Chapter 11

Pony's cold hard stare at his brother was starting to send chill's through Soda. "Sodapop, what the hell is going on here? Why are they announcing Sara's name over the PA system?" Pony stopped glaring at Soda and starting searching the crowds and stands hoping to spot his little sister.

"We didn't want to worry you, Pon." Soda slowly placed his hand on Pony's shoulder.

"A little too late for that now, wouldn't you say? Where is Darry anyhow?" Pony started moving towards the exit of the stadium.

"I don't know. The last I saw of him was right before I came down onto the track to check on you." Soda started following right after his younger brother.

"I bet he is probably with the announcer. Let's head up to the booth."

"Pony, you can't possible climb those bleacher stairs in your condition." Sodapop warned. "You need to be resting; you heard what the trainer said." Pony just puffed out his checks and knew that Soda was right. "Why don't you just take a seat and watch the rest of the meet and I'll head up to the announcer's booth and see if Darry's up there." Pony hated the thought of having to stay and watch the rest of the meet and not be able to help find Sara.

"Alright." Pony said giving into his brother. "But you better come back and let me know what's going on. Promise me Soda?"

"You got it, Pon." Soda squeezed Pony's shoulder trying to reassure him that he would come back as soon as he had some information. Soda darted up the stadium stairs towards the announcer's booth. As he was approaching the top he needed to slow his pace down to catch his breath. Once he reached the top flight he could see Darry talking with someone. Soda took one more deep breath before calling out to his older brother. "Darry!" Darry's head spun around and both boys' eyes locked. Darry didn't need to say a word to Soda for his eyes did all the talking.

"Is this one of your brothers?" Carl asked reaching his hand forward to shake Sodapop's.

"Yeah, this is my brother Sodapop. Soda this is Carl. Carl is heading up the search for Sara. There has been no sight of her still." Darry words stung Soda. The guilt that Soda was feeling right now was indescribable. He was beating himself up inside for losing Sara.

"Sodapop, do you have any other information that could help us in our search?" Carl asked. Soda just shook his head no.

"I've told Darry what happened. It was just a split second my eyes were off the bathroom." Soda voice cracked as he spit out the last part of the sentence. To Soda's surprise, Darry moved closer to Soda and gave his shoulder a squeeze. Even though Darry was having every emotion possible running through his veins at the moment, he could tell that this was affecting Sodapop just as much.

Darry husky voice whispered into Soda's ear. "Soda, we'll find her."

"She has to be around here somewhere, Dar. She just has too." Soda's shoulders started to tremble and Darry pulled him into a tight hug.

"I know, Soda. We just have to keep looking." Soda quickly wiped at the tears that were beginning to fall from his heresy eyes. Darry pulled away from Soda and started to inquire about the other Curtis member. "Where's Ponyboy?" Darry was trying to focus on something else for a minute in hopes that this would help Soda get his emotions back in check.

"He's waiting in the stands. Darry, that little shit has a possible broken rib. The trainer has pulled him from the rest of the competition. Can you believe he knew he was hurt and he raced anyways? I'm so pissed right now at him!" Darry just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"What else could possible go wrong today?" Darry couldn't believe the luck that they were having.

"The trainer and Coach Taylor told him to get in the car and go home. What are we going to do, Dar?"

"I don't know, little buddy. But what I do know is that we aren't leaving here until we find Sara."

"Sorry to interrupt you two, but I think we are ready to do another search. Now that the competition is coming to an end we're pulling more staff to help with the search. With the extra people we'll also start doing a search outside the perimeter of the stadium." Carl announced to Sodapop and Darry.

"Good. Good." Was all that Darry was able to get out.

"I wanna be part of the search team." Soda spoke up and said to Carl.

"Son, we usually ask that family stay in one area so that you can be notified if we find anything out." Carl said with a serious tone in his voice.

