Chapter 6
Sara didn't have any socks or shoes on and once she hit the Curtis' driveway she was having second thoughts about running, but she couldn't stop now. After all that talk that Darry did this morning and tonight about them not going and now look, they were going to be there after all. Sara was just about to round the corner from their driveway onto the road when she heard heavy breathing behind her. She turned her head and noticed that Johnny was right on her heels. Sara tried to quicken her step but the rocks from the road were starting to dig into her bare feet. Sara was ready to move further into the road when she noticed a fast set of headlights coming right towards her. "Sara!" Johnny screamed to get her attention. This slowed Sara's pace down and she moved back to the side of the road. Johnny was just fast enough to come up behind her and scooped her up with one arm and swung her out of the road, just as the red Chevy Corvair with four boys in it sped by.
"Get out of the road kids!" The driver yelled out at Sara and Johnny. Johnny knew that this wasn't good so he started running back towards the Curtis's house. The two were lucky that the car didn't stop, but instead that it had kept going. Johnny noticed the car hadn't slowed down at all and by the time the car slammed on its brakes Johnny had Sara safely back into the house.
"What do you think you're doing?" Johnny threw Sara down on the couch. "You could've gotten hurt!"
"I want Darry!" Sara tried getting up again from the couch but Johnny gently pushed her back down.
"You're not going anywhere! Just stay put for Christ Sakes." Johnny wasn't used to being harsh like this with Sara. Now if it was Steve or Dally they would probably being using some more colorful language and would probably not hesitate to use a little more force with her, but not Johnny.
"Johnny, why did they go? Why?" Sara was begging for answers.
"I don't know Sara. All I know is they went to look for Ponyboy. Soda went for the door first but then Darry stopped him and then both were gone before I could do anything. But the best thing is for us to stay here and just wait for them." Johnny was trying to talk logic to Sara.
"But they're going to get hurt! I don't want them to get hurt, Johnny. I don't want them to look like you did." Sara confessed her true fear to Johnny.
"They won't. I promise you that." Johnny slowly and carefully sat down next to Sara, not getting to comfortable just in case she tried to bolt again.
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As Darry was approaching the field he could see all the headlights from the vehicles shining onto it. He could see that the fight was still going on. It looked like the numbers were low though. Darry thought that could be for not as many had turned out or that they were already started to bail. Darry was hoping for the second, that the Socs were starting to bail, less chance that Ponyboy getting hurt. As Darry ran onto the field he could hear someone calling his name from behind him. He carefully looked over his shoulder and noticed that Sodapop was hot on his tail. Damn it he though. "Soda, go home. I'll get him." Darry yelled back. "Now!" Darry hollered again, hoping that Soda would listen, but hell neither one of them listened to all his earlier warnings. The closer Darry got, the more he could put faces to the shadows that were fighting. He could see Tim Sheperd and Dallas, Two-Bit, but he couldn't see Steve or Ponyboy. He didn't get to much further when a Soc was coming at him swinging. Darry quickly gave a right hook to the boy's jaw and dropped him like a sack of potatoes to the ground. Darry was still scanning when he noticed that Two-Bit was being ganged up by two Socs and so he swiftly moved over and grabbed a hold of one of the Soc and threw him to the ground and kicked him a few times. "Two-Bit, have you seen Ponyboy?" Darry asked in between kicks.
"No." Two-Bit said swinging at the other Soc that was jumping on him.
Sodapop was waiting on the outskirts of the field but as he was waiting there he noticed a certain Greaser being pummeled by three Socs. As Soda inched closer his thoughts were correct, that certain Greaser was no other than Steve. Soda only waited another couple of seconds hoping that someone would notice and go and help Steve, but no one was taking note. Soda couldn't just stand by and let this continue to happen, so instinct kicked in and Soda ran onto the field. He started by swing like a raven bantchy. Sodapop wasn't even sure if he was making contact with any of those Socs but he just kept swimging hoping to get some of them off Steve. He was taking a few hits himself from them Socs too. He was trying all he could to protect his face so there wasn't any visiblesigns just in case Social Services did make an appearance like they had promised. Soda was keeping his head ducked low but was taking a lot of hits in the arms and ribs. Soda had finally knocked one of the Socs down on the ground when help came over. "Sodapop, I told you to stay put." Soda took a quick glace up when he noticed that the person coming to his recess was of course no other than his big brother. Darry was doing a pretty good number on the remaining Socs that were on Steve when Soda asked "Have you seen Ponyboy?"
