A/N: I greatly apologize for the huge lapse in posting. This story is NOT abandoned, I've just had a huge amount of difficulty moving it along from one place to another. It's writing itself all the time in my head - it's just been difficult to get through this one particular part, and I've had more than a few distractions this summer. I hope I haven't lost all of my readers and reviewers ... please stick with me - the end of summer and the beginning of Scout's high school years will be interesting. Thanks for your patience!
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As nice as it had been to see Coach and and Laura, I was really glad to get back home. Soda was already back from Sandy's house, and he was playing with the grill while she sat on the steps talking to him and looking at him in that way that assured me that she really loved him, and made me glad that – after all that had happened – they had found each other again.
Darry eventually took over grill duty and Soda and Sandy stole away to the side of the house. For a minute I considered going into my bedroom and spying on the two of them out my window, but just then Ben came out of his door and I felt my heart skip a beat. He was just showered, wearing nicer clothes than I was used to seeing on him. He grabbed onto his balcony railing, lifting up a foot to tie his shoe. I couldn't help but notice the muscles tense in his other leg as it adjusted, and realize how strong he was getting.
"What are you staring at?" he laughed, coming down the stairs to meet me, sliding his arm around my waist. I noticed his hair had lightened in the summer sun, like mine, and wispy strands of almost-blond framed his face.
"Your muscles," I said, bemused.
"Yeah, right," he laughed.
"No, I'm serious," I said, squeezing his side where it used to be soft when I'd tickled him, but was now rock solid. "You just look… different. I bet you're gonna be taller than Kevin."
"Yeah," he grinned, grabbing my hand as I squeezed him. "We'll see. Unfortunately, I don't think you're gonna ever be bigger than Darry."
"I hope not," I joked, as he tried to squeeze my waist and I shrieked, getting the attention of Darry.
"You two stay outside," he warned. I still had to laugh at whatever he was worried we were going to be doing in the house. It wasn't going to happen. But I couldn't help being annoyed that Soda and Sandy were probably inside alone.
"How come Soda gets to go wherever he wants with Sandy?" I asked, sitting down on the porch with Ben. "Seems like you should be a whole lot more worried about what Soda's doing than us. Why's he allowed to be all alone inside with a girl?"
"He isn't," Darry answered as he turned the coals on the grill. "Soda, get out here," he called.
"What?" he answered from inside the house.
"Get the ribs and come out here," Darry called. Soda and Sandy appeared at the door, both flushed. Soda went over to give Darry the meat, setting it on a plate on the makeshift table Darry had made of grocery crates. There was some sort of mumbled exchange and I saw Soda glance at Ben and me on the stairs. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he came over.
"Me and Sandy weren't doin' anything in the house, you know. We were just talkin'."
"Yeah, okay."
"I'm serious. I don't wanna be a bad example for you two any more than Darry wants me to be."
"Who says me and Scout care what you two do anyway?" Ben asked, and I had to smile. As much as everyone thought the two of us were up to no good when we were alone, we really weren't. We hadn't really talked about doing anything more than just kissing, but I was pretty sure we were both on the same page, and not in any huge hurry to take things to the next level.
"I don't know when you guys will get it through your head that just because you do something it doesn't mean I'm going to. I have a brain of my own, you know," I added. Soda reached out to mess up my hair but I dodged his hand. Ben counterattacked, trying to get him, and a small tussle ensued. Sandy and I rolled out eyes at each other.
"Boys…" she said.
"Hey…Pony's having a girl over tonight," I said, and all three of their heads snapped around to look at me.
"No way," Soda said, suddenly forgetting about messing with anyone's hair.
"Who?" Ben asked.
"Good for him!" Sandy smiled.
"He met some girl at Coach K's cookout. I don't know her, I don't think she goes to our school."
"Is she cute?" Soda asked.
"What's her name?" Ben asked at the same time.
"Tricia," I responded, "and she's cute, I guess. I only met her for a minute. Pony spent the whole time with her though."
"Well, it's about time," Soda griped. "I was starting to worry that he might never show any interest in the ladies." He laughed and I realized that maybe I should have kept my mouth shut.
"Look, don't give him a hard time, okay? You know how embarrassed he gets. Don't act like a jerk with the girl around, especially since she doesn't know any of us." I felt kind of bad about what I'd said to Pony that morning… he deserved to have someone special just as much as the rest of us did. And while Sandy and Ben and, for the most part, Alison, were used to the nonsense that regularly occurred around our house, this poor girl really had no idea what she was in for.
