SODA POV
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"Soda we haven't had business hardly at all today. No girls. No cars. No sales."
I sighed, rolling my eyes jokingly at my best friend.
"School is in, Steve. Most people actually go to school. Yanno' like regular teenagers."
"Shoot, I do go to school."
"Maybe...Once every other month."
Steve chuckled a bit, punching me on the arm in a playful manner. I like hanging around at work, It's hard to be light-hearted at home with everything going on. I feel like I can hardly hold my happiness before It slips between my fingers and down the drain. Darry has done a good job of holding both me and Ponyboy steady as he struggled himself. I applaud him for that. I can't imagine working, paying, and taking care of your younger brothers, all at the same time. Especially Ponyboy. I love him a lot, but I feel like he cant ever get his head screwed on tight. He takes too many risks, and it hurts him.
"Hey, buddy," I turn around to face Steve. He is messing around with some tools in his hands.
"Yeah, Soda?"
I took a deep breath and stood closer to him. I had a question that has been sitting on my chest for a while. "Do you think Ponyboy trusts me?"
Steve gives me a look I can't read, before placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Of course he does Soda. You're his big brother. I know I'm not a huge fan of the kid, but I know that he looks up to you like some idol."
I force a smile, looking down at the ground between the both of us. My shoes all scuffed up and dirty from wearing the same ones for over a year.
"I just feel like maybe he thinks he can't tell me what's going on."
"Do you think there is something going on? Something to worry-"
"Lordy, I don't know!" I say suddenly, hiding my face in my hands. "I don't know what it is but something's off. I can feel it. The way he walked out this morning, how he acted after Johnny- after that night."
Steve wraps an arm around my shoulders, allowing me to rest my head in the crook of his neck. The gesture was reassuring. A/N I love their friendship.
"I have no doubt in my mind that Ponyboy would come running to you if he had a problem. He trusts you just that much, buddy."
I lift my head up off Steve, wiping a hand over my face. "You think so?"
"Kid, I know so." He smiled at me, giving a final pat on the back, before walking over to our station and packing up tools. "I know you just that much. I know you enough that I have to remind you to put shoes on every day before work so you don't forget em'"
"Thanks, Steve."
After our talk, work seemed to drag on with little to no business. Only one guy came around to get his car filled with gas and washed off. That was about it.
So we sat, messing around and playing games on our stools, hoping for some action.
"We gotta stop," I laugh, "We gon' get ourselves in trouble."
Steve waves a hand to the air, dismissively. "Ain't worried about any of that."
I let out a deep breath, and stretch as I get up from my stool to clean up.
"I'm going to make sure the station isn't a mess."
Steve got up following behind me.
"We don't HAVE to clean up."
I threw him a glower, before gathering our garbage, and heading around the store to throw them out.
"Stop being a bum and help me."
we worked together to pick the trash up, and cleaning of our table from the leaked Pepsi I spilled earlier.
"Take the bottle."
"No, you take it."
We fought over the garbage, tossing it back and forth, eventually playing around with it.
When Steve abruptly stopped, I got worried.
"Hey Soda," Steve tapped me on the shoulder.
"Yes?"
"Isn't Ponyboy supposed to be in school?"
I gave him a weird look, racking my brain. "Yes?"
"What's he doing over here then."
Steve pointed to Ponyboy who appeared to be sprinting towards us, with a glassy look in his eyes.
What was Pony doing here? He's supposed to be in school?
I dropped the Pepsi bottle, jogging towards him as he approached us.
Was my baby brother ditching?
"Hey, Ponyboy." I smile as I approach him. Immediately I see red flags, but I ignore them. I'm just being overly cautious.
"Did you run here? Arent, you supposed to be in school?" I ask, knowing Darry won't be so happy about this.
When Pony doesn't answer, Steve steps in behind me.
"I bet the little twerp is ditching." He scoffs.
I glare at Steve, turning my attention back to Pony. I was getting worried about his lack of personality. It's like he was hardly here.
"I- Was..."
"Ponyboy, are you alright?" I ask, walking towards him.
