"Cary?" I heard Linda say from behind me as I finished the last of the dishes.
I turned to look at her.
"I didn't know you were still here."
I shrugged. "There weren't many dishes left. You know the morning shift never does their job," I chuckled.
She walked over to me. "Cary, it's almost two in the morning."
I looked at my watch in shock. She was right.
"I'm sorry, Linda, I didn't know..."
She put a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Cary," she pulled a barstool out from the island in the middle of the kitchen and gestured for me to sit.
I did as she asked and put my head in my hands. I didn't realize just how exhausted I was.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"I'm tired."
"No, besides that."
"Nothing," I said as if it was question.
She looked at me gently. "Cary, someone doesn't willingly stay past midnight and have everything be fine."
I sighed. She was right. I didn't realize it until now, but even though I loved my brothers to death, I preferred to be at work or school than at home. With Darry and Pony fighting all the time, and Pony just getting jumped...it was difficult sometimes.
"It just..." I trailed off. I didn't know if I wanted to tell her everything. "It's been really tough ever since Mom and Dad died."
She put a hand on my shoulder and looked at me sympathetically, smiling. "I know how you feel."
I started crying. Thinking about Mom and Dad now was too much. Everything was slowly building up over time, gradually crushing me. Lack of sleep, constant arguments, piles of schoolwork, Johnny...
I let it all out next to Linda. She pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back, just like Mom would always do. I cried harder.
After a few minutes, I finally let out my last sob and she let me go.
"Let me drive you home," she said.
I shook my head. "I like walking," I said as I wiped my eyes, "clears my head."
She looked at me and smiled, shaking her head. "You're so stubborn."
I chuckled. "Yeah, I get told that a lot."
We both laughed and she gave me another hug before clocking me out. I went to the back to get my purse, and when I came out, Linda was wiping off a counter.
"Cary," she said as I walked towards the front door, "you know you can always call me."
I nodded.
"And enjoy your day off!" She yelled as I walked out.
The whole way home, all I could think about was my bed. I hoped Darry wouldn't be worrying his head off right now, wondering where I am. He shouldn't be, I told him I would be home late.
I was walking towards the park when I heard the slow rolling of tires behind me. I tensed up, but breathed a sigh of relief when it drove past me.
It was a Mustang. Blue. What were the Socs doing on the East side at this time? I ignored it, thinking they were just drunk and bored, and focused on getting home.
The town was quiet, the only sounds being my feet shuffling against the sidewalk and the occasional dog barking. I don't remember the last time I had been out this late, or if I ever had been, and it felt weird.
I thought I was alone until I got closer to the park, revealing two figures on top of the jungle gym taking long drags from their cigarettes. The angle of the streetlight only let me see the tops of their heads and a little bit of their shirts, but that was enough for me to know who it was.
Ponyboy and Johnny.
I rushed towards them, a million thoughts running through my mind. What were they doing at the park, smoking, at two in the morning? I started to get angry, but calmed myself, thinking that there must have been a good reason. But what good reason was there?
When I approached them, they turned their heads to look at me. They came down from the jungle gym, shivering.
"What on earth are you two doing out here? Do you know what time it is?" I said, my voice coming out in angry bursts. I never spoke like this, not with Ponyboy or Johnny. Not with anybody. I was shocked at myself.
They said nothing. Johnny just drove the toe of his shoe into the grass and Pony took a long drag from his cigarette. They were shaking like chimes in an earthquake.
"It's two in the morning, for your information. You two aren't planning on sleeping out here, are you?"
Pony tossed the butt of his cigarette on the ground and smashed it with his heel. He took a deep, quivering breath, and then I knew something was wrong. He opened his mouth to say something before breaking down into tears. My stomach dropped and my mind went to the worst, thinking someone was hurt real bad.
I dropped my purse and gently put my hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Pony?"
"Darry hit me," he whimpered, "I came home late and he got mad and he..." he sobbed, "he hit me. He hit me..."
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Darry hit Pony? Sure, they had bad fights, but I never thought Darry would hit him. Never.
"He—what?" I finally sputtered out.
Pony just looked at me, the streetlight glinting off of his teary eyes. They were so full of fear, confusion, anger, betrayal...
I remember how I felt the first time Jonathan hit me. It was a different kind of hurt I had never felt before, a feeling of a part of your foundation being ripped out from underneath you. A feeling that, now, one of the only things you thought you could trust wasn't trustworthy anymore. I almost bawled. I hated that Pony felt that way—I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone. It breaks you.
I just stood there, trying to process it all before I finally broke out of my daze and picked up my purse. I sighed. "Let's just go home."
The two of them silently followed me down the sidewalks. When we approached the house, all of the lights were on.
Ponyboy rubbed his arms as he walked up the steps, and I knew it wasn't just because he was cold.
Before we walked in, I peeked through the window to see Darry and Soda sitting on the couch. Darry leaned his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands while Soda sat next to him silently, staring at the floor in front of him, his face solemn and his eyes glazed over. I had never seen Soda like this. It scared me.
I opened the door and they both looked up. Darry shot up and dashed towards Ponyboy, who flinched before Darry wrapped him in a hug tighter than I've seen him hug anybody.
"I'm sorry, Ponyboy, I'm so sorry..." he sobbed, gripping Pony as if his life depended on it.
When he finally let him go, Pony just stood there. Darry looked at me as if asking for help, but he got himself in this situation.
"You hit him, Darry?" I asked quietly, confused anger slowly building up inside of me.
Darry stood there silently, his hands anxiously balling in and out of fists.
I wanted to yell, scream at them, saying is this how we're gonna live? What would Mom and Dad say? But I didn't. I just shook my head and let out a bitter chuckle. "Y'all figure this out, I'm too tired for this. I'm going to bed."
And with that, I retreated to my bedroom and shut the door. As I got ready for bed, I listened to them talk.
"You really did hit him, huh, Darry?" Johnny asked, his voice quiet and slightly bitter.
They always say silence is the loudest sound. I never knew what they meant until now.
Finally, I heard Soda's voice. "Come on, Pony, let's go to bed." Then I heard footsteps go up the stairs. After what seemed like forever, I heard Darry's bedroom door open and close, and the house was once again silent.
I fell asleep instantly.
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Okay, so this story is REALLY blowing up and it is blowing my mind. I'm getting like 20 views everyday which is really unusual for me.
SO that being said, I will thank you all by doing my best to put out chapters faster, if school work allows it of course.
Love y'all. Stay gold.