Darry’s (P.O.V)

I watched Lizzie sit between her parents on the couch. She was a daddy’s girl alright. I was meeting her parents for the first time and I was nervous as hell. I couldn’t stop moving for the life of me. Her father had a better job than I realized he was the owner and founder of a major oil company.

I sat back in my chair trying had not to show how nervous I was. I tapped my fingers on the chair quietly. I had threatened my brothers to use there best behavior. I think that’s why Pony isn’t talking much. Soda seemed quite to.

“So you’re in construction work.” Jim asked me. He was my girlfriend’s father.

“Yes, I roof houses. I have another job.”

“Is that what’s taking you to Dallas?”

I nodded. “The pay was so good. I couldn’t pass something like that up.”

“And his boss only picked the best workers to go.” Lizzie bragged with a sweet smile

“How long are you going to be gone?” Pony asked.

“I still don’t know; any where from a month to three.” I told him. The construction company I work for got offered to roof a new building Dallas Texas. The company was paying us for three months what we earned in six, plus a bonus when the roof was on and I was going to get some off time when I got home. Soda wasn’t thrilled about me leaving. I wasn’t sure about Pony he really didn’t give me any reaction. Lizzie was going to stay with them until I got back so I figured they both would be fine.

Soda (P.O.V)

Glory I’ve never seen Darry so nervous before. He looks like he could use a cigarette or a drink. Jim was a big time oil rancher and probably had more money in his wallet then we would have in a life time. He had blue eyes and silver hair with a mustache that curled up on the ends to match. He was loud and smoked cigars. Mary was more quite she looked exactly like Lizzie only Mary was nice, or at least she seemed to me. There daughter was pretty two faced but she made Darry the happiest guy on earth so I guess that’s all that counts. She loved him and he loved her. I rolled up my sleeve with out realizing it.

“That’s one heck of a bruise you got there. Get in a fight boy? Jim said loudly pointing to the hand print on my arm.

“Soda, how on earth did you get that?” Darry asked peering over the top of Pony’s head to look at my arm.

“Steve, we were wrestling and I guess things got rough.” I lied. I felt Lizzie’s eyes burning through me. I quickly pulled my shirt down and Darry and Lizzie’s parents went right back to talking. I rubbed my arm over my shirt where the bruise was. I had no clue why she didn’t like me. Everything I did was wrong. Now I really get why Pony got so torn up when Darry would tell him he can’t use his head and always yelled at him. She called me stupid a lot and I am but no one likes to have that screamed in their face all the time. Lizzie had a way to scare the hell out of me. One time she made me believe that Darry was shipping me to boot camp. She told Darry she was kidding and nothing was left. She caught me off guard and would hit me but I couldn’t hit her back not because I wasn’t strong enough but because one hitting women is wrong and two if Darry ever found out I hit her. He would hit the roof mad and I don’t think I could think of a good enough reason to tell him why I was beating on his girlfriend. I never will tell Darry what she does to me. I don’t think he would believe she hit me. Lizzie had a way with Darry. She loved Pony so I never told him either no use in worrying him. Steve knows she burned me with cigarettes and yells at me but he doesn’t know about the other stuff. I listened to Jim go on about his horses. Pony pulled at his tie to loosen it. It wasn’t working; Darry tied it for him he nearly choked him to death. I reached over from my place on the floor and untied the blasted thing for him. I slipped it off his neck. He was trying to get in shape for track; well he was trying to get in shape to run track to make Darry proud of him and keep his grades up. He was up until at least two everyday doing homework or studying. He did sit ups and some other stuff before he went to sleep. I felt bad for him because Darry never realized how hard he was trying. I watched as his eyelids became heavy and he tried to push them up. He’d push them back up every time Jim would open his mouth. Darry was in the middle of talking about how he and Lizzie met when Pony finally nodded off with his head against Darry’s chair.

“Umm Darry!” I said quickly. I didn’t mean to cut him off in mid sentence but I wanted to tell him Pony was asleep before Jim opened his mouth again.

Lizzie glared at me. “Sodapop it’s so rude to interrupt someone!”

Darry raised his eyebrows and gave me his knock it off look. Darry warned us to be on our best behavior and to use our manners.

“Yeah?” He questioned.

“Pon ”

“Oh, babe, Pony fell asleep” Lizzie said grabbing a small throw blanket from the couch. Of course she was allowed to interrupt me. I rolled my eyes and she glared at me. She sat on the arm rest of Darry’s chair stroking Pony’s hair.

“He’s been sick and is now trying to get back in shape for track. I guess it tires him out.” Darry explained.

“Hey Pony!” Darry shook him a little ruff. “Ponyboy.”

Pony jumped up and looked at Darry.

“Say, Good night kiddo.” Darry pulled him up by his arm.

“Nice meeting you.” Pony said quietly to Jim and Mary. Lizzie hugged him real fast and he stumbled down the hall but he didn’t go to bed because the light never went off. He started studying or something.

