Pony hadn't been in trouble for a while after Dally and Johnny died. He and
Darry usually got along just fine and everything at home was going ok for a
while. But it didn't last longer than three months. The happy bond ended
when Ponyboy came waltzing in at three in the morning. This time he had an
even worse excuse than falling asleep in the lot with Johnny. When asked
were he'd been Pony had refused to tell him which sent Darry off into a
fury. So for the time being Pony lied on his bed staring at the ceiling
waiting for Darry to let him come out of his room even though he knew that
wouldn't happen anytime soon. It felt like days just laying there. Pony had
been able to entertain himself for a couple hours with some books and
drawing pictures but after that he grew very bored and irritated.
Ponyboy thought a lot about were he went last night. If Darry ever found out he'd throttle him. That was a sure fact. Pony closed his eyes, wishing like crazy that he had a cigarette. He heard voices in the living room and it sounded like Steve and Two-Bit. Pony guessed they had come over for lunch because he had been smelling chicken baking for the last half an hour and it was driving him crazy. He hadn't eaten anything since dinner the night before and his stomach was pleading for some food.
He waited a few minutes more and heard them all happily eating. When nobody knocked on his door and brought him food he got impatient. Pony got up off his bed and walked out of his bedroom a little ways so he could see where they were.
"Aren't you gonna let me eat Darry?" he yelled.
"Ponyboy, get back in your room." Darry said sternly. Pony groaned and went back in his room, laying on his bed quietly. Eventually he fell asleep.
It didn't seem long before he was awoken by a loud knock on his door. "Come in." he said softly. The door opened and Darry appeared. Pony sighed and sat up on the bed not looking forward to whatever was coming.
"Are you gonna tell me were you were last night, or do I have to keep you in here another four hours?" Pony considered his choices. If he was to tell Darry he'd probably end up in his room for the next four hours anyways. Ponyboy lied back down and turned to the wall. He didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Ponyboy Curtis!" Pony winced at his brothers loud scolding. "I am getting sick and tired of this game you're playing!" Darry yelled. "Exactly were where you last night?"
Pony drew his knees in close to his chest and said very softly, "With Tim."
Darry looked at his little brother a bit confused and angry at the same time. He hadn't liked Pony or Soda to be around Tim Shepard without being there himself to keep an eye on things. Tim certainly hadn't ever been the best influence on them and Darry had become even more worried when Tim had gotten into some serious trouble about a month ago. "What were you doing with Tim?"
"Slashing socials tires." Pony answered.
Darry new that wasn't all though. There had to be more. "What else?" Darry asked. Pony swallowed nervously. "What else?" Darry asked again much more serious.
"We went to Buck's for a little while." Pony said barely above a whisper. That set Darry off. For the next few minutes Soda, Two-Bit, and Steve listened to Darry yelling like there was no tomorrow at Pony.
"What in the world were you doing at Buck's?" Darry yelled.
"Just hanging out." Pony said.
"Of all the ridiculous things… Why?" Darry demanded.
"Because I felt like it, ok?" Pony said smartly.
Darry looked at him sternly. "No it's not ok. You aren't supposed to be around that place."
"How come?" Pony asked.
"Because I said so." Darry said. Ponyboy sighed. He hated it when Darry said that.
"You're in for it Pony. I'm sick of you disobeying my rules all the time. Exactly what were you doing at Buck's?"
"I went there with some girls we picked up. Just for fun." "What do you mean you went there with some girls you picked up?" Darry asked with an even more serious look on his face.
Pony realized what Darry was thinking. "We didn't do anything." Pony said. "We were just playing some cards and hanging out."
"Who took you over to Buck's?" Darry asked. Ponyboy shrugged again not wanting to get Darry mad at his friend.
"Pony…" Darry said harshly.
"Tim." Ponyboy said softly.
"What's up?" Two-Bit asked as Steve, Soda, and he sat in the living room playing cards.
"Pony came home real late at 3 a.m." Soda told him. Steve started shuffling the cards. Soda sighed deeply. "They've been doing just fine for the past few months but this last incident just ruined everything."
"Don't worry buddy." Two-Bit said." "It'll be ok."
