I watched Darry drive away, thinking how strange it was to see him in Kevin's car - and headed inside to see Coach and Laura. She was excited to see me, and Coach seemed pretty relieved to have me back as well.

"Not that I don't like Barb's mom, " he said, "but seeing her first thing every morning while you were sick was a little bit stressful," he laughed. "Someday when you have in-laws, you'll get it. Just - it's good to have you back, Scout."

"It's good to be back," I agreed, as Laura practically climbed up my leg. He gave me a few directions about things that had changed since the last time I was there – the biggest thing being that the room that had been their den was boarded up due to the tornado damage - and he was gone.

It was nice to be back to the normal routine of babysitting, though I knew it was only going to be for one more week. After that, summer school would be over and Coach would be home in the mornings, not needing me to babysit. There were still three more weeks of summer after that – I was looking forward to sleeping late and hanging around with Ben – and then it was back to school.

I was trying hard not to think about that – the idea of high school was making me cringe, so I was trying as hard as I could to deny it was really going to happen until the day I actually had to go. At least Ben and I had been in the same school building before… I wasn't looking forward to being alone. Pony and Two-Bit assured me to no end that I'd be fine, but I was skeptical at best. I felt too young to be in high school. Technically, I was. Or maybe I was just too scared.

Along with trying not to think about high school. I was desperately trying not to think about who might be after Darry - and why. Frankly, I almost wished it were Steve being after me that I was still worried about – at least that fear had a face and a name. As for this – well, I had no idea who or what to be afraid of – and the fact that they were after Darry – well, that was just plain terrifying. He was supposed to be Superman, after all – but I knew full well that even Superman had his kryptonite. They had already gotten to him once… there was no saying it wouldn't happen again, and be worse.

After I put down Laura for her nap, I sat on the couch in Coach's living room and tried to make sense of things. The thought of Darry as vulnerable was always surprising – up until the past year I'd never have thought anyone or anything could ever rattle him – but I knew better now. I'd seen him the night he'd been out drinking – I knew he had worries and insecurities as much as the rest of us. And I'd seen him after the guys had found him alone and worked him over. He was strong, he was determined – he was a formidable opponent, for sure – but he was alone.

I was sitting there, just about worrying myself into a frenzy, when all of a sudden I swore I heard his voice. Shaking my head and wondering for a second if I was losing my mind, I focused in on a noise I'd been hearing all day but ignoring. A noise that was faint but constant, that I hadn't registered for what it was… hammering. I knew Darry was still working in the neighborhood, since that's where the most tornado damage had been – but I had to laugh out loud realizing that I had actually heard him working all morning, all the while panicking about him. If I listened carefully I could hear his voice, faintly. Turns out he must not have been alone, because he was definitely yelling back and forth with another guy, and the hammering overlapped. I was pretty sure even Darry couldn't work two hammers at a time.

I sat there, still as anything, just listening to him work until Coach came home. I don't know what I could possibly do if I thought I heard trouble happening, but hearing him working was somehow comforting. Coach woke up a still very sleepy Laura and drove me home as she dozed off in the car. I was glad he hadn't seen Darry drop me off, so he didn't comment on the fact that his truck had been absent. I wasn't really sure whether or not I would have told him the truth. I knew he cared about me and my family - but I always sort of felt like we needed to keep our problems to ourselves as much as possible. Not that I thought he'd ever get the state involved – but you just never knew. It was always a worry.

He dropped me off, and as I came up onto the porch, I could hear Soda and Pony laughing in the kitchen. The conversation stopped short the second they heard the screen door slam. I walked back to the kitchen to find them both busy, Soda opening a can of soup and Pony making grilled cheese sandwiches.

"Hi," I said, though it was obvious they knew I was home. "What's so funny?"

No response.

"Look, I could hear you talking…Were you guys talking about me?"

"No," Soda answered, turning as he tossed the soup can in the trash.

"Not really," Pony said, and they both started to laugh again, convincing me that they definitely had been talking about me.

