Disclaimer – I do not own the Outsiders, SE Hinton does. Lucky girl!
AN – Wow, so I'm actually surprised that I'm getting all these updates in. I must enjoy writing this story more then I thought:D . I'm studying for my finals too, so that's really saying something! Thanks for the reviews and criticism guys, love it, keep it comin'. Make's me even more determined to write more chapters(:
Now – I'm going to start putting a 'P' standing for PRESENT whenever it's the present time. Keep it less confusing.
…
"Dude, you mean you actually did that? Hah – I knew that girl was nothin more than a greasy broad!" I cringed as I heard Toby's loud, obnoxious laughing. He was worse than Darry in my opinion – he knew all about how Darry was abusing or "punishing" me, as Darry liked to put it, but he never stepped in or anything. He always stood at the sidelines…with a SMILE on his face. He hated me more than Darry I think – he thought I was a worthless kid. The first time he met me he asked me if I wanted a Jack Daniels. I wondered if his parents dropped him on the head when he was a baby. This guy was seriously screwed up.
"Yeah man, and I thought she might have been the one too…" I rolled my eyes – Darry was always searching for 'the one' and always ended up finding a hooker. Always.
If he wanted a girl he could start by looking places other than the strip bar!
I heard Toby let out a complicated hiss-spitting sound – like he was spitting inwardly instead of outwardly. "Man, that's just what chicks do. They all lookin for a man with money 'nd no problems, ye know what I'm sayin? Like the kid eh? He's a problem. I'll tell you one thing man, you should get rid of it man, it's nothing but a burden." I raised my eyebrows and practically choked with surprise – one because he had called me an 'it' and two because he acted as though I weren't even here. I saw Darry glance at me, for once with an emotion other than hate and anger. It was close to pity even…and selfishness.
"They aren't worth it." He said, but I had the feeling he was trying to convince himself.
"Exactly right my man," Darry walked away to go get a bottle of beer, " – hey, you. Yeah you. Come over here for a min'." I got up off the floor and walked until I was slightly next to Toby – but not within hitting distance. I knew Toby like I knew the bottom of my raggedy shoes – he was the kind of person that would take a swing at me for no reason, sorta like Tim Shepard, but worse. At least Darry hit me with a reason – if not a good reason, then he at least had a reason.
"You gonna come with me tonight, eh? Maybe you can finally get some you immature thing." Get some…get some what?
"uh, where?" I asked innocently, Toby sneered.
"To the funhouse lil bro – to get some man." Oh…oh.
"Er, I don't think Darry would like that very much…"
"Don't worry bout Dar, he aint gonna do nothin bout it that he hasn't already done before. Now come on kid, ya comin or not? You too wussy?"
I stared at him, praying that by some miracle he would get bored and just tell me to stay the hell away from him.
"I really don't think –"
"You really gonna stand me up man? I know a few guys and they won't like you too much when I tell them bout this…" he threatened. "So – you commin or not?"
I didn't say anything, but luckily Darry walked in on that exact moment. "Threatenin the kid? I like it." Great, even he was calling me "the kid". He grinned, but it fell short, and then he said quietly, "but I don't like what it's about."
"Whaddya mean?"
"You know what I mean." Darry threatened, shoving me roughly to the side. My face met the wall in a rather unpleasant way. Darry looked at me for a minute, like he hadn't intended that, then I watched in disgust as he hid in laughter at where I had ended up. He shook his head, bored with me, then turned back to Toby.
"Come on Dar. I mean – the kid's gotta get laid sometime!" he exclaimed, "I mean, look at it. It's like a little baby over there suckin his thumb cause 'big bro Curtis is mean to him'. That kid needs to be taught to give you more respect man, aint that right baby?" he looked at me tauntingly. I ignored him, and pulled my legs up to my chest, staring blankly ahead of me.
Darry looked from Toby to me, then back again. "He aint comin man. I'll come." He said.
"What-why?" Toby asked, shocked.
"Cause he's still my kid brother and I say he aint ready for this."
Oh – so it wasn't pity for me. I knew that. He just wanted to control me. Well he can't!
"Dar I wanna go—" I broke off abruptly as Darry shoved me so hard I went half-way flying across the room, knocking some ornaments on the tables over in the process. Toby just laughed at me, while Darry glowered. "Get to your room! I'll deal with you later – and you – get outta my house." Darry pushed Toby out the door and turned back to me.
…
P
"Hey kid." Steve greeted me. I barely acknowledged him, I just asked, "Where's Soda?" Me and Steve both internally winced at the sound of my voice – it was dead, empty.
"He's in the other room, you wanna see him?"
I thought about it. "No…"
"Oh." Steve looked a little confused. "You want anything?"
I finally looked at him. "No."
Sensing that he wasn't going to get any real answers out of me, he shrugged and walked into the other room – where Soda was apparently. I could hear them talking but I didn't really care for what about. All I knew was that I wanted to be alone, to curl up in a ball and be alone. It was weird – one minute I was crying for Soda, and the next…nothing… I just wanted everyone to stay the hell away from me. I mean, seriously – Soda hadn't even taken the precaution of hiding the car when he brought me here. Maybe he wanted Darry to get me.
Maybe he wanted me off his shoulders.
Maybe he thought I was a waste of time.
