It had to of been eleven thirty when Darry had gotten home from work.
Darry was wondering where Pony was, and I told him that he'd be home at
midnight, I just didn't tell him where Pony was at. I started to give Darry
a back
rub. Once again he pulled another muscle." Darry, do you know how to carry
only one bundle of roofing at a time?"
He just nodded. He knew what I meant. "You better know what I mean..."
I slowly walked over to the couch and sat down. Oddly enough, I was overcome by sleepiness. I dozed off into a deep sleep.
I heard the door slam shut. Pony had gotten home. Darry looked up from the paper he was reading.
"Where th heck have you been? Do you know what time it is?" Darry was madder than anything I've ever seen. Pony shook his head.
"Well it's two o'clock in the morning. Another hour and I woulda called the cops to go and look for you. Where were you? Where in the almighty universe
were you?"
Pony kinda sounded a bit dumb when he replied. "I was talking with Johnny and we both fell asleep."
Darry was compleatly enraged. "You what?"
Soda rubbed his eyes and looked over at Pony. "He Pony, where ya been?"
"I was talking with Johnny and we both dropped off..."
"I reckon it never occured to you that your brother and sister might be
worring their heads off afraid to call the cops, cause something like that could get you and Soda thrown into a boy's home so fast it'd make your head spin.
And you were asleep in the lot? Ponyboy, what on Earth is wrong with you? You haven't even got a coat on."
Pony had tears in his eyes. "I said I didn't mean to..."
"I didn't mean to!" Darry shouted. I was shaking. "I didn't think! I forgot! That's all I ever hear out of you! Can't you think of anything?"
Tears had begun to stream down my face, and I stood up. Soda walked over to Darry. "Darry..." Sodapop began, but Darry turned on him. "You keep your
trap shut! I'm sick and tired of hearing you stick up for him."
I was stunned and scared. For once, I was scared to live in my own house, and if you're too scared to live in your own house with your own family, then something is seriously wrong. "Don't you yell at him!" Pony shouted at Darry. Darry turned around and slapped Pony so hard it threw him against the door.
The house became deathly quiet. Soda's eyes were huge. I hung my head down as Darry looked at his palm where it conected with Pony's face. "Ponyboy..."
The door slammed shut, and I heard Darry yell after him. "Pony, I didn't mean to!"
I had this huge lump in my throat. Darry hardly even noticed me until now. He walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Candy..."
"What do you think you were doing?" I spoke quietly that Darry almost didn't hear me.
"I'm sorry...I didn't know what I was thinking..."
I started sobbing. "Obviously!" I jerked Darrys hand away from my shoulder. "Exactly where do you get the idea that it's ok to hit your brother? Just because you're mad and frustrated doesn't give you the right to hit him! Didn't Dad
teach you that?" Darry winced at the mention of Dad.
"That's not what I'm concerned about though...Now with you getting upset all the time and with you hitting Pony, I don't wanna say this, but, I'm afraid to even live in the same house as my family..." I looked up with him as tears heavily streamed down my face.
Darry's eyes became real huge with realization. He backed over to the recliner and sat down. "Just cause I hardly live here, does not give you the damn right to punish Pony however you please! I'm still the oldest one in this family! Or don't you realize that either, cause if you don't..." I stopped and realized that I was about to start yelling.
"Look, I'm sorry about what I just said, but I am afraid to live in this house with your anger problem. I know you're afraid of loosing your brother, but I am too! And right now as it is, I have to be the parent, not you...I'm not sorry if you think that's not right, but I have to be the guardian, it stated that in Mom and Dad's will! You keep pushing me away from doing the job that I'm supposed to, and take on that responsibility yourself. You have to remember, Mom and Dad knew what they were doing when they wrote that will, and you have to respect their wishes, if not, then you have just dishonored your parents, and Mom and Dad never wanted that." I closed my eyes and shook my head.
God I wish so bad that Mom and Dad were here. Then things would be better, much better. Dad would never have blown up so fast at Pony. He was only rough with someone only when he had to be. Dad would have understood. And Mom would have too. Mom, Dad, please let me know what to do...
My prayer was broken when I saw Two-Bit kneeling infront of me with a hand on each of my knees. Two-Bit looked into my eyes like he was tryin ta pry somethin outta me. Steve stood over by the TV an looked at me too. "Ok,
what's goin on?" Steve asked. "Both me an Two-Bit were walkin round your house when we hear Candy yelling. And we know that when Candy is yelling, something is definatly wrong."
