We Couldn't Get Along Without Ya

23

After the movie was over, Pony turned off the tv and turned to me. "Wanna help me clean up from lunch? Darry will be mad if he comes home to a dirty kitchen."

"Sure, I guess." I said, getting up and following him to the kitchen. While we did the dishes and put them away, we talked about his life: track, school, movies, books. I liked hearing about his life, it was a nice distraction from the shithole that mine currently was.

Once we were done with the dishes though, he grew quiet. "Can we talk?"

"That's what we're doing right now, Pony. Words, currently leaving my mouth." I teased making him roll his eyes and smile.

"No, I meant about something else." He admitted before wiping the counter down.

"What?"

"When you ran away."

"What about it?" I asked, tensing up and beginning to pick at my nails.

"Everything about it. I don't know much about what you did while you were gone and, I don't know, I guess I just wanna know."

I hesitated, not entirely sure where to begin with that story, nor how to say it.

"If you don't want to —" he started, but I cut him off.

"No, it's okay. I just have to think about where to start." I said with a light chuckle. After a moment I sighed and walked onto the front porch, gesturing for him to follow.

He sat down beside me on the steps and waited for me to start.

"You got a smoke, Pone?" I asked, gracious as he lit one and handed it to me, before doing the same for himself.

"Well, after breakfast that day... wait no, before breakfast, I had cut again. And I was upset for doing it because we had had fun hours before and, I don't know." I paused and he nodded, showing me that he both understood and wanted me to continue.

"Anyway, after I kinda blew up at breakfast, Two-Bit came to check on me. He knew what I'd done and when he asked about it, I freaked and ran."

I took a long drag of my cigarette before continuing. I told him everything. I hadn't told anyone everything in detail before and it felt sort of good to get it out to someone. And it was Pony, for crying out loud. He understood things and it was easy to talk to him.

By the time I had covered it all, I felt better than I had in a long time. But in the back of my mind, I wondered how long the feeling would last.