Wandering

Chapter 8: Can I ask a favor?

Disclaimer: I own nothing :)

Steve POV

The rest of the day goes relatively smoothly. Ponyboy seems to get along well with everyone and it only takes a little prodding to get him to go out with us. While Darry is at work we take him around the town, showing him the best places to hang out and savoring the last of the summer heat. We run into Tim and some of his gang and introduce them.

The kid isn't afraid of Tim. It's obvious the way he holds his hand out for a shake. He even starts talking to Curly while we explain the whole situation to Tim. Agreeing to keep an eye out for him, Tim's gang wanders away.

"I'm gonna head over to Buck's. I was supposed to help him fix the bar sink an hour ago." Dally says, already walking away.

"Shoot." Soda says, glancing at his watch. "I gotta go, too. My shift starts in ten minutes." He shoots us a grin before starting his walk to the DX. I check my watch also, realizing that I start my shift in about an hour.

"I'll come with you," I say. "Might as well head over there now. You guys coming?"

"Nah, I gotta go help my mom get groceries." Two-Bit says.

"Can I come with you?" Johnny asks. Two-Bit nods and they start to walk away.

"Pony? You coming?" Soda says.

"Sure." He only hesitates a moment before responding. Progress.

We walk to the DX, chatting along the way. The kid is quiet. He barely says a word, but when he does, it's coherent and clearly well thought out. He seems smart. Like really smart. Like Darry level smart. Maybe even more than that.

When we get to the DX, we start talking about school. I've given up trying to get Soda to come back with me. It was always a losing battle. Once Sodapop has set his mind to something, you'll be hard pressed to change it.

"What about you kid?" Soda asks.

"Huh?" Pony says, looking confused.

"Are you registered for school yet? Starts next week," I say with a grimace.

"Um, no I'm not going."

"Not going? You're thirteen! You have to go!" Soda says.

"I mean ... who would register me? I don't think they'd accept me if I just walked in and demanded they let me into their school. Besides, you're sixteen and you're not going. Why should I?"

"Because you're a kid! You need to spend time with other people your age!" I say.

"You're not going to end up anywhere good if you quit highschool before it's even started!" Soda adds.

"Okay first of all, I never even finished the fifth grade, so I definitely wouldn't be with people my own age. Secondly, I'm not going to end up anywhere good anyway. Why write essays when I don't have to? And third, I'm plenty capable of teaching myself anything I need to know."

"You can't just teach yourself whatever you want! That's not how it works!" I cut in.

"I can and I have. I've been able to tackle any subject from math to history to art, and achieve a certain level of comprehension. Except maybe geography. I'm really bad at geography." He winces at the thought.

Soda and I stare at him. From anyone else that comment would sound cocky, but not Ponyboy. He almost sounds ashamed. Just then an old woman walks through the door, her cane clacking loudly against the tile.

We don't talk about school again.

We spend the rest of the day like that. Soda and I work while Pony silently observes. He seems wary of every customer that enters the shop. His eyes don't leave them from the moment they walk through the door to the moment they exit. Even the nice old ladies get scowled at. Perhaps them most of all.