.::I do not own The Outsiders::.
10. He just needs time. They need time.
Twobit stretched his arms long and wide before entering the Curtis residence. Last night had been one wild ride with the blonde girl he was trying to flirt. Turned out she was as crazy for him then he to her. She gave in easily after that. He grinned at the memory turning the knob to get inside. Just as he was about to shout out his presence he saw Ponyboy sleeping on the kitchen table his head on his folded arms.
Worry grew in his eyes as he strided over to his side making sure everything was ok. Seconds later Steve showed up, he gave Twobit a confused look seeing him so serious. Mathews put a finger to his lips signaling his friend to be quiet. He wanted to find out what was the matter. Ponyboy winced in his sleep muttering some words probably having a small nightmare. Suddenly Twobit caught sight of something on the floor. Pills...PILLS?!
With a hard whack to the back of Pony's head, Twobit shook him up his hands holding him tightly by the arms harshly yelling, "Pony! Pone! Wake up! What the hell did you do?!"
"Owe! What the hell was that for?!" Pony screamed angrily.
Steve was wide eyes at his actions not understanding anything so he asked, "What the fuck is going on?!"
"The pills man! The pills!" Twobit pointed on the ground.
His mouth hung open at seeing those white small things on the kithecn floor scattered everywhere. Darry was in the living room with only his boxers looking panicked at all the noise especially hearing his little brother's scream of pain. Steve picked up an aspirin from the ground showing it to Darry, he glanced at his brother than back at the small object in his hand. Holy shit!
"What the hell is going on here?! Pony! What's the God damned meaninf of this?!" His voice was getting louder at every word.
Ponyboy glared at Twobit rubbing the back of his head where he had been harshly whacked, "I didn't do nothing!"
Twobit frowned, "No? Then what do these pills mean? How many did you take? Look man I know you're all sad over this Sodapop thing but you didn't have to try to kill yourself with swallowing so many pi-"
Ponyboy coughed at this, "What? You thought I-Really? No! No no, I did not swallow any! If I tried killing myself how am I still standing here?"
Steve shrugged, "He looks fine to me."
Darry smeared his hand into his face very frustrated, "Then why are they all on the ground?"
Ponyboy bit his bottom lip, "I kinda dropped them."
Twobit folded his arms, "And most importantly, why were you sleeping in the kitchen?"
"I-I-what is this? Ask Ponyboy twenty questions?" Ponyboy spat.
"Ponyboy." His older brother warned also wanting an answer, he didn't realize he had slept in the kitchen all night or less hear him leave his room.
"I had a head ache...So I grabbed some aspirins but accidently dropped them. Sorry for such crime, gee."
Steve shook his head, "Did this, by any chance, have something to do with Sodapop's birthday?"
Darry and Twobit stared at him like he was crazy, Steve was warned not to tell Ponyboy yet he disobeyed at that moment. It didn't matter anyway, Pony already knew.
"Yeah." He sighed sadly.
"Ah Pony..." Darry began.
"No...Look I wanna be alone ok? I'm going to my room, oh and Darry, put on some pants." He sauntered to his room closing the door.
Darrel blushed mighty red narrowing his eyes at Twobit and Steve so they wouldn't burst out laughing. In the end they did but only when he left to take a shower. When their laughter faded away Steve exhaled loudly going into his car with Twobit. Now that Sodapop was gone Keith took the opportunity to work at the DX, shockingly he decided to make some dough after all, his excuse was that if his Mom wasn't going to give her money for condoms, who would?
"Everything was getting better," Steve muttered.
"I wonder how he figured it out."
Twobit licked his lips, "I bet it was from the calendar. Darry musta forgot to hide it."
"Probably... Damned kid, now he's gonna be all ghost again, not going out no more, sad, pale..."
"Thought he was already over Sodapop."
Steve grimaced at his insensibility, "Man, those two were inseparable. Soda loved that kid more than any of us. Imagine how Pony's feeling. Betrayed...Alone...Angry...Confused. Hell Twobit, be a little more human."
The side burned Greaser raised an eyebrow, "When did Stevie Wevie get so emotional? And heck, when didya start caring 'bout him so much?"
"Let's just say we meet eye to eye now. He'll still be the same annoying smart ass kid though so don't be getting any ideas."
"Hmm, sometimes I wonder..." Twobit was thinking of Ponyboy, how Soda's absence really affect him so much. It was true what Steve said, he really was feeling like shit. Both of them were each other's world and now those worlds were fallen apart. Imagining Pony's pain made him shudder, I'm being an ass. I should talk to Ponyboy, poor kid... Ah Soda, see what you did? I just hope that whatever were your reasons to leave...I hope that it was worth it 'cause you sure made one big mess here.
Back at home Darry was coaxing Ponyboy to get out of his room to talk. Being the stubborn boy he is he stayed inside ignoring him. Tired of persisting, Darry left him breakfast on the table saying he was coming back home around dinner time. He stopped at the door hesitant to leave, Oh kiddo. Unfortunately if he missed work there was no money and no money meant to food or paying the bills which meant...Trouble with the Social Worker. It was a miracle Ponyboy was still under the custody of Darry with the state knowing Sodapop was a runaway kid.
