I hope I crushed it, I hope that stuck up bastard never talks again. Actually, hoping wasn't the right word; I knew that I had crushed Steve's jaw. I pulled into the parking lot and began unloading boxes from the trucks that had pulled up.

"You alright boy?" I looked up at my boss. Why was he calling me boy, I was far from a boy. I didn't answer; I wasn't going to respond to that.

"Darry, hey!" My boss had taken the cigarette out of his mouth for two seconds. Normally he would just stand there screaming out orders while the rest of us did the work. Oh yeah and he chained smoked; not only did he bust our eardrums but he blackened out lungs.

I dropped the box, it landed with a thud. "Yes, Sir?" I asked turning around to look at him.

"You alright?" He asked walking toward me.

Great, I can inhale that thing even better now. I ran my finger through my hair. It needed a cut. "Fine, just trying to get my job done."

He grinned like a snake. "Wish I hired more men like you. Those bastards can look else where for a job."

I looked around and just now realized that the ten other guys didn't show up.

The boss just slapped me on the back. "I'll let you get back to work, you work like damn dog."

I worked way past my normal shift unloading the boxes by myself. I was sore, it was starting to rain and it was late. One thing good came out of it, I got a couple extra bucks, and I got the next day off. As I climbed into the truck, I wondered if I really broke my back this time. I cranked the heat up and drove home. I hope that kid has sense and doesn't show up at my house. I stopped at a red light and shut my eyes tight for a second. He was Soda's best friend; I couldn't take that away from him. The kid already lost his parents; we'd go nuts if we lost anyone else.

I expected to find the usual, the house a mess, the TV turned up to the fullest, Pony not in bed, Soda on a sugar high and the gang screaming and wrestling like cowboys and Indians but when I pulled up to the house it was silent. They only light coming from the house were the blue glow of the television. I rubbed my temples before glancing at my watch. It was close to mid night. Soda was sitting curled up on the couch, he wasn't watching what ever was on T.V. He looked miserable; he raised his head when I walked in and took a quivering breath.

"Hey, little buddy. You alright?" I stood over him checking to see if maybe his fever was back. "Where's your brother?"

"In bed; he thought you weren't going to come back after what Steve said. You're late; Pony has a crazy imagination." He babbled.

I sat down next to him. "Sodapop, what's wrong?"

Soda hung his head. "I feel like hell."

I threw my arm around him. "That's part of having the chicken pox buddy; you need to finish off that medicine before you're better. But that isn't what's wrong with you; so tell me what is?"

"It's not fair; what Steve said to you. That's not true."

I rubbed my temples feeling a headache coming on. This wasn't something I wanted to discuss now not ever. "Let's just drop it."

"Do you regret it?" Soda asked.

"Regret what?"

"Not going; I know me and Pony don't compare to college but, I was thinking that I could get two jobs; and you could pay your way through and"

I held my hand up to make him stop talking. "Baby, there is no way that college could compare to you. I do regret not going sooner; but I'd regret leaving you two even more."

Soda just looked at his hands. He had been thinking about this all night; but never realized that reality of his plan. That happens to Soda a lot; his mind strays away from reality and then it hits him and it hits him hard. Soda sank back in couch.

"I ain't ever talking to Steve again that's for sure."

I got up grabbing his chin to force him to look at me. "He's your best friend Sodapop; why I don't know but friendships like that doesn't happen often. You might want to reconsider that."

I didn't have work the next morning. I slept in an hour later and then cleaned the house like a maniac. I had no clue what to do with myself. Everyone was at school; it was so quite it was eerie right about now I was missing the sound of something being broken. I had nothing better to do than to go to the gym and work out. You'd think that would get old but it sort of relieves stress. I went home at around three thirty; the guys where there well everyone except Steve he missed school. I can't imagine why.

"You guys mess up my house?" I hollered once I was inside. It was surprisingly still clean.

"Hey, Darry where ya been?" Soda hollered coming out of the bathroom. He still had a few scabs on him. He started shaking his hair out like a dog.

"Gym; Sodapop, I don't know if you should be going out tonight. You still have scabs."

"Don't worry Darry. It's just the movies besides; Sandy still has to be in by ten."

"No later then ten then."

"What about you Pony? Have plans?"

"He's hanging out with the new girlfriend." Soda grinned.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Pony nearly screamed. It sent Dally and Two-Bit into hysterics.

