"Wake up, kiddo!" Soda said, shaking me. Then I felt the bed sink a little, as he took a seat on the edge. I pretended to be sleeping still, I didn't want to get up yet.
"Ponyboy, wake up!" Soda said, shaking me a little harder.
"Op akin me oda, lemme eep." I muffled into my pillow.
Soda laughed, softly, "What was that, Pon?"
I lifted my head to look at him. "I said... stop shaking me soda, let me sleep." Before dropping it back down on the pillow again.
He chuckled again. "Well... that's not going to happen kiddo. Cause Darry wants you up, so he can talk to you before he goes to work."
Soda stood up from the bed, and walked around to the other side, then bent down so he was looking underneath the bed base. I could hear him ruffling and shifting things... but, obversely not finding what he was after, he tried the drawers next, pulling one drawer open after another. A few items of clothing were flung over his shoulder... landing across the room, others just falling in a messy pile to the ground.
I watched him with confusion, shaking my head slowly - as he managed to destroy the room in less time, than it takes for me to get out of bed.
"Why does he have to talk? Can't he let me sleep." I complained.
"I don't know, Pony... just said he wanted you up, so he could talk to you. Didn't say why," he said, as he tossed a couple of t-shirts from the drawer.
No wonder we can't keep the room clean; between Soda and me I don't know who the messiest one is.
"What you lookin' for Soda?"
"Can't find my DX shirt," he said, with a frustrated sigh.
"Well... I did the laundry yesterday, maybe it went in there."
He turned to me, with an expression I couldn't read; but as what I'd just told him, processed through his brain, he took off for the door, singing out, "You'd better get up, Pony!" Then he disappeared around the corner.
Slowly I pulled myself out of my nice warm bed, and slid on a pair of jeans and t-shirt, and made my way to the bathroom.
As I walked into the kitchen, Soda was already seated at the table - with his DX shirt, as he ate eggs with jelly, and a side of chocolate cake... how he can stomach that mix, I don't know. Darry was over by the sink, making himself a pot of black coffee.
"Hey Darry, you wanted to see me?" I asked, taking a slice of chocolate cake, and took a large bite out of it. The icing wasn't too sweet, so I knew Darry made it. He must of whipped it up before going to bed last night. Soda always puts way too much sugar in the icing mix, putting anyone that ate it on a sudden sugar high. Soda loved anything that was overly sweet.
"Yeah..." Darry said, as he turned. He leaned up against the bench top, and took a sip of his coffee. "Pony, no going out today. You can try'en straighten the house up, maybe read a book... I'll be back around five thirty," Darry turned to Soda, "and Soda finishes at one?"
Soda who'd just shoved the last quarter of his cake into his mouth, answered, "Yeah, one o'clock." He confirmed with his mouth full, spraying bits of cake out along with his answer.
"Yuck, Soda!" I said, with a slight laugh, scrunching my nose up.
"Soda, next time finish your mouthful before answering." Darry scolded, then turned, placing his empty mug in the sink.
Then turned back, with an after thought, "Oh, and if Two-Bit happens to drop by, tell him I want a word with him." He said, looking between Soda and I. Then he walked past us, through to the living room.
"Hurry up, Soda... we gotta get going."
Soda stood up from the table, placing his plate in the sink. Then headed into the lounge, he grabbed his DX cap from the coffee table, putting it on.
Darry pulled the keys from the entry hook, then turned to me. "I'll see you tonight, Pony. Stay outta trouble, got it?"
"I got it, Darry."
"Good," he said, then headed out the door.
I turned back to Soda, who was now racing around the lounge with only one shoe on. He was turning over pillows, looking behind the television...
"Help me find my other shoe, Pony."
I looked in a few various spots, only to turn up with nothing. I figured I might as well try our bedroom, and low and behold, it was there, next to the wardrobe... don't ask me how it got there - but with how Soda throws his things around, anythings possible.
"Soda... I found it!" I yelled, running out to the lounge.
"Thanks, kiddo." he smiled.
Then threw it on and rushed out the door, yelling, "See ya later, Pony."
