Chapter 7

When Darry's alarm went off he couldn't believe that it was time to get up already. He quickly rolled over to slam the clock but instantly felt every muscle in his body cry out to just lie back down. Darry was defiantly feeling the side effects of participating in the rumble last night. As he was shutting the annoying ringing off Darry's thoughts automatically turned to Pony. He was still pissed off with him from the stunt that he had pulled with sneaking off to the rumble, but he was feeling a little pang of guilt as well. Darry was so irate with him that he didn't even really acknowledge if he was seriously hurt or not. But then again if he was, he would of probably of mentioned something to Sodapop and Soda would of come and gotten him. Darry slowly pulled his achy body up off the bed. He caught a glimpse of the silvery moon still shining bright outside his window; gosh it was early he thought. He opened his door and moved his way through the quiet house and towards the bathroom. He entered and closed the door behind him. He turned the shower on to warm up a little. Even though it was a warm morning he needed to have a hot shower in hopes to loosen up his tight muscles for it was going to be a long ride and probably the stress of driving there with the kids would cause them to tighten right back up again. Darry had just stepped into the shower and was closing the curtain when he heard the bathroom door open.

"I'm in here." Darry hollered out to whoever it was that had entered.

"Jeez, Dar. Don't you know that it is only 3:30 in the morning?" Two-Bit mumbled while he lifted up the toilet seat to take a wiz.

"Yeah, I'm well aware of that Two-Bit. But in order to make it to Oklahoma City by 9:00 we need to be leaving here in about 30 minutes or so." Darry was just letting the hot water run down his back.

"Sucks to be you." Two-Bit said flushing the toilet.

"Hey!" Darry yelled out as the hot water turned to cold. "You couldn't have waited to do that until I was out?" Darry said jumping out of the way of the cold water. "I'll get you Two-Bit!" But Darry's threat didn't reach Two-Bit's ear for he had already made his way back to his make shift bed on the Curtis' living room floor. The water started to warm up again and Darry stepped back into it and just stood there and enjoyed the relief it was bringing, but he knew he couldn't stand there much longer for he had to try to get his three younger siblings up and at them, this was going to be fun he thought. He couldn't even get them up on a school morning, now he was asking them to get up 2 hours earlier. He finally reached over and turned the water off and stepped out and grabbed his towel. He was drying himself off when he heard the door start to squeak open. "I'm in here." Darry announced to the intruder.

"It's just me, Darry." Soda said pushing the door open while Darry wrapped the towel around his waist.

"You're up already? I didn't know you were setting an alarm too?" Soda walked over and turned the shower on.

"I didn't. But I heard someone get up and then heard the talking and the shower. I figured if the shower was running it must be time to get up." Soda was rubbing the sleep away from his eyes while waiting for Darry to exit so he could use the toilet and get into the shower.

"Good, one down, only two to go." Darry said slipping out of the door so that Soda could have some privacy. Darry pattered back down the hall to his room to slip some clean clothes on. Once he was dressed he came back into the kitchen and started on coffee. He also started to throw a bag of snacks and things together so that they wouldn't have to make so many stops on the way there. As he was gathering things together Soda came out just in a pair of boxers and dripping hair.

"Dar, I think I need to tell you something," Soda said in a hush tone not to wake the boys in the living room.

Darry slowly turned around to see what his brother was going to say. He cocked his eye brow in curiosity. "What is it little buddy?"

Soda chewed at his lower lip a little before starting the conversation that he probably should have had late last night with his big brother. "Well, I just think that this might be a waste of our time today." Soda said looking his big brother right in the eyes.

"Yeah? And why would you think that, Sodapop?" Darry had stopped moving around the kitchen and had his full attention on his brother.

"Last night when we were getting ready for bed, I pulled Ponyboy into me and he winced. I think he might be hurt, Dar. He didn't sleep very well last night. He tossed and turned all night like he couldn't get comfortable. Every time I asked him if there was something wrong he would just downplay it. Saying he was fine. That he would be fine in the morning. That he just needed some sleep, but I don't think he got much, Dar." Soda paused for a minute thinking before speaking again. "I don't think he can do it, Dar." Darry was standing there listening to his worst fear being unleashed. He could start to feel his blood boiling. This is exactly why he didn't want Ponyboy anywhere near that rumble last night. Darry couldn't even get his thoughts straight but his mouth was already rambling.

