Chapter 15

Even though Darry had tried to convince his sister that getting lost at States was in the past, the Curtis boys had noticed that there had been a change in Sara's behavior since Saturday. It was now Wednesday morning when Darry walked into Sara's room to wake her up for school when he found her bed empty. This was the third morning now in a row that this has been the case. Monday morning and Tuesday morning he had found Sara squeezed in with Pony and Sodapop. According to the story he had heard from Sodapop she was scared and was having a hard time sleeping. He even had gotten a call the night before from Ms. Martin letting him know that Sara had fallen asleep during story time. Darry tried to explain to Ms. Martin that she has been having a hard time sleeping at night and that he was very sorry and will make sure that it wouldn't happen again. He didn't want to give her too many details for he didn't want to give Ms. Martin any reason to contact Mrs. Roberts. For, he was surprised as it was that he hadn't heard from her yet about Pony and the rumble or Sara getting lost. He was keeping his fingers crossed that maybe these two events would slip by her. As Darry walked into the boys' room to wake them he was a little shocked to see that Sara was not in the bed with them.

"Soda, Pony, time to get up." Darry said while shaking the bed a bit to get them up. "Sodapop, did Sara wake you up last night?" Darry had moved from shaking the bed to shaking Sodapop's shoulder to get his attention.

"Huh?" Soda said while wiping the sleep from his eye.

"Sara? Did she wake you at all last night?" Darry asked again.

"No. Maybe that is why I slept so good." He said flipping the covers off of him and Pony.

"Hmm. She's not in her bed, so I thought she must be in here with you two." Darry started too turned to the hall when a voice lingered into the boys' room from the kitchen.

"She's in the living room. She's been there since I don't know, 3 or so." Darry stuck his head out of the boys' door to see Steve standing in front of the refrigerator taking a sip of milk from the glass bottle.

"What did you say?" Darry asked moving out of the boys' room and was watching Steve beside the fridge.

"Sara, she's been out in the living room since 3 or so. I woke up to use the toilet and she about scared the shit right outta me. She was just sitting in that chair with a blanket wrapped around her. I asked what the hell she was doing. She said she couldn't sleep and felt bad that she had kept Pony and Soda up the previous nights. So she was just sitting in the chair. I told her to go back to bed, but you know Sara, she doesn't listen to anyone and just continued to sit there. I told her it was her ass if she gets caught sleeping in school again, but it didn't seem to faze her too much." Steve put the milk back into the fridge and asked, "What's for breakfast?"

"Whatever you're cooking smartass." Darry gave Steve a little shove out of the way. Once Steve stumbled to his left Darry noticed Sara all curled up with her purple afghan in the chair. He tried counting to ten before he spoke to her. He couldn't believe how much this was affecting her. He was actually looking forward to it being her birthday tomorrow. He was hoping that it would change her odd behavior. For the past few days he had noticed she has eaten less than normal, she is sleeping less than normal, she is less talkative than normal, and a lot clingier than normal, but the oddest behavior was how more obedient she had been than normal. So on one hand Darry didn't want to complain about her being less talkative, and more obedient, but the eating and sleeping and clinginess has been terrible. Darry was starting to think that he might need to change the punishment that he had laid down with Sodapop because he was the one feeling the brunt of this "new" Sara. Both Pony and Sodapop had started complaining to Darry about Sara and her new behavior. Darry had grounded both Soda and Pony to the house for one week and Sara was driving them crazy, especially Sodapop. For Sara has been following him around everywhere he goes these past three days. If he goes outside, she follows him. If he is sitting on the couch, she is sitting right beside him. If he goes into his room, she follows. If he is cooking dinner she is right there with him. Even last night Soda went in to the bathroom to fix his hair and Sara was right there sitting on the toilet watching, and of course the needing to sleep with him. But it wasn't just Soda; she was doing it with all the boys. Just yesterday he overheard Steve telling her to get out from under foot. Darry was almost thinking he should take her to the doctor's, but the minute that he did this it could attract attention from Mrs. Roberts and the department of Social Services. But if things didn't start to change he was afraid that he wouldn't have any other choice. After counting to 10 Darry moved over to the chair and bent down and was looking at Sara over the arm of the chair. "Sara? Sara, it's time to get up and get ready for school." By this time Darry had an audience of eyes on him. Sodapop and Steve where standing by the table looking on to see how Darry was going to handle this mess. "Sara, come on. You're going to make us late this morning." Sara slowly opened her eyes, for a second she didn't remember where she was.

