Disclaimers: Swearing, SE Hinton owns. Much is revealed. Eeek.

Party of the Century

OoO

"It's not too late. We could go back," Josie conspiratorially says as I begin the drive out of Arkansas. She raises a brow, looking longingly at the scenery whizzing by the window. "Sell off everything and get a cabin and live like paupers."

"I already do that."

She laughs. "But seriously, Darry…do we have to go back?"

"We do. I got two mouths to feed."

Josie smiles. "Drag. But you're a good man."

I know what she means about not wanting to go back. The vacation's been a blessing in disguise. A nice escape to refuel. Even though it'll be hard to go back to reality I miss my brothers. Being away from them, thinking about what I'm missing, makes it easy to never doubt the choice I made three years ago.

OoO

I go outside to get the paper and the wind nearly blows me off my feet. Scooping it up, I dart back inside, dropping the paper bundle on top of the others. Darry's the only one who reads the paper in this house. Steve and I just use it to collect oil spills.

Pony walks into the room and stares at the blaring TV. The news is loud and bright. On screen, the weatherman shows the clouds brewing in, calling it "the storm of the century". "Tornado warnings may be issued for Tulsa and surrounding areas…stay tuned…"

"It's early for tornadoes," Ponyboy murmurs.

"Probably won't hit. They're always wrong." Sitting down, I start tightening my boots. I watch him lean against the wall and cross his arms. It's not his fault; it's not him I'm mad at. I catch my brother's eyes; they're so green, they look like grass.

"Darry'll be back today. I got work until seven, and then I'll come back home and help you pick up the place. Maybe we can make some purple potatoes."

Pony says, almost shyly, "Sounds good, Sodapop." Then he turns a full, thousand-watt, crooked smile on me and I wonder why the hell I've been such an asshole.

OoO

The greeting I get from Ponyboy isn't what I expected when I get home.

I walk through the front door, shouting hello, when suddenly Pony's there. He gives me a smile, a real smile and I'm wondering if he forgot how angry he was with me when I left.

"How was it, Dar? Did you have fun?"

"I had a great time, kiddo," I say, slinging my bag to the ground. He has an oven mitt on his left hand, he's barefoot, cigarette tucked behind his ear. "You stay out of trouble?"

His grin falters but then it's back. "I did. Just worked and hung 'round here."

"Well, something sure smells good. House looks nice too."

"It better," Soda drawls, loping out of the kitchen. "Worked our asses off. So, what'd you bring us, Dar?"

I laugh. "Diddly squat." Ponyboy chuckles, moving away, saying that he's gotta check dinner. I stick my hands in my pockets as he disappears. Eye Sodapop. "He good?"

Beaming, Soda says, "I think so. I think we're all good."

OoO

We both have the early shift. I arrive right as Steve's unlocking the door, chimes jingling overhead. I follow him in, turning the CLOSED sign to OPEN. There's a loud sigh from behind.

"You still mad at me, man?"

"I ain't mad at you, Steve. I just wish you would've told me is all."

"Yeah," Steve says. "I know. I should have."

That's all we need to say. We clock in, count the cash in the safe, and get ready for the first customer. Steve's halfway through tearing apart a transmission when I catch his eye.

"Just tell me one thing, Stevie…" Curiosity's been gnawing at me ever since I found out.

"What's that?"

"How's Pony as a driver?"

Steve barks out a laugh. "Jesus, Sodapop, I was wondering how long it'd take for you to ask me that."

OoO

The Cowboy takes me into town. And by town, I don't mean Tulsa. Some podunk town on the outskirts. We're at one of those general stores that carry everything, from car parts to groceries. Rita shoves the cart down the aisle and I follow, feeling like I'm stuck in limbo, stuck in the middle of some makeshift family.

I trudge along, Thomas chatting up some neighbors or something, when I see it. Gleaming bright in the case. Pearl-handled with a long blade. It's perfect. It's mid-June. Two-Bit's birthday is in a week.

I ask the clerk to show me the knife. I turn it over in my hands. "You like it, honey?" the elderly woman asks. Two-Bit hasn't replaced his blade since Dallas. The thought stings.

"I do."

A hand clasps me on the shoulder. "Find something you want, Pony?"

"It's a present. For Two-Bit."

"Ahhh, the sideburns guy."

I give him a smile and a nod. "I'll take it," I tell the clerk, pulling out my wallet and thanking my lucky stars I've been working this summer.