"Great," I uttered, and headed back toward my room, slamming the door and realizing that I was indeed, growing into my teenaged-ness. It was stressful enough worrying about what your friends might be saying about you – once your brothers started picking on you as a team, it would only get worse, I figured. I put down my babysitting bag and lay back down on my bed.

The second I'd lain down, I regretted it. Just too many things to think about.

It was only a minute or so later that Soda was at my door.

"Scout." He knocked softly.

"Go away," I said, knowing that it wasn't really anger at him I was feeling but rather just plain stress about Darry, school, and the fact that I'd caught sight of the calendar in my brief time in the kitchen, reminding me that Soda and I had another appointment with the counselor the next day - AND that our court date for Soda's accident was later in the week. I just wanted to close my eyes and go back to the way I'd felt watching the fireworks the night before.

"C'mon. We weren't talking about you."

"Right. It's fine, Soda. Just leave me alone, okay?"

I saw the doorknob turning and put my face down on the pillow.

"I thought we respected each other's privacy around here," I said, not looking up.

"We weren't talking about you. C'mon, look at me," he said, and the tone of his voice made me believe him, a little bit. I turned my head and he seemed surprised – I realized he'd probably expected me to be crying.

"We were talking about girls… I mean - stuff you wouldn't want your sister hearing you talk about."

I stared; surprised he was admitting it.

"Stuff I kind of feel bad about talking about, realizing that some stupid guy might be saying that kind of stuff about you someday, and I'd want to kill him for it. You caught us off guard… we were embarrassed. I know I was, and if I was, then Pony was for sure. We were being jerks – but it wasn't about you"

I bit at my lip. This was weird in so many ways – Soda being honest and apologetic about trash talking, and him and Pony talking about – well, what I assumed had to be sex. It had always before been a sort of running joke that Pony didn't like girls yet. I guess this Tricia had made quite the impression on him.

"So, we weren't trying to hurt your feelings. Forgiven?" Soda reached out a hand to me and I took it, letting him pull me up to sitting.

"Forgiven," I agreed, but let go of his hand before he could pull me all the way up. He seemed confused for a minute, looking down at me, and finally sat next to me on my bed.

"That wasn't all of it, was it?" he asked, trying to catch my eye though I stared at the floor. "What's eatin' at you, then?"

I didn't answer but it didn't take him long to figure it out.

"Darry. It's Darry, right? The truck?"

I hesitated but there was no use in completely lying.

"Maybe."

"Scout, c'mon."

"Yeah. Okay. Yeah, it's Darry. And other stuff, too, though. I just have a lot on my mind now. I'm fine. It's fine. I just need to think about some stuff, okay? I just… I don't want to talk about it right now. You think Pony got lunch ready by now?"

He was looking at me in a way that sort of scared me – I'd always known that Soda cared about me, but this was a new look – I could see that he was actually concerned about me. And that was scary, because really didn't like being someone a carefree person like Soda had to be concerned about. Darry I knew worried about me - but with the whole Steve situation under control, I hated the fact that Soda was still worried about me.

"Scout, you have stuff that's botherin' you, you know I'm here, right? Me and Darry, and hell - even Pony. We're gonna help you. And Darry and the truck – hell, it was Fourth of July. It coulda just been a random thing – kids out doing dumb stuff. You know that- you know all the stupid stuff that goes down on fourth of July. There no real evidence anyone was after him, specifically. Coulda just been stupid kids out with a blade, lookin' to be someone's pain in the ass."

"I know," I responded. "I know, that you are all here for me – and maybe it wasn't people hating Darry. I get that. I'm okay. I just have some stuff to think about. And we have that counseling thing again tomorrow and I promised her – Dr. Lee - that I'd talk to Darry about some stuff before then… I just have stuff on my mind. I was okay with it all but then, just - I thought you were picking on me, so I just got sort of … overloaded."

"Well… we weren't. Picking on you, I mean."

"I know. Sorry I was a brat. Just sort of lost all of my patience."

"Ha, well, that's nothing new. You shoulda seen you when you were five."

He reached a hand out to me again, and this time I let him pull me up.

"Well, I'm sorry about that, too."

