Sorry it took me a while to post this! Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! I'm glad people liked Pony's surprise. :)
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I walked home from school, enjoying the sunny summer morning. I'd only had one final today, first period, so it was still early and I was happy to have the rest of the day to spend with Soda. Last night was his first night home and when I'd gone to our room to go to sleep, I'd found him lying on our bed staring at the newly painted walls. I was relieved he liked the room so much. I'd worked real hard on it and I wanted so badly for it to make him feel better, at least for a while. I reached our small house and walked through the front door, apparently startling Darry. He was sitting at the kitchen table and looked up sharply when he heard me come into the living room. "Pony!" he exclaimed. "I didn't think you were gonna be home for another couple hours. Don't you have exams today?"
"Just one, and I finished early," I told him, confused by his strange behavior. It almost seemed like he was trying to hide something, but that didn't make a lot of sense to me. It's not like Darry exactly led a rebellious lifestyle. I dumped my backpack next to the couch and moved into the kitchen. That's when I noticed what Darry had been doing. He had the bills spread over the table and there was a paper covered with a bunch of numbers and scribbles in front of him. "Dare," I said tentatively, knowing he wasn't gonna like my next question. "What's going on? You look worried. Are we in trouble?"
"No," he answered quickly. "Don't worry, everything's fine." He started gathering all the bills up before I could take a look at them. If everything was fine, he wouldn't be trying to hide them from me.
"Darry, don't lie to me. Are we in trouble?" I repeated my question.
Darry had finished putting the bills into a pile and sat back in his chair. He studied me for a minute, then leaned forward and put an elbow on the table, resting his head in his hand. "No, Pony, we're not in trouble. Not yet, anyway," he sighed.
I digested his words. "How long?" I asked.
"A couple of weeks. Maybe a month. It would be sooner, but I had a bit of money saved up for emergencies." He let out a bitter laugh at that comment. "The government program is paying for all the medical bills, but without Soda's paycheck and with my reduced hours…" He trailed off, not needing to finish his sentence. I got the picture.
"I can help." I got exactly the reaction I expected.
"No, Pony. I don't want you working."
"C'mon, Dare. School's done for the summer, and we need the money. You said yourself we'd be in trouble in a couple weeks."
"There's still time to figure somethin' else out," he replied, staying firm. "You're only fourteen. You shouldn't have to get a job."
I opened my mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a new voice. "Ponyboy's right, Dare." We both looked up, startled to see Sodapop leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. I guess we'd both been so absorbed in our argument that neither of us had noticed him. He pushed off the doorframe and came over to the table, sitting down between us. "If Pony wants to help out, you should let him. He'll be fifteen in a few weeks, anyway, and like he said, we need the money." Soda stared glumly at the table as he said this last part. He hadn't mentioned it, but I knew he felt guilty about not being able to work.
"Look, Soda," Darry started. "I don't want Pony workin'. He's just a kid."
"I'm right here, ya know," I grumbled. I hated when Darry talked about me like I wasn't in the same room. "And I'm not a kid anymore."
"You're too young to work. Most places won't even hire you at your age."
Darry had a good point there, but I'd already thought of this. "But I don't have to work at an actual place. It's summer. I could cut grass. There's some older ladies in our neighborhood and I'm sure they'd hire me."
He looked thoughtful at this, considering my idea. "I guess it would be okay. I still don't like it, but I don't see any other choice." I smiled, happy to have won. "Anyway, I've gotta get goin'. Take it easy today, Pepsi," he said, standing up and ruffling Soda's hair.
Normally, Soda would've ducked out of Darry's reach at this—he hated when Darry messed up his hair—but today he just nodded, giving our brother a half-hearted smile.
It was two days later when it happened. It was Thursday and I had my last final after lunch. I woke up early so I could get in some last minute studying. Soda started to stir as I sat up. He opened his eyes and looked at me sleepily. "Mornin', Pone," he said, tossing back the covers and joining me sitting up cross legged. He ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly, not fully awake yet. That changed fast when he brought his hand back down and saw a clump of hair tangled in his fingers. He stared at it, not saying anything.
