Chapter Six

My whole life, I'll stare directly at the setting sun with Pony, but never in the mirror. All my reflection greets me with is my parent's marks paired with the soc's. It made me so damn angry. Angry at my deadbeat mom and dad that don't give a rat's ass about me. Angry at the soc's that will always look at us greasers akin to gum on the bottom of their polished shoes. Angry at the fact that I care for my mom and dad despite everything.

I always hated that I worried about things like my dad not being home at midnight when his work ended in the evening, or that my mom hadn't moved from the couch for days. I hated that I cared.

Pony told me it was admirable; that I have so much love in my heart. She says it's one of her favourite things about me. She told me it was the tuffest thing about me.

I think it's pathetic.

I wanted to be like Dallas Winston, and not let others and especially my parent's do whatever they wanted to me. Maybe I didn't want to be mad at the whole world like Dally, but I sure wanted to be tough like him.

Yet, more than ever, I felt like Dally; so furious with the world and everyone on it. Pony and Susie didn't deserve this. Pony got beaten until she could barely stand upright, and that fact made my blood pound in my ears.

I watched Dally barely contain himself from punching a hole through the wall as he stormed outside a bit ago. He was looking for a fight, and tomorrow morning he'll probably greet me with a great shiner. I nearly wanted to follow him out, and find myself a fight too.

However, I knew once I found myself face to face with someone that was probably a head taller than me, I would sober up pretty quickly. The thought still didn't stop my blood from boiling beneath my skin as I looked at Pony and Susie, though. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that the soc's went after the girls. I watched them closely.

Susie was in a right state, and she had just stopped crying in Two-Bit's arms. I took a look at her face when she was telling us what happened, and luckily it wasn't terrible. It was cut and a bit bruised, but nothing that wouldn't go away in a couple days. However, that fact did little to comfort me. The fact that Susie was hurt in the first place was bad enough.

Darry and Soda were near Pony's sleeping figure against the foot of the couch. Her cheeks were puffy and bruised, and her eyes were swollen and slightly damp from tears. However, she looked a lot better with all her cuts and scrapes cleaned up and the gash near her temple had finally stopped bleeding. Since she was sitting now, her shirt had fallen back down and her bruised ribs were hidden. I was strangely grateful for that. It made my chest feel tight when I looked at her sides. They had been bruised to hell and back, and the fact that they were on Pony made it worse.

She had woken up several minutes ago from what I think was a nightmare, since she was in hysterics and kept repeating Darry's name. She cried herself dry and fell asleep once again. Soon after, Susie promptly followed.

I watched Soda as he wrapped his arm around Pony's shoulder and pulled her flush against his side. He let out a shaky breath and rubbed her shoulder as he looked down. He was freaked out when he saw Pony—hell!—he was still freaked out! If his trembling hands are anything to go by. He roughly wiped his eyes dry with his sleeves.

Darry reached out an arm and clapped a hand on Soda's shoulder, "How you feelin', Pepsi-Cola?" Darry asked.

Two-Bit raised his head and looked at Soda, who slowly brought his head up to meet Darry's gaze. I was glad that Darry had calmed down some. Not by much, since his hand on his lap was clenched with the knuckles a pure white, but enough that he could fake it.

When Two-Bit had first brought Pony to the Curtis house beaten black and blue, Darry had lost his shit—albeit with a mask. His eyes widened with horror at the sight of his kid sister, and even though he was barking out orders I saw the way his chin trembled when he was cleaning Pony's wounds. He was livid.

I could bet with my life on the line that Darry would never hurt me on purpose, but I couldn't help the fear that pierced my chest when he threatened Two-Bit. My dad was tall just like Darry, and at the moment Darry was angry just like my father always was. It scared me.

Soda threw his head back onto the seat of the couch, "I dunno, Darry. Just…" his adam's apple bobbed, "I just can't believe the socs roughed up little Pone." His voice sounded wobbly at the end and he squeezed his eyes shut, "I'm scared, Darry. I'm real scared for Pony."

"I know, little buddy. Me too." Darry brought his hand back and dragged it down his face. He sighed and looked up to the ceiling.

It was quiet for a moment, and the crickets chirped happily through the window. It was strange; the fact that the world kept spinning even though Pony got knocked in the head and couldn't stand up straight by herself. From what Susie told us, a pair of the socs that beat on them were probably the boyfriends of Cherry and Marcia. They had no idea that their boyfriend's had just jumped the two greaser girls they had talked to this evening. Hell, they were probably cozying up to their boys right now!

I ran a hand through my messed up hair, "What about you, Superman?" Two-Bit asked.

I turned to look at him with an incredulous look in my eye. The fact Two-Bit still had the balls to talk to Darry despite him threatening to punch the living day-lights out of him had my eyebrows shot up to my forehead.

