In Hot Water
Chapter Eleven: "Torn Into Shreds"
Friday June 3rd, 1966
It was nearly six o'clock in the evening, and Darry threw the newspaper into the trashcan. He didn't want to see the articles again, he couldn't see the articles again. It was just another reminder that his brother was gone again. First it was Windrixville, then it was when Shane took him back in January, after that came the time that only happened a few weeks ago when Shane had took him out of his own home, last time he was kidnapped was yesterday afternoon. Ponyboy had been absent a total of four times in Darry's life and each time had occurred within a year. The kid sure knew how to worry his brothers, but neither of these times were his fault. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time like always.
"Darry?" Soda's sad, desperate voice asked. "What are we going to do now?"
Darry shook his head, not sure what to say because he didn't know what to do. Ponyboy was gone, and they were useless to him, it was like all the other times he's been taken occurring all over again. Two-Bit told them what had happened yesterday when they both got home from work, he didn't even give the Curtises a chance to respond before walking out of the front door, to scared to see what would happen to him. He left Pony alone. It was his fault and he felt ashamed to show his face.
Suddenly something occurred to Soda. He stood up from the kitchen chair and walked into the living room, pulling the shoes of his feet. He had somewhere to go, someone to talk to. Soda was going to do no matter what to get his brother back for good.
"I'm going out, I'm be back soon Darry," the seventeen year old hollered out. Darry wasn't sure what to think, when Two-Bit told them the news, he expected Soda to lock himself in his room, sure Soda was sad, but he seemed angry too.
"Alright, just… Just be careful Sodapop."
oOoOo
That evening just happened to be one of those times that the weather just matched your feelings. The rain poured outside, pounding and jumping off the pavement as it hit. Water was running down the streets and into the drains, while the rest was just puddling up in places it couldn't drain. The lighting was the the only source of light from the dark clouds covering the sun and the blue sky.
Soda pulled Darry's truck up to the DX before he hopped out of it, entering the storm. He ran to the garage while covering his head with his jacket trying not to get as soaked. Steve looked up from the engine he was bent over when he heard Soda's footsteps. Grease and oil covered his hands and a little bit was on his face. Steve didn't exactly know what to think, Soda wasn't suppose to work that day and plus Soda was also giving him the silent treatment for whatever reason.
"Hey Soda." Steve substituted his tool for a cloth. He wiped the brown and black liquid off of his hands before tossing the dirty towel to the side. "What brings you here?"
"Where is he Steve?" Soda said bluntly and straightforwardly.
Steve was more confused than he was when his friend first arrived. "What do you mean?"
"Don't pretend you don't know." Thunder roared as Soda paused. "You set me you with her, you had to know."
"What-what are you talking about Soda?"
"Shannon. You set me up with her. You told me she would be good for me, but she ended up being Shane Whitfield's cousin. She helped him escape out of jail and get ahold of my brother. And you helped Darry find Pony in the woods the other day. You knew he was there all the this time I bet!"
Steve shook his head. "What? Is that why you're mad? You think I helped them?" Steve shook his head again. "Shannon, she's an acquaintance of Evie. They're not exactly friend's but that's how I met her, and when I did I thought the two of you would seem good together, have her to take Sandy off of your mind. As for Darry, Pony said he called me as a last resource. Showed up to your house to find you and Darry had got home right after Pony called and you were asleep, so Darry and I left to go look for him because your brother got an idea. Look Soda, I may not be too fond of the kid, but I'd never do something like that to him."
Soda went silent and stared down at his loose shoelaces. What was he suppose to say? He felt guilty for blaming Steve for this. Everything that has been going on lately had been effecting Soda more than anyone realized and now that Pony's gone again, well that just sent him off the cliff he's been struggling to hold onto. "Sorry" wasn't going to help matters.
Steve crossed his arms, he didn't exactly know what to say either. In fact he didn't even know about Shannon until Soda told him, or more liked yelled at him about it. He let out a deep sigh before saying: "How long did you know?"
