"Nothing is going on, you played cards with the guys the other night, don't you want to stay with me and Johnny." His arm's tightened around my waist.

For a second there I thought he was being serious, but I took one look at Johnny who snickered a smile and I knew something what up. "Johnny, what'd he do? What's going on?"

"I didn't do nothing!" Pony cried still not letting go of me, which made it hard to walk with a thirteen year old kid attached to your waist. "We just got back from seeing Gone with the Wind."

Johnny nodded in agreement.

'I don't like you lying Ponyboy." I shot him a look.

"I'm not lying!"

"It's going to be Tabasco sauce not soap if you are!" I watched if face scrunch up with that threat.

"He's not lying Darry, he didn't do nothing."

I had enough now. "I don't know what's going on but I'm going to find. Inside Johnnycakes." I grabbed Pony and flipped him over my shoulder and carried him in kicking and screaming. He settled down once we were inside.

"Sorry Soda, I tried." Pony said.

I looked around the room from the looks of the girls smeared lipsticks and the guys smug faces, I had a good idea about what was going on. "Girls I think you better wait outside." I told them, starring directly at Sodapop. Great I thought, this is why Pony and Johnny were on the porch, Steve and Soda's girl were at least semi decent looking as for Dally's and Two-Bits that was a whole other story.

"So you guys sent these two on the porch to be look outs?"

"They were supposed to be at the movies." Soda replied. "We weren't doing anything serious."

"Nothing that goes on at bucks at least." Dally smirked.

I nodded. "Guys, I don't care if you bring girls back to the house, but I don't want those girls to get knocked up while here. See, I'm only twenty, I know full well what you guys were doing and I know those intentions. If you want to bring the girls back, one no girls in the bed rooms two Johnny and Ponyboy stay inside, and if my baby brother learns anything that he shouldn't from you guys I'll kick your head in, three only if I'm here, agreed?" Pony made an attempt to kick me for using baby brothers. I caught his foot.

They all nodded. I tapped Soda's chin. "As for you, we'll talk later. Tell the girls they have two hours and keep the noise down."

I headed down the hall flipping Pony right side up so the blood wouldn't rush to his head, although maybe if it dead he would use it a little more.

"Darry put me down!" He half whined and half yelled.

"Nope, we're spending time little brother, remember I spend too much time with Soda and not with you." I smirked walking into my room and throwing him down on the bed.

"I wanted to be outside through. You know football." He said.

"You need to sleep Pony or else you'll get sick. You're pale and you have rings around your eyes."

"So do you!"

"Yeah, well I ain't exactly getting sleep either." I could have kicked myself for the last comment. Pony just looked down playing with the edge of a pillow case. Idiot, idiot, now what do I say for him. "When's the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

Pony shrugged, I didn't blame him. "The last time you had one."

I bit my lip and climbed next to him sometimes I really wondered why I said some of the things I do to him. Our relationship had gotten weird since our parents died. Then again before I was the tuff big brother now I was the guardian, he had Soda at least, I wondered if I was still the tuff big brother for Soda. I pulled Pony in close. I remembered Mom's trick. I began to rub his back just like she did mine when I was sick. It would put you to sleep almost instantly. Mom's trick worked Pony went right to sleep.

It wasn't until I felt something jab me in the side that I woke up. I glared at the clock. I should be leaving soon. I felt something hit me again and snapped out of my daze. Pony was thrashing and mumbling things. He had beads of sweat going down his face as well as tears.

"Pony wake up!" I shook him hard. Pony's eyes shot open with terror. He lunged at me. I hugged him. "It's over now."

"No more sleep. I told you I didn't want to!" He snapped digging his face in my neck. "Make them stop!" Pony tried unsuccessfully not to cry. The guys were in the other room. I knew he was being tough only on their account.

"It's alright baby, I've got you." I reassured him as hot, silent tears hit my neck. He was shaking so hard or maybe that was me. Hell I think the look in his eyes scared me almost as much as the dreams scared him. "Want me to get Soda?"

Pony shook his head.

