Disclaimer: SE Hinton owns The Outsiders.
Cursing involved.
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So I'm a liar, liar pants on fire. Not the last chapter…just couldn't wrap it up yet. Sorry for the long wait…got the groove back so hope to update again soon.
Thanks (as always) for reading!! Reviews are always loved.
*
Two-Bit freezes, fork poised in front of his open mouth. Darry's standing in the doorway watching him. Wondering if he's about to be yelled at for eating the last slice of Soda's cake, Two-Bit sets the fork down.
"How's it hanging, Darry?"
"Two-Bit," Darry begins, sitting down at the table. "I was wonderin if you'd do me a favor."
"Sure, Dar. Whatcha need?"
"When school starts could you go up to campus and get the rest of Pony's stuff from his dorm?" Darry doesn't know if it will help but he wants to make sure Pony understands that he doesn't have to go back. What Sam Morrow said makes sense, he just hope Ponyboy gets it.
Darry sighs, scratching the nape of his neck. "I'd go myself but…"
Two-Bit understands; Darry doesn't want to leave the kid alone. Both Darry and Ponyboy seem to be a bit dependent on each other these days. He feels for the Curtis's, unable to imagine what Darry and Soda are going through by trying to handle it all. Two-Bit's a blathering idiot around Ponyboy, trying not to say the wrong thing and he's not even the kid's brother.
"Say no more ye old wise one," Two-Bit says, glad to be able to help any way he can. "I'll take Steve. We'll make a road trip out of it; see all kinds of roadside freak show attractions."
Darry smiles gratefully. "Thanks."
"Anytime. Anything for the kid."
*
It's an awkward kind of day. The day classes begin at Oklahoma State. The day Ponyboy should be back at college. The calendar is long gone from the fridge, no red marks left behind to remind the kid where he should be.
Darry's shift has been cut short because of the weather and he gets home early in the afternoon; Soda's in the garage, Ponyboy nowhere to be found.
He's on the phone when Ponyboy traipses inside, an hour later. Ponyboy kicks off his shoes, sending snow flying across the room. Pools of water begin forming on the floor.
"What's wrong?" Ponyboy asks when Darry hangs up, looking stunned.
"That was Tim," Darry says still staring at the phone. "Did you know Curly got drafted?"
Pony swallows and pulls off his gloves, making fists with his hands to warm them. "Yeah, he already told me about it."
Darry glances at his brother, as if really seeing him for the first time. Ponyboy's nose and ears are red from the cold and as always he's not wearing a hat. "Where've you been?"
"Just out. Nowhere really." Ponyboy notices Darry's face and takes a step towards him. "You okay, Dar?"
"Yeah, yeah. I just—" Pausing, he looks at Ponyboy. "You and Soda want to go get a beer?" Darry feels the need to be around his brothers. That no matter how wrecked things look, they're still here.
Taken aback by Darry's bizarre offer, Ponyboy hesitates. "Um, uh, yeah, sure. I'll go get him." Turning, Ponyboy steps outside the screen door before Darry can tell him to put his shoes back on.
*
"I don't see why we have to be Darry's errand boys," Steve grumbles for about the third time since starting out on the drive. Steve checks his blind spot and merges into the right lane. The green sign whizzes by; Oklahoma City – 40 miles to go.
Two-Bit, trying to fold up the road map and having no luck, gives up and tosses it on the ground. "C'mon, Stevie," Two-Bit says. "When's the last time we got to spend some quality time together?"
"Quality time we got," Steve growls, turning the radio on. The Temptations fill the air and after a momentary listen, Steve flips the dial, finally settling on something more moody by The Doors. Steve honks as a Chevy cuts him off.
"What's up your ass?" Two-Bit asks, staring at Steve who's been in a downright shitty mood ever since they left at eight that morning.
"I don't know. I mean, it ain't like the kid's helpless." Steve's frustrated, feeling simultaneously in the wrong and in the right about the information he withheld. He doesn't like that Ponyboy worried him, disrupted his Steve-centric universe. He let Soda down and this bugs him more than anything.
"It probably would have been good for him to go back. We all know he's going to anyways. This little mood or whatever he's in isn't helping anyone."
"Steve, stop being a dick." Two-Bit snaps. "You don't care fine. But just stop bitching and drive the goddamn truck."
The hardness in Two-Bit's voice causes Steve to glance over at his friend. There's a long awkward silence. Finally, Steve gives in and mutters, "I'm here ain't I? I care."
Two-Bit rolls his eyes. "Yeah, you come across like freakin Mother Teresa."
*
School is in its first week. Students milling around the quad, swathed in heavy winter jackets and hats. Two-Bit bemoans the lack of female flesh but is happy to note there are many blondes.
They find Ponyboy's dorm; a tall brick building situated on the edge of campus. They shove through the front door, ignoring the RA asking them for a pass.
"You have a kid who goes here?" the freckle-faced RA stutters.
Steve's about to ask the dipshit if they look old enough to have a college kid but instead settles on muttering, "Not anymore," and pushing the RA out of their way.
They board the elevator and get off at the tenth floor. A group of kids are hanging out in the lounge playing guitars and smoking. "Working hard are we?" Two-Bit asks them as they saunter down the hallway, finally finding room 1020.
