Ok. This is a 'what if' story. The 'what if' is what if the Curtis' had another brother? I know not totally original, but I want to give it a try. It won't be completely from his point of view, so bear with me. This takes place a few days before Ponyboy is jumped walking home.
Disclaimer: I do not own S.E Hinton's The Outsiders or any of her characters. I'm not making a Yankee dime and I'm only having a bit of fun. I'm also only writing this for me, so no over all dedication.
Well, here goes nothing! Hope you enjoy! Tensleep;)
Pepsi's POV
"Sodapop Curtis! If you're not out of bed, so help me..."
I opened my tired eyes and found my curtains my only defense from the morning light. It was bright out, judging by the light fringing the curtains. I shut my eyes again, hoping Darry wouldn't start yelling again and tried to get back to sleep. Unfortunately, someone up there doesn't like me very much.
"Sodapop!" Darry yelled again
"I'm up, Darry." He sounded a bit sleepy. He should try things from my view then he'd have a right to sound tired
"Good. You gotta hustle, little buddy, or you're going to be later than usual. Breakfast is on the table and the shower's yours," Darry urged
I could hear Darry rummaging around the house and I wondered how he got the energy to even move at this time in the morning. Then again he was always up at six, so maybe he's awake enough to move. I'll tell you one thing; you'll never get me out of bed before seven and that's a fact. I usually don't even bother getting up before seven thirty, even on school days. I cracked one eye open and saw the clock on the wall. It wasn't even eight o'clock on a Saturday!
"Soda!" Darry yelled
"I'm going, I'm going." I heard the shower and knew my chances of going back to sleep where slim to none.
"Morning, Darry." That was Steve
"Morning, Steve," Darry answered
"Sodapop ready?" He sounded like he wasn't muchin the mood to talk to Darry
"Nope. He's in the shower," Darry answered
He started rushing around a bit more and I knew he was doing his best to get to work on time and get Soda out the door. Boy was I glad I had the whole day to just laze about. I stretched out in the bed and tried to pull the covers higher. Damn, was I tired! A voice in the back of my head said 'that's what you get for staying up so late, stupid'. If only we could flip off the little voices in our heads. Unfortunately, all you can do is ignore them, knowing they'll be back. If only I could ignore Darry's mad dash to leave, too. Then life would be bliss and I would never get out of bed.
"Ponyboy, I swear, if this mess isn't cleaned up by the time I get home, you're grounded," Darry snapped
Sure, Dar. Threaten the Kid. That'll really make him work faster.
"Ok, Darry," Pony answered absently
"Is your brother up yet?" Darry asked
"He's in the shower," Steve reminded
"No, the other one."
'The other one?' What did I do? Thanks Darry, love you, too.
"He's your brother, too," Ponyboy reminded
"Well?" Darry asked
Pony either shrugged or ignored him because the next thing I knew he was hammering on my door. I groaned and rolled over. Maybe if I ignored him he'd be the exact opposite of the big brother I know and love and he'd go away.
"Pepsi-cola Curtis get up," he ordered opening the door and letting in all the light I'd been shielded from by the curtains.
Now why'd he have to go do that? I could hear him just fine and he knew it. Well, he also knew I was ignoring him. I guess we'd just refined this daily routine to an art. He makes noise, I get up, we go our separate ways and repeat the whole thing the next day. It was just a part of life I guess. I don't know why either of us put up with it, but we did.
I'd hated waking up since I was a little kid. Everyone has a theory on this. Darry, Dally and Steve figure it's because I'm lazy. I could live with that. Soda, Two-Bit and Johnny think it's because I'm not a morning person. Well, I'm not. Now, Ponyboy came up with the most original answer. Pony thinks I hate waking up because I'm a dreamer and I hate waking up and ending my dreams. He sure has some interesting theories. Maybe he's right, maybe they all were. All I knew was that I was not ready to get up.
I closed my eyes again, but sleep wouldn't come. Darry was on my death list now. I wasn't lying when I said I was up past three in the morning. I definitely felt like shit and thinking about the night before definitely didn't help things. No, I hadn't been drinking or fighting. Shocked huh? No, I'd been thinking. Quit faking heart attacks already, I'm not as blonde as I look!
I'd been thinking alright. Thinking about Darry being our guardian since the car crash and how much things had changed in just three months. I guess it would have been worse to end up in a boys home somewhere, but life around here ain't been peachy. Darry hardened up, turned himself into a parent, well, the best one he could be. He's got too many worries for just being twenty years old. He'd given up college and his dreams to keep us together. Now he was forcing his dreams on Ponyboy. Well, better Pony than me. I don't know how I'd handle that.