I glanced up at round white clock on the kitchen wall, with it reading twenty-five to eight, and wandered back to my room, not wanting to be up that early on school holidays. I climbed back into bed, finding it hard to get back to sleep, but I eventually did.
When I woke up next, the sun was shining through our blinds. I rolled over to look at the digital bedside clock, the time was now 9:56, that's more like it.
I wandered back into the lounge, like I had done earlier this morning. But the house now felt too quiet. I switched the television on, searching the channels and settled for Mister ED. It amazed me how they could get a horse to talk.
I watched as Wilbur walked into the barn, and sat down on the couch to read his paper. Mister ED trotted over, reading the paper over Wilbur's shoulder.
Now a horse that can read, that's smart.
He was smarter than a lot of people I knew, thinking of Curly Shepard and the other boys that got caught up in rough rival gangs, that hadn't found themselves a proper education. You'd never catch those boys with a book, then try'na read a book. Then my thoughts set on Soda, and him dropping out. Soda wasn't book smart like me, but he was smart in other ways, he used his head for one, unlike me.
My thinking came to a halt, as the add break came on. I went into the kitchen to hunt for something to eat, and pulled the box of Cheerios from the food cupboard, and poured myself a bowl. I sat back down on the couch with my cereal to watch the rest of the program.
My thoughts wandered back to before the add break. Darry was smart, he was probably the most smartest person I knew, apart from my teachers, but they had to be smart. Darry didn't. He was both book smart and head smart, and I admired him for that, but also couldn't stand it at times, with his constant nagging at me.
After the show had finished, I turned the television set off.
I headed to the kitchen, placing my bowl in the sink - that still had this mornings dirty dishes. I filled the sink with hot, soapy water to do up the dishes.
After that, I headed for the backdoor, to check on the washing. It was bone dry, almost crisp. I fetched the washing basket from the laundry, then came back out to pull the clothes off the line. The sun was already giving off full radiation, heating up the cloudless blue sky, ready for another scorcher of a day.
I placed the washing on my bed, sorting out who's was what. It took me a good twenty-five minutes to fold it, and place it in neat piles to put away in the correct drawers.
The heat from outside was heating up the inside of the house now. I grabbed a book to read and went outside to sit in the old oak tree. I climbed up into my favourite branch; it was a large thick branch that stretched out like a laid back recliner couch.
The trees thick branches were full of brightly green coloured leaves that shielded the sun off of me. I leaned back opening my book. After reaching chapter four I sat my book on my chest looking up into the branches above me swaying gently with the warm light breeze, and closed my eyes listing to the birds singing and let the breeze sweep me into a peaceful slumber.
"AAHHHHHHHH!" I screamed. I woke to something hitting me full force in my side. I lost my balance, falling out of the tree with a hard thud on the ground below.
"What the hell!?" I yelled.
I looked to see Two-Bit holding the garden hose, doubled over laughing his head off. Then I noticed Soda and Steve also laughing at my misfortune, leaning up against the side of the house, next to the tap that the hose was connected to.
I got up dusting myself off and ran full charge at Two-Bit, but Two-Bit was ready waiting and aimed the hose at me again hitting me in the stomach.
"Ahhh!" I made a u-turn and ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction, the water hit me full blast in the back - with Two-Bit chasing after me now with the hose - my clothes now almost fully saturated. I was trying to dodge the water the best I could, but with little luck. I ran full bore past the back shed where the guys have spare car parts and tools, and felt something dig right into the middle of my left heel.
My foot went from under me and I fell hard on my left knee. I tried to catch myself by putting my hands out in front of me and felt a sharp pain shoot up my right arm, causing me to cry out.
Two-Bit knelt down beside me, still holding the hose, but to the side of him so the water wasn't getting us.
"You ok, kid?" He asked, looking at me concerned. He grabbed me under the arm to help me sit up - at least now I can look to see what it was that I stood on.
I grabbed my foot and turned it up, so I could take a look at it - a thick, long rusted nail had been lodge half way into my heel. "Shit!" I swore.
...
Bella Lilac
A/N - I'd just like to thank everyone for their continued support on this story, and for all the lovely reviews... I appreciate them. Bella.