"Don't worry," Sandy said. "I'll make sure he behaves." She kissed his neck gently and he smiled.
"I'll be good. I promise." Soda pulled her into his lap just as Pony came out onto the porch.
"Darry, Tricia's Dad wants to talk to you on the phone," he called. Both Sandy and I stared at Soda, and he kept his mouth shut, just smiling. Tang wandered out onto the porch as Darry went inside, providing temporary free entertainment for us all. He crouched in the tall grass growing along the edge of the porch, where the mower couldn't reach, and proceeded to stalk fireflies.
He got a little bit more than he bargained for, however, when he leaped forward towards the corner of the house just as Two-Bit came around it. Both parties seemed equally startled, Tang taking off with a howl, and Two-Bit jumping back with a yelp.
"Whoa, there, Mr. Tangerine man… You gotta watch your manners there, little man. That's no way to welcome a man and his lady!" Following Two-Bit around the corner, her hand in his, was a girl I hadn't seen before. So this was the mystery girl he'd been dating for months. To my great surprise, she wasn't blond. In fact, her hair was practically the same rusty color as Two-Bit's own. If I didn't know better, I have thought it was his sister.
"Hey y'all," he walked over, and I saw no reason he'd kept her a secret so long – she was actually real pretty and a far cry less – shall I say – questionable looking than a lot of other girls I'd seen him with.
"This is Dottie," he said, introducing each of us in turn. "There'll be a quiz later, so pay attention," he joked, pulling her tight against him, and she smiled and laughed quietly, making me suspect that her own shyness might be what had convinced Two-Bit to get to know her better before subjecting her to the chaos that was the Curtis house. "Hey, where's Superman?" he asked, looking around.
"He's inside," Soda laughed and both Sandy and I shot him glances about not mentioning Pony's new friend. He seemed to get it. There was no need, anyway, because Darry came out the door not a minute later, Pony following with a look on his face that clearly indicated things had gone well with Tricia's dad.
Two-Bit made the necessary introductions between Dottie and Darry and Pony, warning Pony to "keep his hands to himself, that she was a taken lady," and Soda just couldn't hold back any longer.
"Oh, don't worry, Two-Bit. Pony's got a lady friend of his own coming over," he burst out, and Sandy and I both glared at him, both of us knowing he just couldn't help himself. I felt bad, knowing I never should have said anything in the first place.
"Ooooh, Is that so?" Two-Bit hopped right on board, grabbing a beer from the cooler Soda had set up on the porch and putting his arm around Pony, dragging him over to a corner of the porch, and starting in right away with the questions. "So now what exactly dos this little lady look like?" he was asking as he sat him down. "And I'm talking, like, dimensions, you know what I mean…legs, curves…"
Soda and I both just looked on, amused, as Pony turned from pink to a nice crimson. But he didn't look mad, at least.
Sandy and Dottie started on a conversation about schools – Dottie was transferring into Rogers in the fall – and wanted to know what teachers to avoid, and I was surprised to hear Darry calling me up on the porch.
"Scout, can you come in the house for a minute?" Ben looked at me and I shrugged. I wasn't sure what more there was to lecture me about – Ben and I were sitting right out in the open, with all four hands in plain sight. I squeezed his hand and headed inside, Darry holding the door open for me. He led me all the way through the house back into the kitchen.
"What's up?" I asked. "It's fine, I mean… me and Ben will stay outside."
"Ben and I," Darry corrected.
"Yeah, okay, Ponyboy," I said, sarcastically. "Ben and I will stay outside."
"I know," he said. "It ain't that."
"It isn't that," I corrected, and he cracked a smile.
"Touché. Okay…. It isn't that," he said. "Look, I need you to do me a favor tonight"
"Me? Okay, I guess. What?"
"Well, this girl Pony's got coming over… her dad's real concerned about it, you know, her being supervised and all."
"Oh, jeez…I can't imagine what that must be like…" The sarcasm was inevitable.
"Yeah, funny," he ignored my tone. "Her dad's only letting her come over because we actually met at the cookout, though we didn't know Pony and Tricia were, well… hitting it off."
"I don't get it. What does it have to do with me?"
"I just want you to keep an eye on her. Maybe you and Ben could hang out with her and Pony. And don't let Two-Bit try any of his usual crap trying to get you guys to drink beer. Pony deserves this; I don't want us ruining it for him. If he likes this girl, I don't want us messing it up."
