Soda's POV
I'm sitting down on the couch watching a TV show that I've never seen before with a glass of chocolate milk in my hand. Darry is sitting in a chair beside me reading the newspaper and Ponyboy is still sleeping. It was almost 3:00 PM. The last time I can remember Pony sleeping this long was when he had that concussion from the rumble because that Soc kicked him in the head. I cringe at the memory of him lying on the ground covered in dirt and blood. I know that he slept a lot longer then than he is now, but I still worry that he might be getting sick. Darry doesn't seemed concerned though.

"Hey Dar?" I asked casually.

" Yeah little buddy?" He replies without looking up.

I pause but then ask, " Is it normal for Pony to be sleeping this long?" trying not to sound too worried.

" Don't worry 'bout it Soda," He says assuredly. " It's normal for kids his age to sleep this long. You were the same way little buddy. I'm sure he's fine." I nod and look back at the TV screen. Maybe Darry is right. At least I hope so.
    About ten minutes later, My best buddy, Steve and my other pal Two-Bit, walk in through the front door laughing and smiling. Darry puts a finger to his lips and points down the hallway towards Pony's room to let them know that they need to keep it down. They acknowledge him and then over dramatically tip-toe their way into the kitchen. A minute later Steve comes out with chocolate cake and Two-Bit is holding a beer. I roll my eyes and we sit down at the table to play some poker while Darry continues reading.

About an hour or so later, I hear Ponyboy's door open and he steps out dressed but still groggy from sleep. He walks over to the door and grabs a pair of shoes and sits down on the couch to put them on. Darry looks up and puts his paper down.

"Where do you think your going?" Darry asked almost sounding annoyed.

Pony sighs and then replies, "I'm just going for a walk Dar," He says tiredly.

"Ok but be back before eleven or I'll kill ya," Darry says half serious, half jokingly. Pony nods and then walks out of the door. I don't know what it was but I felt like Pony wasn't acting like himself and I wanted to find out what was going on. Maybe it was from his nightmare from last night....

XXX
Pony's POV
I walk down the street silently and I focus on the sounds of the wind flying past my ears. I don't know why but that sound calms me. I continue down the road and make my way into the park. I haven't been here since Johnny killed Bob. I walk over to the fountain and look into the water at my reflection. I can feel the hands of the Socs around my neck while they were attempting to drown me and the smell of alcohol that poured out of their mouth while they laughed at my pathetic state. I'm not really sure why I even came here but my heart is pounding and I think my hands are shaking slightly but I can't tell because I'm too consumed in thought. I didn't want Sodapop and Darry to see me like this. Why did I have to live like this? Why did we have to live like this? We've lost Johnny because of those damn Socs and he was my best pal. Nothing is ever easy for us Greasers. Hell, I can't even talk to Cherry without almost getting jumped. I close my eyes and I start feeling lightheaded. I just stand there. Trying to conquer the pain from all the people that I've lost.

XXX
Soda's POV
I told Darry that I went out to get a few things from the store and before he could question me I was already out the door. I would probably pick something up later but I wanted to find Ponyboy first. I walk down the street and was heading to the movie theater. I was about five minutes from the theater when I spotted a figure standing in front of the fountain. I could see the grey sweatshirt that I recognize to be Pony's because he cut the sleeves off and I jogged over to see what he was doing. When I walked over he didn't seem to notice I was even there. He was smoking a cigarette and his eyes looked red and he looked kinda pale too. I patted his shoulder and he slowly turns to face me. He drops his cigarette and looks down at the ground.

"Hey Pony, are you ok? Whats wrong?" I ask gently with concern mixed in my voice. He looks up and without any warning, he bursts into tears. I grab him and pull him closely and he doesn't fight back. I can feel him shaking and I will myself not to break down too.

"S-Soda," he whimpers. I look at him and he says back, " I d-don't w-want to do this anym-more," he says in between sobs. " I just want this to end," he says quieter than before. My heart shatters and I pull him closer and I begin to cry too.

A/N
Hey thanks for reading my first two chapters!! I should have a new chapter up in a few days but I want to keep the story pretty spaced out. Stay tuned!!😊