When Soda got off he plane he could see his two brothers waiting for him.
He walked over to them and Pony thrust his arms around him, squeezing
tight. "Hi Soda!"
"Hey, kid." Soda smiled, ruffling his little brothers hair.
"Why didn't you take me with you?" Pony asked. Soda looked over at Darry and smiled weekly.
Darry rolled his eyes. "C'mon lets go. We've been waiting for your dang plane for two and a half hours." So they all started walking out to the parking lot. "Is that all you brought?" Darry asked, nodding towards the single suitcase that Soda was carrying. "You don't need to go pick anything else up?"
"Nope, this is it. Where's the truck?" He asked, once they got out of the airport.
"Over there." Darry pointed and answered. "Soda, when you asked me if you could go to Florida to look for Sandy I said no. What part of that didn't you understand?"
"I understood it. I just didn't want to accept it."
"So you left in the middle of night and scared all of us for two days straight, while we had no idea if you were all-right? I oughta tan your hide, kid. Do you have any idea how much trouble that would get us into if the state found out? I would loose custody of you and Pony in a second."
"I'm sorry Darry. I wasn't thinking at all when I did it. I only had one thing on my mind and that was Sandy. At least I told you were I went right?" Soda asked as he hopped in the passenger seat.
"You still had me worried sick!" Darry said angrily and went around to his side. "C'mon Pony. Get in and stop doddling." Darry turned the ignition on and pulled out once everybody was in the car. "You've never done anything so stupid, Soda. Why did you have to go all the way over there. What's wrong with using the phone?"
"It ain't the same. I told you I was sorry and I am."
Pony sighed. Is this what Darry and me sound like when we're at it? He wondered, silently. He hoped he didn't have to listen to this all the way home.
"Where the heck did you get the money to buy a plane ticket to Florida?" Darry asked.
"I was saving." He paused. "Darry can't you try to understand? I went crazy when she left. I had to go see her so I could understand everything that happened. I didn't wanna have to live with it all of my life."
Darry sighed. "Yeah, I know kiddo. Did you see her?" Soda nodded. "Well, what happened?"
"Not much. We didn't talk very long. She pretty much just confirmed the fact that she didn't want anything more to do with me." He looked down at his feet not saying anything for a minute.
"Little Buddy I'm sorry but please don't do that to me again. I don't want anything to happen to you and Pony. Understand?"
"Yeah." Soda said.
"All-right. I understand why you did it Soda, but you still shouldn't have and you're grounded for the next two weeks. No arguments."
"That ain't fair!" Soda exclaimed.
"I just said no arguments."
"But-" Soda started
"I don't wanna hear it."
"Oh c'mon!"
"Sodapop, I'm serious!" Darry said.
Soda sighed and looked out the window. "Can't I just state my opinion?" He asked.
"No." Darry said. "There's no point in that because no matter what your opinion is you're still grounded so get used to the idea." Darry sighed. "Why'd your plane take so long to get here? It was supposed to come in at eight thirty; it's eleven."
"They waited a long time before we took off. I dunno why. I think they had to clear the runways or something like that. Hey, is Steve back home yet?"
"No." Pony answered from the backseat. "Him and his old man are still at it I guess. Soda what's Sandy's grandma like?" Pony asked, trying to make pleasant conversation.
"Uh." Soda said. "That's one of the most miserable and grumpy women I've ever seen. She didn't take to kindly to me."
"How come?" Pony said, trying hard without success to imagine why anybody wouldn't like his brother.
Soda shrugged. "I'm not sure. Hey guess what though?"
"What?" Pony asked.
"I went swimming at the Miami Beach."
"You did? Tuff! What's the ocean like? Is it as pretty as it is in pictures and movies?" Ponyboy asked excitedly. He'd never been to the beach before. Neither had Soda. Darry'd gone to California with his friends after high school and went to the beach while he was over there. "Gosh I wish I went with you." Pony said. "I'd love to see it at sunset."
"I cannot believe you were swimming while I was sitting at home worrying." Darry said, angrily.
"Oh c'mon Dar. Give it a rest." Soda said.
"I will not give it a rest." Darry barked. "I've got enough to be concerned about without you sneaking off to Florida!" Once Darry was done ranting Soda reached over and flipped the radio on. He then leaned back in his seat and fell asleep. It was gonna be a long drive home.
