Dally's Baby Sister//Ponyboy Curtis

Twelve//Big Talks

AMELIA

I HAD TO put my hands in front of myself when Darry stomped on the breaks the way he did. The car screeched as it came to a sudden hault.

He gripped the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. The two younger brothers were sat in the trunk and they talked through an open window that Soda opened up as soon as he got in the truck.

Darry closed his eyes and started breathing hard through his nose. He turned around to look at his two younger brothers with such anger that he made me want to cry and cower away in fear.

"I trusted you two, Two-Bit, Steve, and the two Shepard kids to protect Amelia, and she almost gets raped?" Darry yelled. I flinched.

"We beat up the Soc that tried to hurt her," Ponyboy said, trying to defend himself and his older brother.

"Ponyboy, you never use your head!" Darrel shouted. I looked at him. He had veins popping out of his neck and I started to shake.

"What would've happened if you three when to jail, huh? All of you would be put in foster homes before Dallas or I could have a say in anything!" Darry looked to me and the anger was gone. It was just clear frustration.

"Amelia, from now on, you come straight home from school and you stay there. No more going out. I'm sorry to say it, but it has to be said. I'm only doing this for your own good, remember that," he said. Tears swelled up in my eyes. I shut them tight and turned my head away from him, nodding. I can't rebel against him. He's an adult, and I'm just a kid.

—🖤—

THE FOLLOWING MONDAY was the first day I wasn't allowed to go anywhere. When the day was over, Two-Bit took me straight home. Darry called him the night before and told him to do it. Two-Bit was there when I almost got raped, but he just didn't tell Darry. I was sort of wishing that Ponyboy and Sodapop would have kept their mouths shut about it, too. But I knew they just wanted to let Darry know so that he could protect me. It was a smart move disguised as a dumb one.

When I got home, I sat on the sofa. Darry was able to come home early, so he was home when I got there. He greeted me at the door and thanked Two-Bit for bringing me home. He was wrapping something up on the coffee table. It was a photo of a small Darrel Curtis holding a newborn Sodapop in his arms. They were so little and cute. I've only known the big Darry. I've never seen him so little and happy. When Darry got done looking through mail, he sat back down on the sofa with me. He caught me staring at the picture.

"Cute one, wasn't he?" he asked me with a smile. I nodded.

"How old were you when this picture was taken?" I asked him, pointing to it.

"I was about three years old. If you look really closely, you could see that I'm on my mom's lap so she could make sure that I wouldn't drop the baby," he said. When he pointed it out, I started to see some arms around Darry's tummy. I smiled and chuckled.

"Do you need help wrapping it?" I asked, needing something to do so I wouldn't get bored. Darry shook his head.

"No, darlin'. Thanks for asking though," he said. I nodded and he started to wrap it. Tape, colorful paper, and countless ribbons and bows were strewn across the coffee table, and a pair of scissors were right next to Darry on the sofa. By the end of it, the picture was wrapped beautifully in wrapping paper, ready for Soda to open in two days' time.