Ashley Curtis... Ponyboy's sister...

Darrel is Satan - chapter 67

At the lot, Ponyboy, Johnny, and I laid down and talked.

"Hey, Pony?" I asked. "How do ya feel 'bout Cherry? Ya upset?"

Pony shook his head. "Nah. It's not her fault. Bob's a jerk."

I nodded, looking down the the road. "Hey, Pony?... Do you you ever wish we could just get out of here?"

Pony nodded. Johnny looked up at me. "Yeah." he said. "I can't stand this town... The rivalries... The rumbles... The fighting..." Johnny looked back down. "... My parents..."

I put my arm around Johnny. "Ay, don't worry, Johnnycakes. The three of us'll be outta here someday."

He smiled. "I know... " he frowned. "Pony, Ashley,... What's it like to have parents?... Like, a mom and dad who actually care 'bout ya?"

Pony chuckled softly. "It feels nice, Johnny... But it always hurts to loose someone..."

I nodded. Pony began talking about our parents. I felt a warm tear go down the left side of my face. I stood up. "Pony, I'm headin' home. Come home when you want, but not too late. Okay?"

Ponyboy nodded, continuing to describing our parents to Johnny.

At home, I watched TV with Sodapop. After a while, Soda fell asleep. Darry was still awake, though. He was waiting for Ponyboy to get home. It was getting real late.

Then, the door creaked open. My head swiveled around to see Pony standing there. Darry shot up to a standing position. "Where have you been?!" he said.

I patted Darrel's back. "Calm down, Darrel." I said. "He's fine."

Sodapop woke up, groggily. "Hey, Pony. Where ya been?"

Ponyboy looked at his right shoe. "Fell asleep at the lot."

"You WHAT?!" Darry screamed.

"I didn't mean to!" Pony said, defensively. "I was talking to Johnny and I fell asleep."

"Pony, I can't even call the cops because you two would be put in a boys' home and Ash in a girls' so fast it would make your heads spin!"

"Come on, Pony." Sodapop cut in. "Let's go to bed now. "

I nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

Pony ignored us. "Look, I said I didn't mean to!"

Darry was pissed. "'I didn't mean to', 'I forgot'. That's all I ever hear from you!" He screamed in Ponyboy's face.

"Come on, Darry..." I said, trying to calm him down.

"YOU SHUT UP!" he yelled at me. "I'M SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING YOU STICK UP FOR HIM! YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Don't you yell at her!!!" Pony yelled back, sticking up for me.

Darry swung his hand, leaving a huge red mark on his left cheek. I gasped in horror. He hit Ponyboy! "Ponyboy, I didn't mean to." he pleaded, realizing what he did.

Pony ran out the door, crying.

Darry and Soda went to chase after him. Angry, I pushed Darrel into Sodapop and screamed at the top of my lungs, loud enough for all of Tulsa to hear, "You monster! Get away from him!!!"

Crying myself, I chased after my younger brother, slowly gaining on him as he made his way back to the lot.