InsaneJournal

JesJamesMeowth (9:32:31 PM): "Hey, Mama," Darry said, coming home from school. He looked a little troubled.

Crescent Sonata (9:34:59 PM): "Hey, Darrel Shaynne." She straightened from checking a cake in the oven. "What's wrong?" She looked concerned. "And where are your brothers?"

JesJamesMeowth (9:36:32 PM): "They're still coming," he muttered. He watched her move around in the kitchen for a little while. His backpack was still on his back. "There's this kid at school. He has real bright blond hair, almost white, but he's real mean. He picks fights with the older kids."

Crescent Sonata (9:41:09 PM): "Oh yeah? Well, you best stay out of his way then, huh?" She smiled and stroked her firstborn's cheek.

Soda ran in and kicked his shoes off to wherever they went. He was panting, and when little Ponyboy caught up, he was panting, too.

"My my, what's wrong with my little men today?" She tucked Pony to her apron. "Can you breathe, baby?"

JesJamesMeowth (9:42:08 PM): "Yeah, I can . . . breathe," he panted.

"Well, I ain't afraid," he said, standing up a little straighter. "It just makes me sad. Don't look like no one's loved him in a long time, if ever."

Crescent Sonata (9:47:18 PM): She kissed his forehead, then thought for a while, still holding her youngest close. "Why don't you invite him over, Darrel Shaynne?"

"It's Darry, Mama, gosh! Ain't you gonna ask why we was running?"

"Don't talk to your mother like that, Sodapop Patrick." A voice said from behind a newspaper.

JesJamesMeowth (9:49:21 PM): "Yeah, ask us, Mama," Pony urged quietly, looking up at her.

Darry scowled. "Hey, I could invite someone over if I wanted to. I'll go ahead and do it if you don't think I will."

Crescent Sonata (9:52:53 PM): She nodded to Darry, then smiled. "Tell me, babies."

"We were trying to catch a boy! He looks just as young as Pone, but he's in my reading class. He reads real bad, and he stinks a little, and he's tiny, and has purple and green spots…"

Mr. Curtis sat his paper down. "He did?"

"Uh huh- but he was so fast..."

JesJamesMeowth (9:54:11 PM): Darry looked a little sad again. He knew they were real lucky to have the parents they had.

"He seemed real nice, Mama," he nuzzled the side of her arm. "But shy."

Crescent Sonata (10:04:03 PM): Mr. Curtis stood and went to the kitchen. "Think you could catch him, Soda?"

"I dunno...he looked spooked real bad. I bet you could, Papa."

"Honey, please?" She begged in a whisper, tucking Ponyboy closer to her. "We'll have two dinner guests, now won’t we?" She gave her men a brilliant smile.

JesJamesMeowth (10:06:35 PM): "I don't think the mean boy will come just because I ask him," said Darry honestly. "Probably hit me for my trouble." He shrugged and finally took his bag off, setting it by the door.

Crescent Sonata (10:08:06 PM): "Well, why don't I go to school and ask?"

JesJamesMeowth (10:09:06 PM): "I'll go with," he said firmly. He took her hand sweetly. "Mama, I won't let him hit you. I mean, he might not, but he might."

Crescent Sonata (10:11:16 PM): Mrs. Curtis smiled and pat his hand, which was now a bit bigger than her own. "I'm relieved. Oh, would you like to help me frost a cake, Mr....oh, what is it again, Horseygirl?"

JesJamesMeowth (10:13:14 PM): "No! No," he whined, "That ain't it at all." He made his way to the counter. "But, yeah, let's frost it!"

"The mean boy's been said to jump kids younger than Pony," Darry pointed out to the room a little nervously. Maybe inviting him to dinner wasn't so bright an idea after all.

Crescent Sonata (10:16:57 PM): "I'm sure it'll be fine, Darrel." He said. "No one is jumping anyone here."

"Let me help, too, Mommy!"

She picked Pony up and sat him on the counter. "Ok, Soda. But no sticky fingers..."

JesJamesMeowth (10:18:08 PM): He sighed in relief. "Okay. I guess anything is worth a shot, ain't that what you always say?" He sat down near his dad.

Pony kicked his feet a little. "Can I eat some?" he murmured.

Crescent Sonata (10:21:08 PM): "Hm....no." She tickled him, giving her sons each something to spread frosting with.

He nodded and pat him on his back. "That's right, sport."

JesJamesMeowth (10:22:26 PM): Ponyboy squealed and squirmed, starting to frost when she let up, still giggling a little.

"I'm glad you don't hit us, Dad," Darry said real quietly, so only he could hear it.

Crescent Sonata (10:28:27 PM): "Me too, buddy. That's what alcohol does to a man, and you remember that."

She kept a hand on each of her boys as they frosted. "Good job, guys. Where would I be without you?"

JesJamesMeowth (10:31:16 PM): He nodded. He'd never been drunk in his life, and never planned to get drunk. A beer here and there he could deal with, but anything more than that wouldn't hold.

"Wherever it is that they don't frost their cakes." He reached for Mama as he got himself down. He hugged her then ran off to his room to play some before dinner, licking frosting from his fingertips along the way.