"What? Why didn't you come and tell me this last night, Sodapop? Telling me now, does us no good. I could have given him something last night to help with the pain or something." Darry started pacing around the kitchen just picking things up and placing them back down again in a different spot. "Do I dare even ask what is bothering him?" Darry was thinking his leg or his ankle or something on his lower part of his body.

"I'm not sure. He kept telling me nothing, but I think he might have some bruised ribs, because of the tossing and turning and the wincing." Sodapop knew that this type of injury could be just as bad as if it was his leg or ankle. Darry was shaking his head now.

"I knew something like this was going to happen. That kid just doesn't use his head anymore. Ever since the accident he has been so absent…." Darry stopped himself before saying something he might regret later. "Let's go wake him up and try to figure out what is going on." Darry walked down the hall towards the boy's room. He pushed the door open when he got there and stepped in. There in the dark curled up in a ball laid Pony. He seemed to be out like a light right then. Darry paused in the doorway. He turned to see that Sodapop had followed. Darry tapped the door frame with his hands. "Rise and shine." Hesaid still strumming on the door frame hoping that the noise would wake Ponyboy up, instead they heard a voice hollering from the living room.

"Christ Sakes, would you stop that drumming!" Soda and Darry looked down the hall towards the living room.

"Sorry, Dal." Darry hollered back. As Darry turned from the hallway back into the boy's room he noticed that Sodapop had slipped into the room and was sitting down on Pony's side of the bed where he was shaking him a bit.

"Pony? Pony? We need to be leaving here soon. You need to get up." Soda was using a very low, soft tone with Pony.

"Huh?" Pony was slowly opening his eyes. Darry had now moved further into the room and was almost at the end of the bed looking down at the two boys.

"Ponyboy, you need to get up and get ready. We have a long drive ahead of us. You can sleep in the car if you're still tired, but we need to get a move on, if you're feeling up to it." Darry was hoping that by throwing that last part in that he would get something out of Pony.

"Of course I feel like it." Pony was quick to answer back to Darry.

"I think what Darry is trying to ask is how are you feeling this morning?" Soda said pulling the covers off of Pony, but Pony was trying to pull them back up around him.

"I'm fine!" He said a little too harshly.

"Really?" Soda still wasn't buying it.

"Yes." Pony hissed.

"Good, then get up." Darry wasn't going to stand there and waste time debating with Pony when there was another Curtis member that he needed to get up.

"That's it?" Soda turned to look at Darry, hoping that Darry would press this issue a little more.

Darry stopped at the door and stiffen a little. "What do you mean, is that it? He says he's fine. He wants to run, then we'll take him to run." Soda looked from Darry back to Pony hoping that Pony would say something but there was dead silence between the three.

"Whatever." Soda said while getting up and heading toward his dresser to finish getting ready.

"I'm going to get Sara." Darry stated to the boys and then left the room and headed for Sara's room. Sodapop was opening his dresser drawer looking for a clean t-shirt when out of the corner of his eye he noticed that Pony was struggling to get up outta bed.

"Ha!" He swirled around and glared at Pony. "I knew it! You are hurt, you little weasel!"

"It's nothing, Soda. I'm just stiff from sleeping wrong." Pony was taking a long time pulling himself up from their bed.

"Yeah right! Pony, you might think that you can get away with it with Darry, but it's not going to work with me. I know you better than that. I know that something is wrong. It's your ribs isn't? That is why you couldn't get comfortable and sleep last night." Soda had completely caught Pony off guard. Pony had finally pulled himself up and was slowly walking towards Soda.

"Soda, I'm fine. Just stiff, once we get there and I get loosen up and stretched and stuff I'll be fine. Honest." Pony walked over and placed his hand on Sodapop's shoulder. "Soda, honest, I'm fine. Stop worrying so." Soda just looked into his brother's tired face, he still wasn't buying it, but he also knew that Pony was to stubborn to admit any different.

"Then I would suggest you get your butt in gear and get ready there Ace." Soda gave Pony a swift kick in the butt on his way out the door.

"What was that for?" Pony turned with surprise on his face.

"Just checking." Soda said with a chuckle. Soda made his way down the hall knowing that Sara was probably giving Darry a fight about having to get up, and when he got to her door he could hear Darry's voice starting to rise.