"Kiddo, I was joking. You're hardly ever a brat." He pulled me out the door. "Not even nearly as much as Ponyboy, anyway." Pony swatted him with a potholder as we sat down at the table, and his look in my direction assured me that he felt as bad as Soda about hurting my feelings.

Lunch was pleasant enough – we talked about Darry and Alison and the fact that we all wished we could figure out how to get him to make more time for her – but if I'd had any doubts about Soda actually feeling bad about what had happened before, they were dispelled when, after doing the lunch dishes, he suggested we all play basketball.

Pony, Darry and I all had sports in common. We loved the competition, the challenge of pushing yourself to do your best – the just plain excitement of a contest. But somehow, Soda – arguably the most thrill-seeking among us – had never embraced the challenge of organized sports. He was a total goof at basketball – him offering to play was absolutely an act of concession on his part.

"Soda, you don't have to. I'm over it."

"No. I want to. C' mon. You against me and Pony. We haven't played in forever." It would have seemed totally unfair to an outsider, but that was actually the most fair matchup possible among the three of us.

"Okay," I agreed, assuming the play would be short-lived.

Much to my surprise – and much due to all of our stubbornness at wanting to beat each other - two hours later, the three of us finally gave in to exhaustion and crashed down into chairs on the porch. Pony brought us all Pepsis and we all were still sitting there when, forty five minutes later, Darry pulled Kevin's car into the Cummings' driveway and walked over.

He actually looked a little panicked at first when he saw us.

"What the hell happened to you guys?"

"Basketball," Pony replied. "Two hours of basketball."

Darry grinned. "Surprised to see you boys in such good shape, then," he quipped. "Nice work, Scout."

I offered a weak smile, still worn out myself. I may have been a bit better off than the two of them – but still, running around in the heat for two hours will exhaust pretty much anyone.

"What's up with the truck?" he asked Soda.

"All set. Just gotta go get it. Steve was putting the last tire on when I left."

"How much?"

"Nothin', Dar. I told you. We've got more spare tires down there than we even know what to do with."

"Free, huh," I asked. "That's my favorite price!"

"Mine too." Darry thanked Soda, winked at me and headed inside. I followed him, having decided I might as well get started on dinner, since I hadn't even thought about what to make. Darry dropped his tools at the door and right after I heard his boots drop he appeared in the kitchen and poured himself a huge glass of milk, then drank it down in giant gulps.

"I don't know why you don't just drink it right out of the bottle," I remarked as he put the bottle back in the refrigerator. "You know Pony and Soda do."

"Yeah, well I'm trying to be a bit more refined than those two," he said as he sat at the table and started going through the mail.

"Refined?" I stared at him. Refined was not a word that came to mind when talking about any of my brothers. "Really? Or just not gross?"

"I suppose 'just not gross' is good enough," he laughed.

"Well you don't belch after drinking it like they do, either so I guess that's a good start on being refined."

"I hope so," he agreed. "So what's for dinner?"

"Well, that's the twenty-five thousand dollar question. Got any ideas?"

"I thought you were the budding gourmet around here?"

I had been on his case about trying new foods every time we were at the market, but I hadn't been shopping with him since before my whole spider bite and pneumonia incidents. I'd been looking through Mrs. Karis's cookbooks, though, and had remembered a whole bunch of stuff that our Mom used to cook that we never had anymore. I had ideas aplenty – we just didn't have the ingredients.

"You let me do the shopping and I'll be the gourmet." I knew he wouldn't buy into that idea.

"Yeah, and we'll be broke the first week of the month. I don't think you or those two other brothers of yours have any concept of a food budget."

"Maybe."

I was glad the budgeting wasn't my job, though I still worried about it quite a bit. "How about just hotdogs and the leftovers from last night, then?"

"That works for me. We got any beans?" He got up and started rooting around in the cabinets, finally pulling out a can and setting it on the counter.

"Hey, you mind if I take Kevin's car down to the DX with Soda so we can get the truck before dinner?"

"Why would I mind? It's my night to cook anyway."

