“I hope that’s not an ace I see sliding up your sock, Curtis. I’ll have to beat the tar out of you if it is,” Steve growled, laying his cards down and smiling triumphantly as Soda slowly slid his hand back up to the table innocently. He flashed Steve a sheepish grin and laid down his own stack, mentally cursing himself for not being stealthier. Steve snorted at the pathetic line of cards Soda presented with him and proceeded to clean up the pile of cigarettes in the middle of the table. “I win again, buddy. Got anymore cigarettes to bet, or are we going to Pepsi now?” Steve said.
“Naw, I’m done here Steve. I’m tired of losing. Play with Two-Bit if you want, but I’m beat,” Soda said, staggering up and into the kitchen for a slice of cake.
“Literally,” Steve snorted, smirking at Two-Bit invitingly until he finally sat down and the cards were dealt again. Soda munched on his cake, laying across the beat-up couch and flicked through the limited channels, but gave up, content to sit in silence save the frantic hisses emitting from the card game every so often. In fact, the card game was really blazing by the time Darry walked through the door, looking exhausted and not in the mood for any of the guys’ antics tonight. Sodapop read him loud and clear, the way his shoulders slumped in a defeated way and the slight droop to his eyelids.
“You okay Dar?” Soda asked, standing up suddenly and putting his plate down on the coffee table after brushing off some cigarettes and a magazine to make room.
“Yeah, tough day at work. Gonna go take a shower. Don’t let those boneheads spill any on the carpet.”
Soda looked over, puzzled, to see Two-Bit and Steve balancing beer cans on their chins and unsuccessfully trying to exchange dirty remarks to set the other off balance. He turned back to talk to Darry, but he had already gone, and Soda could hear the shower running in the next room, so instead he took the beers from Steve and Two-Bit much to their dismay and put them back in the fridge.
“You guys seen Pony?” Soda asked.
“Went to the Nightly Double with some friends, I think,” Two-Bit grunted, now partaking in an arm wrestling contest.
“Friends? Didn’t think the kid had a social life apart from us.” Steve grinned as Soda slapped him a good one on the back of his head, causing his hand to slam painfully against the table, rattling the plates and junk set down on its surface.
“Aw, Soda! Man, what was that for!” Steve yelped, trying to shield his cigarettes from Two-Bit’s prying fingers.
“For badmouthin’ my kid brother,” Soda replied, grinning at his buddy despite himself. Steve just rubbed his hand and ruefully let Two-Bit collect his winnings. Sodapop left the two laying around the floor and headed into his and Pony’s room to clean up. Darry sure looked exhausted and was liable to have a heart attack if he ever saw their room. He hummed contentedly to himself as he picked up piles of clothing and lazily tossed them into the hamper across the room, enjoying the cool, summer breeze drifting in through the open window. He came across his favorite DX sweatshirt that he had given Pony with the sleeves cut off. He stopped whistling and frowned, looking closer at a gash near the collar, the area around the rip stained crimson. Shakily, he lifted his head up at the open window and down at the sweatshirt. He dropped the sweatshirt and ran into the front room, sweeping his gaze over the two boys still lying on the floor, watching the TV Soda had carelessly left on.
“Two-Bit, what was Pony wearing when he went out?” Soda asked, clearing his throat so he wouldn’t scare them.
“Clothes,” Two-Bit grunted, shifting his head from his left fist to his right.
