I starred at the television set. My stomach knotted up. I glanced over at Darry; he has a confused look on his face. Images of the dead senators campaign flashed all across the television.

"Why him?" Darry questioned out loud. "Why would someone assassinate Bobby Kennedy?"

"He would have pulled us out of Vietnam. I bet the government did it." I told him as I bent down to tie my shoes. I had a feeling my boss was going to call me soon. I'd either be doing an all nighter in the office, or hoping on the next flight to California to get the information on the assassination. "We just lost hope."

Darry looked at me like I just grew a third arm. "When did you become so anti government?"

I didn't have time to answer his question the phone rang. "I'll be back in two days." I hollered over my shoulder. "I have to write something tonight, and then get on a plane."

I tossed my brown box in the suitcase. Who would have ever thought that grass would help the anger? Smoking had became a daily routine. I smoked in the morning, right after work, before I came home. I then smoked again at some point in the night.

The flight to California was hell. The turbulence outside shook the plane like crazy. There were screaming kids. The stewardess had the world's most annoying voice. I was on edge. There was no way I was going to start covering Bobby Kennedy's death like that. I stepped into a back ally once I was far away from the airport. I still had a good distance to the hotel, so any trace of the smell on my clothing would be aired out but the time I walked there. I opened my brown box to nothing but seeds and stems. "Shit." I said out loud.

"Hey can I get a dime?" A man about my step Dad's age came walking toward me. He had a long beard, his clothes were ratted up and his scandals were worn. He was a bum. I hated when they asked me for money.

"Get a job." I muttered pissed off more about the fact that I didn't realize I was out of grass.

"I haven't had a job since Korea. No one wants to helps us. I served for my country. Can't you spare a dime?" He bagged approaching.

I saw things go black. It was like when a choked Darry, and bruised Soda. Something inside me snapped. Why they hell should I care about veterans? In my opinion, anyone who served a war and then thinks everyone in the world owes him is a sick bastard.

"Break it up!" I felt something throw me to the ground. The cop put a hard foot on my chest.

The world had come back to color. The cop was a lot heavier than I was, and he was cutting off my air. I looked at the bum. I could see the bruising setting in on his face, his lip was busted, and his nose.

"What is going on?" The cop demanded. He took his foot of my chest.

"That asshole attacked me." The bum said. He used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his lip.

"He harassed me. I'm with the Tulsa Today. I'm trying to find the hotel where Kennedy was shot." I explained as I picked myself off the ground.

The cop starred back and forth between the bum and I. He let out a strong breath. "You." He pointed at me. "Start walking to where you need to get. And you." He turned to the bum. "Just go back to what you were doing."

I took off running in the direction of the hotel. I wasn't about to land myself in jail over a bum.

"Ponyboy!" I shook my youngest brother awake.

He groaned, and rolled over to face me. "Hi." He said sitting up. I could tell he was still tired.

I grinned. "Hello." I jumped on the couch next to him. "What are you doing sleeping on the couch you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad. I'm just kind of old to be sharing a bed with my brother. You know?" He looked kind of sad. I understood what he was saying. He didn't have nightmares anymore.

I gave him a friendly punch in the arm. "I guess you realized there weren't monsters in your closest huh? Want to go down to Main Street with me. They are having some rally or something for that senator?" I asked.

"Don't you think Darry will get mad? Don't people do drugs?" Pony asked. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"Nah, they do poetry readings, and play music in that park down there too." My friends from school are going they asked me to go.

"The gang going?" Pony asked as he got up to stretch his back out. I don't know how they sleep on that couch.

"Two-Bit is, he likes all the free love some of the girls give." I grinned thinking back to all the lines that he had feed to the girls

"You don't talk to Steve much do you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

I shook my head. I was still upset with the fact that we could hardly have a conversation anymore. "We're different Pony. At first I didn't think people could change. I think I changed. After everything that has happened, and the way Sunny is now." I trailed off. That was the good thing about Ponyboy, with him things clicked right away. With Darry, you had to explain it.

"Yeah, Sunny really makes you question war." Pony said. "Hey, I don't have to wear tie-dye do I?" He eyed my shirt. Before heading into the room to change.

"Chicks dig my shirt!" I shouted after him. "You know they like it, it ain't boring like all the black and white stuff you guys wear!"

I heard the door slam. I turned around to see Darry standing there in black work jeans and a white shirt. He was giving me a funny look. "Your shirt looks like a rainbow threw up. Where are you two headed too?"

" We are going to hang out around Main Street." I answered. "There is a thing for that senator guy." I still wasn't into politics and that stuff, but I was going for my friends.

I watched Darry bite down on his lip. I knew he didn't want us to go. "Keep and eye on Pony, and don't do drugs."

I looked down at the new welcome mat my Mom must have bought. I had canceled the hotel reservation to see my parents. Actually, hitting that bum today gave me chills. I hadn't lost it like that in a while. I needed to get some help. I was still on edge.

"Shay? What are you doing here?" My Mom sounded surprised, but it wasn't a happy surprise.

"I had to come report the senator's death." I answered. She wouldn't open the door to fully let me in. I could see the glow of the televisions down the hallway. I knew my step Dad was home.

"Shay, I'm sorry but you can't stay here. Your father is really angry at the stuff you have been writing about the war. About our government. He needs time to cool off. Everyone is staring me at when I go out. They think you are a flag burner."