"Yeah, right…" it seemed funny that he thought I'd care. "Okay, then… I'll be back in a few, and I'll help you out then. Hold off on the hotdogs – I'll have Pony light the grill and we can cook 'em outside."

"Okay." He still didn't move and I turned to look at him. "What's with you? Why are you acting weird?"

"I just – you said… I thought you wanted to talk to me before you went back to Dr. Lee. Right?"

"Yeah, I do. I will. I mean - after dinner, is that okay?"

"Yeah, okay. You've just got me worried, that's all. I don't like that something about me is bothering you enough that you have to talk to a counselor about it."

"Well, stop worrying - you and everybody else. It's fine. I'm fine. We'll talk after dinner, okay? It's not really that big of a deal. Go get your dumb truck."

"Hey, my dumb truck happens to be the only wheels in this family right now."

"Right. So go get it." I grabbed his shoulder, turned him around, and gave him a good smack on the butt. He headed out and I focused on cooking the can of beans

Not even a half hour later, Darry arrived home and took over at the grill Ponyboy had lit, grilling hotdogs until they were practically burned, the way we all liked them. Along with the leftover potato salad, cole slaw, the few remaining ribs and the beans, we had grilled some corn on the cob, and we were all quite thoroughly stuffed as we sat out on the porch watching as the sun began to set. The more I'd been thinking about what I wanted to say to Darry before seeing Dr. Lee again, the more I realized that having Soda and Pony around for the conversation was probably going to help my cause more than hurt it. So I took a deep breath, turned to face them from where I sat on the stairs, and went for it.

"So… about my homework…" I started.

"It's summer, dumbass," Pony poked me in the back with his toe. "No homework."

"Pony," Darry warned.

"It's fine," I spoke up. "You guys need to stop thinking you need to get all uptight every time he calls me a name. I can handle it. We've been name calling forever. It doesn't bother me, since he's such a jerk anyway."

Pony laughed.

"Homework from where?" Soda asked.

"Dr. Lee," I answered. "She wanted me to talk to you guys about some stuff before I went back – and that's tomorrow, and I think maybe she's right, because there are things that upset me about – well, about us – and I'd rather just say then before they get really bad and you all hate me for them."

"What are you talking about?" Soda started, immediately. "Where do you get these ideas? Nobody is hating you about anything."

"Not you," I cut him off. "Well, mostly not you. Darry."

Darry looked stricken, and I could understand why. He had been nothing but loving and supportive and patient – in his mind I was sure he had no clue about why I might think he hated me. And I was pretty sure that right then he didn't. He knew I loved him, and I knew he loved me. What I was worried about was more long-term. A slow, sneaky resentment that would move over the years as he realized how great he could have been had I not held him back.

"Scout… what?" He was having trouble responding. "You think I hate you about something?" His voice was practically despondent and I hated that he thought that, after how great he really had been.

"No. No, Darry. No. Look, I'm not going to do a good job with explaining this, even though I've been thinking about it a lot – too much, probably - but no – I love you guys, and I know you love me, but there's just – other stuff."

"About Steve?" Soda asked.

"No," I answered, confidently. "Not about Steve. I think – I really think most of that is over. This is about us. Just me and you guys and… how things are going since Mom and Dad have been gone."

All three brothers were silent for quite a while, and finally Darry almost broke my heart, asking:

"Am I not doing a good job, here, Scout? Because I'll understand if you want to go somewhere else."

"Darry!" both Pony and Soda yelled at him, jumping up, as I jumped up too, and and turned to face him.

"No. God, No. I don't want to be anywhere but here. I'm good. I'm fine. I took care of things with Steve and I'm pretty much happy. Darry - you do great. This whole thing – it's about you – you not getting what you need. It's not about me being unhappy. It's about you. You're doing a great job. It's me … I'm not doing a good enough job for you. I'm the bad guy. I'm the one failing you."

Darry stared at me, looking relieved and confused at the same time.

"What? What are you talking about, baby? What about me? I'm fine, other than wondering what's got you so upset. What on Earth are you feeling so bad about?"

