Hi! Thank you for all the get well wishes and patience. I hope there aren't too many grammatical errors I wanted to post this so did a quick scan of grammar! Enjoy and please review if you can. Hope you're enjoying the story I love the outsiders so much, Jewels
Chapter 5
Pony rolled over, the sun peeked through the bedrooms curtains and a yelp escaped his lips. Soda sat straight up immediately assessing the room for danger. "What….what's wrong?" Pony stood up looking down at his brother trying not to laugh because Soda's hair was sticking up every which way. Pony rubbed his butt, "Just hurts after being spanked yesterday is all." He jutted his bottom lip out and Soda rolled his eyes. His crystal blue eyes rolled towards the old clock in the room and he jumped out of bed. "Glory! We over slept!" He ran to Darrys room flinging the door open to an empty made up bed. Pony followed behind him, "Soda! What's going on?" Soda turned pale white, "I'm dead, that's what's going to happen Pone."
Pony's face was plastered with confusion, and Soda ran to the kitchen. Steve was still asleep on the couch so Pony whispered, "Sodapop, you're scaring me." Pony felt a chill go through him, and Soda turned seeing his brother looking terrified. "Pony, it's 9 a.m. and Darry's pissed at me. I was supposed to wake up with him so he and I could talk, you know…before he left." Soda's cheeks burned red in embarrassment, but where was Darry? All Pony could offer was an awkward, oh, and Soda saw a paper on the table.
Sodapop,
I figured if we talked this morning it would have done no good, we were both to tired. Listen good though, you're still getting a stern talking to when I get home. You and Pony do up with your chores and tell Steve he can stay if he needs to. I'll be home at two o'clock and I want that house to shine. See you then, stay out of trouble,
Darry
"What'd it say Sod?" Pony asked quietly. Soda grinned stuffing the note into the trash can. "That you need to clean the whole house by yourself," He laughed loudly. Steve groaned, "No way! You're a liar!" Pony yelled back trying to get around Soda to the trash can. "Shut up! Jesus, can't a guy get sleep?" Steve yelled angrily. Soda laughed wildly, "Sorry Stevie, Pony here has a whole house to clean up and kid can't believe it. Pony huffed loudly, "You're lying rotten rat, it didn't say that." Pony grabbed the chocolate milk from the fridge pouring himself a glass. He was too angry to talk to Soda but when Soda saw Pony sulking, he smiled. "Oh Pone, stop it, how about you do them dishes and vacuum? I'll take the toilets and laundry, okay?"
Steve groaned, "Damn, I can't sleep with ya'll jabbering over there?" Soda felt bad and grabbed a chocolate milk for Steve. "Here buddy, drink this and then go to our room its less noisy in there. Get some rest, and here Darry said to take this." He handed Steve a white pill Darry left on the kitchen table, he figured it was them left over strong pills from when Darry fell off the latter at work awhile back. It'd knock Steve out again; Steve groaned his finger throbbing but at least he could feel it. He chugged the milk and took the pill and Soda helped him to the bed. Steve was out like a lightbulb and Soda started on the laundry. He made sure to bleach the bloodied towels first and popped his head in the kitchen. Pony was there staring out the back window elbows in suds, "Don't see them dishes getting washed Pone."
Pony nodded his head, "Yeah, yeah, I'm working on it." Soda smiled, "Uh, huh, I can see that." Soda smirked and went into the bathroom looking for the comet bleach to scrub the toilet. He detested this but he knew Darry would check when he got home from work. Thankfully, the bowl was already pretty clean so he applied the bleach scrubbing away lost in his thoughts. The day continued to drag on with plenty of thinking from Pony and Soda. Pony was worried he'd gotten Soda in trouble and wanted to tell Darry it was his fault. Soda worried Darry would wallop him, and he felt it was silly, he'd be 18 in a couple weeks.
Lunch came and went, bologna sandwiches, which Pony detested, but he ate his anyway with a scowl on his face. Ever since Windrixville, Pony felt a slight nausea when he saw bologna but he knew it was the cheapest sandwich meat out there. Sodapop was proud of Pony for not complaining and Steve eventually woke up around 12 to have lunch with them. He ate his sandwich, his eyes heavy, grunting a few words but then went back to sleep. Soda went in their room to grab up some laundry and tidy up a bit.
How Pony was 16, and they still shared a room was beyond him, but when Pony had nightmares, he felt good still being there to comfort him. Things he felt were changing, but so much still felt the same. Especially with the Socs still running wild like they owned the neighborhoods, he could feel there'd be a rumble again, but he enjoyed when there wasn't one. He looked at Steve sprawled over their bed and glanced at the clock. It was two now, the vacuum vrooming to life in the living room and soon Darry would be home. The house looked good, didn't shine really, but it never has. Not even when his Mamma was around, just too many boys in a small space she'd say.
