Soda woke up and looked around. It was dark in his room and he could hardly
see anything. He flipped the light on and saw that he was still in his
jeans. Then he remembered everything that had happened. He sighed,
wondering why in the world he'd blown up like that. He looked over and saw
that Pony wasn't in the bed inside him. He felt a knot of guilt in his
stomach.
Soda got up and walked into the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet. He pulled out the hairspray and repeated the same routine as he had earlier that morning, and the day before, and the day before. He'd learned that this worked as a way to take him away for a few moments. This time however the effect didn't last as long as hoped so he repeated the process once more, before replacing the hair spray and cloth to their rightful spots and settling back against the bathtub, closing his eyes.
The next time he woke up he was lying on the bathroom floor. It was still dark. He pushed himself up to a sitting position once more, feeling a horrible pain in his head. It was pounding so hard he thought it would explode. He felt a sickening feeling in his stomach and he new what was coming. Quickly he leaned over the bathtub and let it out. He forced himself and his aching had up and walked back into the bedroom. He stood there in the dark room, thinking, his head still pounding. He wasn't sure how long he stood there but he was sure it was for a long time. He thought about all the awful things that had gone on in the last few weeks. The list seemed to go on and on.
Sandy hated him, Pony'd done all sorts of stupid things and nearly gotten himself killed, Darry and Pony had been at each others throats for a long time and that had just ended although Soda wondered if the peace would last. He missed Sandy and Johnny and Dally. He missed his mom and dad and he missed that time when he was little and he didn't ever have to worry about anything.
He let out a lout breath, remembering the vomit in the tub. He walked back into the bathroom and turned the water on, washing it down the drain, nearly feeling sick again as he looked at it. He turned away and rested his head on his arm as he waited.
"Soda." A voice said behind him. He looked around startled. "What are you doing? It's the middle of the night." Darry asked. "Are you sick?" He noticed the unpleasant smell.
"No." Soda lied, turning the water off and standing up. "I was gonna take a bath but I changed my mind."
"What was that display at the dinner table tonight, Sodapop? What's going on. I've scarcely heard you upset with Pony. You didn't have to speak to him like that and I've never known you to either. You wanna tell me what's wrong? When you came to supper you were happy enough. It's like you changed moods completely in a split second."
"I know." Soda mumbled, rubbing his aching head. "I'm sorry. I guess I just had a bad day or something."
"All-right, but don't take it out on the kid. It took me forever to get him to quit crying. He was swearing up and down that you hate him. I was gonna come in and make you apologize but you were in such a state I was afraid it'd only make things worse." Darry said. "Now don't do that again, got it?" Soda nodded. "Are you sure there's not anything you wanna talk about?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." Soda said, feeling simply awful about making his baby brother so upset. "Darry, where is Pony. I didn't find him in bed."
"He's in my room because he was afraid you wouldn't want him in here."
"Oh." Soda said, softly.
"All-right. Go on back to bed now. You have to get up early for work tomorrow." Darry said. Soda nodded and went back to his room to get some shut-eye.
Darry retreated to his own room, finding his youngest brother sound asleep, curled up in a ball on the left side of his bed. He laid down next to him and closed his eyes. But he had to much on his mind to sleep. "Darry?" Pony whispered beside him.
Darry opened his eyes, surprised. "Ponyboy, did I wake you up?"
"I heard you and Soda talking. Is he ok?"
"Yeah, he's fine, kiddo."
"Is he still mad at me."
"No, he's sorry he yelled at you. He just lost it I guess. He didn't mean what he said, you know that."
"Yeah." Pony said.
"Go to sleep now, little buddy. You'll never get up in the morning if you don't." Darry said. Pony sighed, sleepily and closed his eyes again.
Soda got up and walked into the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet. He pulled out the hairspray and repeated the same routine as he had earlier that morning, and the day before, and the day before. He'd learned that this worked as a way to take him away for a few moments. This time however the effect didn't last as long as hoped so he repeated the process once more, before replacing the hair spray and cloth to their rightful spots and settling back against the bathtub, closing his eyes.
The next time he woke up he was lying on the bathroom floor. It was still dark. He pushed himself up to a sitting position once more, feeling a horrible pain in his head. It was pounding so hard he thought it would explode. He felt a sickening feeling in his stomach and he new what was coming. Quickly he leaned over the bathtub and let it out. He forced himself and his aching had up and walked back into the bedroom. He stood there in the dark room, thinking, his head still pounding. He wasn't sure how long he stood there but he was sure it was for a long time. He thought about all the awful things that had gone on in the last few weeks. The list seemed to go on and on.
Sandy hated him, Pony'd done all sorts of stupid things and nearly gotten himself killed, Darry and Pony had been at each others throats for a long time and that had just ended although Soda wondered if the peace would last. He missed Sandy and Johnny and Dally. He missed his mom and dad and he missed that time when he was little and he didn't ever have to worry about anything.
He let out a lout breath, remembering the vomit in the tub. He walked back into the bathroom and turned the water on, washing it down the drain, nearly feeling sick again as he looked at it. He turned away and rested his head on his arm as he waited.
"Soda." A voice said behind him. He looked around startled. "What are you doing? It's the middle of the night." Darry asked. "Are you sick?" He noticed the unpleasant smell.
"No." Soda lied, turning the water off and standing up. "I was gonna take a bath but I changed my mind."
"What was that display at the dinner table tonight, Sodapop? What's going on. I've scarcely heard you upset with Pony. You didn't have to speak to him like that and I've never known you to either. You wanna tell me what's wrong? When you came to supper you were happy enough. It's like you changed moods completely in a split second."
"I know." Soda mumbled, rubbing his aching head. "I'm sorry. I guess I just had a bad day or something."
"All-right, but don't take it out on the kid. It took me forever to get him to quit crying. He was swearing up and down that you hate him. I was gonna come in and make you apologize but you were in such a state I was afraid it'd only make things worse." Darry said. "Now don't do that again, got it?" Soda nodded. "Are you sure there's not anything you wanna talk about?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." Soda said, feeling simply awful about making his baby brother so upset. "Darry, where is Pony. I didn't find him in bed."
"He's in my room because he was afraid you wouldn't want him in here."
"Oh." Soda said, softly.
"All-right. Go on back to bed now. You have to get up early for work tomorrow." Darry said. Soda nodded and went back to his room to get some shut-eye.
Darry retreated to his own room, finding his youngest brother sound asleep, curled up in a ball on the left side of his bed. He laid down next to him and closed his eyes. But he had to much on his mind to sleep. "Darry?" Pony whispered beside him.
Darry opened his eyes, surprised. "Ponyboy, did I wake you up?"
"I heard you and Soda talking. Is he ok?"
"Yeah, he's fine, kiddo."
"Is he still mad at me."
"No, he's sorry he yelled at you. He just lost it I guess. He didn't mean what he said, you know that."
"Yeah." Pony said.
"Go to sleep now, little buddy. You'll never get up in the morning if you don't." Darry said. Pony sighed, sleepily and closed his eyes again.
