Quickie chapter. Pardon the typos!

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The cashier she always squints

By the gum and the bowl of mints

She's tapping her toe

To the Dean Martin on the consolette

Booth service and a cigarette we're loving it so

Side of fries a dollar

Or the haddock plate two ninety five

A rootbeer float a pepsi

And be sure to save some room for some apple pie

Better make it a-la-mode

--Martin Sexton

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Soda's POV

I couldn't sleep. It was three in the morning and I was staring at my ceiling. I wanted to – no, I needed to go check on Ponyboy. His nasty cut to the head brought back memories of too long ago. The rumble. This time, if anything was wrong, I didn't want to catch it too late.

"Screw this," I muttered, sliding out of bed. He was going to think I was nuts, but what could I do.

I tiptoed into his room and sat down on the edge of his bed. Shaking him awake, I flinched, hoping I wouldn't catch a right to my jaw. "Kiddo, wake up."

He opened his green eyes and stared at me blearily. "Soda? Was I having another nightmare," he asked, confused.

"No." I squinted at him in the dim light. "But have you been?"

He caught his blunder, looking sheepish. "No." At my doubtful look he added, "Yeah. Pretty much every other night." Before I could say anything, his scowl cut me off. "Don't tell Darry. It's nothin' to be worryin' him over."

At my disapproving stare, he laughed. "Don't try to pull off 'strict'. It doesn't work for you." His green eyes twinkled in the dim light. My expression of disapproval morphed into one of amazement. Damn, he knew me too well.

Ignoring his comment, I asked, "How's the noggin'?"

Pony frowned. "Oh yeah. Throbbing." Then he broke into a laugh. "Now if only that blow to my head had stopped the nightmares. Now, that would have been worth it." He touched his scalp tentatively and then noticed the time on his clock. "Is everything ok?"

"I know. It's a pretty ungodly hour to be up. Darry would be proud of me." I waggled my eyebrows at him.

"We should give you a medal," he half-yawned, half-grinned at me.

I shifted. It was time to get down to the real reason I was here. I looked my brother point-blank in the eyes. "What was the name of that soc?"

The smile fell off Pony's face. His expression merged between annoyance and exasperation. "Soda, I can handle him. If that's what you're worried about. Believe me, I got it covered."

I tried to keep my face impassive, unreadable as I openly lied to him; something I had never done. "I know you can handle it," I began slowly, "but I just want to keep my ears open. Just in case, you dig?"

We sat in silence for a moment or two. Ponyboy played with the edge of his comforter, his jaw tight.

"C'mon, Pone. I'll find out one-way or the other. Besides it's my right. As a big brother." I shot him a goofy grin and poked him in the ribs.

Not liking me at the moment, he met my eyes. "Fine. Trevor Gayles."

I filed that away, memorizing every letter of that shithead's name. Nodding, I ruffled his hair, careful of the bandages. "Thanks. Now go back to sleep."

"Soda," he called out when I reached the door, my back toward him. "Promise me one thing."

"Name it."

"Don't do anything you wouldn't want me to do." His tone was both jovial and cautious. I didn't have to turn around to know there was a smile on my brother's face. He had me.

I let my forehead rest against the closed door. Damn it.

XXXX

"Oh, hey Evie."

She cracked a bubble in my face as she came out of the DX. "Hey Sodapop." She held the door open for me and cocked her head; her blonde curls swinging. "How's your brother? Steve said he got cut up a few nights ago."

"He's fine. He's a tough kid."

Evie snorted. "He had better be. Hanging around with you all." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes; like Steve, she had the odd habit of throwing around cryptic comments. Then she glanced behind her through the door. Steve sat on the front counter and Two-Bit danced around with a windshield wiper. "They're all yours," she told me, leaving.

"Slow day?" I asked my friends.

Steve smirked. "You know what they say…when the boss is away…"

I grinned back and crossed my arms behind my head. "I love our job." Then I asked Two-Bit, "Why aren't you at work?"

"Lunch break."

I raised an eyebrow at him. It was ten in the morning. "An extremely long lunch break," he added, fiddling with the wiper. He jerked as he snapped the windshield wiper in half. "Oops."

"Oh c'mon," Steve spat, snatching the broken wiper back from Two-Bit. "It's bad enough I have to put up with you at home."

