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Chapter Text

The end of summer sunshine engulfed the backyard in gold. Its rays dancing across her eyes as she sat on the porch step, watching them play together. Their faces were filled with light and laughter, glowing and grinning as they ran around the grass. Her seven boys, only three biologically tied to her, but all equally her sons. Each boy was so widely different, and yet when they played together, they created the most beautiful harmony in her heart.

Darry was her eldest; although he was the spitting image of her husband, he had her soul. From time to time the boys rebelled against his elder sibling superiority, but no matter what, he was their leader. The greatest enforcer of the rules in her absence and a fierce protector of his little brothers, even those who insisted they do not need protecting.

Keith Matthews, or TwoBit as they called him, was next oldest, but in terms of maturity levels, he was at the bottom of the pack. His laughter filled and sometimes haunted her house. She had been best friends with Mrs Matthews since high schhol; they had raised their boys together, and since Keith had been born, silence had become a distant memory. But as she told Mrs Matthews every evening when she collected him after work, he was always welcome. And he was; every family needs a TwoBit.

On top of TwoBit, she also had a Sodapop; the combination largely responsible for the grey hairs beginning to appear. Soda was the perfect son in a lot of ways; a natural comforter with endless empathy and the instinctive ability to listen to everyone—except his parents. But from the minute he woke up until he passed out at night, the kid did not stop moving or talking or his speciality: both simultaneously.

Then there was his partner in crime, Steve, the other half of the gruesome twosome. He was not as hyper as Soda, and he was much more respectful and polite, but he was not as kind. His father was not a good influence, and since his mother died two years ago, he had spent nearly all his time at the Curtis' house. Sometimes he would surprise you with his sweetness, like the Mother’s Day card he had made her a few months before. He loved assisting Mr Curtis with anything DIY or car-related, and you could see the way he adored having a positive male role model.

Johnny was her sweetheart; the most gentle and loving little boy. His parents lived down the street and barely acknowledged his existence. Mrs Curtis hated them for how nervous they had made him; he jumped at every bang and darted each time the door opened, but every day he was getting a little braver.

Ponyboy was his shadow and the youngest of all the boys. The three year old was desperate to join in with his brothers, but sometimes he was just too little. Not for Johnny; he would always try to include him or stay back and play with Ponyboy while the others went off. They were inseparable. Pony was a quiet boy but very smart. His meltdowns could be dramatic, and he was awfully strong-willed, but he was not a troublemaker, and in a house full of them, Mrs Curtis was extremely grateful for that!

Finally, there was Dallas. He was the most recent addition to her flock; Mrs Curtis had found him on the streets of Tulsa, trying to raise himself. His father lived somewhere nearby but did not notice or care where his son was. That’s why she knew she had to; she had to look after him because no one else was going to. Dallas was the most difficult of the boys; his start in life had been rough, and unlike Johnny, it had hardened him and made him tough. With a temper that could easily turn violent, his behaviour left a lot to be desired. They were doing their best to be the parents he needed and if the improvements they had witnessed over the last year were anything to go by; they weren't doing too bad. 

The five year olds, Sodapop, Dallas, and Johnny, were starting school together in September. Steve was starting with them too; he had been due to start the previous year but the school had advised holding him back and giving him time to grieve his mother first. As the quickly fading sun reminded her, summer was almost over. Mrs Curtis didn't want to think about the school year looming ahead; for now, she would stay sitting on the porch step. 

She chuckled as Darry caught up to Johnny and tackled him with tickles, and Dallas and Soda ran to his rescue, jumping on Darry, giggling. The pile grew as TwoBit and Steve got in on the action and finally Ponyboy bundled in. They all collapsed in a tangle of arms and legs filled with laughter and love for their brothers.

A car hummed slowly down the street; Mr Curtis emerged, jogging towards the gaggle of boys at the back gate waiting to greet him. The family was complete. 

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek as he sat down on the step. They shared a smile, watching their perfectly imperfect family. 

If only she could preserve her boys playing in an eternal sunset; stay here forever. The darkness would never come; they would never grow up or grow old, forever children, forever innocent, forever gold.

Chapter Text

The dining table was set for breakfast. It was quite a nice spread: toast, eggs, ham, jams, jellies, orange juice and chocolate milk, all upon a pristine tablecloth. Mrs Curtis admired its beauty for the three seconds it stood undisturbed before the morning mob covered it in crumbs, spilling and stickying everywhere.

Breakfast was never a quiet affair, but today it seemed extra noisy. Mrs Matthews had been on the late shift at the bar, so TwoBit had stayed over. He and Steve were currently driving toy cars through their eggs, making them skid in the yolks. Ponyboy was in tears because Darry had cut his toast into squares instead of triangles, so Dallas had decided to solve the problem by throwing the toast on the ground and ordering him to ‘shut up,’ making Pony cry even more, and whilst she had been distracted by all of that, Sodapop had managed to down nearly the full carton of chocolate milk, his eyes now gleaming wide with glucose. 

“Mrs C, what are we doing today?” TwoBit enquired over all the noise. 

“You mean other than ruining my tablecloth?” She countered.

“Yes, I mean after that,” TwoBit smirked, dunking his truck into the egg yolk and watching it splatter.

“Can we go to the park?” Soda shouted as he hung upside down on his chair.

“Johnny, what would you like to do?” Mrs Curtis called, looking over at the only quiet boy among the choir of chaos. 

Johnny just smiled with a shy shrug, giggling as Soda went tumbling to the ground.

“Sodapop!” Mrs C sighed. 

“Toast!” Soda cheered, picking up a piece from the floor and biting into it.

“That’s MY toast!” Ponyboy whined. 

“You didn’t want it,” Darry reminded him. 

“I did; I wanted it in triangles,” Ponyboy said miserably.

“Here you go,” Soda said, placing the toast back on Pony’s plate.

“That’s squares,” Ponyboy pouted.

“Yeah, but Pony, watch.” Soda grinned, taking the butter knife and slicing the squares in half. “Triangles!” He declared, dancing around the table and then charging out of the room.

“Hey!” TwoBit exclaimed.

Mrs Curtis’ eyes shot over to him; he was clutching his forehead, and Dallas had an egg-covered toy car in his hand. 

“Dallas,” Mrs Curtis said calmly, “What are you doing?”

“He got egg on me!” Dallas growled, raising the car, ready to strike again.

“Ah, ah, ah, drop it,” Mrs Curtis warned. 

“Not a dog!” Dallas argued. 

“Then don’t act like an animal,” Mrs C countered, reaching over and snatching the car from his fist. “Oi!” Dallas had opted just to thump TwoBit instead.

“Ow, ow, ow!” TwoBit burst out after a second’s delay, slowly sinking to the floor theatrically.

“Idiot,” Dallas muttered, rolling his eyes.

“TwoBit, do you want some toast?” Ponyboy offered, holding a slice over his face as he lay there.

“I thought you liked Soda’s triangles?” Mrs Curtis said.

“I’m not hungry,” Ponyboy told her.

“So you cried for five minutes over wanting triangles of toast, you took two bites, and now you’re full?” Darry said. 

Ponyboy nodded simply. 

“Mom, can I try the tablecloth trick?” Soda asked, bouncing back into the room.

“No!” Mrs C said firmly, pouring herself a second cup of coffee, “Okay, today, we need to buy school supplies.”

“But what about the park!” Steve complained. 

“We can go to the park afterwards, if everyone behaves,” she proposed.

“Yeah, Darry, don’t let us down!” Soda grinned. 

“I’m not going to school, so I don’t need supplies,” Dallas said.

“You are going to school, Dallas, whether you go there with a backpack I pick out from the girls section or one you’ve chosen yourself is up to you,” she told him. 

“Mom, if I get a backpack, can I go to school?” Ponyboy pleaded. 

“You can get a backpack, honey, but you’ve still got to wait a couple years,” 

“Or—“ TwoBit began, looking between Dallas and Pony.

“No,” Mrs Curtis cut him off, “Do not give him ideas.” 

~

“Matching shoes,” Mrs C ordered as Soda came into the living room wearing one boot and one trainer.

“We are matching,” Soda pointed out as TwoBit came after him, wearing the same ensemble. 

“You’re not even the same size,” She sighed, “Come on, you’re wasting park time.”

“Do I have to wear a jacket?” Steve asked.

“Yes,” Mrs C said simply.

“But I’m too hot,” he groaned, shrugging the jacket off.

“That’s because I’ve heated this house; what I haven’t done is heated the rest of the world,” she told him, pulling it back over his shoulders, as she looked at the rest of the waiting boys, noticing the gaping hole in Johnny’s shoe. “How long has that been there, honey?” She asked, running her finger over it.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” he mumbled shyly.

“I’m sure we’ll have an old pair somewhere around; I’ll check later when we get back.” She assured him, standing back up to find TwoBit and Soda finally ready. “Okay, off we go!”

~

Apart from the five minutes trying to wrangle Soda, Steve and TwoBit as they charged up and down the escalators, the shopping trip had been a success; everybody had got a backpack and a water bottle; they were all set for school. Ponyboy had been so excited by his new bottle, he had tried to fill it up from the fountain at the park. Darry intervened, pointing out the algae growing on the stone.

She had just started dinner after getting them all settled on the couch watching Mickey when she heard a ruckus coming from the living room. Mrs Curtis waited a moment, hoping it was the sort of ruckus that would resolve itself, but when she heard the unmistakable sound of a fight break out and TwoBit shout ‘I’ve got a dollar on Dally!’, she placed down the peelers and marched into the living room.

Darry was trying to separate Steve and Dallas; TwoBit and Soda were chanting from the side, and Johnny and Pony were trying to peer round them all at the television.

“Can I not leave you alone for five minutes!” Mrs Curtis huffed, pulling Dallas away from Steve. 

“Evening all!” Mr C greeted, coming in the front door; he surveyed the scene in the living room, and with a sigh, he crouched down, beckoning for Dallas and Steve to come to him.

Mrs Curtis smiled, gladly handing over the reins to her husband and heading back to the kitchen to finish dinner. 

~

The stained sticky tablecloth lay upon the table, once again, now also coated with gravy. The boys had casserole covering their faces and shirts, apart from Pony—who didn’t like casserole. Mr Curtis sat across from her, nodding along to Darry’s story, whilst also fishing a pea out of Soda’s ear and buttering Pony some bread. He caught her eye as she sat, wiping Johnny’s face and bargaining with Steve and Dallas to have just one spoonful of peas. They shared a smile. The circus doesn’t stay in town forever; they needed to enjoy the show whilst it lasted.

Chapter Text

It was early, the world was still quiet. He wandered down the empty street as quickly as he could, desperate to get home. His real home. Last night he had gone back to his parents, despite Mrs Curtis’ concern. It was his Mom’s birthday, he thought it would be different, maybe on her birthday she would want to be his Mom.

Johnny had spent ages the day before sitting drawing her a card; he had even got Darry to help him write Happy Birthday Love Johnny on the inside. Then he and Pony had gone in the garden and picked some flowers and made a very small and slightly shrivelled bouquet tied with a rubber band.
“I think you should put a spider in her card,” Dallas said bitterly, standing looking disapprovingly at the effort they were making.
“You could make a mud pie and pretend it’s a birthday cake,” Steve suggested, going to stand next to Dallas.
“No, I want to make her happy,” Johnny mumbled.
“Boys, let him be. It’s very sweet what he’s doing.” Mrs Curtis called from where she was standing, hanging out the laundry.
“I don’t know why. His Mom’s a bitch!” Dally shouted.
“Dallas Winston!” Mrs Curtis scolded, marching over to him.
Before she could begin her chastisement, she was interrupted by another voice.
“Hey, no she’s not! Don’t say that!” Johnny said, with a voice louder than they’d ever heard him speak and no hint of a shake or nervous wobble.
Everyone looked at him, shocked at the sudden outburst.
“She’s not…she’s just…she’s just…she’s my Mom,” he stuttered, looking hurt and once again shy, ducking his head and going back to picking flowers.
A flash of guilt spread across Dally’s face and he slowly took a few steps towards Johnny.
“If I ever hear that language come out of your mouth again, you will be in big trouble!” Mrs Curtis hissed firmly in his ear on his way past.
Dallas gave a vague nod and made his way to kneel down beside Johnny.
“What about this one?” Dallas mumbled, pointing at a flower.
“No she doesn’t like yellow, too bright or something,” Johnny replied.
“Does she like blue? I could lift you up and we could reach those high ones on the fence?” He suggested.

All that effort had been for nothing. He’d carried in the homemade bouquet and card. His parents were sitting on the couch, drinking, eyes fixed on the tv. Johnny knew better than to interrupt, so he waited for the commercials.
“Umm Mom,” he said, his voice shaking.
“What the hell you doing here, you little vermin!” His Dad barked turning around.
“I brought Mom a birthday present,” he said, holding out the flowers and card in his shaking hands.
“What’s this crap!” She screeched, snatching them from him.
“It’s for your birthday. Happy Birthday Mom, I lo-“ he replied, fear in his eyes and voice.
“Is this a joke! You pathetic little runt!” She exclaimed interrupting him and waving the homemade gifts the 5 year old had put his heart and soul into. “I didn’t want you. Let alone any shit you make!” She spat, tearing up the card and throwing the paper shreds in Johnny’s direction.
He stumbled back, his heart sinking. Johnny scurried out the room, turning back for one last look and he saw his flowers being tossed onto the fire. He wasn’t surprised but that didn’t stop his heart shattering. The silent tears came cascading and ran out the door.

He headed down the street, yearning to be held in Mrs Curtis’ arms, enveloped in her maternal benevolence. As he reached a few houses away from them, their door opened. A warm light pooled out and Soda and Darry emerged, laughing as they raced Mr Curtis over to the car. Then Mrs Curtis emerged, carrying Ponyboy as he nestled into he neck. Johnny watched on from a distance, a lump in his throat and an ache in his heart. He watched as she bent down and tied Dally’s shoelace and then reached out and tickled him to the ground. His joyous laughter echoing through the street and Johnny’s empty heart. He watched as the car drove away. For the second time that day he was left without a family.

And now he was cold as he hurried down the street in the early hours. He was stiff and sore from sleeping under a tree. There was no one around. He felt alone and the silence was deafening, he wanted to go home.

Their car was back. No lights were on. Then he realised the door would be locked; he can’t get home. There’s no reason for it not to be locked, it always was at night but something in his heart told him to try the handle. He did. Click. It was open. A warmth spread through his soul, a sense of safety. He quietly crept in. The clock read 4:15, he tiptoed across the carpet, heading towards the bedrooms.
“Hey sweetie,” he heard someone call softly.

Mrs Curtis was curled up on the couch, her eyes blinking, sleepily.
He looked at her and went to speak but no words came out. There she was, sacrificing her own sleep, sitting there waiting for him. No words escaped him as his breath hitched and tears began to trickle. Johnny turned away embarrassed, but moments later felt himself swept of his feet and wrapped tightly in her arms.
“It’s okay honey. I got you. You’re safe,” She soothed, stroking his hair, sitting back down and rocking him gently in her lap.
He cried into her shoulder, but this time his heart wasn’t shattered or empty. It was full.
“I love you,” he managed to splutter.
“I love you honey, more than you will ever know,” she reassured him, holding him close with his head on her heart.
He listened to her heart pounding, the sound of her love for him. He was safe in her arms. He was home. He was loved.

Chapter Text

Mr Curtis was at the sink. The water was running and he had a line of boys waiting beside him. Seven empty water pistols lay on the counter. Soda was bouncing up and down with excitement.

Mrs Curtis was spending the day with a friend so he had taken the boys to get groceries. There was a big display at the checkout; an armoury of water weapons. The boys’ eyes lit up and he decided as an end of summer treat they could each pick one from the $2 range. None of them had let go of them since. He had to stop Twobit from filling his up from a puddle by the car and then Soda had the idea of using the milk from the groceries on the drive back. Thankfully Darry intervened. So here he was, groceries still in the car and filling up the water pistols for a line of inpatient kids.

“Who’s is this one?” He asked holding up the first filled one.
“Mine,” Darry said, grabbing it and making his way to the backyard.
Johnny was next, followed by Dallas and Ponyboy. Twobit was given his and instantly started shooting Steve.
“Hey! What did I say, not inside!” Mr Curtis scolded, taking it back from him and putting it back on the counter.
“I won’t do it again!” Twobit whined, jumping to try and reach it from the counter.
“Nope none of you three can be trusted with them inside. I’ll carry them outside for you,” he said simply, continuing to fill up the last two guns.
Twobit took a couple of steps back and tried to do a running jump onto the counter.
“Right outside! Go and wait outside and I’ll bring them out,” he sighed, his patience running out as he ushered the three out the back door.

A moment later he heard screams.
“What on earth is going on now!” He muttered, following the sound. Walking into the backyard to find Twobit, Steve and Soda sheltering behind the upturned plastic table and the rest of the boys in various positions across the lawn aiming their guns at them. He laughed and ran back to get the defenceless their weapons.
“Pssss,” he whispered, waving their guns at them.
The three boys made a dash for Mr Curtis and the water war had commenced.

They all ran around chasing each other, screaming and laughing. It was a hot summers day so it didn’t matter that they were soaked, they were having a blast. He scanned all their happy faces and then he landed on Ponyboy, who did not look happy. The three year old was fiddling with the gun with a look of confusion and frustration on his face and ever few seconds he would be squirted by one of the other boys and start to whine.
“Hang on ceasefire, ceasefire!” Mr Curtis called, stepping out onto the lawn.
Dallas immediately turned his pistol on Mr Curtis. “Don’t even think about it mister!” he said warned, marching over to the pouting Ponyboy.
“What’s up little buddy?” He asked kindly, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Mine’s broken and everyone is shooting me,” he cried a tear falling down his cheek.
“It’s okay, let me see,” he said taking Pony’s pistol, he aimed it at Twobit who grinned and dodged the water as it shot out.
“Seems to be working, show me how you’re firing it,” he said giving the gun back to Pony.
The three year old gripped it clumsily with two hands, neither of which could quite reach the trigger.
“Ah buddy I think you’re holding it wrong, put your finger there and press down to fire,” he showed him. Pony tried and a little squirt shot out the end.
“There you go, right, everyone in their positions, ready, aim, fire!” He called, retreating to the safety of the back porch.

The boys, once again, charged after each other. Mr Curtis looked at Pony; he still couldn’t figure out how to fire it properly. Pretty soon he started to get frustrated and anytime one of the other boys started spraying him he whined.
“Stop whining!” Darry told him, blasting water in his face.
Johnny tried to come to his defence and spray anyone who made their way towards Pony but made the mistake of lowering his gun, just for a moment.
“His defences are down!” Steve shouted to the others and they charged.

Poor old Pony was caught in a tsunami attack. Mr Curtis made his way across the lawn to rescue him, when he saw Pony raise the plastic gun and smash it straight into Steve’s face. The boys all took a step back and there was a moment of silence. Blood tricked from Steve lips and he erupted into tears. Other than Dallas, Steve was the least tearful and it was rare for him to cry. He was hurting and quite shocked. Mr Curtis ran over to where they were gathered round him, bending down and checking Steve’s mouth.
“Well you’ve got a cut lip and a big bump on the nose,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief and picking Steve up and letting the boy cry into his shoulder as he rubbed his back gently. “It’s okay pal, I’ll patch you up,” as soothingly as he could.
“Why’d you do that Pony!” Soda exclaimed, turning on his brother.
“Yeah idiot, how do you like it,” Dallas threatened, raising his own pistol at Pony.
“Hey! Boys no, stop it!” Mr Curtis said raising his voice.
Ponyboy had had tears brimming in his eyes for a while but they finally welled over and he ran off crying into the house. Mr Curtis sighed.
“Darry you’re in charge, you boys can carry on playing but you need to be sensible. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt or upset,” he told them.
Darry nodded, happy to be in charge; Mr C headed inside with a sniffling Steve in his arms.

He could hear his young son crying in his room, but he needed to get Steve sorted before he moved on to Pony.
He sat Steve kitchen table and opened the drawer and grabbed the first aid kit.
“Let’s get you fixed up big guy,” he said cleaning the cut on his chin. Steve had stopped crying but his eyes were puffy and tear tracks had formed on his cheeks. Mr Curtis put a bandaid on the cut and wiped the rest of his face, holding a cloth on his lip till the bleeding stopped.
“All done. Now I reckon you’ve earned a lollipop for being so tough,” Mr Curtis suggested and a grin spread across Steve’s face.
They had a special stash of lollipops they saved for bribery or situations like these. He lifted Steve off the counter and carried him over to the couch; he handed him the lollipop and kissed him on the head before heading to see Pony.
With a quick glance outside, he saw Darry trying to order the boys around and coordinate the water fighting; they weren’t taking any notice and just relentlessly spraying him.

He pushed the door open gently, expecting to find Pony in his bed crying. However, he was sat at the small desk in the corner of the room drawing, tears still falling down his cheeks.
“Hey honey, what you doing?” He asked sitting on the bed.
“I’m making Steve a sorry picture,” Pony replied.
“Aww baby that’s so sweet, come sit here a second,” he said patting the bed beside him.
Pony clambered up and cuddled up to his father.
“Now you shouldn’t have hit Steve, you know that’s wrong. I know you were frustrated and upset because you couldn’t join in properly but like I tell your brothers, lashing out is never the answer. Now I know you didn’t mean to hurt Steve and feel really guilty so I think if you apologise and promise to do you best not to lash out in the future we will say no more about it,” Mr Curtis said, an arm round his youngest.
“Okay Daddy, I promise. I just need a few more minutes to finish Steve’s picture,” Pony said looking up at his father.
He used his sleeve to dry sons tear stained face.
“Okay I’ll let you finish and I might even have a lollipop for you when you come out,” He said, much too Pony’s delight.

“I want a lollipop!” Soda whined, looking at Steve and Pony sitting on the couch happily sucking on the candy.
“No, you’re not hurt or upset,” Mr Curtis told him simply.
“Twobit, we can have candy if we get hurt!” Sodapop exclaimed.
“No! Only accidental injuries receive candy,” Mr Curtis yelled, before the boys could say art scheming any crazy stunts.

He managed to get everyone dried off and eating sandwiches and juice without too much chaos. Twobit’s Mom came by to pick him up in the mid afternoon. The boys were reasonably mellow after that morning’s drama. Soda could tell Steve didn’t want to run around so even he was sitting quiet lining up cars on the couch. Darry was playing a board game with Ponyboy, Johnny and Dallas. For once they were all getting on.

Mrs Curtis arrived home a little while later.
“It’s very calm in here, what did I miss?” She asked, suspiciously eyeing the peaceful scene.
“Nothing much just all out warfare and an assault,” Mr Curtis replied. She raised her eyebrows. “Everyone’s okay, although I think Mr Randal deserves a bit of extra pampering tonight,” he explained.
She glanced at Steve and the bandaid, looking back at her husband she mouthed ‘Dallas?’ He shook his head and pointed at Pony.
“I leave for a few hours and you’ve all gone feral!” She chucked.