"My, oh, my, such a fancy gift…" The elderly woman continues her motherly gaze. Starting to wrap up the blade, she says to Thomas, "Your son has mighty fine taste."

My face flushes. "Oh, no – he's not my – he's not—"

The hand again on my shoulder. Saving me. "He's family." It squeezes. Tips his hat to the clerk.

There're soft footsteps as he walks away and joins Rita in another aisle. Rita begins gesturing, speaking in Spanish. As the clerk hands me the wrapped gift, I see the downcast expression on Thomas Mercer's face and hate that I feel bad.

OoO

"It's your party, cheer up, man," Steve says.

Two-Bit just shrinks back against the house, smoking like a chimney. Darry gives me a look before taking Ponyboy and the cake and going to say hello to Karen. I watch the two of them cross the yard.

"What's going on, Two-Bit? You okay?" I've never seen our friend this nervous. It ain't like Two-Bit at all.

"Sure she gets this great idea to throw me a birthday party when she can barely keep her own head on straight…" Two-Bit rambles. "This is gonna be disaster. Flat out dis—hey, baby…"

Kathy and Evie have sidled up to Two-Bit and Steve. Kathy leans over to kiss Two-Bit, Evie's already got a beer in her hands. There's a slight pang as I imagine Sandy with them but then it's gone as quickly as it's come. "Your mom wants you," Kathy says. She gives me a smile. "Hiya, Sodapop."

"Hey, Kath."

Two-Bit mutters something else about disaster but lets Kathy lead him toward the house. Steve steals Evie's beer. "Poor bastard," he mutters.

OoO

The Mathews's back yard is set up for Two-Bit's birthday, which is kind of odd because this is the first he's ever had an actual party at his house. There's not a ton of people; the usual group, plus a few friends of Cindy Mathew's and Karen's. I sit down on the picnic table that's set up. Wave a hand in front of my face to get some air.

A high-pitched giggle cuts across the yard. Shading my eyes from the sun, I see Evie and Steve walking toward me. Steve's got a hand on her waist. Evie's red mouth pulls into a smile. She waves.

"Ponyboy Curtis, I ain't seen you in forever."

"Hey Evie. How's it going?"

"Just peachy." She chews her gum, evaluating me closely. "I heard about your other dad. That must really be the pits."

I rub my face. "Yeah, it's great."

Steve groans. "What'd I tell you about bringing that up?"

"I just wanted to see how he was doing. Christ, you don't have to bite my head off."

"Maybe if you listened to me for once, maybe if you weren't so fucking crazy…"

"Steve Randle!" Evie's voice rises to a shriek.

I pull out a smoke, cussing under my breath as Evie starts bemoaning the fact that she's still a single woman. Steve settles in for the fight and I wish I were anywhere else.

OoO

"So, after we have burgers and hot dogs we sing and then we do the cake and presents…presents…I know I put those somewhere….Oh! Hello, Darrel…"

Feeling as if I've stumbled into something I shouldn't, I pause in the doorway of the kitchen. "Hi, Mrs. Mathews."

Cindy Mathews is pacing her small kitchen, flowered apron slung over her shoulder, talking to herself. No one else is in the room. I'm wondering if I should grab Karen when she says, "I've been wanting to talk to you."

"Pony said you called."

"Yes. I called. When do we do presents?"

I blink, say softly, "We have time. After the cake."

"Good. Good." Taking off the apron, she lays it across the counter. Gestures. "We should talk."

OoO

"I heard from Two-Bit about that man. About Thomas. He still thinks he's Pony's pa?"

"Still?"

I rub my hands on the fronts of my jeans and sit in the chair she has in the corner of her bedroom. Cindy Mathews sits on the edge of the bed, staring. "Mrs. Mathews…" I prod when she's quiet. "Do you know something?"

Proudly, she touches her chest. "For once your mama came to me with a problem. After all those years of helping me out, she came to me. Told me a secret. Do you want to know?"

"I do."

"She thought the baby was Tommy's. But it wasn't."

"It wasn't?" I repeat. My heart hammers. "Thomas says he is. Hell, he's pretty convincing. He has photos and letters…"

"She was a sad girl, your ma. She and your daddy wanted another baby. Were trying so hard but Lara couldn't keep one. I still remember her comin' over and staring at Karen in her crib and just bursting into tears." Mrs. Mathews plays with the hem on her skirt, her voice strong. "She met Thomas in the fall and when she got pregnant she chalked it up to him. But she was wrong. Because she wasn't."