"No, but help me drag Steve over here by the trees so he's out of the way." Soda and Darry managed to get Steve out of harms way, when Darry turned to Sodapop. "Stay here with him. I mean it Sodapop. Don't even try to test me. I need to find that kid brother of ours." Sodapop had seen enough action for the night to satify him, so he wasn't planning on leaving Steve's side.
"I will Dar." Darry felt pretty confident that Sodapop would do what he asked, so Darry turned to head back into the action. The numbers were dwedlling real fast so it was making it easy to try to find who he came here to get. A few more Socs came at Darry, but Darry was using his skills and muscles to fight them all off, unlike Sodapop, Darry wasn't trying to protect his face, for he was trying to keep his head up as much as possible so that he could find his kid brother. Just as a Soc was taking a shoot at him, he noticed a small Greaser on the ground a few feet in front of him. He knew exactly who that little Greaser was, Ponyboy. Darry was fighting his way to try to make it over to him. "Ponyboy!" Darry was trying to yell against all the sounds of boys moaning, and crying and punches hitting skin and making damage on bones and such.
Dally was just finishing off on a Soc that fit one of the describiton of the boys that jumped Johnny and noticed that a Greaser was being beat up on pretty good just to his left. Once the Soc that Dally was beating on started stumbling towards his car, it seemed that more Socs were taking his lead and were also high tailing it back to the their cars. In the distance all boys heard the sound of sirens. This caught Sodapop's and Darry's attention. Soda was quickly trying to get Steve to his feet. Steve fell a few times trying to get to his feet, but once he was up the two slowly started heading back to the Curtis' home.
After the crowd started heading out Dally noticed that the little Greaser on the ground was Ponyboy. "What the hell, Kid? What are you doing?" Dally reached down and was about to pull Ponyboy to his feet when Darry was pushing Dally out of the way.
"We have to hurry, Dally." Darry said with fluent motion picking Ponyboy up under his arm pits and had him standing. "Ponyboy, can you walk?" Darry asked looking down at Ponyboy. Pony didn't answer at first. "Ponyboy, we need to get outta here." Darry could hear the sound of sirens getting closer. "Hurry, we don't have much time left." Darry looked back at the group of Greasers still standing around, it was mostly Tim Sheperd's gang and some other Greasers that didn't really belong to any gang. Two-Bit was limping over to join the group and Dally was trying to help with Ponyboy, but where was Steve and Sodapop, Darry thought. He threw a quick glance over to where he had left the two, but the spot was empty. What the hell? Darry could only hope that both boys had heard the sirens and had tried to get back to the house. "Ponyboy, we need to get outta here! Prompto!" Darry couldn't wait anymore for Ponyboy so he turned to Dally. "Dally grab a hold of one of his legs like this." Darry was holding Ponyboy under his knee cap. Dally did the same and Pony had managed to throw an arm around both of the boy's shoulders and they tried running with him off of the field. As they were approaching the edge of the field onto the road, Darry could see Sodapop helping Steve up their stairs into their house. Darry could now breath a little easier knowing that at least two were safe. The Fuzz were pulling their cars onto the field just as Darry, Dally and Two-Bit were heading up the street. They just needed to make it 500 feet or so to be safe from the Fuzz. Darry was just counting every step until they finally made it to their drivway. Once in the their yard, Dallas had let go of Pony, and so did Darry. Pony seemed to be coming around. He started taking some steps on his own, wobbling a bit, but Darry was a little relieved to see that at least he was walking without any assistance.
The group started stumbling into the house when Sara jumped right off of the couch, but Johnny caught her arm to hold her back. The first two through the door were Steve and Sodapop. "Let me go!" Sara demanded. Once Johnny noticed that Sodapop was with Steve, Johnny let Sara go. She immediately ran over to Soda at the door. "Sodapop? Why did you go? Darry told us not to go. Are you hurt? Where's Darry and Pony?" Sara stopped as she heard more voices coming from outside. She pushed her way passed Soda and Steve and was opening the screen door when she noticed Two-Bit and Ponyboy coming up the walk way. Sara couldn't control her Irish temper for one more second. "Ponyboy Micheal Curtis, that was the stupidest thing ever! You heard Darry say to stay away from the rumble. I know your ears work just as good as mine and I heard him say it to us a million times not to go any where near that rumble." Pony instantly cut Sara's last words off.
