A/N: Thank you guys SO much for the reviews! I'm so glad that you all are liking my story. I'm sorry for the delay getting out the next Part. I was on vacation and then I spent most of this week catching up at work. Anyway, I hope you like this part. Please review and let me know what you think. Love, Ellivia22

Disclaimer: I still don't own The Outsiders, unfortunately.

I Need You

Part III

Ponyboy

"What's with the huge grin on your face?" Two-Bit asked as I slid into his beat-up black Plymouth. He cocked his eyebrow. "I know that seein' me is the highlight of your day, but you look like Paul Newman has a new movie comin' out or somethin'."

I grinned at him. Paul Newman was my favorite actor. I had seen all of his movies at least twice. I would love it if he was in another one. "That would be tuff," I said. Two-Bit continued to stare at me as he attempted to start the car. The vehicle shook and groaned as the engine struggled to start. I grinned again as I thought about Darry's announcement. "Darry just told us he got a third job. He's gonna be workin' nights. Ain't that great?"

Two-Bit's reaction wasn't what I expected. His contagious smile vanished, and a frown appeared on his face. In fact, he looked so concerned and serious it was almost like he was a different person. "A third job? Why in the heck would Darry get a third job? Just one sounds like too much of a headache. That's why I ain't got one."

I shrugged. "I dunno. He didn't say why. Maybe he just wants to get ahead on the bills. The important thing is he won't be around to holler at me all the time or tell me what to do. It's gonna be great!"

Two-Bit's expression remained serious as he finally got his car to start and began driving toward the school. I started to get frustrated. Why couldn't he see how great this news was? He must've noticed my frustration. His wisecracking grin returned to his face. "Tuff enough. Don' be surprised if good ole Two-Bit stops by regularly to check on ya. Wouldn't want ya to get into too much trouble."

I stared at him, copying his trademark eyebrow raise. "Two-Bit, you're the definition of trouble."

He socked me in the arm playfully. "And you wouldn' have it any other way."

We spent the next ten minutes of the ride in silence. I looked out the window and focused my attention on the run-down houses as we drove by. The further away from home we got, the nicer the houses got. Two-Bit's reaction bothered me. I thought he'd be happy for me. He knew the way Darry treated me. Was he worried about Darry working another job? Admittedly it didn't seem like a good idea that he was working so much. I tried to remain positive. The less Darry in my life the better.

"Hey look, there's Cherry," Two-Bit said as he pulled into the semi-full parking lot in front of the school. Sure enough, she was standing there in front of Bob's blue Mustang along with Marcia and her boyfriend. Cherry looked so pretty. She was wearing a white top and a light blue poodle skirt with matching heels. Her red hair had a blue clip on both sides of her face. Besides my mother, Cherry was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Bob was standing next to her dressed in a striped tan dress shirt and khaki pants. Two-Bit waved at them cheekily as he drove past. I started to do the same even though I knew Cherry wouldn't wave back but stopped because of the look on Bob's face.

The look on Bob's face wasn't of anger, nor disgust, which is a look that most Socs gave us Greasers. No, the expression he was wearing was pure hatred. His teeth were gritted, and his eyes bored into mine as if he were a lion and I was his prey. To be honest, the look he was giving me terrified me.

Did I make a mistake by hanging out with a Soc?

The first class I had after lunch was AP World History. Despite hanging out with Two-Bit during lunch and getting my stomach full of the awful meatloaf the school offered, I still couldn't shake off the menacing look Bob gave me this morning. Should I be worried, or was he just trying to intimidate me? Maybe Cherry was right. We weren't meant to be friends.

"All right class," Mrs. Coleman said, snapping me out of my troubling thoughts. She was a very thin woman with long dark hair. Her eyes were ice blue, just like Darry's. When she was in a bad mood she could be just as stern. She had a stack of papers in her arms. "You have the rest of the period to complete the exam. Remember, this exam is one-third of your final grade. Good luck."

My blood turned into ice. Exam?! I had completely forgotten that the midterm was today. Darry had been prepping me for weeks, but after everything that happened the other night, I had completely forgotten about it.

I grabbed the papers from my classmate sitting at the desk in front of me. I took a test, then handed the rest to the person behind me. I gulped and picked up my pencil. My heart was pounding against my chest and my palms were sweating in anxiety as I stared at the multiple questions in front of me. I was so not ready for this. I looked at the first question.

1. What was the immediate cause of the outbreak of World War I?

a. The Industrial Revolution

b. The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand

c. Colonial disputes over Morocco

d. None of the above

I closed my eyes.

"Again," Darry said.

I groaned as I sat across the dining room table from my oldest brother. My brother was shuffling the flashcards I had created with index cards. I glanced at him wearily. My brain was starting to hurt from the endless questioning. "Darry, we've been doin' this for over an hour. I know all the answers. 'Sides, the test ain't until next week."