"Mrs. Mathews…I don't understand…"

"She met Thomas during the summer and told him in October that she was pregnant. She really wasn't though, you know."

"Wasn't what?" I ask, frustrated.

"Wasn't pregnant. Your mama jumped the gun. In December, Thomas Mercer wasn't even in town; he was at the rodeo in Denver. That man wasn't even in the picture; your daddy was."

"Mrs. Mathews—"

"You don't believe me." Mrs. Mathews picks a piece of lint from the bed.

"Well, no, I—" I take a breath. "But I don't understand how she made the mistake?"

"It does seem foolhardy but your mama was just too hopeful. Eager, maybe. And…forgive me for saying this in front of you…but ah, she was irregular because of all her losses…thought she was when she wasn't. Then she didn't know what to think."

It takes me a minute to get what she means but then I do. I think back to that time and though I was young, I find I do remember my mom being sick a lot, locking herself in her bedroom and crying. Dad was sad too. He was sad about something.

There's commotion in the hallway and Cindy Mathews stops, watches at the door. I say nothing, for fear of interrupting or getting her off track. She continues. "She didn't know though until after she had your brother. His birthday's in July right?"

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

"Well, he came early. That's how she knew. The doctor said he did. Diagnosed premature. Looked it too…a tiny little thing. Two months." Cindy Mathews counts on her fingers. "She told Thomas in October, when in fact she really wasn't pregnant. Then fate stepped in and she was courtesy of your daddy."

My jaw's hanging open. I wasn't expecting this. I don't know what to think. And while this is exactly what I want to hear, I'm wondering if I can trust it. Cindy Mathews' head hasn't exactly been screwed on straight these days.

Cindy smiles and then laughs. "Oh, you poor thing. You look in a state of shock."

"But if she knew then why didn't she tell Thomas after Pony was born? Why'd she let him think—"

"Darrel, that's what I don't get either. She wrote letters telling Thomas he wasn't the father after the baby was born. I saw her. She mailed them."

"What happened to the letters? Why wouldn't she just tell him?"

"That's one thing I don't know," Cindy says. "Maybe she didn't want to hurt him…he left town so soon after that maybe she didn't want to bother….Honestly, honey, I think she was afraid of your dad finding out. That ain't something you want a daddy to know."

There's a long silence. Somewhere in the house Karen's shouting for her ma.

Cindy Mathews twists her hands together. "See…so when Two-Bit told me about all this I knew I had to say something. I had to tell you."

"I appreciate it, Mrs. Mathews. Thank you."

The relief is staggering. Ponyboy. He's dad's.

She pats my knee when she stands, says, "It's time for cake," and leaves me sitting in her bedroom alone, wondering where in the hell those letters went.

OoO

"Where've you been?" I hiss at Darry as he joins the crowd in the backyard. Mrs. Mathews is singing "Happy Birthday" in a shaky voice.

"I'll tell you at home, Sodapop. Not now."

Darry's blue eyes are bright; intense enough to tell me he's worked up about something. I glance at the scene in front of me. Mrs. Mathews is singing loud. Karen is biting her lip, Two-Bit has a plastic smile plastered on his face. This ain't good, I think. This ain't good at all.

OoO

Cake is over and everyone is milling around, edging to leave the uncomfortable party. Kathy, Evie and Karen stand chatting in a circle; my brother's and Steve off to the side. I pull the present out of my pocket.

"Mrs. Mathews?" I ask. "Where can I put this?"

"What's that?"

"I got Two-Bit a present – it ain't much but—"

She wraps a hand around my wrist, drawing me to her. "You're a good friend to my Keith, you know that right?

"Uh…thank y—"

My eyes widen. Her eyes fix on the gift in my hand. "What's this?" She slaps it from my hands. The wrapped present lands on the grass. "What is that?"

People are staring. My face flushes, realizing Two-Bit wasn't kidding about his mom. I kneel, pick it up and then stand. "It's a present, Mrs. Mathews. That's all."

She leans closer. "Okay, honey. Listen, you should know about that daddy of yours…" Her mouth twists into an odd smile. Her eyes stare too long. She wraps a hand around my wrist and jerks me close. "You ain't got that other man's blood in you, you know that too."