"Shut it, Sara! I'm not in the mood." Pony said shoving her to the side as he entered the house.
"Darry!" Sara yelled as she noticed two more shadowy figures making their way from the driveway. Sara fled down the stiars and was running towards Darry and Dally. "Darry!" Dally was the first to speak.
"Hold on there little Curtis. Where are you going, to a fire?" Dallas was holding out his arm to help slow Sara down for causing a collision with her and Darry.
"I want Darry!" Sara screamed at Dallas, who released his hand from her arm where he had grabbed her.
"Sara, calm down. Everyone is safe. We're all back in one piece." Darry reached over and placed his hand on her back to guide her back into the house.
"I was scared, Darry. Really scared. When I came back out to the living room everyone was gone, except for Johnny. I got scared that something real bad was going to happen to you."
"There's no reason to be scared, Sara." Darry was trying to usher her back into the house.
"But." Sara started to say before Darry interrupted her.
"No, buts, Sara. We're all ok. Now let's get into the house." Sara didn't want to argue with Darry so she followed along with him and Dally into the house. Once they got inside, they found Sodapop helping Steve tend to his injuries, and Two-Bit was sitting on the floor with a bag of frozen peas on his eye and Ponyboy was nowhere to be found. Darry looked over at Sodapop. "Where is he?" Darry asked coldly.
"He's in our room." Sodapop handed Steve some cottonballs and perioxide. "Dar, maybe you should leave him be for a minute or two. Johnny's with him now." Soda was trying to help Ponyboy out by speaking up to Darry.
"I don't give rat's ass who is in there with him." Darry marched right on passed the group and was heading towards Ponyboy's room. The door was closed, but that didn't stop Darry none. He smashed the door open with his fist and partically made both Johnny and Ponyboy jump half out of their skin. "Damn it, Kid. When you tell me you're going to do something, you best be doing it." Darry had Ponyboy up off the bed with his finger pointed at his face.
"Darry, just let me explain, I just needed to get out of this house." Darry didn't really care to much for an explanation.
"I just don't get you kid! Why would you risk hurting yourself when your ticket out of here awaits you tomorrow? I try Ponyboy, I really do. To understand why you do the things that you do, but this, this one has to top them all off, by far." Darry finally backed up a bit so that Pony could have some breathing room.
"Obviously, you wouldn't understand, anyways." Pony started to walk out of the room.
"Where the hell do you think you're going, now?" Darry had his arm across the doorway to stop him.
"Jesus, Darry, to the bathroom. Do I have to start asking you r permission now?" Pony asked in a snouty tone.
"After pulling a stunt like that Pony, then just maybe." Darry said dropping his arm so that Pony could get by. Darry watched from the doorway making sure that Pony was indeed heading for the bathroom. Pony made it clear on how he was feeling by closing the door a little harder than necessary. "What am I going to do with that kid?" Darry said forgetting that Johnny was still there.
"Darry, he's a good kid. He just thinks with his heart instead of his head sometimes, that's all." Darry spun around to see Johnny getting up off the boy's bed and started for the door.
"To bad in the real world thinking with your heart won't get you anywhere these days." Darry didn't mean to be rude to Johnny, but he just couldn't stand another second of someone trying to defend the ridiculous decision his little brother had just made. His thoughts quickly moved from Ponyboy to Sara. Darry poked his head into her room for he heard her music playing "I Get Around" by The Beach Boys, but no Sara, she must be out in the living room with the boys. Darry made his way back out to the living room as he passed the bathroom he noticed the door was still closed shut, but could hear running water, Pony must be taking a shower. Once Darry entered the living room he spotted Sara curled up in his chair watching and listening to all the stories of the fight. Her eyes were the size of saucers while she listen intently, great Darry clock on the wall read half passed eight. "Sara, 4 o'clock is going to come awfully early. Why don't you say your good-nights and get on into bed." Darry had now stepped up beside the chair and was speaking down to her.
