Tough Love, Johnny Cade (Jally)

Five: Stop What?

The rest of the day, I figured acting normal would make everyone forget about what had happened that morning, which seems to work. Steve and Dally couldn't look me in the eye, but I guess I didn't really mind, so long as they weren't giving me pity. We spent part of the morning watching cartoons and eating cake. Darry had to go to work, but Soda and Steve had managed to get the day off. Two-Bit was cracking jokes through most of the cartoons, and Steve and Soda couldn't get enough of it. They were making awful racket, and I was glad most of the cartoons didn't have any voice acting, or else Pony wouldn't be having any of it.

Soda wanted to treat Two to Sonic for his birthday, so they left around noon. Steve tagged along, since he had money to pay for himself. Me, Pony, and Dally were left there alone for a while. Dally was falling asleep in the tan armchair, so Pony took me to his room and showed me some drawings and poems he had been working on. When the rest of the guys got back, we all sat around the kitchen table and played a few different card games. Then everyone was kind of burned out, so we all watched television some more and talked.

Darry came home and made an earlier dinner, and everyone gave Two their gifts. Steve and I had both gotten him cigarettes, which he was very pleased about. Soda and Pony gifted him a black jacket, which was actually quite nice, and probably his favorite gift, Darry's present had been the meal, and Dally gave him a brand new switch-comb, which he had probably stolen. Then a few certain people were exited about getting right to the booze. Darry wouldn't typically allow drinking, but he agreed it was okay for birthdays under certain rules. It could only be the seven of us. It couldn't turn into an open party with girls and and other kids from around the area.

Also, everyone who had any alcohol had to stay over, to insure they didn't get into any trouble. Darry always stayed sober during birthdays, just so he could make sure nobody did anything stupid. He'd let Soda get drunk with Dally, Steve, and Two, but Soda just didn't drink. He wouldn't let Pony touch a drop and I never wanted to. I didn't mind the boys drunk. Soda doesn't have to drink to be drunk, if you offer him a good time. It takes a lot to get Two really drunk, and you can only be sure he's drunk if he's really gone at it. Steve seems to lighten up when he gets drunk, and he's a lot more friendly to Pony and I. Dally usually just laughs a lot drunk, unless he's bothered by something,

I played checkers on the coffee table with Pony for a while while the others started drinking. They used to own a checkers board, but Two-Bit had sat on it probably a year and a half ago. Pony had been sure to keep all the pieces though, and now he'd draw a board sometimes so they could play. Pony won all but the final round we played. We liked to play tournaments sometimes, and he was obviously winning this one, so I was pretty sure he let me win that round on purpose.

"Do I owe you anything for losing?" I asked sheepishly as Pony gathered up the pieces. He thought for a moment.

"Two cigarettes. One for each game I won."

Leave it to Ponyboy to ask for cigarettes. I still didn't have any since I stole that pack for Two's birthday. And I was all bruised from that alone. I'd have to get them to him another time. Pony left the room with the paper board and the pieces to stick them back in his room. Soda was suddenly beside me.

"Hey Johnnycakes!" He attempted to ruffle my hair, but it was stiff from the grease. "Did ya' win?"

"Nah, Pony beat me." I said. Soda chuckled. "Pony's pretty cleaver, ain't he?"

"He sure is."

Soda squeezed my shoulder and wondered back over to Steve, Two, and Dally. They were all hitting it off pretty well, laughing what some might call a obnoxiously. Darry sat nearby, not participating in the conversation much, but sure getting a kick out of it. I decided to wedge my way into the discussion.