"What?"

"Your brother knows, ask—"

"Ma!" Two-Bit shouts, darting over. Gently, he removes her hand from my wrist. "What're you doing?"

"I'm telling Pony about his father."

"You can't do that ma." Two-Bit looks tired. "You can't do this here—"

"I know what I say! I know what I mean!" Mrs. Mathew's suddenly screams. The group of people standing around suddenly quiets. She jabs an arm out, nearly punching Two-Bit in the face but missing by inches. Karen and Darry run over, Karen gripping her other arm, Darry moving me out of the way to help Two-Bit.

The look on Two-Bit's face makes me sick. I realize I'm still holding the present when they take Mrs. Mathews into the house.

OoO

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I can't tell them. Not yet. Knowing Soda he'd go over there and rub it in Thomas Mercer's face. I just gotta sit on it until it's the right time."

Josie raises her eyebrows. Stirs the soup she's cooking. "When's that gonna be?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if I believe her. I mean, hell Josie, you should've seen what happened at that party. It was a mess."

"You gonna dig around, Darry?"

"I'll do whatever it takes."

"Whatever what takes?" Ponyboy rushes into the kitchen, his face and hair soaked. I toss him a towel and he starts drying off.

"Just talking about class. Now, why're you all wet?"

Ponyboy gives me a look like I'm an idiot, says, "It's rainin' out, Dar."

"I know it is, kiddo. What've you been doin' outside?" It's pitch-black outside, the wind whipping the trees against the side of the house. He doesn't say anything, instead looking guilty. "Were you with Steve? Driving?"

Soda told me about their little drag racing stint, and while I'm glad the two of them are getting along, I'm not thrilled with their choice of hobby.

Pony blushes. "Aw, Dar, we just went out for an hour, that's all."

"Pony, listen, I don't think—"

"Taste," Josie swoops in with her spoonful of soup and shoves it into my mouth. I swallow it, doing all I can do not to gag. She gives Ponyboy some and his face goes green.

"It needs salt," Pony whispers when Josie leaves the kitchen. "Lots and lots of salt." I try not to agree with him but end up breaking into a laugh anyway.

OoO

Pony's low voice filters from the living room. He's on the phone for about ten minutes when he walks out, joining me on the porch. He looks upset.

"Who was on the phone?"

"The Cowboy," comes his soft reply. He leans against the railing, lighting a cigarette with the pearl-enameled lighter he carries.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. It's nothing, Sodapop."

"Sure don't look like nothing."

He picks at a nail and then his mouth turns into a thin, white line. "I can't do what he wants. Can't go over there. Not today."

I lean beside him. "And you shouldn't have to." I squeeze his shoulder and Pony stares off into the distance.

It's Father's Day.

OoO

I haven't seen him since the birthday party two weeks ago. He didn't even show up for the fourth of July at our place. The work shirt he's wearing is stark-white and serious, seeming out of place on the usually chipper Two-Bit. His hair rusty slicked back and professional.

He raises a hand as I cross the car lot.

"Hey kid, what brings you around here? Come to scope out my place of employment?"

"I still can't believe it, but you got the name badge and everything." Two-Bit's grin stretches into a long, awkward silence. I wrap my arms around myself, uncomfortable. "Look, I'm sorry about your mom, I didn't know how—"

"It's okay, Ponyboy. It's not like I was itching for everyone to find out anyway."

I kick at a rock. Watch it roll across the cement. "So you sell a car yet?"

"Surprisingly enough, I have. Which is a good thing since medication's expensive these days." He laughs. "Don't look so worried, Ponyboy. The docs are checking her out. She'll be good as new."

His optimism scares me but I don't say so. I just hope he's right. "Let me know if I can do anything," I mumble, feeling like a jackass.

"You already have," he says. "I got your present. I needed a new blade."

"You like it?"

"Hell, I love it. It's the best gift anyone's ever gave me. And that includes those Sea-Monkeys I got when I was 16. Granted, I fed them to the dog but that's beside the point." This time, Two-Bit really smiles. "So thank you, kid. I mean it."

I shield my eyes against the sun. "I know."

OoO

Ok, so I hope you all liked this chapter. Man, I sweated over this. Anywho, don't give up on me. More to come AND it's all delicious trouble (but what else do you expect from my stories?).Just a warning.

Please read and review.

XO,

Feisty