The Outsiders: Continued

Chapter 3

A skinny woman answered the door. She was smiling till she saw me. I guess the pictures on the newspaper went to her doorstep. She backed up instantly. "You.." She hissed, and I held up my empty hands. She looked at me as if she could kill me any second anyways.
"I just want to talk to you," I said, slowly putting my hands down to my sides. She looked as she would say no, but I went in anyways. Her house was nice.
There was a Christmas tree up, with ornaments all over it. Her hallway halls had pictures of Bob and another teenage looking boy on all of them. I sat on a small white couch, and she went to get her husband and the teenage boy. I guessed it was Bob's brother.
"My names Ponyboy," I said politely as the three of them sat down. Maybe I should've came with Soda and Darry. "I wanted to ask if you all heard the whole story."
"We heard parts of it," the dad said slowly, looking down. "Where he was drunk in the streets, and got stabbed." He swallowed. "that's all I wanted to hear. I couldn't take the sight of my son in a casket."
I thought of a question to break the awkward silence.
"Do you mind if I bring up an.. Honest opinion?" I asked. It was now or never, since I was already here and more confident than ever.
They all shook their heads and said no. I nodded, ready to say the truth. It had been confusing me ever since Bob died. When Cherry told me of it, I wanted his parents to understand too. I don't think they had to begin with. It was time.
"Bob was spoiled rotten. You got him what ever he wanted, and you didn't know it was killing him. He jumped me that night at the park. I would've died if Johnny wasn't there. The reason he did it is because he wanted to be punished by someone. By anyone."
I paused a moment, letting them gawk at me for a minute. I then continued.
"You guys never told him he couldn't have what he wanted. The thing is he didn't really want it as much as he made it out to be. You guys didn't even know. You loved him to much to see past his pain. He's dead now, and nobody's blaming you or even saying it was all your fault. Though, if you had said no to him once, he may still be here."
I sat still, my mouth tired from talking so much. I guess I left them speechless, or at least the parents. I heard the other boy speak up.
"So that's the reason my brother's dead?" He couldn't be any older than me. "You're saying the reason Bob's dead is because nobody said no to him?" He was turning real red. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard in my life!"
His mother cut him off. "Listen to me, Daniel. Ponyboy's got a point." She was saying. "He was spoiled. I knew he was turning into a spoiled drunk, but I didn't think it would kill him." She slowed her voice. "I didn't think..."
I guess I had gotten through to her. I waited for her to apologize for the way she acted earlier, but instead the dad told me to come over tomorrow with my parents. I told him they had died, and he bit his tongue.
"I live with my brothers." I told him.
"Then come over with them. I would like to see how they raised such a smart young boy." He didn't sound like I was smart. He sounded like he wanted them to come over so he could debate whether to kill me or not. Since Johnny was dead, he could only kill me. It looked like it too.
"Okay, sir, I will." I sure got out of there quick. The sky was getting dark, and it was about time I got home anyways. I finally got there, and Darry got up quickly.
"So, what did they say?" He asked eagerly. I sighed as I put my coat over the couch and laid down. I stretched and yawned before answering him.
"They want us to come over tomorrow." I said. "They sounded like they were going to kill us tomorrow." I wasn't joking. I've heard about them, and if they got mad, it was a broken bone. If they got really mad, it was the neck. If they got furious, they would kill you slowly. But I didn't worry, since I had the gang.
"Well, let's just hope they don't try anything to crazy with us." He said, sitting down. "Maybe we should bring backup." I laughed tiredly, knowing he meant Steve and Two-Bit.
"Great idea." I said, getting up. "I'm going to bed, though. I'm really tired and need sleep for tomorrow." I walked into the bedroom. Soda was already lying on the bed, and I climbed in next to him. The last thing I remember was passing out tiredly next to him.
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