Hello everyone, this is Kylelover101 with my new story. I have read a story similar to the one I am writing by Golden Greaser (I swear I'm NOT taking her idea and calling it mine) but she never finished it, which saddened me deeply. As most of you know, I am pregnant, with pregnancy comes lots of time for Netflix and movies. I watched one called: What's Eating Gilbert Grape; it was one of my favorite movies growing up and I had the idea to mix that in with a possible story. So after the movie was finished, I wrote a plot on paper and now I present it to you, ladies and gentlemen.

I would also like to take the time to dedicate this story to: Pinksugarrush. (The fan-fic author of: Doll House) Honey, I hope this motivates you to write more and hopefully you will someday finish your story that I love so much.

Here are some medical notes I found on some medical websites that I'm sure will help readers who don't understand Mental Retardation:

Mental retardation (MR): is a condition diagnosed before age 18, usually in infancy or prior to birth. Including below-average general intellectual function, and a lack of the skills necessary for daily living.

Some of the most common signs of intellectual disability are:

1.) Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or walking late
2.) Talking late or having trouble with talking
3.) Slow to master things like potty training, dressing, and feeding his or herself
4.) Difficulty remembering things
5.) Inability to connect actions with consequences
6.) Behavior problems such as explosive tantrums
7.) Difficulty with problem-solving or logical thinking

Autism: Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Most common signs of autism are:

Stereotypy is repetitive movement, such as hand flapping, head rolling, or body rocking.
Compulsive behavior is intended and appears to follow rules, such as arranging objects in stacks or lines.
Sameness is resistance to change; for example, insisting that the furniture not be moved or refusing to be interrupted.
Ritualistic behavior involves an unvarying pattern of daily activities, such as an unchanging menu or a dressing ritual. This is closely associated with sameness and an independent validation has suggested combining the two factors.
Restricted behavior is limited in focus, interest, or activity, such as preoccupation with a single television program, toy or game.
Self-injury includes movements that injure or can injure the person, such as eye-poking, skin-picking, hand-biting and head-banging. A 2007 study reported that self-injury at some point affected about 30% of children with ASD.

I think you've all had enough of my blabber, I hope you all enjoy the story and review, as for Pinksugarrush, keep writing and Stay Gold.

-Kylelover101

Title: Temptation

Summary: After the crash that took the lives of The Curtis parents, Soda's dreams of having his own life are long gone; especially after knowing he's stuck caring for his autistic little brother, Ponyboy.

Rating: T

Sodapop's P.O.V

The doctors told Mom not to even look at Ponyboy when he was born. They wanted to save her from heartache because it was estimated he wouldn't live four hours because of her early labor. Mom fought to see him and soon a few hours turned to one day, one day turned to a week, weeks turned to months and months turned to years.

Ponyboy had beaten the odds and lived. He was thirteen now, young, wild and always in trouble-

"SO-DA!" I could hear him laughing. I groaned, tossing my spoon into my bowl of cereal as I rushed to where I could hear him laughing. I ran out to the porch, looking up I saw a pair of feet dangling. I groaned and when I went to grab him, Ponyboy shrieked and kicked my hands away.

I ran out into the yard.

"Ponyboy Michael, you get off the roof, right now!" I couldn't look away for one second to eat my food and he's already gotten himself into danger. Ponyboy just laughed, swinging his feet, danging off of the roof. I sighed, noticing the ladder by the side of the house. Knowing he must have used that to get up on the room, I moved it and placed it on the ground.

"Now what, Pony? You're stuck." I was only doing this to teach him a lesson, but I guess it looked cruel if a stranger might have passed by our house seeing me on the ground with a ladder and a kid on the roof. Ponyboy curled his knees up to his nose, hiding his face.

"Hmmmm," He whined. I tapped my foot, I was loosing my patience with Ponyboy.

"Ponyboy, you better get down here before Darry comes home!" Darry was due back from work any minute. I hated when Ponyboy acted up just before Darry got home, because it put me in a bad mood with Ponyboy and I'm blamed for Ponyboy's actions. Like a while ago Ponyboy wanted to color with his new crayons he got for his birthday, I went to the bathroom, came back and he was coloring on the walls. I tried to clean it up as best as I could before Darry came home, but he walked right through the door before I could start cleaning.

"Come, Soda! Lookie, lookie!" Ponyboy laughed, obviously not feeling guilty anymore as he pointed out towards the rest of the neighborhood.

"Ponyboy, get down here." I frowned, crossing my arms.

"Come up with . . .with-with me!" Pony shirked, giggling, followed by a notorious habit he had was sometimes flopping his hands together to smack them around.

I sighed, "If I go up there, then you'll come down, right?"

"Yup-yup!" He laughed, I sighed, setting up the ladder and climbing on to the roof of the porch. Once I was sitting next to Ponyboy, I waited a few minutes. I fixed my eyes on the rooftops of other houses in the neighborhood. The sun was low in the sky, indicating it was almost six o' clock, but if you squinted your eyes you could see parts of the city in the distance.

