Over the course of the next few days, I still wasn't aloud out the house. The pain in my arm hadn't lessened, and I couldn't fully walk on my foot without pain, so it didn't bother me too much. I read almost half the books I owned, watched the day time television, and laid out in my favourite branch in the oak tree.

But... by the fifth day I was so board, I was driving myself... and, everyone around me, stir crazy. My foot had healed - to the point where I could walk on it, and the pain in my arm had minimised to a light tingling.

Both my brothers were home today, as neither of them have work, it being a Sunday. Darry said this morning, he wanted us to clean up around the house - and has been giving out orders all morning, to both Soda and I.

"But... I don't want to clean Darry. I want to go out, I'm bored." I whined.

"Well, little buddy... you won't be bored when you go and clean the bathroom, there's plenty to do in there." He said, as he hammered a nail into the porch railing.

"But, that's boring..."

I followed him back into the house, into the kitchen.

"Only if you make it boring, kiddo. You've only got two more days of grounding left, then your free to go out."

He pulled a bottle of bathroom spray and cloth from the cupboard, beneath the kitchen sink, handing them to me. I scowled at them, not moving.

"Go..." he said, pointing towards the bathroom.

He already had Soda off doing the laundry.

I sulked to the bathroom, dragging my feet. I hurriedly picked the toothbrushes up from the bench, shoving them into the bathroom cup, and gave the bench top a few quick sprays, giving it a half assed wipe...

"See, told you it'd be boring Darry." I mumbled to myself as I walked back out to the kitchen, finding Darry with his head under the kitchen sink cupboard, hunting for something.

"I'm done!" my tone came across sharp. I sat the spray bottle down a little harder then I intended, and tossed the cloth in the sink.

"Ponyboy, watch the attitude. You can't be finished that quick... did you actually clean anything, while you were in there?" Darry asked, as he leaned out from the cupboard, and raised his eyebrows.

"Of course I did..."

"Ponyboy, I won't tell you again... watch the attitude. I'm gonna take a look." I dragged my feet again, following him back to the bathroom.

"Look... your not finished. You haven't put that away - there's hair grease still sitting there, and a comb, and you haven't done the toilet."

He left the bathroom, with me still standing there. I opened the mirrored cupboard on the wall, and shoved the stuff from the bench into it. Then ran the toilet brush around the rim of the toilet bowl. Then I stomped through the house, and out the door, letting the flyscreen slam. Darry called out after me, but I ignored him.

I climbed into my favourite branch in the tall oak, looking up into the blue sky. There sure were a lot of clouds out today. As I was looking at all the clouds, I spotted one that looked a bit like a rabbit, with two long clouds making the ears. I let my eyes wonder around the sky seeing if could make more animals - if that cloud moved over a bit, then it would look like a hippopotamus, I thought.

About an hour later, Darry called - saying it was time for lunch.

I climbed down from my spot in the tree and walked toward the house, swinging the flyscreen open and letting it slam shut behind me again. Then headed for the kitchen, sitting down at the table with a heavy thud.

"Pony!" Darry warned, turning to look at me, then turned back continuing on the sandwiches.

I scowled at him, when he wasn't looking.

My head immediately turned toward the kitchen door, as I heard the front flyscreen open, and figured Two-Bit, or Steve were here.

"Soda?" Steve called.

"Laundry." His footsteps disappeared down the hallway, toward the laundry.

"Heya' kiddo... are those for me Darry, ohh... you shouldn't have gone to so much trouble," Two-Bit said, coming up behind me, and pulling my chair back, then dropped it down with a loud bang.

"No, there not for you Two-Bit. I swear you always manage to turn up when there's food, don't you have enough food at you own house... and stop banging those chairs around. Pony's been doing enough banging around here as it is."

"Oh... you know me Darry. I just like your cooking better." Two-Bit said, grabbing one of the sandwich halves off the plate, eating nearly the whole thing in one bite.

"I'm not banging around anything." I said, scowling.

"Yeah, have been been kid, and you need to cut it out. You've been in a bad mood since this morning and it needs to stop," then he turned to look down the hallway.

