Ponyboy shivered and got up. He wanted to try home again. Maybe someone
would pick up this time. He walked back into the store. "Do you mind if I
use your phone again?" Ponyboy asked. "No problem." The guy said and handed
the phone over again. Pony dialed the number and waited.
"Hello?" Someone answered.
Ponyboy let out a sigh of relief. "Darry?" Pony asked.
"Ponyboy!" Darry yelled. "Ponyboy, where in the world have you been? Are you ok? Darry asked.
"Darry, I."
"Where is he? Where is he?" Pony heard Soda ask in the back round.
"I dunno, hang on." Darry said. "Ponyboy Curtis, where are you!? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"
"I dunno exactly, I'm kinda lost."
"Lost? How can you get lost in your own neighborhood? You are still in the neighborhood aren't you?"
"Hang on." Pony said. "Sir, what town am I in?"
The guy looked at him strangely. "You're in Oklahoma City of course." The guy said. Ponyboy raised his eyebrows. "You don't live round here?" The man asked.
Pony shook his head. "Darry, I'm in Oklahoma City." He said slowly.
"What!?" Darry yelled. Pony held the phone an inch or two away from his ear. "What are you doing there!? What's going on? You disappeared at the grocery store and now you're in Oklahoma City? How did you get there?" Darry demanded.
"I don't know." Pony said. "I jumped by these two Socs and then I woke up in an Alley way and I didn't know were I was. There's a guy here at the gas station that just told me I'm in Oklahoma City. Honest Dar, I don't know how I got here. I promise."
Darry sighed exasperated. "Ponyboy, I should've guessed it would be something insane like this." He pushed a questioning Soda away and paced the room, phone in hand. "Are you all-right?" Darry asked.
"I guess. I wanna come home." Pony half whined, half sobbed.
"Well, I'm gonna get you home but you're gonna have to sit tight for a little while, kiddo. Oklahoma City isn't exactly just down the street. It'll probably take me a minimum of two hours to drive there." Pony groaned. "Do you have any money? Are you even wearing a jacket?"
"No." Pony said. "I forgot a jacket but I have a little money, I used some for food though."
"I just called the police." Darry said. "I think they've started looking for you."
"Tell them to stop looking." Pony said.
"I will. I'm thinking though. You can't really be out on the street for the next two hours at this time of night, especially without a jacket, you'll catch cold."
"To late." Ponyboy shivered. "You still there?" He asked when he didn't hear a response.
"Yeah, I'm here. Trust me I'm not gonna hang up this phone until I know exactly what to do. I'm just thinking." Darry said. "All-right, Pony I need to know exactly where you are. Where in Oklahoma City?"
"Hang on." Ponyboy said and asked the guy at the counter for as much information as he thought he'd need and told it to Darry as the guy spoke.
"Ok," Darry said, jotting every detail down on a piece of paper. "Pony listen to me. It's gonna take me a while to get there, maybe till dawn so you have got to stay put were you are because there is no way that you're gonna be walking around the streets, past three a.m., in an unfamiliar town. You hear me?"
"Yeah, I know." Pony said. "But I can't exactly just sit at the gas station all night. Isn't that called loitering or something?"
"It's fine kid, you can hang out in here if you need to." The man said. "It won't bother me."
"Pony, then you're gonna have to find some place."
"Darry, it's ok, the man says I can stay here."
"All-right." Darry sighed relieved.
"Lemme come with you to pick him up." Soda pleaded.
"No, it's late. You're going to bed, little buddy. Pronto."
"But Dar-" Soda argued.
"I said you're staying here and going to bed." Darry said and went back to talking to Ponyboy.
"Ok, sit tight, I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm leaving right now. Soda wants to talk to you. Here he is." Darry said. "Ten minutes, Sodapop. Then you get in bed and I mean it." Darry warned, walking out.
"Pony?" Soda asked.