They both headed into the kitchen and a few minutes later, emerged with a two bowls of popcorn.
“Come on boys, let’s watch a movie together,” Mr Curtis called to the living room.
Seeing there was snacks, they all gathered round the popcorn.
Mrs Curtis sat Steve on her lap and Mr Curtis found the Wizard of Oz was just beginning so he turned it up, lifting Ponyboy into his lap. They all sat together, squashed on one couch, watching the film.
“Darrel,” Mrs Curtis began, “Why is there a plastic gun behind the cushion?”

Chapter Text

Chaos was an understatement. The first day of school was here and it was anarchy in the Curtis House. He didn’t care though. What was all the fuss about? He already hated school and he hadn’t even been yet. Dallas was sat sulking on the couch, miserable at the thought of being told what to do and where he could go for the next 6 hours. He looked at Johnny, who had an arm round a crying Ponyboy. Johnny looked terrified, so despite his mood, Dallas gave him a faint smile of reassurance. He may not want to go to school but you can sure as hell bet he was going to protect Johnny while he was there.

Mrs Curtis had been the one to register them. She had also filled out the forms for Steve but his Dad had signed them. For him and Johnny, however, she had done it all. He had told her not to bother; he didn’t want to go to school, but she had insisted.

“Sodapop! Steve! You’re going to be sorry if I have to come in there!” Mr Curtis shouted from the kitchen; he was busy, frantically preparing five lunches, including extras for TwoBit to steal.
Meanwhile, Mrs Curtis was practically wrestling Soda and Steve to sit still as she did her best to comb their hair. She had dark circles under her eyes from sleepless nights worrying about this very day. Dallas knew the only reason he was even considering giving school a chance was because of her. He would never admit it but he hated upsetting her, even though he did it a lot, it was not something he took pride in.

Eventually, Darry managed to get Ponyboy to stop crying, promising him they would all play with him as soon as they got back. Soda and Steve had reasonably tidy hair, for now, and they had 10 minutes till the bus.
“Right boys, I want some photos, come on!” Mrs Curtis said, ushering them all over.
Everyone but Dallas gathered by a wall. He hated photos.
“Come on, just one group one and one on your own, that’s all I ask!” Mrs Curtis told him, unpacking her camera.
Dragging his feet along the carpet, Dally did join the others. He didn’t exactly smile but his expression was closer to a smile than a scowl. Mr Curtis put their lunches and water bottles in their backpacks and assisted Johnny in getting his on.
“Right I want you two on your best behaviour, you hear me. You do as your told and no messing around!” Mrs Curtis said, crouching down and holding Steve and Soda by the arms.
They promised and gave her a hug and then went with Mr Curtis outside to the bus stop.
“Be brave honey, you’ll be fine. You’ve got all the boys with you, they’ll look after you. Tell Darry if you need anything,” Mrs Curtis said, moving over to Johnny.
She wrapped him in a tight hug and he held on for longer than usual. Then Darry took his hand and headed outside, followed by Ponyboy. Finally, she turned to him, crouching down and tilting up his chin to look at her.
“Just give it a chance honey, that’s all I’m asking,” she said, with her warm smile.
“That’s what I’m doing ain’t I,” Dallas replied with a faint smile.

When the bus pulled up, TwoBit was immediately banging on the glass. Darry said goodbye to his parents and hopped straight on. Mrs Curtis tried to give Soda and Steve a final hug but they were too busy racing to sit on the backseats.
“Please be good,” Mrs Curtis whispered in Dally’s ear as she gave him a hug, much to his embarrassment.
He stepped towards the bus.
“Best behaviour kiddo,” Mr Curtis called to him, raising his eyebrows.
Dallas nodded and waved at a tearful Ponyboy.
After multiple hugs and many hair ruffles Johnny made his way up the school bus steps. He walked down the aisle, his legs shaking and joined the rest of them. Dallas looked around the bus. Another kid was eyeing them.
“What’s your problem?” Dallas called.
“Christ, the bus hasn’t even moved yet Dally. Sorry Tim, my kid brother,” Darry said, looking at the older boy.
“What all of them?” The starring boy asked.
“Well kind of, yeah,” Darry replied.

He was sitting next to Johnny. That was the only good thing. All four of them were in the same classroom; their teacher Miss Harrow seemed okay. Although, she did not yet know what a challenging group of 5 year olds she had been given. They were coloring their cubby name tags at tables, while the she droned on about school rules. Soda and Steve were on the other side of the table, sword fighting with crayons. 3:00 couldn’t come soon enough.

Dallas leant back on his hands, his legs uncrossed. This was so lame. Sure, he didn’t mind when Mrs Curtis would read to them, but this was different. No way was he’s going to listen to some dumb fairytales. He turned to Johnny.
“You okay man?” He asked in a hushed voice.
“Yeah.” Johnny replied, not quite taking his eyes off the teacher.
“Man I’m bored,” Dallas sighed.
“Dallas, no talking please,” Miss Harrow called sweetly, trying to give the kids a bit of leniency on their first day.
“I ain’t bothering no one!” Dallas replied, defensively.
“We’re listening to the story right now, it’ll be lunch soon and you’ll have plenty of time to talk to your friends then,” she told him.
“I talk when I want,” Dallas muttered.

“How’s it going Kindergarteners?” Darry asked, wandering over to them all in the playground.
“I’ve already got a detention!” TwoBit laughed, joining them.
Dallas noticed another boy walking over to them. He looked about Darry’s age.
“Hey Tim,” Darry greeted.
“You hanging out with little kids all lunch Darry or you going to come and play football?” Tim asked.
“We ain’t little kids,” Dallas said, puffing his chest out.
“Come on Darry, leave the babies to change their own diapers, let’s go,” Tim said, glancing at Dally.
“Call me a baby again and you’ll be sorry,” Dallas threatened, taking a step forward.
“Oooh he’s grumpy, don’t worry kiddo I think it’s nap time after lunch,” Tim taunted, amused at being challenged by a 5 year old.
Dally dived forward, only to be immediately pulled back by Darry.
“No, no, no! You trying to get suspended on your first day?” Darry exclaimed, pushing Dallas away from Tim.
“Tell him to shut his big mouth then,” Dallas shouted, stalking off into the playground, Johnny followed behind him.
“You okay?” Johnny asked tentatively.
“I hate this place, I feel like I’m in prison,” Dallas moaned, leaning against a wall.
“Yeah, I miss Mrs C,” Johnny mumbled.
Dally looked at him, tears were glistening.
“Hey it’s okay man. Look we could go home if you want? Or just sit somewhere?” Dally suggested, placing a hand on Johnny’s shoulder, anger fading.
“No, I don’t want to get in trouble. I’m okay. She said she was going to pick us up after school,” Johnny replied, wiping the tears.
“Not long now buddy, you’ll be fine,” Dallas told him.

Miss Harrow was slowly losing patience, realising how much of a challenging year she was in for.
“Right Sodapop, I want you to swap seats with Harvey,” She burst out, unable to ignore their constant talking, arm wrestling and throwing things anymore.
With a sad glance at Steve, Soda moved to sit on the other side of the room. The new boy, Harvey, sat down opposite Johnny. Johnny looked up warily, then went back to his join the dots worksheet, hands shaking.
“What’s wrong with you?” The kid asked, rudely, a judgemental look on his face.
“Shut up kid! Leave him alone!” Dally told him, forcefully.
“Are you scared of pencils or something?” Harvey continued, ignoring Dallas and poking Johnny in the arm.
“He’s fine. Now leave him alone.” Dallas said threateningly.
“Who’s asking you? Is he too stupid to talk or something?” Harvey said, pulling Johnny’s paper away from him.
That was it. Dallas lunged across the table, knocked the kid out of his seat and gave him a punch in the face.
“You talk about Johnny like that again and I’ll break your face,” He yelled, standing back up eyes blazing and fists clenched.

“Hey Dally! Already in trouble I see,” TwoBit grinned, looking up from a desk placed in the corner of the outer office.
“You have not set him much of an example Keith! Kicked out of class, already,” Miss Harrow said, raising her eyebrows.
“It’s Jenny, she misses me!” TwoBit said pointing at the receptionist, behind the main desk.
Miss Harrow frown twitched slightly and she turned back to Dally.
“Sit!” She said firmly, pointing at the row of chairs against the wall.
Dallas obeyed, glancing at the big door to his left. TwoBit winked at him from across the room.
Miss Harrow knocked on the door and entered.
A moment later Darry’s friend Tim emerged from the door.
“Hey kid,” he smiled at Dally.
“What you want?” Dallas said cooly.
“Nothing man. But a Kindergartener sent to the principal on the first day for decking someone. That’s tuff. Good going kid. I’ll see you around,” Tim said, heading out the office with a smirk, which Dally returned.
“Bye Timmy!” TwoBit called.
“Keith you face that wall and keep quiet!” The receptionist scolded.
TwoBit grinned but turned back round to his worksheet.

Eventually Miss Harrow came out and headed back down the hall. Dallas sighed and slumped deeper into his chair. He heard footsteps and the door opened again.
“Right, Dallas. I think me and you need to have a little talk. Can you come into my office please,” the Principal said, it was an instruction not a request.
Dallas decided he might as well do as he was told. TwoBit gave him a thumbs up and he headed inside.

“Well this is not a great start; I don’t think I’ve ever had a Kindergartener sent to me on their first day. Even your friend Keith made it through his first week without a trip to the office. You want to tell me what happened?” Principal Burrows asked, sitting in his big chair behind the desk across from Dallas.
“He was saying stuff and I had to shut him up” Dallas said simply, shrugging.
“Well hitting someone is never okay. That’s one of the key school rules. You know that’s wrong don’t you?” The Principal inquired, bemused by the scowling 5 year old before him.
“Yeah,” Dallas muttered, through gritted teeth.
“At school if you break the rules or misbehave there are consequences, you understand that Dallas?” Mr Burrows asked.
Dallas gave a faint nod.
“Usually, I would suspend a student for something like this. As it is your first day, I’ve decided against that. In the future I will not be so lenient and this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated. Do you understand?” He said, his voice raising, with a firmness that would send shivers down most kids’ spine.
Not this one; he sat there glaring at the table but eventually gave a vague nod.
“Now, there’s 20 minutes left of the day. If you go and apologise to Harvey and mean it, we’ll say no more about it. But I do not want to see you in here again,” Mr Burrows explained, calmly.
“Not apologising!” Dallas spat straight back.
“Excuse me?” Mr Burrows stumbled, slightly taken aback.
“Not apologising to him. He should apologise to Johnny,” Dallas said, stubbornly.
“Dallas if you don’t apologise, I’m going to have to call your parents,” Mr Burrows explained, watching as for a brief moment Dallas looked more like the other children who came in here; worried at the prospect of being in trouble.
Dally hesitated. He knew by parents that meant the Curtis’. He looked up at the Principal.
“We going to apologise?” Mr Burrows asked, raising his eyebrows.
Dallas sighed and nodded.
“Good boy. Come on let’s go,” Mr Burrows said kindly, getting up out of his chair.
He imagined this would not be the last he was going to see of Dallas Winston.

Home time came and Miss Harrow led them out onto the playground where a crowd of parents were gathered. Johnny ran straight over and Mrs C, who greeted him with a big hug, covering his face in kisses. Dallas walked over to join them, when he saw a large shadow coming up behind him.
“Mrs Curtis, could I have a quick word?” Miss Harrow called, Dallas felt his heart sink.
Mrs C gave him a glance and he looked away guiltily, she told the boys to stay put and made her way over to them.
“There was an incident with Dallas today; an altercation with another student,” Miss Harrow explained.
Mrs Curtis sighed, her face flooded with disappointment as she nodded and listened.
“He had a chat with the principal and he did come back and apologise so it’s not going any further. And we’re going to have no more problems now are we Dallas?” She said, looking down at him.
Dallas shook his head, looking at the ground, unwilling to meet Mrs Curtis’ eyes.
“Good. Well I’ll see you all tomorrow,” Miss Harrow said, smiling politely.
“Thank you Ma’am. I can assure you, he and I will be having a long talk when we get home,” Mrs Curtis replied, with a stern look at Dallas.
He didn’t know what to do so he just stared at the floor.
“Right boys, let’s go,” Mrs Curtis announced with a sigh.
She reached out for Johnny’s hand and then took Dally by the wrist, not harshly but firm enough for him to know that he was not in her good books.

“Boys if you go into the kitchen I’ll make you a snack,” Mrs Curtis announced, as she untied Johnny’s shoes.
It was too late; Soda, Steve and TwoBit had already charged off into the backyard, thankful to be free from the classroom. Pony, Johnny and Darry headed towards the kitchen, Ponyboy chattering excitedly, desperate to hear about everything.
“Right, I want you to go to your room. I’ll be in to see you later,” Mrs Curtis told Dallas, as she untied his laces.
Usually he was sent to his room by someone raising their voice. Today, there was none of that in Mrs C’s voice, no anger, just disappointment. So for once, he didn’t protest, heading to his bedroom. Immediately, lying down and burrying his face in the pillows. There was a horrible feeling in his stomach, the one he hated most. Guilt.

Chapter Text

He was in charge. Mom and Dad were having a catch up inside with a couple of old friends. The boys had been told to stay outside and play nicely and he was in charge. Darry liked being in charge.

Johnny had asked him for some quick help on his homework, so they were laying on the grass with his workbook in front of them. Ponyboy sat nodding along, pretending to understand everything Darry was saying about Math. TwoBit and Dallas were less enthusiastic, opting to use them as target practice.
“Stop it!” He yelled at them as another ball came flying.
“Play with us!” TwoBit whined at him.
“No, I’m helping Johnny. Go play with Soda and Steve!” Darry told them.
“We don’t wanna play cars with them!” TwoBit moaned, sighing with boredom.
“Well we’re busy doing this so you’ll have to wait,” Darry said firmly, turning back to Johnny.
“Johnny man, come play with us. Don’t bother with your homework, i don’t,” Dallas said.
“Yeah well Johnny wants to get good grades,” Darry said.
“Yeah, unlike some people!” Ponyboy chimed in.
Darry and Johnny grinned at the 3 year old.
“That’s right Pony and besides if you don’t start doing yours, the teachers will call Mom and then she’ll make you do it,” Darry told him.
“No one makes me do anything,” Dallas muttered.
“Hell, I’ve never done any homework even with my Mom making me,” laughed TwoBit.
“Yeah and look at the state of your grades” Darry retorted.
“I’ll have you know F and U are my two favourite letters,” TwoBit told him, grinning.
“They’re my favourite phrase,” Dallas smirked, he and TwoBit erupting into giggles.
“Don’t let Mom hear you saying that,” Darry said, doing his best to disguise a smile.
“Darry!” Soda called.
“What now?” Darry huffed, getting up and going to find Soda and Steve.

They were round the side of the house looking at the fence between their house and the neighbours.
“What’s up?” Darry asked.
“Bryce reached through the gap and stole one of our cars and ran off with it,” Soda said sadly.
Bryce was their 10 year old neighbour. He was in Darry’s grade and he was a bully. No matter how many times the boys complained to Mr and Mrs C about him he never got in trouble. He was a convincing liar and a straight A student so he had all the adults under his illusion.
Darry looked at his little brothers sad faces.
“It was my favourite one,” Soda said, tears brimming.
That was it. No one made Soda cry, it was time for some payback.

“Okay boys I’ll play with you!” Darry announced, walking back to the others with Soda and Steve.
“Yay!” TwoBit exclaimed.
“Finally,” Dally said.
“Johnny we’ll finish-“ he started.
“S’okay Dar, I finished it,” he said, proudly holding up the completed worksheet.
“Great job buddy!” Darry said, beaming with pride.
“What we going to play?” TwoBit asked.
“I’ve got something in mind,” Darry replied.
The boys all huddled round to listen to the plan.

15 minutes later they were all in position. The tree on their side of the fence went across into Bryce’s backyard. Underneath the tree, his Dad had built him a fort. It’s where Bryce spent most of his time. He was inside his house eating lunch at the moment, which gave them enough time to prepare for the ambush. Darry was high in the tree with a rope, ready to lower Sodapop down to retrieve the car. The others were all in various positions in the tree armed with many many water balloons, some of which they had decided to fill with Mr Curtis’ paint they found in the shed. The unsuspecting Bryce emerged from his lunch, carrying Sodapop’s toy. They all kept very still as he walked over and sat down in his fought, placing the car beside him.
“Now!” Darry called.
Bryce looked up startled as he was pelted with water and paint from all angles. He didn’t even see Soda nip down and grab his car. He screamed and made such a racket. The boys threw the last of the balloons and then hastily made their way down the tree as Bryce staggered off crying into his own house, dripping with paint and water.

They all cheered triumphantly, Soda waving his car happily. For a few minutes they ran around chasing eachother, euphoric. But they slowly all came to a stop as they heard something. In the distance they could hear an angry voice and soon more voices joined in and they began to get closer and closer. They looked at eachother, nervously, they hadn’t quite thought through the aftermath of their plan.
“Boys! Get in here now!” Mrs Curtis shouted, the back door burst open and she stood there furious.

Inside a very angry Mrs C, a paint covered, soaking Bryce and his red faced mother, stood glaring at them. Mr Curtis returned from waving their friends off and stood beside his wife, equally furious.
“Someone better start talking and fast!” She told them.
All the boys looked to Darry, it was times like this he didn’t quite enjoy being in charge so much.
“Well…we….Bryce took Sodapop’s car so we decided to get some revenge,” Darry said quickly, panicking.
“I did not. Look he’s holding his car, I didn’t take it,” Bryce protested, with false innocence.
“Yes you did you little liar!” Steve shouted, stepping forward.
Mr Curtis shot and arm out, preventing him from getting any further. Bryce smirked at the boys and then gave a fake flinch and wail and hid behind his Mom.
This time is was Dallas’ turn to lunge but Mrs C was right behind him, he only managed half a shove before he was pulled away.
Bryce fell to the floor dramatically and pretended to cry.
“He’s lying!” Dallas growled as Mrs C manoeuvred him back to stand next to Steve.
“I don’t care! You keep you hands to yourself or you’ll be in even more trouble!” she shouted, “both of you!” She added looking at Steve.
“It doesn’t matter what Bryce did or didn’t do. You come and tell us, you don’t seek revenge,” Mr Curtis lectured.
“But he deserved it!” Soda protested.
“Hey! Water balloons are one thing but this goes beyond a harmless prank when you bring paint into the mix!” Mr Curtis said, turning on Soda.
“We thought the water balloons would wash off the paint,” TwoBit said smirking.
“Right, I’ve had enough. Everyone but Darry go to Sodapop’s room right now!” Mr C ordered, “Mrs Anderson, I promise you all the boys will be punished. I am very sorry Bryce, they will not do it again. I thought Darry was sensible enough to be trusted to keep an eye on everyone for an hour, but obviously not,” he said turning to Bryce and his mother.
Mrs Curtis showed them out and the others went to the bedroom, leaving Darry standing there full of shame, his father glaring at him.

“Well you’ve got some explaining to do,” Mrs C said, returning.
“It’s true Mom, he really did take Soda’s car, so we just wanted to pay him back. I’m sorry, it got out of hand,” Darry burst out.
“Well I believe you. The boys may be reckless enough to launch a paint balloon attack but I know you wouldn’t let them do it without provocation. But that does not mean you aren’t in trouble,” Mr Curtis said, his voice rising at the end.
“Darry we left you in charge! What if someone had got hurt. I presume you all climbed the tree. What if Pony had fallen out or any of the boys for that matter,” Mrs Curtis yelled.
“I’m sorry, I know I messed up” Darry mumbled, looking at the floor.
There was a pause in his parents lectures.
“You did, but we still trust you. We may be angry and you’re going to be punished but that does not mean we trust you any less” Mrs Curtis said, wrapping an arm round him, her tone softening.
“It must be hard being the responsible one in that gang of lunatics and it’s inevitable that sometimes you’re going to mess up too. As long as you learn from it,” Mr Curtis added.
“I will I promise,” Darry said, looking at his parents.
“Good. So as punishment instead of going to the football game tomorrow, you’re coming with me to get some new paint,” Darrel informed him.
“But Dad I’ve been waiting to go for ages,” Darry moaned.
“I know. That’s why it’s a good punishment. You’re also grounded this weekend, no going out any further than the backyard,” Mr Curtis continued.
“I’m sorry,” Darry said, sadly.
“I know son, but you’re all forgiven now,” Mr Curtis said, leaning in for a hug.
“Right, now the little ones,” Mrs Curtis announced, heading down the hall.
“Are they grounded too?” Darry asked, curiously.
“No Darry, we need to punish them, not ourselves!” Mr C chuckled.
“Let’s just say you’re going to be the only one getting desert for a little while,” Mrs C called across the room.
“Go sit at the table dinner is almost ready,” Mr Curtis told him, patting him on the back.
“Oh and pick out a boardgame. You will have us all to yourself for the evening, because they’re all going straight to bed after dinner,” Mrs C said, before she headed down the hall.

Darry smiled and helped his father lay the table.
“Did you manage to get any in his stupid chubby face?” Mr Curtis whispered.
“Yeah and he fell over a bunch of times running back to his house,” Darry said in a low voice, grinning.
“Well serves the little rat right,” Mr C said, smirking.
They both chuckled but stopping and turning when they heard noise from down the hall.
“Noooooo! I want cake!” TwoBit was howling.
“What about chocolate is that desert?” Sodapop cried.
“I ain’t going to bed at 6 o’clock!” Dallas shouted.
They looked at each other and both burst out chuckling once more.

Chapter Text

The Sunday morning sunshine shone bright into the bedroom. Mr Curtis opened his eyes. Usually, they would have be awoken by some sort of ruckus by now. It was quiet. Too quiet. Silence, tended to mean mischief. He hopped out of bed and started scanning the house for signs of trouble.

“What’s going on?” Darrel demanded, looking at Ponyboy, Dallas, Johnny and Darry sitting at the table eating cereal.
“Nothing. We’re just eating breakfast,” Darry replied, looking confused.
“I better not find anything’s broken or boobytraps set up!” Mr Curtis warned, still not trusting the calmness of the house.
He did a mental headcount.
“Where’s Soda?” He asked, suspiciously.
“He hasn’t come out yet, I think he’s still asleep,” Darry told him.
“I’m not falling for that boys,” Mr Curtis sighed, remembering years of pranks and jump scares.
“We’re not lying Daddy,” Ponyboy chimed in.
“Is that true Johnny?” Darrel asked, referring to the most trustworthy of the boys.
Johnny nodded.
“Well that’s odd,” Mr Curtis mumbled, heading down the hall.
Soda was always the first awake and bouncing off the walls and making noise until he was the one of the last asleep at night.

He knocked on the door and headed inside. Soda was huddled under the covers.
“Hey Pepsi Cola? Were you up partying all night?” Darrel greeted him, walking over to him.
Soda stirred slightly and then rolled over, going back to sleep.
“Oh there he is!” Mrs Curtis said, joining him in the room, “I wondered where he was!”
“Come on buddy. Everyone’s waiting to play with you,” Mr Curtis said, shaking him gently.
Soda didn’t budge. Mr and Mrs C looked at each other; a mix of bemusement and worry. Mrs Curtis walked round to Soda’s side and place her hand on his forehead.
“He’s burning up,” She sighed.

