Author’s note: The Outsiders are owned by S.E. Hinton.
I roll over to find that I’m alone in bed which isn’t much out of the ordinary lately. Since Sugar came home from the hospital Darry, Soda and me have been taking turns sitting up at night just in case she needs anything or has another nightmare. At least once a night you can hear her screaming “Don’t touch me” or “Stop.” All we can do is sit with her and comfort her until she goes back to sleep. It just feels like we are just as helpless as that night.
I throw on a pair of jeans and head to the living room. The smell of eggs and bacon fills the house. Smells good. Behind me, Sugar starts knocking on the bathroom door. “Soda, hurry up, I have to pee!” It used to be that Sugar wouldn’t have any qualms about running into the bathroom to go while one of us was in the shower, now we can’t even walk around shirtless without seeing fear light up in her eyes.
I take a seat at the table as Darry puts out a plate of food. “You ready for that test Pony?”
“I think so. No help to those two idiots last night keeping me awake.”
“Come on Soda!” Sugar bangs on the door.
“Finally!” As Soda comes out fully clothed with towel around his neck and wet hair. Sugar slams the door behind her.
“Another nightmare last night?” I ask Soda.
“Yea, I wish what helped with you would work for her, but when I try to touch her she freaks out. I just don’t know what to do.” Soda sits across from me as Darry puts down a plate of food.
“All we can do is be there when she needs us and get out of the way when she doesn’t. Pony, how does she seem at school?” Sugar went back to school a few days ago. She said it was because Darry needed to go back to work and we couldn’t afford for him to take anymore time off. That was true but I figured it was more because she was dying of boredom. Her and Soda both have this problem of being overly agitated when they have nothing to do.
“She seems to be…” I’m cut off by the bathroom door opening.
“You don’t have to stop talking on my account or is it that you were talking about me? You think I don’t hear your conversations about me? I’m not a child.” She takes a seat beside me and I drop my eyes to stare at my breakfast. “I’m taking a short shift at the Dingo after school, so don’t wait up for me.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little soon for that?” Darry interjected as the tension mounted.
“It’s just a 2 hour shift, Darry. No big deal.” There was that monotous tone I had grown to expect.
As I could see the anger rising in Darry’s face. I wasn’t in the mood for a fight so I made sure to put my two cents in before he started yelling. “If it’s only 2 hours I can hang out there with you. It would probably be a lot more quiet than this place. I’m sure Johnny would come with me.”
Soda with his light hearted grin, “Don’t worry so much Darry. She’s a big girl.”
“Fine. Hurry up and finish breakfast, you’re gonna be late for school.”
The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence.
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