Luckily for Two-Bit, Darry didn't look like he was planning on socking anybody in the jaw just yet. Darry's jaw clenched and I swear I could almost hear his teeth grind together as silence rang through the room. Soda had brought his head up to look at Darry.

Finally, he said, "I'm fine." Two-Bit shot him a look.

Darry's nostrils flared, "Alright, I'm fucking pissed. I mean, I let my kid sister out with y'all to the damn movies, and she gets jumped?" Darry got worked up and he quickly shot up from his spot on the living room floor. I flinched.

Darry's face fell a bit as he looked at me, "Sorry, Johnny." I nodded my head stiffly. I wished I hadn't flinched, I didn't want Darry to think I was scared of him or anything.

Darry ran a hand down his face yet again as he disappeared into the kitchen before returning with a bottle of beer clasped in his hand. I saw everyone's eyes drop to the brown glass bottle before averting their eyes away. Darry nearly never drank alcohol, and the only reason he bought cases was for Two-Bit, however much he tried to deny it. When he did drink, though, it was serious. The last time he drank was the week after their parents died.

He settled himself on his recliner and took a swig, "I mean, fuck man! Y'all didn't think to check up on 'em after a while?" Darry ground out rather quietly. I looked at Pony and Susie's sleeping figures as they were huddled against their brothers.

"And why for cryin' out loud did the socs pick my kid sister to be the first girl greaser they beat on?" Darry leaned back and took a large gulp.

Darry's words hung in the air as everyone went silent once again, before Two-Bit broke it.

"I'm real sorry, man." Two-Bit said.

I swallowed, "Yeah, I'm sorry too, Darry."

Darry gave us both a hard look before sighing and rubbing his hand on his thigh, "No no, it's just… Shit man…" he looked at Pony's face, "It ain't y'all fault. Y'all couldn't've known they was gonna do that, don't be sorry. 'Sides, it ain't like I'm the only one with a kid sister that got jumped." Darry looked at Two-Bit and put his bottle aside.

Darry huffed quietly, "It's just… What if they catch 'em alone again?"

Soda flinched and I barely hid mine. The thought of that was enough to make my blood freeze.

Two-Bit tightened his hold on Susie, "We ain't gonna let 'em. No way those socs are gonna catch Susie and Pony by their lonesome. Right, Johnny?" Two-Bit turned to look at me.

I shifted uncomfortably when everyone's eyes settled on me, "Yeah, I'll walk Pone to school in the mornin'." Darry nodded with a glint of ease in his eyes. I certainly wasn't the biggest greaser around, but I could hold my own in a fight when it came down to it.

"And y'all can bring the girls 'round the DX for lunch." Soda added. I had a feeling he just wanted to see Pony during the day to make sure she was okay. I thought with an inward sigh that she was going to hate all of this. She already dreaded the fact that she was the youngest and a girl on top of that, but now that she got jumped she was never going to be left alone. I felt slightly bad, but the feeling of protecting her easily overcame my previous thought.

Darry nodded and closed his eyes. Glory, did he look tired. I guess waiting around for your kid sister to come home late, only for her bruised and unconscious body to greet you on the doorstep was pretty exhausting.

However, there was a burning question in the back of my head. I hesitated, before asking, "What about the rumble?"

Soda's heavy lidded eyes crossed over to mine as he furrowed his eyebrows, "'Course there's gonna be a rumble! Ya' think I'm gonna let the socs beat on my kid sister like this? No way in hell." For the first time tonight, Soda's voice held a tone of anger in it.

"Well…" I heard Darry start.

Soda's sleepy eyes shot wide open as he looked at his older brother with shock and anger. I could see Soda was about to start when Darry waved him off.

"Don't look at me like that. 'Course there's gonna be a rumble!" Soda settled down again, but his eyes held a glint of unease, "But I wanna wait for Pony to heal up. I don't want her by herself while we're all out at a rumble."

Soda turned to look at Pony. Glory did she look small with all the bruises. Soda's eyes softened, before he nodded. I thought for a second that he was going to offer to stay with Pony at home, but I soon realized that he would want to lay in on the socs that touched his kid sister.

Darry downed the last of his beer before Two-Bit declared he best get Susie in bed. He left soon after, and Darry turned to me, "Ya' wanna stay here for the night, Johnnycakes?"

I hesitated, before responding, "If ya' don't mind." If I left, it was either the lot with the temperatures that had definitely dropped, or my house. I shivered at the thought of the latter.

Darry brushed me off and handed me a worn out blanket from his closet, "'Course I don't mind."

I thanked him and sent him what I hoped was a grateful look. I can't believe the thought that Darry would treat me how my father did ever crossed my mind.

I saw Soda gently carry Pony to bed as I settled myself on the couch. Darry turned off the lights and I was faintly aware of the quiet chattering of Soda and Darry before I dropped off.