“Open your mouth!” Mr Curtis barked, thermometer in hand, holding a squirming Dallas.
Sodapop had a high fever so they decided they better check the other boys.
“No!” Dallas shouted, desperately trying to escape his grasp.
Mr Curtis tried to wrestle with him for a few moments and then released him.
“I think it’s safe to presume you’re not ill. There’s nothing out of character about you behaviour,” Mr Curtis said, beckoning Johnny over.
Thankfully, the rest of the boys were all fine. It was hard enough when one of them were sick; it was a nightmare when more than went down with something.

Mrs C helped Soda sit up and take some medicine and sip some water.
“How are you feeling honey?” She asked stroking his hair.
“I wanna go play!” He whined.
“Not today sweetie, you’re sick,” she told him, calmly.
“Can’t I just play quietly in the living room?” He argued.
“Not yet, but you could come and lay on the coach if you prefer?” She suggested.
Soda nodded.
“But no playing, just resting or you’ll be straight back in bed,” she warned, picking him up and carrying him out of them room.
“Steve!” Soda exclaimed, scrambling out of Mrs Curtis’ arms and running over to his best friend.
“Sodapop Curtis, what did I just say!” She shouted.
“But Mama I wanna play,” he pouted as she picked him back up.
“You lay down and rest,” she told him firmly, placing him on the couch.
Ponyboy rushed to his side, face full of concern.
“Boys listen up. Soda is ill, so he’s is going to lay and rest. You can chat calmly with him but no roughhousing or playing,” she explained.
“Can I be his doctor?” Ponyboy asked, holding Soda’s hand.
“Of course you can sweetie. You take good care of your brother and make sure he doesn’t move,” Mrs C replied, smiling at her youngest before turning to Soda “Stay Put!” She said firmly.

Soda did as he was told for about two seconds, as soon as Mrs C went out the room he hopped off the couch to where Steve and TwoBit were playing.
“Soda no!” Ponyboy yelled, chasing his brother.
He grabbed his hand and did his best to pull him back to the couch.
“Darry!” Pony whined.
Darry chuckled but nodded and wandered over. He lifted Soda up, under the arms and plopped him back on the couch. Pony gave a satisfied smile, picked up a blanket and lay it over his brother.
“Now stay put!” Ponyboy said, hands on hips, glaring at his brother.

Soda did give in and have another nap, under Pony’s watchful eye. However, Darry needed to go to the library and Mr Curtis offered to take Ponyboy and Johnny along. Mrs C promised to take care of Soda, so Pony finally agreed, unable to resist the opportunity to go to the library. So when Soda woke, there was no one policing his resting.
“He’s awake!” TwoBit hissed excitedly, running over to him.
Soda sat up, grinning at Steve, TwoBit and Dallas standing over him.
“Your Mom’s hanging out the laundry, this is our chance to break you out!” Steve exclaimed.
Soda wasn’t feeling great but the prospect of a jailbreak was too good to pass up on. TwoBit stood on his tiptoes and managed to reach the latch and they hurried out the front door. Scurrying down the block they assembled behind a tree in the park, full of adrenaline from their great escape.

At first Soda was so happy to be out of the house, he forgot how ill he was feeling. As the adrenaline slowly wore off he started to wish more and more that he was back home snuggled under a blanket.
“What on earth do you boys think you’re doing!” Mrs Curtis screeched, marching towards them.
“Quick run!” TwoBit exclaimed and he, Dallas and Steve took off across the park.
Soda didn’t. He stood up and his stomach lurched and he threw up behind the tree. Mrs C rushed over to him.
“I don’t feel well,” he cried, tears starting to fall down his face.
“I know honey, come on,” she said, picking up the crying boy, rocking him back and forth.
“Darrel!” She called, seeing her husband in the distance, returning with the boys from the library.
He hurried over.
“Hey buddy, what’s wrong?” He asked looking at Soda, buried in Mrs C shoulder.
“The boys decided to escape with Soda. He’s just been sick so I need to take him home. The rest of them scattered across the park when I found them, can you?” She explained.
“Yes, I’ll find the rascals,” he sighed, kissing Soda on the head before heading off to search the park.
“Come on honey let’s get you home,” she whispered.

She helped the sniffling Soda into some clean pyjamas and gave him a new dose of medicine. He didn’t argue when she put him in bed, she lay down next to him.
“It’s okay honey, you’ll feel better soon, you get some rest,” she told him, rubbing his back gently.
It was only a few minutes and his breathing deepened and he was fast asleep. She stayed with him a few more minutes until she heard her husband arrive home.

She wandered out to find him carrying TwoBit under one arm and the other hand keeping a tight grip of both Dallas and Steve.
“Put me down!” TwoBit protested, wiggling.
Mr C placed him on the floor and Mrs Curtis ordered them onto the couch as she and her husband stood before them; hands on hips, absolutely furious.
“I told you Soda was ill and needed his rest. Now he’s feeling even worse because you had the bright idea of running away with him to the park. I am not impressed!” She scolded.
“Who’s idea was it?” Mr Curtis enquired.
They all sat silently, glancing nervously at one another.
“Mine, but they listened!” Steve said, pointing at TwoBit and Dallas, defensively.
“You know you do not leave this house without asking, it is dangerous!” She shouted, horrified at the thoughts of what could of happened.
“Not to mention you could have made Soda seriously ill!” Mr Curtis added, matching his wife’s tone.
The boys all looked guilty at Mr C’s words.
“I want you each to find a corner and if there’s ever a repeat of this, you will be straight over my knee!” She told them firmly, desperate to deter them from any more unsupervised escapades.
“But first I think you all owe Mrs C an apology,” Mr Curtis told them.
TwoBit and Dallas offered up a reasonably genuine apology, before heading to the corners.
“Sorry we made you worried,” Steve muttered, looking at them both.
He felt more guilty than the others, it being his idea and all. He was worried about Soda.
Mrs C pulled him close.
“You are forgiven. Just don’t worry me like that again. Now go sit in the corner,” she told him kindly, kissing the top of his head.

Mrs C spent the rest of the evening in Soda’s room. His fever had gone down but he still wasn’t himself. Anytime he woke up, she helped him have some water and go to the bathroom and then she would read to him and stroke his hair gently until he fell back to sleep. Mr Curtis poked his head round the door in the late evening.
“How’s he doing?” He asked.
“He hasn’t woken for a while and his fever is gone,” she answered, sleepily. “How are the other boys?” She yawned.
“No problems. Everyone is asleep Darry has gone in with Dallas tonight,” he told her.
“I’ll stay in here with him tonight,”
“Night honey,” he said, blowing a kiss.

Mrs Curtis awoke when the sunlight streamed through the windows. She turned over to check on Soda but the bed was empty. From the living room she could hear some sort of chaos.
“Sodapop! Steve! You get back here right now!” She heard Darrel shouting, followed by laughing.
They burst through the bedroom door and jumped straight on the bed, hands full of candy bars.
“Mama I’m better!” Sodapop yelled, jumping up and down.
“I can see that,” she yawned as she was jostled around.
Oh well, his day of calm was nice while it lasted.

Chapter Text

“Johnny are you okay?” Miss Harrow asked.
He sat there, his hands shaking as he held his pencil and biting down nervously on his lip.
“Yes Ma’am,” he mumbled, doing his best to look up, but he glanced away quickly knowing he would end up crumbling.
He saw her feet move away and so he did some deep breaths, desperately trying to slow his racing pulse. Johnny was alone and he was scared. They were doing a group project; working together to design an invention. The other three members of his group were talking excitedly, sharing their ideas. But he remained silent, wishing the boys were with him. Soda and Steve were on another table and Dallas had been kicked out and sent somewhere 10 minutes ago. He was alone.

His group were nice but he just couldn’t calm himself down. The more he tried to interact with them, the more he missed his brothers and how alone he felt without them.
“I wish Mrs C was here,” he thought to himself, although he wished he hadn’t.
His chest got tighter, the lump in his throat rose higher and higher and he was fighting to control his emotions. The image of Mrs C filled him with such a dreadful homesickness, it was overwhelming. How is any 5 year old meant to contain that? It grew and grew the more he tried to fight it, she was the only one who was able to help him when he felt like this. Even Johnny who had year of practice couldn’t hold back the emotions anymore.
The tears overflowed and he sobbed silently, bringing his knees up on his seat and holding them tight, burying his face into them.
“Miss Harrow, Johnny’s crying,” the girl sitting next to him called out.
Miss Harrow headed straight over.
“Oh no, Johnny honey what’s the matter?” She asked kindly, placing a hand on his shoulder and crouching down.
That only made him cry harder, he didn’t want her, he wanted Mrs C. She had always been there to comfort him when he got upset and now she wasn’t, it was terrifying.
“Johnny, has someone been mean to you?” Soda asked, running over.
Johnny shook his head but continued to cry. Miss Harrow looked sadly at him, her training not having taught her how to help a boy like Johnny.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” She asked.
Steve joined Soda and they both stood faces full of concern.
“I wanna go home,” Johnny finally managed to get out through his sobs.
They all looked at him, not quite sure how to react them Soda grinned and broke the silence.
“Yeah me too. Hey maybe me and Steve should take Johnny home,” Soda suggested, turning to Miss Harrow.
“I seen a map before so we could walk,” Steve added.
“No boys,” Miss Harrow sighed, disguising a chuckle.
“I think Johnny might be allergic to school,” Soda continued.
“Me too. I really think we need to go home, for medical reasons,” Steve chimed in.
“Otherwise we’ll die of dehydration,” Soda exclaimed, dramatically.
“Okay geniuses go and sit down, I’ll look after Johnny,” She told them.

“It’s okay honey, you’re not in trouble,” Miss Harrow said, leading Johnny into the outer main office, holding his hand.
He still had tears streaming down his face. The receptionist Jenny looked up.
“Can I have Jonathan Cade’s emergency card please, he’s really homesick bless him,” Miss Harrow explained.
“Aw honey, come and sit in this nice comfy chair,” Jenny said sweetly, pulling out the empty office chair from behind the desk.
They managed to find Mrs Curtis’ details.
“Could you send for Darrel Curtis, I think he’s in Mr Ryman’s class,” Miss Harrow said.
Jenny looked at the timetables and went off to find Darry.
“I’ll let you sit with Darry for a bit and then in 5 minutes if you still want to go home, I’ll call Mrs Curtis and have her come pick you up. I might see if she’ll do us all a favour and take Mr Winston back with you too!” Miss Harrow said.
Johnny nodded, he had already made up his mind though, he wanted Mrs C.

He’d had a rough night. Mrs C had been feeling slightly ill and it got his thoughts racing. She was fine this morning but that night he had been haunted by visions of her becoming very ill and leaving him. It had been at the back of his mind all morning and he’d been shaking with fear. Starting school had made his fear of losing her start to come true. He had to go for 6 hours in an environment that scared him without her, without her comfort or reassurance and it paralysed him with fear. That on top of last nights nightmares had been too much.

“Hey buddy what’s wrong?” Darry said emerging round the corner and immediately coming to his side.
“I want to go home,” he mumbled, eyes once again filling with tears.
“Did something happen, are you okay?” Darry asked.
“I miss her too much,” Johnny cried and Darry leaned forward and embraced him.
“Hey it’s okay, you’ll get to see her in a few hours,” He said gently in his ear.
“I’m too scared,” Johnny wept.
“Hey it’s okay buddy. Look I think they’re going to call her. You’ve really spooked yourself huh?” Darry said, tilting Johnnys head to look at him.
“I want Mrs C,” he sobbed.
Darry gave him one last tight hug and then stood up and called for Miss Harrow.
“He’s really upset I think you need to call my mom,” he explained.
“Thank you Darrel, you head back to class and I’ll do that. Don’t worry we’ll look after him,” She assured him.
She walked back into the office and picked up the emergency card and phone.
“Would you mind going and getting Dallas Winston? I sent him to work in the Reflection Room so hopefully he hasn’t been kicked out of there too,” she explained to Jenny, as she dialled.
Jenny headed off and Johnny listened to the ring of the phone, desperately hoping to hear someone answer.
“Hello?” She said, a relief spread over Johnny.
He was going to be okay, she would come and get him and she would make everything okay, she always did.

Chapter Text

Another Monday morning came; Mrs Curtis lay in bed, preparing herself for the new week of chaos on the horizon. It was early, and she couldn’t hear anyone awake. She headed to the kitchen to make a start on breakfast, but as she walked down the hall, there was a light on in the living room. Someone was awake. Peering around the corner, she saw who it was: Dallas was lying on his stomach, playing with his plastic figure horses. She smiled, watching as he made them ride along the rug, chase each other and even fly through the air. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he was only 5. But it was this sweet boy lying on his stomach, playing with his toys, that she thought of whenever he was being difficult. This is how she would always think of him. That’s why she would never give up on him, because no matter how much he tries to hide it, at his core he was a sweet boy, desperate to be loved and with a lot of love to give. If only he could be like that all the time. The rest of the house began to stir, and the usual before school pandemonium began.

With only a few minutes to spare, eventually everyone was washed, dressed, and fed with backpacks on.
"Right, let’s make this week a good one, boys, please,” Mr. Curtis said.
All the boys looked at Dallas, and he glanced around, pretending not to notice or care. The first month of school had not gone well. He was already getting into constant trouble, despite Mr. and Mrs. C’s best efforts to get him to behave. It was only October; at this rate they would be lucky if he wasn’t expelled by Christmas.
“I want a week without any phone calls or notes coming home,” she said firmly.
“But what if we have another accident?” Soda protested.
“Glueing Steve to his chair was not an accident, Sodapop, and, nor might I add, was Steve pouring his glue in your hair!” She exclaimed, as Soda and Steve stood there giggling.
"Right, the bus is here. Best behaviour, everyone?” Mr Curtis instructed, looking at Steve and Soda.
“Okay!” Soda sighed.
“Dallas?” Mr. C called as Dallas walked past.
Dallas gave a nod. It’s not like he didn’t try, but he could only stand doing as he was told so much. And at school, they just kept telling you and he’d reach his limit of obedience, and then all hell would break loose.

The kindergarten class began the day as usual on the carpet. Miss Harrow was teaching them about the months of the year and the different seasons. Dallas sat next to Johnny. She got the class to sing along to a song with all the months. Johnny bobbed his head and mumbled quietly along. Dallas was silent but was paying attention.
“Sodapop and Steve, it is not Feb-poo-ary!" Miss Harrow said sternly as the boys shouted it for the third time in the loop of the song.
The class giggled.
“Right enough singing; now let’s see if you’ve learned it. Emilia, what’s month number 3?” She asked one of the girls.
“March,” she replied.
“Well done,” Miss Harrow praised, giving her a sticker.
"Johnny, do you know month number 6?” She called on him.
“Ummm June?” He replied shyly.
“Amazing! Here’s a sticker,” she congratulated, and Johnny beamed.
"Dallas, what’s the very last month?” She asked him.
“December,” he replied.
“And what happens in December?” She asked, smiling at the boy’s engagement in the lesson.
“Christmas,” he said, grinning.
“Good boy. Here’s a sticker,” she said, placing one on his T-shirt.
He smirked coolly, but he was happy, knowing Mrs. C would be proud of him.

The days usually began well with Dallas, but as the morning wore on, he would get more and more tired of having to follow instructions. Not to mention, he didn’t exactly get along with all his classmates. Having come to blows with Harvey on the first day, they were still not on friendly terms. Harvey didn’t dare be mean to Johnny anymore, but he and Dallas were constantly clashing heads. Dallas was picking out some crayons for him and Johnny from the drawers at the back when Harvey came over and shoved into him. Dallas shoved him back, and soon they were in a pushing match, attracting the attention of Miss Harrow.
“Boys enough!” She shouted.
Harvey took his crayons and turned to walk away, but Dallas couldn’t back down that easily. He took a handful of crayons and threw them at the back of Harvey’s head.
“Hey! In your seat now!” She ordered, pointing at his chair.
Dallas huffed and stomped back to his seat, placing some crayons gently in front of Johnny.
Miss Harrow watched as he slumped into his seat, scowling, and then she headed over to the board.
On the right side of the board, there was always a sad face drawn. She headed to it and wrote Dallas’ name underneath before sitting back at her desk.
“That’s not fair! It wasn’t just me!” Dallas shouted.
Miss Harrow looked up and then stood up and headed back over to the board. She put a cross next to Dally’s name, but she did add Harvey underneath.
"Anymore, and you will get another cross and be staying in at recess,” she told him.
Dallas frowned but picked up his crayon and started to trace the alphabet letters on the worksheet.
He wasn’t scared of the detention; missing recess wasn’t the end of the world, but if you got three crosses, you got a note home and missed half of the free play time at the end of the day. He and Johnny had been working on a Lego tower, and he didn’t want to have to sit out again and leave Johnny building on his own.

The classroom was reasonably calm for the next half an hour. Apart from Soda and Steve, who had decided the worksheets would look better as paper airplanes; their names had also found themselves on the board under Dally’s.
"Right, can everyone get their homework out for me?” Miss Harrow called.
The class all bustled over to their backpacks, retrieving their papers. All but one.
“I am getting fed up with having this conversation. Did you even try to do it?” Miss Harrow asked Dally, exasperated.
Dallas shook his head.
"Okay, then at the end of the day, when the rest of the class has free play time, you will sit with me and do your homework,” she told him.
His heart sank slightly; he couldn’t leave Johnny alone.
"No, I won’t,” he muttered; his limit had been reached for today.
Miss Harrow sighed and walked over to the board.
“We started the morning so well, but you’ve really let yourself down in the last hour,” she said, putting a second cross against his name.
“I didn’t even do anything for that cross,” he argued.
"Yeah, I think that’s the problem, Dally; you’re meant to do the homework,” Steve joked from across the table.
“Shut up, Randal!” Dallas spat.
“Dallas I can put a third cross on there if you want.” Miss Harrow threatened.
Dallas went to argue but stopped himself.

The recess bell went off moments later, and the class cleared out.
"Dallas, you’re staying here,” Miss Harrow called.
“I didn’t even do anything for the second cross,” Dally complained.
"Okay, if you sit there for five minutes and calm yourself down, I will let you go out for the rest of recess. But I want you to come back with a better attitude, or you know how it will end, and you’re already in enough trouble.” She explained, calmly.
Dallas sighed but decided to take the deal and sat quietly.

Miss Harrow kept her word and let him outside after 5 minutes.

“You got another detention!” Darry demanded.
“So what!” Dallas retorted, not in the mood for anymore reprimands.
“Hey kid, you better watch it or you’ll overtake my record,” Tim said, smirking.
“Don’t give him any ideas,” Darry chimed in.
“Yeah Dally climb the leaderboard; once you take down Tim, it’s only me to beat. I’m the all-time champion,” TwoBit said proudly.
“What an achievement!” Darry said, rolling his eyes.
“Come on, Darry, a boy has got to have goals in life. Just trying to inspire him,” TwoBit laughed.
“Come on, we better go; recess is nearly over,” Darry said.
The others followed him away, leaving Tim and Dally.
“Uh, I don’t want to go back in there,” Dally sighed as they ambled slowly across the playground.
“Rough morning?” Tim asked.
“Schools dumb, I hate it,” Dallas moaned.
“Say, you fancy skipping class with me?” Tim suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Chapter Text

Dallas and Tim sat under a tree around the back of the playground. They were laughing and joking; it was much better than being in a classroom.
"Hey, I’m thirsty,” Dallas announced as they threw rocks at a can.
“I mean, the lunch room should be empty so we could go lift some chocolate milk,” Tim suggested.
“You do that?” Dallas asked, wide-eyed at the nonchalance of the 8 year old.
Now this sounded a lot more exciting than math.

They snuck around the school and managed to make it into the cafeteria undetected. But as they had their hands in the drinks fridge, they were spotted.
“What are you two doing?” A teacher called from the doorway.
“We were thirsty,” Tim said boldly, completely unbothered at the fact they’d been discovered.
Dallas’ heart raced when he heard the teacher, but looking at Tim, he decided to follow his lead and act tough.
“The real question is, what are you doing here?” Dallas said cooly.
“Don’t smart mouth me young man! Come here, both of you!” The teacher ordered, pointing to the ground in front of him.
“We’re drinking,” Tim stated, sipping on his straw and leaning against the wall.
Dallas followed suit.
“Maybe we can discuss the matter over milk,” Dallas proposed, making Tim smirk.
A furious expression came across the teacher’s face, and his complexion turned very red. He turned on his heels and marched off down the hall. The boys both burst out laughing.
“You dig okay, Dally,” Tim said, laughing and punching Dally affectionately on the arm.

Pretty soon, they heard footsteps heading down the hall. The teacher had returned; this time he was with the principal.
“I might have known Mr Shepard would be involved,” he said, looking at the boys. “And Dallas, I can see our chats have had no effect on your behaviour,” he said, sternly.
“They were both extremely insolent and disrespectful. Not to mention they should be in class,” the other teacher said.
"Wow, he’s observant,” Tim snickered to Dally.
“You see what I mean!” the red-faced teacher exclaimed.
Principal Burrows sighed as Tim crushed up his empty carton and threw it across the cafeteria.
“Dallas, Timothy, with me now!” He instructed.

"Jenny, would you please call Mrs Curtis and ask her to come straight over?” Principal Burrows said as they walked into the outer office.
Dallas snapped out of his tough hood facade when he heard that, a sinking feeling arising in his stomach.
“Right boys, in my office, please,” Mr Burrows said, ushering them in.
Tim was still strutting around, hands in pockets, without a care in the world. Dally, on the other hand, was not so calm.
"Tim, we have had this conversation many times,” the Principal began.
“So maybe we can skip the lecture this time,” Tim said, reaching forward and taking a photo frame off the desk. “Is this your daughter?” Tim asked, looking at the picture, “She’s cute!” He sighed.
“Hey!” The man shouted, snatching the frame back, “You do not smart mouth me, and you certainly do not encourage younger students to break the rules. It’s bad enough you do it yourself; you do not bring others down too.” He yelled, looking Tim dead in the eye.

Dally watched as Tim’s face didn’t flinch; he just tutted and rolled his eyes.
“Suspended?” He asked, shrugging.
“Yes! You are suspended for the rest of the week. I will call your mother later,” Principal Burrows told him.
“Good luck with that,” Tim muttered.
“In the meantime, you can spend the rest of the day in the reflection room until the bus comes.” He said, “Go, now!” He ordered, raising his voice as the boy very slowly got up out of the chair.
“See you later, kid.” Tim nodded to Dally before he glided coolly out of the room.
Dallas shifted nervously in his seat. If Tim had been suspended, he was worried about what that would mean for him.

“Dallas, I want you to have a long, hard think about how Mrs Curtis would feel if you behaved like Tim Shepard,” Principal Burrows said, severely. “I don’t think she’d be too happy, do you?” He said it more softly, raising his eyebrows.
Dallas sat there, thinking hard.
“Answer me, son,” the Principal pushed.
"No, sir,” Dallas replied.
“If you carry on the way you are, that is the person you are going to become, or worse. He is not the person you want to idolise. He is heading for a life of trouble, and I do not want you to get mixed up in that. Enough of my time is spent trying to keep Mr Shepard in line; I do not also need him to have a mini apprentice in tow! Is that really the sort of person you want to be?” He asked.
Dallas sat silently. He didn’t know what he wanted. Who was the principal to tell him who he should be?
“Answer me,” Principal Burrows demanded.
“I don’t care,” Dallas shot back, hating this level of scrutiny.
"Well, you better learn to care and fast!” The principal said, raising his voice, “Go and sit on the chair outside and have a long, hard think. We’ll finish this conversation with Mrs Curtis,” he ordered.

