"Like heck I'm going to school today." Ponyboy thought as they pulled up to his high school. "I'd rather be in bed vomiting all day. Well… maybe not but I sure don't wanna be here."

"C'mon, lets go." Darry said in an irritated tone, getting out of the truck. "You're already late as it is plus I don't have time for taking time. I'm gonna be as late as I've ever been."

Pony got out of the truck and followed Darry to the main office. "What you coming in for?" He asked earning a 'duh' look from Darry. "What?" Ponyboy said.

"You are almost two hours late. I have to explain to them why that is. I'm sure they've marked you absent by now." Darry ran his hand through his hair tiredly and tried to think up a good way of explaining the morning to his boss so he might feel a little sympathetic about the whole matter and not have a fit.

"Oh." Pony said silently screaming. If Darry was going to sign him in then he'd have to go to school. So much for the plan he had made on the way there. It would've worked out great to. The school would've already marked him absent because they had long since collected the attendance sheet. He could've just gone across the street to the bus stop. He sighed and picked up the pace when Darry hollered for him to speed it up. "Oh, no." Pony thought as they walked down to the main school campus. "Darry I left my lunch at home."

Darry looked at Pony annoyed. "You don't ever remember anything." He dug into his pocket for his wallet, gave Pony a few dollars, and then continued to speed walk towards the main office.

Ponyboy followed close behind. Why couldn't Darry lighten up? Everything was so hard. The rumble had made rivalry between Greasers and Socials worse, everybody had been crabby and upset since Johnny and Dally died, and Darry was getting way to strict. What was really bugging Pony though was that they'd promised Sodapop not to fight anymore and having a pretty tough time keeping that promise. Darry'd been trying to act more parental then ever and Pony hated all the new rules that were being thrown at him and Soda.

"You know, with all the time I take to pack your lunch the least you could do is remember to take it with you." Darry said. "Not to mention that's a waste of food. Food that we can't afford to waste."

"I'm Sorry." Ponyboy mumbled.

"Yeah, you always are." Darry said. "I'm sorry this, I'm sorry that… I'm getting tired of it Ponyboy. It gets old after a while and your excuses get lamer by the minute."

"Do you always have to get mad about every little thing?" Ponyboy asked as they reached the main building. "It's not like I burned down the house or something. It's just a lunch!"

Darry looked at Ponyboy. "It's not what you did. It's the concept of the matter. Now, stop mouthing off and get in here."

Ponyboy obeyed, wishing like crazy that Darry had just dropped him off and left. "No such luck." He thought silently.

***

Sodapop looked up when Steve and Two-Bit came barging through the front door that early evening. "Hey, Sodapop." Steve said.

"Hey." He said.

"Ya'll got any beer left?" Two-Bit asked. Soda nodded. "In the fridge."

"Is something burning?" Darry asked walking out of his room. Soda sniffed the air and shrugged. "Where's Ponyboy, by the way?" Darry asked. "In his room reading." Soda said.

Suddenly the smoke alarm went off in the kitchen. Two-Bit ran out. "I didn't do it." He said. Darry was already in there looking at the scorched chicken in the oven. He flipped the oven off and started opening windows to let all the smoke out.

"What happened in here?" Steve said coming in after the rest of the boys and investigating the scene.

"Burnt dinner." Darry said standing up on a chair and turning of the smoke alarm.

Pony came running in. "What happened?" He asked but was ignored.

"Gosh, Dar maybe you should set a timer from now on so you'll know when it's ready." Two-Bit said.

Darry rolled his eyes. "It aint my night to cook." He said jumping down from the chair and looking at Ponyboy.

"Sorry, I forgot." Pony said.

"Yeah well this time you almost did burn down the house." Darry said getting out oven mitts and disposing of the ruined chicken. "You can't just stick something in the oven, walk off, and then expect it to stop when it's done." Pony stared at his feet. He could never do anything right.

"He didn't mean to. He just got real interested in a book again. Huh Pon?" Soda said putting an arm around his shoulder. Ponyboy nodded.

"Whatever." Darry said. "You aint gonna be cooking anymore. From now on you're on clean up."

"Aaawww." Ponyboy whined.

"It'd be better for you to break a plate rather than burn down the house." Darry said. "It's ridiculous. A kid your age shouldn't have so much trouble paying attention to when it's time to turn the oven off. Like I said earlier… you don't ever remember. You forget everything and it gets on my nerves."

Soda saw that this conversation wasn't headed in a good direction. "Poker?" he asked the rest of the guys. Steve nodded and they all went to play. Darry however, opened the fridge and searched for something else to make for dinner. But there wasn't anything much else in there. He had planned on having chicken that night and going shopping tomorrow.

"Ponyboy!" He called. "Get in the car. We're going to the market."

"Why do I havta come?" Ponyboy said.

"Because the reason that we don't have dinner is on account of you and you're coming with me." Darry said.

"Can't I please stay here? What difference does it matter weather I come or not?"

"Just get in the car." Darry said aggravated.

"How exciting." Ponyboy thought sarcastically, getting up and leaving the poker game. "I get to go shopping with my o'l buddy Darry…"