Soda shook the thought from his head, sometimes when he thought of his folks for too long, he'd start to get sad. Sad they couldn't be here to see them all grow up, and that Darry couldn't go to college. It all just still felt wrong like a bad dream or something, then the front screen opened and shut quietly. Darry, and Soda folded the laundry putting it away in the dresser. Steve groaned, and Soda panicked a bit, would Steve here Darry walloping him? The vacuum went silent and he figured Pony was done vacuuming the living room, so he decided to be brave an greet Darry.
When he walked out Darry walked past him headed to his room, "Hey Dar." He tried to sound cheerful, "Hey Sodapop, I'm just going to rest for a bit, then we can have a talk." Darry looked beyond exhausted with dark circles under his eyes and his shirt drenched with sweat. "Oh, yeah of course Dar, Pony and I will keep quiet while you rest." He smiled. Darry smiled back, "House looks nice Soda, see you in a couple hours." With that Darry turned around closing his room door and kicked off his heavy black work boots. He contemplated getting in his sleep clothes but settled for taking off his denim blue jeans instead. He plopped down on his bed and fell asleep with in a few minutes.
Pony wrapped up the vacuum cord and grabbed a Pepsi from the fridge gingerly sitting at the kitchen table. Soda didn't know what to do with himself but kept busy organizing the old newspapers Darry had and checked on Steve a couple times. He finally settled on the couch and turned the old television on. "Hey Pone, that western you like is on." Pony got up grabbing a Pepsi for Soda and watched t.v. Soda felt someone's hand on his shoulder shaking him awake, "Hey kiddo, ya'll fell asleep out here, and dinners just about done." Soda rubbed at his eyes blinking up at Darry. "Damn sorry Dar, I was going to start dinner, honest, I just dozed off." He felt guilty, "Oh damn, Steve." He remembered his injured friend.
"Its okay Sodapop, he left about an hour ago his mom asked him to come home to dinner tonight. Guess his old mans out of town so he agreed, said he'd swing by tonight or tomorrow." Soda felt a mix of relief and dread wash over him. At least he wouldn't be here to see Soda get his butt walloped. Pony stirred awake, "Ponyboy, dinners done go wash up please." Pony nodded his head drowsily and headed to the bathroom. Soda sat up straight, "You know Darry, 18 is pretty old to be getting a spanking." He tried to sound adult and Darry cracked a grin, "It is?" He turned walking towards the kitchen and Soda stood up following him like a puppy.
"Yeah, Darry it really is, and I'll be 18 in a couple weeks." He reminded like Darry could ever forget. Darry chuckled loudly, "I tried that argument on Daddy once, after I got snatched up for drinking in the lot during lunch break. The police drove me home, didn't even stop at the station. They'd seen me around before, knew I played football, so they just took me on home. They knew Daddy, these guys, I guess, from around and they knew he'd wallop me. You should have seen Mamma's face! Her boy being brought home by the fuzz, she made me stay in my room and wait. That was the worst part, a week until I turned 18, an adult and I was shaking in my boots because I knew Daddy wouldn't care. He left work early and came home while ya'll were at school. You know a belt is one thing, but a switch, that's a whole other experience. He made me go pick it from the birch tree in the backyard, bend over the kitchen chair. Pulled my underwear right down, and went to work. He told me that his sons wouldn't be hoods and I could feel that switch cut into my skin. I didn't dare get up; I respected that man too much to disrespect him in his own home. No siree, I just cried my heart out and 25 lashes in he stopped. Broke that damn switch over his knee and pointed to my room. I walked slowly over to my room, felt stiff like my skin been flayed off. Worst whipping of my life and the last time he ever had to whip me."
Soda felt faint, all the color from his face drained, "Oh…" he said softly. He pulled out the kitchen chair and sat. Darry laughed wildly, "Don't worry little man, that's not in your future, I might whip you some with my belt though, because like it or not you need to listen when I tell you something." Soda took a deep breath, "Oh ok good Dar, I don't think I could handle that switch." Darry smiled stirring the potato's, "I could never do that to you guys, I don't know the switch seems like something a Daddy would use when he's truly disappointed with his son. I know it's weird, but I'm for sure not Daddy, just an older brother keeping his bratty little brothers in line." He laughed. Soda got up tackling Darry, "Oh bratty little brother huh." Pony came in dog piling his brothers, Darry just laughed. He loved them, "Yeah total brats, now get on up, lets get dinner on the table."
They ate dinner laughing about stories from when they got caught in trouble with their Daddy and eventually it was time to clean up. It was silent then so tense you could cut it with a knife, "Dar, do you think it'd be okay to go outside for a while?" Pony asked softly. Darry looked at him, Pony looked tired. He was still nursing a sore backside, "You know you're grounded." Darry tried to sound stern instead of angry. "I know, I just can't stand hearing Soda in trouble." Soda kept on washing dishes, he had nothing to say. He felt the same exact way, but he didn't want to get in anymore trouble pipping up. "Well Pony, I hate to tell you this, but you've lost privileges I'd normally give ya. So that means you're in your room tonight cuz normally I'd just let you, but kiddo yesterday was no acceptable. Running off, avoiding punishment. You can go to your room, that's the only place you're headed tonight."
Ponyboy rolled his eyes at Darry, the bedroom window it is then….