Dallas marched out of the room; he was angry—angry at himself for getting in this mess, angry that he had to go to school and get in all this trouble, and angry because he knew how disappointed the Curtis parents would be. Why did people have to care so much? It was annoying. He knew one thing, as much as he liked Tim: he didn’t want to be like him. He would much rather have a furious Mrs C come and pick him up and lecture him all the way home than have parents the school didn’t even bother to try and call anymore. Mrs Curtis had saved him from having that kind of life and here he was throwing it back in her face.

However, at that moment, he would have preferred to be Tim in the reflection room as the outer office doors burst open and Mrs C marched in, Ponyboy in tow.
"Dallas, we are very disappointed in you!” Ponyboy shouted, copying his mom’s furious expressions.
"Pony, keep quiet,” Mrs C said firmly as she stood in front of Dallas, glaring.
“I am beyond angry with you. How many times have you promised me you were going to try your best to behave?” She exclaimed, a mix of desperation and anger in her tone.
“I did try my best,” Dallas protested.
“You did not!” She roared, “This was not some getting carried away, heat of the moment hijinks—it was deliberate defiance, and you know better!” She told him; her voice was firm and steady, but there was a sadness to it.
She glared at him for a few more moments, and he began to squirm, but then she turned to the receptionist.
“Hello, sorry about that. I was called in to talk to the Principal about Dallas,” she explained in her usual pleasant tone.
"Oh, don’t apologise; I’ll let the Principal know you’re here. Sweetie,” she said, looking down at Ponyboy. “Would you like to sit in this comfy chair next to me while your mommy talks with Mr Burrows? I got some pens and paper. We can do some drawing.” She suggested.
Ponyboy nodded excitedly, running around to sit in the grown-up chair. He was so happy to be in school, where the big kids go.

Dallas sat down in the chair next to Mrs C in front of Mr Burrows desk.
“I’m sure Jenny explained on the phone, but Dallas has gotten himself into some more trouble, and I’m afraid today it is serious trouble,” the Principal began.
Mrs C sighed.
“Dallas I would like you to tell Mrs Curtis why you are here,” he said.
Dallas scowled. Why did he have to do the talking? Surely that was their job.
“She already knows; the lady told her,” Dallas retorted.
"Yes, but I would like to hear it in your own words, please,” Principal Burrows requested.
Dallas huffed, ready to sit in silence, but a stern look from Mrs C got him talking.
“Me and Tim skipped class and stole some drinks from the cafeteria,” Dallas said simply.
“I’d only heard about the skipping; I did not know you were also stealing!” Mrs Curtis said, through gritted teeth.
“It was milk, not like we robbed the cash register,” Dallas replied.
Mrs C clenched her jaw.
“I’m afraid not only that, but they were extremely rude to members of staff, refusing to follow directions, and Dallas had already been in trouble in the morning with his classroom teacher,” Principal Burrows added.
“That’s not fair; that’s separate!” Dallas argued, kicking the desk.
“Dallas!” Mrs C burst out, “I am sorry Principal Burrows. Sit up straight and show some respect; I am absolutely appalled with you!” She scolded, leaning over to face him.
“I’m afraid it’s not separate Dallas. Your behaviour at this school so far has been terrible, and so far punishments have not made a difference, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to suspend you,” Principal Burrows announced.
Mrs C sighed and put her head in her hands. The devastation on her face was obvious; even Dallas couldn’t ignore it. He looked at her, guilt bubbling in his heart.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
The Principal looked at him, and his face softened slightly.
“We want you to succeed at this school, Dallas, but you need to change your attitude. Do you want to be constantly in detention, getting paddled, or suspended? Because if you don’t make an effort, that’s what your life is going to be, and eventually, if you don’t sort yourself out, it will end up in expulsion,” he said in a more gentle tone.
Mrs C grimaced slightly and wiped a single tear from her cheek. She turned and looked at him.
“Are you listening? You are so much better than all of that,” she said. This time there was no lecturing in her voice, just pure desperation.
Dallas looked into her sad eyes and nodded.
“You are suspended for the rest of this week. But when you come back, are we going to turn over a new leaf?” Principal Burrows inquired.
Dally hesitated and then nodded.
"Okay, good boy, on Monday morning I want you to come and see me first thing, and I’m going to give you a daily report card. Miss Harrow will record your behaviour every lesson on it, and then at the end of the day, you come and show it to me and then take it home for Mrs Curtis to see. You show us you can behave; I want a week of no incidents, no crosses, and perfect reports, you understand?” He said, looking at Dallas.
"Yes, sir,” Dally replied.
“You make an effort and make your parents proud. If you manage it, I will let you go on the field trip with 2nd graders to the stables,” Principal Burrows told him.
Dallas’ face lit up; he’d been jealous for weeks of TwoBit raving about his upcoming trip.
“If you fail it, there will be more trouble. I would recommend you don’t follow Mr. Shepard's example; if you need a role model, look no further than Darry,” he advised.
Dallas nodded.
“Okay, he’s free to go. Thank you for coming in, Mrs C. Dallas, I’ll see you on Monday,” Principal Burrows said, standing up and shaking Mrs Curtis’ hand.

Although Mrs Curtis had calmed down slightly during the chat, her fury soon returned. She signed Dallas out with the receptionist, took him by the wrist, and called for Pony to follow as she marched him to the car. Dallas tried to escape her grip as they walked through the corridors, worried people would see him, but his struggle only made her hold him tighter as she led him firmly to the car.
“In!” She instructed, opening the car door.
She walked around the other side and helped Pony in. Dallas sat down with a mixture of anger and disappointment in himself, and he was struggling to regulate either emotion.

Pony sat in the seat next to him, and Mrs C climbed into the driver's seat.
“Young man, I’ve had it up to here with your behaviour!” Ponyboy began, doing his best to sound like his dad.
“Quit it, kid!” Dallas snapped.
"Ponyboy, leave it to me and your father to talk to Dallas, please.”
“But we’re extremely disappointed in him!” Pony whined.
Dallas raised his fist, ready to thump Pony.
“Don’t you dare, mister!” Mrs Curtis yelled, turning around. “You are in enough trouble, Ponyboy; you leave your brother alone,” she told them.
All Dallas could do for the rest of the journey home was think about how much he’d let them all down. He didn’t care; he kept telling himself that, but he did. And then he remembered Johnny and how he would be sitting on his own, building the tower. He’d really messed up this time.

“Straight to your room, please; I’ll come and speak to you later,” she ordered.
For the first time in a while, Dallas did as he was told.

Mrs Curtis was angry with him, much angrier than she had been with him for a while. She felt betrayed and disappointed; he had let her down. Every time she thought he’d started to make improvements, something like this would happen. The constant battle of wills and frustrations, trying to get him to behave, was endless. She headed to the kitchen, sighing, but stepped on something. A toy plastic horse. She smiled to herself, looking off towards the bedroom, thinking about the boy she had seen just this morning playing with his horses lying on his stomach. She would never give up on him. He was too good.

Chapter Text

They had sent the rest of the boys outside to play. Mr and Mrs C sat around the table on opposite sides, with Dallas in between at the head of the table. He looked at his lap as they glared at him.
“We can sit here all night waiting,” Mr Curtis said, breaking the silence.
Dallas shifted in his seat.
“I’m sorry,” he said, finally looking up.
"Well, that’s a start,” Mrs Curtis sighed.
“Why did you do it?” Mr Curtis asked him.
“I don’t know, I didn’t want to go back to class, and the rest just sort of happened,” Dallas shrugged.
"No, Dallas, that’s not good enough,” Mrs C scolded, “You know the difference between right and wrong, and you made many choices today, all of which got you to this point,” she finished.
Dallas put his arms on the table and started fidgeting with his fingers.
“I’ve had to talk to you about something that’s happened at school pretty much every other day so far. You’ve only been there a month!” Mr Curtis exclaimed.
“We are not expecting you to be perfect, but we expect better than this. We’ve seen you be better than this, and you need to start learning from your mistakes.” Mrs Curtis told him firmly.
“I don’t want to spend all my time lecturing you and dishing out sanctions. I hate doing it. I want to be able to spend my time with you boys doing fun things, but I will have to keep laying down the law if you can’t learn to behave properly.” Mr Curtis said, raising his voice at the end.

“You heard what Principal Burrows said; next week you need to be on your absolute best behaviour. That report better be perfect; you can do it; we know you can, honey.” She told him, reaching out and squeezing his hand.
“I want you to promise us right now that you will try your very hardest next week.” Mr Curtis said, turning Dallas to face him.
“I will, I promise,” Dallas said sincerely.
“That’s my man,” he praised, ruffling Dallas’ hair. “Or there will be trouble. At school and at home,” he warned, tone turning serious.

“Now, your behaviour today was unacceptable, and you know there’s going to be consequences,” Mrs C started.
“Noooo,” Dallas half growled half whined, putting his head in his hands.
Mr C tried to disguise a smile and remain firm; it was rare that Dally acted more like the rest of the boys, but glimpses at the more childish side always made him smile.
"Yes, young man!” Mrs C said, pulling his hands away from his face.
“While you’re suspended, you will be grounded with no dessert, no TV, and going to bed at the same time as Ponyboy.” She told him, holding his arms so she could look him straight in the face.
“I ain’t going to bed at 7!” Dallas burst out, frowning.
“You will, buddy, and you’re going to be on your best behaviour all week too,” Mr C told him, his voice was soft but severe, “I’ll check with Mrs C everyday when I get home, and if you’ve been playing up, there’ll be trouble.” He warned.
“You’re going to spend your time catching up on homework or helping me with chores.” Mrs Curtis added.
“I don’t get to play all week?” Dallas asked, this time unable to disguise the whine.
“If you’re good in the daytime, when the boys get home from school, you can play with them in the backyard, but you will not be going any further afield.” Mrs C replied.
Dallas crossed his arms and sat with a pout that could rival Ponyboy’s on his face.
"Right, I want you in your room for the rest of the day. I’ll bring you some dinner later and come and say goodnight at 7." She told him, lifting him onto the floor.
Dallas stood looking at them both, scowling.
“I can count to three if you want,” Mr Curtis said, raising his eyebrows.
Dallas huffed but turned towards the bedroom, he hovered, still not quite willing to move.
Mrs C smiled and leant down and kissed the top of his head. “Off you go, please,” she said, giving him a few gentle pats to get him moving in the right direction.

Begrudgingly he made his way to his bedroom, purposely slow, of course! Mr and Mrs C looked at each other.
“Well we won that battle, but we’ve got a hell of a fight on our hands next week. Come on, Dally kid,” Mr Curtis sighed.
“He can do it; I know he can!” Mrs Curtis assured him, smiling as she twirled the plastic toy horse in her hand.

Chapter Text

Mrs Curtis hurried to the car. Pony and Dally had to jog to keep up. The school had called, and for once, it wasn’t because someone was in trouble; Darry had been hurt. She drove as quickly as she could.
“Is Darry going to die?” Pony cried from the backseat.
"No, honey, he’s just had a bump on the head, but we’ll need to look after him for a few days,” she explained.

They headed straight to the nurse's office.
"Hey, honey, how are you doing?” Mrs Curtis asked, seeing Darry lying down on the bed inside.
He had an ice pack on his forehead and still looked a little dazed. Pony climbed up and crouched at the end of the bed, his little face full of concern.
“I’m okay,” Darry said tiredly.
She stroked his hair, and the nurse came back in.
“Mrs Curtis?“ she asked.
“And Mr Curtis,” Pony chimed in.
The nurse smiled at him.
“And Mr Winston, I thought it was your week off?” She said looking at Dallas.
"Yes, ma'am,” he replied.
"Well, you can spend it looking after your brother with the help of young Mr Curtis too,” the nurse said, motioning to Ponyboy. “Darry got a mild concussion in football. He doesn’t need to go to the hospital, but he will need to take it easy for a few days. If you could make sure he rests and takes Tylenol every 6 hours, he should be just fine,” the nurse explained.
“Thank you, ma'am. We can do that. It’s about time he got a bit of pampering. We’ll take good care of him,” Mrs Curtis assured her.

They helped Darry stand up. He was a bit unsteady, so he had to put one arm over Mrs Curtis shoulder. Ponyboy walked in front of them, going backwards and holding his hands out, ready to catch Darry if he was to fall. They made their way down the corridor when a familiar face appeared. He darted out of sight as soon as he saw them.
“Keith Matthews! What are you doing?” She called.
He emerged from the doorway, carrying a piece of paper.
“What’s wrong with him?” TwoBit asked, pointing at Darry, who was slumped between Dally and Mrs C.
“Darry got a comushroom,” Pony told him.
“Let me see,” Mrs Curtis demanded, motioning him over with her eyes on the note.
“You can’t get mad about something you wouldn’t even have known about,” he huffed, handing over the note.
“Keith decided to flick paint at his classmates. He cannot be trusted to be sensible in art class, so I am sending him to sit in your office until recess,” Mrs Curtis read, raising her eyebrows.
Darry gave a moan in pain.
"Right, we need to go. You,” she said, turning to TwoBit. “Behave yourself!” She said firmly, as they hurried to the car.

They drove home and manoeuvred Darry to sit on the couch. Ponyboy offered himself as a footrest.
"Honey, how about you get your brother some ice for his head?” Mrs C suggested, smiling at the three-year-old crouched on the floor.
She sat down next to him. Dallas returned from the bedroom with some blankets. He went to throw them over Darry but changed his mind and gave them to Mrs C.
“Thank you, sweetie. Do you need anything else, baby?” She asked Darry as she wrapped him in a cocoon of blankets.
“How about a hot chocolate?” Darry replied.
"Hmmm,” Mrs C smiled.
“For medicinal purposes,” Darry added hurriedly, grinning faintly.
“Of course, sweetie,” Mrs Curtis said, kissing his forehead.
“Can I have one too?” Dallas asked, hopefully from where he was perched on the back of the couch.
“You were busy doing homework before we left, so I suggest you continue on that,” Mrs Curtis told him.
“Can I have a hot chocolate, though, for educational purposes?” He said with a smirk.
“If you give your brother a hug and go sit at the table and do some homework, I’ll bring you one to have while you work.” She bargained with him.
Dally climbed onto the floor, hesitated, and looked at Darry, but then leaned in for a hug. Darry smiled; this really was a treat. Either Dally really wanted hot chocolate or he was secretly worried about him. He didn’t care, so he embraced his brother tightly. Pony returned with the ice pack, and seeing his brothers hugging, he ran over and bundled in on the action. They all laughed and held each other for a moment. Then Ponyboy took the ice pack and held it on Darry’s bump.
"Thanks, kiddo, hey, you want to sit and keep me company?” Darry suggested.
“Yeah!” Ponyboy said, clambering to sit next to Darry.
Darry put the TV on.
"Yeah, I’ll stay too,” Dallas said, glancing at Mrs C and sitting down with them.
"No, you don’t; no TV while you’re suspended. Homework!” She ordered, pointing at the dining room table.

Mrs C sat with Pony and Darry on the couch as they had their hot chocolates. She had called Mr C and informed him he would need to finish work early and pick up the rest of the boys. Darry had some Tylenol and snuggled against his mom, gradually falling asleep against her.
Pony brought her over a drink without her asking; she appreciated it as she was trapped under her sleeping eldest.
"Aww, thank you, sweetie. Can you be a really big boy and go and get Darry some slippers to keep him warm?” she whispered, noticing Darry’s bare feet.
He nodded excitedly, scurrying off and returning with them, carefully putting them on Darry, desperate not to wake him.
“Well done, sweetie!” She whispered, giving him a thumbs up, and he came and snuggled into her other side.
Dallas walked over and balanced a folded piece of paper on the coffee table. It had “Git Well son Darry” scrawled on the front with crayons and a picture of a football underneath.
Mrs. Curtis beamed at him.
“I thought he might like it,” Dally shrugged, a concerned glance in Darry’s direction.
“I’m sure he will love it, honey,” she said quietly.

Soon Ponyboy’s head became heavy against her shoulder, and she knew he too had fallen asleep. It was ever-so-peaceful. She had let Dally have a few hours off from homework, and he had brought her over a muffin from the kitchen before he headed off to play. Pony woke up after a while, and she knew she would have to wake Darry soon for some more medicine, but he seemed so peaceful that it was a shame to disturb him. As a treat and as she couldn’t move, she let Pony and Dally help themselves to the cookies she had made that morning. With the strict instructions, they also had to have some fruit.

"Dally, can you sit and do the rest of your math now, and then you’re all done for today?” Mrs Curtis called.
Dallas headed back to the table while Ponyboy played quietly with his trains on the floor.
Mrs C turned and looked at Darry. She really didn’t want to wake him; maybe she should just leave him a bit longer.

The dilemma was solved as, at that moment, the door burst open, a stampede of boys crashed in, and Darry sat upright.
“Boys!” She scolded, turning around and fussing over Darry.
“I’m okay, Mom,” he said as she layered the blankets back over him.
“Is Darry a ghost now?” Soda asked, rushing straight over to look at his brother.
“What honey?” Mrs C stuttered, baffled by the 5-year-old.
“Mason said he died and came back to life, so he must be a ghost now,” Steve said, coming to join Soda.
They both stood, looking suspiciously at Darry.
“No boys, Darry is not a ghost; he just got knocked out and bumped his head. He’s poorly, and we need to look after him.” Mrs Curtis explained.
Soda reached out his finger and prodded Darry in the side.
"Sodapop, your brother is not a ghost!” She exclaimed.
“I’m not Pepsi Cola, I promise,” Darry told him.
Soda seemed reassured by his brothers use of his nickname.
“It would be so cool if you were; we could push you through walls and things!” TwoBit said excitedly.
"Yeah, and punch right through his body!” Steve joining in, eyes lighting up with ideas.
They continued their animated discussion about the pros of Darry being a ghost, much to Mrs. Curtis’ bafflement. It was a unique stance on their brother’s condition.

Mr Curtis came in the front door, carrying Johnny, who was holding something in his hands.
"How are you doing sport?” He asked, placing Johnny down.
"Okay, Dad,” Darry replied, sitting up.
"Sorry, we’re late. Johnny and I had to nip down the road to the shop and get something quick. Go on, buddy, you give it to him,” Mr. Curtis said encouragingly to Johnny.
Johnny shuffled over and held out the gift to Darry.
“I thought they might make you feel better,” Johnny told Darry.
"Aww, thank you, buddy,” Darry said as he took the packet of baseball cards. “Come here!“ he said, wrapping Johnny up in a tight hug.
Mr. Curtis smiled, putting his jacket on the back of one of the dining room chairs. He looked at Dally, who was finishing his homework.
“Good job, kiddo,” he winked at him when Dally looked up.
“That reminds me, you have another gift on the table,” Mrs C said.
TwoBit passed it to him. Darry looked at it and gave the biggest grin he had all day.
"Thanks, Dally, I love it,” Darry beamed at him.
Dally nodded back. Mr C grinned and ruffled Dallas’ hair before heading over to the rest of the family.
“You’ll be getting injured more often now that there’s all these presents involved,” Mr C joked.
Mrs Curtis saw the look Soda and Steve gave each other.
“No! You do not try to get injured, so you get presents!” She told them firmly.

Pony and Johnny sat with Darry on the couch; they had decided to take charge of his care. The others played on the floor with cars and trains. Dallas had finished his homework for the day and joined in the fun.
"Well, we better get started on some food for everyone!” Mr C announced, clapping his hands and heading to the kitchen.
Mrs C gave Darry another dose of medicine.
“Right boys, no roughhousing; just play calmly and keep an eye on Darry for me,” she told them, heading to the kitchen.

They set to work making dinner—meatloaf—Darry’s favourite. As they bustled around the kitchen, they heard a thud, and they both looked up.
“Darry fell!” Soda said, running into the kitchen, looking petrified.
They rushed in, and saw Darry on the floor with the boys huddled over him.
"Oh, sweetie,” Mrs C fussed as they helped him to his feet.
“I need the bathroom, but I got dizzy.” Darry said woozily.
“It’s okay, little buddy; I’ll help you,” Darrel said, helping Darry to the bathroom.
“He’s never going to walk again!” Pony exclaimed dramatically, running over to Mrs C.
"Pony, he literally just walked out of the room,” Dallas told the three year old.
Mrs Curtis sat on the couch and lifted Pony into her lap.
“I think you may have been watching too much TV, mister!” She said smiling and reaching for Johnny, who looked very worried, pulling him to lean against her side.

They settled Darry back down on the couch, next to Johnny, who held one of Darry’s hands and one of Mrs C’s. The boys had been fed, and they were starting to get restless, tired of having to be calm.
"Boys, no rough stuff,” Mrs C warned as Soda, Steve, and TwoBit started jumping from couch to couch.
They stopped jumping, but after only a few minutes of sitting still, they started play fighting and falling all over the couch. Soda was wrestling with TwoBit, and they stumbled and came crashing down on Darry.
“Boys!” She shouted.
“Owwww!” Darry howled; his face was screwed tight in pain.

The boys stood horrified as something terrifying happened; tears started to fall from Darry’s eyes.
"Oh, sweetie,” Mrs. Curtis said, wrapping him in her arms as he started to cry.
The boys gaped at the scene; their strong leader didn’t cry. Well, he did sometimes, but never in front of them. If he got hurt, he always licked his wounds in private, or Mr Curtis would usher them away to give him some space. But no, right now, Darry was properly crying. Sodapop and Johnny looked like they might burst into tears too.

Mr Curtis came in, hearing all the commotion.
"Hey, what’s happened?” He asked.
“Darry’s head got hit,” Pony said, tears brimming.
“It hit right on the bump,” Darry wailed.
“Hey buddy, it’s okay?” Mr Curtis said, lifting him up.
The boys stood even more in shock. There was Darry, crying into Mr Curtis’ shoulder like a little kid. The realisation that even Superman had cryptonite was dawning on all of them.
Mr Curtis carried Darry away, rubbing his back soothingly.
"Hey, I got an idea,” TwoBit announced once they left the room.

Mr Curtis sat on the porch with Darry in his lap, rubbing circles on his back, trying to calm him down.
“It’s okay, buddy,” he said, stroking his hair.
Eventually, the tears stopped.
“Are you ready to go back inside?” Mr Curtis asked.
Darry nodded. Mr Curtis expected him to stand up. But when he didn't, he smiled and hoisted Darry back onto his shoulder.

“Darry! Darry!” Six excited voices bombarded them as they entered.
“Woah, a little room, please,” Mr Curtis said.
"Darry, look what we made you!” Ponyboy called, beckoning him over to the couch.
Mr Curtis carried him over and laid him on the couch.
On the coffee table, there was a big homemade sign saying “Get Well Soon, Darry!” with an array of candies, toy cars, books, stickers, and anything else the boys could think of to make Darry better, all piled up around it.
“Thanks guys,” Darry said, wiping his eyes.
“Don’t cry again, Darry,” Ponyboy said, concerned.
"No, don’t worry, Pony. These are happy tears,” Darry grinned.

