Ponyboy's POV
I applied for a job. It's at the market that's about a ten minute walk. Not the one that Dally robbed. I would never step foot in that place again... Anyways it's really run down though, more like a corner store. They told me they would let me know if I got the job. I don't see why they wouldn't hire me right on the spot. Like it's not like they gonna get someone else wanting to work there at a crummy store.
When I got home from the interview, Sylvia was over. I had forgotten today was the day she was supposed to come over and help us with the baby; so Steve and Twobit had "the day off.." I wish she haven't had come. I like Stacy and all but just something inside me thinks she's hiding something. I didn't enjoy her visit because of that. She's hiding something and it's not good news. She was holding Evellynn, Evellynn was crying. Maybe she senses something off too. Probably not.
"Here, I'll take her." I reached down to pick up Evellynn and she stopped crying the second I picked her up.
"Why doesn't she cry for you?" Sylvia frowned.
"Probably because she knows me better..." I didn't mean to sound rude, but I guess it came across that way because she gave me a dirty look.
....
Sylvia stayed for a few hours then she left. She seemed very upset when she left. I wonder why. She said goodbye to us like it was the last time we were going to see her...then started cryin'.
"Darry, I'm going to bathe Evellynn. Can you help me?" I asked. Evellynn spit up on herself a few times when Sylvia was breast feeding her so she needed a bath. Since it was my first time doing it, I asked for help.
"Yeah, I'll be right there."
...
Darry took Evellynn for a moment to show me how to do it right. Evellynn looked at him like " uhh what are you doin'?" He undressed her, she was wearing an adorable greaser type outfit. Baby jeans, baby leather jacket and a small pink tutu. Soda picked it out. I wonder what he will put for her outfit tomorrow. Soda likes to dress her, whenever I try to dress her, I do something wrong or dress her horribly. Soda has more of a fashion sense than I do.
"So just hold her above the water. You gotta make sure you hold her head up right. You keep her above the water at all times. Just to make sure everything goes well, I'll help you the first time. "He held her above the water. I don't think Evellynn liked it. She started to cry.
"Awh babygirl, it's ok." Darry shushed her. "Ponyboy can you squirt a little tiny bit of baby shampoo on her hair. The smallest drop."
"Yeah no problem." I did as he asked and he rubbed her head gently with the dab of shampoo. She still cried, a softer cry though; like she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. Soda came in and smiled.
"Babies first bath." Soda pointed out, rubbing her little cheek with his right thumb. "She is such a cute baby."
"Yeah. Hey Soda can you go find Steve and Twobit and tell them tomorrow I have work, all day and maybe even overnight; so I need them to help Ponyboy baby sit?"
"Sure thing, I have work too so."
"Thanx."
I was a bit scared then. Without Darry and Sodapop? She's so tiny and what if we all mess up? With Darry I felt better if he was there because he would fix something if I didn't know what to do.
...
After the bath Soda put Evellynn down for a nap. I needed some air, so I went on a walk by myself. Darry didn't see me leave, I hope he doesn't get too worried. He seems more worried lately, I don't understand why. He's been eyeing me, making sure everything is ok, which I wouldn't quite mind if it was Sodapop because that's who he is. He's caring and wants to make sure things are alright but Darry being like that... He wasn't like that before; I ain't used to it. It must have been because of that touchy feely moment I had with him that night when I had that nightmare about Johnny... I don't like how I can't get over Johnny or Dally, I know they both were my buddies but why am I having trouble getting over them and no one else is? I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I don't know about a lot of things anymore, I question almost everything now. And I lie to myself that I do know some things...I just don't believe me... If that makes sense.
I kept walking without a plan where to end up, then I heard a car behind me.
"No... Not now." I thought to myself.
"Well well well. Look who we have here." It was a new Socs gang I haven't seen before. I've heard stories about them a little while ago. They almost jumped Sodapop and Steve when they were walking back from a car show. Boys gotta be pretty tough to hurt Sodapop and Steve. Luckily some Greasers were nearby to help them. Darry wasn't there at the time, he was at work. This was way before Evellynn was born but not too much after Johnny and Dally passed.
"Isn't this Poppy's little bro?" One of them said. He was extremely tall and looked like he could kill me with one punch. He was easily taller than Darry, so even if he came to my rescue, I wouldn't know who would walk away hurt. Darry is very tough, he's never got so hurt that he cried and he's never got so hurt that he was scared after. This giant in front of me had a big ring, looked to be very expensive, on his pinky. He cracked his fingers, the sound of it was disgusting.
