Family Is Found (Sequel to Running Towards Home)

CHAPTER 13

SAM'S POV:

I run into the kitchen, and Darry is about to start prepping a chicken. "Can you cut up some veggies?" Darry asks me. "Sure, but can I turn on the radio?" I ask. Darry nods, and I turn it on. One of my favorite songs, "You Don't Own Me" by Leslie Gore comes on. I start singing along as I chop up some carrots, peppers, and onions.

"I didn't know you could sing." Darry says. I smile at him. "There's a lot you don't know about me." I say, winking. Darry rolls his eyes at me, and puts the chicken in the oven. I throw the veggies in a pan, and sprinkle some oil on top. I put it into the oven next to the chicken. "Thanks, Sam." Darry says. "No problem, it got me away from my math." I say. "Go finish it." Darry says, and I sigh. I walk back to the living room and sit down next to Pony again.

"I finished it for you." Pony whispers in my ear. "Thank you." I whisper back, kissing him on the cheek. "Aww, look at the lovebirds!" Two-Bit mocks. "What are they doing in there?" Darry yells from the kitchen. "Making out!" Steve yells. I shoot him a death glare. Darry comes running into the living room. "No, no, no making out." Darry yells.

"I just kissed his cheek, calm down." I say. "If you two do anything more, I will ground you both forever. I mean forever. Understand?" Darry says. "Okay, Darry." Pony says, and Darry goes back into the kitchen. "Are you trying to get us killed, Steve?" I hiss at him. Steve just shrugs and smirks. I hear a timer go off in the kitchen, and Darry brings out the food. We all gather around the table, ready to eat.

We fill our plates, and get to talking. "How was school?" Darry asks me. I shrug. "Boring. Ms. Muldroe is a pain in the ass, like usual." I say. Pony shoots me a glance. "What about you, Pony?" Darry asks. "Same as Sam. Johnny and Arlene were hanging out after school." he says. "I remember Ms. Muldroe." Soda says.

"I had her before I dropped out. She hated me." He says. "How can anyone hate you, Soda? You are literally the human version of a puppy." I say. "It had something to do with the fact that I may have refused to run another lap after she made us run the mile. I was tired, she was rude, and I snapped." Soda says, shrugging.

"I never heard any of this!" Darry says, scowling. "Oh, it was a year or two ago, and I was young and stupid. Let bygones be bygones." Soda says. Darry just frowns at him. Two walks into the kitchen, and I hear him say "Who drank the last beer?" Steve stands up. "You did, Two." Steve yells. Two came back in, and he was holding the chocolate cake we made last night. More than half of it was gone already.

"Steve, I thought I told you to lay off the cake!" Soda jokes. Steve punches Soda's arm. We all grab a piece, and sit for the rest of the night, talking. At one point, we start a game of go fish and Soda beats us all by a lot. I'm convinced he cheated, but Soda claims he's just psychic.

Eventually, everyone starts to head to bed. Two heads home, Steve goes out to Buck's, Soda, Pony, and Soda head to their beds, and I collapse on the couch like usual. I can't sleep. A few minutes later, I hear someone creeping into the living room. I sit up. It's Pony. "Can't sleep?" I ask. He nods, and sits next to me. I curl into him, and he holds me. I fiddle with my necklace. He strokes my hair. I slowly start to fall asleep, tucked safely in his arms. When I wake up, Pony is gone, and I am tucked under the blankets on the couch.