I breathed a quivaring breath. "Darry...He hit Pony..." I gulped down a large lump in my throat. "I just got done explaining a few things to Darry here about Mom and Dad's will, and...how I'm now afraid of living in my own house."
Steve and Two-Bit's eyes became as huge as Soda's eyes when Darry hit Pony. They both stared at Darry, then Steve walked over to Soda. I brushed the hair back from my eyes. I was about to say something when we hear a knock at the door. Steve went to answer it. The cops came in the door. "Evening folks, we need to ask you a few questions."
I stood up. "Yes officer, What kind of questions?" I said as nicly as I could.
"First you may want to sit down before I continue." He notioned to me, then he and his sargent went and stood by the tv.
"At about two twenty-five this morning, we found a young man by the name of Robert Sheldon, better known as Bob, dead by a fountain in the park..." He paused to take a breath. "We suspect that two hoodlums by the names of Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade may have done this. Since you know them, we thought you might know where they are, do you?"
I immediatly felt my heart sink when he said Ponyboy. I felt the blood drain from my face, and I began to get sick. "N-no officer." My voice was shaking. "I-er P-pony was kinda mad with Darry, he went out to cool off for a while.
That's all we know, sorry we can't help much more than that."
"That's ok ma'am thank you for the information. We'll try and let you know if anything comes up." The two tipped their hats and walked out the door.
My stomach gave a violent start, and I walked to the bathroom. Glory, did my stomach not feel well. I guess shock can do that to you. I had recolected myself, but I was still shaking as I walked back out into the front room. Two-Bit handed me a smoke. "Here, you need it."
I lit up the cigarette. Soda grabbed one too. I guess Soda was really shook up, cause he only grabs a cigarette when he's nervous, or wants to look tough. "Pony'll come back here, I know he will. He's too senseful not too, ain't he?" He smiled half-heatidly.
I grabbed a pillow and sat down in the chair that Two-Bit was in. "Come on, we need some sleep, besides it's three thirty. An you and Darry and Steve have work tomorow." I spoke notioning to Soda.
They nodded and dozed off, or so I thought. As much as I tried, I had hardly any sleep that night.
He just nodded. He knew what I meant. "You better know what I mean..."
I slowly walked over to the couch and sat down. Oddly enough, I was overcome by sleepiness. I dozed off into a deep sleep.
I heard the door slam shut. Pony had gotten home. Darry looked up from the paper he was reading.
"Where th heck have you been? Do you know what time it is?" Darry was madder than anything I've ever seen. Pony shook his head.
"Well it's two o'clock in the morning. Another hour and I woulda called the cops to go and look for you. Where were you? Where in the almighty universe
were you?"
Pony kinda sounded a bit dumb when he replied. "I was talking with Johnny and we both fell asleep."
Darry was compleatly enraged. "You what?"
Soda rubbed his eyes and looked over at Pony. "He Pony, where ya been?"
"I was talking with Johnny and we both dropped off..."
"I reckon it never occured to you that your brother and sister might be
worring their heads off afraid to call the cops, cause something like that could get you and Soda thrown into a boy's home so fast it'd make your head spin.
And you were asleep in the lot? Ponyboy, what on Earth is wrong with you? You haven't even got a coat on."
Pony had tears in his eyes. "I said I didn't mean to..."
"I didn't mean to!" Darry shouted. I was shaking. "I didn't think! I forgot! That's all I ever hear out of you! Can't you think of anything?"
Tears had begun to stream down my face, and I stood up. Soda walked over to Darry. "Darry..." Sodapop began, but Darry turned on him. "You keep your
trap shut! I'm sick and tired of hearing you stick up for him."
I was stunned and scared. For once, I was scared to live in my own house, and if you're too scared to live in your own house with your own family, then something is seriously wrong. "Don't you yell at him!" Pony shouted at Darry. Darry turned around and slapped Pony so hard it threw him against the door.
The house became deathly quiet. Soda's eyes were huge. I hung my head down as Darry looked at his palm where it conected with Pony's face. "Ponyboy..."
The door slammed shut, and I heard Darry yell after him. "Pony, I didn't mean to!"
