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It was six in the morning. Every thing was peaceful and quiet as the birds started to come out and sing. The fresh morning dew was still clinging to the blades of grass that had settled during the night. But suddenly the quiet morning was interrupted by the annoying ringing of an alarm clock.

The birds suddenly flew away, the dew showered down to the ground, leaving the tiny blades of grass behind as if looking for a new world of excitement and adventure.

Inside the house of Bill and Rachel Curtis, Sodapop groaned and rolled over on the top bunk inside one of the spare bedrooms, burying his head underneath his pillows while Ponyboy got up and walked over to shut the alarm off.

"Hey Soda, wake up. Dad wants to get to the lake early."

"I don't want to go," his brother muttered.

"Get up."

Soda sighed deeply before finally managing to pull himself up and threw his legs over the bed, dropping down to the floor. He stumbled a little when he hit the ground, still groggy from being out late last night.

"I can't believe we have to spend some of our last week off here," he complained while getting dressed.

While he liked visiting his aunt and uncle, and getting the chance to see Mickey Mouse again, summer break was about to end, and school would start up again. He'd rather spend the next few days hanging out with Steve and Sandy, going to parties and things like that.

"Come on, Soda. This will be fun." Pony said as he put his shoes on. He'd never been on a fishing trip before, as it was something that Darry and Dad were into, he really had no interest in it, but was happy to be brought along this time around, as Darry would be leaving to go to college soon.

"Fun? A fishing trip? Sure if you think a whole day of sitting out in a lake inside a boat sticking hooks through little fish, and dropping them into the water just to catch bigger fish is fun."

"What have you got better to do?"

"Plenty."

"Like what?"

"I could be with Sandy right now, for one."

"I think that poor girl is happy to have some time away from you."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you saw what we were doing last night," Soda said as he raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Ponyboy rolled his eyes as he opened the door and headed downstairs. Soda soon followed and walked into the kitchen to see everyone else sitting at the table, eating breakfast.

"Hey, look who's up," Aunt Rachel greeted when she saw them while putting two more plates down. Soda forced a smile as he sat down next to Pony and began to eat.

"Excited, are we?" Darryl asked.

"What do you mean?" Soda responded.

"Well, you didn't have to be up for another forty-five minutes, but now we can leave as soon as we're all done eating. More time to fish."

Soda slowly turned his head to look at his younger brother with narrowed eyes. Ponyboy merely shrugged in return before starting to eat his eggs.

After they were all done the boys all grabbed the things they needed, and said goodbye to Linda and Rachel as they were staying back at the house.

"I'll bring you back a fish." Darryl promised as he kissed his wife.

"Gee thanks." Linda said.

Opening up the screen door, Soda walked out of the house and approached his Uncle's truck.

'God it's hot,' Soda thought to himself. Dad told them to bright hats or sunscreen, but being stubborn in his resentment of being brought out here, he ignored him. Now he was going to pay for it.

While the others were busy putting the tackle boxes, fishing poles, and other equipment into the trunk, Soda took the opportunity to launch himself into the front seat.

"I'm driving!" He declared cheerfully.

"No!" Everyone screamed in unison, but it was too late. He was already putting his seatbelt on and turning the keys in the ignition.

"Damn it," Darry muttered as he closed the trunk. His younger brother had gotten his license a few months ago, but Soda's driving was…scary. Ponyboy sat up with Soda in the front, while Darry sat squashed between his Dad and Uncle in the backseat.

"Just drive carefully Soda," Darryl said. "I've already been in one wreak, I don't need to be in another one."

"Don't worry about it."

When the doors were all closed, Soda stomped on the gas and began to drive. The lake was about a twenty minute drive from the house.

They got there in ten minutes.

After stopping, Soda leapt out of the car grinning while Ponyboy and Darry fell to the ground, whispering about how much they loved land. His Dad was shaking pale while his Uncle Bill was running around the truck, examining every new dint and scratch.