Mary awed, her and Jim turned their attention to me then. They asked me about my work, friends and Ponyboy and a bunch of other stuff. I sort of wished they would leave so I could move but they didn’t leave until midnight and by that time I wanted to go to bed. I lay down under the covers thinking about Darry leaving us with Lizzie. I looked at my bruise it was pretty gross looking. I figured as soon as Darry left I would pick up night shifts. She was at school early mornings so I would sleep then. When she came home I would be gone. Darry never wanted me to work night shifts because he said gas stations got robbed to many times. I think the DX only got robbed once maybe twice. I wasn’t going to tell Darry and I’m pretty sure he never said anything to Lizzie about me taking night shifts so it wouldn’t matter. I looked over at Pony. Good thing I dropped out of school.

Pony’s (P.O.V)

I glanced up at the clock it was three am. I had been studying biology for a while now and this stuff just wasn’t staying in my brain. Soda had drifted off into some uneasy sleep at about twelve thirty. Darry was going to kill me if I didn’t have a 94 by progress and report cards Darry was going to flip. I had an 89 right now but he didn’t know that. I don’t think he ever realized but when it came for science and math I was placed in advanced classes. So it was almost liked I skipped two grades. I heard Soda roll over.

“Ponyboy, what are you doing?”

“Studying.”

“It’s three in the morning come on get to bed. Studying won’t do nothing if you’re dead to the world and dropping off in class tomorrow.”

I signed he was right. I closed my biology book and climbed in next to him.

“Besides Darry won’t see your grades for three months.” He threw his arm around me and in the moon light I could see a large bruise on his arms. It was disgusting looking.

“Soda what happened to your arm?” I asked.

“Steve and wrestling.” He mumbled but he stuttered a little bit and I realized he was lying

“Soda how’d you get it.” I asked again.

“Steve.” Soda answered.

“You’re a horrible liar!” I snapped in a loud whisper.

“Ponyboy?”

“What!”

“Goodnight.” He leaned over and kissed the side of my face.

“SODA! THAT’S GROSS!” I groaned swatting at my face like a little boy who was kissed by a girl.

“Shut up, before you wake superman up!” He hissed.

I rolled over and shut my eyes and what seemed like minutes I was dragging myself out of bed; wondering if time sped up while people slept. I got to school and went to school. I got a Spanish test back with a seventy four. My next class was biology. I watched as Mrs. Cordell passed out our tests. I starred at the questions blankly. Why, why didn’t I remember this? I pounded my head as if it would cause my brain to automatically know this stuff. Great I thought. Darry was going to kill me. I went to track to get chewed out by the coach. I could no longer run the relay races. I wanted a cigarette, I gave them up for track oh yeah and Pepsi. I considered stopping to get one but that would delay time and it was already eight. I needed to come home and do projects and start a paper plus do all the other homework from that day.

I pushed the door open and stepped in.

“Ponyboy is that you?” Darry voice came in angry from the kitchen. He walked out holding a yellow piece of paper. I could have kicked my self. I had forgotten progress reports got mailed.

“Know what this is?” He asked waving it around.

I bit my lip. “Yes.”

“Do you know what’s on here?”

I shook my head.

“89 in Biology, 84 in Math, 96 in English 97 in Art an 83 in Spanish and a 90 in history! I want A’s Ponyboy Michel these grades aren’t you and they aren’t acceptable at all besides from English and Art. My God kiddo tell me how someone who is a star track runner get a 89 percent in Gym class?” Darry hollered.

I shook my head again. “I’m trying Darry. I swear. I’ll bring them up to their normal averages.”

“You’re grounded until you do. In your room open a book and study for once!”

I could have screamed at him for that last comment. I could have pounded his face in but the truth was I was just too tired. So I went to my room and I opened a book and I did my homework.

I over heard Darry and Soda talking.

“Darry, come on, he’s up every night. I see him study.”

“Obviously it isn’t good enough!” Darry hissed.

“Well he’s trying to make you notice him but you don’t bother to let him get a fare share to say. Take a look at him Darry!” Soda cried.

“Soda, how dare you show disrespect to your brother like that! He loves and cares about Pony and wants him to do his best and right now Pony isn’t; he’s done better and he will do better!” Don’t you ever disrespect him; he’s done so much for you and that’s the thanks he gets? You could at least respect his decisions and not fight with him. You need to leave the parenting up to him Soda not you.” Lizzie said in a low but very harsh voice.

“Sorry.” Soda mumbled. He walked back into our room gave me a sympathetic look and went to sleep early.

Darry’s (P.O.V)

I got lucky. The boss wanted us well rested since we would be working our asses off in Dallas so I got the couple of days before I left off. I glanced down at Pony’s progress report. I sighed then tossed it to the end of the coffee table and pulled out the newspaper and read it until Lizzie came bursting through the door.

“Darry! My father wants to know if you guys would like to join us for dinner tonight! They liked you. They REALLY liked you. “You showed amazing integrity.” They said.” She was grinning from ear to ear and nearly jumping with excitement. I laughed.

“Yes, we’ll join you!” I went to kiss her but the phone rang. I sighed and reached to answer it.

“Hello.”

“Hello, this is Mr. Smith vice principal at Ponyboy’s school. Is Mr. Curtis there?”

Oh great what did he do. “I’m Darrel Curtis.”

“Ponyboy passed out at track practice today he’s in the nurse’s office; we need someone to come and pick him up, however he has requested it not be his oldest brother.”

I felt my stomach drop with the last comment. “Someone will be there right away.” I hung up and remembered the last time he has passed out.