"Alright, I sat up here with you, now let's go." I sighed.

"No, I want to be high!"

I snickered, shaking my head, I couldn't laugh at the dirty thought of Pony's wrong sentence. I knew he couldn't help with some of his vocabulary, but some things he said were just too funny.

"No, Let's go before Darry-"

Too late, Darry had pulled up into the driveway. "Oh, no." I groaned. I heard the door slam and a few footsteps.

"Soda! What are you doing?" I looked down at Darry, I could tell by the look on his face that he was working out in the sun all day by his tan line, his shirt looked sweaty and he was probably tired from work. He didn't sound too pleased to see us on the rood.

"Ask monkey here." I pointed to Ponyboy.

Ponyboy just laughed, "Monkey, swinging monkey!"

"Get him off of the roof, Soda!"

"Hey, he wouldn't come down unless I came up!"

"Yeah, nice excuse buddy. Com'on, let's go!"

I turned to glare at Ponyboy who just sheepishly smiled at me. I sighed, "Com'on, runt. Let's go eat." I gently held on to his waist and he instantly wrapped his arms around my neck, hiding his face. "Love Soda, big bro'der." Ponyboy had this way to get out of trouble, if he cuddles and rubs your back then he's pretty much kiss-assing you so he won't be in trouble.

Unfortunately, I fell for it.

"Fine, fine." I put his on the grass. "Don't. Do that. Again. Ya' dig?"

He nodded, "I Gig."

. . . .

"Soda, can you play with Ponyboy while I fix dinner?" Darry asked from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes sitting on the couch watching TV while Ponyboy played with some educational blocks on the floor. Darry was thick-headed if he forgot that I was"playing" with Ponyboy all day.

Cooking dinner or any meal for that chance was usually my only chance away from Ponyboy. "Com'on, Dar, let me cook. You haven't see Ponyboy all day. He misses you."

It wasn't a lie, Ponyboy might have missed Darry, but he didn't say anything to me. Darry sighed, nodding. "Sure little buddy. No food coloring, I'm trying to get Ponyboy to eat by himself today."

"Good luck." I muttered when he was out of ear shot. Ponyboy didn't like the feel of silverware. He often complained and cried about having to feed himself. I knew how this dinner would go down, either Ponyboy would sob and cry until someone fed him, or he'd throw a major fit and refuse to eat at all.

While I made pasta and fixed a salad, I got a good view of seeing Darry play with Ponyboy on the floor. Ponyboy looked to be enjoying himself and Darry didn't seem bothered at all. I felt a twitch come to my mouth and a sting to my heart. I never recalled Darry playing with me like that when I was young. I'm sure we had our share of playing with each other, but when Ponyboy was born Darry would either help Mom or Dad with Ponyboy, or run to his "new friends" he made at school. Leaving me alone with playing with Ponyboy.

I could remember Mom swatting my hands when I took toys away from Ponyboy. Her swats never truly hurt, but knowing the fact that she "sided" with Ponyboy hurt. Dad had a lot of time on his hands working and teaching Ponyboy how to walk at age two that he never played with me. Mom was a lost cause since her life pretty much revolved around Ponyboy 24/7. She tried to make time for Darry and Me, but when Ponyboy cried, she went running to him. Darry had sought comfort from Dad and I was left with no one, at least, that's what it felt like.

"Dinner's done!" I called.

"Com'on, buddy, let's eat." Darry smiled, helping Ponyboy to his feet. Sometimes if Ponyboy sat too long, he needed help getting up and walking a little.

I forced a smile as I set the table. I told myself that I wouldn't feed Ponyboy tonight; Tonight, Darry would have to deal with Pony.

"Alright, eat up." Darry placed a fork by Ponyboy and Pony looked confused. I slurped on my noodles, ready for the show to start.

"No!" With that, Ponyboy knocked the fork on the floor.

"Ugh, Pony." Darry sighed, "Com'on, you need to feed yourself, it's yummy." Ponyboy continued to shake his head until hair flopped around. I hid my smirk by eating more. Darry was getting frustrated and Ponyboy kept fighting. Pretty soon Darry gave up.

"Fine, have it your way. Soda, will you feed him?" I went to argue, but Darry already put his plate away and headed to his room.

I sighed, Ponyboy rubbed his stomach. "Hung'wy, Soda."

"Hungry, Ponyboy. And com'ere." I was fed up with him sitting on my lap for the millionth time that day, but reluctantly I began to feed him. Ponyboy ate very little, very slowly. When he announced he was done, he barley ate one fourth of his plate. I swear, we lose so much food because of him. Ponyboy hopped off my lap and made a run for the living room, probably to play with his blocks some more.

I had done the dishes and cleaned off the table when Darry came out of his room, telling Ponyboy he needed a bath. I blocked the back door while Darry guarded the front, Ponyboy was completely locked in. He screamed and cried, begging Darry to not give him one. Among silverware, itchy clothes and other things, the one thing Ponyboy couldn't stand was water. He didn't mind running his hands under it, but when it came to bathing, it was a an all out war in order to get him in the tub without tears.

