In Hot Water

Chapter Nine: "The Letter on the Coffee Table"

Tuesday May 24th, 1966

Morning had arrived, and Pony felt good and well rested. It was probably the best he had slept since the night he got kidnapped, maybe even the best he'll have for a while, and it felt wonderful to him. Of course, he did wake up once last night, but it wasn't a bad nightmare at all. Soda was sound asleep at that time so Pony knew it wasn't bad enough to awaken him.

The sun slightly peaked through the curtains. Ponyboy knew that Darry and Soda probably already left for work. They didn't wake him like they usually do, but nothing was normal these past couple of days. Nothing was normal these past couple of months. Pony definitely didn't expect things to go back to the way they used to just over night. That would be great, but things just didn't work out that way. He knew it was going to take some time, and the process of that wouldn't start until Shane was behind bars. Securely behind bars, or perhaps even dead.

Ponyboy took his morning shower, got dressed and finished his morning routines before entering the living room. Two-Bit was snoring on the couch, sleeping with his shoes still on his feet and a blanket draped over his tall body. Pony sighed at the scene and looked at the clock, realizing how early this was for Two-Bit. It was nine o'clock. Two-Bit should be in his own bed wearing comfortable clothing instead of being fully dressed and sleeping on a couch in the summer. Ponyboy felt guilty, but the guilt washed away quickly.

The fourteen year old crept towards the sleeping eighteen, almost nineteen year old intending on waking him up, but Pony stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on the coffee table. There laid a paper, words typed on it professionally looking important. Papers like that almost always belonged to Darry in this household, but Pony couldn't help but pick it up, his green eyes moving side to side absorbing the words in his mind.

"What?" he gasped, not sure what to think. The car accident that happened a little bit over a year ago was just a simple accident. The roads were wet and icy, anybody could've been its victim, and it just unfortunately happened to be his parents who were hit by someone else who slipped. It was an accident, or at least that's what Pony thought. What he was told.

"There has to be some kind of mistake… Darry would've told me. Soda would've told me."

The car accident wasn't just an accident. The person who was behind the other wheel in the other car that hit his parents was drunk-very drunk, and was going to be released from prison soon. June third, that is ten days away, it is also the same date as the day that Shane… Pony shook his head, stuffing the letter in his pocket, the fourteen year old took off through the front door, making sure not to disturb the sleeping person when he shut it.

Truth was, Pony was pissed. He didn't really know what to think. Why didn't Darry tell him? Did Soda know? Soda couldn't possibly know, Soda would've told him the truth. Soda can't lie or with hold the truth, he always feels too guilty and ends up spilling the beans. So why was Darry keeping this from them? Why didn't Darry say anything? They had every right to know, after all they were Pony and Soda's parents too, not just Darry's.

The truth can hurt, but knowing that you've been lied to hurts worse and knowing that you've been lied to by someone you loved and trusted was even worse. Pony felt betrayed by his big brother.

oOoOo

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Two-Bit woke up, hearing feet on the porch steps. He leaned up off the couch, looking out the window watching Ponyboy take off down the sidewalk.

"Oh shit!"

Two-Bit jumped off the couch. The blanket that was ontop of him fell onto the floor, and in his rush to get Ponyboy before he got too far caused him to trip over the thin cloth wrapped around his feet. Two-Bit pushed the blanket away from him, throwing it back on the couch his eyes meet the coffee table that looked cleaner than it was when he fell asleep after Darry and Soda went to work. He shrugged it off and tumbled out of the house. Two-Bit ran a hand through his messy bed hair while running down the stairs.

"PONYBOY!" he yelled, but by the time Two-Bit made it to the sidewalk, Ponyboy was no where to be seen. Like he disappeared into thin air.

"I am going to be in so much trouble," Two-Bit mumbled to himself, before going the direction he saw Pony last heading. This was not a pleasant way to wake up from a nap at all.

oOoOo

Two-Bit's walk lead him to the DX. Thinking Pony probably came by to see his brother, he entered through the store doors, to find Soda in an empty store, flipping through a magazine looking bored. Sodapop looked up at Two-Bit as the bell had rang, startled to see Two-Bit's appearance, he jumped.