"Hey, kid." Soda smiled, ruffling his little brothers hair.
"Why didn't you take me with you?" Pony asked. Soda looked over at Darry and smiled weekly.
Darry rolled his eyes. "C'mon lets go. We've been waiting for your dang plane for two and a half hours." So they all started walking out to the parking lot. "Is that all you brought?" Darry asked, nodding towards the single suitcase that Soda was carrying. "You don't need to go pick anything else up?"
"Nope, this is it. Where's the truck?" He asked, once they got out of the airport.
"Over there." Darry pointed and answered. "Soda, when you asked me if you could go to Florida to look for Sandy I said no. What part of that didn't you understand?"
"I understood it. I just didn't want to accept it."
"So you left in the middle of night and scared all of us for two days straight, while we had no idea if you were all-right? I oughta tan your hide, kid. Do you have any idea how much trouble that would get us into if the state found out? I would loose custody of you and Pony in a second."
"I'm sorry Darry. I wasn't thinking at all when I did it. I only had one thing on my mind and that was Sandy. At least I told you were I went right?" Soda asked as he hopped in the passenger seat.
"You still had me worried sick!" Darry said angrily and went around to his side. "C'mon Pony. Get in and stop doddling." Darry turned the ignition on and pulled out once everybody was in the car. "You've never done anything so stupid, Soda. Why did you have to go all the way over there. What's wrong with using the phone?"
"It ain't the same. I told you I was sorry and I am."
Pony sighed. Is this what Darry and me sound like when we're at it? He wondered, silently. He hoped he didn't have to listen to this all the way home.
"Where the heck did you get the money to buy a plane ticket to Florida?" Darry asked.
"I was saving." He paused. "Darry can't you try to understand? I went crazy when she left. I had to go see her so I could understand everything that happened. I didn't wanna have to live with it all of my life."
Darry sighed. "Yeah, I know kiddo. Did you see her?" Soda nodded. "Well, what happened?"
"Not much. We didn't talk very long. She pretty much just confirmed the fact that she didn't want anything more to do with me." He looked down at his feet not saying anything for a minute.
"Little Buddy I'm sorry but please don't do that to me again. I don't want anything to happen to you and Pony. Understand?"
"Yeah." Soda said.
"All-right. I understand why you did it Soda, but you still shouldn't have and you're grounded for the next two weeks. No arguments."
"That ain't fair!" Soda exclaimed.
"I just said no arguments."
"But-" Soda started
"I don't wanna hear it."
"Oh c'mon!"
"Sodapop, I'm serious!" Darry said.
Soda sighed and looked out the window. "Can't I just state my opinion?" He asked.
"No." Darry said. "There's no point in that because no matter what your opinion is you're still grounded so get used to the idea." Darry sighed. "Why'd your plane take so long to get here? It was supposed to come in at eight thirty; it's eleven."
"They waited a long time before we took off. I dunno why. I think they had to clear the runways or something like that. Hey, is Steve back home yet?"
"No." Pony answered from the backseat. "Him and his old man are still at it I guess. Soda what's Sandy's grandma like?" Pony asked, trying to make pleasant conversation.
"Uh." Soda said. "That's one of the most miserable and grumpy women I've ever seen. She didn't take to kindly to me."
"How come?" Pony said, trying hard without success to imagine why anybody wouldn't like his brother.
Soda shrugged. "I'm not sure. Hey guess what though?"
"What?" Pony asked.
"I went swimming at the Miami Beach."
"You did? Tuff! What's the ocean like? Is it as pretty as it is in pictures and movies?" Ponyboy asked excitedly. He'd never been to the beach before. Neither had Soda. Darry'd gone to California with his friends after high school and went to the beach while he was over there. "Gosh I wish I went with you." Pony said. "I'd love to see it at sunset."
"I cannot believe you were swimming while I was sitting at home worrying." Darry said, angrily.
"Oh c'mon Dar. Give it a rest." Soda said.
"I will not give it a rest." Darry barked. "I've got enough to be concerned about without you sneaking off to Florida!" Once Darry was done ranting Soda reached over and flipped the radio on. He then leaned back in his seat and fell asleep. It was gonna be a long drive home.
