Mean Socs ||Darry Curtis||

Chapter 9

Darry's POV:

After I got home from dropping Elizabeth off, I felt like I could finally relax. It's been a tough couple of days, but seeing her made it a lot better. I changed into a pair of pajamas and sat on the couch watching TV.

It was a Friday night, and I didn't have to be up early for anything, other than Ponyboy's track meet, but that was at 2 o'clock, so why not stay up all night and forget about everything for a while? I felt the urge to do something unusual, suddenly. I went into the kitchen and got myself a beer.

My parents didn't care if I drank every once in a while, but I've only had a few, ever. I've been to parties before, obviously, but I've never gotten drunk. I was alway worried that if I got addicted it could get me kicked off the football team.

Football is my passion, and it's what I want to do for the rest of my life. I applied for a few footballs scholarships a while back, but I don't think I'm going to get any of them. But, we'll find out in a few weeks at the Senior awards night.

After about an hour, I'm overcome with sleepiness, so I throw away my beer and go to bed. I'd finally drifter off when I heard a scream. Ponyboy. I knew as soon as I heard it. He used to have pretty bad nightmares when he was younger, but he hasn't gotten any in a while. I sprang up from my bed and ran into his room, to find him, head in his hands, crying. Soda, who had also gotten up at the sound of his screams, followed me into our younger brothers room.

"You ok, buddy?" I asked, sitting next to him. Soda, on his other side, hugged him, but said nothing.

"Bad dream?" He asked after a minute. Ponyboy wiped his tears and nodded.

"Why was it about?" I asked, worried. He took a long, deep breath.

"Pony?" I prompted.

"It was... Mom and dad. When they got into the accident, but I was there too, and I didn't die, and I couldn't save them and..." His voice trails off as he starts crying. I don't even know what to say to that, so I just scoot closer and rub his back.

"Well, why don't you go back to bed? You've got a track meet tomorrow and you don't want to be tired," I say. He nods and wipes his eyes again.

"Hey, Soda?" He says quietly.

"Yeah?" Soda responds. "Can, um, can I sleep in your room tonight?" He asks. Poor little guy. Soda nods and Ponyboy takes a blanket off of his bed and drags it into Soda's like a little kid. I go back to my room, but can't sleep.

Nightmares about mom and dad? That was not good. But then again, maybe it was normal. I mean, he was in the room when they passed, but Soda and I were, and we aren't getting these nightmares. Then again, Ponyboy's younger than us.

I guess after a while of thinking and worrying, I did fall asleep because the next thing I know, Ponyboy and Soda are bouncing into my room.

"The gangs here, Darry! We want breakfast," Ponyboy says.

"Will you make pancakes?" Soda asks. I get up and follow them out of my room, where I find Dallas Winston, Johnny Cade, Two-Bit Mathews and Steve Randle.

"Hey, guys," I say, rubbing my eyes sleepily. They all wave and continue what they were doing, sleeping, watching TV, or playing cards. None of them say anything, it's completely silent other than the sound of the TV and my voice.

"So pancakes," I say. I hear a chorus of "yes," "yeah," and "sounds good," before I go into the kitchen. I take out some eggs, oil and mix, make them quickly and put a few on plates for the 7 of us.

When mom and dad were still alive, they would come over every weekend. Mom would wake up early to make us pancakes and we would all sit in front of the TV watching Mickey Mouse until we finished.