Roses are Red, Greasers are Gold

Chapter 16

"Ponyboy can I talk to you for a second?" I heard Darry's voice, but I didn't know what he was telling me.

"Ponyboy!" Darry tried again, a little louder this time. Why was he screaming? 

My mind was spinning and my vision seemed to blur around the edges, a dark mist overtaking my vision, just like the night Dally had died.

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis!" I thought I heard my name through the whirlpool I was drowning in. 

I was spinning and spinning, my head barely above the surface. I tried to reply, but the heavy current swallowed me up.

Just like an anchor digging into the sand I was a deadweight. 

Darry P.O.V.

"Ponyboy, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked. Pony's greenish grey eyes looked so lost, so unclear. Why was he ignoring me?

"Ponyboy!" I called again, this time much more desperate to seek his attention. 

I watched as he stood there still as a statue, eyes fading with every second, the tick of the clock seemed lost in time.

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis!" If this was some sort of joke I swear imma beat his head in.

"Oh my god Pony!" I exclaimed as I watched him slowly loose his balance, falling to the ground.

It all happened too fast before my eyes. I stood there dumbfounded as Pony lay there, every ounce of consciousness escaping.

I would take him to the hospital, but I might just wait to see if we can handle this on our own.

Ponyboy still had a strong pulse and he was breathing regularly so I figured it was probably just a passing thing.

Nevertheless I scheduled him a doctor's appointment for tomorrow to get him checked out.

"Sodapop!" I called out hoping that he would come. When I heard a familiar set of heavy footsteps behind me I relaxed.

"Darry, what happened?" Soda asked as he approached his two brothers, one of which was lying on the ground.

"I was trying to talk to him when suddenly he just gave out."

I watched as color visibly drained from Soda's usual happy and full face.

His dancing brown eyes turning cold, almost numbed by fear.

I watched as Soda went down on the ground, scooping up Ponyboy in his arms and gently carried him to the room.

What was happening to our family? Day after day it seems a thread pulls loose on our once tightly knit family. And just when I think we've mended a patch another one rips.

I don't know what to do! I'm supposed to be the composed responsible one with the answers to the many questions floating around, but I can't.

I'm no parent. I've tried time after time to make things right. Day after day I struggle to do what our parents could've done.

The fact is that I'm not our parents. 

No matter how hard I try I'm still always going to be Darrel Curtis. A man only good for lifting up roofing, and playing football. A failed college drop-out, all brawn and no brain.

Is it so wrong to want to see my brothers succeed? I'm probably pushing them too much, but I just don't wanna see such valuable opportunities wasted by such capable people.

It's like watching a movie that drives you up the wall, but nothing you say is gonna change what happens.

Soda P.O.V.

The worst pain of all is watching your kid-brother suffer. 

I sat next to Pony and carded my fingers through his hair, whispering gently.

I was pretty sure there was no way he could hear me, but it felt nice to get it off my chest.

The way I treated Pony today was awful. He never did anything to me, yet there I was ripping his heart to shreds.

My poor baby was falling apart, and I didn't know how many more stitches he could take before he collapsed.

It seems like every time he's healing something always goes wrong, putting him back on the bottom.

I looked around his room and saw a book called Gone with The Wind on the floor. I bent down to pick it up, surprised when a folded piece of paper fell out.

It fluttered to the ground, light as a feather, landing softly at my feet. I retrieved the paper and opened it up, eyes wide when I saw who wrote it.

Like the way you dig sunsets Pony. It's a good way to be.

I had no idea Johnny knew about Pony's special secrets. They were always close though.

As kids they were always together because they were closest in age. I suppose sometime Pony had told him.

Johnny was right. It was amazing how something as simple as a sunset could be the glue holding the East and the West sides together. 

I guess only certain people had the eyes to see them with. You can look all you wanna, but if you don't understand than your not really seeing.

And that's exactly what makes my little colt so special. 

He sees what the others don't, understands what they could never dream of. 

I wish I could know too. I wish I could be there for him when he struggles to see. I was blind and I knew it, yet I longed to see. I want to see what makes the sunset so special. 

I knew I probably should've stayed awake to keep an eye on Pony, but it was getting late. 

I glanced once more at the stars shining bright in the midnight blue. Each twinkling almost as bright as Pony's shining eyes.

One more miracle. 

When my head reached the pillow I was already lost in my mind.