"What?" Sara asked looking around; almost forgetting that she had fallen asleep in Darry's chair.

"That's what I should be asking you, there little lady? Why are you sleeping out here in the chair, and not in your bed?" Darry asked pulling Sara to her feet.

"I came out here because I was having trouble sleeping. I didn't mean to fall asleep, honest Darry." Sara really wanted to just go get ready for school, but Darry was still holding her firmly by the arm.

"Why can't you sleep?" Darry's cold icy eyes were still focused right on Sara's face.

"I don't know, Darry. I'm just having a hard time sleeping lately." Sara was biting a little at her lower lip which Darry knew was a clear sign of her lying to him.

"Sara Marie Curtis, I know you're lying to me. So, I'll ask you one more time. Why can't you sleep?" Everyone in the room that was watching this scene go down knew by the tone in Darry's voice that he was starting to get frustrated with her.

"Maybe I'm eating too much sugar before going to bed, or maybe I'm not getting enough energy out during the day or maybe…" Sara was trying to think of another good excuse before Darry cut her off.

"Or, maybe it's because you're worrying to much?" Darry suggested. Sodapop not agreeing with Darry's methods right now stepped up next to Sara and Darry and interrupted the conversation.

"Darry, maybe she's just getting excited for her birthday tomorrow. You know how she gets Dar. Remember at Christmas time last year? She was up at like 2:00 in the morning for a few days waiting to open presents?" Soda playfully punched Darry in the arm to get him to ease up on Sara. Darry took one more look down at Sara with a frown on his face.

"Yeah, maybe, but I've better not get any more reports from Ms. Martin that you've fallen asleep during class again, do you hear me?" Darry started to loosen his grip on Sara's arm so she was free to go get ready for school, "Sara, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Darry." Once Sara felt the release of Darry's hand she hurried off to her room to get ready for the day ahead of her. Darry turned to look back towards Soda who was still standing there watching Sara hurrying off to her room.

"You've better be right Sodapop, for if things haven't changed by tomorrow than we might have a serious problem on our hands."

"You're trying to tell her to not worry, but jeez Dar, you need to take a good look at yourself. You're becoming such a worry wart. Relax some." Soda slapped Darry's back and moved back into the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal.

At about this time the rest of the boys had started filing into the Curtis house for the typical morning routine.

"Hey Curtis boys! Where's the eggs and bacon this morning?" Dally asked leaning against the counter looking at the kitchen table with just cereal bowls on them.

"In the refrigerator. What do you think this is a restaurant?" Darry shot back to Dally's wise comment.

"What's got your panties in a bunch this morning Superman?" Dally spouted while grabbing a clean bowl and spoon.

"Watch it Dallas. I'm not in the mood this morning." Darry warned.

"We all can see that." Dallas retorted back. See there is this unspoken thing about Dallas and Darry's weird connection. Those two could go at it all day long without either of them ever truly losing their cool. But if it was anyone else punches would be throwing right about now, but not with those two.

"Yeah, well anytime you don't like it Dallas Winston, my feelings won't be hurt if you stop coming around here to eat my food." Darry didn't even make eye contact with Dallas, but his tone said it all, for everyone to understand. He walked into the bathroom and that was the end of it between the two.

"Jeez, Soda, Sara has really gotten him riled up this morning. What the hell is up with her anyway? She's been a god damn shadow these past few days. Jesus yesterday you couldn't even go and take a piss without telling her to get out of the bathroom." Steve said tossing his dirty bowl and spoon into the sink.

"He's just stressed. He's got a lot on his plate right now. Sara just isn't helping the matter, that's all." Soda answered Steve while starting on the dishes in the sink.