"Soda?" I reached a hand out and lightly put it on his shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. We'd all known this was coming, but it was different now that it was here.
"I was hopin' maybe I'd get lucky," he said quietly, more to himself than to me.
"Me too," I whispered.
We sat in silence for a few minutes until Soda tore his gaze away from his hand and looked up at me. "You've gotta get ready for school." He sounded dazed, like he wasn't really paying attention to what he'd told me.
I nodded and got up to leave the room. I didn't really need to get ready yet, but I didn't know what to do if I kept sitting there. I heard Darry in the kitchen and went to join him. He glanced up from the stove as I sat down at the table. He took one look at my face and knew something was up. "What's wrong?" he asked cautiously.
I didn't know any way to break the news easily, so I just said it. "Soda's hair is startin' to fall out."
Darry swore under his breath, then put down the spatula he'd been holding. "Can you finish up breakfast, Pone?" I nodded, going over to the stove. Darry left the kitchen and I heard my bedroom door softly close behind him. I'd finished cooking and had everything on the plates by the time he came back, Soda following slowly behind him. I could see traces of tears still on Soda's cheeks, but his eyes were dry now. He sniffled a little as he picked his fork up, but didn't say anything. I looked to Darry, wondering what he'd said to even get Soda to come out of our room. He'd been pretty stunned when I'd left him. Darry shook his head, indicating he'd tell me later. I didn't want to upset Soda any more, so I let it be.
When Darry and I had finished eating and Soda had finished pushing his food around his plate, Darry turned to him. "You ready, little buddy?" he asked gently. Soda nodded and sniffled again. I waited, confused, as Darry quickly cleared the table and then left the room. He returned a minute later holding a razor and then I understood.
"Oh, Soda," I breathed, pulling my chair close to his and taking his hand. I remembered how hard it had been for me to cut and dye my hair in Windrixville, but that was nothing compared to this. At least I'd still had hair. Darry stood behind Soda and squeezed his shoulder, then started shaving. Soda didn't say anything the whole time. He just stared at the table, a few silent tears running down his cheeks. When Darry had finished, I spoke up softly. "You okay, Soda?" It was a stupid question, but it was all I could think of.
Soda just nodded slightly, then stood up. "I'm gonna go take a nap," he said, leaving the room before either of us could say anything. I doubted he was actually going to sleep, but we both let him go, knowing he needed some time by himself. Darry got the broom and started to silently sweep up the hair on the ground while I started the dishes. Neither of us spoke and when everything was cleaned up I went over to the couch and got my notes out. I sat looking them over for the next couple hours, but I didn't take in a word of them.
At 11:00, Darry came and sat next to me as he put his work boots on. "I won't be home till after nine tonight," he said. "Get the guys to come over. See if you can cheer Soda up some, okay?" I nodded and watched Darry as he left the house.
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"Whoo! Another school year's done!"
I glanced at Two-Bit as we strolled out the front doors of the school and made our way to my truck. "I thought you liked school?" I asked. Lord knows why, but I'm sure Two-Bit failed classes on purpose just so he could stay in high school.
"Yeah, but I like summer even more." He gave a wide smile as we got to my truck and stopped to wait for the kid. I saw him coming out of the building, walking slowly with his shoulders slumped. "Don't look so down, Ponyboy!" Two-Bit cried, throwing his arm over the kid as he came up next to us. "School's done; it's time to celebrate, not mope!"
I knew as soon as I saw him that something wasn't right. Soda was home and was off his meds for the week and exams were over. There wasn't any reason he should be upset today. "What happened, kid?" I asked.
He nervously looked up and glanced at each of us. "Darry had to shave Soda's head this morning."
Shit. That sure explained Pony's mood, but I was sure it was nothing compared to Soda's. "How's he doing?" I asked.
"He said he was going for a nap right after, and he was still sleeping when I left. Or at least he was pretendin' to sleep." He was probably right; Soda was just using sleep as an excuse to not see anyone.
