Smarty | A Curtis Sister Story

5

The same night as last chapter.

3rd Person POV

Darry comes in from a long day of work. He had to pick up shifts for some extra money, they definitely needed it right now. He throws his jacket on the couch and his work belt on the floor. He had a sore muscle in his right shoulder, he could definitely use a rub from Smarty right now. She gives the best muscle rubs.

He notices his little brother Soda on the couch. He figured the other two were asleep. "Hey little buddy, how were the kiddos?"

Soda promised not to tell Darry, but he wasn't blessed to have the good lying gene like his younger siblings. "They were fine." His voice was clearly hinting he was not being truthful.

"Sodapop, what actually happened?" Darry presses.

Soda couldn't handle the pressure. He blurted out, "Smarty went out with her boyfriend." He slaps his hand over his mouth.

Darry's getting mad. "What?! Why didn't you stop her?"

"She told me she was going out with some friends." He said. "She made me promise not to tell ya, so you CANNOT say I said anythin'."

Darry was dead silent. Soda piped up after the dangerous pause in their conversation with a question. "Why isn't she allowed to go out with him?"

"Because she's just not." Darry says. He couldn't tell Soda, he couldn't tell any of his siblings what he knows. 

"Darry," Soda says, "is it because she's not old enough? She's thirteen. She's smart and tough and knows to be careful. Why can't she just be with the kid, is it because he's a greaser?"

Darry was getting madder. "It's not because he's a greaser, we all are. It's because I said, Soda. Stop sticking up for her! She broke the rules, she should be punished."

He starts to stomp to Smarty's room, but Soda caught his arm before he did anything. "But why Darry? What's the reason?"

"Does the reason matter? That boy's bad news."

"No he's not." Soda tells him. "He's nice, from what Pony says. And he's really important to Smarty. She talks about him like he's a god, she really likes him."

"Why does that matter Soda?" Darry asks sternly.

"Do you want your kid sister to hate your guts?" 

"I could care less about that." He says. "I'm concerned for her safety. Soon, she'll realize that."

"Darry he's a good kid." Soda repeats.

"That doesn't matter, Soda. She isn't to see him anymore."

"But why Darry?"

Darry's eyes change from angry to sad. Soda was confused. He muffles his voice, so the other kids don't hear him. "Okay Soda, this is serious. You cannot tell the other two, they'll break. I don't even want to tell you."

"What is it Darry?" Sodapop asks quietly, "What's wrong?"

"You better sit down." Darry warns. They make their way to the couch and sit down. Darry took a deep breath, he really didn't want to tell Soda. He's been wrestling with this information for almost a year now, since his parent's death. "It has nothing to do with the boy. It has to do with his brother."

Soda stays silent as Darry continues, "When Mom and Dad first died, their car was totaled. By a drunk driver. That drunk driver was . . .

"Marco Gonzalez. Miguel Gonzalez' brother. That kid has bad blood. And I don't want him to tell Smarty, or hurt her. Look Soda, I don't want to hurt her either, which is why I haven't told her."

Soda sat in shock for a few seconds, barely hearing what Darry said after 'Miguel Gonzalez's brother'. He couldn't believe it. "Oh my ..." He was on the verge of tears.

"I went to the crime scene after we first heard about the crash. I wrote down the plates, then went to the DMV and had them run. It belonged to Marco. He skipped town for a while, but now he's back."

Soda was still dumbfounded. In shock for sure. He mumbled, "That bum killed our parents?"

"Yes Soda," Darry answers, "he did. You cannot tell Pony or Smarty, they couldn't handle it."

Something just popped into Sodapop's head. He doesn't raise his voice though, he feels like it's disrespectful. "It's not Miguel's fault that his brother has a problem with drinking."

"Yeah but addictive behaviors run in families." Darry explains. His manner has significantly changed from the beginning of the boys' conversation. "She couldn't go on if I, or you, told her. I don't want the boy, or her, to get hurt." Darry looked into the sad eyes of his younger brother. "Pony would flip too, with school and all."

Soda mumbles again, the pit in stomach becoming more prevalent. "What makes you think I could handle this?"

He finally burst into tears, ones he has been holding in from his first shock. Darry holds him while he sobs into his shirt. He was shushing him, telling him it would be okay, and rubbing his head.

Soda finally stops crying enough to say, "I wanna kill him Darry."

"No Soda, that wouldn't help anyone."

"It would help me." Soda goes back to crying into Darry's chest.

Smarty's POV

While trying to fall asleep, I heard the faint sound of crying. That was weird. Who would be crying right now? If someone was crying, I figure they wouldn't want to be bothered.

I go back and forth though. I can't really do anything to help. I may be able to comfort whoever it is, but my bed is so comfy and warm. I get up anyways.

I walk to Pony's room and knock on the door, "Pony?"

It was dark and he was under the covers, facing the ceiling. "What Smarty?"

"Are you crying?"

"You heard that too?" He asks me. "I just figured it was you."

"Nope," I say, "I'll check it out."

"Okay." He says quietly as I close his door. I heard the bed creek before I left.

I make my way to the living room, where I saw Darry comforting a crying Soda. I immediately fly to his side. "What's wrong Soda?"

"Nothing." He says. He picks his head and sniffles.

"It's not nothing." I tell him. "You wouldn't be crying if it was nothing. You can tell me."

He quickly glances Darry, and then back to me. "It's nothing really."

"Soda, did something happen? Did you lose your job or something?" I asked, severely concerned.

"No," he answers.

I look up at Darry, his eyes say to let it go. So I do, "Okay then, if you won't tell me I'll go." I give him a quick hug, smile at his tear-filled eyes, and walk back to my room.