The Outsiders - Three Brothers

51

Two days later and it was the first day of the new school year for Sodapop and Ponyboy. Soda's ass was still hurting pretty good too, he'd spent all of Sunday squirming when he had to sit down and Monday at breakfast he was still shifting around at the table. "I don't have to be in today until a little later, so I will drive you both to school today... you alright there Sodapop?"

Soda looked up from his bowl of cereal, still half asleep, "yeah. Why?" He hadn't noticed how much he was wiggling around.

"You're squirming like crazy."

"Oh." He tried to sit still, but he still kept shifting. "Still hurts some." He shoveled more food into his mouth before looking over at Ponyboy - who was equally as tired as he was.

The youngest boy was half asleep as he ate his food, he wished he coulda slept just a minute longer. The first week after summer was always the hardest because you had to get used to waking up early again. "Ponyboy?" Darry said his brother's name as if he had been calling for him multiple times.

"Huh?"

"I asked you if you planned on coming home right after school today?"

Ponyboy let out a loud yawn and shrugged, "I was gonna see if Johnny wants to hang out after."

"If you do, be back for supper."

"Okay."

"You two finish eating and then we'll head out."

"Yeah," they both mumbled tiredly. Darry took his empty dishes to the sink and then went to the living room to watch the news while his brothers finished eating.

After about ten minutes, they came out with their backpacks on and mumbling they were ready to go. "Alright sleepyheads. Let's get going."

On the car ride, Ponyboy fell asleep - leaning his head against Darry's shoulder as the man drove. Soda had rubbed the sleep from his eyes and was actually awake enough to carry a full conversation now. "After school is it okay if I go to the DX with Steve? Mr. Neal said I can come in for a few hours after school if you say it's okay."

"Sure. Just for a couple of hours though."

"Thanks Darry," they talked a little more until Darry pulled up at the high school and Sodapop climbed out the truck. Dally, Two-Bit, and Steve were already outside talking to one another when they arrived - so Sodapop went straight to the three boys.

"Okay Ponyboy, you need to start waking up. We'll be at your school in a minute." Darry nudged the kid off his shoulder, forcing him to wake up.

Ponyboy whined loudly, "don't wanna." He tried to lean against the passenger window of the truck but Darry reached over and shook him. "Ugh." He complained, sitting back up and rubbing at his eyes.

"There we go. You can't be sleeping all day, so perk up. It'll get easier after a week or two."

"I hate it."

Darry let out a laugh, "yeah I know. I did too. When's Track start?" He asked, trying to help the boy wake up further by asking him questions.

"Try-outs is Wednesday after school, then first practice will be next week."

"You excited? Mr. Co-captain?"

"Guess so."

"What's wrong?

"Just nervous."

"You'll do great, don't worry too much."

Ponyboy nodded, but he couldn't help but still feel anxious about it. Since he was co-captain, he and the captain were in charge of picking the new members for the team at try-outs. They also picked who would be on each position, of course Ponyboy would be a distance runner as usual. He didn't want to screw up being in charge.