The Outsiders: Dally's little sister

Thanksgiving

SOPHIE'S P.O.V.

The day after the race was filled with checking on cuts and re-bandaging injuries. We all stayed in the Curtis house that day, the whole gang. Soda couldn't cook because he was running a low fever and had to stay in bed, so Two-Bit took a turn trying to cook. I could just tell from the sour, burnt smell that filled the house, that he wasn't going to be cooking again any time soon. I spent the day sitting on the couch playing cards and watching cartoons with the gang. I had the occasional pain here and there, but I was tough and I could handle it. Darry smelled Two-Bit's cooking from upstairs, and coming running down. When he saw Two in the kitchen, he didn't need any explanation. He kicked Two-Bit out of the kitchen, so he came over to play cards with Steve, Pony, Johnny and I. Dally sat on the front porch smoking a cig. Darry opened all the doors and windows to air the place out, and eventually, it did stop smelling. 

It stormed that whole day, and then around eight at night, the power went out. We found candles and flashlights and continued to play our card games. Not wanting to go home in the rain, everyone spent another night in the same place they did last time. Except this time, Johnny, Dally and Darry actually went to sleep.

I was feeling a lot better by the end of that day, and even better knowing that the next day was Thanksgiving. I was pretty excited for Thanksgiving because I've never really had a real one in my life. I also called Mason that day and tried to talk to him as little as possible. I cancelled our plans to go to the fair and told him not to call me anymore. That was all I said. I almost got sick talking to him. Sodapop's feeling better too. He's even up and walking normal. He had a cast on his arm and noticeable stitches in his face, but he sure acted like nothing was wrong in the world. I had trouble sleeping that night, but mostly because of being excited for the days to come. 

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When I woke up, the rest of the gang was stirring, but no one awake. I heard noise coming from the kitchen, but besides that, it was silent. It was colder than I ever felt it in here. I shivered timidly and sat up. I looked around to see everyone else was shivering in their sleep. I got up and maneuvered around everyone who was lying on the ground and beside the couch. I tiptoed into the kitchen and saw Darry sitting at the table. He had his head in his hands and was surrounded by papers and envelopes. I took another step forward and it creaked a floorboard. Darry quickly looked up at me, and in a panic, tried to hide the papers. When he saw I wasn't buying it, he sighed and put his head back in his hands. I walked over closer to him and looked at the papers. They were bills, and lots of em.

 "Sophie what am I gonna do?" He asked sadly, keeping his head buried in his hands making his voice muffled. I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn't really know what I was gonna say. Darry spoke again before I could speak. "I-I can't pay these." He lifted his head. "The heat was turned off this morning and I don't even have enough to get it back on." His voice was cracky and weak. I'd never seen any part of Darry be weak, I'd never seen any sort of weakness, but he looked broken, not the Darry I know.

His face looked tired and weary. I'd never really looked at Darry as anything other than the parent of the group, but in that moment I saw him as just the kid he was. He was only twenty. But he looked so old, so weighted, so burdened. His eyes were red like a baby's after crying for a little while, though he hadn't been crying. Even though he was a kid and occasionally you could see through his tuff act, and see he was still young and full of hope, his eyes looked older than only twenty. They looked wise and all-knowing, that's why we look to him for advice and guidance. I mean, Two-Bit was only two years younger than him, but it seemed like do many more than that. "Dar-" I started, but then I cut myself off. I didn't want to say the wrong thing. "I'll move in with Dally," I blurted. "over at Buck's."