"It'll be quick, Ponyboy. You can have toys." Darry struggled to get Pony's pants off as the auburn was kicking, trying to get free. When Darry did manage to undress him, Ponyboy threw a major fit, crying and splashing in the water, soaking Darry's shirt.

"Soda, hand me the soap." Darry asked, trying to keep calm. It was hard to wash Pony's hair when the boy was struggling and a few times soap got into his eyes, finally after maybe a few minutes of fighting Ponyboy relaxed when his hair and body was washed.

"Alright, you calm?" Darry asked.

Ponyboy sniffed, nodding as he continued more crocodile tears to trace his face. "You can play for a little while, but I'm coming in soon. Soda, stay and watch him, please."

"What?" I argued. Darry gave me a look I'd rather not fight with and I sighed. After Pony's bath it would be an hour of letting him draw, or read, or do something quiet and then it's off to bed; which was another war to fight. Ponyboy squealed with laughter as I slid on an over-sized plaid shirt over him.

"Alright, Ponyboy. Bedtime." I forced a smile.

"Sto'wy." He was tugging on the front of my shirt. I stretched, "Not tonight, buddy. I'm tired. Let's just go to bed."

Ponyboy's lips pouted. "Sto'wy."

"I don't read to boys who can't pronounce their words right." Harsh, I know, but we need to get Ponyboy speaking properly. We've tried flash cards and tape recordings, now Darry had the idea of rewarding him every time he said a sentence right.

Ponyboy crossed his arms and looked like he was about to cry as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. I sighed, not wanting his to start sobbing to where he throws a fit and Darry hollering at me. I just didn't want a fight.

"Alright, one, quick, story. Then it's bedtime." I heard his surprised gasp as he moved to the side of his bed, making room for me.

"Okay, what story you want tonight, Pony?" I asked. He grinned, handing me a book off of his shelf. "To Kill A Mockingbird. . . .?"

Where did this book come from? I glanced at Ponyboy who just smiled at me. I was a horrible reader and I couldn't pronounce half of the words but it made Ponyboy fall asleep. I took a deep breath, enjoying the silence for a minute or two before going back into my own room to sleep.

I was awoken what felt like seconds later to a screaming cry. I knew it was Ponyboy form where I could hear it and from what it sounded like; Pony's cries shook my bones and rattled my brain. With the way Pony cried, he sounded like he were being stabbed or shot; he has a way of being over-dramatic. I rushed behind Darry to Pony's room and froze.

I guess the kid had a right to scream bloody murder.

"Ponyboy, are alright?" Darry was on the floor gently helping Pony's head into his lap. I looked at the side of Pony's bed in fear realizing I had forgotten to lift up the rails. Pony's bed was especially made with rails on one side to prevent him from falling out of bed while the other side of the bed was against the wall of the house. The railing had been installed because when Pony was big enough to move into a normal bed, he kept falling out so Dad made a rail for Pony's bed so he couldn't fall out.

"I fall'd, I fall'd." Pony sobbed over and over again in Darry's lap.

"Did you hit your head?" Darry softly asked. Ponyboy didn't answer rather he kept on crying. Darry slowly looked up at me in anger.

"Did you forget something, Sodapop?"

I rubbed the side of my arm. "I'm sorry, Darry, I forgot."

"About your brother's safety?"

I didn't answer that one, rather I left the room knowing I'd be of no help. I slowly walked into the kitchen, hoping Pony's cries didn't wake anyone in the gag that might have came over in the middle of the night. I saw Two-Bit passed out with empty beer bottles surrounding him and Johnny was curled up in a blanket. Both were dead to the world.

I looked at the clock, seeing it turn from midnight to one.

When Pony's cries stopped, I assumed Darry had him put back to sleep. Darry started walking to his room before seeing me in the kitchen.

"Oh, and only four hours till I have to get up." He sarcastically spoke. "I'll sure to have a good night's rest now."

I didn't say anything, rather I gazed at the floor.

"How can you be so careless and stupid, Soda?! It's like you've never taken care of him before. Get your act together, or the next mistake you make just might have him taken away from us, do you want that? Do you want Ponyboy taken from us?"

Oh, he's never been more right in his life.

". . . .No."

I laid in bed, sleep not coming my way anytime soon. I thought of a lot of things before I went to sleep, sometimes day dreaming, sometimes wishing.

I hated this town. I hated the rich, snobby Socs that treated me and other Greasers like dirt. I hated the teachers that kept reminding me of how stupid I was. I hate knowing that I'm stuck here having to care for my retarded brother!

I felt my throat thicken and tears fell from my eyes. I turned into my pillow, silently crying.

I wanted Mom and Dad back. . . .I wanted Darry to go to College. . . . I wanted Ponyboy to be normal. . . I wanted out of this hick town.

I just want to be happy.

Did I make Soda too harsh? I hope I didn't, but then again it's for the story.

Review please.

-Kylelover101