The Little Winston

Chapter 32- I Talk To Ponyboy

 We walked home together after our shift, and the guys were happier than we were that we were back together. They said that us not being together was really bad for all of us, and Dallas had a very long talk outside with Sodapop. When he came back in the house, Sodapop's face was bright red. I didn't ask questions.

"So, those socs mess with you on the way back? Some kid, only 11, was jumped outside of The DIngo." Steve started as he shoved a piece of chocolate cake into his mouth.

Ponyboy almost ran out the door at the mention of the socs, and I felt the need to go with him, almost like a string was pulling me to him. I knew I needed to talk to him.

He was sitting on the porch on the steps, staring up at the sunset like he usually did, but this time his face was different. He didn't look at it with the hopeful look he had before.

"Hey Pony. What's going on?" I plopped down next to him as best as I could, trying really hard not to move my stomach as much as I could.

"No matter what we do, they just won't leave us alone." He didn't have to tell me before I understood.

"Well, some people just aren't good, kid."

"Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I should just not be good and I won't get hurt."

"Hey! That's not the way to think. You should never stop being a good person because of bad people." I patted him on the shoulder and he finally looked at me.

"But Dallas always says-"

"Get tough like me and you won't get hurt." I finished his sentence without hesitation. Dallas had drilled that into my head for as long as I could remember, to the point where I'm sure that phrase would be with me forever.

Pony just nodded his head quietly and turned back towards the sun, keeping his head down low. "Look, Pony, you are nothing like Dal. Don't try to be either, because there's already one of him, and if you ask me, I'd say that's plenty." He chuckled, but kept his eyes trained in the same spot.

"And Dal has been tough for a long time Pony. He's been hurt pretty bad, and we need more people like you to show people like Dal that there is still good in the world, you dig?"

"Yeah," Ponyboy mumbled, "I dig."

"Good." I smiled at him, even though he didn't notice. "I should probably go sit back down." I started to get up, but Pony started to talk again.

"Hey, Nicole?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened to your mom? I know she died, but I was too scared to ask Dal, and I don't know, I think it messed him up alot and I just always wondered." I stayed silent for a moment, just thinking about her. "It's fine of you don't want to talk about, I'm sorry I-"

"No," I quickly sat back down and sighed, "It's fine, it's just I've never really told anyone this before. Um, my dad was not too good of a person, and he, he beat us up pretty bad alot."

Pony shifted from his stoop to look me in the eyes with a look of sympathy. "Um, she tried her hardest to give us a normal childhood, but I mean you know, it wasn't like everyone else's. One day it just got too much and..." I couldn't get the words out, so I just imitated a gun against my head, while he just sat there with a sorry look on his face.

"I'm so, so, sorry, Nicole. I wouldn't have asked if I had known. It must have been so hard for you."

"Dallas got the short end of the stick. He was the one who found her, and dad hurt him the most. I guess I can sort of understand why he left for here."

"I guess we kinda took him from you didn't we?" A tear stroked Pony's clear skin and I gently wiped it away with my sleeve.

"No. no, not at all. I'm kinda glad he had you guys. I don't know what he would've done without you."

I got up slowly as he turned away again, and I went back into the house.

Everyone was in the living room when I went inside, still stationed in the same way they were when I left.

Sodapop smiled at me, and my stomach filled with butterflies as I wondered if that would ever stop happening. I hoped it didn't. I smiled shyly back as he stood up and walked over to where I was, slowly pulling me closer into him and tighter in is arms.

"I think," He whispered into my ear huskily, sending tingles down my spine, "That you should stay upstairs with me tonight."

I giggled a little before I leaned in to his ear, lightly grazing it with my teeth. "I think that I'll be up there in 20."

"Good. I'll be waiting." He smiled again and bit his lip before running outside. I guessed he was probably asking Ponyboy to sleep on the couch tonight. I looked over to find Dallas giving me that cool stare, but I just shrugged my shoulders while Sodapop went up the stairs. I waited a couple of minutes before following him, and thankfully, no one questioned me.