"Is Ponyboy ok?" Sara took her attention away from the boys and was looking up to Darry in hopes to hear that he was.
"I think so. Now, let's go." Darry was holding out his hand for Sara to take ahold so that he could get her to bed. Sara placed her tiny hand into Darry's big one and let Darry pull her to her feet.
"Good night everyone." Sara announced to the room. A few mumbled good nights came back at Sara and she was satified with that and took off towards the hall. "What about brushing my teeth?" She turned around to ask Darry.
"I think they'll be fine tonight." Darry waved to keep her moving towards her bedroom. Once inside Sara's room she climbed right up and was settling down when Darry spotted her filthy feet. "Sara, how on earth did your feet get so dirty?" Darry had stopped her from getting into her clean bed.
"Um.. they got dirty from being outside with out any socks, or shoes on." Sara was now trying to hide her dirty feet.
Darry cocked his head to the side a bit and said, "but when you came out to get me you didn't even leave the grass."
"Yeah, well, I left the grass earlier before you got home."
"Sara Marie, tell me the whole strory." Darry was now pulling Sara up and out of bed to go wash her feet.
"I tried to come after you and Soda. I was trying to catch up to you, but Johnny wouldn't let me." Darry had marched Sara back out into the kitchen were he picked her up and placed her on the counter next to the sink.
"What are you doing Darry?" Sara asked looking concern.
"Washing your feet, what does it look like?"
"In the kitchen sink?" Sara had never heard of this before.
"Why not? The bathroom isn't avilable right now, and this will work just fine." Darry started filling the sink up with some warm water. "Johnny?" Darry called out.
"I'm right here." Johnny scurried from around the corner.
"Care to explain to me what you and my little sister were doing on the streets on Tulsa?" Darry started to scrub Sara's feet with dish detergent and water.
"I was stopping her, that's all Dar. She bolted out the door and down the street. She was in the middle of the road when a Red Covair came flying by. I caught her just in time." Johnny was looking back and forth from Darry to Sara.
"Sara, you know you're not to leave this yard unless one of us is with you. I swear between you and your brothers I am going to go nuts. No one around here ever listens!" Darry rinsed Sara's feet off with the facuet and tossed her the dish towel. He lifted her off of the counter and placed her in a chair at the table and said, "dry them off."
"What did I just hear you say, Dar?" Sodapop was placing Two-Bit's frozen bag of peas back into the freezer.
"Your little sister here thought that she would come rescue us and was running down the middle of the road with no shoes or socks on, when a car full of Socs decided to come along. Johnny here caught her just in time." Darry was shaking his head at Sara.
"I wanted to help you guys, that's all. I didn't have time to put socks and shoes on." Sara said in a soft voice.
"Jeez, Sara, it's not that you didn't have shoes or socks on. It's the fact that you left this yard, in the dark and without one of us with you. What do I have to do post everything on the walls for you guys to remember the rules?" Darry snapped the dish towel out of Sara's hands. "Now, get on to bed." Just as Darry was hollering orders to Sara, Ponyboy had walked into the kitchen. "You too! I've seen all of you that I want to see tonight." Darry's harsh words stung Ponyboy but good. He swiveled on his heels and was back in the hallway heading towards his room before Sara was even up and out of her chair.
"Oh, nice one, Dar. Like he isn't hurting enough." Sodapop was now pushing Sara towards the hall.
"That's going easy on him. That damn kid deserves a lot more, but tomorrow is going to be a long day without adding any more drama. I want you in bed in the next hour, Sodapop." Darry yelled after Soda and Sara disappeared down the hall.
Sodapop was putting Sara back into bed again when Sara reached her little hand up and placed it on a bruise that was starting to form on Soda's cheekbone. "It's ok, Sara. It doesn't even hurt that much." Soda tried to reassure Sara.
"Are you sure?" Sara asked pulling her hand away.
"Absoutley, positively." Soda cracked a smile.
"Why did you go, Soda?" Sara had asked this question so many times tonight and no one would give her a straight answer.
Soda let out a sigh and looked down at his precious sister. "I needed to go get Ponyboy, that's why." Soda knew it wasn't a very good answer but he couldn't tell her the real truth.
