I stopped at their door before I headed off to work. Fourteen, fourteen years old it was weird it seemed like such a big age yet it was really such a small age. He still wasn't into girls yet but it wouldn't be long now. I looked carefully at the two sleeping figures. I let my smile escape; they looked so peaceful laying there. That was a lot different from last night, a full-fledged screaming match came out, Soda had to take Sandy to some dance and Pony wanted to go off to some party with Johnny. I would have let him go but it was the fact that I had no clue who the people were who was going to be there and I doubted that parents were going to be there. So, once again the answer was no and to explain to Pony that I trusted him it was just everyone else I didn't trust didn't go over to well. I got cussed out on a very basic level, accused of being unfair and not wanting him.

"Ponyboy, a high school party isn't a place for a thirteen year old kid."

"But I'm in high school and I'll be fourteen tomorrow!" He yelled acting more like a kid than a teenager. As if that was going to make it any better.

"Sorry, kiddo, no means no."

I shook last night's memories from my head. Time for work; there was one thing I liked about fall. When it came time for working outside it wasn't too cold or to hot. At least Soda could take the day off and spend time with Pony. I wasn't so lucky but when I came home around eight, I could tell that the entire gang was there. Actually, I could hear them a block away. I was nervous, I didn't want to ruin the kid's birthday if he was still mad at me. I opened the door.

"Hey, Darry!" Two-Bit greeted. "Want a beer."

"No thank, make sure those bottles go in the trash can outside." We were due for one of our monthly visits soon beer in a house where we are all underage wasn't good.

"Are they still at it?" Steve asked leaning over the couch to look in the kitchen.

I could hear Pony roaring with laughter. It was the best thing to come home too but I barely came home to both of them roaring with laughter not that they weren't happy kids or anything.

"What's going on?" I asked. Pony seemed to have Soda in a headlock well sort of. "Pony pull your right arm over your left, you'll have more control."

Soda's arms flopped everywhere. "Thanks so much, Darry."

"Better watch out Soda, looks like he's going to be able to whoop you soon."

"Soon, looks like he already is." Steve smirked.

"What's with the decorations?" I asked sitting on the chair.

"Are you serious?" Pony asked letting go of Soda. Soda fell to the floor and overly exaggerated grabbing his neck.

"Yes. What are we celebrating?" They both just starred at me. Birthdays in our family were a big deal; they were never forgotten and always celebrated.

"You forgot it's my birthday."

"Oh, yeah that's right, you're thirteen aren't you?" I leaned foreword on my fist.

"Darry!" He was looking like he was going to either cry or kill me. "I'm fourteen."

"What's your birth date?"

"September 18 1947"

"Huh, I guess you're right." I stood up and put my hand down on his head. "Well then why aren't you taller." He swung so hard at me it was unreal. I jumped back and caught his hand. I was actually worried he'd be picked on for his size too, but Pony was a good little fighter. "Where'd you learn to swing like that?"

"You!" He starred up at me.

"Soda, I need your help." I picked Pony up and turned him upside down. Soda knew exactly what to do. He ran in and started tickling Pony until he couldn't take it anymore. I turned him right side up and put him on his feet.

"You're present is under the seat of the car. Go get em" He took off running going slightly sideways as he ran. I smirked.

"Glory, Darry, you sure had him fooled." Soda said. "Even me for a minute there."

Pony came back inside with box wrapped in newspapers. See wrapping paper was stupidly priced and well I figured what's the point in getting it if the kid is going to rip it open.

He sat on the floor and tore through the wrapping paper. "New jeans and two books."

"What books, Pony?" Johnny asked.

"Huck Finn and Dracula."

"Yeah, those are actually at a higher reading level, you might not get them at first but they're the type of books that you can re read over and over."

Pony shook his head. "Nah. I'll get them." There it was that defiant attitude he had and soon it would worsen. With years of being a teenager, he was going to be a handful.

"Here, Pony before I forget. I picked this up for you." Two-Bit tossed over a small paper bag. "It ain't no where near as pretty as mine but I figured"

"Two-Bit I swear to God, if that's Playboy."

"Nah, Steve gave him last months issue."

I rolled my eyes and glared at Steve. I made a mental note to confiscate that later.

"Hey, it's a switch blade, thanks Two-Bit."

"Don't be carrying that around school, that's libel to get you expelled."

I got up to go make the icing for his cake. I told Soda, last night to let me do it. I knew Pony liked my icing better, but he would never tell Soda that. I was in the middle putting icing on when I saw Pony and Johnny outside in the backyard. That was weird because most of the time everyone was in the front yard on the porch.

I stepped outside behind the trashcans where I couldn't be seen but I could hear and see them. The smoke from their cigarettes was heavily to where I was because of the wind.

"Couldn't get you much man, I mean I ain't no good at stealing and money is tight." Johnny said he handed Pony an old shoebox.