"So," Soda stretched his muscles lazily, "Shall we start fishing then?"

The other stared at him, speechless.

"Right. Right, I suppose…" Bill cast one final, pitiful glance at his truck, before getting out the equipment from the back.

When they got everything and every one was in the boat, Bill started up the motor and began driving the boat to a familiar place he knew of that was usually a good place to catch fish.

"That'll do it," he said to himself after a few minutes, and cut the motor. The sudden stop sent Ponyboy, the only person on his feet straight overboard and into the water. Soda busted out laughing while the others went to his aid.

Darryl and Bill each grabbed an arm and hauled him up, where Pony sat dripping, with his hair and clothes plastered to him.

"Well, it looks like we'll have to go back to the house, right?" Soda declared with a little too much enthusiasm.

"No, of course not. He'll dry in no time in this heat, and he's a tough little guy, right Pony?" Darryl said.

"I'm not little." Pony responded while shaking his head furiously, sending water everywhere.

"Atta boy," Darryl grinned, clearly not even listening to him. "Now let's get ready to do some fishing."

While everyone grabbed their pole, Pony took off his wet shirt revealing his new, lean physique he had gotten by going to the gym every day with Darry since summer started. Pony then handed his pole to Darry.

"Can you cast it for me?"

"Sure." He gave the pole a thrust and the liner reeled out gracefully and plunked into the water about five feet away. Darry handed the pole back to his youngest brother. "Keep the pole straight."

"Thanks."

Darry looked back at his other brother.

"Need help Soda?"

"I'm fine."

Darry nodded and grabbed his own pole.

"Is this a good spot Uncle Bill?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do good up here."

Minutes of sticking heat and silence passed between the five of them, the only noise was the sound of Soda flicking his pole in boredom. Suddenly, Ponyboy had a bite and then another, he swung his pole wildly and managed to hook a fish. He began to reel unevenly and ferociously, his face cringed as he struggled to hold onto it.

Darryl and Bill watched with bewilderment as Darry stood by Ponyboy's shoulder, encouraging him while offering tips about keeping the pole straight.

Ponyboy finally was able to pull in a small wriggling fish. He smiled a little when he saw how small it was and thought about how much of a fight he had to put up to reel it in.

"All right buddy, you got one," Soda said as the fish sucked in blank draughts of air.

Bill rubbed his chin as he looked at Pony's catch.

"That ain't nothing but a little baby fish."

"But it's pretty good ain't it, for my first fish?" Ponyboy asked.

Uncle Bill shrugged, paused, than looked over at Darryl.

"I remember my first fish. It was a big ol' catfish."

Darryl Sr. nodded.

"Yeah, it was probably three or four times the size of that one there."

He got up and took Pony's pole from him, taking the fish he caught and threw him into the cooler they brought. Darryl picked up a piece of shrimp they were using as bait and put it back on the hook.

"You want to try and cast it this time?"

"No," Pony shook his head. "You do it."

Darryl gave the pole a flick but overcommitted and the line spat into the water a mere foot from the boat. He began reeling back in a haste as if to cover his tracks, but it was too late as the others began to roar with laughter.

"Where did you learn to cast?"

"From my Dad. But this pole is different."

"Oh sure, blame the pole," Bill said.

"Shut up," Darryl laughed back.

The line suddenly went taut again and Darryl pulled his hand back as he yelled out in pain.

"Damn it!" He yelled as blood dripped from his fingertips.

"What the hell?" Darry asked as he picked up the fallen pole and it began to bend in a 'C' shape.

Thump!

Something struck the bottom of the boat, hard.

"What was that?" Soda asked while getting to his feet.

Neither Darryl nor Bill replied. They looked at each other in silence for a short moment both unmoving. Darry quickly began reeling in as the muscles in his arms strained.

Again there was a scratching and bumping sound from underneath the boat.

"What the hell is that?" Soda asked again. "Is it a shark or something?"

Ponyboy slowly turned his head, looking at his brother as if he was exceedingly stupid.