I took a deep breath. All three brothers were stressing out, pacing on the porch. It would have been sort of funny, if it hadn't been so serious in my mind.

"Okay – obviously I'm not handling this right. Can you guys all just sit down?"

All three brothers immediately sat and I had to laugh, which made them laugh in return.

"That's better," I said. "Can you all just calm down, please? I mean, seriously. I'm fine. Things here are good. Nobody needs to panic."

"Okay," Soda answered. "So what's this big thing you need to talk to us about – about Darry? About you not being good enough to him, whatever that means."

"Jesus, why are your big talks with us always so dramatic?" Pony asked me.

"I'm not trying to be dramatic. I'm just talking. You guys are the drama queens here. You're the ones standing up and yelling and stuff. I'm just talking. Just hear me out, okay? Don't get all crazy on me?"

"Okay," Darry answered. "Shoot."

"What if I said I didn't want to go back to school this fall?"

"No," Soda stood back up. "No way. And don't even try to compare you with me." Darry and Pony both looked about to explode, as well, but I cut them off.

"Soda, for God's sake, you just agreed to calm down and not be crazy. I'm not quitting school."

"Why'd you even say that, then?" Soda replied, still fired up, but sitting back down.

"I'm trying to make a point. Because, well… one of us here is quitting – and it isn't me, or you – and I'm not really sure why everybody seems to be okay with it. Why am I the only one who's upset about Darry not going back to school and losing out on his scholarship?"

I was met with silence. It occurred to me that maybe Pony and Soda had been so absorbed with what was going on with the rest of us that they hadn't really thought that much about Darry.

"I want you to go back to school this fall, Darry. I… I need you to."

"It's not your…" he started, and I interrupted, more forcibly than I ever had.

"No. No, Darry," I was firm. "You wanted me to go to Dr. Lee, and she got me to think about some things, and I'm ready to say them. So, just... for now, please just listen. Otherwise I'll just lose my nerve."

"Scout, you're just being…" Pony started, but Darry cut him off.

"Pony," he cautioned. "I want to hear what she has to say. Especially if it's about me. Go ahead. Scout."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, knowing how important what I wanted to say was, and how important it would be for my future relationship with Darry. I took a few seconds to gather my thoughts.

"Do you remember the night you got your scholarship? How happy we all were for you? How Mom practically cried, and Dad toasted to you at dinner?"

"Of course."

"Well, so do I. And the plan was for you to go to school and graduate and play ball, because you loved it. I mean – you love it. Right?"

"Things change, " he started.

"No. Stop. You promised to listen. So please, don't even talk."

There was a silence, where all three brothers were staring.

"I'm listening."

"Well, Dr. Lee just made me realize – I mean – I always felt it but she made me understand that – It's not fair. Nothing about what's going on in our family is fair for you, Darry. Me and Pony and Soda, mostly – well, we're doing exactly the same stuff we'd be doing if Mom and Dad were still here. But you – you've had to give up way, way too much. It's not fair, and it makes me really… I don't know… kind of mad, but maybe even more sad.

"I chose this, Scout. None of the responsibility I have now is your fault. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

"I know. I know, and you never make me feel bad, or guilty. You're an amazing brother. What worries me more is about you – about how you feel. You're so good to us – you've been everything me and Pony and Soda have needed since Mom and Dad died… You've been perfect."

"So what's the problem? Why are you upset?"

"Because I don't want you giving things up for us, things you would have had if they were still here. It's not right that Pony and me, we just keep on living the same lives, while you and Soda have to make so many sacrifices for us. I just…" I was getting teary eyed, and Darry took my hand in his.

"What? Just say it."

"I just don't want you to wake up ten years from now and realize that you hate me for all the things you had to give up because you had to take care of me."

There was what only could be described as a stunned silence, broken by Ponyboy.

"She's right, Darry." He seemed shocked at the realization. "Scout, you're right. Darry – you have to do what's right for you – or... she's right - you're gonna hate us."

"I know. I know, Pony. So why aren't we insisting that Darry go back? Why am I the only one who sees how unfair this is?"Oh, how I knew – how I felt it in my heart.