Darry looked at me sternly, his blue eyes hard. "This exam is a third of your final grade. You must do well if you're gonna get that scholarship and get into a good college. We gotta make sure you are prepared."

I sighed and rubbed the side of my head. For once I wished he'd stop hounding me about my grades. I was one of the top students in the class. No matter how hard I tried, it was never good enough for him. "Go ahead," I mumbled.

"What was the immediate cause for the outbreak of World War I?"

"The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand," I answered automatically.

I opened my eyes. I felt a sense of relief as I remembered the answer, thanks to the memory. I marked the multiple-choice letter B, and then moved on to the next question.

2. What countries are composed of the Triple Alliance?

a. Italy, Germany, Austria-Hungary

b. England, France, Russia

c. Russia, Germany, Italy

d. US, Austria-Hungary, Germany

I could hear Darry asking the same question in my head.

"What countries are composed of the Triple Alliance?"

I racked my brain. I knew that only three countries were involved, but which ones? If I got this wrong again, I was sure to get a lecture about not paying attention in class. I could see Darry staring at me almost impatiently. It just occurred to me that he hadn't even changed out of his work clothes yet. He had dropped everything to help me with schoolwork.

"Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia," I answer after a long moment.

Darry sighed in disappointment. "Italy, not Russia. You gotta pay attention."

"I'm trying," I protested in frustration.

His hard expression didn't change. "Try harder."

I gritted my teeth in frustration as I marked the multiple-choice A stating Italy, Germany, and Austria-Hungary as the correct answer. As I continued with the exam, I recognized more questions that Darry had drilled into my head over and over again. The more I answered, the more resentful I felt. I would do just fine if Darry would stop breathing down my neck. If he would stop talking to me altogether my life would be just perfect.

By the time Two-Bit dropped me home after track practice it was a little after 5 PM. Darry and Sodapop didn't usually get home until a little after 6 pm. Having the house to myself was a nice break. I was able to calm down, not only from Bob's menacing gaze, but the World History exam. Even better, I had the time to prepare myself for Darry's relentless badgering questions about the exam and any homework that was due the next day-just like he always did.

While I waited for my brothers to come home, I took a quick shower to rinse off the sweat from practice then settled in the dining room to get started on my paper on Great Expectations. My prompt was about the morality of the upper and lower classes. I chose that topic because I related to Pip in so many ways in that aspect, being a hood and all.

SLAM!

I looked up from my paper when I heard the front door open and slam shut. I grinned when I saw Sodapop enter, Darry right behind him.

"Hey Pony," Sodapop said cheerfully as soon as he saw me. His blue DX shirt was covered in grease, the same for his white T-shirt. "How was your day?"

"School was alright," I answered, shrugging my shoulders. "I beat my best time in track today."

Sodapop's eyes lit up proudly. "That's great!"

I suddenly noticed that Darry was watching me with a serious expression. I stared back, waiting for him to start hounding me about the exam. He immediately averted his gaze when he noticed I was looking at him. He moved past me and into the hallway. I breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, my stomach knotted up like a pretzel.

I tried to give my full attention to my paper but lost focus when Darry entered the kitchen, dressed in a dark blue collared shirt and khaki pants. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him as he hurried back and forth between the refrigerator and the stove, banging noises echoing off the walls as he pulled out a pan and cutting board. I had never seen my brother moving so fast. It was like he was on the track team, not me. I bit my lip. Should I help him?

Sodapop appeared beside me. He must've read my mind. "Uh, need any help, Dar?"

"I got it," he responded shortly.

Sodapop and I continued to watch him as he tried to cut up tomatoes, and onions, and rip lettuce at a rapid speed. The delicious smell of meat wafted from the kitchen.

I could feel the anger and resentment I was feeling toward Darry lessen slightly, being replaced by worry and slight guilt. Why was my brother pushing himself so hard? Was it because of me? No…it couldn't be. He was the one who hit me. It couldn't be my fault.

"Dinner's ready," Darry called ten minutes later.

Sodapop and I entered the kitchen. A pan of ground beef was on the stove. On the counter was cheese, tomatoes, onions, and taco shells. Mmmm Tacos. Usually, we had tacos on Tuesdays. I guessed Darry chose to make it tonight because it's a quick meal.

Darry moved past us to leave the kitchen, not looking in my direction. "Have a good night. I'll be home late."

Sodapop and I stared after him. "Ain't you gonna eat with us?" Sodapop asked.

"Don't have the time," Darry answered monotonously, grabbing his brown jacket from off the rack by the door. "Sorry."

The next thing we knew he was out the door. Sodapop sighed in frustration, a sound I rarely heard from him. "C'mon. Let's eat."

I continued to stare at the closed door. As much as I didn't want to admit it, the fact that Darry completely ignored me hurt more than his slap. It was as if I didn't exist. I wanted Darry to leave me alone, but I never thought that he would actually do it. Why did his cold shoulder hurt so much?

