Darry, Pony, and I were left sitting in the living room.

"What's he gonna do, Darry?" Pony asked.

"I don't know. Put an end to that rumor that Scout heard, for sure. Other than that, I don't know."

"What about Sandy?" I asked.

"I don't know, Scout. I really don't. I can't imagine what he must be thinking right now."

"I would have told… If I knew it wasn't just me… I would have told, Darry. I swear. I thought I was the only one. If I ever knew, in the beginning, that he hurt Sandy too…" I felt so bad, that all along she had been dealing with this, that she'd had to run away, and leave Soda…

"Well, I'm glad you did find out, and that you told. Honestly, I can't believe you kept a secret like that for as long as you did."

I had no answer for that, especially since I had thought it was a secret that I would be keeping forever.

"I'm gonna drive Steve's car over and leave it at his house," Darry said. "I don't want Soda having to look at it sittin' there when he comes back."

I was pretty glad to hear that. So long as the car was gone, Steve had no reason to come around our house.

"You two be alright here for a few minutes?" he asked. Pony and I both made faces at him. Steve lived only a few blocks away; I don't know what he was thinking was going to happen to us in the fifteen minutes he'd be gone.

"So I'll take that as a yes," he said, and headed out the door, Steve's keys in his hand.

Pony and I didn't budge from where we had been sitting, both of us lost in our thoughts.

"Hey, Scout?" he finally spoke.

"Yeah?"

"I understand… why you didn't tell."

"Well, I think you're the only one who does, then," I responded. "I sort of feel like everyone thinks I didn't tell because I was afraid, or because I didn't know better- that I'm dumb, or something."

"I don't think that. I get it, Scout. You were doing it to protect Soda."

I was shocked that he actually understood. I had told Darry that I hadn't told on Steve because I loved Soda so much, but I hadn't really used the word protect, because it sounded stupid and naïve, to think that little Scout Curtis could really do anything to protect her tough big brother. But Pony really did get it, I could tell.

"You know Steve and I never got along, either," he said.

"I know." Steve was usually as mean to Ponyboy as he was to me- maybe even meaner, because Pony was stuck around him more, hanging around with Soda a lot more than I really did.

"I never really told Soda how I felt about him, though… especially when it seemed like he was all he had left, besides us."

"Soda said that, the night that Steve… hurt me. He told Steve that he was all he had left. I didn't want to take that away, Pony. I hate it that I did."

"You had to, Scout. You had to. I wish you had felt like you could tell somebody. I mean, I know it probably wouldn't have been me, but…well, somebody."

"It might have been you, Pony. It's just, I know we fight a lot, and you think I'm a pain, but…"

"You're not as much of a pain as I used to think you were," he said.

"Oh, thanks," I said, laughing.

"I didn't mean it that way," he said, punching me lightly on the shoulder. "I just mean… sometimes I think you trust Darry and Soda more than me, because of how I used to pick on you. I guess I was kind of mean to you."

I didn't answer. I never had expected this conversation to happen, even after the time we had spent together at the church. But, thinking about it, Pony and I really hadn't argued in weeks. And he had been nicer to me.

"I just want you to trust me," he said. "I mean, I'm your brother, too. I'll stick up for you every bit as much as they would."

"I know, Pony. I do trust you. I guess I just go to Darry most of the time because he's the closest to having Mom or Dad. But I love all three of you the same." I really did. They were three different people, and I loved them in three different ways, but no one more than another. I felt bad that maybe he had thought I cared about him less.

Just then Darry came back in, having walked back from Steve's house. He looked surprised to see Pony and I still sitting together- the same surprised look he'd had when he found us laying on Ponyboy's bed the night he showed me his writing. But, just as quickly as it had come, it disappeared.

"They're not back yet?"

Pony and I both shook our heads.

"You two need to get to bed. You have school tomorrow."

Surprisingly, neither of us protested. I wanted to stay up to see what Soda said when he returned, but I knew I could just eavesdrop, and I imagine Pony was thinking the same thing. It turned out we didn't have to, because after I had changed into my pajamas and was waiting for Pony to come out of the bathroom so I could brush my teeth, Soda and Two-Bit came back.

"I can't fucking believe this," Soda was yelling.

"Calm down," Darry was following Soda as he paced, eventually getting him to sit down in Dad's chair. "What happened?"

"I talked to that girl that said she saw her at the bus station… she said just about what Scout told us- she was beat up and had bites on her and wouldn't say anything about what happened. She said she asked Sandy if I did it to her and she just started crying."

"So what'd you tell her?"

"I told her I didn't have nothin' to do with it!" Soda snapped, "and I told her who did, and that she better stop spreading rumors when she ain't got her facts straight."

"So now what, then? What about Sandy?"

I stood in the doorframe, listening. Pony had emerged from the bathroom and was standing behind me, his hand on my shoulder.

"I have to go see her, Darry. In Florida. Two-Bit and I went to her parents' house, just now, to try to set things straight with them – her Dad won't even let me in the house. He wouldn't listen to a word I said. She won't take my calls, she sends my letters back… I have to see her and talk to her face to face, Darry. I have to."

"Soda, we can't afford…"

"I won't miss any work, Darry. It'll only take me a day to get there, and a day to get back… Monday's a holiday anyway, so if I leave on Saturday I won't miss any of my regular shifts."

Darry didn't say anything.

"I'll work extra this week to pay for the gas. I have to go, Darry. I have to know what really happened. I have to talk to her."

"It's just… what if you get all the way down there and she really doesn't want to see you? I just don't want to have to see you get hurt like that all over again." All of us, in our own way, just wanted to form a bubble around Soda, protecting him from getting hurt.

"I'll take that chance," Soda said.

"That's a hell of a long drive, all alone. I have work, I can't go with you."

"I'll go with," Two-Bit chimed in from the corner by the door. He was never this quiet; I had actually forgotten that he was there.

"I don't know, Soda," Darry said.

"I'm going, Darry. You can't stop me. I have my own car now, remember?"

Darry didn't say anything more, but I knew Soda had won.

He turned and saw Pony and me in the door.

"Get to bed, you two." We headed off in opposite directions to our bedrooms.

Don't worry, Sandy, I thought, you're not alone anymore.

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A/N: Sorry... I know, short. Busy day today. Maybe more later. Thanks for reviewing!