Chapter Text

Friday has finally arrived. It had been a long week in the Curtis household with Darry’s concussion and Dally’s suspension. Although Darry had recovered quickly and was ready to go back to school, and to be fair to him, Dally had been doing his best to behave.

“Is Dally coming back to school today?” Johnny mumbled, tugging on Mrs. Curtis’ skirt.
"Oh, no, honey. He’ll be back with you on Monday,” She told him, buttoning up his jacket.
Johnny's face dropped.
"Hey,” Mrs Curtis said, tilting up his chin and looking into his sad eyes, “Only one more day. And next week I need you to be my special helper to make sure he’s really good so he passes his daily report. Do you think you can do that for me?” She asked, crouching down.
Johnny nodded.
“That’s my sweet boy. I just need you to be really brave for one more day,” she said, squeezing him tight, hoping to stop the shaking; it eased slightly.
“I can do it,” Johnny told her.
“I know you can, honey!” She reassured him.

He made it through the first couple of hours. It had actually gone very well. Soda and Steve had been extra caring towards him in Dally’s absence, and he had kept calm enough and managed to earn a sticker. The shaking had subsided and he was riding high when he went out in the playground for recess; the end of the long and lonely week was in his sights.

Johnny was feeling so calm that he didn’t even ask one of the other boys to accompany him to the bathroom. He wished he had. As he was washing his hands, two older boys came in. They looked at him, and Johnny immediately felt his heart begin to race.
"Hey, look, it’s Winston’s pet street rat!” One jeered.
“He sure does look lost without his owner,” the other laughed cruelly.
Johnny headed to the door as quick as he could, but they followed close behind.
“Where do you think you’re going, street rat?” One said this as he pinned Johnny against the corridor wall.
Johnny felt tears brimming in his eyes. There was nothing he could do; he was on his own.

The boys threw him to the ground and began to kick and punch him from all angles. He just lay there and cried, overpowered and unable to fight back. Johnny started to think that the assault was never going to end; they were showing no signs of stopping, but then something shoved one of the boys.
“Get off him!” A voice shrieked.
“What’s it to you?” The boy argued.
“Leave him alone; he hasn’t done anything!” the voice shouted firmly.
“It’s none of your business; keep out of it!” The boys said, landing another punch in Johnny’s ribs.
But he was shoved back to join his companion.
“I’m making it my business! Now go!” the voice said fearlessly.
Johnny didn’t know who this voice belonged to, but it meant business, and if he were the boys, he would do what they said.

And they did. He heard footsteps retreating away, and the owner of the voice crouched down beside him.
“Are you okay?” She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
He turned to look at her.
“I’m Angela; you’re one of Darry’s little brothers, right?” She said with a warm smile and kind eyes.
Johnny nodded.
“Come on, I'll take you back to Darry. It’s okay, they’re gone and they won’t come back; I scared them away.” She said she was giggling at the last bit as she helped Johnny to his feet.

Angela escorted him slowly across the playground and called out for Darry when they got within earshot.
“Jesus! Johnny, what happened?” Darry said, running over and looking at Johnny.
“Some boys jumped him in the bathroom,” Angela replied.
Johnny couldn’t speak; he just cried into Darry’s arms, and the gang huddled around.
"Thanks, Ang,” Darry said, and the rest of the gang said a vague thank you in her direction.
“No problem; I’ll get my brother to have words with them when he comes back. They won’t try it again,” she told them before she headed off into the playground.

“I better take him to the nurse; he’s pretty hurt,” Darry said.
They helped Darry lift Johnny onto his back, and then they all headed inside.
“I’m going to kill those kids!” Steve growled.
“Me too!” TwoBit agreed.
"No, you’re not; we don’t need anyone else getting hurt. Let Tim deal with them,” Darry told them.
“But Darry, look at what they did to Johnny!” Soda protested.
"Yes, I know, but we need to focus on looking after Johnny. If you go after those boys, you’re just going to get hurt and in trouble. Johnny doesn’t want that, do you, kid?” Darry said.
"No, let Tim handle it,” Johnny murmured.
At Johnny's insistence, they let the matter go and instead put their focus on looking after Johnny.

Mr C had the day off; he was at home with Pony, Dallas, and Mrs C, in the kitchen doing the breakfast dishes. He watched out the window as Dallas helped Mrs Curtis with some gardening and Ponyboy was hurrying about trying to get ants to go to the theme park he had built for them out of leaves. He smiled as Pony was pitching his creation to a group of ants on the porch. Then the phone rang. He walked over to it, laughing as Pony shouted, "No, don’t go to the orange peel; come to my theme park; it’s a once in a lifetime experience!”

“Hello?” Mr Curtis laughed while answering the phone.
“Mr Curtis? Hello, it’s Jenny from Willows Elementary,” the voice on the other end replied
“Oh Christ, who’s done what now?” He sighed.
"No, don’t worry, it’s Johnny. I’m afraid he seems to have been hurt by some older boys. He’s not injured, but he’s very shaken up. Are you able to come and collect him?” Jenny explained.
“Oh God, tell him I’ll be right there!” Mr Curtis said, putting down the phone and grabbing straight for the car keys.
He looked outside; he didn’t want to disturb the peaceful scene, so he just called, “I’m just nipping out for 10 minutes,” and headed out the door.

Mr Curtis got to the school as fast as he could.
“Hey buddy,” he said, running over to Johnny, who was sitting in the office with Jenny.
He had a bruise forming on his face but other than that not physically harmed. It was a lot better than the images that had been racing through Mr C’s mind on the drive-over.
Johnny jumped up and ran straight into his arms.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. I got you,” Mr C whispered, picking up the boy and rubbing his back, as his shoulder shook.

They sat in the car in the parking lot, Mr C consoling Johnny the best he could. Johnny was okay and no longer crying but he wanted to make sure he gave the bog as much comfort as he could after the ordeal. So he sat with him on his lap for a bit longer before they drove home.

He opened the front door, and Pony ran over happily, but his expression changed when he saw Johnny.
“Johnny?” Ponyboy asked, unsure.
“He’s okay, buddy; he’s just a bit scared. Do you think you could sit with him in your room and tell him one of your stories?” Mr Curtis suggested.
Pony nodded, heading off to the bedroom.
“Would you like that, honey?” He asked Johnny.
Johnny nodded.
Mr. Curtis carried him to the bedroom and laid him down next to Ponyboy.
“Just holler if you need anything. We won’t be far away,” Mr C said, kissing Johnny on the top of the head, “You tell him a nice story to cheer him up,” he added, tickling Pony on the stomach.

He left the boys and headed to the backyard.
“I just had to pick Johnny up,” he announced.
“Is he okay?” Mrs Curtis said, looking up alarmed.
“He got pushed around a bit at school and is a bit shaken up, but he’s doing okay,” Mr. Curtis informed them, watching and preparing to manage Dally’s reaction.
Dallas’ eyes darkened, and he threw a gardening tool at the fence.
“No!” Mrs Curtis yelled, scrambling to take the rest of the tools away from him.
Dally opted for kicking the grass instead.
“Is he hurt?” Mrs C asked, concerned for Johnny but still keeping an eye on Dally as he paced around the lawn, fists clenching and unclenching.
“He’s got a few bruises, but nothing major. He’ll be fine,” Mr Curtis said, walking over to Dally.
"He's going to be okay, kiddo,” Mr. Curtis said, putting a hand on Dally’s shoulder, but it was pushed away and Dally ran off into the house.
“Dallas!” Mrs C called after him.
“I’ll go and check he doesn’t smash anything,” Mr Curtis said, heading back towards the house.
“Is Johnny really okay?” Mrs Curtis called after him, her voice shaking slightly.
Mr C turned back and saw his wife’s eyes filled with tears.
“Bless his heart; he would have been so scared!” She cried, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief.
Mr Curtis went back over and embraced his wife.
“It’s okay. He’ll be okay. He’s a lot stronger than we give him credit for,” he said soothingly.

A little while later, they headed in but the house was quiet.
"Well, it doesn’t look like Dallas smashed the place up,” Mr Curtis observed.
They opened the door to Pony and Johnny’s room.
"Aww, my sweet boys,” Mrs Curtis gasped, tears brimming again.
They stood in the doorway, looking at Pony, Johnny, and Dallas snuggled all together, fast asleep. Johnny safely tucked in the middle of two of his protectors, dreaming peacefully.

Chapter Text

Monday

The boys all got out of the car. Mrs Curtis had decided to drive them in today. She did her best to say goodbye to them, but most of them ran off, leaving only Dallas and Johnny. Johnny gave her a hug and headed in. Dally went to follow him when Mrs C pulled him back. She looked at him and opened her mouth, but he cut her off before she could begin.
“I will,” he reassured her, looking straight into her eyes.
“You can do it,” she whispered, pulling him in for a hug.
He scrambled out of it, looking around to see if anyone had seen and headed inside.

Principal Burrows sat next to Dally at the meeting table in his office.
In front of them was the daily report card.
“You see, there’s five rows, one for each lesson. Miss Harrow will give you a tick or a cross, one for behaviour and one for effort, depending on whether you were good or bad. And this end section here is where she will have to record if you get into trouble. If in a lesson you get your name on the board, you’ll get a cross in that first column; if she has to put a cross next to your name, you’ll get a cross in the second column; another cross will mean the third column; and so on, you understand?” He explained.
"Yes, sir,” Dallas replied.
“I want that section to be completely blank, you hear? No crosses at all!” He warned, sternly.
Dallas nodded.
“That’s your challenge; you manage it, and I’ll let you go on the trip to the stables, deal?” Principal Burrows proposed, holding out his hand.
“Deal,” Dally said, shaking it, mildly nervous considering he hadn’t managed one day at this school so far without his name going on the board.

He opened the classroom door. The rest of the class had begun the first lesson on the carpet.
“Good morning, Dallas; come join us. Johnny made sure to save you a space,” Miss Harrow said, beckoning him over.
He walked over, sitting down next to Johnny.
“Have you got something for me?” she asked him.
He took the report card out of his pocket and held it out to her.
“Thank you,” she said, placing it on her desk before returning to her chair in front of them.

His first lesson on report went well. Sitting next to Johnny on the carpet, it was easy just to listen to Miss Harrow; he even answered a question or two here and there. Earning him a row of ticks. He was desperate to keep this streak going, picturing the utter joy on Mrs C’s face if he handed her a perfect report.

Next was math, and Miss Harrow talked them through some basic addition before passing out a worksheet for them to spend the rest of the lesson on.
“Steve, go to the corner!” Miss Harrow ordered as a paper plane went flying only seconds after the worksheets had been handed out.
"No, I’ll pick it up,” Steve whined.
"Yes, you will, after you’ve spent 5 minutes sitting in the corner.” She said, glaring at him, and then her attention turned to Soda, "Sodapop, do you not hear Steve getting in trouble for making a plane?” She asked, glaring as Soda fashioned his own paper aircraft.
“This ain’t a plane; it’s a rocket!” Soda said, concentrating on his masterpiece.
"Well, I would like it to be a worksheet.” Miss Harrow said, confiscating and unfolding it.
“No!” Soda whined.
“Get working. Look at Dallas and Johnny; what a good example they’re setting,” she said, pointing to them with their heads down and working.
Soda stuck his tongue out at Dallas, who smirked back.

By recess, Dally had two rows of ticks and a sticker on his t-shirt.
"Yeah, look, it was a special gold one,” Dally said proudly, showing Darry in the playground.
“Awesome! 2 down, 3 to go. I’m proud of you, buddy,” Darry told him, giving Dallas a one armed hug.
"Yeah, Dally, you need to keep it up so you can come cause trouble on the trip with me,” TwoBit interjected.
“I think that slightly defeats the object, TwoBit,” Darry sighed.

The last class before lunch was art. They were making paper mache pumpkins to decorate the classroom for Halloween. Johnny and Dallas had teamed up; Johnny kept giggling, holding up his glue-covered and newspaper-covered hands, and Dallas would laugh as he helped him get the stuff off.

Half way through the lesson, the door opened and Principal Burrows arrived.
"Hello, I just thought I’d see how things were going,” he told Miss Harrow, looking at Dally.
“He’s been brilliant; no issues at all,” she replied, smiling.
The principal beamed.
“That’s what I wanted to hear. Can you send him to me at the end of the day?” He asked.
“Of course,” Miss Harrow replied. "Dallas, do you want to show the principal your pumpkin?” She called as the two of them walked over to their table.
They could not help but smile with both joy and a little shock as Dallas enthusiastically described what he and Johnny were doing.
“It’s moments like that you remember why we do this job,” Principal Burrows said to Miss Harrow at the door.
They both glanced back at Dallas, who was enthralled in painting, his tongue poking out in concentration.

Dally arrived in the lunch room, supporting another sticker for his hard work in art. Darry was slightly stunned at the change in the boy but delighted all the same. TwoBit was convinced he must have stolen it.

Angela was hovering around their table. She was motioning something to Darry, and eventually he got the hint.
"Johnny, do you want to hit the bathroom with me?” Darry asked.
The two boys got up and headed towards the bathroom. Angela was in the corridor, waiting.
“I didn’t want to say anything in front of Dally, but Tim has dealt with those boys, Johnny. They won’t be bothering you again,” Angela explained.
"Thanks, Ang. He didn’t hurt them too bad did he?” Johnny asked.
“You’re just too plain nice, aren’t you? No, he mainly just scared them. But you know how scary Tim can be; that will be enough.” Angela grinned. She leaned in and gave them both a hug before heading back into the lunch hall.

“Keep going, Dallas!” Miss Harrow encouraged as she saw Dally huff and put his pencil down.
It was the last lesson before free play, and he had four rows of ticks on his report card. But the final lesson was writing practice—Dally’s least favourite lesson. Only 15 minutes in, and the special effort he was making was tiring by the second.
“How much longer?” He asked, frustration creeping in.
“Half an hour,” Miss Harrow replied.
Dallas groaned, pushing his worksheet away.
“Come on, don’t spoil it now! Are you stuck?” She asked, coming over and crouching down next to him.
“I can only remember four vowels,” he moaned, leaning back away from the worksheet.
“Ah, I see. Well, I’ll give you a clue—it’s in Johnny's name,” Miss Harrow hinted, pointing at Johnny next to him.
Dallas thought for a second. Miss Harrow turned over his worksheet and wrote Johnny's name.
“Which letter is a vowel?” She asked him.
He looked, and then a grin spread across his face. He turned the paper back over and wrote ‘O’.
“There you go! Good job!” she exclaimed, standing up. “Keep going for the last 20 minutes, and then you’ve had a perfect day,” she told him.

Mrs Curtis stood in the playground, slightly more nervous than usual.
The other boys arrived, and she knew Dally would be slightly late because he had to go and show his report to the principal.
“How was he at lunch?” Mrs C asked Darry.
Darry shook his head, and Mrs C sighed, her heart sinking.
“I’ve never seen so many crosses on a piece of paper,” TwoBit added.
“Oh god,” she muttered.
She was worried this would happen.

It was just them in the playground now, waiting.
A door burst open, and Dally appeared, with Principal Burrows behind him.
As soon as he saw her, Dally sprinted across the playground. Report clutched tight in his hand. Well, this was new.
“Look!” He said, thrusting it in her hand, practically bouncing.
She knew he wasn’t exactly shy about his bad behaviour, but this was a new level.

Mrs C took the report, bracing herself. She was not prepared for what she saw. 5 rows of ticks and not a single cross in the behaviour section. There was even a sticker from the principal at the bottom with “Outstanding! Keep it up," scrawled next to it.
She looked down from the paper at the boys, all grinning, and then at Dally’s excited face. He was grinning from ear to ear and practically beaming. She thought she might burst from pride as she scooped him up.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so proud of you!” She exclaimed, spinning him in a tight hug.
“He has done extremely well,” Principal Burrows said, joining them.
She put Dally down.
“He really has,” she said, stroking his hair as he stood beside her, still gleaming.
“I want 4 more days like today, right, son?” Mr Burrows asked.
“Yes sir,” Dally promised.

As a special treat, they stopped for ice cream on the way home. Mrs C was too happy to be bothered by the hyperactive boys, which this resulted in. They’d earned it. She got all seven sticky boys wiped up and they all ran off, bouncing off the walls as they played.
"Dallas, come here,” she called.
He appeared in the kitchen, Johnny with him.
“Do you want to help me put this amazing report on the refrigerator?” She asked.
Dallas has never had anything pinned to the fridge before. He paused in slight disbelief before smiling and running over to her. She lifted him up, and he stuck it pride of place amongst the rest of his brothers artwork and achievements. Mrs C gave him yet another hug before putting him back on his feet. Dallas scrambled away, wiping the kisses off his face.
“And I want a big hug from my special helper. You did such a good job keeping him out of trouble,” she praised Johnny, embracing him.
"Okay, no more hugs!” Dally moaned.
"Okay, okay, go play!” She laughed as the boys hurried off.

Mr. Curtis had barely opened the door before Dallas was dragging him to the refrigerator.
“Hang on, have they given us the wrong report back?” Mr C joked.
“No!” Dallas laughed.
"Did you dress Darry up and send him into your classroom?” Mr C said continuing the theatrics.
“No!” Dallas exclaimed, grinning.
“You mean you got all these ticks?” He said, pretending to gasp.
Dallas nodded proudly.
“Wait there, I’ll just go and look for some pigs flying,” Mr Curtis said, heading to the window.
The boys all giggled.
“Just kidding! I knew you could do it. Come here, rascal,” he said, crouching on the floor and reaching for Dallas.
He grabbed him and tickled him to the floor, and the house was filled with the sounds of Dallas’ joyous laughter.

Tuesday

“Which one do you want?” Mr Curtis asked Dallas, taking down and opening the special stash of reward treats.
Dallas picked one.
“Can Johnny get one too? He was my being good assistant.” Dallas informed him.
“I suppose so. Come here, kiddo,” Mr. Curtis said, lifting Johnny up to have a look.
Johnny scanned it and picked his own treat.
“You boys go and enjoy them. You’ve earned it. Dallas, you’re nearly half way there now, so you keep it up,” Mr C said, taking the new report and clipping it to the fridge.
Once again, there were no crosses. Mrs C was at a friend’s but he had called her to let her know.

By the time she got home in the evening, the house was quiet. She crept in and saw Dallas on the couch, fast asleep in Mr C’s lap. Being good must be very tiring work.

Chapter Text

Wednesday

The morning had gone well. He showed Darry his glowing report at recess, slightly shy but proud.
“Nice one, buddy,” Darry beamed.

After recess, it was time for the gym with Mr Haines. Once they were changed, the class headed into the gymnasium, but there seemed to already be a class in there.
“In you come Miss Harrow’s class!” Mr Haines called, “Ms Auden is sick today, so her class with be joining us,” he explained.
Johnny nudged Steve.
“What’s the matter?” Steve asked him.
“Look!” Johnny hissed, pointing.
Steve followed his finger all the way to Tim Shepard.
“Oh no,” Steve muttered, watching as Dally walked over and sat down next to Tim, they grinned at each other, a grin the other boys knew meant trouble.

"Okay, we’re going to do little activity circuits around the gym today as there’s so many of you,” Mr Haines began, but there was voices talking over him, he scanned the crowd of kids.
His gaze landed on Tim and Dally, paying no attention instead laughing and deep in conversation. Mr Haines frowned.
“Boys!” He called out.
“Dally!” Johnny hissed, nudging his friend, an alarmed look on his face.
Dallas looked up, Tim didn’t but he stopped talking.
“Pay attention,” Mr Haines warned, holding a stern gaze with Dally for a moment.
He then continued his activities explanation.

Dally turned back to Tim and the boys began talking and snickering again.
“Dally don’t!” Johnny whispered, a pleading in his tone.
There were footsteps behind them but before they could turn to see who had entered Mr Haines’ gaze had once again fallen on Dally and Tim.
“Sorry I’m going to have to stop again and wait for the same people to stop talking!” He announced, raising his voice slightly, “Winston, Shepard! Stop talking!” He added, when they continued to ignore him, raising his voice enough to catch their attention and silence their conversations.
Tim rolled his eyes but gave Dally a nod and leaned back on his hands finally looking up at Mr Haines. Dally then echoed Tim’s actions.
“Thank you,” Mr Haines sighed, “How can I help you Miss Harrow?” He asked the owner of the footsteps they had heard moments ago.
Dallas sat up straight immediately, turning his head to see her looming behind him, not looking very happy.
“I came to deliver Dallas’ report card,” she explained to Mr Haines, “Does not look like he has made a very good start,” she added, glaring at Dallas.
He looked over at Tim who winked, so Dallas just smirked and shrugged, once again leaning back on his hands.
Miss Harrow did not look pleased with this gesture.
“May I borrow him a moment?” She asked Mr Haines.
“Certainly,” He replied.
She motioned for him with her finger, Dally huffed but did follow her out into the corridor.

“Are you really going to spoil all your hard work just because of Tim Shepard?” Miss Harrow interrogated him as he leant against the wall.
“I didn’t do anything, I was just talking,” He told her, scowling.
“When you should have been listening! Take that look of your face,” she ordered him, he tutted in response, “You have done such a brilliant job this week, don’t let me down now,” She said leaning down, her tone softening slightly.
“Okay!” He whined, stamping his foot slightly.
“When I come back at the end your name better not be on that board, you hear me?” She warned.
“Fine, whatever,” Dallas huffed, turning to go back in the gym.
“Nope not yet,” She told him, “You sit her a moment and calm down before you go back in,” She instructed, pointing to the bench against the wall.
Dallas let out out a growl of frustration.
“Or we can just go and phone Mrs. Curtis?” Miss Harrow proposed, raising her eyebrows.
“No! I’ll be good,” Dallas said quickly, sitting down on the bench.

A few minutes later he made his way over to Mr Haines.
“You go and join your buddies on station 3,” Mr Haines said, taking the report card from Dallas.
Johnny, Dally, Steve and Soda had fun together going round the different activities but 5 minutes in Tim strolled over.
“My group’s a bunch of nerds, I’ll roll with you guys,” he said cooly.
Johnny tried to throw Tim the ball they were meant to be tossing between themselves but Tim let it fall on the floor.
“Nah let’s do a better game,” he said, making his way over to the cart of basketballs, the class had been specifically told not to touch.
“Tim-“ Soda began, but a basketball flew over his head to Dally.
Dally grabbed the ball grinning and he and Tim ran around dribbling and passing it between them.

Mr Haines marched over.
“What did I say about leaving the basketballs alone!” He shouted, “Dallas! Tim!” He barked.
Dally stopped and stood still but Tim decided to take the ball and dribbling in and around Mr Haines, who did his best to steal the ball. He finally managed it and returned the ball to the cart.
“Back to the activities you’re meant to be doing,” Mr Haines told them, heading back over to the whiteboard - thankfully he didn’t write any names on it.