Ponyboy eventually finished talking to Sodapop and waited and waited. He sat down on the floor next to the counter and leaned his head up against it, soon drifting off to sleep. It seemed as if he was awoken seconds after but when he looked up at the clock he new it'd been a long time.
"Pony?" Darry shook him.
"Hhhmmmm." Pony said as he slowly opened his heavy eyes and gazed up at the blurry figure above him. "Darry?"
"Yeah." Darry said helping him up and studying his face concerned. "Boy kid, you weren't kidding when you said you got beaten badly." Darry touched one of the cuts gingerly. "Owe, don't touch." Ponyboy said pulling away. "I'm ok."
"Let's get you home and cleaned up. You had me worried sick." He wrapped Ponyboy in a big hug. Darry then looked at the man behind the counter but still held Ponyboy close. "Thanks for letting him stay here while he was waiting. We really appreciate it. Don't we Ponyboy?" Darry said looking at his tired brother.
"Uh huh." Pony said, leaning against Darry sleepily.
"No problem." The man said. "Ya'll have a safe ride home."
Darry nodded and helped Ponyboy out to the car. When they stepped outside the cold night air woke Pony up and he shivered. Darry draped an arm around his shoulder.
"How do you get yourself into these messes?" Darry asked as they walked up to the truck.
"I didn't mean to come to Oklahoma City." Ponyboy said, getting in his side.
"I know." Darry said. "But I still don't get this whole situation." He got in the truck himself and started up the engine. "Here, I grabbed this on the way out." Darry said, reaching in the backseat and getting a big blanket which he handed to Pony. "I figured you'd be freezing."
"Thanks." Pony said, immediately curling up in it.
Darry backed up and started on the long drive home as he thought about how Pony could've ended up in Oklahoma City. The only real logical explanation was that the Socs actually took him there. Why would they do that though? Just for fun? Darry sighed and looked over at the sleeping boy. He felt extremely relieved that Ponyboy was safe and sound, sitting next to him in the truck.
"I wanna go home and go to bed." Ponyboy yawned.
"Well, your gonna have to settle for the car for now because it took me a long time to get here and it's gonna take a long time to go home. Put the seat back and try and get some rest." Ponyboy did but he couldn't sleep. He had to much on his mind. He gazed out of the window as Darry drove down the vacant streets.
"I'm hungry." Pony mumbled after about a half an hour.
"Why aint you sleeping yet?" Darry asked exasperated.
"I dunno, I just can't sleep."
"What you hungry for?" Darry asked.
Pony shrugged. "Doesn't really matter as long as it's food."
"I'll stop at the next burger place I see."
"Darry do I have to go to school tomorrow?"
"No." Darry said. "You can't function at school if you've been awake all night. You'll be resting all day though. Don't think of it as a day off." Darry forced his eyes open wide. He was real tired himself. "Pony, what happened? Why did you leave the store?"
"I went for a walk." Pony said. "I didn't know I was gonna get jumped."
"Of course you didn't know that," Darry said "but why were you taking a walk? You were supposed to be helping me shop."
"Can't you get mad at me in the morning when I'm not so sleepy?" Ponyboy said.
"I'm not mad." Darry said.
"Yeah you are." Pony said.
"Ok, maybe a little but I have the right to be. I shouldn't have to worry about you wandering off like that. Why can't you just do as you're told?" Ponyboy stared out the window. "Pony, if I have to sit around worrying, not knowing where you are again there's gonna be trouble, kid. I aint even kidding. You hear me?"
Ponyboy sighed and looked over at the dashboard. "I said I was sorry and I am. Can't we just end it there. You'd think that my experience would be enough punishment without you having a fit. How come apologies never work with you? It's not like I'm just saying it. I really am sorry."
Darry looked over at Ponyboy and put his hand on his shoulder. Ponyboy jerked away. "Would you just leave me alone?" He sniffed, wiping away an escaping tear.
