Soon, Soda walked into our room.
"Darry says to come and eat", he said timidly.
Good. He knows how much I hate him for giving Darry that belt and for not makin' Darry stop whippin' me last night.
"Ain't hungry" I grumbled. I went back to trying to look consumed by Chemistry. I heard Soda sigh and leave.
"PONYBOY MICHAEL CURTIS!"
I shook.
Darry had flung open my door and was standin' in my room yellin' at me.
"You WILL come to dinner when you're called for dinner! You hear me?" I nodded.
"You'd better stop this new attitude of yours now, Ponyboy! You got exactly what you deserved last night, and you know that as well as anyone! Now..." he hollered, dragging me to my feet and directing me toward the door, "get into that kitchen, sit down, and eat!"
"Fine." I said cooly and stomped past Darry as he stood there, shakin' his head.
Two-Bit and Steve were joining us for dinner - nothing new there.
I tried to sit and eat. Really, I did. Not so much because I was hungry - if you want the truth, I really didn't have much of an appetite - but mainly because I was scared that if I didn't, I'd end up over Darry's knees again tonight.
The thought made me shiver.
I couldn;t ever let that happen again.
So, I sat on that hard kitchen chair, picking at the food on my plate and fidgeting until Soda bolted up and ran quickly out of the room.
I just looked at Darry, who looked as shocked and confused as I was.
A moment later, Soda came loping back into the kitchen, grinning recklessly and holding a pillow.
"Here, Pone...try this," he offered as he handed the pillow to me.
Darry, damn him, burst out laughing.
"It ain't funny!" I yelled "If you don't think it hurts, you're crazy!" I hissed while trying, without much success, to get comfortable on the pillow.
"So...stand up and eat then" Darry countered, as if it were the simpliest solution in the world.
I looked from darry to Tow-Bit and Steve. Two-Bit's mouth had dropped open and Steve had a smug grin on his face.
Well, they sure know now, I thought miserably.
Glory, I was mortified.
"So, the kid finally got his butt blistered, huh? Well, it's about time. It was long overdue anyways" Steve snickered. "Whatcha do this time, Ponyboy, huh?"
I swear I wanted to hit him. Hard.
But Darry looked as angry as I felt and glared at him.
"That's enough, Steve."
That shut him right up.
I finished my dinner standing up at the table, then helped Soda with the dishes. We worked in silence. When we were finished, I headed into the living room and flopped down on my stomach to watch some tv.
"Ponyboy, room." Darry stated as he looked up from the bills he was writing out. "You're grounded...and that means no tv."
I started to protest - he had already punished me last night - but immediately thought better of it.
Darry was staring at me.
"Go." he commanded.
I moped and mumbled all the way to my room.
I finished my homework, read a little, then finally closed my eyes to get some sleep. I was about to drift off when I felt Soda climbing into bed beside me.
"Pone? You still awake?"
"Yeah."
"Still sore, little brother"
"Yeah." Glory, I was.
"You know I didn't wanna give Darry that belt, right Pone?"
"Sure." I answered sarcastically.
"But you know you needed it, right? I mean, me and Darry, we're real worried about you lately, kid. You keep doin' things that could get you into big trouble...things that could get you thrown into a boys' home if the state ever found out. Ponyboy, I don't want them to take you awaw from us..that would just about kill me and Darry. Man, Pony, Darry loves you more than he's ever loved anyone. That's why he was so hard on you last night. He just wanted to knock some sense into ya. Ya dig, Pony?"
"Sure." I lied.
"So...you and me...we're cool then?" I heard the worry in his voice.
I paused, thinking for a moment about what he'd said. Soda was right. I HAD been getting myself into a lot of trouble lately...and I didn't want to get sent to some boys' home. I knew how much Darry and Soda loved me...and i loved the two of them even more.
"Yeah. We're cool." And we were.
Soda flung his arm across my neck and quickly fell asleep.
I turned to look at him...and I couldn;t help but wonder if we'd still be cool come Saturday night.
I had to meet up with that Missy girl again.
I just had to...