mirror. I had lost my color. I splashed some water over my face before going back to get my brothers. The car ride home was somber, not one word. I guess we all came to direct terms with the fact our parents were gone and always would be now.
"I'm not going to school tomorrow." Soda stated. He glanced up at me from my chest.
"Same here." Pony said. He was on my knee leaning into me.
Soda grinned for the first time that night. "I didn't do my homework anyways."
Pony gave a faint smile. I smacked the side of his mouth, nothing that would hurt him thou. "Little liar."
We found the late night news and watched them report about out parents' death and that's how we fell asleep. I woke up to pounding at the door. I looked at the clock it was only seven thirty. Who would be pounding at the door this early? I put a hand over each of my brothers' ears and tried to fall back asleep. The pounding just continued. I haven't even had coffee yet.
"Coming!" I said loudly. I realized quickly I was in a rut. I wanted the boys to sleep as long as possible but if I moved I might wake the up. I chewed my lip; carefully I lifted Soda off me with one hand and gently laid him on the couch. I took Pony to the door with me. I shifted him over and answered the door. There stood a woman probably about mid thirties and a man in his forties. They were in navy blue dress clothes.
"Can I help you?" I asked gruffly.
"We are with social services. I'm Diana Lee, and this is Mark Brady."
"Um come in." I opened the door a little wider.
They looked around. Our place was kind of messy from the guys yesterday. I wish now I would have cleaned it. The man glanced at Soda and smirked, the woman just looked at Pony with sad eyes. My grip on Pony tightened.
"They had a ruff night." I said nervously.
"I'd imagine so. I think you better put him down. Do you have another room we could talk in?" Mark asked.
"The kitchen" I laid Pony next to Soda on the couch.
I made some coffee and offered it to the but they both declined. I took a seat at the table and sipped my coffee letting the hot liquid fall back on to my throat.
"When is the funeral?" Mark Brady asked.
"In two days."
"Would you like it if we picked your brothers up after the funeral or we can pick them up at your house the next day?" Mark was acting as if ripping families apart was no bid deal.
I starred up at him. He sort of leaned back, looking kind of scared. I couldn't help but smirk. I was only in jeans and a muscle shirt. I guess I intimidated him.
"What do you mean picked up?"
"Well, Darrel with your parents gone and no family. Your brothers can't take care of themselves." Diana explained. She was acting as if I should have known the two of them were going to come banging on my door this morning.
"I thought I'd take care of them."
Mark and Diana looked at each other; they both gave a huffed laugh. "You're going to college, they can't go with you. You have a part time job, that won't put clothes on their backs or food on their plate. That won't pay the bills. You would have to turn college down. Why do that? You have a chance to make yourself someone and then come back for your brothers. By that time, they should have nice families, who would give them everything they needed and more. It would be the best for all of you."
"I just lost my parents, now you are telling me to give up my brothers? Your telling me to let someone else take them and raise them. Families, you said families. They would be split apart?" I could feel myself getting angry.
"There is a chance." Mark informed me.
"It's not happening. Family comes before anything and everything. I'll get a full time job." I said.
Diana and Mark both sighed. "There is a chance they could be sent to a boy's home anyways. One wrong move you guys could be split up for good. The state will be breathing down your necks. You could go to college get a decent job, they could live in a better neighborhood and have good schooling you all would have a better future."
I nodded. "No one will make a wrong move."
Mark handed me papers. "Sign on the lines. But this won't be easy."
I did what he told me and signed my new future. I let them out with a promise they would come back and check on us. Now I just had to make sure the runts stayed out of trouble. I called them off of school. I think the people in the office already knew it was all over the news. I made my arrangements with the funeral. I had a long talk with them about not getting into trouble and staying together. I went to bed that night and braced myself for the wake and funeral.
I think the wake was the worst part. I stood there starring at my parents' coffins. They were both closed with a picture of them placed on their coffin. Every time I looked at them I pictured the images I saw at the morgue and the only think I wanted to do was throw up. I watched Dally approach each coffin. He stayed longer at Mom's with his head down. Then retreated to a chair in a corner looking stressed out and dangerous. I glanced around the room. Two-Bit's mom came approaching me. She enveloped me a hug, crying.
"I'm so sorry, Darry, they were good people. If you need anything pick up the phone." She told me.
"Thank you." I gave Two-Bit a nod. He patted my arm.
"You okay?" He asked, he wasn't even joking.
I nodded. "Those two you got to worry about."
He moved on to Soda with his kid sister close behind. She stopped and threw her arms around me before moving on.
