AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Many thanks to: StayGold3, mycookiegirl, GreaserG1rl201, CriminalOutsider'sGirl14, and Lovetoread75, for your wonderful supportive reviews for the first chapter, and thank you to all my readers.
Enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter 2
The gang hung out at the Curtis house on the Friday night. Steve and Soda had gotten off work early and had planned to go to the movies along with Two-Bit and like many times before Pony had asked his brother to hang with him.
"Sure Pone, you can come," Soda was quick to answer.
Pony however didn't miss Steve's groan and eye roll.
"Why's he need to hang with us; I thought it was just gonna be us older boys hanging out? I don't want the kid messing it all up by getting in the way."
Pony frowned at Steve's comment.
"I don't get in the way," Pony defended, trying not to feel hurt inside.
"Whatever you say kid," Steve snickered.
Being the youngest of the gang was hard on Pony. Sure he could hang with Johnny and Dally but sometimes that wasn't possible and anytime he hung out with the others it was always talk about cars and girls; things Pony just wasn't interested in.
Soda slung his arm over Pony's shoulder.
"Go easy on my kid brother, Steve. Don't listen to him Pone; I like ya hanging with us," Soda smiled at his younger brother.
That was another reason Pony was thankful for: Soda never put him second to his best friend; he never put him second to anybody.
Steve groaned but knew better than to fight Soda when it came to his brother, because Soda would always take Pony's side.
While Soda was cheering about going out and had gone back to talking to Steve, Pony felt dejected and gazed into the empty air.
"What ya looking at, Ponyboy?" Two-Bit asked, gazing around to try and decipher what Pony was staring at.
Pony shook himself out of thought.
"Nothing Two-Bit," he replied.
Soda smiled at Pony and slapped his back.
"I'm gonna go grab a shower before we go out."
Pony nodded and flopped down on the couch.
"Hey Ponyboy, you okay?" Two-Bit asked, sitting beside the young greaser.
"Yeah, just thinkin' is all," Pony mumbled.
"You ain't sulking over what I said are ya kid? You heard Soda, you're comin' whether I like it or not," Steve spat.
Pony didn't want to admit to Steve how he felt: downhearted and a sense of weakness from Steve's judgments that he suck to Soda like an adhesive since their parents had died, instead Pony allowed his frustration take hold.
"Shut up Steve; it ain't about that!"
Steve gave a laugh, "Sure kid."
Steve turned and began flicking through a magazine. Two-Bit gave Pony a light punch.
"You can hang with me Ponyboy. We can hunt some fun at the drive in and check us out some girls," Two-Bit chuckled.
Pony blushed; there was that talk about girls again.
"No thanks, Two-Bit," Pony answered.
Two-Bit flipped his hands in the air in misunderstanding but quickly brushed it off.
After dinner, in which all five boys had scoffed down without hesitation, Soda told his big brother that they were going off to the drive-in.
"You don't want to come too, Dar-Bear?" Two-Bit edged.
Darry raised his eyebrows at the unpleasant name.
"No thank you. I'd much rather a quiet night in to sort out bills and paperwork."
"Boring Superman," Two-Bit droned; rolling his eyes.
"Be lucky you ain't got to do that," Darry commented.
Pony cheered along with Soda as Steve kept whooping, all waiting for Two-Bit.
"Hurry up Two-Bit, ya bum!" Steve yelled.
"Oi! Who ya callin' bum, man?!" Two-Bit yelled back.
Pony and Soda were about to walk out the door when Darry called.
"Be back by eleven sharp. I don't want you or Pony out in the town past that time," Darry ordered in a stern tone.
"Sure Darry, we'll be back by then and I'll keep an eye on Pone."
"We all will!" Two-Bit shouted enthusiastically.
"We going or not?" Steve questioned, becoming impatient.
"Yeah I'm ready!" Two-Bit yelped.
Soda wrapped his arm around Pony's shoulder and the four headed down the street towards Steve's car.
"Ah look at the lovebirds," Two-Bit teased, chuckling.
Soda frowned and Pony blushed, shifting out of Soda's grip.
"Shut it Two-Bit!" Soda yelled.
"Ha: the look on your faces!" Two-Bit laughed.
The four jumped into Steve's car and soon were on their way to the drive in.
"Yo, I'm sitting there!" Two-Bit yelled, jumping over some seats at the drive-in to get the middle seat in the center of the isle.
Pony smirked at his buddy's antics, while Steve and Soda laughed.
"Excuse me ladies," Two-Bit turned on his charm as he stepped past a group of young female teens.
The girls giggled and watched the joking greaser. When Two-Bit however attempted to chat some girls up in the adjacent row they had turned up their noses and spat insults.