In his brothers room Ponyboy sat on the edge of his bed. The dull pain inside of him was getting too hard to bare with every day. Like the death of parents all over again. That was an experience he never wanted to live no more but now he was and it was killing him like a flesh eating virus getting to his core. He laid back with his arms folded behind his head, the ceiling was now pretty interesting. 29 cracks, how did that even happen? Time slipped by quickly by sleeping because he was awoken by Johnny telling him to wake up already.
"Huh-wha?"
"Wake up man, how long have you been sleeping?"
Pony squinted his eyes to see his clock, "Uh, I think three hours. Gosh, did I miss something?"
"Not really...I just came to see how you were doing. Twobit told me what happened."
"Forget it. It's nothing to worry about." He stood up heading to the living room.
Johnny sat next to him, "You can talk to me Pone, really."
Ponyboy felt a knot in his throat forming, maybe I-I really need to talk this out. He is my buddy after all. He'll understand I know it. Here goes nothing. He cleared his throat, "You're right...I-you know that um I feel...You know, sad. I mean, yesterday, at night, when I found out about his birthday...I felt like shit." He said that bluntly at the end since there was no other way of saying it.
He continued, "I forgot that it was his birthday until I saw the calendar. I imagined him still with us partying around, his cake. I keep asking myself why he left. Why he didn't tell us nothing. It hurts Johnny-" Pony's voice broke, "It really fucking hurts."
Johnny's expression softened seeing his best friend undergo all this sadness. Nobody should feel like that. He doesn't deserve it. First he loses his parents now this. If there was a way I could take some of his pain away I would, he's just a kid.
"Maybe I don't know the answers to why he left but what I can say is that you can't stop living just 'cause he's gone. Sounds pretty cruel but he left 'cause he wanted too. I'm sure he still loves you, if he didn't he wouldn't have left that note." Johnny put an arm around Pony, "It's ok to hurt. Just remember this Pony, life goes on."
The youngest Greaser in between tears smiled, "Thanks Johnny. For listening."
"No problem Pones."
Minutes of silence until, "You think he'll ever come back?"
Johnny thought for a second, "It's really up to him."
Ponyboy closed his eyes furrowing his eyebrows, "I hate him."
"You don't mean that."
Pony sat up glaring at a picture of Sodapop hugging him when they were little kids, "I do." He then grabbed the picture frame slamming it down on the coffee table stomping off to his room.
His buddy simply sighed turning on the television knowing Pony was going to need some moments by himself to cool off, He just needs time....
He stared off into space waiting for more people to enter the diner. Business was slow that peculiar day, he rolled his eyes not believing his luck. The day he wanted it to be extra busy was the day it was empty. The girl he worked with, Mary, winked at him from the other side of the place as she sat on one of the tables. He averted his eyes to something else. He knew Mary was developing a major crush on him. To some other guys it would be great but to Soda it was something he couldn't bare with at that time.
Sandy's unfaithfulness was still a fresh wound and dating Mary wasn't going to heal it. I just need time.
Sodapop frowned sadly thinking of home, how he could have woken up to the voices of his loved ones singing him 'happy birthday' or the splitting of the delicious chocolate cake. His stomach growled begging for a piece.
Mary cleared her throat, "What are you thinking about?"
Soda shrugged, "Just some things I need to buy. Groceries...Guy stuff."
"Oh."
Suddenly one boy entered, he looked about Soda's age only he was taller with brown hair, blue eyes, freckles on his cheeks. He looked around until he saw Mary. She raised her eyebrows, "How may I help you with?"
The boy grinned, "Sure, can you give me a chocolate milk shake. Oh and if you don't mind you're number too."
Sodapop smirked inwardly, Real smooth fella.
Mary blushed stuttering to Soda to get him his milk shake from the other employee behind the kitchen. From the kitchen's entrance he amusingly watched this guy flirt around with the girl chattering about an upcoming dance on Halloween in town. She told him she'd think about it. Sodapop handed him the milk shake scurrying away not wanting to ruin his flirting game.
When he left Mary nudged his side, "Ya saw that? He asked me out on a date."
Soda nodded, "Yup, looks like a good person. You going?"
She bit her bottom lip, "I was kind hoping someone else asked me."
Uh-oh, there it is, "I think you should go with him. Me, I'd go but I'm gonna be busy that day."
Mary's face fell disappointed by this, "Oh."
"Sorry. Well, my shift is done. Have a good day. Bye!"
He went off running out the door feeling very anxious, he thought that his idea of running away to a new place, a new life, was going to help him heal though the results weren't what he was expecting. At first it was going very well but now he felt like he was suffocating
Arriving at his small apartment he threw himself on the couch/bed. Relaxing, Sodapop sighed.
"I need a new plan...And soon!"
oOoOoOo
(Sorry for any grammar mistakes)
I appreciate your reviews! They inspire me! Thank you!(: