Saving Pony

How to be a big brother

SODA POV
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"Soda we haven't had business hardly at all today. No girls. No cars. No sales."

I sighed, rolling my eyes jokingly at my best friend.

"School is in, Steve. Most people actually go to school. Yanno' like regular teenagers."

"Shoot, I do go to school."

"Maybe...Once every other month."

Steve chuckled a bit, punching me on the arm in a playful manner. I like hanging around at work, It's hard to be light-hearted at home with everything going on. I feel like I can hardly hold my happiness before It slips between my fingers and down the drain. Darry has done a good job of holding both me and Ponyboy steady as he struggled himself. I applaud him for that. I can't imagine working, paying, and taking care of your younger brothers, all at the same time. Especially Ponyboy. I love him a lot, but I feel like he cant ever get his head screwed on tight. He takes too many risks, and it hurts him.

"Hey, buddy," I turn around to face Steve. He is messing around with some tools in his hands.

"Yeah, Soda?"

I took a deep breath and stood closer to him. I had a question that has been sitting on my chest for a while. "Do you think Ponyboy trusts me?"

Steve gives me a look I can't read, before placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Of course he does Soda. You're his big brother. I know I'm not a huge fan of the kid, but I know that he looks up to you like some idol."

I force a smile, looking down at the ground between the both of us. My shoes all scuffed up and dirty from wearing the same ones for over a year.

"I just feel like maybe he thinks he can't tell me what's going on."

"Do you think there is something going on? Something to worry-"

"Lordy, I don't know!" I say suddenly, hiding my face in my hands. "I don't know what it is but something's off. I can feel it. The way he walked out this morning, how he acted after Johnny- after that night."

Steve wraps an arm around my shoulders, allowing me to rest my head in the crook of his neck. The gesture was reassuring. A/N I love their friendship.

"I have no doubt in my mind that Ponyboy would come running to you if he had a problem. He trusts you just that much, buddy."

I lift my head up off Steve, wiping a hand over my face. "You think so?"

"Kid, I know so." He smiled at me, giving a final pat on the back, before walking over to our station and packing up tools. "I know you just that much. I know you enough that I have to remind you to put shoes on every day before work so you don't forget em'"

"Thanks, Steve."

After our talk, work seemed to drag on with little to no business. Only one guy came around to get his car filled with gas and washed off. That was about it.

So we sat, messing around and playing games on our stools, hoping for some action.

"We gotta stop," I laugh, "We gon' get ourselves in trouble."