Tuesday October 6th 4:10 pm
Darry slammed the phone back down in the receiver. Darry had asked Daniel if he could borrow his phone before Daniel and his brother had sped off toward the school, desperately trying to get a hold of his brother. He had called his house three times already, and gotten no answer. School let out at 2:45, and he wasn't sure how long Pony had planned on staying after.
Next he tried Two Bit's house. Hoping the jokester of the group had maybe hung around after school and then given Pony a ride back with him. He knew Two Bit would sometimes hang around and watch Pony's track practices during the season so he hoped maybe this was the case for today.
"Matthew's residence, how may I assist you?" an overly pompous voice answered.
"Two Bit" Darry said seriously, not having the patience to deal with his antics "Have you seen Ponyboy? He's not still at school is he?"
"Don't know Darry" Two Bit answered, his joking tone was gone and he could tell his friend needed him to be serious "Last I saw him was right after school, he was heading down to the field with his track buddies. Why, what's wrong?"
Darry ran a hand through his hair.
"Hopefully nothing. But I guess…something happened after school today and I just need to make sure Ponyboy is okay."
"I gotta drop my Ma off at work in a few minutes, want me to swing by the school after?"
"No, I'm gonna head over there right now to try and find him. But maybe you could go to my house after? Make sure he keeps his ass home if he shows up"
"Sure thing Superman. I'll keep an eye on him if he shows up." Two Bit said seriously. Two Bit was a good a friend, while he joked around a lot, he was always looking out for the gang, especially Ponyboy.
"Thanks. I'll call the house from the school if I hear anything" Darry said as he hung up the phone.
Darry hoped he wasn't over reacting. Daniel hadn't said it was Ponyboy they found, just that they a found a student. And even though he has no proof that it was his brother, something in Darry's gut was telling him that Pony was involved. He had one more call to make before he was heading over the school.
"DX, this is Sodapop"
Darry didn't want to worry Soda. He knew that kid would be absolutely worried sick, like Darry was, if he knew what was going down.
"Hey Soda, it's me" Darry answered, trying to keep his voice light "Is Ponyboy there?"
'Please be there' Darry chanted to himself.
"Nope. You losing your memory in your old age, Dar? He's staying late for track today."
"I know he is. Just didn't know if he had finished up yet. I'm done with work early so I'm gonna swing by the school and go get him."
"Is everything okay Darry? Soda asked. Even over the phone, Soda could sense the stress coming off of his brother.
"Should be. I gotta go now, but you come straight home after work, you hear?"
"Yeah I hear, see ya tonight" And with that Soda hung up the phone.
With an anxious feeling pumping through his veins Darry made his way out to the truck. His two crew members had heard what was going down and said they would cover for Darry while he went to find out what had happened.
Darry drove his truck faster than he normally drives, something inside pushing him to get the school quickly. A sick voice in his head taunted him 'if it's a body they found, you getting there any faster ain't gonna do anything'. Darry swallowed past a lump in his throat and parked his truck haphazardly in the teachers lot, which was closest to the field.
It was a quite a sight. There were multiple cop cars, their red and blue lights throwing shadows against the side of locker room building. An ambulance stood by, its back doors thrown open, the impeccably made gurney still sitting inside. Yellow caution tape roped off the area around the locker room and a few cops stood near the tape, keeping onlookers back from the field.
Darry rushed forward. He tried to duck under the yellow tape but was stopped by a strong arm.
"Sir, this a crime scene. No one is allowed past the tape." An older cop said, giving Darry a little shove back.
"But my brother, he's here somewhere. I'm his guardian." Darry heard the desperation in his own voice but didn't care. All he cared about was finding Pony.
"He's a student here?" the cop asked.
"Yes sir. He and a few of his track teammates were running drills after school. And now I can't find him."
The cop raised his eyebrows at this.
"Wait here, son". The cop walked off to where another cop stood, this one with sergeant stripes decorating his arm. Darry's stomach churned as he watched the two of them as they talked and then both made their way over to Darry.
"Sgt. Anderson" said the man with stripes, holding his hand out to Darry. Darry took it, giving the man's hand a quick shake.
"Darry Curtis. I'm looking for my brother, Ponyboy Curtis."
If either cop was surprised to hear that was his brother's name, neither one showed it.
"Why don't we step over here and talk a moment?" Sgt. Anderson led them a bit away from the crowd that had gathered.
"Listen son, the area has been secured. There aren't any students down on the field or in the locker room, we had them all clear out so we could do our job."
"But my brother was down there and now I can-"
"Like I said" Sgt. Anderson interrupted, "We sent all the kids home. We have an investigation going on."
"But what about the body? Who's is it?" Darry asked desperately.
"Keep your voice down! Now how do you know there's a body?" The Sgt. whispered.
Darry didn't want to get Daniel or his brother in trouble.
"Some people in the crowd overheard some of the cops talking about it" Darry lied.
Sgt. Anderson sighed.
"Look, I know you're worried. But I really can't let anyone down here. My best advice is just go home and wait for your brother there."
Anger rolled through Darry "But what if it's him?! I can't just leave him. I won't."
"If, God forbid, it is him, we still need to go through the proper procedures of notifying the family and identifying the body."
"I'm his family" Darry whispered.
"Well then the best thing to do is go home and wait. Hopefully your brother will be there when you get back. And if not…we'll be able to get a hold of you at home." Sgt. Anderson said gently.
Darry nodded. He wasn't going to get anything else out of them. He made his way over the pay phone, praying that Ponyboy would be home.
Two Bit answered.
"Is he there?" Darry asked, unable to hide the desperation in his voice.
"No, he ain't here yet. Sorry Darry" Two Bit replied softly.
"Dammit!" Darry cursed, slamming a fist against the wall.
"You okay?" Two Bit asked.
"No. I'm on my way home" and Darry hung up the phone.
Darry called the DX again.
"DX. This is Steve"
"Hey Steve, is Ponyboy there?"
"No Darry he's not. And there's some people who were saying some shi-" a sound of a small scuffle and then Sodapop's voice was coming through the phone.
"Darry, you got Pony right? There were some kids here saying some kid got killed at the school and I was starting to freak out"
Darry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"He wasn't here Soda. I don't know where he is". Darry is met with silence. He knows Soda is thinking the same thing he is
"He's probably at home, right? Or the library?" Soda asks, sounding younger than his almost seventeen years.
"Probably Pepsi Cola. I'm going to head home and wait for him"
"It's not…it's not him, right?"
"I'm sure it's not. It can't be" Darry says to comfort Soda. But then, because Darry is a realist and he doesn't want to build up Soda's hopes just to watch him get crushed he adds "The cops are working on figuring out who it is. They said they'll let the family know as soon as they can."
Soda lets out a shuddery breath.
"I'm off soon, I'll meet you at home as soon as I'm done. But call me the second you know where he is!"
"I will, I promise. I'll see you little buddy".
Darry gets back in his truck and makes the drive home. He drives slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for his youngest brother. What he wouldn't give to see him, walking with his head in the clouds. But he doesn't. He makes it all the way home without seeing a hint of his youngest brother.
Darry trudges into the house and sees Two Bit sitting in the recliner, hands resting near the phone like he's ready to answer it the moment that it rings.
"Any calls?" Darry asks but he knows by Two Bit's worried expression that he hasn't heard anything either.
Two Bit shakes his head and then moves from the recliner to the couch so that Darry can have his regular spot. Darry settles into the chair and thinks to himself 'and now, we wait'.