"What does that mean? You aren't thinking you're going to find her hurt or anything like that, do you?" Soda asked not completely understanding what Carl was trying to get at.

"No, not at all Son. It's just our protocol on how we handle situations like this. So please, stay here. Or what might be better is to go be with your other sibling so that you are all in one place. We'll come find you when we have more information." Carl started to head down the stadium stairs towards a group of staff members that had gathered down at the bottom of the track and field area. The stadium was starting to empty out with the completion of the events.

"Darry?" Soda's voice cracked again.

"Come on, Soda. Let's go get Pony. We need to let them do their job. They are trained in this type of thing." Soda slowly started to lead Darry down the stairs towards where he left Ponyboy.

Ponyboy was watching as happy and unhappy athletes were leaving the stadium with their families. Pony was feeling pretty poor right now. He was hurting from his injuries and was hurting with worry about his little sister. He can't believe that she went missing. Pony hadn't even asked Soda how this all happened in the first place. Pony was pretty sure that Darry wouldn't let Sara wander off by herself so how did she become missing? Pony could feel the bleachers vibrating underneath him so he turned his head to see who was filing down them. When he turned his head his first sight was that of Soda and Darry descending the stairs from the announcer's booth, without Sara. "Darry, what's going on? Where's Sara?" Pony asked trying to stand up from the bleachers.

"Hold on there, Pony. Just stay seated. We aren't going anywhere. They're still searching for Sara. They have pulled in more staff now that the meet is over and are also going to do a perimeter search. How are you feeling? You look like you're in a little bit of pain. You know you could have saved us this entire headache if you would have just told us that you were hurt in the first place. Jesus, Pony, we wouldn't be in this situation. Now look, Sara has been missing for over an hour now."

"Darry, it isn't Pony's fault. It's my fault." Soda tried to come to Pony's defense but Darry wasn't having any part of this.

Darry spun around and looked at his brother and what he said shook them all. "You're damn straight Sodapop! This is your fault! I told you to keep an eye on her! How f****** hard can that be?" Both Ponyboy and Sodapop's jaw dropped. Neither boy could remember the last time they had heard Darry drop the f bomb. But not only was Soda thrown off guard by Darry use of the f bomb but that he was openly blaming Soda. Ponyboy was sitting there with one hand covering his mouth while Soda just turned and ran off towards the concession stands.

"Sodapop!" Pony screamed after his brother trying to get up to attempt to go after him, but Darry's firm hand on his shoulder stopped Pony for any further action.

"You aren't going anywhere. You're staying here with me and we're going to wait and hope for a quick return of Sara." Pony could see the blaze in Darry's eyes and knew better than to try to take off after Soda so he settled himself back down on the bleacher. After Darry realized that Pony wasn't going to try to run off after Sodapop he removed his hand from his shoulder. "What the hell are we going to do? What's Mrs. Robert's going to say if she gets wind of this? What if we can't find her?" Darry turned and looked straight up to sky and with all the air he could he yelled, "SAARRAA!"