"Hard luck man," Steve laughed.
Pony took his seat quietly, trying to remain unnoticed, having never liked the attention solely on himself.
Two-Bit sat beside Pony and Steve sat closer to the edge, not wanting to be close to Pony and be embarrassed to be hanging with a fourteen year old kid.
"You okay, Pone?" Soda asked, patting Pony's shoulder.
Pony glanced up at his caring brother and nodded.
"I'm fine Soda."
Over the loud cheering and chatting Pony's reply was barely heard, so Soda just gave his brother a smile.
"Who wants some drinks?" Soda asked.
"Don't forget the grub!" Two-Bit yelled.
"You're a grub!" Steve smarted.
"Come over here and say that; I'll show ya!" Two-Bit challenged, in which Steve just casually laughed off.
"I won't forget the snacks," Soda said curtly.
"Pony, ya want a pepsi?"
"Yes please, Soda."
Soda then rushed off to the food court and stood in line.
Soda was mindlessly swinging his hands in his jeans pockets when he heard a soft voice call from behind him.
"Hi Sodapop: fancy seeing you here."
Soda turned and instantly smiled as he noticed the friendly blonde from the other day at the DX: Sandy.
"Hi: Sandy, right?" Soda greeted.
"Yeah, you remembered."
"It's hard to forget the name of a girl with a pretty face."
Sandy blushed.
"Besides you remembered me," Soda smirked.
"Well it's hard to forget someone with such an unusual name," Sandy smiled.
Soda and Sandy shifted forward in the line, standing in silence for a brief few minutes before Soda turned back to Sandy, breaking the tension.
"Did you and your friend get to that party on time the other day?"
"Yeah we did; all thanks to you."
Soda shrugged, "I was just doing my job."
"Well thank you again."
Soda and Sandy shifted closer to the counter again and with an awkward blush Sandy let out a whisper, "Are you here with your girlfriend?"
Soda smirked, "Nah, haven't found the right girl yet. What about you: you here alone?" Soda inquired.
"No I came with some girlfriends; I don't have a boyfriend either. All my girlfriends are here with dates, so that just leaves me. I was just getting some snacks so I could watch the movie," Sandy answered.
"Well I'm here with my buddies and my little brother, why don't you come and sit with us; I'm sure they wouldn't mind and would like to meet you," Soda offered.
"Oh, I couldn't impose."
"You wouldn't be imposing, 'sides it'd give us a chance to get to know each other."
"Sure, I'd like that," Sandy smiled.
"Can I help you sir?"
Soda stepped up to the counter and made his order and after waiting for Sandy to make hers the two walked back to where Steve, Two-Bit, and Ponyboy were.
"Hey guys, look who I ran into at the food court," Soda announced.
Two-Bit eyed off Sandy; having such a keen interest in blondes and to him, her shapely figure was something.
"Hey it's that girl from the DX," Steve stated; giving Soda a wink.
"Everyone this is Sandy. Sandy this here is Steve, who works at the DX with me. That's Two-Bit over there; don't listen to his jokes, he's always spouting off and his jokes don't make no sense." Soda pointed to his buddies in turn.
"Hey I thought you always liked my jokes?" Two-Bit stated, pretending to be insulted, before smiling at Sandy.
"Hello beautiful."
"Back off Two-Bit; get your own girl," Steve snapped.
Two-Bit chuckled, "Easily done."
Soda shook his head and pointed to Pony.
"And this here is my little brother, Ponyboy."
"Hi Ponyboy," Sandy greeted.
Pony looked up and felt an unusual ache in his chest seeing someone new with Soda but the youngest greaser quickly brushed it off.
"Hi," Pony whispered and turned his gaze forward to hide his blushing cheeks.
Soda nudged Sandy, "He's a bit shy around new people, especially girls."
Soda handed out the snacks and drinks and along with Sandy made his way into the vacant seats.
"Here Sandy: you sit next to Ponyboy," Soda instructed.
Pony instantly frowned at Soda's suggestion. Sandy sat beside the shy teen, leaving Soda to sit between her and Steve.
Steve nudged Soda. "Good job man; she's hot."
Soda smiled in agreement then focused his gaze on the screen in front of him as the movie began to play. Soda felt a rush of excitement run through him, having the beautiful girl from the DX sitting beside him and hoped he'd finally found his girl.
Pony quietly munched on his popcorn, but continued to side glance and squirm in his seat, questioning why his brother had made this strange girl sit in between them. Pony didn't like it one bit and he certainly didn't like it when he saw Soda place his arm around Sandy's shoulder; the blonde moving in closer to the care-free greaser's hold.