Chapter 24: Lex (Darry's Point of View)
Lex is on the front porch, smoking his lungs out. He's been out there nearly an hour, and I wonder what's going on inside that head of his. Soda and Pony have already had they're 'talk' sessions with him, and I know I should be out there now. I'm just not sure of what to say to him. I watch him light another cigarette, and then decide to go talk to him before he dies of lung cancer.
"Hey." I say to him, sitting on the stairs beside him. He gives me a questioning look, then softens his face, and nods his head.
"Hey." He answers.
"Rough night?" I ask, even though I know I don't have to. He lets out a sarcastic laugh and nods again.
"You could say that." He answers. We sit together in an awkward silence, and I wonder if he wishes I would leave.
"You know…even though I don't really like fight, I'm glad you stuck up for us. You know, to your friend." I tell him. He takes a long drag on his cigarette and let it out.
"You know…I'm not sure he is." He answers. I look at him with confusion.
"He is what?" I ask. He looks at me, and I feel like I did when he looked at me at Kate's for the first time. Like he was taking in every detail about me.
"My friend." He answers simply. "I'm not so sure he was ever my friend." I nod, finally understanding.
"You know Lex, sometimes, people are only there for you when you're who they want you to be. When you fit that mold that they've created you for. And, when you try thinking for yourself, they drop you so fast it could make your head spin." I tell him. He looks at me with surprise, and I know it's because we've never really talked like this before. I've always been some inhuman robot before, instead of the brother I should have been all along. I think about Pony. I need to talk to him too.
"Yeah. But it sucks, don't you think?" He asks, looking at me with genuine curiosity. I shake my head.
"No. I don't think it sucks. You know why?" I ask him. He shrugs and shakes his head.
"Because it makes it easier to show who your real friends are. The friends that are always there for you no matter what. Those are ones you've got to hold onto." I explain. He flicks the ashes of his cigarette on the ground, and stands at his shoes.
"What if you don't have friends like that?" He asks me. I throw my arm around his shoulders and nod to the house.
"They're not easy to find. You have to look hard. But I can promise that you'll always have three brothers like that. Or…four." I tell him, smiling at the fight coming in side the house between Two-bit and Steve. Those two were something else.
"C'mon, let's go see what's going on." I tell him standing up. He follows my movements, but stops when I open the door.
"What is it?" I ask when he doesn't say anything.
"You called me Lex." He answers. I nod, smiling.
"Yeah. I did."