Chapter Three: Decisions
Darry POV
"Well, what are you gonna do, Darry?"
"It's not what I'm gonna do. It's what we're gonna do. I want us to make this decision together."
Soda was still being silent.
"What happens if we don't?"
"She'll be put in a girl's home."
Soda spoke up then.
"How come mom and dad didn't tell me?"
"They didn't know Pepsi-cola. They just wanted to adopt a baby boy, and we're told by the state that they had found one. They never told them."
I sighed.
"We have a few days to think about this. I don't want you guys to feel like you have to..."
"I don't need a few days."
"Ponyboy, I really think..."
"It's okay with me."
Me and Soda both looked at him.
"What? I didn't wanna be put in a boy's home. I would never want anyone who had an option to be put in those places. I know enough kids who are in them."
"Are you sure you don't wanna think about it?"
"There's nothing to think about for me."
Soda didn't say anything. Pony finally went to bed.
"What does she look like?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen her."
"What's her name?"
"Cameron."
He nodded.
"I... I need to think about this, Darry. I don't want anyone in a home either, but..."
"I know, Sodapop. I know."
Soda POV
I couldn't sleep that night. The next day, me, Steve, and Two-bit were on the front porch. I was smoking, which was something I rarely did.
"How long do you have to decide?"
"Five days..."
"Not very long."
"What would you do, Steve?"
He flicked his ashes.
"You know what I'd do. You don't even have to ask."
"You'd take her in..."
He nodded.
"I wouldn't be able to say no... But, this isn't about me, Sodapop. It's about you."
"Well, I know it's none of my business, but..."
I rolled my eyes.
"Go ahead, Two-bit."
"I know I complain about my sister all the time, but I don't know what'd I'd do without her."
Two more days went by, and I was still confused. I decided to talk to Pony went he got home from school.
"Hey, Ponyboy."
"Hey, Soda. What're you doing home?"
"I took the day off. Come here."
He sat on the couch beside me. I threw my arm around his shoulder.
"You sure you'd be okay with someone we don't know coming up in here?"
He gave me a look.
"She's your sister."
"No. You're my brother, I care about what you think."
"Sodapop, I'm fine with it. If she's anything like you, then I'll love her."
"But, what if she's not."
I got up and started pacing.
"Darry said she's grown up rich. I couldn't live with someone who thought they were better than us."
"You don't know her."
"Neither do you!"
He winced. I'd never yelled at him before.
"We'll never know unless..."
"How come you're so okay with all of this?!"
"It's not that... I'm not... I just..."
He sighed.
"I would feel too guilty if someone ended up in a home because I didn't even give them a chance."
My face softened and I sat back down.
"Okay..."
"Really?"
"Sure. Let's give it a shot."
Darry POV
When I'd called Mrs. Ford, she was ecstatic. She came by with Mrs. Brenda, and we signed the papers and switched her social worker to our's.
"Okay. We'll be at the train station in two days. She's been staying in a girl's home until now. I'll go get her and we'll get her stuff. Darrel, I have a buyer for the business. The money will be your's."
"No, it'll be our's."
She smiled, and they both left. Pony got home from school, and later Soda came home from work. We were all eating dinner. Well, Ponyboy was picking at his.
"Well, it's done you guys..."
Soda paused. Ponyboy looked up.
"When will she get here?"
"Friday afternoon. I took off. Soda, do you have to work?"
He shook his head.
"I'm off on Friday..."
"Okay. Well, I've got my old room cleaned out and moved my stuff into mom and dad's."
"Why didn't you just clean out my room? I stay with Ponyboy."
"I know, but I never know if that'll change."
He went back to his food.
"You just didn't think I'd be okay with it. It would've been fine."
I sighed.
"Soda, if this wasn't really okay with you..."
"Darry, I'll be honest, I don't know. I don't know how I feel about it, but how can I not even give it a chance."
"Her a chance."
We both looked at Ponyboy. Soda nodded.
"You're right. I need to give her a chance."
Pony POV
I was trying to figure out why Soda was being this way. It wasn't like him. The night before she was suppose to come, I couldn't sleep. I kept tossing and turning.
"Pony, what're you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
He turned to face me.
"You haven't been still since you laid down."
"Well, you usually sleep through anything."
He turned on the lamp and furrowed his brow at me.
"I wake up when you have a nightmare."
"But, I always toss and turn when I can't sleep, and you never notice."
He sighed.
"What's going on with you, Ponyboy? Ever since you got back, it's like you haven't trusted me."
"It's not that, I just have a lot I'm trying to figure out. And what about you? I never would've known you to not wanna help someone."
"Running off changed you..."
"And Sandy changed you."
His eyes shot up to meet mine. I could see the pain in his eyes.
"Well, what do we do now?"
"I guess take it one day at a time."
Soda POV
It was time to go to the train station. Ponyboy had just got back from school, but he wasn't going with us because there wasn't any room in the truck.
"Two-bit said he come keep you company."
He rolled his eyes.
"I don't need a babysitter, Darry."
Darry looked at me. Ever since the trial, we didn't like him staying alone.
"He's not babysitting you. He's just coming to hang out with you."
"Soda, we gotta get going."
We got in the truck and headed towards the station. It was quiet.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, Darry. I'm okay."
We got there and went to the big room where you wait for people getting off trains. My hands were sweating, and I was pretty nervous.