"Sara, you need to get up. This is why you should have gone to bed earlier. We tried to warn you, but do you ever listen?" Soda watched Darry pulling out clothes from her dresser and slamming the drawers shut, but Sara still wasn't moving.

"Darry, why don't you go finish getting everything together, I'll get her up." Soda walked into the room and Darry tossed him Sara's clothes.

"Good luck! I want everyone ready to go in 15 minutes! We need to get onto I- 44 by 4:30." Darry took one more look at the small figure that was still not getting up outta her bed.

"You and your schedules, Darry. I swear I've never known someone so organized at you." Soda was laughed as he moved closer to Sara.

"Someone has to be." Darry's words lingered in the room as he retreated back out to the kitchen to get things finalized.

Soda sat down on the side of Sara's bed and was slowly digging through the blankets and pillows to try to find her face. "Sara, honey, you need to get up if you're coming with us?" Sodapop finally found her head and was pulling the covers down. "Come on, Sara. You can sleep on the way there. All I need is for you to get up and get dress and walk out to the car." Soda was now pushing her hair away from her face. "Sara, Darry will leave you hear with Dally and Two-Bit if you don't get a move on." Soda hated to threaten but knew he needed some ammo to try to get her up this early. It was kind of working, for she started to move around. "That's a girl. I have your clothes right here. I'll even help you." Sara now had opened her big blue eyes and was looking at Soda. "Morning, beautiful." Soda said with a smile.

"Morning, Soda." Sara said through a big yawn, pushing herself up. Sodapop was pulling at the top of her pj's to get it off. Sara was half helping still feeling very sleepy. Soda handed her a clean shirt to put on. Sara fumbled her arms through it and managed to get it on.

"Here." Soda said handing Sara a pair of shorts. "I gotta brush my teeth, when I get back I am hoping to see you all dressed and ready to go." Soda was getting up off her bed when Darry walked back in.

"Sara, here's a bag, pack some things that will help keep yourself entertained while in the car." Sara was now climbing down off of her bed and pattered over to Darry and took the bag from him. "Finish getting dressed and brush those teeth and be out in the living room in 5 minutes." Darry was moving back towards his room. Sara finished getting ready and looked at her bookcase. She didn't really know what to bring. She threw some books in the bag, her sketch pad and some crayons, her Barbie and a deck of cards. As she started to head out her door she turned and ran back to her bed. There she grabbed her pillow and her favorite blanket and her teddy bear, that should do she thought. She shuffled off towards the bathroom where Sodapop was still standing in front of the mirror fixing his hair. Soda was putting the hair grease down when he spotted Sara coming through the door with her hands full.

"What do you plan on moving to Oklahoma City or something?" Soda joked with her, but came over and helped take some things from her hands so that she could brush her hair and teeth.

"Darry said to bring some stuff." Sara tried to defend herself.

"I don't think he meant to bring your whole bed though." Soda couldn't resist harassing his little sister, but when he noticed her starting to tear up a little he felt bad. "Sara, I'm just kidding with you. It's ok. If this is what you want to bring, it's fine." Sara rubbed the tears out of her eyes and took the brush and ran it through her hair. Soda stood in the doorway for a second and watched her. "You know Sara, I am going to grab my pillow too. It was a good idea." This comment by Soda made a smile tug at Sara's mouth. Soda flashed her a smile and walked into his room and grabbed his own pillow and moved out to the kitchen where he interrupted a conversation Darry and Pony were having.

"I want you to try to get some rest on the way there. You look terrible. Did you get enough sleep last night? Soda said you tossed and turned a lot. Do you feel ready for this?" Darry was instructing Pony.

"Stop worrying, Dar. I will probably fall back to sleep before we are even out of the city limits, that is if Sara let's me." Pony was sipping on some chocolate milk.

"I don't think you have to worry about Sara." The two looked over to see Soda standing with all her stuff in his hands.

"What's all that?" Darry asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"You told her to bring some stuff.. well, this is her stuff. Now that I think about it, she had some good ideas. So I went and grabbed my pillow too. Pony, you should grab yours. I'm going to go load this up in Steve's car." Soda started for the living room where he noticed that the gang was still all there. He was quietly trying to open the front door without disturbing any, but it was to late.

"Jesus, would you guys just get outta here, so the rest of us can get some sleep?" Dally was shifting in Darry's chair.

