ITS ABOUT TIME ➤ Ponyboy Curtis

21

𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚊 𝙳𝚊𝚠𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚠𝚜
    ♫ - "Beautiful Child " by Fleetwood Mac

"Wake up, Pone. It's your birthday." I shook Ponyboy's shoulders, rocking him back in forth as he slept peacefully. Pony continued to snore—he was a heavy sleeper— so I laid facing him for a moment to reminice the day before.
Ponyboy and I made up from our fight. It was such a relief—I felt like I had a drug withdrawal when I wasnt with him. The whole night was filled with laughter caused by Two-Bit's jokes and stupid comments by Steve and Dal. Being with the gang again was so nice. As corny as it sounds, they were my family. Near the end of the night Ponyboy and I went to his room and talked for a while.
When we sat down and spoke for the first time in a few days, it felt like the world's clearest water rushed over me and washed off any feeling of sadness. It felt like I became myself again. It's so strange how some people make you who you are.
We fell asleep while talking to each other. I woke up with Ponys head in the crook of my neck. I had to pry his arms off me so I could shake him awake.
I stood on my knees and pulled the covers off his body. "C'mon, wakey wakey! You're sixteen today, wake up!"
Ponyboy's eyes fluttered opened. A goofy smile appeared on his face when he saw me. He pulled me towards him and into his strong grasp. "Quit bugging me, will ya?" He muttered in a raspy morning tone.
I settled into his arms. "It's your birthday, Pone." I reached behind me to ruffle his hair.
Ponyboy reached down to pull the covers back on to us. "Just stay with me and sleep in." His body engulfed mine and he pulled me closer. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't blushing like crazy.
The feeling of his body pressed against mine and his breath glide across my skin was heaven. With Pony's strong arms wrapped around my hips, his fingers brushing my skin, and his head burrowed into my neck, I couldn't have been more happy. Ponyboy did things to me and my body. I had never felt like that before. It wasn't hard for me to fall right back to sleep when Ponyboy was that close to me.
But before I knew it, I was being shaken awake by Sodapop. "Good morning you two! We have a birthday to celebrate!" He cheered and lifted Ponyboy off the bed like a child.
"Put me down Soda!" Pony yelled, but Soda didn't listen. He swung him around until Pony broke from his grasp.
Ponyboy was hiding a smile as he shoved Soda in the shoulder. "Can't a guy sleep around here?"
I jumped out of bed. "Not when it's your birthday!" I was about to jump onto Ponyboy's back but he quickly turned around and tackled me onto the bed. I burst into a fit of laugher as he began tickling my stomach. I struggled to move from the amount I was laughing, but I managed to reach up to Pony's neck and tickle him under the chin. "Georgie!" Ponyboy cackled. "Stop that!"
"No, you stop!" I said in between laughs.
Ponyboy picked me up off the bed and flung me over his shoulder.
"Happy Birthday little buddy." Darry gave Pony a pat on the back and ruffled my hair once we walked into the kitchen. "I'm making pancakes."
Ponyboy plopped me into my chair and Darry placed a stack of pancakes in front of me. Pony sat down next to me and Darry gave him the same amount.
"Darry, I think you're forgetting I'm not a hungry, growing, teenage boy." I stared at the mile high mound of pancakes in front me. "I won't be able to finish this."
Ponyboy had already started eating. "I will!" He said with his mouth full and grabbed half of my stack. I watched as he soaked them with maple syrup and built a tower of whipped cream on top. I would never get used to how much these boys ate.
The front screen door slapped against the wall and Two-Bit came tumbling in with Steve behind him. They came running into the kitchen. "Oh lord, you must've grown ten feet in your sleep!" Two-Bit cheered and sauntered up to Ponyboy. He picked Pony up by his upper arms and swung him around. He tossed him to Steve, who gave Pony a playful slap on the back and shoved him across the room.
Pony grumbled under his breath as he returned to his seat, "What's with it with you guys always picking me up?"
Two-Bit grabbed one of my pancakes and sat down beside me. "Must been a year since I saw you last, huh Ponyboy? What are you now 23? 25?"
"Actually 32." Ponyboy scoffed and bit off a huge chunk of the pancake he was eating (with his hands, might I add).
"Should've gotten you a bottle of liquor for your birthday then, huh?" Steve scoffed.
"You guys shouldn't have gotten me anything, I didn't you guys to spend anything on me."
Two-Bit grabbed another Pancake off my plate. Annoyed, I shoved my plate to Two-Bit—I wasn't hungry anyway.
"Believe me, Ponyboy, I didn't get you anything." Steve helped himself to my, now Two-Bit's, pancakes.
Ponyboy glared at him and continued to scarf down his pancakes.
Sodapop sat down next to Ponyboy and ruffled his hair. "We're taking you to Dairy Queen as our gift."
Ponyboy smiled. "When's Johnny and Dal getting here? Are we still playing a game of football at the lot?"
Darry took a sip of his straight black coffee. "Whatever you want, Ponyboy. It's your birthday." He sat down beside Sodapop.
"Johnnycakes said that him and Dally are gonna meet us down at the lot." Two-Bit's mouth was stuffed with food, I could barely understand him.
"I'll go get dressed while you guys finished eating." I stood from my seat and started towards the door. I went back to my house because I didn't bring any clothes to change into.
By the time I had brushed my teeth, did my hair, and got dressed, the boys were already waiting outside the front door. We started our walk to the lot and me and Pony kept behind.
"I got you a present for your birthday."
Pony looked at me with disapproval. "Georgie, I told you I didn't want anything."
I laughed at the face he was making—Pony's eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was agape. "I know, I know. I just saw it at the store and had to get it for you."
"Well how much was it?" Ponyboy sternly asked. He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops to seek more authoritative.
I waved him off. "Relax, Pony. It was only a dollar fifty."
Ponyboy huffed. He was acting mad but I could tell he was trying to guess at what I got him. I laughed under my breath. He was cute.