"I sure hope so." Soda said.
Steve didn't say anything. The last three months had been really hard on all of them. After Dally and Johnny's funeral depression had come over all the boys for the first couple of weeks. Everyone pulled each other back together though and things were going as well as anyone had hoped they would. Soda hoped the bad stuff wouldn't start happening all over again.
Ponyboy thought a lot about were he went last night. If Darry ever found out he'd throttle him. That was a sure fact. Pony closed his eyes, wishing like crazy that he had a cigarette. He heard voices in the living room and it sounded like Steve and Two-Bit. Pony guessed they had come over for lunch because he had been smelling chicken baking for the last half an hour and it was driving him crazy. He hadn't eaten anything since dinner the night before and his stomach was pleading for some food.
He waited a few minutes more and heard them all happily eating. When nobody knocked on his door and brought him food he got impatient. Pony got up off his bed and walked out of his bedroom a little ways so he could see where they were.
"Aren't you gonna let me eat Darry?" he yelled.
"Ponyboy, get back in your room." Darry said sternly. Pony groaned and went back in his room, laying on his bed quietly. Eventually he fell asleep.
It didn't seem long before he was awoken by a loud knock on his door. "Come in." he said softly. The door opened and Darry appeared. Pony sighed and sat up on the bed not looking forward to whatever was coming.
"Are you gonna tell me were you were last night, or do I have to keep you in here another four hours?" Pony considered his choices. If he was to tell Darry he'd probably end up in his room for the next four hours anyways. Ponyboy lied back down and turned to the wall. He didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Ponyboy Curtis!" Pony winced at his brothers loud scolding. "I am getting sick and tired of this game you're playing!" Darry yelled. "Exactly were where you last night?"
Pony drew his knees in close to his chest and said very softly, "With Tim."
Darry looked at his little brother a bit confused and angry at the same time. He hadn't liked Pony or Soda to be around Tim Shepard without being there himself to keep an eye on things. Tim certainly hadn't ever been the best influence on them and Darry had become even more worried when Tim had gotten into some serious trouble about a month ago. "What were you doing with Tim?"
"Slashing socials tires." Pony answered.
Darry new that wasn't all though. There had to be more. "What else?" Darry asked. Pony swallowed nervously. "What else?" Darry asked again much more serious.
"We went to Buck's for a little while." Pony said barely above a whisper. That set Darry off. For the next few minutes Soda, Two-Bit, and Steve listened to Darry yelling like there was no tomorrow at Pony.
"What in the world were you doing at Buck's?" Darry yelled.
"Just hanging out." Pony said.
"Of all the ridiculous things… Why?" Darry demanded.
"Because I felt like it, ok?" Pony said smartly.
Darry looked at him sternly. "No it's not ok. You aren't supposed to be around that place."
"How come?" Pony asked.
"Because I said so." Darry said. Ponyboy sighed. He hated it when Darry said that.
"You're in for it Pony. I'm sick of you disobeying my rules all the time. Exactly what were you doing at Buck's?"
"I went there with some girls we picked up. Just for fun." "What do you mean you went there with some girls you picked up?" Darry asked with an even more serious look on his face.
Pony realized what Darry was thinking. "We didn't do anything." Pony said. "We were just playing some cards and hanging out."
"Who took you over to Buck's?" Darry asked. Ponyboy shrugged again not wanting to get Darry mad at his friend.
"Pony…" Darry said harshly.
"Tim." Ponyboy said softly.
"What's up?" Two-Bit asked as Steve, Soda, and he sat in the living room playing cards.
"Pony came home real late at 3 a.m." Soda told him. Steve started shuffling the cards. Soda sighed deeply. "They've been doing just fine for the past few months but this last incident just ruined everything."
"Don't worry buddy." Two-Bit said." "It'll be ok."
"I sure hope so." Soda said.
Steve didn't say anything. The last three months had been really hard on all of them. After Dally and Johnny's funeral depression had come over all the boys for the first couple of weeks. Everyone pulled each other back together though and things were going as well as anyone had hoped they would. Soda hoped the bad stuff wouldn't start happening all over again.