Chapter 11 - When Sickness Comes

After everything that happened I guess Ponyboy couldn’t take anymore of it because he just went out like a stone. He was out for a whole week!!! that’s a long time if you ask me I know he was stressed but a WHOLE WEEK! But he eventually came to and the first person I think he really recognized talking to him was Randy I thought he was apologising but I couldn’t be sure I came over and talked to Randy and told him about the court tomorrow and other things like that but eventually I he left and when he did I went in and told Ponyboy the whole thing and explained to him how he was asking for mom, dad, Soda and me while he was out which he found odd and I don’t think he actually believed me then I told him that the entire time he was complaining about th horrible taste of bologna and that made him laugh quite a bit. Although I had thought that Randy had left he apparently hadn’t he came in and asked me to leave I reluctantly agreed and I guess he must have mentioned that Johnny was dead and he had killed bob because Ponyboy freaked out and kept denying everything so I asked him to leave he did and I walked away from it.

Chapter 12 - Ponyboy's Losin' It

The court was just as i had expected it to be Ponyboy got off easy they just asked him how i was as a guardian which he said i was good which was definitely a good thing. He asked everyone else all about the murdering and everything that had happened recently, when i was asked i said "As far as I know what Ponyboy and Johnny did was spur of the moment and in complete self defense." After that the judge asked me if i thought i did a good job in taking care of Soda and Ponyboy i said "I think i do they never really get into trouble just a little while ago and everything i do i do for them." After a few more people than me went he called the case closed and that was it afterwards we went home.

After a few days of being home i began to notice Poyboy had changed, he was doing progressively worse in school and forgetting stuff every where i mean how do you forget your shoes?! Then he told me that he had a term paper to do and even though his work had earned him a failing grade under the circumstances if he did well on this he would let him pass the class with a C. I pestered him to work all the time but he just never got into it then on the night the paper was do Ponyboy spent like 6 hours in his room and afterwards he came out with a little book and told me it was his paper and wanted me to check it over I read it and it was absolutely everything that had happened in the last while and how he felt. It explained a lot about how he had been feeling about everything the last little while and it gave me a whole new understanding of my little brother the next morning i handed the book back to him and said "This will get you that C i can guarantee it Ponyboy."

Chapter 10 - Ponyboy's Stupidity

Well we were sitting on the couch after a while Ponyboy made it home and he looked not very good we all stood up and all Ponyboy could manage to say was "He's dead, Johnny's DEAD!" we all looked at him mystified i guess none of us really knew what to say, i mean I knew Johnny wasn't doing to well but i didn't think he was in range of death or any thing close to that for that matter i thought he would live just be paralyzed. It looked like Ponyboy was taking this pretty hard. Then he told us that Dally had left i wondered if he would eventually lose it i guess this was all it took. Then the phone began to ring i went and picked it up it was Dally he robbed a grocery store and wanted us to come and help him we would be there in the vacant lot i told everybody here at we started off at a brisk run. We got there just as Dally got there being chased by the police, the instant i saw the scene i knew what was going to happen. The police had Dally surrounded with guns out the were about to arrest him then he pulled out his empty gun the police shot him, he bounced around from the bullets for a bit then just fell. I noticed Steve started too fall but Soda caught him then in another few seconds Ponybioy started to fall down it looked like he was out cold Two-Bit caught him before he hit the ground and Steve said "GLORY LOOK AT THE KID!!! I hoped it was nothing too too serious.

Chapter 9 - Time for a fight

When i got home from work Ponyboy and Two-Bit weren't back yet but that was alright because then I could make supper, some nice baked chicken i made two because we all eat like horses and could eat that much easily. At around 6:30 Ponyboy came home and we sat down and ate some chicken he barely ate anything so i knew something was wrong so now i had to keep him out of the fight, he went to go and take a shower we always got spruced up before a rumble i already had i just had to change clothes which i figured i should go do now. I would put on a nice tight black t-shirt that should be good for the rumble. When i came out of my room i saw that Soda and Steve were playing cards and blaring the music super loud. Ponyboy cam out and started asking people about whether or not they liked to fight. When he asked me i wasn't sure what to say but Soda piped up "He likes to show off his muscles" this was true but i wasn't going to say it "I'll show 'em off to you in a minute little buddy, if you get any mouthier" then Soda ran to the door and did a flip out the door, i chased him to the door and did a flip away. Then everybody else followed doing some sort of acrobatics then we walked to where the rumble was set.

When we got to the rumble place Shepards gang and Bromly's gang were there waiting for us all the other people here looked so weak i figured i was probably the strongest guy there so when Shepard called me over and asked me to start the rumble i wasn't surprised at all. The Soc's got there they came in 5 cars there was about 22 of them and around 20 of us so we were pretty well even i went up and said "Come on all take any of you BRING IT!" then my old friend, Paul, stepped up and i knew we could fight on almost even grounds it wold be a bit of a challenge. He started towards me and the next thing i knew it was an all out fight and we were in heated battle i loved it. he tried to get me with a punch from the right i parried and gave him a hard blow to the ribs i knew it must have broken a rib or two it took him down though and that was good enough for me i looked around for Ponyboy and saw he was fighting someone small but they had the upper hand so i came over picked him up and punched him so hard he went sprawling along the ground by then Paul was back up from the ground and ready for a fight so we resumed fighting, through some miraculous thing we won and the Soc's started to leave. I saw Dally who must have gotten there after the fight began grab Ponyboy and put him in the car, so i figured they were going to the hospital to see Johnny. I found out where Soda Steve and Two-Bit were and we all started to walk back toward our place then we sat there and started joking around a bit.