Soon after, he gathered the kids back on the floor around the whiteboard to explain the new activities he’d set up. Since Tim still wasn’t interested in anything Mr Haines had to say, once again he turned to Dally and started talking. And Dally, despite Miss Harrow’s warning, once again engaged in the conversation.
“Boys why are you yet again talking over me!” Mr Haines demanded.
“Why yet again are you teaching over our conversation,” Tim retorted, smirking.
Mr Haines brow furrowed and he picked up the whiteboard pen, writing Tim’s name.
Dally held his breath as the pen hovered under Tim’s name.
“Dallas do I need to write yours too?” He asked.
“No,” Dallas said with pleading eyes.
“I want you to come and sit down here,” Mr Haines instructed, pointing at a space down the front.
Dallas tutted, it was more a reflex than anything else, as he got to his feet.
“Or I can put your name on the board,” Mr Haines warned, picking the pen back up.
"No, I’m sorry,” Dallas said hurriedly, clambering over the other kids to sit down at the front, right by Mr Haines.

Dallas sat quietly for the rest of the explanation but Mr Haines asked him to stay when he sent the rest of the kids back off. He sat down in the chair in front of Dallas.
“If I were filling out your report right now, you would be getting all crosses,” he told him.
Dallas felt his heart drop and his pulse skyrocket.
“No, please!” He begged.
Mr Haines silenced him, holding out his watch.
“You have 20 minutes to turn it around; if you want ticks, you better be absolutely perfect!” He went on, “You are on your last chance, anymore and your name will be on that board, and that’s a cross you won’t be able to earn off.” He explained.
Dallas nodded and his thoughts refocusing.
"Right, I want you in that group away from Tim,” Mr Haines directed, pointing at a different group of kids.
Dallas headed over to them, and Tim began to wander towards him.
“Shepard, leave him alone!” Mr Haines ordered.
“You leave me alone!” Tim spat back.
Dally looked away from the argument that ensued, focusing on his own goal.

“How did we do?” Miss Harrow asked, walking over to where Dally and Mr Haines were waiting.
“By the skin of his teeth, he’s managed two ticks and no crosses,” Mr Haines told her.
Miss Harrow raised her eyebrows
"Well, that isn’t the feedback I was hoping for?” She sighed.
“He turned it around and earned those ticks in the last 20 minutes, but he was very close to getting some crosses in the behaviour section.” Mr Haines revealed.
Miss Harrow looked down at Dallas.
“Do you need to say something to Mr Haines?” She asked him.
"Sorry, sir,” Dally muttered.
“It’s okay, son, you turned it around. Unlike Mr Shepard, who I now have the pleasure of spending my lunch with in detention, lucky me!” Mr Haines said, getting up and heading off to the offices.
Miss Harrow looked back to Dallas.
“Are we done now, no more nonsense? You’ll be back on best behaviour?” She asked him.
He nodded.
“Good boy, but you’re going to be spending the first five minutes of free play sitting on the mat with me,” she told him as they headed to the lunch hall.

Dallas stuck to his word. For the rest of the day, he was good—really good. He even handed out the worksheets for Miss Harrow, and in math, once he’d finished he went round and helped a few other students. When it was free time, he didn’t argue as he sat on the mat by Miss Harrow's desk, watching as everyone else started playing.
"Okay, time up! I can’t bear to have Johnny keep glancing over. Go build your tower together,” Miss Harrow burst out, releasing him.
He ran over to where Johnny was waiting, ending the day building with his buddy with only two more days to go.

Thursday

“What did I say you’d get if you got another perfect day?” Principal Burrows asked Dally.
“A special commendation sticker,” Dally said, blushing slightly.
“That’s right and this is not just any sticker it’s a very special sticker and people have to do something really really good to earn it. But I think you have,” He told Dally, taking out the sheet of special reserved shiny gold medal like stickers.
He stuck one to Dally’s chest. Dally looked down at it.
“Tuff,” Dallas shrugged.
The Principal opened the door in his office that led out onto the playground, let Dally out to Mrs C. Dallas would have managed to style out his nonchalance if he hadn’t turned round to looked at the sticker on his chest in the window reflections. Principal Burrows laughed as Dally quickly flipped his jacket collar back up and went back to strutting across the playground.

Friday

He was nearly there, only 2 lessons to go. But at the end of the 3rd lesson Miss Harrow had an announcement.
"I have an important meeting for the next hour, so Mr Donnelly will be covering me. I want you to treat him with the same respect you treat me. The same rules apply,” Miss Harrow explained to the class.

She greeted the substitute, showing him around the classroom and before she left she passed him Dally’s report card and pointed him out.

"Okay, boys and girls, have we all got a handwriting sheet to be working on?” Mr Donnelly asked them.
"Yes, sir,” came the reply.
"Okay, off you go; call on me if you need me,” he said, sitting down at the desk.

Dallas and Johnny got to work, heads down and focus. But their other table members weren’t so enthusiastic. Steve and Soda decided it would be more fun to make little missiles out of scraps of paper and throw them at eachother. Pretty soon they got bored of throwing them at eachother and moved on to a new target - Dally.

“Watch it!” Dally hissed a paper hit him.
Steve and Soda glanced around, feigning innocence. Dallas went back to his worksheet. But moments later paper started to land in his direction again.
“Quit it!” Dally moaned, glaring at them.
“Oops!” Steve said, throwing some more right at him.
Dallas picked up his eraser and launched it straight at Steve’s head.
“Boys!” The shout came.

They turned their heads, and Mr Donnelly was on his feet.
“You do not throw things around the classroom!” He yelled, starring at them, furious.
“Sorry,” Steve muttered, but Mr Donnelly remained standing, eyes on them.
“What are your names?” He demanded.
There was a slight murmur around the class; they were all thinking the same thing as Mr Donnelly picked up his pen.
“I know he’s Dallas; what are your twos?” Mr Donnelly asked.
“I’m Sodapop; that’s Steve. Sir Dally didn’t do anything; it was just me and Steve,” Soda protested.
“You were all throwing things; he threw an eraser, I saw him” Mr Donnelly said, dismissing Soda’s pleas and turning to the board.
“He was just passing it to me!” Steve argued, frantically.
“Can’t you just let us off with a warning?” Dallas asked desperately.
Mr Donnelly ignored their shouts and continued to write all three of their names on the board.

Dallas’ heart sank; in fact, his heart broke.
“That’s not fair!” Dallas whined, his voice filled with hurt.
“Enough, get on with your work, all of you!” Mr Donnelly barked, sitting back down.
“No point; I’ve failed now anyway,” Dallas spat, discarding his pen on the table and pushing his worksheet to the floor.
Mr Donnelly looked up.
“Would you like me to add a cross next to your name?” He yelled at Dallas.
“Don’t care,” Dallas shot back, kicking the table.

Mr Donnelly picked up his pen and scribbled something on a piece of paper before standing up and walking over to Dallas.
“Go to the reflection room,” he instructed, holding out Dallas’ report.
He looked at it: 3 rows of ticks from this morning, and now a row of crosses, with 3 extras in the behaviour section. Dallas snatched it and stormed out of the room.

Mrs Brookes, the teacher in charge of supervising kids sent to the reflection room, was sitting quietly enjoying the silence of a empty room for once, when Dallas burst in. He threw his report in her direction and sat down at one of the desks at the side, facing the wall, burying his head in his hands.
“Dallas, what’s happened?” Mrs Brookes asked, getting up and walking over to him.

There were too many emotions pulsating through him right now; he didn’t even try to reply. He just lifted his head and punched the table a few times before burying his head back in his hands. The anger, sadness, and disappointment were burning through him, and a dreaded lump was beginning to rise in his throat.
“Just stay there,” Mrs Brookes said, and he heard the door open and close.
He let out a growl and punched the desk once more, but that growl turned into a sob and a rare tear emerged from his eye. And before he could stop it another did and soon there were many falling down his cheeks. He was too overwhelmed to fight it so he hid his face back in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he cried.

The door opened, and he heard footsteps and could feel someone standing over him.
"Hey, what’s happened?” Principal Burrows asked kindly, placing a hand on Dally’s shaking shoulders.
Dally didn’t reply; he just sobbed.
“He won’t tell me, but I imagine this has something to do with it,” Mrs Brookes said, holding out Dally’s report.
Principal Burrows looked it over, frowning, but then he looked back at the crying boy, and his face softened.

“Sit up for me, Dallas,” he asked, pulling over a chair and sitting beside the desk, gently helping the boy to take his head out of his hands.
Dallas sat back, tears still streaming and sobs escaping him every few moments.
Principal Burrows looked at the five-year-old.
“I didn’t mean to!” Dally managed before erupting into even more pronounced sobs.
Principal Burrows leaned closer, put his arm on Dally’s back, and rubbed circles.
“Come on, calm yourself down,” he said as soothingly as he could.

When the tears eventually slowed and Dallas was sat there sniffling, Mr Burrows tried again.
“Tell me what happened,” he prompted.
“Steve and Soda,” Dallas began, his voice shakier than usual, “They kept throwing paper at me even when I told them to stop so I threw an eraser at them, and we all went into trouble,” Dally told him.
“So Miss Harrow wrote all your names on the board?” The Principal asked.
"No, it was a sub, and he was really strict and didn’t even give me a warning. I was doing my work, and he didn’t care.” Dallas added, his voice wobbling.
"Okay, and then you got really upset because you knew that would mean you failed your report.” The Principal deduced.
Dallas nodded, tears brimming again. He hurriedly wiped his eyes.
Principal Burrows sighed, not quite knowing what to do.
“Can you keep an eye on him for a minute?” He asked Mrs Brookes.
“Come on, honey, let’s go wipe your face,” she said, kindly leading him to the bathroom.

Dallas had calmed down by the time Principal Burrows returned; he was sitting at one of the tables in the middle of the room.
"Right, I’ve just had a talk with Soda, Steve, and the substitute,” he said, sitting down in the chair next to Dallas, “I think it would be very harsh of me to discredit all your hard work because of a thrown eraser. If Miss Harrow had been in the room, it would likely have only been a warning because you were clearly antagonised. And the fact that you were so upset shows me how much you care and how much you’ve tried. So we are not going to count this lesson.” Mr Burrows told him with a kind smile.
Dallas grinned, delighted.
“Thank you” he mumbled.
“You have been superb this week, and I think it’s only fair that, as a reward for all your hard work, you get to go on the trip to the stables.” Principal Burrows announced.
“But I still have one more lesson,” Dallas interjected.
"Well, your big brother has a football game starting in a minute, and I know there'll be someone there who deserves to hear this news as soon as possible. So I thought I might let you off the last lesson, and you can go and cheer on Darry,” he suggested.

“What are you doing here?” Mrs Curtis exclaimed, smiling as Dally came running over to her.
She bent down to meet him with a hug.
“He’s had a bit of a rough afternoon,” Principal Burrows began.
“Oh Dallas! No! After all your hard work!” Mrs C started to scold.
"Well, that’s the issue. He got into trouble by accident with a substitute teacher and got extremely upset because he knew what that would mean,” Mr Burrows interrupted her.
Mrs Curtis stood listening, stroking the top of Dallas’ head as he was cuddled against his side.
“It seems the substitute was a bit overly strict and misunderstood the situation. So we’ve decided to disqualify that lesson, as it was an anomaly anyway. But as he was so upset and has done so well this week, I decided that he has proven to us already and he deserved to be able to sit and watch Darry.” The Principal finished.
“He passed?” Mrs Curtis asked.
“He did. No more report; he passed with flying colours.” The Principal replied.
“I am so proud of you!!” Mrs Curtis burst out with an excited shriek, smothering Dally with hugs and kisses.
"Yes, so enjoy the match, Dallas, and look forward to your trip to the stables. I’ll see you next week,” he said, waving them goodbye.

Mrs Curtis sat down on the grass bank on the sidelines, pulling Dally into her lap and hugging him tight.
She turned him to face her.
"Honey, why are your eyes all red? Did you cry when you thought you’d failed?” She asked him.
He nodded.
“Oh sweetie. You’ve done so well. I think Mr. Curtis might have to take you to town tomorrow.” She told him.
“For a baseball kit?” Dallas burst out.
“I mean, I think someone who has behaved so well deserves a treat, don’t you?” Mrs Curtis smiled.
Dallas nodded, gleaming.

They sat next to each other watching Darry play, Dallas huddled into her side.
“I am so proud of you, honey. I really am the luckiest mom in the world,” Mrs Curtis said.
“Thank you,” Dallas said. “Mom,”

Chapter Text

Ponyboy was in the sandpit. Mrs Curtis was sitting on the bench close by, enjoying the peace the schooldays provided her with.
Pony was sat back admiring the sandcastle village he’d created when a shadow appeared, looming over him. He turned his head.

A small boy in a tattered checked shirt stood there. He smiled at Pony. He had a few gaps where he’d lost teeth and his tongue poked through. His hair was wild and curly; it looked as though he’d never had a haircut.
"Sweetheart, are you lost?” Mrs Curtis called.
"No, I just thought he might want to play with me,” the boy replied, looking at Pony.
“How old are you, honey?” She asked him.
“4” the boy replied, “Can I play with you?” He asked Pony.
“Okay,” Pony said slightly nervously.
The boy sat down.
“What’s your name?” Pony asked him.
“Curly Shepard,” he replied.

Mrs Curtis took note, her husband had told her about one of Darry’s friends called Tim Shepard. She knew from Mr Curtis that his parents were not good people, in fact Mr Curtis said in all the years Darry and Tim played baseball he’d never seen them once. Not even when Tim first joined the team when he was barely 5. But every time Mr Curtis invited Tim back for dinner - he refused, time and time again.

She looked back at the boys, Pony looked less scared of Curly now as they dug in the sand together.
“Maybe we could call this the Curly Castles,” Pony suggested.
“Yeah Curly Castle in Pony Park!” Curly exclaimed, excitedly.
Pony clapped his hands with glee and they set to work on their sand creation.

Mrs Curtis let them play for a while but she decided she needed to know if he was from the family she suspected.
“Curly honey, where are your parents?” Mrs Curtis asked, walking over to them.
“I don’t know.” Curly shrugged, frowning slightly.

She sighed, another poor neglected baby. Although, she hadn’t seen him round this way before.
“Do you know your way home?” Mrs Curtis asked, trying to confirm he wasn’t lost—at least not geographically.
Curly nodded, turning away, his body language clearly telling her no more questions. He instead began an excited conversation with Pony about horses, presuming a kid with a name like that would be into it.

She knew from her experiences with Dallas when it was best not to push the subject - she didn’t want him to close down. Instead, she decided the best she could do was to try and give him some food and water. Mrs Curtis brought out the snacks and drinks she had packed and offered them to Curly and Pony. She knew that if she offered them to both of them, there was more of a chance Curly would take it.
“Thank you,” he said shyly, taking the food.
She smiled at him. He was full of energy and mischief with Pony, but he calmed right down when he interacted with her.

"Wow, boys, that’s brilliant,” Mrs Curtis praised as they stood back from their creation.
"Yeah, now we get to do the best part, Pony!” Curly grinned.
“What?” Pony asked.
“We get to jump on it and smash it up!” Curly replied.
“Okay!” Pony said, returning his smile, and they both ran and launched themselves at the sand village they’d built.

Mrs Curtis was slightly taken aback, watching as Pony rolled around in the ruins of his sandcastle, laughing. He never smashed sandcastles; it was a well-known fact. The boys knew they were not allowed to stamp on Pony’s sandcastle. Yet here he was jumping all over it, grinning and giggling. Curly was smiling wildly as they both chanted, “Smash! Smash! Smash!”

She watched them play for a little longer. They were quite a nice combination; Curly brought out the less wary and more fun side of Pony, and he seemed to calm Curly down. But soon it was nearing the end of the school day and she needed to go and collect the others.
"Curly, honey, do you want me to walk you home?”Mrs Curtis asked him, kindly.
His smile evaporated.
“No,” he replied coldly.
“I don’t mind, honey, or if you want to come and have dinner with my boys tonight?” She suggested, as casually as she could.
“I don’t need any help. I’m fine!” Curly shouted.
“Oh, I wasn’t trying to upset you, honey,” Mrs Curtis said, stepping closer, hoping to comfort him.
Instead, he edged away.
“Bye Pony,” he said, before he took off across the park, his curly hair disappearing into the distance.

The next time they went to the park, Mrs Curtis made sure to pack an extra water bottle, just in case.

Chapter Text

Mr. Curtis sometimes wanted to strangle Mickey Mouse. His voice haunted him, waking him up when the boys blared the TV volume in the morning. The boys would shout and scream as they acted along with the show and got overexcited. He had tried to ban Mickey Mouse once, but there had been a mutiny, and it had only lasted one day before he caved in to the endless pestering and meltdowns.

So it was 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and he was surrounded by six hyperactive boys, all mimicking Mickey's stupid voice. Darry was still in bed, but TwoBit was staying for the weekend while his mom was at a wedding, so the racket was twice as loud.

"Keith, get down!” Mr Curtis warned, for the fifth time as TwoBit stood on the back of the couch.
“But I’m driving the ship,” TwoBit protested, pointing to Mickey sailing on the screen.
“I don’t care; I said get down,” Mr. Curtis told him.
“I’ll get him down,” Steve said, climbing over Mr. C to where TwoBit was.
“No!” Mr. C shouted as Steve went to push TwoBit off the back.
He grabbed Steve and put him on the floor, only to have Soda and Dallas start clambering over him, chasing each other in a horse race.
“Boys!” He was scolded as the last of his coffee went flying.
He sighed, going to the kitchen to fetch some napkins.

When he returned, Pony was in tears.
“They broke my train track!” Pony wailed, pointing at the other boys.
“He was in the way!” TwoBit said as he continued to mimic the characters on TV, leaping around the room.
"Right, that’s it. Mickey is going off!” Mr. Curtis declared, marching over to the TV and switching it off.
“No!” All the boys protested.
TwoBit went and immediately turned the TV back on.
“It stays off!” Mr. Curtis ordered, switching it back off.
“No, I want to watch Mickey,” TwoBit whined, stamping his foot.
"No, if you can’t behave when it’s on, then you can’t watch it,” Mr. Curtis said finally.

He decided to distract them all with some breakfast.
“Soda, did you put dye in the mix when I was in the other room?” He sighed as he poured out the blue batter in the pan.
The giggle from the other room answered his question.
Darry joined them, and soon they were all feasting on blue pancakes and chocolate milk.

“Do you think the pancakes would stick to the ceiling with the syrup?” TwoBit wondered.
"No, the pancakes are too heavy,” Darry replied.
“We could put one up above Dad's chair, and then it would splat on his head later on,” Soda laughed.
“Yeah!” TwoBit said, standing on his chair, pancake in hand.
“No! Sit down!” Darry instructed.
"Aww, come on, Darry,” TwoBit whined.
“Dad!” Darry shouted.
TwoBit hurried to sit back down in his chair.
“What’s going on?” Mr. Curtis said, entering the room.
“They’re going to throw pancakes on the ceiling,” Darry informed him.
“Snitch,” Dally muttered.
"Well, they better not be, because they know how much trouble they would be in if they did,” Mr. C frowned, surveying the boys as they tried to look innocent.
“It’s a science experiment; please, can we try?” TwoBit begged.
"No, and I won’t be making pancakes again if I have to worry about you boys launching them at the ceiling,” Mr. C said, sitting down at the table and deciding it was best they were not left unsupervised like this.

A few minutes later, TwoBit had a new request.
“Can we have a beer?” TwoBit asked.
“No! You’re 7!” Mr Curtis exclaimed, it was only 7AM and he was starting to think he wasn’t going to make it until lunch with the boys like this.
"Well, you have to let us do something,” TwoBit sighed.
“Not beer!” Mr. C said.
“Just a little sip?” TwoBit tried.
“No!” Mr Curtis bellowed.
“If we can’t throw pancakes and we can’t drink beer, what are we meant to do?” TwoBit argued.
“Because those two things usually take up a lot of your time, do they?” Mr. C retorted, raising his eyebrows.

The morning wore on, and Mrs. Curtis emerged and joined them before taking Darry off to a football game. Most of the boys were playing in the living room; however, TwoBit was not letting the beer thing go.
“Keith, if you say beer one more time, you will be in that corner!” Mr. Curtis said, raising his voice.
"Okay, how about some alcohol then?” TwoBit grinned.
Mr. Curtis bopped him on the head with his newspaper on his way to the kitchen.
“Quit it,” he said, but he couldn’t help laughing slightly.

The boys were bouncing off the walls, so Mr. C decided he better try and get them all focused on an activity. He laid out the Twister mat and managed to get everyone involved. Johnny stood to the side with him, helping him to umpire.
"Oh, Steve is out,” Mr. Curtis said as Steve fell to the floor.
“No! Dally pushed me!” Steve roared; the boys competitive nature was starting to unravel the calm, happy game.
“I didn’t!” Dally protested.
“I’m not out!” Steve shouted.
“Johnny?” Mr. Curtis said, turning to Johnny.
“He can have another chance,” Johnny announced.
Steve jumped back into the game and, moments later, deliberately shoved Dally, who stumbled and took out Pony.
Mr. Curtis sighed as arguments erupted, and then a scuffle commenced.
“Up you get,” Mr. Curtis said, standing Pony up before separating the rest of the wrestling boys.
"Okay, game over. We’ll do something else,” he said, rolling up the mat.
“I know!” TwoBit said jumping up and down.
“Not drinking beer!” Mr. Curtis exclaimed.

Eventually, he managed to refocus the boys on a quieter board game. He had Pony on his lap so he could lend the three-year-old some help, but the rest of the boys were sitting around the table, and it was reasonably calm.
“Mr. Curtis, we are allowed beer,” TwoBit told him.
“Oh yeah, why’s that then?” Mr C asked, sighing.
"Well, I’m 7, Pony’s 3, Johnny, Soda, and Dallas are 5, and Steve is 6. We’re 31, which means we’re allowed it,” TwoBit explained.
“No it doesn’t,” Mr. Curtis replied.
“It does ask Dally.” TwoBit argued.
“I mean, you can’t argue with math,” Dallas interjected, shrugging.
Mr Curtis looked at TwoBit as he began to open his mouth and continue another argument so he cut him off before he could start.
"Okay, you’ve got me there. Would everyone like a glass of beer then?” Mr. Curtis asked them.
The boys looked shocked.
“Yes!” TwoBit said, standing on his chair in excitement.
Steve, Soda, and Dallas also grinned and asked for one.
“No, beer is bad,” Pony said.
“Johnny, do you want one?” Mr. Curtis asked.
"No, thank you,” he replied.
“Okay then, four beers are coming right up,” Mr. Curtis announced.
The boys were confused but delighted.

Grinning as Mr. Curtis returned with four small glasses of yellow, browny liquid. They all sat for a moment, looking at the glasses in front of them. Dallas was the first to sip his, followed by TwoBit, and then Soda and Steve.
“It’s stupid apple juice!” Dallas roared.
Soda spat himself out.
“Hey!” Mr. Curtis reprimanded.
“You said we could have beer,” TwoBit whined, pushing the apple juice away miserably.
“You can. When you’re older,” Mr. Curtis said firmly.
TwoBit frowned - he would have to come up with a new plan.

To be continued….

Chapter Text

TwoBit walked into the kitchen. He had stayed at the Curtis’ again that night. Mr. Curtis had taken Soda, Steve, and Darry to play football at the park, leaving the rest of them with Mrs. Curtis. She was in the other room busy dealing with Dallas, so TwoBit was unsupervised. He sauntered into the kitchen, looking over his shoulder. The coast was clear. He pulled a chair out and leaned it against the counter, using it to clamber up. On top of the refrigerator was Mr. Curtis’ beer. He reached his hand in and grabbed a bottle, hurriedly climbing down and putting the chair back. TwoBit shoved the bottle up his sleeve and ran to find somewhere to hide.

