AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Many thanks, to all those that are reading this story, and have reviewed, followed, and favourited. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 4

Ponyboy stomped off to his room and kicked the mess on the floor.

"Stupid Sandy, and stupid grounding. It's only because of her that Soda and Darry are acting like that; normally they don't care," Pony grumbled and flopped on the bed with a sulk.

Soda didn't want to spend time with him anymore because of Sandy and he hated that; it hurt him.

Pony continued to wallow in his own misery, not realizing the time going by until he heard the bedroom door open, revealing an unhappy looking Darry.

"Ponyboy," Darry said firmly, closing the door as he entered.

Pony sat up and gulped knowing he was in for a lecture over the things he'd said, given the time he had in his room he contemplated how wrong what he said was.

"Ponyboy I am disappointed in your behaviour tonight. I have not raised you, nor Mum and Dad raised you, to act so disrespectfully around guests; especially women."

Pony stared down at his blanket at that comment, he'd known he'd let his brother and most importantly his parents down.

"You will give Sandy a full apology by the end of the night, or so help me Ponyboy I will change your grounding to a month and speaking of that; it will be home and school only: no TV and certainly no movies," Darry affirmed, laying down the law while keeping his eyebrow firmly raised.

Pony was well aware of his grounding conditions and didn't want it rubbed in. Pony had tears in his eyes as he glanced up at his tall brothers very stern face; to Pony Darry's frown made the young man appear so much older than he was, but maybe Darry always looked like that ever since he'd taken on the responsibility of parent; Pony had just never noticed.

"Now on the topic of you talking back to Soda and me: I will not tolerate that mouthy behaviour Ponyboy and I had better not hear any more hurtful or disrespectful words come out of your mouth or you will find yourself in serious trouble. Is that understood?" Darry asked sternly; his arms folded strongly over his chest.

"Yes Darry. I'm sorry," Pony mumbled.

"Make sure you get to bed by nine-thirty," Darry ordered and turned to leave the room, closing the door behind him as he left.

As soon as the door has clicked shut, Pony felt hot tears fall down his face again. He hated when his brothers were mad at him, but wasn't he entitled to an opinion too?

Darry had finished cleaning up the dishes and Soda stood beside him ready to dry up, however Darry took a look at Sandy sitting alone at the kitchen table and gestured for Soda to go back to her.

"What about the dishes, Dar?" Soda asked.

"I'll finish up. Sandy's your guest so you should be with her."

Soda playfully punched his older brother on the arm and gave a smile before making his way back towards his girlfriend.

Two-Bit and Steve entered the Curtis house full of commotion and laughter. By now Soda and Sandy were sitting together on the couch watching some television; Soda had his arm firmly wrapped around Sandy's shoulder and Darry was perched in his recliner.

"Hi ya Curtis's; lovely lady," Two-Bit greeted.

"Shove off Two-Bit!" Soda joked.

"Hi Two-Bit and Steve," Sandy greeted and Darry gave his buddies an eye raise.

Steve flopped himself down on the couch next to the young couple while Two-Bit glanced around.

"Where's little Curtis?"

"Ponyboy is in his room being punished," Darry answered in a rough tone.

Two-Bit laughed, "What the kid do; charm Soda's girl too much?"

"So full of yourself Two-Bit!" Steve laughed.

"Hey, who asked you?" Darry gazed up at the easy-going greaser.

"What Ponyboy did is none of your business."

Two-Bit flopped down on the couch on the other side of Sandy and Soda, now making the young couple sandwiched between their friends. Soda just wanted some alone time with his girlfriend and gently squeezing Sandy's hand he whispered, "Let's go to my room."

Soda helped Sandy up from the couch, leaving Two-Bit, and Steve whooping and cheering.

"Remember what I told you Soda," Darry warned.

"Yeah I know Darry."

Soda pulled Sandy along towards the bedroom but felt a small tug on his hand as they neared the end of the hall.

"Soda wait: isn't your little brother in there?" Soda frowned, still feeling angry at his little brother and in no means was Pony going to ruin his night with Sandy.

"He has his own room he can go to. He only sleeps in my room because he has nightmares," Soda spat, though feeling a slight twinge of guilt for talking badly about his kid brother.

Soda flung open the bedroom door. Ponyboy sat up with a start and gazed at Sandy and his brother with red rimmed eyes from crying.

"Ponyboy get out. Sandy and I want some alone time; she still needs comforting from what you said to her," Soda spat.

Pony swallowed a thick lump in his throat having Soda throw his comment back in his face like that; it wasn't like Soda at all.

Sandy turned away shyly, wanting to avoid the confrontation between the brothers.

"Soda, it's okay; we can go elsewhere and I'm not bothered by what happened; I just want to be with you," Sandy whispered, squeezing Soda's hand.