"C'mon, baby. What's the matter?"
"Nothin." Ponyboy said. "Just leave me alone, ok?" Darry sighed and kept on driving.
"Hello?" Someone answered.
Ponyboy let out a sigh of relief. "Darry?" Pony asked.
"Ponyboy!" Darry yelled. "Ponyboy, where in the world have you been? Are you ok? Darry asked.
"Darry, I."
"Where is he? Where is he?" Pony heard Soda ask in the back round.
"I dunno, hang on." Darry said. "Ponyboy Curtis, where are you!? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"
"I dunno exactly, I'm kinda lost."
"Lost? How can you get lost in your own neighborhood? You are still in the neighborhood aren't you?"
"Hang on." Pony said. "Sir, what town am I in?"
The guy looked at him strangely. "You're in Oklahoma City of course." The guy said. Ponyboy raised his eyebrows. "You don't live round here?" The man asked.
Pony shook his head. "Darry, I'm in Oklahoma City." He said slowly.
"What!?" Darry yelled. Pony held the phone an inch or two away from his ear. "What are you doing there!? What's going on? You disappeared at the grocery store and now you're in Oklahoma City? How did you get there?" Darry demanded.
"I don't know." Pony said. "I jumped by these two Socs and then I woke up in an Alley way and I didn't know were I was. There's a guy here at the gas station that just told me I'm in Oklahoma City. Honest Dar, I don't know how I got here. I promise."
Darry sighed exasperated. "Ponyboy, I should've guessed it would be something insane like this." He pushed a questioning Soda away and paced the room, phone in hand. "Are you all-right?" Darry asked.
"I guess. I wanna come home." Pony half whined, half sobbed.
"Well, I'm gonna get you home but you're gonna have to sit tight for a little while, kiddo. Oklahoma City isn't exactly just down the street. It'll probably take me a minimum of two hours to drive there." Pony groaned. "Do you have any money? Are you even wearing a jacket?"
"No." Pony said. "I forgot a jacket but I have a little money, I used some for food though."
"I just called the police." Darry said. "I think they've started looking for you."
"Tell them to stop looking." Pony said.
"I will. I'm thinking though. You can't really be out on the street for the next two hours at this time of night, especially without a jacket, you'll catch cold."
"To late." Ponyboy shivered. "You still there?" He asked when he didn't hear a response.
"Yeah, I'm here. Trust me I'm not gonna hang up this phone until I know exactly what to do. I'm just thinking." Darry said. "All-right, Pony I need to know exactly where you are. Where in Oklahoma City?"
"Hang on." Ponyboy said and asked the guy at the counter for as much information as he thought he'd need and told it to Darry as the guy spoke.
"Ok," Darry said, jotting every detail down on a piece of paper. "Pony listen to me. It's gonna take me a while to get there, maybe till dawn so you have got to stay put were you are because there is no way that you're gonna be walking around the streets, past three a.m., in an unfamiliar town. You hear me?"
"Yeah, I know." Pony said. "But I can't exactly just sit at the gas station all night. Isn't that called loitering or something?"
"It's fine kid, you can hang out in here if you need to." The man said. "It won't bother me."
"Pony, then you're gonna have to find some place."
"Darry, it's ok, the man says I can stay here."
"All-right." Darry sighed relieved.
"Lemme come with you to pick him up." Soda pleaded.
"No, it's late. You're going to bed, little buddy. Pronto."
"But Dar-" Soda argued.
"I said you're staying here and going to bed." Darry said and went back to talking to Ponyboy.
"Ok, sit tight, I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm leaving right now. Soda wants to talk to you. Here he is." Darry said. "Ten minutes, Sodapop. Then you get in bed and I mean it." Darry warned, walking out.
"Pony?" Soda asked.
Ponyboy eventually finished talking to Sodapop and waited and waited. He sat down on the floor next to the counter and leaned his head up against it, soon drifting off to sleep. It seemed as if he was awoken seconds after but when he looked up at the clock he new it'd been a long time.