"Nice hairdo Two-Bit, it looks good on you."

Two-Bit ran a hand through his messy hair again while shooting a grin at his fellow greaser. "Shoot Soda, anything looks good on me."

Soda tossed the magazine on the counter. "Ponyboy with you?"

Two-Bit frowned. For a second he totally forgot the reason he was came by the DX. He shook his head and sighed. "He took off this morning. I took a nap, and before I know it I hear him walking down the front porch steps. He looked pissed. Came by hoping he came to see you."

"You're suppose to be watching him Two-Bit! He's not suppose to be left alone!"

"I know, and I'm sorry. Call me the lousiest horse-sitter. I honestly didn't expect him to just leave like that. You gonna call Darry?"

Soda shook his head. "No, but Two-Bit if he doesn't come back by the time Darry gets off work, it's your job to tell him."

Sighing Two-Bit nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Two-Bit walked out of the DX, hoping to find Ponyboy before Darry found out he left the house under his watch. He wasn't exactly looking forward to face Darry.

oOoOo

"Hey Curtis!"

Pony turned around on his heel as he heard the familiar voice yell out to him. "Hey Curly."

Curly Shepard raced up to Ponyboy. It's been awhile since Pony last saw him. Curly was in jail from lifting a few things from a drug store the last time he checked. He had to just got released, perhaps it was over the weekend, since he hasn't left the house since.

"I see you're out of the slammer now."

"Guess so. Got out Friday night. Haven't seen ya in a while Ponyboy!" Curly paused. "Tim told me everything. Surprised that brother of yours is allowing you out on the streets. They haven't caught the guy yet, have they?"

"No, they haven't, and as far as Darry knows, I'm still at my house."

"Aw, so I guess you aren't so perfect after all. So why are you sneaking out?"

Pony shrugged, what was he suppose to say? Oh well my brother lied to me and I just need to get out and cool off, plus being locked in the same house twenty-four seven is very boring and I needed to get out of there, just for a few minutes. Why are you out Curly?

"Just bored, that's all. Thought I'd take a little walk and head back before Two-Bit wakes up and freaks."

Curly nodded. "Yeah, I get that. You're famous around here though. Your name pops up in the newspaper every day now. How does it feel to be known all over Tulsa?"

Pony took a step back. "Newspaper? What do you mean?"

Curly walked a few steps back, opening a lid to someone's trashcan and before Pony knew it, Curly was walking back. "Good thing it's trash day. Here ya go kid, look, it's got your picture and everything!"

Convict Escaped From Prison, By Linda James…

Pony read the words and looked at his picture printed directly on the side of Shane's. He crumbled the article in a ball and tossed it in the grass. Now something just made his day even worse than it already was and it was only nine thirty in the morning!

"Curtis, wait up!" Curly yelled from behind, catching up to his friend. "I knew you could run fast kid, but you sure can walk pretty quick too! Listen, I'd hate to leave you by yourself, me and a couple of buddies from my gang were heading-"

"I don't want to do anything illegal Curly. I can't get caught and you know that. I'll be fine by myself. I was just headed somewhere and then I was going to go home. It was nice talking to ya Curly. Maybe some other time we could hang out."

Curly nodded and waved. "Sure Curtis. Oh and Ponyboy, please so be careful. I'm sorry about everything that's going on, just watch your back. See ya around."

"Thanks Curly." Pony waved and sighed. It was a sad day when you received sympathy from Curly Shepard. It wasn't something that happened very often and because of that, it didn't feel right, but Pony knew he probably was going to have to get used to it.

