I laid back on the couch. "Come on Darry, we'll deal you in."

Danny puffed on a cigar. Thursday night was poker nights. I looked up at the ceiling. Mom, I'm very sorry. She'd never allowed cigars in the house. I rolled myself off the couch. I might as well play; no use in wallowing in my self pity

"You're not supposed to have that until the end of the season."

"We ain't supposed to have caffeine either, but that don't stop you from drinking coffee every morning."

"Or eating chocolate cake," Matt piped in. "Hey while you're up grab a pack of beer."

Danny kicked out the chair. "Then sit down, rookie, you're playing."

I walked into the kitchen. Ben was sitting there eating Cheerios.

"Thought you were studying?" I said as I pushed passed left over pizza to find the full case of beer.

"You really think I can study, when that is going on?"

I laughed. I liked Ben. He was really smart. His father died a few years back, like me he was always looking out for his family. Except he had a house full of teenage girls.

"How are you doing?" He asked. He was also a psychology major but I think doctoring and listening to people was just in his nature.

I sat down in the chair across from him. "I'll see him in 72 hours. His foster parents seemed nice. Then again so did his last ones."

"I know with the neighborhood we come from, that it's hard to tell the good from the bad, not everyone is like Pony's last foster parents. I think his were one in a million."

"Yeah, I know. I can take care of them. I hold down part of this house payment, football, seeing Soda everyday and him until they wouldn't let me, and keep a 3.8 GPA. They think I can't handle two teenagers."

Ben stirred his spoon around. "I know, look what'd you'd be giving up though."

"I don't care."

"Rookie, where's the beer?" Matt screamed from the other room.

"It's coming!" I picked up the beer. "I'll see you later."

I pulled up along the gravel driveway. There were boys playing some form of football.

"Why is he on the porch?" Soda asked.

I shook my head. "I haven't seen him in seventy two hours either little buddy."

The strange truck seemed to pull the attention of all the boys. I head counted six. Soda hoped out of the car before I had it in park. He was spinning Pony around by the arms talking up a storm.

"It been three days already?" Chris stepped out on the porch with someone my guess would be his wife. "Nice seeing you again, Darry." He shook my hand. "This is my wife Annie."

"Hello" Annie said.

"Hi, this crazy one is Soda. He's Pony's other older brother. How is he doing?"

"He's doing okay in school but refuses to talk to people. He still has nightmares, sometimes he talks in his sleep," Annie said.

"How's the press, the hound me everywhere I go, same with Soda. The poor kid had to give up his job."

"Not too many come inside our gates, or are permitted at his school so it's okay there."

Soda finally dropped Ponyboy. He came running up to me. "Hey you." He was still wearing my sweatshirt. I guess Chris and Annie didn't believe in hair grease because his hair was in his face worse than Dally's. I pushed his hair back. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to take him out for a little while."

Pony was tugging at my hand trying to head off to the truck.

"I don't know, we usually put him and Jack in bed by nine and it's almost eight. He needs to shower still.

"Oh." My parents didn't even make start to clean up until nine. Pony's face must have fallen. He gripped my hand tighter.

"Ponyboy, I'll make you a deal, you let me wash that dirty sweatshirt and I'll let you stay out until ten." Annie compromised. "I'll have washed for you tomorrow."

Pony shrugged my sweatshirt off and handed it to her then took of toward my truck.

"I'll have him back by ten. Well probably just go grab some junk food."

I pulled into some old restaurant. A black car that had trailed Soda and I earlier was on my ass again. I sighed. "Come here Pony. Put your arms around my neck." I had a good idea who it was and the last thing I wanted was Pony to take off running, there was no way in hell that I would ever catch up with him. I was sore from practice and he was a fast one. I lifted my brother from the truck. Soda at first loved the attention from the press but that was only for a brief moment and was quickly over. I extended an arm to Soda. He buried his face in my shoulder.

"Darry, Soda, Pony, one moment of your time!" It was a reporter from a newspaper. Sure enough two photographers started taking our pictures.

"No comment! That stands for all of us." I said watching my tone. I wanted to be serious but not scary. Nick had told me that I needed to watch my image.

The reporter didn't listen. He kept firing questions. "I'm sorry sir no comment right now, you're bothering my brothers, I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't mind stopping."