I was sort of speechless. First, I didn't know Darry knew about Two-Bit always trying to get me and Pony to drink at parties. Secondly, I thought it was pretty smart that Darry was making me the chaperone. Pony would Darry hanging around him all night to no end, but if he was with a girl for the first time, he might not mind having me and Ben - and Anna, who would be coming with Ali = being around.
"Okay… I guess. I mean, Dar… you know Pony's not gonna try anything." There was no way. Pony was the most innocent of all of us.
"No, I know. And I know you and Ben aren't either. But it's my job to worry about it. And it's not our family I'm worried about misbehaving, so much… it's our guests."
"I get it," I said. We all loved Two-Bit to death, but he could get a little unpredictable, especially at parties. "Okay."
"Thanks," he said, squeezing my shoulders. "Now, I could use your help with the corn. Soda shucked it… you mind doing corn duty while I mind the grill?"
Mom and I had always done the corn while Dad worked the grill. Just another "first" without them. I nodded, biting back my lip but not crying.
"I'll send in Pony, to keep you company," he said, "and Ben."
"Okay." This was clearly a concession. I guess Ben and I could stay together if Pony was around, too. I realized this could work in all of our favor if Pony got a serious girl… we 'd at least be allowed in the house as a group.
"Okay. Don't burn the ribs," I said as he headed out the door and I heard him chuckle. Our Mom had always worried that our Dad would, and he never did. He always stood at the grill the whole time, watching the boys play football, and talking with each of them, in turn, cooking the ribs to a perfect tenderness. I felt a little sad, thinking about the boys.
I felt the space they'd left, too… Dally, and Johnny… even Steve. For as long as I could remember, they'd all come to our fourth of July barbecue, all three spending the night on the living room floor. There were new people, now – Alison, Anna, Two-Bit and Pony's new girls – but it didn't fill the void, really. I was so glad that Pony had found someone – I had a feeling he'd otherwise be missing Johnny pretty awful.
As it was, he was downright chipper - to the point that when he and Ben came in, Pony was nothing but chatter. Ben looked stunned. Pony had never been outright rude to him, but he certainly wasn't usually spilling his guts. Suddenly he was telling Ben all about this girl – and I just let them keep on talking, listening for my own information. Even more stunning was when Pony opened the refrigerator and started taking stuff out.
"What are you doing?" I asked, dumping the first dozen ears of corn into the pot and accidentally splashing myself with boiling water.
"Jesus, be careful," Ben came over to the stove. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," I said, sucking on my hand where the water had scalded it. "Seriously, Pone, what are you doing."
"I'm mixing up the cole slaw. Just figured Darry might appreciate the help."
I was still shaking my head as Ben was handing me ice in a towel and sitting me down at the table, inspecting my burn. Lord knows; if I thought getting a girl was going to make Pony more eager to help out, I would have been a whole lot more proactive about finding him one, I thought, listening to him talk away to Ben, smiling despite myself.
…...
Later that night, all of us stuffed with Dad's famous ribs - cooked perfectly by Darry - and more corn and cole slaw and roasted marshmallows than necessary, we all sat out on the porch as the fireworks display was about to begin.
There was a slight breeze – surprising for the middle of summer – and while it wasn't enough to make it cold, it was just enough to keep the bugs away. Two-Bit had behaved himself, and everyone had gotten along, despite the fact that quite a few other guys from the neighborhood had shown up. Knowing the view from our house was good – and lured by the small of barbecue – they quietly appeared, bringing their own beer and food and shaking hands and exchanging greetings with Darry and Soda..
I sat on the porch stairs, Ben sitting on the step behind me as I leaned back against his chest and he rubbed my shoulders. I looked around, trying not to focus on what had changed since the last fourth of July, but trying to be happy about what I still had: my brothers and Ben – and I felt happy to see my brothers being happy.
Darry and Ali stood against the fence, her head on his shoulder, his arm around his waist. Soda and Sandy sat behind me, arm in arm on the porch couch, while Pony and Tricia sat on the porch railing, just holding hands. Even Anna had found a mystery guy to sit with out on the lawn. I'd have to find out more about that later. I looked around and saw that even Two-Bit stood still, arms around Dottie as he watched the fireworks explode, permeating the sky with color, and making everyone's faces look surreal in the light.
For the fifteen minutes or so while the fireworks display lit up the skies, everything seemed still and calm and – as much as it had been, or could ever be, over the past year – perfect.