I watched at Pony broke down crying in Johnny's embrace. His eyes met mine, I jammed my fists in my pockets what was I going to do now? I had no clue what I should say to him. He was thirteen it's not like I could just go over there and pick him up. He knew full well what's going on. I think that's was scared me the worst. Pony was young and everything I did he watched. Soda was a little older so it wasn't as scary but he was crying worse than Pony. Some girl, Sandy was holding him and Steve was right next to him. That was pretty much how the day went. The funeral my parent's friends each gave a eulogy. I watched Pony and Soda cling to each other. My parent's friends and others offered there condolences. I looked around the gang was lined up in a pew behind us. I put my arm around my brothers and pulled them in. We watched out parents be lowered into the ground.
"Come on boys. Let's go home." I said leading them back to the truck. I took one last look back. Bye Dad, bye Mom.
We got home the gang was there. I was pretty happy about that. Soda, Sandy and Steve and Evie sat out on the porch. Two-Bit, Johnny and Dally stayed with Pony inside. I began cleaning frantically. I scrubbed everything down and picked up the living room. Dally gave me a strange look, normally I would have given him the finger but this time I just ignored it. At eleven I looked up at the clock.
"Ponyboy, go to bed." I told him.
Pony just starred at me. I knew what he felt. I wasn't Dad I couldn't boss him around like that.
"Now, kiddo come on you got school tomorrow." I said.
"Night he said disappearing into his own room.
Soda came in from outside. I guess the girls and Steve left. He plopped down on the couch next to Dally.
"Did you finish your homework?" I asked.
Soda grinned. "Nah. I never do it."
"Get it done Soda and bring it out here. I have to check to make sure you did it since you lied about it yesterday." My voice had too much authority. I guess everyone noticed.
"Lighten up man!" Dally told me.
"Shut up or I'll kick your head in. Sodapop finish it." I commanded.
Soda just glared me and then slid off the couch to go do it.
"Maybe we should go; I got beer at my house." Two-Bit said. I had a good feeling they left because of me. I really didn't care. I felt horrible for spending Johnny out back to his hell hole.
"Johnny." I called.
He turned around and looked at me like I was about to bark orders at him to do his homework. "That door is always open if you need a place. Same with all of you tell Steve that." I told him.
"Thanks." Johnny simply said.
I nodded they left. I picked up the phone. I was glad the boys were out of the room. I didn't want them to hear it. I starred at the phone for a minute. Did I really want to do this? There were a stack of bills on the table that needed to be paid. The funeral cost more than I expected. I looked up; Mom Dad I'm sorry. I walked away from the phone and wondered down the hall. I found myself in Pony's room. I pulled the covers over him. He must have kicked them off. He went to sleep; he did what I told him. I smiled and sat down on the edge of his bed. The moon light was pouring straight on to his face. You could see tear paths. I guess he cried himself to sleep.
He's only thirteen you could have done something. I mentally kicked myself. I'm not losing you kid. I ran my finger through his hair. Thing have got to get better. I walked out of Pony's room and shut the door. I found Soda in his room sitting on his bed getting frustrated with what ever homework he was doing.
"You alright little buddy?" I asked.
"No" Soda snapped. If there was one thing that would set Soda back it was homework. Many times Mom would make him come in there kitchen and do it. I remember a couple of times Dad would come home and find him arguing with her about it or something. He's get mad and put Soda in his room the rest of the night. That would only start things up more. It was really the only time Soda ever fought with our parents. I wondered slightly if I was going to have to do that. Soda threw the note book toward me and buried his face in his hands. That answered my question.
"Now I understand you might hate me, but come on that book can't fight back." I picked the note book up. Soda peered over from under his hand with a smug smile on his face.
"I didn't realize you were still there." He grumbled.
I picked the notebook up and brought it over to him taking a seat next to him.
"Alright. What do you got here?" I said.
"Finding the x variable but there's a y there too. How the hell am I supposed to know?"
"Language Soda. Alright look you have to isolate them and put them in a certain form." I showed him a few problems.
"Thanks Darry." He said.
"Alright I got to make a phone call. Can these eight problems be done by the end of it?"
"Maybe if your phone call takes nine hours." He mumbled.
I rubbed his hair before hearing to the living room. I picked up the phone with one deep breath. I hoped this would be the hardest part.
"I need coach Barley's number please." I said.
"It's late sir." The lady sounded pist.
"I know but it's about scholarship and playing this fall. See I'm Darrel Curtis Junior…"
"Oh! I'll connect you!" She said.
"Darry! How's training boy?"
"It's fine sir."
"What are you doing calling so late?" The couch sounded way too happy.
"I've been busy, my parents died."
"I'm sorry to hear that. There anything I can do for you?"
"Give my scholarship to someone else. We have no family and I have two little brothers. I'm keeping us together. I can't leave in the fall. I'm sorry."
"I can't say I'm not disappointed but your doing a good thing son. Good luck to you."
"Thank you." I hung up and fell back in the chair with my hands over my face.
"You're not going to college?" It was Soda. "Because of us."