The Outsiders - Three Brothers

Quarters

"Darry please!" Ponyboy whined. It was Friday afternoon and he really wanted to go to the movies.

"I said No Ponyboy." Darry stated matter-of-factly. He was currently taking his turn at making dinner - stirring a pot of boiling noodles around.

"But it's Friday! And I did my homework early so it's already done!"

"Ponyboy I'm not arguing this with you!"

"But I'm not in trouble! I'm not grounded!"

"You can be if you keep this up!" There was currently a lot of tension between the Socs and Greasers. More tension than usual, and Darry didn't want either of his brothers out right now and risk them getting jumped.

"I'll be fine! And I'll have Someone walk me home."

"No."

"That's not -" Darry turned around and landed two smacks to Ponyboy's bottom with the wooden spoon he had in his hand.

The kid jumped away quickly and covered his backside, not wanting to risk anymore. "I said no and that is final little boy."

"I'm not a little kid!"

"You certainly act like one." Darry retorted as he went back to cooking.

"Soda's going out!"

"No he ain't."

"But he told me -"

"Whatever he told you is wrong. Neither of you are going out at night until this crap with the Socs eases up."

"What if I ask one of the guys to go with me?"

"No."

Ponyboy slumped his shoulders, he wasn't going to win this. Just then, Soda came running in and grabbed an apple from the fridge and went to race out saying "I'm going out with Steve!"

"Hold it!" Darry yelled.

Sodapop froze, he had hoped to make it out the door before Darry could tell him 'no'. "I told you." Ponyboy stuck his tongue out and instantly regretted the action combined with the sassy comment.

Darry pointed to a corner in the kitchen, "corner. Now."

Ponyboy gaped at him, his brother wasn't serious! He was almost thirteen! He was not going to be given a time-out like some little kid! "What? No way!"

"One."

"I'm to old."

"Two."

"It's embarrassing!"

"Three -" he turned the heat on the stove down and then took a step towards Ponyboy, but he raced to the corner with a nervous 'I'm going!'.  "Good. Now," he turned to Sodapop who had come to stand in the doorway of the kitchen. "For starters. You don't tell me you're going out with Steve, you ask first."

"Well then. CAN I go out with Steve tonight?"

"Okay new point. Drop the attitude.  Secondly -"

"Thirdly."

"You want a spanking that badly?" He asked Sodapop when he interrupted the man.

"No...Sorry sir."

"And Ponyboy, on your feet!" Darry snapped seeing Ponyboy crouch to his knees - the kid didn't like standing in the corner at all.

"You just said corner. You didn't say I had to stand in it." Seriously? What with his little brothers and their mouths today?!

"Seriously? You two act like you want to go over my knee today!" He marched right over to Ponyboy and yanked him to his feet with ease before landing five hard smacks to the seat of the boy's jeans.