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Sara slowly opened her eyes and rubbed at them. The Oklahoma sun was surely warming up Steve's car. She could feel the sweat running down her back and gathering under her bangs. Sara started to swipe at the sweat on her forehead realizing how hot she had become. She didn't remember falling asleep, but what she did know is that no one was in the car with her, so that must have meant that the boys were still at the meet. She pushed herself up from the backseat and looked out the window. Wow she thought as she looked at the partially empty parking lot, where had all the cars and buses and trucks gone to? Was the meet over she thought to herself. Sara mouth and lips were dry and she desperately needed to use the bathroom and get something to quench her thirst. Sara knew in order to use the bathroom she would have to reenter into the stadium where she had come from in the first place. Sara reached for the handle of the door and opened it. As she was climbing out she noticed that Bear was laying in the backseat, just in case, she reached back in. "You'll protect me, right Mr. Bear?" Sara softly whispered to Bear. Sara walked swiftly through the parking lot. As she was approaching the stadium Sara started running. As she was picking up speed her shoe lace of her sneaker had come untied and Sara started stumbling towards the dirt parking lot. The minute she had impact onto the ground she felt instant pain. Sara couldn't help but start crying. She was crying for the pain that she was feeling running through her hands and her knees. As Sara tried to push herself up she could see the blood dripping from her knees and the small little pebbles that were stuck into the palms of her hands. With tears streaming down her face all she wanted more than anything right now was the comfort of her brothers. Why hadn't they come for her? Weren't they worried? Sara needed to find her brothers. So remembering where the entrance was she walked through the gates and headed passed the registration area that no one was at anymore and heading down the area that she remembered walking down with Sodapop. The concession stands had all closed down and no more delicious smells were coming from them. Sara was pretty disappointed for Darry had told her if she was good, that he would buy her some cotton candy, but now that the stands were shut down, she wouldn't be getting that cotton candy after all. Sara continued her way to the restroom still feeling the blood dripping down her leg and the small pebbles stinging in her hand. As the restroom was coming into focus, Sara noticed the water fountain and she darted to that immediately, and took a couple large gulps of water. Next she moved into the ladies room where she used the toilet. After she was done with that she walked over to the sink and turned on the water. She slowly started washing the small pebbles out of her hands. It took Sara a few minutes to clean her hands up.

Meanwhile the search team that was moving around the perimeter of the stadium was finishing up their search. Two teams were searching the parking lot and areas around the outside of the stadium. As three members of the search team was approaching the front of the gates one of members noticed something on the dirt gravel. As he moved closer to it he noticed it was a pretty tattered brown bear wearing a red ribbon around its neck. "Look, someone will sure be missing this tonight. It looks like its pretty well loved."

"Let's bring it back to the lost and found. I bet someone might be calling or coming to look for it."

"You got that right. That's a shame that we haven't seen any sign of the little girl. I think we better call in the Oklahoma City police. What do you think, Carl?"

"I think you're right, Harvey. Those brothers have been through so much, it's going to be tough to tell them that we're going to call in the OCPD." The group walked through the tunnel up towards where the two Curtis brothers were sitting and waiting. Some of the other groups of searchers had already started gather around Ponyboy and Darry, all reporting that they had no new information.

"Carl?" Darry said jumping up as Carl's team of searchers came through the tunnel towards the bleacher.

"Sorry, Darry. My team found absolutely nothing. Darry, it's been almost two hours now. We have used all of our resources and we have come up empty handed. Darry, I really think it's time to file a missing child's report to Oklahoma City Police Department. They have a lot more experience in this type of thing and they have more resources. I know this isn't the news you want to hear, but it's what needs to be done." Carl started to reach for Darry to have him follow him to the nearest phone. "Darry, there's a phone up in the announcer's booth, let's go and make that call." Darry couldn't believe what he was hearing. But he started to turn and follow Carl back to the announcer's booth.

"Ponyboy, stay here. Wait for Sodapop to come back. I'll be back when I'm finished with Carl."

"Ok, Dar. Please don't leave me here by myself to much longer though." Pony's childish voice rang after Darry. Darry's heart almost sank. He was so caught up in his own emotions of losing Sara that he hadn't stop to think about how this might be affecting Pony.

"I won't little man." Darry turned back to follow after Carl when Carl stopped.

"Hey Harvey, toss me up that stuff animal. I will place it in the lost in found while I'm up here." Carl yelled down to Harvey who was holding the teddy bear.

"Oh sure, here it comes." Harvey threw the bear up towards Carl, but it didn't quit make it there. It landed at Darry's feet. Darry bend down to pick it up and once his eyes focused he realized right away that this wasn't just any stuff anima,l this was Mr. Bear, the one and only Mr. Bear. Darry would know this bear from anywhere. Sara has had this bear since she was 1 year old. It has gone everywhere and she had slept with it everynight of her life since she was one.