"Well, he should be awake by now," Two-Bit said, opening the passenger side door. "Let's go see if we can cheer him up a little."
"And how do you suggest we do that?" I questioned.
"I have an idea," he answered, making me worry a little. Two-Bit's plans weren't always sane and there were a few of his more harebrained schemes that I would prefer to erase from memory. Considering the situation at hand, I had a bad feeling this might take a place among those. He turned to Ponyboy. "How far are you willing to go to make Soda feel better?"
Pony looked a little apprehensive, but answered anyway. "I'll do whatever you want if it'll work."
"Excellent!" Two-Bit crowed, hopping into the truck. "To a department store, Steve. I need to pick up a few things first." As we drove to the department store I tried to figure out what our friend could possibly be planning. I parked outside Sears and Pony and I waited for Two-Bit to work his shoplifting magic. Sometimes it amazed me what he was able to get away with lifting. He returned twenty minutes later, empty handed, but I knew everything he'd taken was inside his jacket. When we got to the Curtis house, it was silent. While I made myself comfortable on the couch and Two-Bit plopped onto the floor, Pony disappeared into his room to try and coax Sodapop out. I figured he was feeling pretty self-conscious right now and probably didn't really want to see anyone. There was no point putting it off, though, so I didn't feel too bad about being there.
Finally, the two brothers came into the living room and joined me on the couch. Soda had his head down, not meeting our eyes. It was strange to see him with his newly shaven head. It almost seemed like Halloween and he was just wearing a costume. I tried not to dwell on the real reason for the change. To distract myself, I watched Two-Bit, waiting to see what his big plan was. I could see in his eyes he was observing the changes in our friend, too, but he didn't say anything about it. Soda would be sensitive enough without us commenting. "Hey, guys," Soda greeted without much enthusiasm.
"Hey, buddy," Two-Bit returned, putting on an air of cheerfulness. "I've got somethin' for ya. I thought you could do with some laughs, so I've picked up a few things you can use to torture and embarrass your dear little brother."
Pony glanced suspiciously at Two-Bit, unsure what this torture might be, but aware that he'd agreed to do whatever it took to cheer up his brother. I was suddenly thankful that this plan seemed to involve just the kid. I had a feelin' I wouldn't much like being the victim of it. Soda's curiosity got the better of him and he finally looked up, wanting to know what Two-Bit had up his sleeve. To our bewilderment, Two-Bit pulled out of his jacket a bunch of girl's hair clips. "Umm…what am I supposed to do with those?" Soda asked.
It seemed ridiculous; not only did Soda not have any hair left, but the assortment of accessories on the floor were the last things he would ever have used, anyway. As I thought about this, I suddenly realized what Two-Bit's idea was and I started snickering. My best friend stared at me, an expression of confusion and hurt on his face. I realized he thought I was laughing at him and the fact he obviously couldn't use the clips even if he'd wanted to and I quickly calmed myself down so I could explain. "Soda, I think Two-Bit wants you to put these in Pony's hair. Right?" I asked, checking with the master schemer.
"Yep, that is indeed what I had in mind," he confirmed, grinning devilishly at Pony, who's mouth had fallen open a bit as he'd realized Two-Bit's intentions.
"Uh-uh. No way am I putting that stuff in my hair," he protested, shaking his head.
"I don't know, Pone," Soda said thoughtfully. "It kinda sounds like fun, dressing you up as a girl. I never did it when we were younger, and it might just be time to make up for that."
Pony sat, speechless, staring at his older brother. I could see the conflict on his face and for a minute I felt bad for the kid. He very obviously didn't want to do this—what greaser would, after all?—but he desperately wanted to support his brother. Finally, he sighed. "It'll really help you feel better?" he asked reluctantly. Soda nodded and, sensing that Pony had given in, grabbed a few hair clips from the ground. While Soda worked on him, Pony sat sullenly, glaring at me and Two-Bit as we watched and snickered.