"Yeah it's little horse boy." One sneered.
"More like horse baby." Another chuckled. Haha like I haven't heard those ones before.
"Look guys, I don't want any trouble." I chirped.
"Well we do." The tall one snapped his fingers. "Louis, Daniel, grab him."
...
Sodapop's POV
"Oh come on Darry, he's fine. He takes walks like this all the time."
"He never just walks out of the house like that. He would tell us."
"Well-"
"Well nothing! Something is wrong, he went alone, and the socs could be jumping him right now as we speak! " Darry was freaking out. He was probably thinking of the time Johnny had been jumped but imagining Ponyboy being the victim. Now I started to think about it. Johnny had it really bad at home, he already had bruises. But from that day he got jumped was the first time I saw him bawlin' and scared to death. He had a natural scared look on his face, like a puppy that had been hit too much. (A lot of people said that) Poor kid, we would have taken him in but Darry had enough to handle with just Ponyboy and me. When those socs jumped him, oh it was terrible. I don't want to think about it anymore.
"You're right, let's go. Twobit and Steve, you gonna be ok staying with Evellynn when we are gone?"
"Actually we-"
"Thanx!"
....
Ponyboy's POV
.........................................................................
Darry's POV
Sodapop and I drove around town looking for Ponyboy. We looked in alleys, the drive-in, we asked around but we still didn't see him anywhere.
"I'm getting really worried Darry." Sodapop's voice cracked in fear.
"Me too little buddy, me too."
We drove around for a half hour, losing hope every minute. If there were five socs fighting him, he could be as bad as Johnny. Two socs, he might be able to fight back and run off. One socs, well he's getting better at fighting. Depends who the socs is, if it's Paul, he wouldn't win; any other, he would win. Wait... is that...
"PONYBOY!!" I yelled out the window.
There were three of them. The "new" socs gang. Louis, Daniel and their leader Andy Treyson. Treyson is just a hood. He should be a greaser because we could use his mussels for some rumbles but he's rich and snobby, he's just a socs. I ran out of my truck, getting ready to fight for Ponyboy.
Ponyboy was held back by the other two guys, Daniel and Louis who Pony wouldn't have a chance of getting away from because they too were stronger. It looked like Ponyboy got smacked around by Treyson a couple of times and maybe even a good punch. Pony looked over at me like "Help, I'm sorry I went walking by myself again." He also looked horrible. I'm guessing before we got here that they beat him up.
"Let go of him." I demanded. Sodapop stayed behind in the truck in case I needed backup but I didn't want him getting near Andy and his gang again because he was close to getting jumped with Steve.
"Oh look, you're older brother Dar bear gonna try to save you. Awh, how cute."
"Just let him go." I cracked my fingers but it didn't seem to scare him away.
"What if we don't?" He stood there with his arms crossed.
"I'll take you out." I sneered.
"Oh really?" He challenged.
"Really." I snapped. He took a swing on me but I ducked just in time. I took a swing on him and I got him right in the nose. His nose started to bleed but he didn't give up. I heard the car door open then Soda came over and tried to help me beat him up. Daniel let go of Ponyboy and punched out Sodapop. Louis didn't even try to hold back Pony, he ran off like a scared little girl. He ain't so tuff. Andy was down, not knocked out but he got a few good hits to the head to get him dizzy.
"Let's go Pony." We walked away like nothing happened. Sodapop's nose was bleeding a bit but nothing serious. We went back home.
When we got home I demanded Ponyboy to sleep the rest of the day because he needed the rest to get better. Ponyboy isn't the type of kid that enjoys to sleep the day away. He enjoys being busy so when I told him that he needed to sleep, he groaned.
"You'll be busy tomorrow so you'll need the rest."
"Fine." He goes to lie down.
"How was Evellynn when we were away?" I asked Steve.
"She did the cutest thing." He smiled.
"What?"
"She grabbed Twobit's finger then shoved it in her mouth." He laughed.
"Yes, very cute."
"It felt weird because she has no teeth so all I felt was her gross slimy gums."
"Well that's what you get for letting her hold your finger." Steve joked; Twobit pushed him playfully. I looked down at Evellynn, she had a small smirk on her face like she was satisfied with herself.
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