Maybe…
…
"You had better have a good reason for bringing home a D!" My eyes widened as I noted the bottle in Darry's hand. He had been drinking…again.
"I – uh." What was I supposed to say to Darry, Oh well you know Dar, I would have done better, but you keep on hitting me too much and I don't have time left to study anymore!
"Get your ass over here!" I didn't want to, but my feet had a will of their own, and they obediently listened to Darry, like a dog would listen to its master. Blindly. Not even seeing the battle-scars that would lie before them. I stopped in front of him, and looked up blankly into his eyes.
He stared at me for a moment, before I heard a loud "whoosing" sound, and a hard thwack was delivered to the side of my head. I groaned and clutched it, almost falling down in the process. I stared ahead, trying to decipher what was up and what was down.
I could just make out Darry's figure – my eyes were too teary to see anything else. That swat had hurt!
"That was one." Darry said, and I felt my eyes widen. I couldn't take much more of that! I was about to open my mouth to tell him when another swat was delivered, this time connecting with my ear. It took a minute for me to hear anything at all. "That was two."
I wondered how long this was going to go on, and when the sixth swat came, that was when my knees buckled. Darry looked at me and frowned.
"Get to bed – and if I hear of another bad grade you won't like what's commin!"
…
"What's wrong?" I asked Darry, wide-eyed. He was staring ahead of him with a bottle of whiskey, a blank look on his face.
"Soda's been drafted." He stated matter-of-factly. He took a swing from his almost-empty jug. My heart stopped beating.
Soda…DRAFTED?
"He…no – they made a mistake! They wouldn't take him away from me…they wouldn't…"
Darry looked up sharply at me, "You think you're the only one that's gonna miss him? That you're the only one who he's gonna get taken away from? Huh? Well do ya!"
I looked up in surprise, startled by Darry's venomous tone of voice. "Well listen up kiddo," he went on angrily, staggering up and starting towards me. "Don't ever think that, don't you ever think that!" there were tears in his eyes.
I frowned, and said "Gee Dar, I know I'm not the only one who's gonna loose him but…jeesh."
I could literally see Darry's frame shaking, and I took a incoluntary step back.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" He burst out, and I stared at him in surprise and…anger…
Don't understand? How could he say that to me?
"Don't understand huh!" I yelled, "you aint the one who lost your best buddy! You aint the one who saw your best buddy's hero crumple under the street! You weren't the one who caused their deaths! You don't understand nothin either!"
Darry glared daggers at me, "You don't use that tone of voice with me!" he yelled, almost as loudly as me. I was surprised Sodapop hadn't awoken with all this yelling.
"So what if I do? Who do you think you a—" thwam! I clutched my nose, surprised that Darry's punch hadn't drawn blood. I can't believe it – he just hit me…again. After he promised Soda no more fighting…the last time he hit me Johnny died – the last time he hit me I almost got drowned. Well that wasn't gonna happen this time – I was ready for him.
"I can't take it anymore!" I yelled, shoving him away from me, surprised as he actually hit the ground. It must have been the whiskey.
Darry shook his head and got up, pushing me down, then he proceeded to kick me repeatedly, ignoring my cries of pain. As the last blow was delivered, I heard Soda cheerfully call that dinner was ready from inside.
…
P
"Do you think he's alright?" I heard Soda's worried voice, and it took all my might not to roll my eyes. He worried about me to much – didn't he see that I didn't care anymore? That hell could freeze over tomorrow and I wouldn't notice? Or care?
"Sodapop, he's gonna be fine. Really. He's just goin through a stage." Steve said calmly. I could almost hear Soda raising his eyebrows.
"A stage? You call not eating and not responding to anything we say a stage?"
"No…I call it normal."
I heard a chair scrape in the other room and I imagined Sodapop jumping up from his seat to glare at Steve.
"Normal! What the hell are you talkin bout Stevie?"
"Soda – he's been abused and-"
"No, you think!" I was a little surprised at Sodapop's outburst. He never yelled at Steve. Steve was his best friend. His best buddy, like Johnny used to be my best buddy. I never yelled at Johnny, never…
"Soda! Calm down and listen to me!" I heard Steve exclaim, and I was even more surprised. Steve begging? That was definitely weird for him.
"What Steve." I heard Soda sigh, and angry as he was, in Soda's book, curiosity came first.
"He's been abused Soda. Before you say anything, listen to me. When your…when that happens…you wouldn't know Sodapop. You don't know what he's been through. He's changing – and there's nothing you can do to stop it. This will pass – it will pass Soda, don't you forget that. Remember Johnny man? He aint like Ponyboy is now, cause he got over it. Dally never cared anyway – and I ain't too bad off am I?" Steve tried joking, but Soda didn't sound amused.
"He's just worryin me Stevie."
"I know, the kid's actually startin to worry me too." I heard Steve let out a nervous chuckle, probably unused to saying 'the kid' and 'worried' in the same sentence.
I peeked through the door to see Soda smiling at Steve, he exclaimed brightly "So you do have a heart!" Steve just groaned.
…
Did you like it? Hate it? Any pointers – specific things you'd like to see me add? Just tell me, I'll be happy to deliver it if I can. Hope the P was less confusing for ya!
Don't forget to review : )