Two-Bit finally had a job. He worked at the auto dealer downtown selling cars. Surprisingly, he was pretty good at it. I don't think he cared if he sold any, but his carefree attitude paid off because he had a real knack for it; he was top salesperson last month. It actually worked out pretty well for Steve and me too. We had instant referrals. If someone's car needed fixing Two-Bit would send them on over to us. And if someone needed a new car we'd send them to Two-Bit.

"Steve, you do care," Two-Bit said, pretending to wipe away a tear. Then he turned to me. "How's the kid?"

"Stubborn as usual. Told me to butt out." Evaluating the carburetor of a Buick, I picked up my tools grimacing at the rusty car. It was shot. "Steve hand me that valve."

He tossed it to me and I caught it with my now greasy hands.

Steve raised an eyebrow. "You're not actually going to listen to him are you?"

"What do you think," I began slowly, "of me having a talk with that soc?" Lord knows, Darry already wanted to.

Steve and Two-Bit exchanged a grin. "Now we were wondering when you were going to suggest that," Steve whooped.

Two-Bit rubbed his hands together gleefully. "And I –no need to thank me- have already taken the liberty of finding out Mr. Gayle's choice of hangout."

I wiped my hands off. "Well, Stevie, I guess I know where we'll be taking our lunch break."

XXXX

We followed Trevor home from the drive-in. He pulled up in front of his house, hopping out of his Mercedes. Parking opposite him on the street, I jumped out of Steve's truck and strode up to him. Steve and Two-Bit lagged behind, leaning against the truck. "Howdy," Two-Bit called out, waving and chomping on a beef jerky he had swiped from the DX.

"How can I help you fellas?" Trevor Gayles began, sauntering up to us. I had the sudden urge to smack that carefree smile away from his face.

I threw back my own fake smile. "You can help me by staying the hell away from my brother." I resisted the urge to punch him, to drive my point home. Besides, fighting with him in broad daylight was just stupid. Knowing a soc, he'd call the fuzz in a second. So, I tried to practice pacification. Damn, it was hard, I thought, clenching my fists together.

Trevor scoffed and tossed his smoke aside. "I'd really like to help you out with that, however I'm afraid no can do. Sorry." Pausing, he then growled, "I think you're on the wrong side of town Greaser."

Amused, I turned back around to shoot Steve a grin. "Well how about that? Steve, did you hear that? We're on the wrong side of town."

"It wouldn't take a genius to figure that out, judging by the amount of assholes running around," he snarled, lighting a cigarette.

Trevor rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to keep it in mind."

"You be sure to do that." I shut my eyes briefly. Man, it was hard being witty when all I wanted to do was deck the SOB.

Trevor shrugged, glowering. "Well, as you can see I'm not exactly feeling generous at the moment." I noticed the bruise on his left cheek from where Pony had clocked him.

I gritted my teeth. "You leave him alone, you hear? And that's the last time I'll say that." Turning away sharply, I marched back to the truck, feeling proud that I had managed to restrain myself.

"How's his head by the way?" Trevor called out, the smile evident in his voice. "If only I had just hit him a little harder maybe-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence, because I wasn't going to give him one. I grabbed him by his shirt collar and slammed him against his Mustang. His blonde head smacked the back of the door and his eyes widened. "If you touch him again, I'll hurt you. Bad. You understand?" I whispered murderously, boiling inside.

Trevor wiggled in my grasp, uttering an Hmmph noise.

"I'd nod if I were you," Two-Bit suggested to Trevor. "Quickly."

Trevor managed to bob his head and I dropped my hands, raising them in an I'm done with you gesture. I watched him wheeze and then sputter to catch his breath. "Thanks for the talk," I said to his pale face.

Steve pulled away from the curb and zoomed down the road, trying to light a cigarette and drive at the same time. My hand darted out and gripped the wheel for him; I was just waiting for the time when he slammed his truck into the ditch.

"Think he'll listen?" Two-Bit asked me after a few seconds of content silence, watching Trevor through the rear window.

"He'd better," was all I said.

Steve glanced at me, smirking. "You know Pony's gonna flip when he hears about this."

I grinned back, missing my 14-year old brother who had at one time wanted me to come to his defense. "Oh yeah. Big time."

Two-Bit rubbed his chin, his eyes laughing. "Now the only question is: who'll be more pissed? Darry or Ponyboy?"

I put my hand out. "Care to bet on it?"

XXXX

Perhaps a pointless chapter, but I wanted to get Soda's POV in here somewhere.

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