He decided on Darry’s empty room. Retrieving the bottle, he tried to turn the cap, but it didn’t budge. Huh? He tried again, but this time it hurt his hands. So he moved over to Darry’s desk, put the cap against the table, and pushed down hard. It popped off, but it brought a shard of glass with it.
“Oww,” TwoBit moaned as he cut his hand on the ragged edges.
He was soon distracted by the fact that he had opened the bottle. He raised the bottle to his lips and took a sip, then another. It was absolutely disgusting.

“What’s going on? I heard you shout,” Mrs. Curtis said, opening the door.
TwoBit froze beer in hand. Mrs. Curtis stood, eyes locked on him, her face slowly turning redder and redder. He decided he was in enough trouble anyway, so he took another sip while he could. It made him cough and splutter. Mrs. C marched towards him, snatching the bottle.
“No! My beer!” TwoBit said, grasping for it as he still coughed and spluttered.
Mrs. Curtis huffed and picked up the coughing boy, carrying him to the kitchen and placing him on the counter. She poured a glass of water and passed it to him.
“Drink this,” she said firmly.
TwoBit sipped the water, and the coughing subsided.
“Oh my goodness, what have you done to your hands?” Mrs Curtis exclaimed, seeing the blood.
“I needed beer to make it better,” TwoBit tried.
“What on earth am I going to do with you?” Mrs. Curtis sighed, absolutely baffled by the boys latest antics.
She went and got the first aid kit, cleaning out the cut on Twobit’s hand.

“What’s going on?” Mr. Curtis asked, coming through the door.
“I’m drunk!” TwoBit informed him as Mrs. Curtis bandaged his hand.
Mr. Curtis looked at the scene and the beer bottle on the side.
“Keith!” He growled.
“He also managed to cut his hand opening the bottle,” Mrs. Curtis told him.
“Maybe that’s because he’s not old enough to be touching those bottles!” Mr. Curtis said, looking over TwoBit’s hand.
TwoBit decided his best solution was to play the sympathy card.
"Owww, it really, really hurts,” Twobit said, sticking out his bottom lip and looking at them with big eyes.
“Nice try, kiddo. Me and you need to have a little talk,” Mr. Curtis said, lifting TwoBit down.

“You said we couldn’t have beer!” Dally exclaimed, walking into the kitchen with Johnny and seeing the bottle on the side.
“You can't, and Keith will not be having it again.” Mr Curtis told them.
“I can’t help it. I love beer.” TwoBit interjected.
“You nearly choked on it,” Mrs Curtis exclaimed.
“Sometimes love hurts.” TwoBit retorted.
“I genuinely don’t know what to do with you!” Mrs Curtis said through gritted teeth.
“We should get to have beer!” Dallas declared.
“TwoBit had beer?” Soda said she was coming around the corner with Steve.
“Here we go,” Mrs. C sighed.
“I want beer,” Steve whined.
"Yeah, beer, beer, beer!” Soda started chanting.
Dallas and Steve joined in.
“I’ve started a revolution!” TwoBit exclaimed.
“No one will be having any more beer! Or else there will be big trouble!” Mrs. Curtis warned.
"Now, unless you boys would like to spend the day in your rooms, I suggest you go and play in the backyard because me and Keith need to have a little talk,” Mr. Curtis told them.
Begrudgingly, they all filed out of the room, leaving Mr. and Mrs. Curtis glaring at TwoBit.

“You are in big trouble,” Mr. Curtis told him.
“Who me?” TwoBit grinned.
“Get on the couch now!” Mrs. Curtis ordered.
“But I’m so comfy here,” TwoBit said.
Mrs. Curtis lifted him down and led him to the couch by his wrist.
“Sit!” She ordered.
She and Mr. Curtis sat in front of him on the coffee table.
“How many times did I tell you yesterday that you couldn’t have beer?” Mr Curtis began.
“Too many; it was getting kind of repetitive.” TwoBit replied.
“So why on earth did you decide today you should drink some?” Mrs C interrogated.
“I thought maybe that was a Saturday rule.” TwoBit said, smiling to himself at his own wit.
“Stop it,” Mr Curtis warned him.
“So when your mom asks me how you behaved, I’m not going to have very good things to tell her, am I?” Mrs Curtis asked him.
“You could lie?” TwoBit proposed.
“Or you could just behave yourself and do as you were told!” She shot back.
“But that’s boring!” TwoBit sighed.
“Keith I don’t think you’ll ever be boring!” Mr Curtis said.
“Look at all these grey hairs, thanks to you.” Mrs Curtis added.
"Ah, come on, a lot of them are Dally!” TwoBit argued, smiling.
"Keith, do you have something you want to say?” Mr Curtis said, his tone becoming more severe.
“Sorry, I won’t do it again. I just wanted to try it.” TwoBit told them both.
“You better stick to that because there’ll be big trouble.” Mr Curtis threatened.
“I’m moving onto wine now anyway,” TwoBit grinned.
Mr. Curtis tried to keep his face stern but couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“What are we going to do with you?” Mrs. Curtis smiled, ruffling his hair.
“Id invest in some hair dye,” TwoBit laughed, running off before Mrs. Curtis realised what he’d said.
“Keith Matthews!” Mrs. C gasped, "Oh, you’re going to get it now, mister!” She raised her voice, but she was smiling as she stood up.
“You better run, buddy; she’s coming for you!” Mr. Curtis laughed as she ran down the hall after him.

Chapter Text

“What’s happened!” Mrs. Curtis sighed as a crying Ponyboy came running in from the backyard.
“Dallas and Steve are being mean to me!” Pony sobbed into his mother's arms.
“Dallas and Steven, in here now!” She yelled.

The boys appeared.
“You’re such a tattletale!” Steve spat at Pony.
“I’m not sure you’re being mean!” Pony said, pointing his finger accusingly at them.
"No, you’re just being a baby!” Steve shot back.
"Well, what do you expect from the baby?” Dallas added.
“That is enough!” Mrs. C shouted, interrupting the bickering, "Pony, what happened?” She asked him kindly.
“They said I couldn’t play with them because I’m too little, and they were teasing me and pushing,” Pony said, tears brimming.
“You’re such a wimp, we barely touched you!” Dallas exclaimed.
“Hey!” Mrs. C scolded.
“They’re being mean!” Pony whined.
"Well, we just don’t want to play your baby games,” Steve retorted.
"Yeah, we don’t want to play with you all the time; you’re just too little,” Dallas added.
Pony hesitated, digesting what they had said, then his lip began to wobble. He burried his face into Mrs. Curtis and began to wail.
Mrs. C gave Dallas and Steve an angry look as she tried to console Ponyboy.

But Pony's cries started to change, and anger started to creep through the sadness. He sat up on Mrs. C’s lap.
“I hate you! I hate all of you; I wish I didn’t have any brothers!” Pony wailed.
"Hey, that’s not nice!” Mrs. C scolded him.
"See, if I said something like that, I’d be grounded but no when the baby does it - nothing!” Steve complained.
“He never gets into trouble because he’s a little baby brat,” Dallas said.
“Don’t call me that!” Pony shouted, getting off Mrs. C’s lap and running over and pushing Dallas.
“Ponyboy!” Mrs. Curtis shouted, getting to her feet, running over, and putting an arm in front of Dallas.
But what she didn’t do was put an arm in front of Pony, who decided to thump Steve instead.
“Idiot!” Pony yelled up at him.

Mrs. C was slightly taken aback by her youngest outburst. She snapped out of the shock as Steve lunged forward.
“No! No! No!” She said, manoeuvring Steve away, and leading him to the couch. “You sit there and calm down!” She said firmly.
She then returned to the other two, who were still pushing and shoving. Although she knew Dallas wasn’t putting his full strength into it, or else, Pony would be getting hurt.
“You go and sit next to Steve!” She told Dallas, “And you young man, go and sit in that corner!” She ordered Ponyboy.

She sat down in the dining room, quite taken aback by the outburst from Pony but also thinking about what the older two had said. Her mind started to think about the way she viewed Pony compared to them—he was her little baby. The age differences among the boys she knew would always have their challenges, but it had never really been a problem until recently. All of them had always been great with Pony on the whole, but since they’d started school and were becoming more independent, Pony was starting to be left behind. She looked over at the corner where Pony was huddled; she could hear him crying—he had always been her most sensitive. But today, although the boys had been accusing him of being a baby to her, it was the opposite. The anger and fight in him were signs that he was no longer her little baby; he was becoming more complex by the day. She sat sadly thinking about that, all her babies were growing up.

~

A 2-year-old Sodapop burst through the door.
“What did I say about no running?” Mr. Curtis said breathlessly, close behind Soda.
“I want to see the Pony!” Soda said, bouncing.
Darry walked in.
“Hi Mom!” He greeted.
“Hey sweetie!” Mrs. C smiled back.
“Sodapop!” Mr. C reprimanded as Soda did a flying leap to get on his mom’s bed.
"Where is the baby?” Soda asked, confused, searching through the bed blankets, “Did you eat it again?” He asked.
“For the last time, she didn’t eat it! It was in her belly because that’s where they’re grown,” Darry sighed.
“The baby’s here, Soda; you can meet him, but you need to be very calm,” Mrs. C explained, pointing to the cot next to the bed.
Soda gasped and settled down, mesmerised by the sight of his new brother.

Mr. Curtis carefully picked up Ponyboy, first helping Darry to hold him.
"He is so little, even littler than Soda,” Darry smiled.
"I'm not little. I'm a big brother, not a little brother!” Soda told him.
"Well, now you’re both,” Mrs C informed him.
"I am not little!” Soda protested.
“He’s so calm. He’s already better behaved than Soda!” Darry joked.
Darry stared at his new little brother, his eyes full of warmth. “I love you, new little buddy!” He whispered, kissing Pony’s head.
My turn now!” Soda shouted, getting inpatient.

When Pony was placed in Soda’s lap, a calmness spread over him. It was like there was a light on Pony, making Soda’s face glow, as though he had just opened a treasure chest full of gold. And he still had that look in his eye when he looked at his little brother.

That night she had been released from the hospital, and when she got home, a little note with a flower taped on it was laying on the porch. There was no writing on the note, just a crayon drawing of a heart. She looked up the street, knowing he’d be watching.
“Thank you, honey,” she called before heading inside, leaving the door ajar.

Moments later, she heard soft footsteps, and little Johnny poked his head around the door. Mrs. Curtis beamed, crouching down and holding out her arms. Johnny ran over to them.
"Ahhh, I missed you! Come and meet Ponyboy.” She told him, carrying him over to where she’d put him in his basket on the couch.
"He's so little,” Johnny mumbled, smiling at Pony.
She moved Johnny's finger so Pony could grasp it. Johnny giggled as his tiny hand wrapped around his finger. And from that moment on, they had been holding each other's hands every step of the way.

~

They were all so close and protective of each other. Obviously, they had their ups and downs, but she really couldn’t have crafted their bond any better if she tried. But now she wondered if that bond was going to start to break and if this was a sign of things to come. She couldn’t bear for her boys to start splitting off into different groups.

“Dallas, Steve, can you go outside and tell Darry I want him to try setting up what Coach Sage did during training camp in the backyard?” She asked Steve and Dallas.
They looked at her, slightly confused, but headed outside.
“Pony, can you come here, please?” She called.
He came over and went to climb on her lap.
“Not yet. I want to talk to you,” she said, pulling out the chair next to her and placing him in it to face her. “Now you know what you did was naughty, don’t you?” Mrs C asked.
"Yes, Mama, I’m sorry,” Pony mumbled, guiltily.
“I know, honey, you’re forgiven. But if you want them to stop treating you like a baby, you need to act a little bit more grown-up instead of just having a meltdown every time one of them does anything at all. You can still come and tell me, and I’ll deal with it, but you don’t need to get so upset over nothing,” she told him.
“But they were really mean!” Pony whined.
“They were not kind to you in here. But I’m not talking about that; when you came running in crying from outside, I imagine they hadn’t done too much.” Mrs C said.
Pony thought for a second and shrugged.
"See, sweetie, you need to try and have a little bit of fun with your brothers and not start crying at everything they do. If they’re being mean, you tell me, but if they’re just joking, you could even have a joke back; tease them a little bit.” She said, nudging him.
Pony smiled.
“Does that sound better than crying all the time?” Mrs C asked, stroking his face.
“Yeah. But they still don’t like me because I don’t get in trouble!” Pony said, frustration in his voice.
"Well, firstly, you don’t actually do a lot that would get you into trouble, unlike them. So I think they’re partly just jealous of your good behaviour. But I will admit that when you are in trouble, I am less strict because you’re the youngest,” she sighed. “So, in the future, if you get into trouble, I will treat you the same as the rest of the boys. But just because you’re a big boy now does not mean you start causing trouble; I have enough troublemakers in this house. Deal?” Mrs Curtis proposed.
“Deal!” Pony grinned.
She wrapped him in a hug.
"Right, come on, let’s see how Darry is getting on.” She said, standing up.

“Mrs. C, what’s going on?” TwoBit asked, running up to her.
Darry had put five different planks of wood from the shed arranged in different places around the lawn. Some connected, some on their own, but each plank was balanced on two paint cans.
“Are we going to play pirates?” Soda asked excitedly.
"No, I’ve got a challenge for you all today, and there’s going to be a prize for any team who works well together,” She explained.
Darry stood grinning; he knew what his mom was up to.
“Now Pony has brought it to my attention that I baby him too much. Well, we’ve agreed that he’s a big boy now, and he should be treated the same as you. So I don’t want you to leave him out anymore or tease him about being little, or else there’ll be trouble. But he will no longer be let off because he’s the youngest; he will be in trouble the same as any of you would be in the future” she told the boys.
They all nodded, approvingly.

“Now I’m going to put you in pairs, and in your pairs, one of you will wear a blindfold, and the other is going to guide them around the plank assault course.” She began.
“We get to walk the plank!” Soda exclaimed.
“I don’t want to do that!” Dallas moaned.
“I have not finished talking!” She said, raising her voice, and the boys fell silent. “Now if your team works well together, you will earn a prize,” she finished.
"What is the prize?” TwoBit inquired.
“It’s a surprise,” she said, knowing she would need to call Mr. C to pick something up.
“Can I be with Steve?” Soda asked.
"No, I’m picking the teams. I want Darry with Johnny, TwoBit, and Soda together, and then you boys are going to be three.” Mrs C said.
“I’m not doing it!” Dallas hurrumphed, stomping over to the porch and sitting on the steps.
"Well, your team definitely won’t be getting a prize then. You need all three of you to take part,” Mrs. Curtis told him.
Dallas scowled, crossing his arms.
"Okay, your choice,” she sighed, walking away.
But on her way back to the group, she passed Ponyboy, making his way towards Dallas.
He sat down on the step beside him.
“Please come and do it,” Pony asked, leaning against Dallas. “We can't win without you. I think we need you as our captain,” Pony told him with big eyes, wrapping his arm around Dally.
Mrs. Curtis was transported back to over a year ago. The first time Pony and Dallas met.

~

No matter what they tried, Dallas still refused to come back to the house. It had been nearly two weeks, since they found him wandering around the shop starving and stealing food. He would join the older boys on outings and day trips with Mr Curtis but every time they tried to get him to come back he would decline and if you pushed it too much he would get angry run off and they wouldn’t see him for a day or two.

Today they were meeting him at the park and for the first time Pony would be with them; they wanted to get to know Dallas a bit and for him to get familiar with them before they added the toddler into the mix.

When they arrived at the park, Dallas was leaning coolly against a tree. He looked up and strolled casually over to them. Dallas put on his usual facade of pretending not to care but Mrs C smiled as his attention was drawn to the box of brownies she got out the stroller. She motioned for him to sit down on the bench with her, which he did, smiling subtly as Mrs Curtis handed him a brownie. Mrs C then passed one to Pony, who was sitting in his stroller, waving at Dallas.
“Who’s that?” Dallas asked with a mouth full of brownie, pointing at Pony.
“I Pony,” the toddler said, grinning at Dallas, with the small amount of teeth he had.
Dallas nodded at him, then went back to the food.

Once he’d finished his brownie, Mrs. C helped Pony out of the stroller, expecting him to charge off and play with the other boys. He didn’t. Instead he climbed up on the bench next to Dallas and wrapped his arms around him. Dallas looked down, slightly alarmed.
“Get off me, kid!” Dallas said, pushing Pony away and standing up.
Pony’s lip began to wobble, and he burst into tears. Dallas’ face softened. Mrs. C leaned over to comfort Pony, but she was beaten to it as Dallas sat back down.
"Hey, I’m sorry, don’t cry, kid,” he said, shyly patting Pony on the back, his face full of guilt.
Pony stopped crying and started smiling. He once again wrapped an arm around Dallas, and this time Dallas didn’t resist. He sat there as Pony leaned against his side, big eyes looking up at Dally.

That night Dally came back home with them for the first time.

~

“Okay kid,” Dally agreed, ruffling Pony’s hair and smiling.
Pony grinned triumphantly, took Dally’s hand, and led him back over to Steve.

Mrs. Curtis got one of her scarves. First up were Johnny and Darry. She had put them together because she knew Darry would be the best one to help Johnny do this. He had to be the one blindfolded because she knew how proud he was going to be of himself at the end.

Johnny stood nervously at the start of the course as Darry took his hand and carefully directed him, letting Johnny take as much time as he needed. The other boys yelled encouragement, getting louder and louder as Johnny neared the end. They erupted into cheers as Darry helped Johnny jump off the end of the last plank.
“Great job, boys!” She praised, watching Johnny grinning widely as the boys congratulated him.

TwoBit and Soda were next, and it was close to carnage. Half way through, Soda gave up and just jumped off the plank. TwoBit didn’t mind and decided to try jumping off the plank himself. She let them laugh and enjoy re-enacting pirate battles for a few minutes before she disqualified them. They didn’t care; they were too busy trying to tie Darry up with the scarf.
“Boys! Let him go,” Mrs. Curtis ordered, walking over.
Darry jumped out of their efforts to tie him up and decided to chase them both. They ran off screaming.

She took the scarf over to Pony, Dally, and Steve.
"Pony, come here,” she called.
She blindfolded Pony.
“Now there’s two of your directing, so you need to work together with Pony,” she told them.
“Lift your left leg up,” Steve said.
“I don’t know which that is!” Pony argued.
“Come on, boys, work together!” Mrs C encouraged.
“Just step up and onto the plank.” Dallas told him.
Pony did so.
“Now go forward; no slower!” Steve directed.
Pony tumbled straight off.
Steve ran forward, crouching down by Pony’s side.

~

“Are you okay?” 3 year old Steve said to the toddler crying in the sandpit, “Do you want me to take you to your mom?" Steve asked.
Pony nodded, wailing. Steve walked over and did his best to lift Pony.
“Mrs Curtis?” He called.
Mrs. C has been preoccupied trying to get Sodapop down from the tree. She had offered to babysit for Mrs. Randal as Steve was a similar age to Soda, not knowing the absolute chaos and mischief that would spark between them. So she turned around, ready for some new things to sort out.
“Sodas brother is crying!” Steve said, plonking Pony on the grass, no longer able to carry him.
Steve kneeled down next to him, placing his arm on his shoulder. The toddlers tears, slowed slightly and he smiled up at the boy.

~

“It’s okay, Pony,” Steve said as he knelt down beside Pony. “Let’s try again!” He said, helping Pony get back to the start.
“This time, we’ll hold your hand when you walk,” Dallas announced.
The boys started again, very slowly. Mrs. Curtis smiled. They were guiding him so carefully and being so patient.
“Great job, man!” Dallas said as they reached the end of the first plank.
Carefully and slowly, they made their way around the course.
“Pony! Pony! Pony!” TwoBit and Soda chanted, and once again, Mrs. C was transported.

~

“Pony! Pony! Pony!” TwoBit chanted as Soda stood with his arms outstretched a few paces away from 1-year-old Pony.
“He’s going to do it!” Soda said hopefully.
“I told you I know how to make babies walk!” TwoBit replied.
Pony stood, balancing, but then slowly stumbled towards Soda, landing in his arms.
“He did it!” TwoBit screeched.
“Mama, Pony walked!” Soda yelled.
Mrs. Matthew’s and Mrs. Curtis came running in.
"Boys, what did we say about keeping calm and quiet?” Mrs. Curtis said sternly.
“Keith, Mrs. Curtis won’t have you back here if you can’t behave!” Mrs. Matthews added.
“But Mama Pony walked!” Soda said, jumping with excitement.
"Yeah, look,” TwoBit said, crouching down a little bit in front of Pony and holding out his arms. "Pony, come here?” He called.
Pony giggled and stumbled towards TwoBit, who caught and tickled him as soon as he fell off balance.
“Oh my goodness! Pony!” Mrs. Curtis gasped, "Keith, you’ll have to come around every day if you’re going to teach my boys things like this!” She added looking at TwoBit.
“You’ll regret saying that,” Mrs. Matthews warned.

~

And here she was nearly 3 years later, with no hint of regret. Looking at the family she’d created, they had been cemented in her heart for a long time. But as she watched them cheer and all bundle on each other as Pony, Dallas, and Steve got to the end, she knew she didn’t need to worry about them growing apart; they’d always be her boys. It wasn’t just prizes all round, it was love, friendship, brotherhood. It was family.

Chapter Text

Mrs. Curtis looked cockily at Mr. Curtis as they stood outside the changing rooms.
“See you on the other side,” she grinned, giving him a thumbs up before she headed inside, leaving him with all seven boys.

It had felt like such a good idea this morning when they decided to take the kids to the public pool. But now, standing here with the boys bashing each other with pool noodles, he wishes they’d thought it through.
“Give it to me!” Mr. Curtis demanded, trying to wrestle a pool noodle away from Soda, who was continuingly bashing Ponyboy.
He managed to pry it away from Soda just for Dallas to strike TwoBit straight round the face with one.
"Christ, give me strength!” Mr. Curtis muttered as he went to break up that battle.
“Have you not even made it into the changing room yet?” Mrs. Curtis voice called, poking her head around the door.
“I’m waiting for them to stop assaulting each other!” Mr. Curtis replied, hands over his face as Dallas and TwoBit decided to turn their assault on him, “Can you take some of them with you? They’re still young enough to go in the women's with their mom,” he asked pleadingly.
“How about I take the pool noodles?” She suggested ,collecting the pool noodles from the boys.
“Can you take some of the boys, please?” he said, motioning towards wrestling Steve and Dallas.
“Ponyboy, Johnny, come get ready with me, boys!” She called, smiling and taking their stuff out of the bag and heading back into the women's.
"No, I meant-“ Mr Curtis protested.
“See you in a few minutes, Darrel!” She interrupted, closing the door behind her with a chuckle.
He sighed, turning back to Darry and the four hyperactive boys.
“Right in, we go,” he said, taking a deep breath and leading the boys in.

Immediately, they scattered.