We got inside the restaurant. I found both and put Pony down. "I feel like Elvis. And I don't like it," Soda said.

"I know. I'm followed around campus into the house and at practice."

"Yeah, I feel like if I do something bad, we won't have any chance to be together. I just want to go home to my brothers, and sleep in my bed. I don't understand. Nothing you do can be worse than Pony's foster parents."

"I'm trying little buddy."

Soda sighed; he stirred his straw for the lack of anything better to do. I wrapped my arm around Pony. "You want something?"

He starred up at me with his green hallow eyes. He pointed to something on the menu.

"I'll get you the chocolate cake but you have to eat it all." He hadn't been eating anything. He refused the hospital food. The only time he ate was when Dally brought him stuff.

Pony nodded, I smiled at him, and at least he was begging to communicate. "Hey Ponyboy, will you tell me my name?" I asked.

Soda looked at me like I had completely lost it. He just didn't get it, there was one thing I wanted to hear it was my name. I didn't care if it was in that high-pitched whine that used to irritate the heck out of me. I just wanted to hear it.

Pony looked up at me. Then hit the side of my face. "I guess that's a no."

I was glad that Soda was around. I couldn't stand Pony not talking, but some how Soda didn't seem to mind. He chattered on about school, girls the gang anything he could talk about he talked about.

I looked at my watch. "Alright you two we have to get back."

I took Pony back first. He seemed to be more hyper if it was the sugar I just jacked him up with or if it was because he fed off of Soda's energy I don't know. I almost felt bad taking him back all hyped up.

"Hey there, did you have fun?" Annie asked.

"Yeah, I made sure to sugar him up for you," I replied for Pony.

"Oh well then, by all means you can be the one to put him to bed." She stepped out of the pathway.

I shrugged. "Show me you're room, Pony."

He grabbed my wrist that was one way he got out attention he'd grab our hands. The house was real nice. You could tell kids lived there, that was for sure. The carpet had stains the walls had drawings; it was like being at home when I was ten. Pony led me to his rooms. He put his fingers to his lips. I nodded. He opened the door. There was an empty bed next to the window. I guess that was his because another kid was in the bed next to his.

"Where's your pajamas?" I whispered.

Pony pointed to the ground to some flannel pants. I tossed those to him and closed my eyes until I felt a tug on my hand. I grabbed a shirt from the ground. I recognized it right away. It was one of Soda's old shirts. I guess at one time it had been white because now it was a yellowish gray color. He pulled off his shirt. I could see his ribs outline and protruding collarbones. Series of scars and burn marks. A few yellow bruises were all he had left. I handed him the shirt, his face was reddening with embarrassment.

"Alright," I pulled back the covers. "Get it."

He climbed in. I think the last time I actually tucked Pony in he was about nine. I pulled the covers up to his chin. "Good night baby," I said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Pony grabbed my hands. He measured his against mine and played with my fingers.

"Hey, Ponyboy. Listen kiddo, everything will be all right. I need to take Soda home too." He released my hands. "Will you say Darry for me?" He turned over on his stomach.

I slowly walked down the stairs. I was going to make sure that Pony trusted me enough to talk. "Come on, Soda."

There was one thing I loved. It felt like the world was on my side. My game had failed I missed catches I missed tackles.

"Curtis!" my coach screamed. "In my office."

I handed my bag over to Danny. "Wait for me will you?"

He nodded. "Good luck"

I walked solemnly into my coach's office and shut the door. He was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

"Curtis do you know why my hair is gray?" He asked.

"No, Sir." Probably because he was fifty, and old.

"Because every year, I have amazing players; players who could make it to the big league, and then they throw it away. Get your head in the game. I know you have things going on but the second you step on that field football is your number one priority, do you understand me?" He said pulling out the last syllables.

"Yes, sir. I'll be fine at the game tomorrow night. I promise I'm just tired.

"Don't let me down. You can leave."

I turned around and let out my breath. My coach had a way of making us all feel like little kids waiting to see the principal.

"Darry" He shouted as I approached the door.

I immediately turned around. "You're brothers coming tomorrow?"

"Yeah, they are coming with Soda's foster parents and my friends."

"Why don't you let them sit up in the box and tell them to come early? You know those damn news people will be swarming."

"Thank you," I said.

Danny tossed my bag to me. "He didn't eat you alive?"