When someone is able to pull the gentle side of Darryl to the surface. She has been there for him for years and doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon.
I do not own any of S.E. Hinton's work or characters.
I only own Carolyn Michaels and her storyli...
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Carolyn had just made it to the Curtis house after getting off from her shift at the bar. She had left that morning to work at the dinner and once her shift was done there, she went to the bar for her night shift. She walks through the front door exhausted and ready to drop onto the bed and sleep till the morning light hit her eyes. When she walked in she saw Soda laying on the couch beginning to doze off. Darry was in the chair against the wall under the lamp reading the newspaper, he looked up when she entered, "Welcome home," he says looking around her.
"Thanks, you expecting someone else?" She says with a slight chuckle in her voice as she closed the door behind her.
"Pony isn't home yet," He says with worry etched onto his face.
"Where would he be at this time of night?" she asks walking in and taking her apron off and putting it on the table near the door. Soda rolled over trying to sleep, "sorry soda," she says more quietly rustling his hair. Then walking to the kitchen to make something to eat. While still in the kitchen she heard the door open once more.
"Where the heck have you been? Do you know what time it is?" Darry stood beginning to question ponyboy. Carolyn came out of the kitchen to see the three boys Soda was slowly stirring and beginning to wake up. "Well, it's two in the morning, kiddo. Another hour and I would have had to call the police after you. Where were you Ponyboy? Where in the universe were you?" He questioned getting louder and louder with the sentence.
"I went to sleep in the lot..." Ponyboy said sheepishly not making eye contact with Darrel.
"You what?!" Darry began to shout now no longer able to keep his anger and worry under control.
By this point, Pony was now fully awake and wiping the sleep out of his eyes. "Hey, Ponyboy, where ya been?" Pony says sleep is still present in his voice.
"I didn't mean to, I was talking to Johnny and we both dropped off..." he couldn't finish explaining what happened when Darrel interrupted him.
"I reckon it never occurred to you that your family might be worrying their heads off and afraid to call the police because something like that could get you two boys thrown in a boys' home so quick it'd make your head spin. And you were asleep in the lot? Ponyboy, what on earth is the matter with you?? Can't you use your head? You haven't got a coat on." Darry was pissed. Carolyn stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm to try and calm him even just a little bit. He snatched his arm out of her grasp, waiting for an answer from his younger brother. Carolyn steps back and tries to let him handle his brother the way he has been for years now.
Pony had tears falling down his face his head began to lower in shame, "I didn't mean to..." he continued before being interrupted by Darrel once more.
"I didn't mean to!" Darry shouted, Pony physically jumped in shock at the tone of his brother. "I didn't think! I forgot! That's all I hear out of you! Can't you think of anything?" He continues to yell.
Soda now began to stand from the couch, "Darry..." Soda began to say, but Darry turned quickly to him.
"You keep your trap shut! I'm sick and tired of hearin' you stick up for him," he shouted to Soda Carolyn jumped at the volume his voice reached. He never yelled at Sodapop. Well, that sent Ponyboy off.
"You don't yell at him!" Pony shouted. Darrel wheeled around and slapped Ponyboy so hard that he stumbled back and fell into the door. The room went silent, it seemed as though no one even breathed. No one in the Curtis family had ever laid a hand on someone else except for in a rumble. Soda stood with wide eyes staring at Darry in pure shock. Carolyn's hands had come and cupped over her mouth in shock as it happened.
"Pony..." Darrel says sorrow on his lips. Ponyboy stood and ran out of the house as fast as he could. "Pony I didn't mean to!" Darry shouted trying to get the boy to hear him. Ponyboy just kept running. Darry turned and looked defeated toward Carolyn and Sodapop, "What should I do?" Darrel asks.
Carolyn looked at the door that had slammed shut after Pony ran from the house. "I... I don't know," she said honestly.
"Let him cool off he will come back when he is ready, and then we can talk to him calmly," Soda says running his hands through his hair as he tried to process what had happened. Time stood still as the three of them sat in the living room. No one talked, they just sat and waited. At some point, Soda had gone to his and pony's room. Soon Darryl and Carolyn were asleep in the living room. Darryl is in the chair and Care is on the couch. Before they knew it daylight was shining through the windows as a new day began.
Darryl and Carolyn start to wake up as the sun hits their faces, Carolyn begins to stir before sitting up and getting up off the couch. Darryl begins to stretch his arms out "Did you hear him come home last night?" Darryl asks.
"No," Carolyn says, "I'll go check their room," She then stands and makes her way to Soda and Pony's room to see if he has come home. She knocked gently on the door before she opened the door slowly. Seeing, Soda asleep on the bed, but no sign of Ponyboy. She reached out and gently shook Soda until he woke up, he rolled over with a confused look etched onto his face.
"What's wrong?" Soda mumbles with sleep thick in his voice.
"Did Ponyboy come home last night?" Carolyn asks.
"I didn't hear anything why is he not in the living room?" Soda asks.
"Oh yeah he is in the living room I'm just wasting my breath. No, he didn't," Carolyn says looking at Soda with a stern and annoyed look. She then leaves the room followed closely by Soda they enter the living room to see Darryl with fear in his eyes.
"I'm sure he just went back to the lot with Jhonny and went into school early this morning," Soda says running his hand through his hair.
"Look I have the day off, you two get ready for work and I'll look around and see if I can find anyone who may have seen him last night. The two brothers nodded and agreed before going to get ready for work. Carolyn went to start making breakfast and then to get dressed to go and find any information about Pony's whereabouts. Before they knew it, the day was over and there was no sign of where Pony could be. There was a soc who ended up dead and there were signs of a fight and the Curtis family didn't know if their family had been involved. For all, they knew Jhonny or Ponyboy could be hurt or worse. So they had to find them both sooner rather than later. ________________________________________________________________________________
Word count: 1232
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