Pony glared at Sandy, despising hers and Soda's connection. Yeah do go somewhere else and stay away from us you brother stealer, Pony thought, wanting to spit out every hurtful word just to make Sandy go away from Soda but thought better.

"Darry told me to stay in my room," Pony said angrily.

"Sodapop maybe I should go home," Sandy whispered.

"No Sandy, you're staying. Ponyboy get up and get out! Anyway you can go to your old room, this is my room."

Pony was shocked by his brother's retaliation and Pony's anger just fueled as he swiftly stood up from the bed.

"You just want me out so you can play stupid footsie games and kiss your stupid girlfriend!"

Sandy tried to pull free from Soda's grip, feeling dejected and uncomfortable.

"What is with you Ponyboy? You are behaving like a right brat and I ought to tell Darry everything you said, because he clearly didn't give you a good enough telling off!" Soda yelled.

"Soda please, it's okay," Sandy whispered.

Darry had heard the yelling and commotion from the living room and had shot up from his chair, rushing down the hall.

"What's going on down here? I bet they can hear ya down the street, all this yelling! And what's this: ought to tell Darry business?!" Darry demanded.

Pony stared down at the floor, not wanting to deal with his big brother again.

"Well I'm waiting," Darry said sternly; arms folded across his chest and standing tall.

Two-Bit and Steve who had been wrestling each other in the living room stopped briefly, listening in to the yelling going on down the hall.

"Maybe we should get going; Superman seems mighty cheesed," Two-Bit stated.

Steve snickered, "Nah, I wanna listen to this. It's about time that kid got told off; get the feeling of what real life is like, not living in his dream world."

Steve turned to look at Two-bit who shrugged and listened in as well.

"Ponyboy what are you doing bothering Sandy and Soda again anyway?" Darry accused.

Pony's eyes widened; it wasn't fair that Darry was immediately taking Soda and Sandy's side without even listening to him.

"I wasn't!" Pony snapped.

"Watch your tone with me, little man. Soda clearly said you've been bothering him and mouthing off!" Darry yelled.

"He was the one who came into our room, Darry, and you were the one who told me to go to my room, so you should be yelling at them not me!" Pony argued.

"Ponyboy: last warning on that mouthy attitude!" Darry warned.

He was trying his hardest to keep his temper in check considering they had a female guest in the house.

"Darry I asked Pony to leave so Sandy and I could have some alone time and all he does is argue and call Sandy nasty names again," Soda complained; glaring hard at his younger brother, while still squeezing Sandy's hand.

Darry raised his eyebrow. "Well this is new. Didn't you cause enough trouble at the dinner table with spouting out insults and names, hmm?"

Pony shuffled his shoe on the floor and felt his face flush red; not only was he being scolded again but it was happening with Sandy right next to them.

"Was my warning not clear enough for you Ponyboy? Do I need to make my voice heard and take the consequences a step further than grounding; put you over my knee?"

Pony's face shot up at Darry's threat, even Soda widened his eyes in shock; Darry must be at his last tether with the youngest Curtis to even think of threatening that. Pony turned his face downwards immediately as he realized the embarrassment his big brother had just put on him.

Pony kept his eyes cast onto a thread of fluff on the carpet, wishing that it would just untwine and swallow him up whole.

Pony became lost in his thoughts that he had not noticed Darry repeating himself until Darry's voice boomed through his thoughts.

"Ponyboy Curtis, you will answer me promptly and not get your head in the clouds when I'm talking to you; ya hear?"

Pony nodded and gave his answer to Darry's previous declaration, "No Darry."

"Well I suggest you stop this nonsense behaviour Ponyboy."

Darry turned to Sandy and noticed the young girl's awkward stature.

"Sandy I'm terribly sorry about all this."

"Its fine," Sandy mumbled sweetly.

"I hope you have apologized to Sandy for the way you treated her at dinner at least, Ponyboy," Darry said firmly.

"No he hasn't!" Soda snapped.

Darry angrily shook his head.

"Ponyboy do it now and apologize to Soda as well then you will go to your old room and stay there," Darry ordered in his harsh, deep voice.

Pony stared up at Soda and Sandy; hands entwined with each other and it make Pony sick to his stomach, but he thought he'd better comply as he didn't want more conflict. Soda was glaring hard at Pony, challenging him to see what he was going to do.

"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you at dinner and just now Sandy and I'm sorry Soda for causing trouble," Pony mumbled.

"Good to hear that Ponyboy; Sandy ain't been nothing but nice to you and you've been real mean all night," Soda stated.

Pony looked down ashamed; even apologizing didn't get Soda back on his side.

"Well it sounds like we're done here; Ponyboy back to your old room and Soda not too long alright little buddy?"

