The Outsiders - Three Brothers

Guilty

Ponyboy waited after school for Soda to come pick him up. Usually he walked home alone or with Johnny, but the Socs had started jumping Greasers during the day too. So Darry had made a new rule - no walking alone ever, and to get one of the guys to walk with him (and Johnny didn't count because of how small and jumpy he was. Pony had to walk with someone else).

"You coming man?" Johnny asked as they walked out the school building.

"No. Darry's having Soda take me home. He's supposed to use his lunch hour to come get me in Steve's car." Soda had slowly started dropping out of school already. Darry wanted him to wait until he was sixteen, but Sodapop really hated school. He'd started a part time job at the DX and had started skipping school a lot to pick up more and more shifts. Today wasn't actually one of those days though, it was a teacher work day at the high school so Steve and Soda both had picked up an extra shift at the DX.

"Cause of the Socs?"

"Yeah. He's overreacting. It's a ten minute walk."

"At least he cares about you man."

Ponyboy shrugged, "yeah I guess you're right." Johnny didn't exactly have a great life at home. And even though Pony's parents had died, Johnny still envied his best friend a little.

"Want me to wait around with you?"

"I'll be fine. I think I'll get started on our English assignment."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you Johnnycakes." Ponyboy went and sat at one of the outdoor tables and pulled his notebook out of his bag and started writing. It wasn't hard work - but he found it tedious and pointless. It wasn't a paper or a book report, it was just writing word definitions and sentences. He'd more than likely get it done before Soda even showed up, which was supposed to be by two-thirty. School let out at two-fifteen and Soda promised to be no more than fifteen minutes passed that.

He finished his English homework in ten minutes, just like he figured he would and then sat waiting, staring off into space. He didn't see the point in starting anymore homework if Soda would be here in five minutes or less.

Except he wasn't there on time, it was three o'clock and Soda still hadn't shown up. Ponyboy grabbed his bag and went back inside the school and to the desk lady, Mrs. Best. "Excuse me?"

Mrs. Best looked up from some papers, normally she didn't like when Greasers came to bother her - they normally caused trouble. But she smiled when she saw Ponyboy - he was a good kid. "Yes Ponyboy? You didn't have detention did you?" She sounded surprised to even ask the question, Ponyboy almost never caused problems at school.

"No ma'am. I'm waiting for my brother to pick me up. But he's late, may I use the phone to call him at work?" He always tried to use extra manners with the school staff so they didn't look at him like they did the other greasers in school.

"Of course, come around here and you can use it." She smiled warmly.

"Thank you ma'am."

"I don't mind at all, especially when you have such great manners."

Ponyboy felt his cheeks flush a little, he tried to be respectful since it's what Darry always hounded him and Soda about - but he was always embarrassed when an adult pointed it out. He came around her side of the desk and dialed the number for the DX and waited. It rang and rang for a few minutes, but no one answered. He hoped that meant Soda had left and Steve was just busy in the garage. He sighed softly and hung up the phone.

"No luck?"

Ponyboy shook his head, "none. Maybe he's left now and is on his way."

"Would you like to sit in the office and wait?"