I suppose an introduction is in order.

My name is Danielle Savannah Curtis...most folks call me Dani for short...I'm 12 and in the sixth grade at Will Rogers Middle School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

I live with my three older brothers. Ponyboy, who's 16, Sodapop, he just turned 19 and Darry, he's 22. When our parents died about two years ago, them people from the state said we could stay together as long as we keep outta trouble. They've been breathing down our necks ever since.

At first, I loved living with my brothers. Now, I'm not so sure. Let me explain.

It all started about a year ago. Darry and Soda had gone out for the night and Pony was under strict orders from the two of them to stay at home and "babysit" me. Can you imagine them thinkin' I needed a "babysitter" at the age of 11. Brothers!

Everything was goin' fine that night. Pony was helpin' me work on a history project for school...and then a few of Pony's friends showed up at the house askin' him if he wanted to go to a party. He just looked at me...and i knew he felt trapped - I mean, what 15 year old boy wants to be stuck with his little sister on a Saturday night?

I never should have opened my mouth.

"Why don't we both go, Pone? This way you can keep an eye on me like you promised Darry...and you can still have some fun with your friends too." It seemed like a perfectly reasonable suggestion at the time.

"I don't know, Dani...if anything happens to you...or if Darry finds out...I'll be grounded til I'm 18..."

For some reason, since mom and dad dies, it seemed as if Pony was grounded more often than not. I know Darry wanted to keep him outta trouble...but Pony was a good kid. He couldn't help it if trouble seemed to find him.

"But they ain't gonna be home 'til after midnight...we'll just be sure we're home before them and they'll never know, Pony..."

If he said yes I'd be goin' to my first high school party! He just had to say yes!

"Well...all right... I 'spose. But we gotta beat it outta there by 11:00. I ain't takin no chance of gettin' grounded ...not when I gotta date with Barbara next Friday."

If I had just kept my mouth shut.

The party was fun. Pony and I kept drinkin' Pepsi all night - Curly was supplyin' it for us in little plastic cups.

So, there I am, standin' next to my brother and his friends, when I started swaying and the room began to spin.

"What the hell are you drinkin', Dani? Gimme that!" and Pony snatched the Pepsi from my hand.

"Damn!", he hissed. "CURLY!"

He took me, rather roughly, by the hand, and stomped off to talk to Curly, who, for some reason thought the entire situation was ridiculously amusing.

"C'mon, Dani - we gotta get you home...and in bed...before Darry sees ya like this." He nearly dragged me outta the party and we headed down the street towards our house.

Pony stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Darry's truck parked on the street. I felt a lump form in my throat when I saw the worried expression on my big brother's face.

"Shoot, Dani, guess that just about cancels my date next weekend. Well, we best head inside so Darry can holler at me some before bed." Then, under his breath, I heard him add, "What was I thinkin?"

As Pony opened the screen door, Darry opened the front door and grabbin' us both by the arms, yanked us inside.

"Where the hell have you two been?!"

Pony flinched at his words, I'm sure remembering the last time Darry had said that sentence to him.

I opened my mouth to say something...anything...in Pony's defense, "See, Darry...there was this party..." but stopped when Darry looked at me, his ice blue eyes blazin'.

"Were you drinkin', Dani?!" He nearly screamed this question and Pony answered for me.

"It wasn't Dani's fault. She had no clue, Darry. Man, Curly was fixin' the drinks for us and he didn't put nothin' in mine..."

I'd never been so shocked as I was when Darry backhanded Pony across the mouth. His hand immediately flew to where Darry'd struck him and I could see a thin line of blood beneath his fingers. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes, he was fighting to hold them back, and I could see him start to shake. I knew he wanted to run...but he stood firm.

"I ain't blamin' Dani, Ponyboy. It's your fault...you were takin' care of her...so, I'm blamin' you!", Darry hollered...and he took off his belt - the same belt our daddy always wore.

Pony's eyes went wide with fear.

"Get in you room! NOW, PONYBOY!" Darry ordered, pullin' him by the arm and strikin' him HARD with the belt.

