Dallas Winston Has A Sister? (Outsiders Fanfic)

His Parents Almost Killed Him Part 2

        We had all just gotten back from visiting Johnny in the hospital Sunday night.  He was getting a lot better since Friday night, when his damn parents had nearly killed him, and they had moved him out of ICU this morning.  And we all had school tomorrow, or at least those of us that went to school, so Darry wouldn't let us stay at the hospital overnight again.

        "Darry, what'd the state say?" Dally asked, because he'd called them again this morning to get the final verdict on if he could become Johnny's legal guardian or not.

        Darry sighed and said, "We don't have a high enough annual income to provide for another person.  Soda or I have to get another job," he said, "and I'm not sure I can take on a third job and still take care of you two," gesturing to Pony and Soda.

        "I already work full time, and I don't know of another place that would hire me," Soda said.

        "Well then I guess I'll just get a job," Ponyboy said.

        "No," Darry and Soda said sternly at the same time.

        "Why not?" I asked, not seeing why they wouldn't want Pony to get a job.

        "You have school," Darry said.

        "And you're too young," Soda added.

        "I could just work weekends.  I'm plenty old enough to get a job," Pony reasoned.

        Darry looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words, and Soda seemed to be thinking through something.

        "I live here too, I should help out paying for stuff," Pony added, trying to convince his older brothers.  He was right, and Johnny was his best friend.

        "Well where would you find a job?" Soda asks Pony.

        "We're not hiring at the station right now, but I heard the other day that The Dingo is looking for a busboy," Steve said.

        "That's a pretty rough hangout.  I don't think I want you working there," Darry told Pony skeptically.

        "He'll be all right.  The kid can take care of himself," Two-Bit said, cocksure, grinning as he knuckled Pony's head, messing up his hair.

        Pony hit his hand away, and after a bit more arguing, Darry and Soda agreed to let him get a job at The Dingo.

        So the next day after school Pony and I headed down to The Dingo, and the manager knew Soda, so he hired Pony right off the bat.

        By Friday, Johnny had been in the hospital for a week, and Pony had his first night of work.  I had stopped at The Dingo around eleven to see if he was done because I had just been wandering around town bored out of my mind.

        I had decided to sneak around the back, where the employee's entrance was and surprise Pony, or scare him, either one would have been fun.  But the back door was hanging open, and then I heard some scuffing and talking behind the dumpster.

        As I got closer I heard cruel laughter and a cry of surprise as the sound of splashing water filled the air, like a waterfall as someone got drenched.  There was another cruel laugh and then something clattered to the ground as a shadowed figure dashed out from behind the dumpster, but whoever it was didn't see me, and I could barely make out that it was a guy, and a Soc.

        I rounded the corner and smelled the distinct scent of french fries as I noticed Ponyboy, standing there, shiny from head to foot like he'd been coated in oil.

        "You smell like something scraped off the floor of a restaurant," I remarked because as I got closer, the smell got stronger.

        "This job doesn't pay near as much as it should for getting deep-fryer grease dumped all over you," Ponyboy said, wiping some out of his eyes.

        I raised an eyebrow quizzically.

        "I was hauling the grease out for the night, and then a Soc decided to be oh so friendly and dump it all over my head, since I wasn't 'greasy enough already' as he put it," Pony explained glumly.

        It may have been mean, but I started laughing.

        "It's not funny.  This stuff smells, and it's gross, and slimy," Pony said, looking down disgustedly at his grease-soaked clothes.

        Trying to stifle my laughs, I managed to say, sarcastically, "Really?  I thought it'd be good for your skin."

        Pony gave me a look that showed he was clearly not amused.

        I finally managed to stop laughing, and then I said, "That was an asshole thing for him to do, but he's a Soc, so what do you expect?  It's just that you look ridiculous right now, like someone wrapped in plastic wrap that smells like french fries."

        Pony stared at me for a sec but then broke into a grin. "I guess I must look pretty funny to you," he agrees.

        "Come on, just being near you is making me hungry for deep-fried crap," I say as we start walking towards his house, grease dripping off of Ponyboy with every step.

        "Darry better appreciate the money I'm getting paid for this," Pony said.

        "I'm sure he will.  And Johnny will too, but only after they finish laughing their butts off at you," I answer with a smirk.

        Turns out, I was right.