"Soda, Steve you better get out here if you want any lunch, before Two-Bit eats it all."

"I don't need to cut anything out, you need to cut it out... your the one that's been at me all day." I grumbled, crossing my arms.

Two-Bit looked at me raising an eyebrow, eating his third sandwich. Soda and Steve came into the kitchen to see what was for lunch, taking a sandwich half each.

"Ponyboy, that's enough. I haven't been at you all day. I only asked you to clean the bathroom, so this attitude thing you've got going on, needs to stop. Now eat some lunch." Darry held a firm tone.

"No, I don't want any... and I don't have an attitude, you do." I know from painful experience, it's not wise to talk back... but he was getting under my skin.

"Pony!" Soda warned.

"You'd better cut it out right now, if you know what's good for you, kid." Darry's voice rose a couple of notches.

I scowled at him. Then to really piss him off... I leaned back in my chair again, dropping it forward with a loud bang. Darry's eye twitched... good at least he knows I'm mad at him.

"Kid, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Steve said, as he took a bite from his lunch.

"Shut it, Steve," I mouthed to him; this has nothing to do with him anyway, so he can just shut up.

"All I said is, I wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, and all I said is for you to shut it." I mouthed back. Soda was giving me a look to say, 'that's enough.' But I guess Steve wanted his turn to piss me off now.

"You've got a real mouth on you, you know that kid." Steve said.

"Yeah... and you've got an annoying voice when you speak like that, but do you hear me complain." I smarted back.

"You know what you need, kid... you need another good tanning from your brothers, cause I think you need to learn how to show them some respect."

"I said, shut it Steve." I yelled at him.

"Ponyboy, if you keep this up, I might just do what Steve suggested. Now cut it out." Darry warned me.

I pouted, looking at him. "But his the one that started it, why do I always get all the blame."

"No Pony, you've been running around sulking and giving me attitude all day." Darry said, crossing his arms.

"No I haven't, I said I was bored and wanted to go out." I copied him, crossing my arms as well.

"Your not going out and you know why, this topic is over, understood?"

"But why?" I whined.

"Ponyboy, no more!" He said, sternly.

"Ponyboy, no more!" I mimicked him.

"That's enough!" Darry's voice raised.

"That's enough!" I smirked, this was actually fun.

I glanced to Soda; he hadn't said much through this whole thing. But I could tell from his expression, he was rather taken aback. He caught my eye - giving me firm look, as he shook his head - warning me to stop.

"That's it, kid. You won't think it's funny, when I'm finished with you." Darry used his parental tone, walking towards me.

Shit... I leapt out of my chair, trying to get away to the safety of my bedroom. I made it about half way, when Darry caught me from behind. He held my upper arm in a firm grasp, turned me around, and gave me a hard smack across my backside. I cried out from the shock and sudden sting, and tried to struggle out of his grip.

But he tightened his hold, giving me another hard slap with his calloused hand that made me gasp and wince.

He raised his hand again, and brought it down harder than the last. "Oww... D-darry, stop. I'll be good."

He landed a few more over my now sore backside, before he bent me further over so I was almost touching my toes and slapped the underside of my bottom, with each slap making me cry out.

Tears ran thick and fast down my cheeks, landing in the worn in carpet, as I sucked back shaky sobs.

I knew the guys could hear everything, from out in the kitchen and that only made it that much worse, knowing they heard me - crying and begging, getting my backside smacked like a little kid... it was humiliating.

He stopped, and stood me upright, looking in my tear soaked eyes.

"Don't you ever talk back to me like that again!" He growled, making me flinch. "When I give an answer, that answer is final, understood? Don't you ever challenge my decision, if I say no, it means no... and if your gonna keep acting like brat I won't tolerate it, next time it'll be the belt, understood?" He said, firmly, keeping direct eye contact.

I nodded, with continuous tears streaming down my face, "Good, go to your room and stay there until I call you." I didn't wait a second after. I took off to my room, slamming the door, and landed stomach first on my bed, crying into my pillow.

...

Bella Lilac