Steve hammers on the door with his fist. After a few minutes a tired-looking boy answers, rubbing his bleary eyes.
"Yeah?" The boy props his hands on his hips, annoyed at the two who've interrupted his sleep. "What do you want?"
Steve and Two-Bit don't wait for an invite, stepping inside the room before the boy can protest. Two-Bit's eyes sweep the room like a hawk and then he reaches out, roughly shoving the kid up against the wall.
"Listen up kid. Let me give you some advice—what's your name?"
"Ma-Ma-Matt..."
"Matt." Two-Bit swipes a brown leather object from Matt's desk. "The next time you take someone's wallet, especially your ex-roommate's, you better make damn sure you keep it well hidden."
Two-Bit slaps Matt's face once and holds the wallet up to Steve. "I stole this for Pony, you know."
"No shit."
Steve eyes the right side of the room – empty except for a small bed, a desk and chair; no trace of Ponyboy to be found. He turns to Matt. "Where's his stuff, idiot?"
Matt winces from Steve's glare. "Someone already came and got it yesterday."
"Who?"
"Some black girl," Matt says. "Boxed up everything and took it to her place."
*
Ponyboy finds Curly back at the same bar. Curly nods at him. "Come to wish me luck, Curtis?"
"You won't need luck," Pony says with a grin. "Sense maybe but not luck."
Earlier that day, Tim had stopped by informing Ponyboy that Curly was leaving tomorrow. In a move very un-Tim-like, Tim had then asked Ponyboy to go talk to his brother. Ponyboy gets why Tim went to him. He needed help from someone else, just like Darry did from Sam.
Tim claimed Curly was scared but Ponyboy would bet twenty bucks it was the other way around. Because Curly's too stupid to be scared; he's got nothing to lose.
Curly eyes Ponyboy and scoffs. "Shit. I bet you're thinking I'm such a fuck up that my only good use is getting drafted."
"Man, I dropped out of college," Ponyboy says, sitting next to him on a bar stool. "Right now my days consist of minor freak outs and wondering what my next move is."
Curly gawks at him.
"You never do what you think you should." Ponyboy drums his fingers on the counters, a bit shocked at what he's just told Curly. Relating to someone feels amazing. He never thought the two of them would be on the same page in life.
Terrifyingly lost.
*
Two-Bit calls Darry who calls Samuel and gets Sarah's address.
*
She's surprised at her unannounced visitors but Sarah lets them in. She's seen photos of Ponyboy's friends and knows right away they aren't Darry and Soda. But by the way these two act they may as well be his brothers.
She can tell the dark-haired boy, Steve, doesn't like her much. He keeps appraising her, interjecting sarcastic comments whenever necessary.
When two sides of one life merge, it's never easy.
"You shoulda left his stuff there," Steve comments as Sarah opens her guest bedroom showing them boxes of Ponyboy's belongings. Five cardboard boxes line the floor as well as a stack of textbooks. "I didn't know this was going to turn into a damn Scavenger Hunt."
"I've never liked those," Two-Bit jokes. "Too much exercise involved."
Bristling, Sarah braces a hand against the wall, staring at the two boys Ponyboy has told her so much about. "You must be the funny one," she tells Two-Bit.
Two-Bit bows. "At your service m'lady."
"What'd he tell you about me?" Steve grunts.
Sarah raises an eyebrow. "That you're a jerk." Two-Bit barks out a laugh as Steve looks mildly offended.
"I was going to bring these down next week but now it looks like I don't have to. Although I really wish my dad would have told me he spoke with Pony's brothers. Can't imagine how it went with Darry."
Sarah can't help the disgust in her voice. An innate sense of dislike for the oldest Curtis brother has been bred in her. Ponyboy's hesitation and fright in telling his brother the truth has rubbed Sarah the wrong way from the beginning. She knows it's unfair but she's on Ponyboy's side, not Darry's.
The tension in the room is palpable. Steve already knows he dislikes this girl for making Ponyboy her business, not to mention badmouthing Darry in front of them. She's got balls, he'll give her that.
"Aw, Darry's a good guy," Two-Bit says before Steve can snap at her.
"Tell me something," Steve asks, eyeing Sarah. "What were you doing there that night?"
Her dark eyes flash. Sarah draws herself up, crossing her arms. "You think I went there to get stoned, pop some pills?"
"No, but I'm wondering why a grad student was at a frat house?"
"I was doing research for my thesis on the drug habits of college freshmen. Just planning to watch and observe." She laughs bitterly. "Got a lot more than I bargained for."
Two-Bit's frowning at this new information. "Does Ponyboy know what you were there for?"
Sarah's superior façade falters and she takes a shaky breath. "No. He's never even asked me."
"Is he some sort of science experiment you sick bi—"
"Steve," Two-Bit warns in a low voice. "Calm the hell down."
Steve points at Sarah. "That why you've been taking care of him? To write an article?"
Looking like she's just been slapped, Sarah sits on the edge of the bed, hands resting on her knees. "Screw you." Her jaw is tight. "And no, I haven't done that. The asshole just dropped the pills in and was gone before I could do anything."
Steve starts at this. He squats beside the bed. "Sarah…you saw this guy?"
"Yeah." She leans down toward Steve, suddenly smiling. "You want to know where he lives?"
*
Pardon typos.
Please review.
Special thanks to Calla for her input.