"Hey, Dal, now that we are up and almost outta here why don't you go use a bed. There's three open now." Soda said on the way out.

"You don't have to offer twice." Dally was staggering back into the kitchen where Darry was still going at it with Pony. "Darry, lay off man. How's he going to do good if you're already hounding at him, and it's only 4 o'clock in the morning. I'm sure the hell glad I'm not going with you all. You'd drive me crazy by the time we even got there." Dally took a swig of chocolate milk from the cartoon and placed it back on the table. "Good luck today, kid." Dally slapped Pony's shoulder and was moving towards the back of the house.

"Morning, Dally." Sara said coming out of the bathroom.

"Hey, little Curtis. Don't get lost in that big city." Dally ruffled Sara's hair and crashed onto Soda and Pony's bed. Sara moved out to the kitchen.

"Morning." Her voice rang through the kitchen.

"Are you ready?" Darry asked her as he was moving into the living room to hand Sodapop another bag to take out.

"Yup." She was grabbing the chocolate milk but Pony quickly took over so that there wasn't a mess to clean up. "Thanks, Pon." Sara said taking the cup from him.

"You're welcome." Pony said getting up, but as he rose to his feet he winced and let out a whine. "Ahh." He instantly grabbed at his left side.

"Pony, are you ok? What's wrong?" Sara asked with concern for her brother, noticing that he was in some pain.

"Oh, just a cramp." Pony tried to cover it up, but still was clutching his left side with his hand and was breathing a little heavily. He slowly tried to rise before Darry and Soda came back. He turned to look at Sara and gave her a stern look. "Don't you dare say a word to Darry or Soda, got it?" Sara didn't know what to do or say, but she knew that it wasn't right. "Got it?" Pony said with some anger in his voice. Sara shook her head up and down but didn't say anything.

"Ok, guys, let's get a move on. The road is a waiting." Darry came back into the kitchen with keys in hand. "Sara, go use the bathroom before we leave. I'm not stopping every half hour. We'll stop for breakfast around 6:30ish 7:00. Maybe around Oakhurst." Darry was pushing Sara towards the bathroom, while Pony was getting his track bag and his pillow.

"I already went Darry, I don't need to go again." Sara complained to Darry while he was escorting her to the bathroom.

"I want you to try again." Sara stopped at the door and didn't enter. "Just try, Sara." He didn't want to start their long ride like this with her. "Please, just try." He gave her a pleading look. Sara let out a sigh.

"Ok. I'll try, but I don't need to go."

"Amuse me." Darry closed the bathroom door and waited outside of it. Not 30 seconds later Sara was opening the door, Darry looked down at her.

"I tried, honest, I did." Darry warned her again. "I'm serious, Sara. I'm not stopping every half hour; you'll have to hold it."

"I will." Sara moved back out to the kitchen where Pony was waiting with Sodapop.

"Ok, it's now or never." Darry said to his three siblings. "Everyone got everything they need and want? Last chance." None of the Curtis siblings said much so Darry took that as a "yes". Soda led the group towards the door. Once they started moving through the living room Darry stop to look at the three remaining boys in his living room. "Boys if this house is trashed when we get back I am going to have your hides." Darry didn't really care if he woke them or not, but he felt like he needed to give them the warning.

"Ok, Dar. We got it." Two-Bit answered for the group.

"Good luck, Pony!" Johnny lifted his head up to wish his buddy a good bye.

"Thanks, Johnny. I'll see you when I get back." Soda pushed Pony and Sara out the door.

"Bye, guys. Stay outta trouble." Darry final words were said to the group before closing the door behind them. The four Curtis members moved slowly to Steve's car. Darry moved to the driver's side while Sodapop opened the passenger's side and opened the back door for Sara to climb in. Everyone quietly climbed on in and got settled into their spots. Darry put the key in the ignition and turned it. The car started right up. The radio started blaring "Downtown" by Petula Clark. Darry immediately turned it off.

"Oh, come on, Dar. It's going to be a long ride. We need the radio on." Soda whined.

"Please, Darry?" Sara's tiny voice was heard from the backseat. Darry glanced up in the rear view mirror where he saw her pleading looking.

"Ok, but I control the volume." He said to Soda.

"Fair enough." Soda said getting comfortable for the ride ahead.