"Pepsi!" Darry came past my door again
"I'm up!" I yelled and rolled onto the floor with a thud. That was routine, too.
"Darry? You seen my DX shirt?" Soda yelled
"Nope, but you'd better hurry up and find it, Sodapop," Darry warned
I smiled to myself. No matter how much you tried to rush that brother of mine he was going to be late. It was a fact of life. You couldn't get either of us moving to be on time if you tried. It just wasn't possible.
DX shirt? I knew where that was. I stumbled over to my closet and picked up the semi-clean shirt. How it got on my floor was beyond me, but Soda's stuff seemed to make the rounds. I shook my head. I'd have to make an appearance now.
"Darry, I can't find my shirt!" Soda yelled
"I told you to be neater, little buddy," Darry reminded
"I'm trying," he answered
"Soda," I said making him turn "Explain to me how this got to be on my floor?"
He rushed over in jeans and a muscle shirt and I had to smile. We never tried to dress the same, it just happened. I tossed him his shirt and he grabbed my shoulder affectionately. We went into the living room together, Soda still holding his shirt, and found it to be a huge mess. How it gets that way is beyond me, but it happens.
"Now don't do that!" Steve griped
"Do what?" I asked
"That! Where you dress the same and I can't tell who's who." Steve rubbed his eyes impatiently
"Get going, Soda. You two are going to be late, but you don't want to be too late." I shoved Soda towards the door.
"By Darry! Bye Pony! By Pepsi!" Soda yelled leaving after Steve
I shook my head and turned to see Darry looking for something.
"Ponyboy, I want this mess cleaned and you can get Pepsi to help you and do the dishes. If it isn't done, you're both grounded to the end of the month."
It was only the second, so I didn't take him seriously. He couldn't stand either of us around all the time for that long, especially as grumpy as Ponyboy gets when he's cooped up for too long. Darry was still scrambling around.
"I'm gonna be late at this rate. Pepsi-cola, if you're asleep, I'm gonna hurt you!"
He obviously didn't see me looking right at him, but he was preoccupied. I wondered what he was looking for?
"Pepsi!" He yelled
"I heard ya the first couple times," I said and he looked up startled "What are you looking for?"
"My keys. Someone--" a glare at me "--moved them from where I left them," he said still looking for them
"'Morning to you, too," I grumbled
"Pepsi, I've got no time for this," he said making an even bigger mess
"They're on the dryer," I yawned
"How did they get there?" he asked eyeing me with suspicion
"You left them in your jeans' pocket. I was kind enough to take them out before I did laundry yesterday." I was so sick of getting blamed for everything
He rushed and picked them up from where I said they'd be. He threw me a bit of a grin and was out the door.
I shook my head and looked over at Ponyboy who was glued to the TV. I smiled and stumbled my way to the bathroom. Darry wasn't kidding when he said it was a mess in here.
I looked at myself in the mirror and was no more surprised with what I saw than I was every other day. Even if I felt like shit I sure didn't look it. My blonde hair was somewhat neat and the bags I was expecting to see under my dark brown eyes weren't there. My eyes weren't as lively as they usually where and looked a bit tired. That was the only physical sign that I hadn't really slept last night. Pony would know, he always does. Darry says he doesn't use his head, but I know he does. He always knows what I'm up to and it has everything to do with using his head.
Damn, Sodapop was a slob. There was clothing all over the floor, hair grease spilt on the counter, as well as tooth paste everywhere and combs all over the place. How he could make such a mess was beyond me. I had this place spotless before I finally went to sleep, now look at it! I sighed and picked up the clothing and discarded towels off the floor. I threw 'em in the washer and pulled all the clean stuff out of the dryer. They were dry so I'd take 'em out in the living room to fold. I wasn't going to fold them yet, but hey, it's a start. I knew that's as far as I'd get, before breakfast anyway. I knew Darry hadn't cooked me anything, which was fine with me. He never cooks it right and it's always cold by the time I get to it anyway.
