Inside of the Outsider (Inspired by 'The Outsider')

Chapter 6

When Darry came home, I'd finished the baked chicken. I'd forgotten that I had baking soda residue on my face as I came through the kitchen.

"Hey, mama." he said as he gave me a hug.

"Hey, ew! Go take a shower before Soda uses all of the hot water."

 "OK, but stay here."

 "Right here?"

 "Yes."

 "OK."

 As he shut the door, Soda and Pony had hurriedly set the table with a cloth we never used and candles. Soda had grabbed Dad's old robe and Pony grabbed the pail of hot water. Darry had opened the door and I was still in the spot Darry had told me to be in. He came out and stopped in front of me. I winked at Soda behind Darry and we said, "Happy birthday."

 Soda hummed and put Dad's robe on Darry and sat him in the armchair with the pail of water in front of him. He sat his feet in the pail and sighed in relieve.

"Why is there backing soda on your faces?" he asked.

"Me, Pony, and Soda had a lil' fight."

He looked around the house, and it was spotless. Sparkling and all. I made plates of food for us and we ate.

"We think you work too hard, so we came up with the idea." I explained.

Two-Bit and Steve came in with a football and some soda pops.

"You guys ready?" Steve said.

 "What's up with Superman?" Two-Bit said.

 "Superman's taking a break from being Superman and spending his time being our brother." I spoke softly.

 "Well, y'all comin' or what?" Soda asked.

 "Yeah." Pony said.

They left the house hooping and hollering.

"You takin' care of Pony like I asked?" he blurted.

 I stopped almost dropping my plate and said "Yes. He's takin' care of me more than I am takin' care of him."

He looked at me with genuine fear on his face. The same one his gives Pony when he tells Darry about his dreams.

 "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Pony knows. I don't know how but he wants and needs to take care of me. If it's about my body or mind I don't know. He knows when I'm in pain, but I try to pull it off and he can see the pain behind my smile."

 "He gets overprotective because you're like mom. You are the only thing he- we have left as close to family. I think he's so sad and alone, his mind is still in shock that he's gonna take care of you like you're dyin' in front of him."

 "Does he do that often?"

 "Sometimes, but don't worry about it and go play or do somethin'."

 "OK."

 I sat on the porch watching the guys play thinking of mom and dad. Mom would make up the best bed time stories in the world, no one like Robert Frost couldn't even think of. It made me believe that I could do anything if I set my mind to it...

"Pony?"

 I asked when we were going to bed.

"Yeah?" he yawned.

"Do you remember the stories mom would tell us?"

"Yeah, I liked the one about the brave Indian and the Cowboy. It reminded me of Johnny and me." "Mine was about the star that wouldn't shine. She would tell me to close my eyes and I could hear her voice say: 'A new star was born years ago. Before people riding dinosaurs or big birds. The star would play with his star friends all day and night. One star pointed out that the new star wasn't shinning bright like the other stars. The little star was embarrassed, so he decided to wait and wait a long time. It took that little star one thousand years to glow and he was brighter than all of the stars for miles. Than his city of stars called him the Northern Star.'"