Darry

Greasewood Flats was a swanky bar in the middle of the Greaser-Soc border in the center of Tulsa. It was an older building made of white stone. It sort of reminded me of the Tulsa courthouse, except it also had outdoor seating with a firepit. It was the fanciest place I had ever been to. I never would've been able to afford to drink here, since beer was ten dollars a bottle. Good thing I wasn't much of a drinker. It was a pretty popular place for being brand new, with a mixture of both Greasers and Socs. The place was also popular because Game 2 of the World Series was on, and everyone came to root for their favorite team. Personally, I hoped the Minnesota Twins would beat the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Since I was still under the age of 21 my duties consisted mainly of standing by the door and checking IDs to make sure the customers were of legal age and assisting in breaking up fights, if needed. It was a tedious job, but a nice break from the two physically demanding jobs that I had. I felt so tired from completing the roof of the house we were working on. My muscles seared and were stretched tight, especially in my shoulders and back. My eyes felt heavy I could fall asleep in an instant. I knew I was pushing myself too hard by getting this third job, but I didn't care. My well-being didn't matter as long as my brothers were taken care of. Besides, it hurt too much to be home.

My mind wandered as I checked the IDs of a middle-aged Soc couple. I thought about my brothers. It was so hard ignoring Ponyboy today. I wanted so badly to ask him how his history exam went as soon as I got home. I wanted to offer some encouragement and help him with homework if needed. Once I saw the resentful look on his face, I knew there was no point. My chest seared again in pain as I thought about it.

CRASH!

I looked behind me. A Soc in his early twenties knocked over his chair, spilling his beer down his white polo shirt. He stared at the old black and white TV sitting at the bar in horror. "That was a home run!" he slurred indignantly.

"Not a chance!" a greaser at the table next to the drunk yelled. "It wasn't even close to the home run pole."

"Those filthy Dodgers are cheatin' again!" The Soc argued.

BAM!

The greaser threw a hard punch at the Soc, knocking him backward and into the table that was littered with beer bottles. The table broke, sending the Soc hard to the ground.

CRASH!

"Why you…" The Soc grumbled.

I didn't waste a second. I strode up to the Soc, who was struggling to get to his feet, his blonde hair covered in sweat. When I got closer, I recognized the greaser. He was the only redheaded greaser in Tim Shepard's gang. "All right, break it up!" I grabbed the Soc by the arm. He tried to fight me, but I held on firmly. My coworker did the same to the greaser. "I think it's time for you to go."

BAM!

Without warning the Soc pulled back his elbow and hit me hard in the face. I groaned as I felt the bones in my nose snap and blood running down my face. My nose throbbed in pain, but I didn't let that deter me. I was used to it, thanks to all my years playing football. I grabbed the Soc by the wrist and forced it behind his back so hard I almost broke it. The Soc whimpered indignantly. My other hand gripped his shoulder and forced him to walk to the entrance.

"Let's go."

As I led the Soc out of the bar, I could hear loud cheers and furious shouting in the bar as the Twins hit a home run. It was going to be a long night.

When I arrived home it was close to one in the morning. The house was dark, except for the porch lights which were so bright it was almost blinding. By the time I parked the truck the fatigue had consumed me, my energy spent. I had to break up a couple more fights when the Twins scored several runs in an inning to charge ahead of the Dodgers.

My eyes felt so heavy it was a struggle to see the yellow lanes on the road and the traffic lights, but I forced myself to stay awake so I could make it home safely. Usually, I liked to take some time to unwind before bed, but all I wanted right now was to fall asleep and not wake up for a couple of days.

I grimaced as I felt my shoulder spasm just from getting out of the truck I rubbed the sore spot. I received the injury from another drunk patron. That was going to bruise in the morning. I hope that didn't impact working at my construction job in a couple of hours.

I snuck into the house as quietly as I could in hopes I didn't wake my brothers. They needed their sleep. Thankfully I was able to navigate the house by the nightlight in the hallway. There was one last thing I needed to do before going to sleep.

I opened the door to my brothers' room as quietly as I could. Both boys were fast asleep. Sodapop was sprawled on top of the covers, his blonde hair in all different directions. He was snoring lightly. Ponyboy's back was to him, and he was curled up into a ball as if he was cold. He was shivering a bit.

I grabbed the discarded blanket from off the floor and threw it on top of my brothers to keep them warm. I paused for a moment as I watched Ponyboy smile in his sleep. He looked so peaceful. As much as it killed me, I was glad that he was happy. That was all that mattered. I stroked his dark hair gently, my fingers getting damp from the grease. A silent tear fell down my cheek.

I miss you, Pony, I thought to myself sadly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and then left the bedroom, closing the door behind me. I slowly made my way to my bed, feeling more alone than ever.

To be continued...