ITS ABOUT TIME ➤ Ponyboy Curtis

21

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"One..two..three..hut!"
I watched from my spot under the maple tree as Ponyboy, who was the center, snapped the ball to Darry who was the quarterback. Pony, Johnny, Sodapop, and Darry were on one team and the rest of the guys were on the other. Playing football on a hot July day was not my idea of fun. I opted to sit and be the referee as the boys worked up a sweat.
"Penalty, Steve! Leaping!"
Steve put on a shocked face as if he didn't know it was coming. "But I made it! I made it over the scrimmage line!"
"It don't matter if you made it!" Sodapop laughed with his hands on his hips. Steve tackled him to the ground, starting a wrestling match.
"You two are benched! Come sit over here until the next play." I yelled at Steve and Soda while laughing. I don't know for sure why I was laughing. They wrestled all the time so it wasn't shocking. I think I was laughing out of joy. I was happy, more so greatful, that I got to be apart of such a great group of boys.
Steve and Soda reluctantly wobbled over to the maple tree and flopped down to the grass. They lied on their backs, panting and sweating, until I let them back in the game. That didn't last long though, for Sodapop crossed over the scrimmage line to slap Steve before the ball was snapped.
Sodapop lopped over to me with a smile on his face. "I didn't think you'd see that." He chuckled and sat down beside me.
"You're not upset that I called you out?"
"Nah," Soda said, "I knew it was coming."
I liked how easygoing Sodapop was. The other guys would've at least rolled their eyes, but not Sodapop. Sodapop just went with it and kept on smiling. Sometimes I would look at him and wonder how someone could be so happy and sober at the same time.
Sodapop ruffled my hair after catching his breath. "How's your day goin', Georgia-Bug?"
"You should know, Sodapop, you've been with me the entire day. Quite literally beacuse you rudely woke me up." I glared at him while saying the last part.
Sodapop thew his head back to laugh, hitting his head on the tree trunk with caused him to laugh even more. "The same thing is coming for you when it's your birthday." He said.
"If I let you back in the game early with you let me sleep in?"
Sodapop pretended to ponder on his decision. "Hmm," He stroked his chin, "I'll have to think about that."
I laughed and sent him back in for the last few minutes of the game. Him, Pony, Johnny, and Darry's team ended up winning. They were real happy about that, especially the birthday boy.
I saw his big smile from across the lot. He greeted me with a heavy hug and used me as support while he caught his breath.
"Ew, Pone! You're all sweaty!" I laughed as Pony tightened his arms around me.
Ponyboy shifted his weight back and forth between his two feet. "That's why I'm hugging you!" He panted.
Steve walked over and patted Ponyboy's back. "Nice game." He said and walked back to Soda.
I looked at Pony with my eyebrows raised. He stared back with his lips parted. "What was that about?"
"I have no clue." I ruffled Pony's greasy hair. "Maybe cause its your birthday."
"Maybe." Ponyboy shrugged. "Can we bring Pluto to get ice cream?"
I smiled. "Hey, Two-Bit!" I yelled.
"What, Georgie!"
"Can Pluto come with us to Dairy Queen?"
"Yeah, alright!"
I looked to Pony. "He said Pluto could come."
"So I heard." Ponyboy snickered. His eyes were so soothing and his lopsided grin was making my knees week. I was so in love.

—

"Pluto, down!" I yelled at Pluto. His big paws the size of a man's hands were resting on the picnic table at Dairy Queen. He was trying to take a bite out of Dally's ice cream.
Dally gave Pluto a pat on the head and swiped some of the vanilla ice cream on his big nose. The gang laughed as Pluto frantically tried licking the ice cream off.
"Aw, c'mon Dally." Darry said disapprovingly. "Come here, puppy." He grabbed a napkin off the table and wiped the ice cream off Plutos nose.
"C'mon Dar, let Pluto have some ice cream!" Soda said from beside him. He had finished his ice cream and thew his empty cone to Pluto, who caught it in his mouth.
I laughed. "Now look at what you did, Soda." Drool was dripping off of Pluto's long jowls and landing on Soda's shoes.
Sodapop grabbed Plutos wrinkly face and shook it back and forth. I laughed at how his slobbery tongue and drooping jowls swung around. "I don't mind," Soda said in a deep, puppy voice, "These shoes are beat up anyway, huh Pluto, huh?"
Pluto was big enough to reach Sodas face from the ground. He ran his gross dog tongue over Sodas face, making him laugh and pull away.
Two-Bit was getting jealous. "That's my dog, he should be kissing me!"
"That's what you got Kathy for." Steve snickered.
The gang started joking and laughing so J took this as an opportunity to give Ponyboy his gift. I got up from the table and motioned him to follow me. I walked over to Darry's truck and reached into the window of the passengers side, where I was sitting on the ride there. I pulled out a shiny new copy of Pony's favorite book, Gone with the Wind.
"Georgia!" Pony said, a little angry and a lot bit exited. "I told you guys not to get me anything!"
Pony took the book from my hands and observed it carefully. I put my hands behind my back and shifted on my feet. "I know, but I saw your copy was falling apart and thought I'd get you a knew one."
Pony beamed a smile. "You really shouldn't have Georgie, I mean-" his fingered through the book, looking at the pages that weren't water stained and ripped like his old one. "I love it." He leaned in and gave me a bond crushing hug with his strong, toned arms.
"Look at the last page." I said and pulled away. Pony gave me a questioning look but flipped to the back of the book anyway. On and empty page there was a long letter I had written. Ponyboy's eyes started scanning the words. It read...

To: Pony Curtis
From: Georgia Mathews

Happy Birthday! I'm officially the youngest in the gang. You must be happy about that-I know you didn't like being the youngest. I also know that you've been waiting to turn sixteen, party because you want to start shaving and partly because you don't want Steve to call you a kid anymore. Though, I don't think you'll ever escape Steve and his name-calling. I don't want to give you too much off an ego boost, but I will since it's your birthday. You, Ponyboy Curtis, are one of the worlds most incredible people in my opinion. I think your close to perfect. I hope you know I think of you as my best friend. You know me better than anyone else (including myself) and I want to thank you for that. No one's ever gotten to know me the way you and the gang did. You guys make me the happiest I'll ever be, especially you. You make me happy by just being there. You make me smile as long as aim around you, and when we're talking I know I can speak my mind and you'll understand every word. You're very thoughtful that way, you always make me feel like I can talk to you because I know you listen. Not the fake listening either, the real listening. You listen because you're kind. You remember the little things and notice the small details. I love hearing your insights because they're always true. Maybe almost always true. You see the world differently than most, which is refreshing after a long day of listening to Two-Bit talk about whatever pops into his big head. I love you guys a lot and honestly don't know where I'd be without y'all. Happy 16'th Pony ♡ !!!

Pony's eyes were watering when he looked up at me. "Georgie-" his voice cracked. I was glad he didn't finish because I knew that if he did I'd start crying too. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he lifted me up off the ground. It was heavenly.