When he was done, Soda sat back to admire his handiwork. Pony looked ridiculous: his hair was sticking every which way with clips and small bows attached everywhere. There were even a few braids where his hair was long enough. Two-Bit and I burst into laughter at the sight of him, earning a murderous expression from Ponyboy. Suddenly his face changed from deadly to downright evil. "Ya know, Soda," he said, staring at the pile of clips still on the floor. "There's lots of stuff here, still. I bet you could have some more fun with Steve and Two-Bit."
Our laughter died immediately and we both gawked at Pony, horrified. Soda, however, broke into a huge grin. "I think you're right, Pone. I wouldn't want to waste all Two-Bit's efforts, after all."
I looked at my best friend, who was smiling and laughing despite everything that was happening to him, and I knew there was no way I could say no to him. "Fine," I sighed, glaring daggers at Ponyboy. He was gonna pay for this. As Soda started work on first me, then Two-Bit, Pony grinned triumphantly at us. He was obviously satisfied with his revenge. When Soda was finished, everything Two-Bit had lifted was used up. Soda studied the three of us, then burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry," he managed to get out between laughs, tears streaming down his face. "You all just look so ridiculous." We glared at him as he continued to laugh. None of us were really mad, though. It was good to see him genuinely happy. I had to hand it to Two-Bit for coming up with this. We all glanced up, startled, as we heard the front door open and saw Darry standing in the doorway. He was frozen in place, staring at the scene before him.
"I'm not even gonna ask," was all he said as he came into the room and threw his keys on the coffee table.
"What are you doin' home so early?" asked Soda, who'd managed to calm himself down. I looked at the clock and saw that it was only half past five.
"Some pipes broke at the warehouse and the whole place is flooded. They sent us home till they can fix it." Darry sat down in the armchair, looking at us incredulously. I wanted to crawl into a corner and die. I don't think I'd ever been so embarrassed in my entire life.
Soda saw his expression and decided to fill him in. "Two-Bit thought this might cheer me up," he explained. "Too bad there a'int some left," he added, smirking at Darry.
Darry chuckled at this. "Nice try, little buddy, but my hair a'int long enough, anyway." He stood up and went into the kitchen to start dinner while Soda wandered down the hall, still smiling. As much as I hated sitting here looking like a complete sissy, I had to admit it was worth it to see Soda happy. We'd all known it would be a hard blow for him when he started losing his hair and I was thankful that Two-Bit had come up with something to help. After a couple of minutes, Soda came back into the room with his hands behind his back. I watched him curiously, wondering what he was hiding. If I'd known, I woulda beat it outta there as fast as I could. Before any of us could react, Soda whipped out a camera and snapped a picture of me, Two-Bit, and Pony, all of us with identical expressions of shock and horror. Soda collapsed onto the couch in a fit of giggles, clearly satisfied with himself. I glanced at the other two, and we all silently agreed on a plan of action. While Soda was distracted, all three of us pounced on him. Two-Bit and I pinned him down while Pony started tickling him mercilessly. Soda howled with laughter and tried desperately to fight his way out of our grasp. "Okay guys, that's enough," Darry said, watching us from the kitchen. He was serious about stopping, but he was smiling.
Two-Bit and I let go of Soda and sat back, letting him sit up. His face was flushed and his eyes were dancing. I hated to break up the party, but I could smell dinner cooking and I knew Darry didn't have the money to feed all of us, especially with losing his shift tonight. "Well, we'd better get goin'" I said, glancing at Two-Bit, who nodded, understanding. I started to take everything out of my hair and Soda let out a squawk of protest.
"Hey! I worked hard on that!"
"Buddy, we can't go outside lookin' like this. Do ya want us to get beat up?" I continued fixing my hair and Two-Bit followed suit.
Soda sighed, knowing I was right. We couldn't walk around our neighborhood looking like this. For that matter, we couldn't walk around any neighborhood looking like this. "Fine. A picture is worth a thousand words, anyway," he grinned, holding up the camera. I glared back at him, standing up to go now that I had everything out of my hair. As Two-Bit and I left the Curtis house we heard more laughter drift through the window and we both smiled at the sound.
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Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! I'm hoping the boys still staying in character during this last part.