I looked at the clock, I would have to leave really soon. "Is there anything you want?"

"Dad." He muffled.

I began to rock him. "Me too kiddo, me too."

I got to go baby." I really hated leaving him but I couldn't be late for work.

Pony let go of me and lay back down. "Bye."

"I'll be home soon keep Soda in line."

Pony smiled. I told Soda to keep a close eye on Pony and then kicked the girls out. When I finally got home it was late, really late. The house was dark and quite. I found Pony and Soda on a blanket in the living room with pillows. I shook my head at the sight. Soda slept with Pony a lot because of his nightmares. I guess I was going to have to move Mom and Dad's big bed into their room so they could share it. I went into Pony's room and pulled a blanket off the bed. I went back into the living room taking notice to Johnny curled up on the couch. He had one of the throws over him so he was fine. I covered the two on the floor up accidentally waking up Soda. He rolled over taking his arm away from Pony.

"It's awfully late." He mumbled.

"Yeah, I know why don't you go back to sleep."

"You mad?"

"No, you should just know better."

"Do we have to talk now? Pony and Johnny will wake up."

"No. Good night"

"See ya' in the morning." Soda rolled over and threw his arm over Pony once more.

I walked to my room and collapsed on my bed, wondering if Pony was dreamed out for the night.

I got lucky well we all did. The boys were off school since it was Saturday. I got up early and went to work. The day went on as the usual. I came home before having to leave for the other job. I was getting ready when Pony came in.

"I still find it gross and I ain't doing it ever!" Pony said loudly to Johnny. I looked over at him.

"Doing what?"

"Making out Soda and Steve did it all day with their girlfriends and then Dally brought one and Two-Bit! That cancelled our game. They did it right there in the park!"

I laughed. "Come on Pony let's go to the store." The rest of the gang came in and Johnny was wrapped up in the poker game with them already.

Soda asked Pony to play; I saw Steve roll his eyes and just flatly told them I needed some help.

Now you would think a simple trip to the grocery store wouldn't be complicated but Pony could point out and name every beer that Two-Bit prefers to drink, the kind of hard liquor that Dally drinks oh yeah and which cigarettes gave you a better buzz and calmed your nerves. If that wasn't bad enough today was the day that Angela Shepard and her army of trash girls decided to hang around the store. We were waiting in line and Pony was standing next to her when she approached him. Out of all the boys in the store she had to sink her claws into my baby brothers. I watched her flirt with him. Really Pony didn't seem interested not in her at least but when one of her pretty friends flashed him a smile he returned it. Oh yeah that greaser girl was the one that Angie said liked him. They invited him to a party, which Pony declined. I shook my head and paid for our stuff. My baby brother didn't need girls right now.

I went back to work and unloaded boxes a couple of the guys asked me to come drinking with them but I couldn't exactly come home stumbling around and explain to my brothers why I was drinking. I went home, it was another late night. I found Two-Bit with a beer in his hand on the couch. Dally in the chair and Soda under the coffee table. How in the heck that kid was able to manage that one was behind me. Steve in front of the television curled up. Pony and Johnny were in the kitchen talking quietly.

"Who could you try it with?"

"One of Angie's friends likes me." Pony replied. "Think making out is what Two-Bit says it is?"

"Johnny nodded. "Yeah and all the other stuff."

My legs nearly gave out from under me when he that. I looked back at the room. "Two-Bit's beer. Packs and packs of empty cigarettes, a few magazines that I wasn't about to let Pony look at and hoped he didn't. Poker chips and cards everywhere. The record collection was sprawled across the coffee table and soda pop bottles were everywhere. Everything pointed to it aright. When I left the Bull Shit Session had begun and good god Pony had sat in on it. I looked at the two half way innocent ones of our gang. They were corrupted now. Pony had just learned all about girls and sex from Dally, Steve, Two-Bit and I swear of he learned anything from Soda I'm going to strangle that kid. The last thing Soda needed was to be fooling around with girls. I was going to have to have that talk with him tomorrow.