"Pony?" Darry shook him.
"Hhhmmmm." Pony said as he slowly opened his heavy eyes and gazed up at the blurry figure above him. "Darry?"
"Yeah." Darry said helping him up and studying his face concerned. "Boy kid, you weren't kidding when you said you got beaten badly." Darry touched one of the cuts gingerly. "Owe, don't touch." Ponyboy said pulling away. "I'm ok."
"Let's get you home and cleaned up. You had me worried sick." He wrapped Ponyboy in a big hug. Darry then looked at the man behind the counter but still held Ponyboy close. "Thanks for letting him stay here while he was waiting. We really appreciate it. Don't we Ponyboy?" Darry said looking at his tired brother.
"Uh huh." Pony said, leaning against Darry sleepily.
"No problem." The man said. "Ya'll have a safe ride home."
Darry nodded and helped Ponyboy out to the car. When they stepped outside the cold night air woke Pony up and he shivered. Darry draped an arm around his shoulder.
"How do you get yourself into these messes?" Darry asked as they walked up to the truck.
"I didn't mean to come to Oklahoma City." Ponyboy said, getting in his side.
"I know." Darry said. "But I still don't get this whole situation." He got in the truck himself and started up the engine. "Here, I grabbed this on the way out." Darry said, reaching in the backseat and getting a big blanket which he handed to Pony. "I figured you'd be freezing."
"Thanks." Pony said, immediately curling up in it.
Darry backed up and started on the long drive home as he thought about how Pony could've ended up in Oklahoma City. The only real logical explanation was that the Socs actually took him there. Why would they do that though? Just for fun? Darry sighed and looked over at the sleeping boy. He felt extremely relieved that Ponyboy was safe and sound, sitting next to him in the truck.
"I wanna go home and go to bed." Ponyboy yawned.
"Well, your gonna have to settle for the car for now because it took me a long time to get here and it's gonna take a long time to go home. Put the seat back and try and get some rest." Ponyboy did but he couldn't sleep. He had to much on his mind. He gazed out of the window as Darry drove down the vacant streets.
"I'm hungry." Pony mumbled after about a half an hour.
"Why aint you sleeping yet?" Darry asked exasperated.
"I dunno, I just can't sleep."
"What you hungry for?" Darry asked.
Pony shrugged. "Doesn't really matter as long as it's food."
"I'll stop at the next burger place I see."
"Darry do I have to go to school tomorrow?"
"No." Darry said. "You can't function at school if you've been awake all night. You'll be resting all day though. Don't think of it as a day off." Darry forced his eyes open wide. He was real tired himself. "Pony, what happened? Why did you leave the store?"
"I went for a walk." Pony said. "I didn't know I was gonna get jumped."
"Of course you didn't know that," Darry said "but why were you taking a walk? You were supposed to be helping me shop."
"Can't you get mad at me in the morning when I'm not so sleepy?" Ponyboy said.
"I'm not mad." Darry said.
"Yeah you are." Pony said.
"Ok, maybe a little but I have the right to be. I shouldn't have to worry about you wandering off like that. Why can't you just do as you're told?" Ponyboy stared out the window. "Pony, if I have to sit around worrying, not knowing where you are again there's gonna be trouble, kid. I aint even kidding. You hear me?"
Ponyboy sighed and looked over at the dashboard. "I said I was sorry and I am. Can't we just end it there. You'd think that my experience would be enough punishment without you having a fit. How come apologies never work with you? It's not like I'm just saying it. I really am sorry."
Darry looked over at Ponyboy and put his hand on his shoulder. Ponyboy jerked away. "Would you just leave me alone?" He sniffed, wiping away an escaping tear.
"C'mon, baby. What's the matter?"
"Nothin." Ponyboy said. "Just leave me alone, ok?" Darry sighed and kept on driving.
