The Outsiders spanking

Runnin' Wild

Sodapop could barely take it anymore. Darry was practically collapsing in on himself and Ponyboy was being mouthier and more reckless than ever. The kid had broken curfew two nights ago, and when Soda said he couldn't go out the next night as punishment, he snuck out! Darry hadn't done a thing about any of it. Soda usually deferred to Darry but this had gotta stop. The gang had, thankfully, been smart enough to stay out of any big trouble while they sorted out whatever this was, but Ponyboy had apparently not gotten the memo.

"Ponyboy Curtis, go to your room," Soda ordered after Pony got fresh with Darry for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

"Screw you, Soda!" Ponyboy snapped back. Soda was taken aback. Usually Pony got in fights with Darry, and he'd been pretty mouthy with Soda this week, but this level of outright defiance was new.

"Go. To. Your. Room. Right. Now," Soda said, grabbing him by the arm and popping him with every word. He released him and a teary-eyed Ponyboy ran right off into their room, slamming the door behind him.

"Aren't you gonna say anything? Do anything? Kid's gone off the deep end recently." Soda said incredulously, turning to Darry, who was sitting in the armchair with his head in his hands.

"What can I do Soda? He's terrified of me. You saw him that night."

"He's not terrified of you. He's just pissed. It'll probably take him a while to get over it, but that doesn't mean you can let him run wild in the meantime," Soda said, amazed that he even had to explain this to Darry. Usually, he was arguing with Darry to lay off Pony, but his big brother had gone the complete opposite way this week.

"How can I possibly discipline him if I don't know if I'm gonna blow up?" Darry asked putting his head back in his hands.

"Darry, listen to me," Soda said, coming to sit next to his brother, "In the eight months that you've been raising us, this is the first time you've ever done this. Ponyboy has given you so much lip and put himself danger so many times that it's a wonder you didn't smack him sooner. Honestly, it's a wonder you haven't smacked all of us. Yeah, you've got a temper, but you're doing good at keeping a hold of it."

"I just feel like I'm doing a bad job. Dad didn't yell nearly as much as I do," Darry sighed, "It's just that I get so scared sometimes when he doesn't use his head and all I want to do is holler at him."

"Darry, you're not even 21 yet. You gotta cut yourself some slack. You didn't expect to be raising two kids and looking after four more. I know I argue with you about being too hard on Pony, but that's my job. This parenting thing is hard but I think you're doing real good. Even if you won't let your kid brother tell you what to do with your other kid brother," Soda said, smirking a little at the end.

"How'd you get so wise all of a sudden?"

"Well, when you seemed to forget how to use your head this week, I guess I remembered how to use mine."

"God, I wish Mom and Dad were here so neither of us had to be wise," Darry replied, his face dropping again, "Dad would've whaled the tar out of me if he was here. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so damn guilty."

Soda didn't say anything. He had an uncomfortable feeling that he knew where this was going.

"I think you should whup me," Darry said after a moment of silence, "I screwed up, big time. I lost my temper. I yelled at both of you, even though you didn't do anything, and worst of all I hit Ponyboy. What I did could've torn this family apart. If I do it again, it will. I need to know this won't happen again."

"You won't do it again. I know you won't," Soda replied. There was no way in hell he was gonna whup his big brother's ass. No way, no how.

"Even so, I gotta own up to my mistakes. I would've whipped you if you'd slapped him."