Darry didn't seem to know who to deal with first. But having Pony on my side suddenly just made me more confident in what I was saying.

"I know it's wrong for you to quit. And I know I'm right, because it's felt wrong since you first told me about it, but because Pony and Soda didn't complain back then, I felt like maybe there was just something I didn't understand. But Darry, - now I'm sure. I'm positive. You can't drop out of school. I heard you telling Alison that if you don't play this season, you forfeit your scholarship. There's no way we should let you do that, after all you've done for us. You have to play this fall. You earned that scholarship, Darry. You deserve it. And Tulsa deserves having you play."

"Guys, " he started . "I'm…"

"She's right," Soda interrupted. "Shit, she's totally right and I shoulda been against it from the start. The money… It seemed like it made sense then, but Dar – you NOT playing ball this fall? That ain't right. Seriously – you're wiling to give up your scholarship? You're not giving up a scholarship because of us. No way. It's NOT happening. Mom and Dad would roll over in their graves."

"Soda, be reasonable," Darry started. "I'm not saying..."

"You're going back," Pony interrupted this time. "Scout's absolutely right. I don't know what Soda and I were even thinking. Must've head our heads up our asses with our own problems, but she's right. We're not letting you give up school because of agreeing to take care of us."

I fought back a smile. I knew that with the two of them on my side I was going to get my way. As much as Soda hated school, he knew that was his issue, and his alone, and he'd never tolerate me or Pony quitting. Somehow they'd missed the fact that Darry 'taking time off' from college could easily turn into quitting.

All of us finally seemingly silenced, Darry attempted to talk without getting cut off.

"Can I talk now?" he asked. "Or am I still shut off?" He looked at me – I was the one who'd asked him not to talk.

"You can talk," I said, sitting down next to him. It was funny that while I'd ordered them all to sit I had somehow managed to remain standing.

"I didn't have any idea you were this worked up about this," he started, taking my hand. "I wish you wouldn't let stuff build up like this until you get crazy ideas in you head like me hating you. Jesus, you can't think that, really, do you?"

"No," I admitted. Of all my brothers, I was most sure of the fact that Darry did love me. "Not now. I mean, now it's just – we're doing what we have to do. You're great and you're great at taking care of things around here. But, like I said – Pony and me are just moving ahead as usual and you – you're just kind of …"

"In limbo," Pony finished.

"Yeah. That. I know you don't regret taking care of us, but I just don't see why you have to give up school. We can make it work. I know we can. I'll babysit more."

"I can work after school at the alley. He's looking for part time after school – and I can do my homework there when it's not busy." Pony was clearly fully on board, I could hear it in his voice.

"Darry," Soda grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face him. "I don't know how I even missed the fact that you were thinking about not going back and playing this year – it's not happening. I'll work every day, every hour the DX is open if I have to – and do jobs on the side. You're going to school, and playing ball. No way you're giving that up because of us. Scout's right. You've already given up enough."

"Guys, it's complicated."

"No," Pony said, firmly. "It's not, Darry. I know you've been making money from the tornado work, and you'll keep making it. You can still supervise, after school – you're the boss. Me and Soda can cover for you around here – look out for Scout, and…"

"Are you kidding me?" I interrupted. "You're going to look out for me? Pony, I babysit for other peoples' actual babies! I can take care of myself! Jeez, besides the fact that I'm practically the only one that cleans AND I'm the best cook in this whole house anyway!"

Darry laughed at that.

"Right. Scout the gourmet." He stood up and moved so he was facing the three of us.

"So that was it, huh?" he asked, totally calm, staring me down. "School. Me and school."

"That was it."

"That's been bothering you, since I told you in December?"

"Yup. I mean, lots of other stuff too – so I'd kinda stopped thinking about it, even though things just didn't seem right. But Dr. Lee – she just kept asking, though, what I was afraid of. Not things like thunderstorms or spiders, but what I was really, deep down afraid of. It was like she was digging and digging and finally – there it was. You've done nothing but be great for us three" I motioned to Pony and Soda – "but, in return – really - you're the only person who's had to give up anything they love. Sure, Soda gave up school, but…"

"I hated it," Soda interrupted. "I'm happier now, you all know that. But Darry, you're happiest playing ball. You're going back. Now that Scout pointed out the obvious, we three will fight you tooth and nail to make it happen, so you might as well just agree. We'll pick up the slack around here."