He continued on his path, a path he took several times before taking him into Soc territory and into the cemetery. Too many bodies of people he knew were buried here. Five to be exact; his parents, Johnny, Dally, and the person who started this whole mess, Bob. Too many people were dead in his life and Pony wasn't sure who'd be the next to be buried here; Steve, Two-Bit, maybe one of the Shepards, he was probably going to be next. Pony just wished that neither of his brothers would end up under here anytime soon. WHo ever it was going to be next, it couldn't be his brothers.

He looked at his parents' tombstones as he crouched down next to them. With his index finger, Pony traced the names over and over again. Darrel Curtis. Anne Curtis. Everything he knew about how his parents died was almost a lie. Sure, they did die in a wreck, but the story behind the accident wasn't true, and Pony couldn't believe it. Now Pony would probably never look at a bottle of beer the same. He knew what alcohol could do to you. He'd seen Two-Bit, but now he knew what other things that could happen if someone like Two-Bit got behind the wheel. It was horrible. It was like alcohol was the devil's only friend.

With a long sigh, Pony stood up off the ground, and began to head home. A day like this could only get better, right?

oOoOo

"Where the hell have you been?" Soda yelled as Pony walked through the front door. It was only eleven o'clock in the morning. Soda should still be at work mich meant, Two-Bit must have told. The fourteen year old didn't exactly know what to think, Soda never yelled at him, so he just stood there quietly, waiting for his anger to pass.

"I thought it was clear to you that you do not leave without someone with you. You could've gotten yourself hurt Ponyboy!"

Pony nodded. "It's crystal."

"Then what the heck were you doing out by your lonesome?"

"I wasn't exactly alone.." Pony's voice trailed off, thinking of his run in with Curly, and then his visit with his parents...his parents… Pony took the folded piece of paper out of his pocket, handing it to his brother. "Did you know about this?"

Sodapop reluctantly took the paper out of his little brother's hands, unfolding it but not taking his eyes off Pony. Soda was confused why Pony was giving him a piece of paper. Soda's eyes moved across the paper just like Pony's have done before. He was speechless when he made it to the bottom of the page.

"Someone left it on the coffee table this morning."

Soda sighed. "I guess that someone has some explaining to do when he gets home from work."

Ponyboy nodded and let out a sigh as well. "He doesn't have to know I Ieft, right? I just want to go on a walk. It sucks being locked in a house with Two-Bit all day."

The seventeen year old shook his head. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him right? He'll probably have a heart attack. I won't tell him, but I swear to God Ponyboy, don't ever do that again, alright?"

Pony nodded. "I won't…. Soda, did you know I've been in the newspaper?"

Soda took a seat in Darry's recliner. "I think the whole town knows kiddo. Who told you?"

"Curly. He's out of jail now."

oOoOo

Darry walked through the front door, taken aback to see Soda in the living room. He wasn't suppose to get off work until another half hour. "Boss let me go early today. Took the offer," he explained before Darry could even ask.

Ponyboy set his book down on the coffee table as Soda took something out of his back pocket. The not so quite happy-go-lucky teenager handed Darry the piece of paper. "Darry, what's this about?"

Darry took the letter from Soda, once he unfolded it, and read the first sentence, he knew what it was. Darry sighed and explained the things that Soda and Ponyboy already found out by reading that piece of paper. "He gets released on June third. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys. I thought it's make it easier on you if you didn't know. I didn't find out until a week after the funeral."

Soda shook his head. "You still should've told us. We deserved to know what happened too."

Darry nodded. "And I was. I was going to tell you, I just didn't know how. I didn't have the heart. I'm sorry you two."

Pony nodded. "It's alright Darry. We know now."

Hope this chapter was satisfying enough. Thanks for the reviews, and please don't forget to leave one(if it encourages you even more, yesterday was my birthday). Reviews encourage me to write more for you guys.

The story will pick back up into some more action. Next chapter is going to take place a couple days later, so we'll actually be skipping a lot of days and guess who we get to see that we haven't seen in a couple of chapters? I really need to stop giving you guys hints, some of you are really putting this story together...

Anyways don't forget to review! Also, I didn't get to proof read this very well. I just scammed through it...

-MLC 99