"Mr. Bear!" Ponyboy shouted up to Darry. Darry almost had a slight smile tugging at his face. This was a sign. For he knew that Sara had left Mr. Bear in the car. That was the rule he had made with her after losing Mr. Bear at IGA right after the death of their parents. Sara knew that Mr. Bear could not come into public places that he needed to stay in the car.

"Darry, does this belong to Sara?" Carl asked

"YES!" Both Curtis brothers yelled.

"This is a good sign. Did she have this with her while inside the stadium? Because we found it outside in the parking lot." Carl informed Darry.

"No. She knows that it needs to stay in the car. She didn't have it with her while here." Darry started coming back down the bleacher knowing where he was heading towards, but Carl stopped him with a strong hand.

"Darry, do you think Sara would have tried to go back to the car to get him?" Carl asked.

"I don't know, but I say we go and find out." Darry had leaned down to help Ponyboy up off the bleachers. Ponyboy was slow to stand but once he was he started heading towards the tunnel.

"Darry, let's not get our hopes up, ok? I just want to prepare you that we might not find anything or anyone." Carl warned Darry making sure Pony was out of hearing range.

"Yeah, but then again, we might find something or someone." Darry gave a half smiled and started heading down the tunnel.

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Sodapop was hurting so. He couldn't believe what Darry had said to him, he couldn't believe that he had lost Sara, what would they do? He had searched all over this place and still nothing. After many trips around the stadium he needed a cigarette and he knew that Steve had a secret stash in the car. He would venture out to the car and grab the pack and hope that it would clam his nerves down. As he stepped into the parking lot he soon realized that there were very few cars left out there. He could easily see Steve's old Buick sitting by it's lonesome. He shuffled over to the car and opened the passenger's door and opened the glove compartment and found a half empty box of Marlboro Reds with a lighter inside of it. Sodapop quickly pulled one out and light it up. He took in a big, long puff. After a few seconds he exhaled the smoke. Soda could already feel the edge being taken off. He turned to look in the backseat and the sight of Sara's pillow and blanket almost made him choke on his next puff. He had to get outta the car before he had a complete meltdown. He couldn't stand looking at her stuff. What if they never find her? He couldn't even imagine what that would mean, or feel like. He slammed the door with a little force and started heading back towards the stadium. He figured it was time to face Darry again. He was hoping that by the time he finished his Marlboro that he would feel a little better.

Sara had managed to get what she could of the pebbles out of her hands, but after washing them several times they were pretty skinned up and red. She also managed to splash some water on her legs and tried to clean the blood off her knees, but wasn't as successful as she was with her hands. She carefully wiped her hands on her dirty shirt and shorts when Sara realized something. "Mr. Bear?" Where did she put Mr. Bear? She turned and looked around the ladies room but there was no Mr. Bear. Sara moved quickly back out the restroom door and was trying to retrace her footsteps. The water fountain she thought. But as she moved to the water fountain, no sight of Mr. Bear. She then started moving back down the aisle of where all the concessions stands were. "Where did I put Mr. Bear?" Sara was saying out loud. Just as she was trying to remember she felt the sting on her hands from the pebbles. "Oh, yes!" Sara remembered when she fell. All she wanted was her brothers and had forgotten about Mr. Bear. Sara was afraid that someone might have run over him in the parking lot so she quickened her pace back towards the parking lot. As Sara was approaching the gates of the entrance she stopped while a car was passing by. Sara was just itching to get back to the spot of where she had dropped Mr. Bear. She couldn't live without Mr. Bear.

Sodapop was just finishing up his smoke as he was approaching the entrance of the stadium. Soda noticed a car pulling out and was passing by so he stopped and threw down the butt of the cigarette and was stepping on it with his toe to make sure that it was out. The car was now out of his way and when he looked up he couldn't believe the sight that was now standing in front of him. "Sara!"