Just another one-shot. Brother love to the max! Oh, and Happy Birthday to me too! (June, 2nd)

Title: Happy Birthday To You

Summary: Ponyboy stopped at 13.

Rating: T

Happy Birthday to you,

The very song made his stomach clench in sickness.

He laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. No way was he getting out of bed today.

You'd have to drag him.

Which is what Soda had to do. Now he was sitting at the table, miserable as ever, wrapped in his blanket from bed that he took with him, while the blonde older brother dragged him down the hall ignoring Darry's warning of rug-burn.

"Alright, Ponyboy. Anything you want to do today. Movies? Football?" Soda suggested. Darry sat, sipping his mug of coffee.

"Well, I wanted to be in bed." Ponyboy mumbled.

"No, no, no it's a new day,rise and shine," Soda smiled, waving his arms around. "Now, I have a plan of activities that you just might like so-"

"Pepsi-cola." Darry interrupted.

Soda turned, confused. "Leave him be. If Ponyboy wants to be alone, then leave him alone."

Soda opened his mouth to argue, but Ponyboy was already on his way to his room, slamming the door shut.

Soda sighed. ". . . The one time I'm right and you know it." He slumped in his chair.

Darry only sipped his coffee.

". . . .We don't need to remind him."

Soda shook his head. "How could he forget?"

Happy Birthday to you,

Please. . . .stop.

He was cuddled among pillows and his mattress. He hadn't meant to be rude to Soda, but Ponyboy couldn't take it. He was so close to loosing it and in front of Darry and Soda. He was already the baby of the gang, he didn't want to live up to that reputation.

Ponyboy closed his eyes, ignoring the water crystals.

He forced his head into the mountain of pillows, trying to block out the noise in the silent house. No, it wasn't noise you hear with your hearts, this was noise that echoed in your thoughts that brought back the pain of September.

It was the white noise of a woman's painful shriek and a man's agonizing scream.

Ponyboy folded his hands over his ears and sobbed into his pillow.

Happy Birthday Dear Ponyboy,

Mother. . . Father?

"How about Mama and I take you someplace nice, Ponyboy?" His gentle smile.

"It's a place where we took Darry and Soda when they turned thirteen." Her soft voice.

Their hands and his held hand-in-hand.

He fell asleep in the back since it was getting late and they promised to wake him when they arrived. He remembers. . . .

"Oh, my baby." Soda wakes him up, he doesn't even realize he's sobbing like crazy until Soda holds him.

"You've been through so much this year, haven't you?" He stroked the back of his head. Ponyboy continued to bawl like a baby.

"I know it's painful, no one should have to go through this." He held on to him for dear life.

Ponyboy just cried.

"Honey, what's that?" That's his dad, he knows that out of his sleepy daze. He's starting to wake up, but he can still feel the car moving, so they must not be there yet.

He yawns, softly.

She hears it, but can't see it.

Pony then turns to lay his head on the side of the window.

And falls back asleep.

"Darrel, there's a car!" His mother screams.

Ponyboy is jolted away, and he's still sleepy, but his eyes widen as glass and other metal shards enter the car. His mother's terrified face turns and she reaches for Ponyboy, her hand so close to him, but she's jerked away by force and the car lands on it's side.

It's then Ponyboy's turn to scream.

"Baby, I made you a chocolate cake. . . "Soda whispered when his tears were dry.

Ponyboy didn't even look up.

"Won't you come have a piece? Then you can come back to bed if you really want to." Soda brushed away the hairs on his forehead. Sometimes it was hard to look at Sodapop Curtis with his bright crystal blue eyes, his blonde hair and that soft smile; all of it was their mother.

Ponyboy braved the hardship and looked up.

As Soda looked down,he saw a broken fourteen-year-old boy.

"Com'on." Still, put on a smile. . . .he's gonna' need it. "Let's eat before Darry eats it all-did I ever tell you the time when he ate a whole three cakes in one sitting? Oh, boy was he ever sick the next day. . ."

Happy Birthday. . . to you.

Now, baby boy

Close your eyes,

real tight,

and make a wish.

What did you wish for?

"I wish to see them,m just once more" Ponyboy whispered to himself, blowing out fourteen candles.

Any birthday reviews for this birthday girl?

-Kylelover101