"Pony told me. Told me the night he got home." Soda didn't take his eyes off the laces, he didn't dare to look Steve in the eyes. "She's dead now, you know?"
Steve immediately looked up. "Huh?"
"It's in the paper, she was found this morning," Soda said, deciding it was best not to tell him where. Steve and Two-Bit still didn't know the truth about his mom and dad's death, and it was best that they didn't, or at least right then. Everything was so complicated at that moment. Soda read the paper first only to find himself stuffing it in his brother's face, who later stuffed it in the garbage. Both siblings didn't know what to think. It just had to be a coincidence.
"Soda, I'm sorry about everything. Everything happens to us, to you guys. It's not fair. You're family deserves better that it's receiving Soda. Good people deserve good things, not… not this. It's like God's doin' everything he can to tear your family to shreds!"
The middle Curtis looked up from his shoes. "Nothing's ever fair on this side of town Steve. Why would God make any exception to us?"
Soda turned around, walking out of the garage with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked at the wet ground as he walked, staring at each crack under his feet, maybe stepping on them is why they have so much bad luck.
"Where ya goin' Soda?"
Sodapop turned around, looked at his best friend sadly. "Home to the only family I got left."
oOoOo
Darry dumped each plate and cup into the water. The dishes were normally Pony or Soda's job, mostly Pony's, but since neither of them were there, it was up to Darry. He didn't mind though, working kept his mind off of things. He needed to do something even if each dish was sparkling clean. When Darry heard the front door open though, he stopped. He dried his wet wrinkly, pruned hands with a towel before throwing it over his shoulder.
Soda leaned against the doorway in the kitchen. The house was quiet, like it was last week when Ponyboy was gone. The seventeen year old was in tears. They were streaming down his cheeks like a waterfall and it was the first thing Darry had noticed.
"Darry?" his voice cracked before repeating the question he had asked earlier that day. "Wh-what are we going to do now?"
Darry approached his sobbing, younger brother before pulling him into a arms. "I don't know little buddy, I just don't know."
And the two brothers stayed like that for a long time holding and clinging onto each other as if their lives depended on it, and at the time, it did. Darry and Soda needed each other more than they ever did at that moment, but they needed Ponyboy more.
"What if he never comes back Darry?"
Darry gently pushed his brother away to look him in his red, bloodshot eyes. He had been crying for awhile now obviously. Darry simply shook his head. "He's coming back Soda, he always comes back to us."
More tears leaked from Sodapop's eyes, dripping off his face and onto the hard wooded floor. Pony being away was clearly killing him, shattering him on the inside. Soda wasn't sure how much longer he could take it.
"We'll be okay Pepsi-Cola, we always make it in the end. No matter how tough it gets we survive."
"I just wish things weren't so tough. It's always us Dar. We always have the worst luck! You don't see the Shepards struggling the way we do or anyone else!"
"Sodapop," he said firmly, but yet gently, "Our family is nothing like the Tim and Curly Shepard, or anyone else."
oOoOo
The stars twinkled in the navy sky. The rain had stopped, and the clouds had cleared. It wasn't cold out, but the gentle night breeze said you needed a jacket. Pony of course didn't have one but it wasn't his fault this time, besides he was shivering from the cold, he was scared since a gun was pushed against the back of his head.
"Walk faster boy!" a man who was pulling him by his t-shirt collar said. Pony stumbled, trying to keep his balance it wasn't easy having someone tug you around while another was pushing you forward with a gun. But hardly anything in his life was easy, minus most of his school work of course.
Pony knew exactly where he was, he hasn't been here since that night back in September. It was hard to think how long ago that was, how long it has been since Johnny and Dally have been gone. Now it was his turn. The three men stopped when the reached the fountain at the center of the park. A duck swam in it all by it's lonesome, but that was soon to change.