"It's one night. I need to talk to you guys." I said trying to step inside

"We need some time." She stated. She held her hand up. I never would have guessed her thin hands, could have been strong barrier against her only son. I thought back to Pony's story, how he said his parents accepted all his friends as their own, even Dallas Winston.

"I get it." I smirked. I really didn't. They had no clue the shit that I went through. "I'll stay else where."

"I'm sorry." She shut the door.

I ripped the flag down from the side of your house. "Fuck you!" I threw it on ground, and dug it into the ground with my feel. "Fuck family" I spit on the flag.

I started walking toward the beach. I had arrived in time to see the sun start to rise. There was something about the Pacific Ocean; it wasn't peaceful like the gulf or Atlantic. The Pacific Ocean had rage filled waves, which crashed onto the sand. Those waves filled with hidden dangers of what lurked underneath. Those waves could pull a person underneath and strangle them. I pulled out my camera and took a picture. I was focusing the lens when I caught sight of a couple of kid's Soda's age running toward the ocean. They had surfboards, if California was still the same that mean, that they had weed too.

The smell of Italian food filled the air. I grinned, ever since summer stated all Soda and Darry made for dinner were different varieties of hamburgers and hotdogs.

"Thank god" I said as I ran into the kitchen for a Pepsi.

"For what?" Maria asked. She was standing over the stove.

"Where's Darry?" I asked surprised that she was standing there.

"Well your brother was starving when he called me to tell me he couldn't get a hold of you or Soda. Then I got roped into cooking dinner for your guys tonight." She said

"Oh, you didn't have to go all out. You could have just made chicken or something."

"I thought about that, and then when I opened your refrigerator and saw it stacked with burgers and hotdogs. I figured you guys had to be tired of it. Besides, I love to cook."

I always felt some odd tension between Maria and I. I knew it was because of how I acted when her and Darry started dating. The truth was, she was a really good girl. She treated my brother like a prince. "Hey, if you're hungry, you can grab a few meatballs. Where is Soda? Shouldn't he be doing homework?"

I threw a couple meatballs on some bread. "He is hanging out with people from school. I think they had plans to work on a project. I'm not sure. They are a little strange, I'm not into the hippie thing." I said thinking back to today. They were all nice people, but I'd even prefer hanging out with Steve to them.

"What wrong; don't like peace and love?" Maria teased. "I thought you would dig. All the art, music and poetry that surrounds it."

I didn't consider their art to be real art, all it was throwing paint around, and the music was no Elvis. I just kind of shrugged at Maria. "I don't really have much time."

"Where is my food woman!" I heard the door slam. Maria didn't seem to find Darry's choice of words very humorous.

He walked into the kitchen grinning like the Cheshire cat. "It smells great." He looked at Maria's very UN enthused expression. "I was only kidding. "

Maria tried to smack his arm with a wooden spoon. She brought out a whole new Darry. He was normal around her, and kind of goofy. He caught her arm and picked her up over his shoulder with ease. He started spinning around.

"I have football practice I said loudly. Darry dropped Maria on her feet. "You have what? There is no way? You are too little for high school football."

I rolled my eyes. I was getting sick and tired of being the baby. "Coach Kelly, asked me to go out for the team after he saw me in gym, it's just for a kicker."

Darry was looking right through me. "Good luck, Ponyboy. Football brings scholarships, it will look good on your transcripts."

"Yeah, I know." I said pulling a piece of paper out of my pocket. I'm also five pounds under the weight limit. You need to sign this."

Darry snatched the paper from my hand. "It's just a kicker, you can't get that injured, I guess it's a good thing you grew a few inches."

"Thanks, see ya guys." I said. It was finally nice to get that off my chest.

I ran to school. I was going to make sure that I was in the best shape of my life. So, I ran to and from pracice. I was one of the last guys to practice. I liked it that way. I was still a greaser, on a team of socs. I took a seat on the bleachers.

"Ponyboy, something is up, do you know what it is?" Mike was a second string quarterback, I wasn't sure if he was accusing or actually asking me.

I looked around taking notice that Benjamin wasn't around. That was odd, usually anyone who was first string had to be at practice early. I shook my head, and stared down at hands.

"Listen up men" Coach shouted. He always shouted when he talked. He also always called us men. He claimed it was because boys didn't play football. Men did. "You already are loosing brain cells crashing into each other. However, if any of you would like to be any more stupid and smoke dope. Get the hell off my bleachers, and turn your jersey into my office tomorrow."

We all started at the coach. "Yesterday, Benjamin got caught smoking dope. That is a two-week suspension, two months of detention, and he isn't allowed in any extra curricular. With that saying, we need someone to take his place. Now, I want to remind you. I only have room for men on my team. Men don't cry. So, I don't want to hear your tears over who is picked." It was the first time coach looked nervous. "Curtis!"

I jumped down here. "Yeah, coach?"

"Get down here, the rest of you start doing laps."

The assistant coach who was also the gym teacher was laughing as I made my way down. "No, way. Give it to Johnson. He'll become minced meat. Have you seen the size of some of those guys?"

"He is Darrel Curtis kid brother. Johnson has butter fingers. You got that paper Ponyboy?"

"Yes, sir"

"Get out there kid, you got a lot of training to do before you start in our first game."