Shawna's Story (A Johnny Cade Fanfiction) //CURRENTLY EDITING//

~26~

I was sitting on the couch while the boys were getting ready for the rumble that night. I still didn't like that Pony was going, but I wouldn't hear the end of it from him if I insisted he stayed.

“You gonna be okay here by yourself, sis?” Soda asked, playing a game of poker with Steve while they waited for Two-Bit to show up.

“We'll be alright, Shante and Nicole should be on their way back from work. Might be here a little after you guys head out,” I reassured. “I'll keep the door locked until they get here and Rocco's here.”

“Alright,” Soda said, before answering Pony's poll for the night.

“How come you like fights, Soda?” Pony asked, leaning up against the couch.

“I don't know,” Soda answered honestly, before thinking a bit, racking his brain for a better answer. “It's action. It's a contest. Like a drag race or a dance or somethin'.”

“Shoot,” Steve said. "I wanna beat those socs' heads in. When I get in a fight I wanna stomp the other guy good. I like it, too.”

“Easy there, Steve, no need to get graphic,” I said, covering Jonathan's ear, with the other gently pressed up against my chest. “Gonna give the kids nightmares.”

“Right, sorry,” Steve apologized. “I'm just ready to go.”

“How come you like fights, Darry?” Pony asked, looking over at Darry, who was in the doorway drying his hands off, having just finished up the dishes. Darry began thinking about his answer, until Soda chimed in.

“He likes to show off his muscles.” I chuckled a little at his answer because he wasn't wrong. Darry played football in high school and lifts weights, pretty sure back then he would pick up girls by literally picking them up.

“I'll show 'em off on you, little buddy, if you get any mouthier,” Darry said, fixing the sleeves on his black shirt. He looked over at Pony and said what I had been thinking. “I don't know if you ought to be in this rumble, Pony.” He said it slowly, like he did when he told me about Johnny having to stay in jail until the trial. He always had a way of telling us bad news in a calm manner, most likely to keep us from freaking out, something he picked up from Dad. Pony looked at him in confusion.

“Why not? I've been able to come before. Why not now?” Pony asked.

“You fight real good for a kid your age, but you were in shape back then. You've lost a bit of weight, and you ain't lookin' too good. You're tensed up too much,” Darry said. This made me look at Pony again and notice what Darry was talking about. I hadn't noticed how much thinner Pony was. I had been around him all this time and was just now seeing it, I felt even more worried about him going.

“Shoot, Darry,” Soda said, trying to sneak an ace out of his shoe without Steve seeing him. “We're all tense before a rumble. Let him fight tonight. Skin never hurt anyone, no weapons no danger.”

“I'll be okay,” Pony said. “I'll get hold of a little one.”

“You won't have Johnny or Curly there this time,” Darry said, walking over to Pony. “We need every man we could get, though.” I could tell Darry was torn between wanting to win this rumble and keeping our kid brother safe. I wish they would have asked me what I thought, I would have been able to say what I really thought, but I said nothing, I couldn't. Pony had his heart set on helping tonight, and who was I to stop a growing boy from wanting to follow in his brothers' footsteps.

“What happened with Curly? Why isn't he comin'?” Pony asked.

“He's in the cooler,” Steve said, kicking the ace out of Soda's shoe. “In the reformatory.”