Growing Up

The Drama Returns

      Dead silence filled the room, the light noise coming from the clock ticking cutting through the thick tension in the room, tick..tick..tick..tick... While Dallas sat and impatiently drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair, waiting for the rest of the gang to show. He couldn't help but let his mind wander back at the conversations he had with the rest of the gang. They didn't go bad, but they could have gone better in his opinion.

                             ••••••••••••

Dallas dialed the Dx's number and tapped his foot, silently praying someone would answer. Dallas was getting very impatient, he was definitely one of the less patient in the gang. Just as he was about to give up on the Dx, someone finally answered.

     "Hello, Dx how can I help you?" Soda chirped, his usual happy and cheery voice on the other line.

     "Soda listen, it's Dall." He spoke, he didn't want to show his feelings through his mask but this is Johnny we're talking about. His voice alarmed Soda, never has he heard Dallas talk like this, it scared him something awful.

     "What's wrong, Dally?" Soda asked, the happiness in his voice just moments before was long gone, the conversation in the background silenced.

     "I don't know, man, a lot. Johnny's in the hospital. I asked the doc what's up with him but he only said part of it. He's got appendicitis and's in surgery but he said there's something else that they can't tell me. Said it was personal or somethin'." The blonde explained. He heard Soda sigh heavily.

"Okay. Well, we know we can't stress Johnny if he's in the hospital. Someone needs to pick up Juliana from daycare when school ends. I can call the school and ask Pony since he drove there today, and I'll try to get me and Steve outta here. Make sure to call everyone else, we'll meet at the hospital as soon as possible." Soda explained, silently hoping his last minute plan would work.

"Alright, good idea. See you later, Soda." He said and quickly hung up the phone before Soda could respond. Dallas ran a hand through his blond hair before dialing the number to Darry's work. As the phone rang he seemed more and more impatient by the second. For once in his life it was difficult to keep his emotions masked.

"Frank's Roofing Company how can I help you?" A voice spoke, a woman's voice, sweet and kind.

     "Hi, can I speak to Darrel Curtis, please? It's urgent." Dallas said, his voice stern at the end. He felt something he knew he could always mask, anxiety.

     "Of course." She responded, there was a moment of silence before a muffled conversation was heard. He heard Darry's hard and cold voice answer.

     "Ya?" He said. He sounded annoyed, something everyone knew took a lot of effort.

"Darry, it's me Dally. Johnny's in the hospital, something's up. I've already called Soda at the Dx, Pony's picking up Juliana and Soda told me to round everyone up." Dallas explained, looking around the room keeping an eye out for Johnny's doctor. The blonde heard Darry sigh but he answered despite needing to get back to work.

     "Alright, I'm on my way." The two quickly exchanged goodbyes before hanging up. Dallas called Two-bit at his job at the Dingo and explained the same thing to him before he went back into the waiting room. As he waited, he couldn't help but think why the doctor wouldn't tell Dallas. All the staff knew the 7 boys are each other's family so what was the big deal? They cared about each other like brothers more than actual brothers would.

••••••Pony's POV••••••

I just finished writing down notes for History when the principal came on over the loud speaker.

     "Can Ponyboy Curtis please come down to the office? You have a phone call." She said. I rolled my eyes from the sniggers everyone made about my name, it doesn't bother me much but it gets annoying. They've always found my name funny. I ignored them and took my stuff with me to the office since the period was just about over. I opened the door to the office and greeted the lady at the front desk, Ms. Janes. She greeted me with a warm smile and handed me the phone.

     "It's your brother Sodapop, he said it's urgent." At the end she frowned, as if a foreboding feeling casted over her, I felt the same way. I gulped and put the phone up to my ear.

                   "What do ya need, Soda?"

                              ••••••••••••

     "Aright, I'll pick her up. School doesn't end for another half hour so I'll meet you at the hospital with Juli, and try to keep Dally under control. He looses it sometimes, we don't need him getting himself shot again." Pony explained, he always been good at plans like Soda. Maybe even better. Surprisingly, people turn to Pony more than Darry at times. He was good at making plans last minute like no other, Darry on the other hand was not. He needed time to think of a plan, it was just how Darry rolled with it.

     "Will do Pony. See ya later." The line went dead before he could respond. Pony shook his head and rubbed his forehead from the stress of the situation.

     "Is everything alright, Ponyboy?" Ms. Janes asked, her light brown eyebrows knitted together in concern. Pony turned his head towards her and sighed heavily.

"Remember that paper I wrote that the whole school heard last year? And all the drama that went down?" He asked, leaning against the wall beside him. Ms. Janes nodded her head cautiously, she had a feeling where this was going but then again Ponyboy had the definition of an unpredictable life.

     "Yes, I remember. The whole school knew about what you and your gang went through." She stated as images of the student's shocked faces washed over the crowd as the listened.

     "I guess there's going to be a little more drama, again." He mumbled loud enough to hear. The staff and students in the office were now all looking at Pony, pity evident on their faces. Without another word exchanged, Pony walked out of the office and towards his final class of the day with his bag slung over his shoulder, Chemistry was the final class. Little did they all know, life would have more drama than intended.