"Sure thing Dar," Soda smiled and pulled Sandy into the bedroom as Pony slipped out of the way and followed Darry's firmly pointing finger towards his old bedroom.

Sluggishly walking through the door, Pony closed the door behind him and sat down on the bed; looking around the empty, lonely room.

Soda turned towards Darry before the older greaser disappeared out of sight.

"Darry: you weren't really gonna...?"

Darry furrowed his brow. "Yes Sodapop I would have, if that's what it would have taken for him to learn some respect. You know as well as I do that Mum and Dad would not have tolerated Pony's mouthy behaviour and disrespect," Darry explained firmly.

Soda nodded and turned to smile back at Sandy. Darry walked back into the living room where Two-Bit and Steve occupied, still eavesdropping.

"So what happened Superman; were you really gonna tan the kid?" Two-Bit asked with curiosity.

"Shut up Two-Bit!" Steve laughed, slapping Two-Bit in the chest.

"What? I want to know?" Two-Bit replied simply.

Steve grabbed the joking greaser in a headlock and the two went back to wrestling.

Darry just rolled his eyes, not saying one word to his two buddies and sat back down in his recliner to read the paper.

Meanwhile back in Pony's room, Pony lay on his bed listening to Soda and Sandy in the next room giggling. The walls were thin in the Curtis house; either that or Pony's hearing was sharpened in on his brother and his girlfriend.

Soda and Sandy were stretched out on the bed and Soda was gently playing with Sandy's top; caressing her chest.

"Soda stop," Sandy giggled bashfully.

Pony lied against his pillow and let a few tears slip from his eyes. He knew Sandy would likely be in his side of the bed, sharing the hugs he used to get from Soda.

Pony felt a pain run through his heart as the thought crossed his mind that he was being replaced. Pony eventually fell asleep, letting his cries tire him out.

Pony woke the next morning to a dark room. Pulling himself up, he glanced beside him and ran a hand over the empty space next to him; he was alone and he'd spent the whole night alone.

Adjusting his eyes to the darkness Pony realized that he was in his old room and remembered back to the incidents from the previous night. Pony saddened, dropping his shoulders and shifting softly in his sheets; he was hurt.

Neither of his brothers had woken him. Pony had a thought: what if Soda didn't want him sleeping with him anymore or even worse still: what if Sandy was still in his bed?

Pony shot out of bed, glancing briefly at the clock, which read five-thirty, and quickly shuffled down the hall to Soda's room.

Pony hesitated at the door as his hand wavered over the handle, for he was afraid of what he would see. Swallowing a huge lump looming in his throat, feeling it join the unsteady feeling in his stomach, Pony took a deep breath and slowly opened the bedroom door.

To his surprise, Pony only saw Soda; flopped down on his stomach, fast asleep, with his arms hanging out to his sides with one hanging over the edge of the bed. Pony's side was empty; no Sandy in sight.

Ponyboy smiled in relief; this meant he had a change to make things right with Soda and stop Sandy replacing him. Pony grabbed some clothes and jumped in to have a shower before his brothers woke.

By the time Pony had finished up in the shower, Darry was already up getting a start on breakfast.

"Morning Darry," Pony greeted.

"Morning Ponyboy," Darry responded quietly.

Darry's unenthusiastic reply made Pony feel guilty and question whether his big brother was still angry at him for last night.

"Darry, I'm really sorry about how I treated ya last night and how I acted."

Darry stared at Pony with his worn out, tired eyes.

"Just don't do it again," Darry responded.

This time Pony could tell that Darry had just been tired and that all had been forgiven and he gave a small smile.

"Pony, go on down and give Soda a poke. I woke him up before but you know what he's like."

Pony obediently nodded and shifted out of the kitchen chair, back down to Soda's room. Soda had now curled himself up on his side and still appeared to be sleeping.

"Soda: Darry says you have to get up, otherwise breakfast will be cold," Pony stated, only now beginning to realize just because Darry had forgiven him didn't mean that Sodapop had too.

Pony gave Soda another shove, "Soda."

Soda grunted. "I'm up Pony; I'm up," Soda said drowsily.

To Pony's relief he saw Soda give him a smile.

"Sodapop Curtis get out of that bed, and Ponyboy hurry up; breakfast is almost ready!" Darry's booming voice rose down the hall.

"How's he know that?" Soda queried, pulling himself out of the bed.

"Darry always knows," Pony replied quietly.

Soda tapped Pony gently on his shoulder then proceeded to drag himself around the room grabbing his clothes to get dressed.

"You're right about that kiddo. Hey I missed you last night, but Dar and I didn't want to wake you seein' as you have so much trouble sleepin' sometimes," Soda said with a smile, tugging on his jeans.

Pony smiled. So Soda did want me to sleep in his room. Maybe I don't have to worry about Sandy as much after-all? Pony wondered.