I made my way back to the bathroom and tried to find my comb in the mess my twin had created in the half an hour he'd been awake. You know, if we didn't look exactly alike, smile the same, laugh the same and generally like the same things, people would doubt we were twins. I mean Soda's happy go lucky and bouncy and knows how to comfort people when they need it. He openly admits to being the ball baby of the family and is real messy. I was like that in some ways, until the accident. Now...How does Darry so expertly put it? I'm a smart mouthed, ornery, pain in the ass, but I'm responsible, neat, can be considerate and a hell of a fighter and football player. He had started grinning about then and said it was an interesting combination. He makes me mad sometimes by saying stuff like that. Stupid, but true that I'll let him get to me.
I started going through the cabinets, looking for some hair grease, seeing as how the only thing of grease I knew of was all over the counter. Damn. Oh well. I'd gone without before and I didn't look that bad without it. I'll definitely be having a word with my look alike about being less wasteful and definitely neater. I made my hair look as good as it was going to get without grease. It didn't look like I'd need to shave this morning; good, because I had no idea where my razor was. Soda and I had started shaving around fifteen, but I never liked it. Sure, I looked better with out a beard, but it was an inconvenience to shave almost every day.
I peeled off the shirt I'd slept in and studied all the muscles my 16 going on 17 frame would fit. Not much in comparison to Darry, but as good as a guy my size was going to get. I stood there, thinking on how my muscles looked, before my stomach started to growl. I guess it was past breakfast time.
I went into the living room, now only in my jeans. I did it all the time. Darry's convinced I hate clothes and I'm hell bent to live my days in a pair of jeans with the occasional shirt or pair of shoes. I'll bet he can't wait for winter and the fight he'll have on his hands to get me to dress properly. I'll give in, just like I always did for Mom, after I get my first taste of the cold.
Pony, on the other hand, was fully dressed still glued to the TV. Mickey Mouse was on. I smiled. Mickey was one of the few things in this family we could agree on. He was funny and even Darry had to smile at some of his antics. For a while we debated calling Keith Two-Bit. He almost became Mickey Mouse because he was so nuts about him. Mickey's a bit of a sissy name, especially for a greaser, to carry around. Two-Bit was a tuff name and it suited him, always getting his two-bits in.
A rumble of my stomach reminded me why I wasn't still in the bathroom. Pony looked over at me and grinned before returning his attention to the TV. I shook my head and went into the kitchen. Pretty slim pickings. We'd have to go grocery shopping when a check came in, maybe sooner. Eggs was the only choice this morning. We couldn't even agree on eggs! Darry likes his in a bacon and tomato sandwich, Soda likes his with grape jelly and Pony likes his hard. Me, I like mine soft with a bit of...Damn! We were nearly out of salsa! I'd have to go to the store now.
"Pony?" I yelled
"Yep?" he answered
"You eaten?" I asked
"Nope, you offering?" he replied
"Yep. The usual?" I asked
"Yep." I was surprised I even got that out of him while Mickey was on
I liked cooking for some reason. I don't know why, but it makes me happy. Not so happy when Soda smothers his food in ketchup or grape jelly or when someone turns it into food fight ammunition. I still liked cooking, despite all that. I put the eggs on and went through the fridge to see if we had any chocolate cake. I knew from one look this was one of Soda's cakes. Only a piece was gone because Soda always put too much sugar in his icing and no one but him could stand it. Oh, well. Cake was cake. I put it on the table and finished cooking the eggs. I set Pony's on the table and yelled for him. He turned off the TV and came into the kitchen, too. Boy, he was hungry looking. It was almost nine, though.
"Thanks, Peps." He just sat there as if waiting for something
"What?" I asked
"Fork, Peps," he reminded and I handed him one. I always forgot forks, didn't like them much
"So, what's on the plan for today, Little bud?" I asked
"Planning on hanging out with you," he answered
I've heard it from somewhere that twins are supposed to be really close, closer to each other than anyone else. Well, as much as I love Sodapop, I've always been closer to Ponyboy than my happy go lucky twin. I don't know why, but then again, I don't know a lot of things. Maybe it was because Soda had a best friend like Steve. My best bud was...well I don't really have a best bud like Steve. Sure, I get along with everyone, but no one I could really call a best friend. Ok, I have a blast when I'm out with Tim Shepard and Two-Bit is pretty cool, but not really what I would call a best friend.