Crescent Sonata (10:34:11 PM): Mrs. Curtis laughed and shook her head. She put the cake in the fridge, pushing Soda away gently to keep him away.

"That's my boy."

JesJamesMeowth (10:35:30 PM): He reached for his dad's hand, giving it a squeeze before he picked up his backpack and made to go do his homework right away. He tried to do that most of the time, work first and play later.

Crescent Sonata (10:39:40 PM): Mrs. Curtis made dinner and made sure her boys all washed their hands. The next day, she walked with her husband to the school.

Soda was sneaking up on the small, dark boy who was tucked to himself under a tree.

JesJamesMeowth (10:44:49 PM): Darry saw his mama, and he also saw Dally. Darry stood to the side, watching as the mean blond picked on a boy and made him give him his lunch money, and still looked about to beat him up.

"What the fuck is with these, man?" said the boy, tugging at one of his victim's suspenders and letting it snap. "You're really askin' for it." He gave him a punch in the gut, even while the hand he hadn't punched with was still gripping the kid's lunch money.

The victim curled over on the ground.

Dally gave him another kick for good measure. "I'd tell ya to tell your friends, but that'd just be a waste of breath. Thanks for the money," he said, and walked off, staring right at Darry with a look that said, "Dare you to tell on me."

Darry swallowed.

Crescent Sonata (10:47:17 PM): "Excuse me, little boy!" She ran up to Dally and grabbed his shoulder.

"Ready Pony? I jump in front of him, you jump on him."

JesJamesMeowth (10:50:08 PM): "Okay!" said Ponyboy cheerily. They were gonna bag themselves a new friend. Maybe Pony could help teach him how to read better.

He froze, turning a little to face her. "Excuse me," he said right back, but it had little bite to it.

Darry moved into action, rushing to the victim's side. "You okay?" He knelt by him, helping him get back up when he seemed to get his breath.

The kid just stood there, glaring at Dally.

Darry and the victim both watched Dally and Mrs. Curtis.

Crescent Sonata (10:53:10 PM): Soda ran out in front of him. "Hiya!"

Johnny screamed and fought to get up.

She quickly took in his uncared for appearance. "Did your parents forget to give you lunch money, little buddy?"

JesJamesMeowth (10:55:24 PM): "Hold still," said Ponyboy excitedly. "We wanna invite ya to dinner!"

"My parents mean shit to me, lady," said Dally, turning around in her grip. "If you want me to give this back, okay. But I'll just find someone else." He crossed his arms.

Crescent Sonata (11:00:06 PM): "How about this. You give it back, and then come home with me for a nice meal." This poor little boy. I'm sure he could be so sweet...

"Alright, Pony, off." Mr. Curtis picked the small boy up. He DID smell, and felt like a bag of bones in his arms. Still the kid struggled. "Shh, shh. It's ok. You're not in trouble, and I wont hurt you."

Johnny whimpered, struggling to no avail. "Please...please don't hurt me. I'm sorry I stole that coke. I never had one before! I'll never do it again!" He started to cry.

JesJamesMeowth (11:01:28 PM): He jerked back from her grip, staring at her. "What?!"

"We have Coke at home, don't we, Dad?" Pony looked at the boy. "What's your name?"

Crescent Sonata (11:03:36 PM): "J-Johnny Cade." He wiped his nose on his dirty sleeve.

"Well, Johnnycake. We'll give you all the coke you want."

Soda smiled and nodded. "Yeah, and a bath."

JesJamesMeowth (11:04:57 PM): "My name is Ponyboy, and his name is Sodapop--isn't that funny?" He was determined they'd be great pals, maybe the best. "I think you're in Soda's class, though, so you probably know that."

Crescent Sonata (11:06:52 PM): Johnny just nodded.

"C'mon, we're grilling tonight." Mrs. Curtis said soothingly. "Oh, hon, where'd you get that bruise?"

JesJamesMeowth (11:09:23 PM): He stepped back a little more. "I got it from buzz off. So," he said, suddenly seeming to calm down, talking more slowly and nicely, "all I gotta do is give this back and you'll give me some dinner? Barbeque?"

Ponyboy took his hand. "Come on, Johnny."

Crescent Sonata (11:13:03 PM): She smiled. "That's right."

"I'm just going to hold him, ok, Pony?" He leaned down and whispered in Johnny's ear. "No one will hurt you again. We'll take care of you right now we caught you. Come meet my wife."

Johnny shivered and could do nothing but be carried.

JesJamesMeowth (11:17:03 PM): Pony skipped alongside them, taking Soda's hand instead.

After a moment in which he stared into her eyes, staring her down, he turned abruptly back toward the victim, who Darry was standing by protectively. "Open your hand," he spat.

Glaring, he did so.

Dally forcefully shoved the money in his hand and closed it around it. "Buy yourself somethin' nice," he said. "I don't wanna see these ever again." He snapped one of the suspenders again. Just before he swaggered off back to Mrs. Curtis, he saw Darry give him a warning glare. That was a pretty big kid. Little did he know he'd be having dinner at his house too.

Crescent Sonata (11:23:22 PM): She held his hand like he was one of hers, taking Ponyboy's other hand in hers.

Mr. Curtis carried Johnny home.