He didn't answer. His eyes were growing droopier by the second. "Pony-"
It all happened so fast. He was falling like lead onto the ground. Steve and I both lunged forward, I was successful in grabbing him. I held him towards my chest as I pushed the hair out of his face resting a hand on his forehead. He's burning hot.
Did he have a fever?
"Steve," I shout frantically "Go call Darry. Pony has a fever."
With that, Steve took off into the gas station store to call.
Darry POV
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I was busy workin' when I heard my manager call me over. At first, I didn't think much of it until I heard what he had to say.
"I got a call from Steve Randle." My manager says with a gruff expression.
I sigh loudly, wondering what sort of prank him and Soda played in my workplace. Immediately I started apologizing for the behavior.
"I'm so sorry about that. I don't know why-"
"I assure you it's no problem." He says, calmly. I'm surprised at just that, so I zip my mouth.
"I'm letting you off early. He told me your little brother has come down with a bad fever."
"Soda?" I ask, concerned.
Of course, I was worried about Soda, but I knew he could take care of himself.
"He didn't specify." He replied.
Without much more I headed home in my truck to the house. When I got there I could see Steve had pulled into the driveway.
I walked in, half expecting to see Soda on the couch resting, but what I saw was worse.
Soda and Steve were leaned over the couch talking frantically to each other.
"Soda? Steve? What in the world is-?"
"Darry come here!" Soda replied. His voice was high and shakey.
"What's the mat- Oh lordy."
It was Ponyboy. Of course. I should have known from this morning when he walked out in his pajamas. He didn't look too hot either.
"He has a fever, and passed out."
"Again?"
"I guess so." Soda took a shakey, deep breath.
"I'm sorry I called you, Dar' I just didn't know what to do."
I hugged Soda, patting his sweaty. matted hair. "Its okay little buddy. We can fix this. Could you get me the thermometer?"
Soda nodded, pulling Steve up with him and down the hallway.
I kept my eyes trained on Ponyboy. He was sweating and was practically bright red.
What had I done? I should pay closer attention to him.... because I didn't, he was now unconscious on the couch.
Soda and Steve came back in with a thermometer, and a bag of frozen peas Steve placed the makeshift ice on the younger greasers head, then sat back on the floor to watch.
"His temperature reads 103⁰," I say with a sigh.
"That's really hot. We have to cool him down."
Soda looked up at me with a sad expression.
"How do we do that?"
"Keeping this on him." I pointed to the frozen peas. "Take his shirt off, will ya?"
Soda did just that with Steve's help, undressing our younger brother then laying him back gently on the couch.
"What do we do now?"
I shook my head, looking at an unconscious Ponyboy. He looked so small in the couch cushions.
"We wait and make sure it doesn't go up."
We all looked at Ponyboy who groaned even in an unconscious state.
What were we going to do.
Dally POV
_______
I hadn't stopped thinking about what the kid said the other night. About the dream.
It was weird how we had the same one. It felt so real.
I shook off the thought, dragging on my weed in between my fingers. It felt good to be out here alone, in my own thoughts. This is something I would do with Johnny if he was here. I missed him. I really did. But I had more important matters to worry about.
When Buck stepped outside, kicking me gently on the back I was suddenly aware of the world around me.
"Fiery, huh?" I hissed, as Buck watched me get to my feet. I was now eye level with him.
"Sure." He snarked "I just got news from, Tim." He said with a grunt in his voice.
Tim?
"Tim Sheppard?"
"Yeah," Buck snorts "Weird guy."
I shrug, taking another drag.
"What about him?"
"Yeah, well he tells me something had been up with the socs."
I roll my eyes.
"What's new?"
"Something about another rumble."
it was unlike the socs to call a rumble for no reason. I hadn't heard of anything big going on, and I normally hear everything. That is if I'm not in the cooler.
"What for? They just need someone to let all their childhood drama frustration onto?"
Buck smiled at me slightly, before it dropped.
"No. New guy. His name is Kyle. He's got a problem with a close friend of yours he says."
"Close friend?" I chuckle "I don't have those."
"Apparently you do. Heard of a Ponyboy?"
I froze. Dropping my stick and crushing it beneath my heel. The flame goes out immediately leaving a dark mark behind.
"I happened to." I reply "What's the news on that?"
Dun Dun Dun