I raised my eyebrows. "Care to explain why you are hanging out with her then?"

"We got assigned partners on a science project. We have to build a solar system. Suzie is weird; always talking to me and stuff in gym she always throws things close to me to run over and pick it up. She used to pull my hair."

"She likes you Ponyboy." I informed him.

Pony rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go smoke."

"We'll Darry; I'd ask you to come to a party; but it looks like you are going to have to supervise, Pony's first date." Two-Bit smacked me on the back.

You would think a seventh grade girl would be harmless; Suzie wasn't a girl, Suzie was a greaser. I think she learned to flirt before she could talk. They were in the living room; I was spying from the hallway. She'd sit close to Pony he would scoot further away. I could smell her over loaded perfume and see her make that she must have painted on herself. She'd lean over in some unusual and sexual way. Her skirt was too short and her shirt was too tight.

"You know Pony, the eighth grade boys voted me as the prettiest girl in the seventh grade, and it's all natural beauty. I'll be the prettiest girl in the whole school next year."

"I'm going into high school next year." He said.

I started to laugh; I flat out couldn't help it. I walked out so they could see me. Suzie's jaw dropped.

"Hi!" She sat up real straight and smiled.

"Hi. Pony, use water colors not that paint on Styrofoam, it will shrink."

"Wow, your brother is really smart!" Suzie.

"Yeah." Pony looked up at me and smiled. "He's real smart."

It was coming from a tiny bopper but hey, it felt good to be called smart.

"So Pony, you have no interest in her right?" I asked once Suzie had left. He was adjusting the planets inside his cardboard solar system.

"I don't like girls like that. They cuss, two much, wear to much make up, their clothes don't fit and they smell awful."

I ruffled his hair. "Ponyboy; I think girls are the one topic you can use your head about."

"Soda's coming home at ten right?" He yawned.

I nodded and looked down. Pony hadn't had a nightmare in awhile. It made me feel like shit that only was the one he felt safe with was Soda.

I heard the bedroom door shut. I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I kept checking on Pony to make sure he wasn't having a nightmare but every time I went in he was sound asleep. I wondered what had happened between us.

"Darry?" A voice whispered in the darkness.

I rolled over and groaned at the light shinning in from the hallway. "I warned you guys."

"Steve's stories didn't help much either, Johnny could hardly make the walk home." Pony replied.

I opened my eyes to look at him. He was shaking something fierce. "The movie is true you know."

I shook my head. "No it's not. Where's Johnny?"

"In the living room they all fell asleep."

Aloud crash of thunder and Pony jumped, the door shut behind him. He hand was brought up to his mouth. He stood there biting his nails with the facial expression of a five year old that had just learned about the boogieman.

I laughed. "Come on runt." I threw the covers back and he climbed in. "I'll wake you up before I leave for work. So the gang won't tease you."

A crash from outside interrupted my thoughts. I got up and threw open the front door to find Soda and Sandy.

"He threw a rock at the fence." Sandy answered my questioning gaze.

"Sodapop what on earth is wrong" I stopped. Soda turned around to stare at me with a bloody lip and tears streaming down his face.

"What happened?" I asked

"Socs they said something at the movies tonight. A small fight broke out." Sandy answered.

"What'd they say? Soda, come on you need to get cleaned up. Sandy you might want to call your parents."

Soda didn't have much wrong with him just a busted lip but he was hurt. He gazed starred straight but it was like he was looking right through me.

"They made fun of us, called us bastards. Darry they called Mama something bad. Said we deserved everything that happened. They'd be punished too in hell. Those no good low life's who are raising hoods; they said it was their fault that the good people on the train died, and They were going to hell."

"You're not a hood. That wreck, Soda, even if they didn't hit Mom and Dad the track it was messed up. The train would have gone haywire anyways. It wasn't no ones fault. It was an accident."

Soda looked at me finally and then threw his arms around my neck. "People are bastards Darry. The socs, their just cruel but you know what. I hope none of them have to go through what we do; they wouldn't make it."

"You're right, they wouldn't. I want you to listen to me. Tell Pony you fell or something; don't tell him what really happened. The kid has enough problems as it is. I don't want him to be scared. He doesn't need to know about this. Alright?"

"Yeah. Alright. Good night Darry."

I couldn't get my mind off it.