Heart Breaker

Chapter 24

Darry spun around to face Ponyboy, he had genuine fear on his face. "What?"

"Was it very bad?" Two-Bit questioned. All of us knew the whole story, we knew they could get bad.

"No," Ponyboy said.

Darry started to say something, but before he could begin, Sodapop and Steve came in.

"You know what?" Sodapop said to no one in particular. "When we stomp the Socies good, me and Stevie here are gonna throw a big party and everybody can get stoned. Then we'll go chase the Socs clear to Mexico."

"Where you gonna get the dough, little man?" Darry had found the cake and was handing out pieces.

"I'll think of somethin'," Sodapop assured him between bites.

"You going to take Sandy to the party?" Ponyboy asked. It ws instant silence. Pony looked around. "What's the deal?"

Sodapop was staring at his feet, but his ears were reddening. "No. She went to live with her grandmother in Florida."

"How come?" Ponyboy asked.

"Look," Steve said, surprisingly angry, "does he have to draw you a picture? It was either that or get married, and her parents almost hit the roof at the idea of her marryin' a sixteen-year-old kid."

"Sevteen," Soda said softly. "I'll be seventeen in a couple of weeks."

"Oh," Ponyboy said, embarrassed.

There was a heavy silence. Then Darry said, "We'd better get on to work, Pepsi-Cola."

"I hate to leave you here by yourself, Ponyboy," Darry said slowly. "Maybe I ought to take the day off."

"I've stayed by my lonesome before. You can't afford a day off." Ponyboy said.

"Yeah, but you just got back and I really ought to stay..."

""I'll baby-sit him," Two-Bit said, ducking as Ponyboy took a swing at him. "I haven't got anything better to do."

"Why don't you get a job?" Steve said. "Ever consider working for a living?"

"Work?" Two-Bit was aghast. "And ruin my rep? I wouldn't be baby-sittin'the kid here if I knew some good day-nursery open on Saturdays."

Ponyboy pulled his Two-Bit's chair over backwards and jumped on him, but Two-Bit had Pony down in a second.

"Holler uncle." Two-Bit said.

"Nope." Ponyboy said.

Darry was pulling on Two-Bit's jacket. "You two do up the dishes. You better take y/n. You can go to the movies if you want to before you go see Dally and Johnny." He paused for a second, watching Two-Bit squash the heck out of Ponyboy. "Two-Bit, lay off. He ain't lookin' so good. Ponyboy, you take a couple o aspirins and go easy. You smoke more than a pack today and I'll skin you. Understood?"

"Yeah," Pony said, getting to his feet. "You carry more than one bundle of roofing at a time today and me and Soda'll skin you. Understood?"

Darry grinned. "Yeah. See y'all this afternoon."

"Bye," Pony said. I heard the Ford's vvrrrooooom and thought: Soda's driving. and they left.