Darry looked down at the dirt and didn't say anything.

"I need you to go back to school, Dar," I said softly. "Maybe you're right – maybe you'd never resent me, but I'd always feel like I cheated you out of something really important. I mean, I wouldn't be causing all this drama if it wasn't important to me." I shot a glance at Pony and he stuck out his tongue. "So if you won't do it for you, do it for me. It's important to me, because I know how important it is for you."

He looked up at me, and for the first time ever, I saw him biting his lip, just like I always did.

"Social Services ain't gonna like two of us dropping out," Soda pointed out. In a sick way, it was sort of funny how one of us always managed to play that card to try to get the others to do what we wanted.

There was silence, still, from Darry - and, finally, Pony couldn't stand it.

"Just say you'll go back. It sounds like that's the only solution that would make everyone happy, including you."

"I won't lie," Darry eventually started, "I have been thinking about it, and leaning towards trying to make it work. I just still have some details to work out, with the business and all, so I didn't want to bring it up to you guys until I was sure. But, as usual, of course, I had no idea Scout was worrying herself silly over it, though." He reached out, pulled me up and squeezed me against his side.

"Not really silly," I countered. "Just – the thought of you missing out on your scholarship – that's crazy. Football only goes half a year anyway, then you'll have more time for work. Its not like the rest of us can't handle things around here. I mean, we're not little kids."

"No, you're not," he agreed. "and I know that. But I do have a responsibility to you guys, too – to make sure everything's going okay around here. I mean… I agreed to take care of you."

"Well, that means letting us take care of you too, okay? You go back to school, and everything will be great," I assured him.

"That's right. You go back to class and play ball, and we'll all be shittin' sunshine and roses around here," Soda cracked, and although Darry shook his head at him, he did manage to laugh, too. And it was good to hear.

"Okay - well, Scout – and the rest of you - I'm pretty sure I'll be back at school next month. That's the plan. And if for some reason I'm not, it won't be the fault of any of you. Okay?" He looked at me first, then the others.

"Okay," I nodded. He continued.

"You got any more homework from that Doctor? What about you, Soda? Anything you need to tell me about that's been botherin' you for eight months that you neglected to mention all that time?"

"Nope." Soda had stood up and was kicking his foot against the bottom of the porch where the wood was rotting. He had reached his time limit for sitting still. Darry looked at me and I shook my head.

"Well, then, who's up for some ice cream?" he grinned. "A reward for Scout gettin' her homework done. And to keep Soda from kickin' apart the porch." He set his foot between the porch and Soda, and Soda managed to realize it, before kicking him.

"Yeah, I'll drive!" Soda agreed, starting for the truck as Darry tossed him the keys. Pony and I followed behind, flanking Darry. He reached over, squeezing my hand, and leaned over to whisper to me.

"Hey - next time, let's not let something I'm doing that's bugging you go eight months, okay?"

"Okay. I didn't mean to – just…there was just a lot else going on."

"I know. We're good now, though, right?"

"We're good. Really." I squeezed his hand back.

And as I climbed into the truck between Soda and Darry, I couldn't help but smile. Darry was going back to school – and in my mind, that was a huge relief. Life seemed to finally be really getting back to normal, and I had nothing to complain about.

And that was good enough for me.

A/N: Somehow the authors note was omitted when I posted this, which makes me think that corrections made in my last edit were omitted too. Sorry about that - feel free to point out mistakes or lapses in continuity. It's hard to write (as I am sure it is to read, too) with the long time lapses between posts. I am very thankful for those of you who have messaged me encouraging me to continue with Scout's story - it isn't over. It writes itself in my head every day, it's just getting it down on paper that I haven't the time for! Thanks again, so much - for your support and review and comments are always appreciated. - Sama