"Yeah, there are sharks in lakes in Tulsa."

"There are? Oh shit, I don't want to get eaten! Let's go back!"

"Shut up!" They all yelled in unison.

Suddenly the tip of the pole eased out and began pointing out to the open water again.

"Keep the line tight," Bill said.

"I know," Darry answered.

The water suddenly splashed in the distance as the line came to the surface of the water. The end of the pole bended radically to the right as the line began moving at a great speed. The reel jerked hard as Darry fought to keep reeling it in.

"Pull him in Darry," he heard his Dad say. "Pull hard."

Another splash could be heard off to the side of the boat and a spray of water hit Sodapop and Ponyboy as a tail broke through the surface of the water.

"Did you guys see that?" Pony asked. "That thing is really big."

Darry continued straining with the pole. He face was starting to sweat and his teeth were tightly clenched. He was a little shocked by this, with the strength he had from working out over the years, Darry figured he'd be able to pull any fish in with ease, but this one was putting up one hell of a fight.

"Christ, this thing is strong."

"You're doing just fine Darry," Bill encouraged. "Keep it up."

The tip of the rod suddenly went slack again.

"It's coming at us again," Darryl said. "Real it in Darry, reel fast. Don't let it get too loose or it will try to snap the line."

"I'm trying."

The line got tight once more and the tip of the pole bent so hard, so quick that Darry nearly lost his grip on it.

"Now what?" Darry said to no one.

"He's diving down," Bill answered while studying the water as he leaned over the side of the boat.

Darry then pulled hard on the handle and reeled in the line. His hands were turning red from fighting with the pole. He mumbled some obscenities under his breath and he tugged again. There was a sudden loud 'thump' on the bottom of the boat again, and Darry began to reel like a madman as the thing at the end of the line seemed to not be putting up much of a fight now.

Ponyboy was going from one side of the boat to the other, anxiously looking into the water.

"Where did it go? It's got to be close right?"

No one answered him and after a few moments, something finally broke the surface a short distance from the boat. They were able to make out the scaly form of a great fish.

"There it is Darry!" Bill called out as the tail came within arms reach if the side of the boat.

He leaned over and grabbed the line and began pulling it along. After a moment he looked to the water and back at Darry.

"Okay, I'll pull on the line to get him up onto the boat. Darryl, Soda, you two reach in and grab it and get a good hold of him. Then all three of us will pull in on board. Got it?"

Soda looked at his Uncle as through he had just grown another head on his shoulders.

"Are you crazy? Reach into the water? Grab it and pull it out? That's your idea?"

"I'm kinda with Sodapop on this one bro," Darryl added.

"Do you have a better idea?"

Soda exchanged glances with his Dad and shrugged their shoulders at each other. They turned back to Bill.

"On three then?"

Bill steadied himself then motioned for the other two to get into position. Darryl got onto his knees and leaned down. They both reached out at the scaly body, getting a hold of it and began tugging the fish in.

"One…two…three…"

The dark green scaled form began slipping away from Darryl, he pulled harder while yelling out some curse words about it not getting away. The tail fin flipped up which sprayed water on them all. Soda reached out and grabbed a hold and tugged at it. Bill grasped the tail fin, pulling for all he was worth.

"Pull!"

With one final heave they all fell backwards as the water splashed over the edge hitting them all in the face. Soda rolled onto his back, yelling something about being 'bitten' while Ponyboy laughed at him.

The five of them gathered around Darry's catch. The wide tail was fanned out on the boat and it's dark green scales on it's lower half glittered like fine emeralds. The belly was pale yellow and its head was broadly flattened with a projecting lower jaw.

"What kind of fish is it?" Ponyboy asked.

"I'm not sure, some kind of catfish," his Dad answered.

"That's the biggest damn fish I've ever seen." Darry said.

"Yeah," Bill agreed. "We'll take it back to the house and cut it up. Food for a week."

Soda looked up at his Uncle with his face twisted with disgust.

"Food?"