Chapter 8 - Preparing For The Rumble

Work that day was pretty easy i did't do to much work i wanted to save all of my energy for the big rumble tonight, against the Soc's. I hope Ponyboy's okay, I don't really think he should fight tonight he never uses his head and this is an important fight there will be no mercy he could get li9ke a concussion or something. I have to stop him from going to that fight but i think Soda will try and get him to fight and we could use everybody we can get in the rumble and Dally's already gone same with Johnny. Maybe i shouldn't have trusted Two-Bit to take care of Ponyboy they'll probably end up getting into trouble for something or another. I hope he's alright i'll just have to finish work quickly so i can get home fast and take Ponyboy from Two-Bit so he doesn't get him arrested that would be really bad.

Chapter 7 - The Family's Back Together

After we got to the hospital and met up with Ponyboy the reporters came Soda was obviously having fun he kept stealing things and messing with the cops and reporters but eventually even he got bored of the reporters and cops. I sat down and in a little while i felt Soda put his head in my lap and soon he dozed off.


In a little while the reporters did leave along with everyone else it was very quiet when they left I looked down at Soda and said to Ponyboy

"He didn't get much sleep this week." I said softly "he didn't get much sleep at all"

"Neither did you" Soda said Quietly

get some news on Johnny and Dallas for a while but nurses wouldn't tell us a thing so eventually i managed to get a hold of the doctor we asked him how Johnny and Dally were doing. we found out that Johnny's back had been broken when a piece of timber had fallen on him and if he survived he would be paralyzed for life!!! I put an arm across Ponyboy's shoulder. I could tell this was hurting him a lot it looked like he was going to cry soon. Soda looked unhappy it was hitting him hard too. so i said

"come on lets go home guys" i said softly to Ponyboy and Soda. On the way home Ponyboy fell asleep in the car we tried to tell him to get up but i was tired and he wasn't moving so i picked him up and brought him into the house myself then i went to sleep in my own bed.





i woke up the next morning and i guess two-bit and Steve had come over because i heard Steve say "Hey wheres Soda and Superman" so i came in picked him up off the floor and dropped him on the couch. then soda ran in asking about where his clothes were i said "there in my closet hurry or you'll be late for work" then he ran off to go get dressed as i started to search for chocolate cake.





Then Ponyboy said " I had that dream again Darry" I couldn't believe not that dream again "What?!" i turned quickly on him "Was it that bad?" two-bit questioned "no" Ponyboy replied but i knew he was lying. I was going to say something but Soda and Steve walked inside. and Soda said he was gonna throw a big party but i knew he had not enough money " and where you gonna get the money little man?" i asked sarcastically "i'll think of something" Sodapop replied in between bites of chocolate cake then stupidly enough Ponyboy said " are you going to take Sandy to the party?" apparentaly he didn't know about Sandy not wanting to marry Soda nobody wanted to say anything about that and there was a heavy silence so i broke it and said "we'd better get to work Pepsi-Cola" calling Sodapop by our Dad's nickname

"I hate to leave you by yourself today Ponyboy" i said "don't worry i'll be fine by myself" he replied ok but if you smoke more than a pack of cigarrettes today i'm going to skin you" i exclaimed "Ok Ok but if you carry more than a pack of roofing at a time today me and Soda will skin you" he said then me and Soda went out the door and Soda started to drive off to work.

Chapter 5 - I wish they would just come back already!!!

its been two days and there has been no word from Dally about Ponyboy or Johnny I thought while i was sitting at home on the couch. Luckily Sodapop came in from talking to Dally, " is there any news about them?" i questioned "No sadly" he responded "but Dally said he's going to go and visit them tomorrow and he said i could write a letter to them" he finished "Really?! then we should tell him to come back!!!!!" i practically screamed " No we can only just say hi to him and explain what's been going on lately and nothing more!!!" Soda shouted at me "And you can't say anything" he added quickly to the end "what?! why not?! that's horrible!" i was screaming very loudly now. "I never told Dally that i told you and i don't want you to tell them to come back or anything" Soda said grimly "Fine i can see your reasoning" i said bitterly.

In the next few days I waited very impatiently for word about Ponyboy and Johnny but as I was walking home i saw two-bit getting jumped and i went to help but apparently Dally had seen it at the same time as well because he came at the same time as me and we destroyed those Soc fools.

A little while after Two-Bit and Dally came over to our house and Dally told us that the Soc broad was helping us out now and there would be a rumble with Soc's in a while and according to Cherry Valance (the soc who was helping us) the Soc's weren't going to use weapons and would fight our style with no weapons.