AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Many thanks to all that have been supporting my story through reading and following, and also to those who have left a review:

Kaygreaser, mycookiegirl, StayGold3, Lovetoread75, GreaserG1rl201, Independence Undervalued, 4Dedicated, atyler4474, Fan, and Ponygirlrunner25.

Chapter 7

The following morning Pony stretched himself out of bed, feeling the best he'd been in days. He watched as Soda gave a groan, also pulling himself up from the bed.

Pony let out a chuckle at his older brother.

"What you laughing at Pone?" Soda grumbled.

"You: you always hate the mornings," Pony explained, baring a wide smile as he stood up from the bed.

"I don't know anyone who could like the mornings," Soda groaned.

"Darry does," Pony joked.

Soda laughed at Pony's expression, "Yeah a bit too much."

Pony chuckled and grabbed a fresh tee-shirt and pants to put on.

"Hey Pony you got any plans for tonight?" Soda asked; now fully out of bed, fumbling around the room to gather up his work uniform.

Pony shook his head in response.

"I was thinking maybe tonight after you finish with your school projects and stuff we could go out to the Dingo then see a movie; just you and me," Soda smiled, trying to make a peace offering to his younger brother.

Pony couldn't believe his ears: Soda wanted to hang with him again and just him.

"Sure, I'd like that."

Soda reached his brother after having been on the opposite side of the room and ruffled his hair.

"Soda!" Pony protested.

Pony had just been neatly combing his hair and now Soda messed it all up. Soda rushed away as Pony made a run for him; items crashing on the floor and the two boys tripping as they chased each other in play.

"Soda, Pony: breakfast!" Darry's loud voice boomed down the hall and into the boy's bedroom.

"Those boys better be up," Darry grumbled; setting the plates down on the table.

It was always a miracle if he didn't have to go back into their rooms of a morning and nag them up. Darry heard a crash followed by a loud yelp from Soda.

"Yep; they're up," Darry mumbled and switching off the eggs and bacon, Darry wandered down to the boys room to investigate the noise.

Darry crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the sight in front of him: Pony was leaning down to his brother with his hair all disheveled, while Soda was on the ground holding his foot and moaning.

"What on earth is going on in here? Look at this mess," Darry stated.

Soda and Pony looked around the room at the mess on the floor and had they not have been chasing and mucking around Soda never would have tripped on some clothes and kicked his bare toe hard on the edge of the bed.

Soda glanced up at Darry with a pout on his face.

"I kicked my toe, Dar."

Soda waved his toe in the air.

"How'd you manage that, little buddy? You two playing around in here?" Darry asked, raising his brow.

Pony looked at the floor, avoiding his brother's question then took one glimpse at Soda before the two youngest brothers burst out laughing. Darry shook his head, trying to not smile himself; he loved seeing his brothers mucking about and having fun, but there was always a place a time for that.

Darry went back to his seriousness mode.

"Well I think it's a little too early to be playing games, and besides you both ain't gonna be late today, so hurry up; I got breakfast waiting," Darry lectured.

Pony straightened up and started combing his hair again and Soda finally got up from the ground.

"I gotta have a shower first," Soda stated.

"You should have been having one instead of causing a mess in here."

Soda shrugged and grabbing his work clothes, rushed into the bathroom.

"You never leave much time for a good breakfast before work Sodapop!" Darry yelled, but all that came from the bathroom was Soda's singing.

Pony wasn't too far behind Darry in making it to the kitchen and taking a seat.

"You got all your weekend homework ready for today?" Darry questioned, noticing the wide smile on Pony's face.

"Yeah I done it all on Saturday," Pony said proudly.

"Good man," Darry answered.

Taking a seat beside his brother with his plate of breakfast Darry just had to ask.

"Why you so happy today, Pony?"

Pony swallowed some of his food and looked up to his brother.

"Soda promised we could hang out at the Dingo and go see a movie tonight," Pony replied.

"Did he now? Does he realize it's a school night?" Darry implied.

Ponyboy groaned, he was looking forward to his special time with Soda and did not want Darry to ruin that by saying he could not go.

"Darry please don't say I can't go, I haven't hung out with Soda in ages; you said so last night," Pony pleaded.

"Ponyboy don't give me that look and say that; you hang with Soda at home all the time."

Pony sulked back in his chair. He not only wanted to spend time with Soda, he needed to spend this time with Soda.

"What'd I miss?" Soda's cheerful voice sung in the room as the middle Curtis entered.

Pony kept his gaze on his food.

"Pony was telling me how you told him he could go out with you tonight," Darry announced, using his authority voice.

Soda shrugged and sat down at the table.

"Yeah I said that," Soda replied.

"As yours and Pony's guardian, you know you have to run things by me first, Sodapop. It's a school night and I don't like Pony going out on a school night."

Pony frowned at his brother, running ideas through his mind on how he and Soda could still go out even if Darry said no.

"I know that Dar; it was only gonna be for the afternoon," Soda explained.

Pony flicked his eyes from both his brothers. Come on Soda, make Darry say yes.

Pony could tell Darry was in his thinking phase as he always had a particular look: a finger pressed firmly over his upper lip, squinted eyes that flicked back and forth as if he was reading a book, and a slightly furrowed brow, meant he was considering the pros and cons of an idea; it was almost as if Pony could envision the cognitive works within his older brother's mind.

"Darry please can I go out with Soda tonight; just this once?" Pony pleaded, unable to wait patiently for his brother's decision.

Darry averted his eyes to Soda, "You will have Pony back by eight?"

Soda nodded. "On the dot!" he said triumphantly.

Darry then turned to Pony, "And you had better get all your homework done from school today, no exceptions."

Pony nodded, "I will Dar."

"Yeah he will. I said I won't take him unless it's done," Soda said, feeling mighty proud of himself.

Darry gave a nod of his head and took his hand away from his face.

"Alright, you can go."

Pony instantly smiled, feeling full of glee inside.

"But remember my rules, both of you," Darry warned.

Soda happily swung his arm around Pony's shoulder.

"We're gonna have a good time and won't disobey your rules," Soda sassed, causing Pony to smile in admiration towards his brother.

Darry humph'd at Soda's reply. "Yeah alright, little buddy, but next time just confirm with a lot less sass; hear me?"

Soda chuckled and stood up from the table, rushing to grab his shoes.

"Come on boys, get in the truck," Darry instructed.

Pony and Soda rushed out the door with Darry following.

Pony stared out the window of Darry's truck, watching the worn down buildings and the blue sky, wondering how he was ever going to get through his day of school when he was eagerly looking forward to his night hanging with Soda.

Everything was back to normal. Everything was going to be perfect; or so he thought.