"But, why did Pony go? Darry made it clear that none of us were to go anywhere near there. You all told him this morning you wouldn't. I heard you both." Soda wished that sometimes he sister wouldn't be such a sponge. She absorbed everything that see heard and saw and sometimes it was to much, like now.
"I don't know why Pony went, but we are a family right?" Sara shook her head up and down. "Well, families stick together. So Darry went after Pony first, and then I went after Darry and Pony. Because that's what families do. Just like you tried to come after us, right?" Soda gave a look of disapproval to Sara when he said the last part.
"I guess you're right." Sara laid her head down on her pillow.
"I know I am." Soda said letting out a small, soft laugh. "Now, little lady, 4 am is going to come awful early, so close those eyes of your's and rest your weary head. I'll see you bright and early in the morning. You want to know something?" Sara shook her head vigerously up and down. "You're going to be up before the sun is even up. Can you believe that?" Soda was reaching over toward her radio.
"I am going to see my first sun rise?" Sara questioned.
"Yup. I bet you and Pony will both really like it."
"Please leave the music on for just a little longer?" Sara pleaded with Soda as he was switching it off.
"Oh, ok. But I am pretty sure that Darry is getting pretty tired of coming in here almost every night to turn it off." Soda joked with his sister.
"He hasn't said anything to me about it." Sara sassed back.
"Watch it. He hears you say that, you'll never be able to have it on." Soda warned but still had a smile on his face. "Get some sleep there little one."
As Soda was shutting her door he heard her little voice carry over to him, "Love you." She said.
"Love you too." Soda said before closing the door completely. Soda moved back into the living room where Dally and Steve had made themselves comfortable, one on the couch and one in Darry's chair, Two-Bit and Johnny were on the floor. Darry was coming up behind Soda was some blankets and pillow.
"Here guys. I can see you're already making yourselves all comfortable, but we need to get up early so I am heading to bed. I just ask that you keep it down out here." Darry was tossing Dally, Two-Bit and Johnny a blanket and threw the two extra pillows on the floor. "You guys can fight over these. Sorry we don't have extras." Two-Bit and Dally grabbed the pillows first, but then Dally tossed the pillow over to Johnny.
"Thanks, Dal." Johnny said a little embarrassed, but thankful for the extra support seeing he would be sleeping on the floor.
"No problem, Kid." Dally said kicking off his shoes.
"Everyone take it easy." Sodapop said to the group.
"Sleep tight everyone. We'll try to not wake ya all up in the morning." Darry said before heading back to his bedroom.
"Night Dar." The boys said back. Sodapop followed Darry back to the hall.
"Are you heading to bed?" Darry asked Sodapop.
"Yeah, but I think I am going to jump in the shower first."
"Ok. I'll see you in the morning. Get a good night's sleep little buddy." Darry slapped Soda's back.
"You too." Soda quitely opened his door not sure if Pony was sleeping or not. When he opened the door Soda's eyes glanced over to the bed, there Pony was not sleeping but was reading.
"Dar, wants lights out, Pony. You've got a big day tomorrow." Soda shut their door and had moved over to his dresser and was pulling out a clean t-shirt and a pair of boxer's.
"I'm just going to finish this chapter. I'll probably be done before you're back." Pony didn't even make eye contact with Soda they were to glued to the book he was reading instead.
"Ok." Soda said heading to the bathroom. Soda was back in 10- 15 minutes and was quiet entering into the boy's room. Pony did have the light turned out and was laying on his right side facing the window. Soda carefully got into bed not wanting to awake Pony, but once he got settled he soon realized that Pony wasn't sleeping after all. Soda had flung his arm over Pony's mid section when he heard a wince.
"Pony, are you ok?" Soda sat up to look at Pony.
"Yeah." Pony managed to say.
"Are you lying to me?" Soda could tell by the tone in Pony's voice that something wasn't right. "Pony?" Soda pressed again.
"My left side just hurts a bit. It'll be fine in the morning." Pony tried to cover up.
"I hope you're right there kiddo." Soda said lying back down in a slow motion not to jostle the bed to much. "Try to get some rest, you'll need it for tomorrow."
"Night Sodapop." Pony said to Soda.
Soda tossled the back of Pony's head "Good night Kiddo." Soda must of laid there for what seemed like hours worrying about his little brother, not sure if he believed him or not.