Shane pushed the gun into his waistband and Pony didn't even bother to fight. There was no use anymore. No matter how hard he fights, it never ends. It never truly will end until he was dead. It was better that way anyway. Soda would be eighteen a a couple of months, then Darry could go back to school and both of them would have a better life. Things would just be easier if he was just gone.
"Just do it," Pony whispered sadly before Shane and John Hodgins grabbed the fourteen year old by his shoulders and stuffing him into the water. It wasn't as cold as last time, but the water was still freezing, but Ponyboy didn't care as the water filled his lungs.
Shane smiled in delight, lifting the kid up from the fountain only to shove him back under the water. It was what he wanted after all-Ponyboy to be dead, and now it was happening and the kid wasn't resisting either. But the didn't last long, and carefully turned upside down into a frown. It was then Shane Whitfield realized something. Sharon was right.
For the first time, Shane realized Sharon was right. He dragged her into a mess she had always been refusing to enter, but he made her. She obeyed until she finally blew and when she did he did something he shouldn't have done. Ponyboy always disobeyed him, but now, suddenly he's obeying him. Shane had realized Ponyboy was done playing this game, everyone was done play this game.
"Let him go," Shane said, releasing his grip. "Just let him go Hodgins."
The man pulled the kid out of the water, but kept him in his grip. The fourteen year old coughed and choked from the liquid in his lungs. Hodgins looked at Shane in disbelief.
"Why?"
"He doesn't deserve this. He didn't do anything wrong." Hodgins ignored Shane, pushing Ponyboy back into the fountain.
"I said stop!"
Shane pulled the gun from his waistband, aiming it towards his old cellmate, but John Hodgins only laughed.
"I never told you why I went to prison kid. I drink, a little too much, but it's my joy. It keeps me sane."
Shane was confused, but he held onto the gun, finger on the trigger ready to pull any moment.
Hodgins laughed. "Got behind the wheel one night and well, cops arrested me for driving under the influence, whatever the hell that's suppose to mean. I killed two people when I was driving I guess." Hodgins pulled Pony out of the water for a few moments and he gasped for air.
"Guess who's parents?" the man asked before stuffing the kid back into the cold water. "I think it's best we just end the kid's miserable life."
Shane didn't say anything as Hodgins continued to dunk Ponyboy under the water.
"That gun I gave you kid," Hodgins said. "It ain't loaded. Thought we'd use it as a bluff. Go ahead, pull the trigger. It ain't gonna work."
"Ending someone's life isn't the answer to your problems."
"Hell, it's either that or drink Shane. I ruined this kid's life."
"I've probably done worse. JUST STOP IT!" Shane's voice rose, and echoed through the silent night.
The man dropped the body into the water, floating face down. Hodgins pulled out a gun from his own waistband, pointing it at the teenager.
"Now this one is loaded."
Shane threw his hands up in surrender, looking Hodgins in the eyes with fear. Never had he regretted befriending John Hodgins until now, in fact, he didn't regret any of his choices until now.
"Please, just…"
Hodgins shook his head. "You'll rat me out, I know it. If you're dead, they'd think you shot yourself after you killed him. I'd be free."
"No, I won't. I won't say a word and I'll take the blame!" Shane said, but it was too late. Before Shane knew it, there was a loud pop at the same time his body went numb. Shane collapsed onto the ground and sirens erupted in the distance.
"What the fuck?" Hodgins muttered. He shoved the gun into Shane's hand while picking up the unloaded one off the ground before taking off to the truck driving off before the police had arrived.
I know it's been a while... again. I'm so sorry, I've been so busy and probably will be until school lets out. Bright side this story is almost done. I wonder what possibly could happen next?
I hope this was satisfying to you all. I found it fun to write, but I'm sorry I did not get the chance to proof read this to for you. Just be glad I'm even updating right now, on a Thursday too! Please review you guys, it means so much to me. Did you guys like that little twist at the end?(Not exactly a twist but you know what I mean)
-Michelle Loves Chocolate 99