The young lovers ( ponyboy fanfic)

37

After a few days of rainy weather, the sun is actually out today. I decide I could use some fresh air so I take Baby and Tucker outside and sit on the porch. I put the quilt on the concrete porch. She giggles as she plays with her toys. Tucker babbles a lot.

  I feel the sun heating up my body as I sway on the porch swing. A slight breeze blows, making the autumn leaves blow across the yard. We ought to let Baby and Tucker play in them. 

I pull my sweater closer to my body as a slight chill creeps up my arms. I look out across the road, seeing families together in their yards. I begin feeling little down knowing it'll be awhile before mine's complete again. 

A pickup truck pulls up and parks by the sidewalk. A girl steps out, and I recognize it's Dally and Liz. 

"Hey!" she calls with a wave. I wave back. She steps around the truck and grabs a... leash? A huge dog jumps out of the bed of her truck. It's a grayish color with white, black, and brown. It curiously sniffs around. 

"Why the heck do you got a dog?" I ask. 

"He's a stray. Came running up at the stables. He likes me the most. His name is Bear," she says. 

"Yeah. And he hates me," Dally mumbles.

""Well you tried to run him off! Anyway, he's gentle, and I thought maybe... you'd want him?" she asks hopefully. 

"Oh, um... I don't know, Liz. He's awfully big."

"C'mon! Y'all need a pet. Might as well. You got everything else." I step down off the porch and hold out my hand to Bear. He sniffs it then licks my fingers. I pet behind his ears. 

"Doggie!" Tucker says. 

"Yeah, son. Doggie!" Dally tells him, scooping him up. I grab Baby and bring her down too. Bear sniffs them both and nudges them with his nose. The kids laugh and pet him. He stands there. 

"See? He's pretty good," Liz says. 

"What's this?" Darry asks, yelling out his window as he pulls in the driveway. 

"Found a stray at the stables. Liz thought we would like to keep him," Dal explains. 

"What's his name?"

"Bear."

"Well," he says, bending down to his level, "looks like the kids love him already." Darry smiles and pets him. He looks like he's taking well to Bear too. 

"Can we keep him, Darry?" I ask. "Pleeeeease?"

"Sure, Kaylee."He gets up and goes inside. 

"Well, looks like we got ourselves a dog."

                                 •••

Liz and I sit at the kitchen table that night with cups of coffee. The boys are in the living room, just messing around. A lot of things are on both of our minds, and it's quite obvious. Something about tonight just feels really off. Everyone's been acting a little weird. 

"So... Just between us..." she says quietly. "I think I really, really like Dally."

"Really? I knew you did all along!"

"Yeah," she says, blushing slightly.

She looks down.

"He's so nice. Sometimes I feel bad because I smart off to him. You know what I mean?"

"I nod.

"What did he used to be like?"

"Well... He used to get in trouble a lot. He got locked up every now and then. When he found out about Tucker, he settled down."