"Well, the kid is enough to drive anyone…." Steve never finished his sentence for Dallas was throwing a punch at Steve when he noticed Sara entering the room.

"What was that for, Man?" Steve cried out while rubbing the spot that Dally just landed a hard knuckle on.

"It's for you not paying up on your bet! You own me and Two-Bit here money for the bet that you placed on Saturday night about who was getting in trouble with Darrel."

"Hey, don't rub it in." Pony said coming into the room taking a swig of chocolate milk and grabbing a banana to eat.

"Yeah, Stevie boy pay up." Two-Bit said joining in.

"Why all of a sudden are you bringing this up?" Steve almost sounded like he was whining.

"Because I need money to pay off Buck." Dally said holding out his hand towards Steve.

"Yeah, and I need some gas money." Two-Bit came up beside of Dally and was also holding his hand out.

"A bet is a bet, Man. And you said you bet 1.00 that it was the young one, and you lost. So pay up, or stop playing with the big boys." Dally must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning because he was looking for a fight from anyone.

"Hey, don't talk about me as if I'm not even in the room!" Sara said stomping her foot and glaring at Dally. But this only made Dally laugh at her.

"Shot kid, I don't really give a shit that I'm talking about you. A bet's a bet, and this boy needs to pay up." Dally stated.

"Pay up, Steve! And Dally you can go put at least half of that in the swearing jar. Seeing I've heard you drop at least 5 inappropriate words since being here this morning." Darry knew how to get to Dallas Winston and he just did. Dally slammed one of the kitchen chairs into the table making Sara jump a little and dropped . 50 cents into the swearing jar and threw open the screen door which made Sara jumped again as it slammed shut.

"Well, then." Two-Bit said straightening out the chair that Dallas just practically threw into the Curtis' kitchen table.

"Wow, the swearing jar is really starting to fill up." Johnny said noticing that the jar was already half way full.

"Yeah, thanks to Dallas and Steve here." Soda joked while squeezing Steve's shoulders.

"No, seriously, what are you guys planning on doing with all of our money?" Two-Bit asked walking over to the jar and holding it up to look at. "There has to be at least $10.00 in this jar."

"When the time is right, that's when we'll use that money." Darry informed the whole group. "Now, let's get ourselves out the door before we're all late." Darry had started to hand out the lunches when Pony reminded Darry about his afternoon's arrangements.

"Darry, don't forget that I'm staying afterschool today to work on a group project. I won't be able to bring Sara home today. She'll need to stay with Soda."

"Darry, remember she can't stay with me." Soda said giving Darry a look that expressed that they needed another plan.

"Um, that's right. Two-Bit could you get Sara off the bus and bring her home?" Darry asked while grabbing his tool belt.

"Sorry Dar, no can do. I got caught skipping class this week and I have a detention. I can bring Pony home though if that helps?" Two-Bit said while making his way to the door.

"Well, that will help with Ponyboy, but we still have to figure something out about Sara." Darry started for the door at the same time as Steve and the two bumped into each other. As Darry turned to scold Steve he caught himself. "Steve?"

"No way, Dar!" Steve was quick to shout.

"It'll be for just an hour or so. Probably not even that. Either Pony or Sodapop will be here by 4:00. Right guys?"

"I'm out at 4:00 today. Steve it won't even be 30 minutes. All you gotta do is pick her up from the DX and bring her home and bang, you can come back and pick me up. I'll even pay you back the two dollars you just gave Dallas and Two-Bit. What do you say?" Soda knew a little peer pressure would make Steve cave, and Soda was right.

"Ahh. You owe me bigger than the two dollars." Steve said shaking his head. "I'll be at the DX this afternoon. I have to run an errand afterschool, but will be there between 3:00- 3:30." With that said, Steve, Two-Bit, Ponyboy and Johnny where filing into Steve's car.

"Thanks, Steve." Darry waved at the boys as they drove off towards school and the three Curtis' climbed into the truck. Darry was hoping that today would turn out a lot better than the way that it started.