Stronger with You

Fight, Fight, Fight

Peyton*
May 25, 1965

Two-Bit and I went back over to the Curtis's after we cleaned all night and ended up just staying at our house.

We drove the short drive over to the house and when we walked in, you could cut the tension with a switch.

Steve and Ponyboy sat next to each other on the couch and Darry stood in front, his arms crossed.

What I didn't realize until we came fully inside the house, Pony had a busted lip while Steve and an angry red mark on his cheek.

Soda, Dally, Johnny, and Maya stood in the kitchen peeking through the doorway.

"What the hell you two!? Your left in a room for fifteen minutes by yourself and you have a brawl?" Darry yelled.

"What happened?" I asked my group of friends as I glanced back into the living room.

"We aren't sure, we left them alone for like five minutes and we came in they was on the ground." Soda responded to my question, he looked a little worried and sad. Not that I blamed him, his best friend and his little brother didn't get along.

"You need to get it together Ponyboy! And I can't even decide what to say to you Steve!" Darry shouted, and I winced.

I never got yelled at by Darry, but I had listened to him yell at the others and I would hate to be on their side.

Maya watched Darry, and it kinda worried me. Maya was real protective over Pony and no one was ever angrier when Darry would start to lay into him.

I had learned to never get in the middle of a fight, verbal or physical. A "get together" with Socs at school had taught me that; stepping up to my mom had too.

Darry had finished lecturing the and Pony hustled to his room and Steve came to the kitchen scowling.

"Man, what the hell?" Soda asked Steve, "The kid was a smartass." Steve defended himself, I rolled my eyes, but didn't say a word about it.

I looked around the room before turning and making my way to Pony's, I knew this whole ordeal would tear him up.

"Hey Pone. Can I come in?" I ask knocking on his closed door.

"Sure." Pony's voice through the door.

I walked into the dark room, Pony had his curtains drawn closed and he sat at his desk scribbling on paper and sniffing slightly.

"Hey kid." I pushed the door closed and sat on the side of his bed closest to his desk, "You want to tell me what happened with you and Steve?"

Pony signed and gave me a look before looking down at my paper.

"He likes to talk about girls, like he does, and it made me mad. He brought you up and Soda rolled his eyes but he didn't stop it. I stepped in and that's all you need to know."

I looked at the boy in front of me in shock, "Well what did Steve halfta say about me?" I ask, I wasn't shocked that Steve was talking about me.

Pony's face turned red hot and he rubbed the back of his neck, "He was-was talking about how nice of a "rack" you have and stuff like that."

I couldn't help it, but I snorted and looked down, my chest wasn't completely flat but I did have a decent size of boobs.

"Pony, I appreciate that you stood up to Steve like that, but I want you to know that it don't bother me. Steve just says it cause he knows he can get a rise with it. Its shit he says to me face to face, he doesn't mean it. We just have a sexual joking kind of friendship," I hesitated slightly before continuing, "Don't tell no one this, but Steve was my first and I was his."

Pony looked back at me with complete bewilderment, "Really!?"

I nodded, "Yes, really. Thats why we can joke around with each other like that and say those things. We have a complicated past and the only way we are still friends is by making those jokes and putting it behind us."

Pony just stared at me for a few seconds before shaking his head so I quickly started talking again realizing telling him that might've been a mistake.

"I'm sorry, sometimes I forget your thirteen, I probably shouldn't of shared as much as I did."

"No, its fine. I just can't believe you did it with... Steve." Pony crinkled his nose in disgust and shook his head.

"Don't judge me, Pone. The only reason I told you that is so you don't get into anymore fights with Steve." I rolled my eyes but still let a small grin slip on my face to make sure Pony knew that I wasn't angry at him or anything.

Sometimes I really did forget the kid was so young. He was the baby, but probably one of the most mature. I hated that for him, he just lost his parents and he's already going into high school even though he should still be in junior high and being a kid for just a little bit longer.

"I aint judging you, and don't worry I won't tell anyone." Pony smiled softly at me. As I looked Pony over carefully I realized he didn't even look as young as he was, not with that busted lip anyways.

"Okay Pone, I'm gonna head downstairs. Come down when your ready, but try not to fight the stairs on your way down." I grinned widely and ruffled his hair and laughed when he swatted my hand away.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm a real fighter now thats all imma start doin. Fight, fight, fight," Pony lipped off.

"Well if thats the case you better start training up," I say the grin not leaving my face, "Steve gotcha better than you got him."

Pony rolled his eyes at me jokingly and then pointed to his door, "Okay, you can leave now."

"I'm glad we talked Pony, if you ever need anyone remember I'm here." I stood up from the bed and paused for only a second and leaned down and kissed Pony's cheek, "Thanks for standing up for me, even though you didn't have too, I still appreciate it."

Pony blushed and smiled bashfully at me, "Anytime."

I left the room and made my way to the living room plopping down besides Maya on the couch once I did.

"Pony okay? Do I need to go talk to him?" She asked and I shook my head, "No, I did and we got everything sorted out."

Maya nodded and returned her eyes to the TV.

"Turns out, Steve was talking about my boobs and thats why Pony went for him, Soda was in there but didn't stop Steve from talking so I guess when Soda turned around or left Pony decided to take matters in to his own hands." I informed Maya and was very surprised when she laughed.

"Huh, how interesting. Steve talks like that to make Soda jealous Who knew it'd be Pony that was the one to get a rise from it."

The sentence went right over my head when Maya said it, but when I was laying on the couch in the Curtis' house that night and dosing off to sleep I began to wonder.

Does Pony have a crush on me?

_____________________________

hey guys! sorry i missed last saturday and i was in the city and didn't have the chapter finished and it was just messy. to top that i started softball and our schedule is jam packed and that's why this update is so late! i'll have another chapter up sometime later today. my sow had her piglets and i just finished a softball tourney so it may be later, but hopefully i will it posted!

thank you for reading and i hope you like this chapter!

-avery