"Darry! No! Please!" Pony begged, tears now freely falling from his eyes as he realized just what our oldest brother planned to do. "You can't..."

"O, I can, Ponyboy!"

And he started draggin' Pony to his room.

My stomach was in knots. Darry...ppplease. Don't whip Pony. Please, Darry. Don't hurt him!"

His gaze shifted from me, to Pony, then back to me again.

"He's earned it, Dani." he answered coldly before shutting, and locking, the door to Pony's room.

I sat on the floor outside the bedroom door, crying, as I listened to my big brother get his first whippin'. Darry kept lecturin' him throughout..."A stunt like this could get you two taken away from us..." I heard him scold. Pony was beggin' him to stop, promising to be good, but Darry didn't hear him...or he just didn't care. I was trying to count how many times Darry struck Pony with the belt...but lost count at 27.

When the door opened, I jumped up and started to rush past Darry to get to Pony - but he just grabbed my arm.

"Things are gonna change around here - let tonight be the example. I ain't lettin' you two get taken away and put in some home...and I'm sure Soda would hafta agree with me. We'll finish discussin' this in the morning." He let go of my arm and I flew to Pony's side.

"Ppponyboy?" He was sobbing into his pillow.

"Gggo away, Dani.", he choked out. "I wanna be alone."

"Pony...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I cried, throwing my arms around my sensitive brother.

He flinched in pain.

"Please, Dddani. Go."

The next morning, breakfast was unusually quiet. Pony didn't join us - he didn't wanna move from his bed- and Soda, who generally kept us in stitches, seemed to have nothin' to say. I didn't know what to say, so I kept my mouth shut tight.

When breakfast was finished, Darry seemed to find his voice. "Dani...go get Pony and have a seat in the living room. Soda and I will be in in a few minutes - we have some things we need to discuss with the two of you." I looked questioningly at Soda, who refused to meet my eyes.

My heart raced as I walked into Pony's room to let him know our presence was required in the living room.

"I ain't goin' ", Pony replied, simply refusing to have anything to do with Darry. "If Darry wants me in there, tell him to come get me."

But I didn't hafta tell Darry anything...cause Soda, was standing in the doorway and he'd heard everything Pony'd said.

"Gettin' mouthy, Ponyboy?". I looked at Soda, expecting to see his lopsided grin, but was instead met with a serious expression.

He walked over and half dragged Pony outta the bed.

"If I were you, I'd get the heck in there 'fore Darry takes the belt to you again, little brother."

Pony mumbled, something to the effect of, "leave me the hell alone, Sodapop.", and to his surprise, Soda smacked him, HARD, on his already sore backside. Pony winced, too stunned to speak.

"Get the heck in the living room, Ponyboy...or I'll take the belt to ya myself."

Pony didn't need to be told again.

Darry soon joined us in the living room and began...

"Things are gonna change around here. What you two pulled last night coulda put you in state custody - and I ain't allowin' that. You guys wanna be that stupid again, then my belt's comin' off again. I expect you both to stay outta trouble at all costs...to keep your grades above average...and to not get mouthy with me, or Sodapop, under any circumstance. And I, no we..." he looked at Soda, who nodded, then turned back to us, "plan on using this...", he held up his belt, "to be certain you two don't end up in a home somewhere. I don't think you ever want to feel the belt again, do ya, Pony? Huh?"

Pony's head was down, starin' at his feet, as he timidly answered Darry's embarrassing question, "Nnno."

"Good. Then you got my message. But you both better believe me...if you earn a whippin', you'll get a whippin'...and it sucks when you've earned one, huh, Pone?"

"Yyyes sir,", he stammered, his head still down and his ears turning red.

OK. Then you both understand our new rules and the fact that there will be severe consequences for breaking the rules. Good. Dani...?"

"Hmmm?" I asked, afraid to actually open my mouth.

"Go finish your history project - Soda and I will be there in a minute to help you...and, Pony...?"

"Yes sir?"

Go to your room. You're grounded for two weeks - school and your room. You can come out to eat and use the bathroom, but for no other reasons. Understood?"

"Yes sir.", he replied...and again, I could see tears beginning to form in his eyes.

I hated to think that this might happen again...