I had this huge lump in my throat. Darry hardly even noticed me until now. He walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Candy..."
"What do you think you were doing?" I spoke quietly that Darry almost didn't hear me.
"I'm sorry...I didn't know what I was thinking..."
I started sobbing. "Obviously!" I jerked Darrys hand away from my shoulder. "Exactly where do you get the idea that it's ok to hit your brother? Just because you're mad and frustrated doesn't give you the right to hit him! Didn't Dad
teach you that?" Darry winced at the mention of Dad.
"That's not what I'm concerned about though...Now with you getting upset all the time and with you hitting Pony, I don't wanna say this, but, I'm afraid to even live in the same house as my family..." I looked up with him as tears heavily streamed down my face.
Darry's eyes became real huge with realization. He backed over to the recliner and sat down. "Just cause I hardly live here, does not give you the damn right to punish Pony however you please! I'm still the oldest one in this family! Or don't you realize that either, cause if you don't..." I stopped and realized that I was about to start yelling.
"Look, I'm sorry about what I just said, but I am afraid to live in this house with your anger problem. I know you're afraid of loosing your brother, but I am too! And right now as it is, I have to be the parent, not you...I'm not sorry if you think that's not right, but I have to be the guardian, it stated that in Mom and Dad's will! You keep pushing me away from doing the job that I'm supposed to, and take on that responsibility yourself. You have to remember, Mom and Dad knew what they were doing when they wrote that will, and you have to respect their wishes, if not, then you have just dishonored your parents, and Mom and Dad never wanted that." I closed my eyes and shook my head.
God I wish so bad that Mom and Dad were here. Then things would be better, much better. Dad would never have blown up so fast at Pony. He was only rough with someone only when he had to be. Dad would have understood. And Mom would have too. Mom, Dad, please let me know what to do...
My prayer was broken when I saw Two-Bit kneeling infront of me with a hand on each of my knees. Two-Bit looked into my eyes like he was tryin ta pry somethin outta me. Steve stood over by the TV an looked at me too. "Ok,
what's goin on?" Steve asked. "Both me an Two-Bit were walkin round your house when we hear Candy yelling. And we know that when Candy is yelling, something is definatly wrong."
I breathed a quivaring breath. "Darry...He hit Pony..." I gulped down a large lump in my throat. "I just got done explaining a few things to Darry here about Mom and Dad's will, and...how I'm now afraid of living in my own house."
Steve and Two-Bit's eyes became as huge as Soda's eyes when Darry hit Pony. They both stared at Darry, then Steve walked over to Soda. I brushed the hair back from my eyes. I was about to say something when we hear a knock at the door. Steve went to answer it. The cops came in the door. "Evening folks, we need to ask you a few questions."
I stood up. "Yes officer, What kind of questions?" I said as nicly as I could.
"First you may want to sit down before I continue." He notioned to me, then he and his sargent went and stood by the tv.
"At about two twenty-five this morning, we found a young man by the name of Robert Sheldon, better known as Bob, dead by a fountain in the park..." He paused to take a breath. "We suspect that two hoodlums by the names of Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade may have done this. Since you know them, we thought you might know where they are, do you?"
I immediatly felt my heart sink when he said Ponyboy. I felt the blood drain from my face, and I began to get sick. "N-no officer." My voice was shaking. "I-er P-pony was kinda mad with Darry, he went out to cool off for a while.
That's all we know, sorry we can't help much more than that."
"That's ok ma'am thank you for the information. We'll try and let you know if anything comes up." The two tipped their hats and walked out the door.
My stomach gave a violent start, and I walked to the bathroom. Glory, did my stomach not feel well. I guess shock can do that to you. I had recolected myself, but I was still shaking as I walked back out into the front room. Two-Bit handed me a smoke. "Here, you need it."
I lit up the cigarette. Soda grabbed one too. I guess Soda was really shook up, cause he only grabs a cigarette when he's nervous, or wants to look tough. "Pony'll come back here, I know he will. He's too senseful not too, ain't he?" He smiled half-heatidly.
I grabbed a pillow and sat down in the chair that Two-Bit was in. "Come on, we need some sleep, besides it's three thirty. An you and Darry and Steve have work tomorow." I spoke notioning to Soda.
They nodded and dozed off, or so I thought. As much as I tried, I had hardly any sleep that night.