Heart Breaker

Chapter 13 (Book Reference)

It had been a few months since the incident and Connor avoided me as much as he could because the gang beat him up really badly. Dally had been put in the cooler again and he was going to get out any minute.

I decided to get up and out of bed and walk over to the Curtis' and hang out for the day. When I got there we all heard screaming and started running towards it and saw that Ponyboy was getting jumped by some Socs. Darry ran up to Ponyboy and pulled him to his feet. The rest of us beat the crap out of the Socs.

"Are you all right, Ponyboy?" Darry asked Ponyboy shaking him.

"I'm okay. Quit shaking me, Darry, I'm okay." Ponyboy responded.

Darry stopped," I'm sorry."

Ponyboy sat down again and started rubbing his cheek.

Darry jammed his fist into his pockets. "They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?"

"I'm okay." Ponyboy said.

Sodapop and the rest of the gang came loping back. Sodapop and I dropped down beside Ponyboy.

"You got cut up a little, huh, Ponyboy?" I said.

"I did?" Ponyboy asked.

Sodapop pulled out a handkerchief, wet the end of it with his tongue, and pressed it gently against Ponyboy's head. "You're bleedin' like a pig."

"I am?" Ponyboy asked.

"Look!" Sodapop said ask he showed him the handkercirf, reddened as if my magic.

"Did they pull a blade on you?" I asked.

"Yeah." Ponyboy said.

I looked at Ponyboy more closely and he looked away hurriedly. He was as white as a ghost and shaking like a leaf.

Soda put his hand on his shoulder and said," Easy, Ponyboy. They ain't gonna hurt you no more."

"I know." Ponyboy said with tears running down his cheeks and he brushed them away impatiently. "I'm just a little spooked, that's all."

"You're an okay kid, Pony." Sodapop said.

Ponyboy smiled and said," You're crazy, Soda, out of your mind."

Darry looked at them and said," You're both nuts."

I cocked one eyebrow, a trick I'd picked up from Two-Bit," It seems to run in the family."

Darry grinned as the rest of the gang gathered around and I noticed Dally was back. I jumped up and ran over to him and hugged him, then he kissed my forehead. We walked back to the gang hand-in-hand.

"Didya catch 'em?" Ponyboy asked.

"Nup. They got away this time, the dirty...." Two-Bit went on cheerfully, calling the Socs every name he could think of or make up. "The kid's okay?"

"I'm okay." Ponyboy said and then turned to Dally. "I didn't know you were out of the cooler yet, Dally."

"Good behavior. Got off early." Dallas said lighting a cigerette and handing it to Johnny.

"Good behavior?" I asked.

"Yeah, I can be good ever once in a while." Dally said leading me to the porch with the rest of the gang.

We all down and relaxed and had a smoke. I looked over at Ponyboy and he had quit trembling and his color was back.

Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow. "Nice-lookin' bruise you got there, kid."

Ponyboy touched his cheek. "Really?"

Two-Bit nodded sagely. "Nice cut, too. Makes you look tough."

Steve flicked his ashes at Ponyboy. "What were you doin', walkin' by your lonesome?"

"I was comin' home from the movies. I didn't think. . ."

You don't ever think," Darry broke in, "not at home or anywhere it counts. You must think at school, with all those good grades you bring home, and you've always got your nose in a book, but do you ever use your head for common sense? No sirree, bub. And if you did have to go by yourself, you should have carried a blade."

Ponyboy just stared at the ground and Soda broke in," Leave my kid brother alone, you hear? It ain't his fault he likes to go to the movies, and it ain't his fault the Socs like to jump us, and if he had been carrying a blade it would have been a good excuse to cut him to ribbons."