It had been a week since Ponyboy and Sodapop had been busted for going to Buck's. And both of them had steered clear of the place since, just as they'd swore they would.
"Ponyboy Michael!" Darry yelled from the kitchen. Said boy came running into the kitchen when he heard his first AND middle name being called.
"Yeah Dar?"
"Didn't I ask for the dishes to be done last night?"
Ponyboy looked over at the sink, still filled with last nights dishes. "Oh..." He had forgotten to do them. He meant too, but then Johnny came over and he went to the vacant lot to hang out until curfew and by the time he'd gotten home forgot all about the dishes.
"Oh? Ponyboy when I tell you to do something I expect it to get done. We've got the social worker coming for a visit today too. I want this place looking decent. Get them done NOW, or else."
"Yessir," the kid hurried to the sink to start the dishes.
"And is your's N' Soda's room clean?"
"Uhh."
"Get that done too before the case worker arrives."
"But Darry! That's not fair! Soda messes up the room just as much as I do!"
"Ponyboy do not give me any lip right now. You do as I say and that's final."
"You're not being fair!" Ponyboy slammed the plate he had in his hand back into the sink, frustrated.
"This is your last warning little boy."
"Fuck o-" he couldn't even get the rest of the word out before Darry had ran and snatched him by the arm. "Ow ow!"
The minute Ponyboy had let a cuss like that fall from his lips, Darry was right beside him. He grabbed the kid and yanked him against his side, holding Ponyboy in his grip and as he landed fast smacks. "That's it! I gave you plenty of chances to cut the attitude and instead you cuss at me?! I should've done this the second I saw you didn't do as I told you with the dishes last night, but no! I was gonna let it slide as long as you did them now."
He was lecturing his baby brother just as Soda walked in - hearing Ponyboy crying. "Hey what's - Ah." He grimaced and stopped mid-sentence when he saw what was happening.
"Darry I'm sorry! But it's not fair!" He insisted on using that line again.
"Fair or not - I tell you to wash the dishes, you do them. I tell you to clean your room and you do it! Without any lip!"
Soda felt bad hearing that was part of the problem, he didn't exactly make it easy to keep their room clean. "Darry I'll clean our room. You ain't gotta wallop him for that."
"You stay outta this Sodapop. Now it may not seem fair to you to clean your room alone, but you know Soda has done it without your help in the past. It's not only you." He said, standing Ponyboy back to his feet - the kid was sniffling now, the few smacks he'd received weren't enough to make him cry. But they did the trick in knocking him back down. "Go to the bathroom. We're gonna brush that mouth of yours out with some soap."
"Darry -" Soda hadn't heard Ponyboy cuss, so he thought Darry was overdoing it for a little attitude.
"You wanna join us Sodapop? Well?" He pushed for an answer when Soda just stared at him.
"You're being too harsh!"
"I didn't realize you were in charge around here. Go Ponyboy."
Ponyboy started for the bathroom when Sodapop grabbed his arm, "No. Darry you're overdoing it! You already spanked him! It was just a little attitude you ain't gotta make him put soap in his mouth too!"
"It was more than a little attitude Soda. But you wouldn't know that, since you weren't here to hear it. But I guess you think you know it all, huh?"
Soda looked down at his baby brother, and Ponyboy informed him meekly, "I cussed at Darry. I said the F word at him."
"Not that it's any of your concern. You need to quit meddling when I'm punishing him." Soda felt his face grow hot, now he felt really stupid. "Go Ponyboy." Soda let go of the kid's arm so he could shuffle off to the bathroom.
"I'm sorry Darry. I didn't know..."
"Of course you didn't know. I didn't think I need to tell you everything our kid brother does before I dole out punishments."
"You don't..." he felt guilty now. He had assumed Darry was being too harsh with Ponyboy and didn't have faith in Darry to handle their brother properly. He looked at the pile of dishes and then at his feet, "I'll do the dishes while you take care of Ponyboy."
"It's his turn to do them. You can't just let him out of doing them -"
"I'm not." He stuck his thumbs in his jeans and looked up to meet Darry's gaze. "I feel right stupid for coming in here acting like I did. I should do something to make it right." In other words, Soda felt bad enough he thought he should be punished in some way.
"You ain't stupid Soda, quit saying that about yourself. You just get overprotective when it comes to Ponyboy. Normally that's a good thing, but not when it means you start mouthing off to me." Darry sighed, taking in how guilty Sodapop looked. "Alright. Get over here and get them done. Dry them and put them away too. I don't even wanna see a spoon on the drying rack."
Sodapop smiled a little, he knew Darry was playing up the stern big brother voice to make him feel like he was being scolded for real. "Yes sir."
Darry let Soda take over the dishes, going to the bathroom where Pony stood by the sink, waiting. "Sodapop is doing the dishes for you. He thinks he needs to be punished for butting in and all." Ponyboy nodded. "I know you don't always think it's fair you gotta do some chores on your own. But that's how it is sometimes. Not everything in life is gonna be fair Ponyboy." Ponyboy just nodded again, not speaking. "You can cry something ain't fair until the cows come home. It isn't gonna get you your way. And I don't like this new attitude you've been picking up lately. If mama and daddy were around to hear what you said in there - they would've fried your ass quicker than you could even think."
Ponyboy finally spoke, "I'm sorry Darry." Darry noticed fresh tears falling from the boy's face. It always hit Pony hard when Darry used their parents' name during a scolding.
Darry turned silently and grabbed Pony's toothbrush and the soap, getting it lathered up and coated over the bristles. "We're gonna fix that mouth of yours. Quick." Darry turned and handed Ponyboy his toothbrush, now coated in ivory soap.
"Please Darry. I promise it won't happen again."
"Good. And this soap will help you remember that promise."
"I'd rather you whoop me!"
"I can do both if you don't take this toothbrush and get started."
Ponyboy grabbed the toothbrush and stared at the sink, watching as Darry turned the facet on and let the water start running. "How long for?"
"Until I think you got your mouth nice and clean. Go on now. Get started."
Pony groaned and opened his mouth, slowly putting his toothbrush to his teeth. He tried hard to keep his tongue away, but it was impossible. The soap invaded every inch of his mouth. He gagged and tried to keep going, if he stopped to spit and cough - it only made it harder to start up again.
"Darry please, let me be finished." Ponyboy begged after he failed and had to stop to cough and spit out some of the soap into the sink, watching it wash down the drain.
"Keep going kiddo." Ponyboy's lower lip quivered but he put the toothbrush back in his mouth with a gag. He only brushed for five more seconds when Darry touched his wrist and pulled it down from his mouth gently, "alright. Rinse your mouth out with some water."
Ponyboy got to work trying to get his mouth clean. He was trying his hardest to get the taste out his mouth. He was able to get most of it out, but he would have a lingering residue on his tongue for the rest of the day. When he finally turned the sink off, he looked up to Darry - his face was pitiful. But Darry thought he looked cute anyhow. "I guess I should get and clean mine and Soda's room now."
"Yeah, go on and do that. The case worker will be here in about two hours. So be cleaned up and ready. Okay? I don't want you looking like some hood when she shows up."
"Yes Sir." Darry was always stressed when their case worker came for a check-in. Not like they'd get split up, Darry paid all the bills good and both Soda and Ponyboy went to school like they were supposed to (but Soda was planning on quitting the second he turned sixteen). And they stayed out of trouble - at least they didn't get caught doing anything considered 'trouble'. But he was always on edge and wanting to give the best impression on visit days.
Ponyboy hurried to his room to start cleaning up. He made a note to thank Soda for doing the dishes - even if it was cause he'd gotten into hot water with Darry.