Pony looked inside and smiled. "Thanks, it's great."

I walked back inside before I could be seen. They were going to be a more quite version of Steve and Soda. I could see it now. I remember back to them playing war with their water guns. I sighed heavily everything just got scarier.

Pony wondered into the kitchen.

"Hey, Kiddo put this in the sink for me will you?" I asked handing him the knife I used to icing the cake.

He hopped up on the counter and began to lick the knife.

"Darry, thanks for the jeans and books."

I nodded. "You're welcome." It was an awkward conversation. When he turned thirteen and I bought him the football, he ripped the think open and screamed "Darry's on my team!" I was screaming in my head from being the one he always wanted on his team to being the one he's feels awkward with at home, it was exactly pleasant.

He tossed the knife in the sink. "That's good!" I just shook my head.

After dinner, and cake, a game of football, poker, wrestling matches, everything had begun to quite down. Mrs. Matthews stopped by to say happy birthday and fuss over how tall everyone had grown. After that she managed to talk Steve and Johnny to coming over, since they were hardly ever over her house anymore. I had gotten Pony and Soda in bed by eleven and now it was nearing midnight and I could still hear the laughing and talking.

"Boys, I'm serious, next time I have to tell you to go to bed, I'm going to skin both of you!" I shouted. That got them for a whole ten minutes before stuff started up again. Now it was time to show them I was serious. I got up but was distracted by the phone.

"Darry" Dally's voice came through the receiver. He was jailed last week for ninety days.

"Hey, Dal, you alright man?"

"Yeah, fine. I just managed to talk guard into letting me use the phone. Told him it was my Mom's birthday and she was dying of cancer." He laughed. "Tell the little shit I said Happy Birthday."

I couldn't help but laugh, coming from Dally, Little Shit was like me calling Soda Little Buddy. "Johnny over there?" He asked.

"No, he's at Two-Bits" I could hear someone yelling "Time's up." In the background.

"Got to go." The phone dead-ended. I almost turned back to the couch where I was doing bills on the coffee table when I heard a bang coming from the boy's room. I groaned.

I could hear the hushing and then suddenly the desk light went out. I barged in the room. "Nice try." I folded my arms.

"Who was on the phone?" Soda asked.

"Dallas, he says happy birthday. What made the bang?" I asked.

They were both quite, I didn't have time for this, and they had to get up for school and work. I was going to go through hell trying to get them up. I gave up. "I mean it, if you two don't settle down, Pony you're going in my room for the remainder of the night, and Soda you're going to be stuck in here for three hours tomorrow after work."

I could see Soda's eyes get wide. Any thought of being in one room with nothing to do for five minutes was bad enough but three hours would be just pure hell."

"Ya, hear?"

Pony yawned, he snuggled down, they both just nodded. I smoothed the covers over both of them.

"You have a good birthday, kiddo?" I asked.

Pony nodded half way asleep. I went to pull the covers over their feet; they needed to make the bed. "Ponyboy, are you wearing those new jeans to bed?" I asked.

"Yeah, he has to break them in." Soda replied for Pony.

"Should have known."

"Not like they can get dirty." Pony said.

I looked around the room. "Some how I believe they can."

"Thank you for the books, I like them." Pony said.

I pushed the hair from his eyes. "You're welcome baby; thank me by going to sleep."

"Even I like his presents." Soda said.

How could I have ever forgotten? "Soda, give me the Playboy." I demanded sending them both into hysterics. I would easily place a million dollars that Pony's ears were red, but I couldn't exactly see in the dark. Soda flopped on to his back and pulled the magazine out from under his pillow. I rolled it up and cracked him a good one with it.

"You shouldn't be looking at this. I don't want this crap in my house."

"Night Darry." He said like it was nothing.

I through the magazine away, when he was eighteen I wasn't going to care but at sixteen and fourteen there was no way in hell I was going to let them look at that. I turned off the lights and left a pillow out in case Johnny came back.

I remembered back in high school, Dad would always stop on his way to bed and watch them sleep. I even caught him watching me a few times. Now, I was doing it, I remembered thinking he was nuts why would he ever watch someone sleep. I finally understood it. Pony gently shivered. It was getting really cold at night but we had windows open in the day to keep the house cool. I shut the window and locked it. I always kept their windows locked ever since I had the dream of someone kidnapping them.

I shut the door before going to my room. I starred up at the ceiling, things sure have changed but some how I think we were going to make it through. It kind of made life exciting, exhausting, but exciting. "Well, Mom and Dad, you're baby is fourteen." I bit my lip and sat up. MY baby was fourteen. I laid back down. "So, am I doing okay?" I asked to no one again. Everything was silent. I could hear Mom's wind chimes. "I guess that's a yes."

I hate to say it but this is the end because in the book Pony stated he was fourteen and has been that way for a month.