I never had time to talk with him not about girls anyways. Soda and Pony began sleeping out on the floor of the living room. Saturday mornings where a routine of stepping over them while they silently slept if they weren't awake. I finally moved Mom and Dad's bed into Pony's room. They shared that but the kids nightmares didn't seem to stop and some how that is how we ended up here. The psychologists office; I was stuck out in the waiting room. It took a lot of yelling, a lot of fighting and me nearly having to drag him to the truck to get him here and I was told they were private matters between the doctor and my brother. I kept my self occupied with a newspaper sports section reading about none other than college football. I felt something hit my shoulder.

"Doctor wants to see you know."

I nodded and walked back to his office. "Is everything okay?" I asked nervously.

"Yes, he just seems to have an over active imagination."

I wanted to kill this guy, all this for him to tell something I already knew. Yet, I was relieved nothing was wrong with him.

"I suggest more sports and reading. He'll be too tired to dream."

"Thanks doc." I said he handed me another bill that needed to be paid. Oh joy.

"I told you taking me there was stupid." Pony said once we had hit the road. He lit up a cigarette.

That was such a nasty habit did he really need to do it in the car? I think he was doing it just to piss me off.

"Yeah well if you wouldn't read all Saturday afternoon and then see a movie, maybe we wouldn't have had to gone. I told you needed to move more."

"Yeah and you told me Wednesday I need to be studying. He told me to read too."

"You do need to study. I don't want your grades slipping. On Saturday days you should play sports, they will ware you out more."

Pony rolled his eyes and slammed his feet up in the dashboard. "Whatever."

"You know you're getting a real attitude lately."

Pony didn't say anything. I figured it was better that way. The rest of the ride was silent. I had a few hours to kill at home before I went off to work.

Of course the guys were there. I actually was going to play a few rounds of poker. I made Johnny scoot over so I could sit between Soda and Steve and catch them cheating, which I did.

"Where's Dally?" I asked; everyone was here except him.

"He got hauled in." Pony answered.

"Thirty days for fighting with Tim. Yeah and I got word from Jake who just got out today. Guess whose cellmates with Dally!" Two-Bit cried.

"Who?" I asked.

"Tim!" Two-Bit fell over laughing.

"You think after the way they busted each other up and after the way fuzz had to separate them that they would keep them as far apart as possible!" Pony said.

I jumped how. Pony shouldn't know those kinds of details. "Ponyboy how do you know all this?"

"I saw the fight, and the cops separate them." He answered.

"YOU WHAT!" I yelled. "Ponyboy that information all goes to the state! Why didn't you get out of there when the fuzz showed up! You shouldn't have been there in the first place!"

"We wanted to see what was going to happen to Dally." He answered quietly.

"Good lord, kid don't you ever think! The cops could have gotten you for just being there! Even if you weren't doing anything. I swear Ponyboy"

"Come on, Darry lay off him, He was only watching, it wasn't like he was fighting or anything. No harm done." Soda interrupted stick up for Pony like always.

"I got to go to work." I left the house early thinking these kids were going to give me a heart attack before I reached twenty five. Pony just doesn't use his head. I don't know how someone as brainy as he is can not have a lick of common sense.

I got home that night tired as all hell. I hoped in the shower, there weren't too many days were I had time to actually turn the hot water and just relax. I let it the water hit me burning through my skin into my sore muscles. I stayed in there until I felt cold water hit me. I turned the water off and grabbed a towel, the mirror was foggy. I took my arm and wiped it off. I needed a hair cut. I fiddled with the back for a little bit.

"Stupid cowlick, thanks Dad." I found some sweat pants and an under shirt. I did some laundry before retreating to my chair for the night.

Soda and Steve came in around eleven forty. Actually you could hear them down the street at eleven fifteen they were so loud.

"Where's your brother?" I asked Soda, not even looking up from the paper.

"Didn't come with us! Stop worrying or we're going to have to dye your gray hair!" He started humming and dancing all over the place.

I raised my eye brows at Steve. He just shrugged.

"I think he is in love or on drugs."

"Right. Soda come here." I grabbed him taking his chin in my hand. He still didn't stop swaying everywhere.

"I'm not on drugs! Sandy is beautiful. Catch me!" Soda turned around and fell backwards toward me. I caught him and hauled him to the feet.

"I'm taking you to the psych ward tomorrow. You're a lunatic."

"Takes one to know one!" Soda teased running into the kitchen.

"Darry where's the chocolate syrup!" He hollered.

"What do you want that for?"

"Because I had a bottle of it tonight I think I'm addicted to it."

That explains it. Kid is on a sugar high that is going to last a year. I looked at Steve. "Is he serious?"

"Yeah but this is sort of mellow to how he was before." Steve answered annoyed.

"Maybe I should make coffee." Soda sod from the kitchen.

"NO!" Steve and I shouted simultaneously.

"Glory, you to woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Soda walked out and jumped on the couch next to Steve. He still bounced even on the couch.

"Soda, maybe you should take laps around the house little buddy." I suggested. He was rolling all over the floor now and throwing pillows and shoes at Steve.

I went back to my newspaper until I heard a crashing sound. I glared at Soda and Steve looking around the living room for what ever they broke.

"What broke?"

"Came from outside." Soda said frowning. "Think its socs?"

I shook my head. "They know better than to show up here this time of night."

I opened to front door with Soda and Steve at my heels. A thick scent smelled in the air and I looked down expecting to see Two-Bit or Dally passed on the front porch steps.

"I think half the bottled broke man!" Johnny laughed. Pony broke out in laughter right after that.

"Well, well the kiddies discovered alcohol." Steve commented

I clenched my jaw down so I wouldn't lose it for all the neighbors to hear. I felt my muscles tighten. They quickly discovered what we were staring at him. I guess my expression must have been a buzz kill because the laughing stopped. The boys sunk closer into each other.

"OT oh" Pony whispered his nails coming to reach his mouth.

"I told you we should have waited longer." Johnny's voices was barley even a whisper.