It's a long story

All she is is a Telephone

I stayed in my bed all that day. I couldn't move and my stomach was in knots, kicking up a fight. I wanted to run away, but this was my family. Maybe that was easier. I remember when Ponyboy ran away about a month ago. I was so scared for him and Johnny. But that was a little different. 

"You wanna go watch a movie?" Pony asked as I shook my head slowly. My lips were shut tight and I didn't have it in me to talk. My heart was wrenched and I only wanted to lay here. 

"What about grabbing a Pepsi at the Dingo?" He suggested. Another head shake saying no. I was too scared and nervous to leave. "If I read to you, will that it better? You like it when I read to you." He smiled, hoping that I'd agreed, but I smiled at him and stared into his green/brown eyes. "No thanks." 

"You have to do something, Jack. I can't stand watching' you just sit here and sulk." He said, as his eyes were fixed on me. But He didn't understand. It's different, our family situations. I never had a family like theirs. 

"You don't get it, Ponyboy. I hate my Mom. She said and done some real nasty things to me and my dad." I bit my lip, battling with myself whether or not to talk about it, but I blurted it out. "I remember one night, She brought home this guy. She told me it was her co-worker and told me to go to bed. I remember listening to the wine being poured, them laughing, and then, her bedroom door being locked. She did that to my father who never figured it out, under the roof he built with his two hands, in the bed he paid for. She did that to him." I let tears roll out of my eyes and fall on the bed. It was too much, But it needed to be said. 

"And in the morning, she'd be real sweet to my father while she was trying to sneak a guy out the backdoor, then ask for some money that we didn't have.Once Dad gave her $5 or so, she'd go back to being a real snot." I remembered things like that so well, that I swore I was cursed like that. 

Pony pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around me. It wasn't fair. We were good kids who didn't drink and went to church somethings. We didn't pick fights, but here we were, sad about life. I wanted to know why. I needed answers and I needed them fast. 

"Anyone around?" I heard Two-bit from the doorway, with a small chuckle to follow. Even if he wasn't making jokes, he was laughing. I liked that about ol' Two. Ponyboy let go and went to see him. I decided to get up too, cause I figured I needed a good laugh and Two-bit was the guy to go if you needed one. 

"Hey, Two-Bit." Pony said as I simply smiled at him. He threw his arm over Pony and stared at me for a solid second. "How ya feelin?" I knew he meant about my recovery, so I went along with it. "I'm fine." I told him. "How's your sister doing?" Two-bit's 11 year old little sister, Kathleen, was very timid, unlike Two-Bit, and she only came over once in a blue moon with Two-Bit. She'd hide behind his legs and smile, hiding her grey eyes, the same one's Two had. I think she had a real tough time when their old man ditched them and their mother who worked as a bar maid to provide for them. 

He shrugged, sitting on the couch, waiting until the news was over so he could watch Mickey. He made a real good impression of the reporters on the news, so that's what he did in the mean time usually, but he didn't today. "She's...I don't know, ain't doing to well at school." I saw his eyes go real sad and cold, almost lonely. "Mom's going to talk to her damn useless teacher tomorrow." His words struck harsh, even thinking about it made him upset. 

"I'm sure she'll be fine." I told him, touching his hand as he smiled a big grin. "She's a real smart girl." He told me. I knew that. Once, she and Two dropped off here after school for a visit and Kathleen was sitting at the table and asked Pony to help her correct her math sheet that she finished in under 5 minutes. She got everything right, and that was a lot of questions.