I guess the closest thing to a best friend I had these days was Dallas Winston. He and I always clicked since day one. I think I'm the only person he ever really talked to. Why is beyond me, especially at this time of the morning, but I guess he is my best friend. We both jockey for the slash J and I think it almost killed Soda when I started. We're both horse nuts, but him more than me. When he dropped out he went to work at the DX with Steve, I got serious and signed on with Dally. He could have, too, but he wasn't up to it after ripping a ligament before Mom and Dad died. I missed them and didn't think on them much. Thinking about them hurt and I wanted to have a good day for once. I glanced over at Ponyboy and was happy to see he was enjoying his meal.Ponyboy was important to me. He was the only one in this family that really understood me and I could be a buddy to. Soda had Steve and Darry had work. So I had Ponyboy.
"Pepsi? Are you working tonight?" he asked around a mouth full of cake
"No I don't have a ride scheduled for two weeks. Don't talk with your mouth full or you're going to choke," I sighed
"Good. I was thinking you and me should drag Johnny down to the nightly double." he was still trying to eat and talk at the same time
"Sounds like a plan," I said getting up to get Pony some chocolate milk before he started choking
"There's a good one tonight. No more beach-" He stopped suddenly and I turned to make sure he hadn't died on me
"You ok, Little buddy?" I asked
"When the hell did you get that?" he asked shocked
I looked at him puzzled for a sec before it hit me. This was the one thing I'd kept from Pony without meaning to. I'd meant to keep it from Darry and even Soda, but Pony always knew everything so it slipped my mind to tell him.
"What, this?" I indicated the tattoo on my shoulder blade
""No, your third eye," he answered sarcastically, I was rubbing off on this kid
"At a party a few weeks ago," I replied handing him the milk
"Where you drunk?" he asked
Ok, I did drink to be sociable, but I've rarely been drunk after me and Soda got drunk when we were fifteen. It wasn't pleasant and I'd never enjoy doing that. Soda hadn't touched a drink since, but he had that luxury. He got drunk on life, he didn't need the booze. However,one or two at a party was my limit. Most of the people at the parties I went to were rodeo people and being sociable came with the job. Dally really had to fake those nights. It was unavoidable.
"Nope. You know I haven't really been drunk since I was fifteen," I answered and he gave me a skeptical look
"Darry's going to kill you, if he finds out," Ponyboy pointed out
"That's why he doesn't know. When I'm in the mood for a good fight I'll tell him. 'Sides, it's my body and I don't think he has the right to tell me what to do with it."
I wondered if I was right. Did he have the right to tell me what I could or couldn't do to my body?
"So, how'd it happen?" he asked
"This gal at Buck's said I inspired her. She said she had a picture in her head that suited me perfectly. So I asked if she was an artist or something. She says yeah, a tattoo artist. About now I start to choke on my drink and Dally sticks his nose right in the conversation. I ask if she's drunk and she says no and that she'll do it for free. I know damn well Darry'll kill me, but Dally just had to get in there."
"And?" Pony prompted
"So, Dally and I agree that we're going to get it done together," I added "And so we sit here at the table discussing it."
"So, Dally has one too?" Pony started to grin
"Yep," I answered finishing up my breakfast. I shouldn't lecture Pony on eating and talking; I do it enough myself
"So, a black stallion. She really thought you were a black stallion?" he asked
"Hey, that's what she said I inspired. The gal didn't give me much of a choice," I answered
"You know, I think Darry's right. You are the crazy one in this family." He smiled
"What? You and Soda aren't going to join my craziness?" I asked
"Nope. You're on your own, big brother." Pony went back to his cake, making a face at the icing
"Thanks," I said smiling at him
"Morning, Cutises!" Two-Bit yelled
I flipped a tea towel over my shoulder and gave Pony a meaning full look he nodded to. Last thing I needed was for Two-Bit to accidentally let it slip to Darry or Soda. Two-Bit came into the kitchen and made himself at home, like he does everyday by grabbing a slice of cake and seeing if we have some beer.
"Morning, Two-Bit," I greeted "And, before you can ask, there ain't no beer."
"Don't you ever get dressed?" he asked sitting down
"You and I both know my twin got the clothing gene," I answered
"And wooosh!" Two-Bit swiped above his head to show that this was way above his level of comprehension. "Why would he want your jeans?"
With all the years Two-Bit's been in school he hasn't leaned anything. I winked at Ponyboy who was grinning at Two-Bit. I guess School was good for something, when you paid attention.
Well, what do you think? I like it, but I'm bias so if you think I should continue please make some comment about it, email me or review or whatever.
Well, as always, any comments at all are welcome and Flames are accepted only if they are super nasty and well written.
See ya in the funny papers! Tens