"Boys, back here now!” Mr Curtis barked as they disappeared around different corners.
Darry stood next to him, smiling.
“Can I have my stuff so I can get changed?“ he asked.
“Yeah sure. But if I’m still trying to wrangle them when you’re done, I might need your assistance.” Mr C told him, handing over his bathing suit.
Darry headed off to get changed and Mr C began the scavenger hunt for the boys.

“Let me out!” He could hear Steve whining and pounding against something.
He turned a corner and found Dallas and TwoBit laughing by the lockers.
“What’s going on?” Mr. Curtis asked.
“Mr. C, help; they won’t let me out!” came the muffled shout from Steve.
“Which ones is he in?” Mr. C demanded, folding his arms and glaring at the boys.
Dallas shrugged.
“Take your pick; do you want door number 1, door number 2, or door number 3?” TwoBit asked in a gameshow host voice.
“I’ll give you the count of three!” Mr. Curtis warned through gritted teeth.
TwoBit sighed and then leant down and released Steve, who burst out of the locker.
He lunged forward and gave both Dally and TwoBit a solid punch on the arm.
“That’s enough!” Mr. Curtis told them, ”Now let’s find Soda,” he said, herding them all further down the corridor.

Eventually they found him, arm in a vending machine.
“Sodapop away from the chocolate bars right now!” Mr. Curtis bellowed as Soda desperately grasped for the candy.
“Are you boys nearly ready?” Mrs. Curtis called from outside.
“We haven’t even started changing yet. I’m busy getting them out of lockers and vending machines!” Mr C replied, already exhausted.
"Well, we’re all ready, so I’ll see you later.” Mrs. Curtis laughed. "Boys, behave!” She added more firmly.

"No, I’m not putting them on!” Dallas yelled.
Mr. Curtis held up two pairs of inflatable arm bands.
“Not wearing them!” Steve spat.
“You boys said you didn’t want to go to swim class with Soda and Johnny, so now you have to wear these.” Mr Curtis informed them, matter of factly.
Dallas scowled and then grabbed the armbands and launched them across the changing room.
“Hey!” Mr. Curtis reprimanded him.
"It’s okay, Steve, you’ll match Pony!” Soda laughed.
Steve did not see the funny side.
“Darry?!” Mr. Curtis called out, his hands full with Dally, as Steve descended on Soda.

Mrs. Curtis was having a very pleasant time. It was a quiet day at the pool, so Pony and Johnny had plenty of space to splash around and play.
She kept glancing back towards the changing rooms, wondering why it was taking so long.

A good 10 minutes after she had gotten into the pool, her husband finally emerged.
“Oh dear, this doesn’t look good,” she sighed, seeing Mr. Curtis head towards them, holding a very angry-looking Dallas and Steve kicking under his arms.
Soda, Darry, and TwoBit jumped straight in and ran over to join Pony and Johnny.
“What’s going on?” Mrs. Curtis asked, coming over to the side and looking up at her husband, who was holding a struggling Dallas over one shoulder and Steve under his other arm.
“These two are going to sit with me for a bit over there until they remember how to behave.” He told her.
“Dallas, Johnny was looking forward to playing with you,” Mrs. Curtis called to him.
“I don’t want to wear those things!” Dallas whined.
Mr Curtis motioned to the armbands in his hand.
“Put him down a sec,” Mrs C told him as she climbed up onto the side.

Mr. Curtis placed Dallas down, and Mrs. Curtis crouched in front of him and took his hands.
“I told you what would happen if you didn’t go to swimming lessons—that the other boys would be able to swim and you wouldn't, but you still wouldn’t go.” She said, there was a kindness but a firmness in her tone.
“I don’t like swimming,” he mumbled.
"No, you didn’t like being told what to do,” she retorted.
Dallas stayed silent, a sign that what she said had rung true.
"Well, I think it would be an awful shame if you let Johnny down because you had to spend the time sitting with Mr. Curtis.” Mrs C, trying to play on his emotions.
“I don’t want to wear them!” Dallas moaned, stomping his feet on the ground slightly.
“I know, honey, but that’s the rule.” Mrs Curtis said plainly, not rising to his obstinance.

There was splashing beside them. Johnny appeared.
“Is Dally coming in?” Johnny asked, hopefully.
“At the moment, no, because he won’t wear his armbands.” Mrs C said with a sigh, turning to Johnny.
“I don’t want to!" Dallas growled.
“Stop it!” Mrs C told him firmly, pointing a finger at him as she said it.
Johnny hesitated thinking, as Dallas seethed under Mrs C’s glare.
“Mrs. C, I know! I could teach Dally to swim!” Johnny exclaimed.
“Now that’s a brilliant idea. Dallas, what do you think? How about me and Johnny teach you to swim, then you won’t have to wear them?” She proposed.
Dallas thought for a moment, finally relented and nodded.
“Good boy, come on,” she said, taking his hand and a pair of armbands from Mr. C.
"Steve, do you want to join them?” Mr. Curtis asked.
“No, I don’t want to!” Steve shouted.
"Well, then you will have to sit on the side with me then.” Mr Curtis told him.
Steve growled and started fighting against him.
Mr C shot a confused look at Mrs Curtis, who shrugged also looking slightly puzzled at the boys tantrum.

He did his best to keep a grip on him as he made his way over to the seats at the side.
"Hey, hey, hey, come on, what’s wrong?” Mr. Curtis asked, sitting down with Steve on his lap.
Steve fought to get away.
"Get out of me!” He yelled, squirming.
Mr. Curtis lifted him off his lap and put him in the seat next to him; Steve immediately turned away and hid his face in the seat.
Mr. Curtis let him sit for a minute before trying to talk to him again.
He watched as Mrs. Curtis held Dallas up in the water as Johnny tried to show him what to do with his arms and legs. Darry had Pony on his shoulders and was busy trying to escape TwoBit and Soda, who were intent on splashing him.
“Come on, buddy, just put them on, and then we can go and have fun with everyone else,” Mr C tried, turning to Steve and placing an arm on his shoulder.
“Leave me alone!” Steve shouted; his voice sounded more upset than angry.
"Okay, we’ll just stay sitting here then, until you can calm down,” Mr. Curtis sighed.
“Go away!” Steve replied, but his voice cracked.
Mr. Curtis turned to look at Steve again.
"You gonna tell me what’s wrong?” Mr. Curtis asked, his voice softening.
“Go away; I don’t want to talk to you!” Steve spat, finally turning his head around.
He had tears pouring down his face.

“Honey, what’s the matter?” Mr. Curtis said, getting out of his seat and going around to crouch in front of Steve.
Steve was crying, and he didn’t know why; surely he was not overwearing armbands.
“Look at me, buddy,” Mr. Curtis said, rubbing a hand on Steve’s back.
Steve looked up, still sobbing.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” Mr. Curtis said, turning the boy around to sit looking forward.
“You said we’d get to make the shelves together today!” Steve cried.
Mr. Curtis heart sank slightly. Steve was right; he’d promised they’d make some shelves together today.

Guilt washed over him; he knew how much Steve loved and craved their one-on-one time doing DIY, but no, he’d forgotten—he'd let the kid down.
“You said for weeks that we’d get to do it this weekend,” Steve spluttered through his tears.
“Oh honey!” Mr. Curtis said, leaning forward, ready to embrace the boy, but Steve turned away and reburied his face in the chair.
“Steve, I am so sorry. I was going to do it with you today, but when Mrs. C mentioned swimming, I forgot all about it. I’m so sorry, buddy; it wasn’t on purpose!” He said this, stroking the back of Steve’s head.
“But in the changing room, you told Soda you’d help him build a fort when we got home; that means I won’t get to do any building!“ Steve cried.
"Baby, I’m so sorry,” Mr. C apologised, scooping Steve up and sitting him in his lap.
Thankfully, Steve didn’t try to escape this time; he just cried into his chest, all Mr C could do was rub circles on his back.

“I really messed up, didn’t I?” Mr. Curtis said as Steve’s sobs started to slow.
“Uh huh!” Steve replied.
"Well, I’m going to have to make it up to you. So how about, as an extra special treat on Monday after school, I’ll take you to watch the car show?” Mr. Curtis proposed.
Steve sat up, only sniffling now.
“Okay,” he grinned, “can we still build the shelves?” He asked.
“Of course we can. I’ll do the shelves with you first, and then you can help me and Soda make a pillow fort, deal?” Mr C suggested.
“Deal,” Steve agreed, his tear stained face now wearing a big smile.
"Now, how about I teach you how to swim?” Mr Curtis said.
"Okay, fine, I’m cold sitting here anyway.” Steve replied.

Mr. Curtis led him over to the side of the pool. Steve didn’t fight when he put the armbands on him.
“You know the cool thing about these?” Mr. Curtis said as he adjusted them for the boy.
“What?” Steve asked.
“It means I can do this!” Mr. Curtis said, picking Steve up and launching him into the pool with a splash.
Steve bobbed back up, and the biggest grin spread across his face.
“Nice one, Steve!” TwoBit yelled.
Steve turned around to see Darry dripping and completely soaked from his splash.
"Oh, I am going to get you, Randal!” Darry growled.
“Mr. C, quick, teach me how to swim!!!” Steve yelled.

Chapter Text

Mrs. Curtis looked at the front door anxiously for the third time in 10 minutes. Then she stood up and peered out the window once again. The boys were scattered about the house playing, but there was one missing. Johnny.

“Don’t worry, honey, I’m sure he’s fine,” Mr. Curtis told her.
“But where is he? It’s nearly lunch time,” she sighed, sitting back down.
“He knows to come back if they’re in a bad way; he might have managed to catch them in a good mood and be spending some time with them,” Mr. Curtis suggested.
“What if it’s the opposite and they’ve hurt him?” she worried, head in her hands.
“What have we drilled into him to do if that happens? Come straight back here. Look, we’ll give him a bit longer; there’s no need to worry yet,” Mr. Curtis assured her.
Mrs. Curtis stood up and looked out the window up the street one more time.
“Okay, I’m sure you’re right,” she said.
“Soda! Steve! I’m going to kill you!” Darry roared from the bedrooms.
"Well, I’m sure whatever this is will help take your mind off it!” Mr. Curtis smiled at her before heading down the hall.
With one last glance out the window, Mrs. Curtis followed her husband.

Moments later, a door flew open up the street. A small figure was running, glass bottles shattering all around him as he desperately tried to dodge the missiles being thrown.
However, the noises of Johnny's parents screaming at him and launching things at him were lost in the ruckus of arguing and shouting from the Curtis in the bedroom.

Johnny ran panting and crying down the street. He had a cut across his face, god knows how many bruises, and a fierce pain in his ribs. He made it to the front gate, but the open windows greeted him with muffled shouting, arguing, and crying. Johnny was already distraught and panicked, but the sounds from inside the Curtis’ house made him stop his run for safety.
“I hate you!” Steve was screaming.
“I wish I never had a brother!” Soda wailed.
There was a lot of noise of people running around or maybe fighting. Mr. Curtis deep voice was scolding someone, and he could hear Mrs. Curtis yelling at what he thought was TwoBit arguing with her.
"Well, I don’t love either of you!” Darry’s voice screamed.
He heard glass smash, and he flinched, backing away from the house, the fear he had felt moments ago dodging the bottles returning.
“Steven Randal!” Mr. Curtis bellowed.
Johnny started crying even more heavily; for the first time ever, he didn’t want to go into the Curtis house. He backed away slowly.
"Dallas, come here right now!” Mrs. Curtis screamed; she sounded scary.
He didn’t want scary right now; he wanted safe. So Johnny turned, and he ran.

~

Mrs. Curtis poured two glasses of wine, breathing a sigh of relief and exhaustion.
"Well, that might just top the Fourth of July Multiple Meltdown Massacre,” Mr. C said, walking into the kitchen, equally exhausted.
She smiled, nodding and passing him his glass of wine.
“Everyone sorted?” She asked sleepily, even though it was only 4 p.m.
“They’re all tired, understandably considering they used all their energy going absolutely feral! So everyone is in pyjamas, watching TV, and I’m going to make some warm milk and hope they all pass out for the evening.” He laughed, fetching the kids’ cups.

Mrs. Curtis headed into the living room. The boys were all huddled under blankets on the couch. All calm and friends again, like it never happened. Her boys ripping each other's hair out one minute and snuggled together, holding hands the next. Her seven angel devils!

Mr. Curtis brought in the milk on the tray, passing out the glasses.
“Who’s not got one?” He asked, as one cup was still on the tray.
“We all have one,” Darry replied.
Mrs. Curtis sat upright, her eyes wide with panic and worry.
“Johnny!” She gasped.

~

In a small clearing behind the bushes at the end of the park, Johnny lay, barely breathing. The pain in his ribs was excruciating, and he was breathing raggedly, his consciousness fading rapidly. Initially, he had been crying, but he no longer had the strength for that anymore. He desperately wanted to be in Mrs. Curtis’ arms, but he couldn’t have moved if he wanted to. He whimpered, closing his eyes and slowly drifting away. His last conscious thought was one of loneliness.

It was mere moments before the distant shouts and calls started.
"Boys, stay inside! There’s glass everywhere!” Mr. Curtis said it firmly.
Mrs. Curtis was close to hysterical, desperately searching every inch of the neighbourhood. They had checked Johnny’s house, but there had been no answer, but the scattered glass definitely led back to it.
“Oh god!” Mrs. Curtis cried, “What if some of the glass didn’t miss him?” She whispered, horrified.
“It’s okay, we’ll find him!” Mr. Curtis spoke as convincingly as he could, nerves evident in his voice.
The boys were all huddled in the front window, eyes wide, and Pony was crying. Mrs. Matthews, who arrived just 5 minutes early to collect TwoBit, was in the doorway, having to use all her strength to keep Dallas in the house as he fought to get out.

Once they’d searched all the corners and hiding spots on the street, they moved onto the park, calling out for Johnny desperately.
“He’s not here!” Mrs. Curtis exclaimed, getting more frantic by the minute.
“I’ll search the bushes; he might have tried to use them for shelter,” Mr. Curtis said, knowing that they were running out of places.
He looked high and low, rummaging through each bush. Something caught his eye; it looked like a shoe. Mr. Curtis separated the branches as best he could and peeked through.
“Call an ambulance!” He screamed to Mrs. Curtis as he fought through the bushes to get to Johnny.

~

“Is Johnny okay?” Soda asked.
“Did you find him?” Dallas said.
All the boys surrounded her with a barrage of questions as soon as she opened the door, but she ignored them, making her way to the phone.
“I need an ambulance!” She said this into the phone, trying to stay calm, but her pulse was through the roof.
The boys all gasped.
“Is Johnny hurt?” Pony asked, horrified.
“Come on, boys, why don’t we all go and sit in the other room?” Mrs. Matthews said, trying to usher them away.
“In Moor Park,” Mrs. Curtis said into the phone.
Dallas’ ear picked up at that, and he charged out the door.
“Dallas, no!” Mrs. Matthew yelled, doing her best to prevent any of the others from charging away.

~

Mr. Curtis scooped Johnny up; the boy wasn’t conscious, but he had a pulse. He carried him out of the bush and laid him down on the grass. Tears in his eyes as he looked at the beaten boy. He could hear a siren in the distance, and he looked up only to see Dallas charging towards him.
"Woah, easy, easy!” Mr. Curtis said as Dallas dropped down beside him.
He looked at Johnny.
“Is he dead?” He asked, looking up at Mr. Curtis.
Mr. Curtis looked back at Dally; there was a look in his eyes he’d never seen before.
Fear.
"No, he’s got a pulse; he’s just unconscious. Mrs. C, call an ambulance?” He asked.
Dallas nodded, eyes fixed on Johnny.

The sirens drew nearer, and Mrs. Curtis directed the medics to them. As they began to examine Johnny, they could only stand and watch their hearts racing and sinking as the paramedics used words like “internal bleeding,” "critical," and "severe."

Mrs. Matthews had not been able to keep the rest of the boys in the house, and soon they were all gathered, watching on in horror.
“Are you his guardians?” One of the paramedics asked.
"Yes, yes, we are,” Mrs. Curtis replied through her tears.
“He needs immediate transfer to the hospital; which one of you will be accompanying him?” He asked as they strapped Johnny onto a stretcher, pushing him back towards the ambulance.
“You go,” Mr. Curtis said as Mrs. C glanced at him.
“I’ll be coming,” she told them, and they helped her into the back of the ambulance alongside Johnny, who was still unconscious.
Dallas went to climb up into the ambulance.
“Only one person can accompany,” one of the paramedics told him.
"Dallas, come here, son,” Mr. Curtis called. He was standing, trying to console a crying Ponyboy.
"No, I want to go with Johnny!” Dallas shouted, but it wasn’t a shout of defiance; it was desperation.
Mr. Curtis passed Ponyboy to Mrs. Matthews and jogged over to the ambulance.
“Come on, buddy, let’s go,” Mr. C said gently, trying to guide Dally away.
“No!” Dally relented, reaching out and holding onto the ambulance.
"Honey, it’s okay. I will call as soon as I know anything,” Mrs. Curtis assured him, as Mr. Curtis did his best to pry Dally off the ambulance.
“It’s okay, kiddo!” Mr. Curtis said he was finally able to separate Dally from the ambulance.
He picked him up as Dally fought against his hold, kicking and screaming while the ambulance drove away.
“Johnny!” Dally screamed, desperately trying to get out of Mr. Curtis’ arms so he could chase the ambulance.
“Calm down, calm down,” Mr. Curtis said, trying to soothe him. “It’s okay, they’ll look after him,” he whispered into Dally’s ears.
It took a few more minutes until the sirens were no longer in earshot for Dally to calm down enough for him to loosen the restraining hold. Dallas just burried his head into Mr. Curtis’ shoulder. Mr. C knew that he just needed to be left alone to process his thoughts, so he didn’t try to move him.
“Come on, boys, let’s go home. They’re going to make Johnny better,” he said, desperately trying to stay optimistic and calm for the boys.
Ponyboy walked over and held his arms out.
“You need picking up too?” Mr. Curtis smiled at him.
He used his free arm to pick up Pony and have him snuggle into his other shoulder.
"Right, I don’t have any arms left now, so the rest of you need to walk back,” Mr. Curtis said, doing his best to crack a smile.

~

Mrs. Curtis sat for hours waiting as the doctors ran tests. She called home twice to see how everyone was getting on. It was nearly midnight, and Mr. Curtis still hadn’t managed to get any of them to go to sleep. She did her best to sound strong as she wished the boys all goodnight, but her hands had been shaking for hours. Finally, a doctor emerged.
“He’s stable, out of critical condition,” the doctor announced.
Mrs. Curtis breathed an enormous sigh of relief.
“The main issue was the broken ribs. When he broke them, the bone punctured one of his lungs, and they eventually collapsed. We have managed to stabilise them, but he will need surgery tomorrow,” the doctor explained.
“But he’s going to be okay?” Mrs. Curtis asked.
“He has swelling all over his body, so we are just trying to calm that and make sure there’s no internal damage, but as long as that’s all clear and the surgery tomorrow goes okay, there should be no permanent damage.” He replied.
“Is he awake? Can I see him?” Mrs Curtis inquired.
“We are keeping him sedated until we can control the swelling. I would advise you to go home for the night and come back in the morning.” The doctor told her.
"No, I will stay. Let me know as soon as I can see him,” Mrs. Curtis replied.

~

“Come on, boys, please go and get some sleep. I promise I’ll tell you if anything happens,” Mr. Curtis said, looking around at the tired eyes of Dally, Steve, Darry, and Soda.
TwoBit’s mom had taken him home after Mrs. C called to relay what the doctors had said.
He had managed to get Pony into bed after Mrs. C called, but the rest of the boys still weren’t budging.
“Come on, I need you up early so we can go and visit him,” Mr. C said, trying a new tactic.
“You promise you’ll wake us up if she calls again?” Steve asked.
“I promise,” he assured them.
“Okay, come on, Soda, let’s go,” Steve said, giving Mr. C a hug and heading off to bed.
"Night, little buddy,” Mr. Curtis said as Soda leaned over for a goodnight kiss and cuddle.
“Darry?” He said this, looking at Darry.
"Okay, fine,” Darry yawned, slowly heading off to bed.
Mr. Curtis turned to Dally.
“Not moving!” Dally informed him.
Mr. Curtis had suspected that would be the case, so he shuffled over to sit beside Dally, pulling a blanket up over them both.
"Okay, but do me a favour; try and get some sleep for me, honey,” he said, leaning back so Dallas was resting against him.
“I can’t; I want Johnny and Mrs. C,” Dallas mumbled sadly.
Mr. Curtis lifted him so he was resting in his lap.
“Just try for me, honey,” he said, stroking Dally’s hair.
It only took a few minutes, and Dally sank into him a bit more, and his breath deepened.
Mr. Curtis smiled at the sleeping boy. He couldn’t be there for Johnny tonight, but he felt slightly better knowing he was there for the other boys. He stayed awake all night, just in case they needed him.

Chapter Text

As the blackness enveloped him, he was left stranded in one last thought. He was alone. That is all he knew, stuck motionless in the darkness of his mind.
Alone.
They would probably forget about him, and he would be left forever in the bushes. He would just slowly disappear; maybe he already had. But what was the warmth slowly spreading through him, and why was the pain diminishing? Under him, the ground was no longer cold grass; it was soft, comfy, and warm. As his brain came back to consciousness, movement began to return to his body; he was no longer trapped in his mind.

Johnny’s eyelids twitched slightly; gradually, they peaked out. He was no longer buried in the bushes; he was in a bed in a hospital, and he wasn’t alone. All the fear and loneliness he had been filled with moments ago evaporated as soon as he saw her. She would never leave him alone; he should know that by now.

“Mrs C?” He rasped.
She sat bolt upright in an instant.
“Johnny?” She said, rushing to his side, “Welcome back, honey. Is everything okay?” She asked, kissing him on the head, then on the cheek, and then on the head again.
“I'm thirsty,” Johnny croaked.
"Here, honey, have a few sips of this,” Mrs. C said, helping him drink from a glass.
“Am I dying?” Johnny asked, fear creeping back.
"No, sweetie, no. You were very hurt, but they managed to take down all the swelling; they just need to make sure your ribs and lungs are okay, and then you’ll be all fixed,” Mrs. Curtis explained.
“Do I have to stay here?” He asked worriedly.
“Just for a little while. They need to monitor you for a bit and help get your recovery started, and then you’ll come home and I’ll look after you,” she said with her kind, reassuring smile.
“I want to go home,” Johnny said, tears brimming.
"Oh, honey, it’s okay. I promise we will spend every minute with you,” she said, trying to comfort him.
Johnny nodded, tears still falling silently, but she scooped him up and held him tight. Her heart was beating against his ears, and that was enough to calm him down, and he fell back asleep in her arms, his hand wrapped tightly in hers.

~

"Oh, good, you’re awake. I’m afraid I’ve got to change the bandage on your arm and clean out the cuts,” a nurse said kindly.
Johnny looked down at his left arm, which had a bandage around it where he had been cut by the flying glass bottles. He looked over at Mrs. C nervously.
“It’s okay, honey. You want me to hold your hand?” Mrs C asked.
Johnny nodded, his lip wobbling slightly.
Mrs. C came and sat on the bed with him and took his hand as the nurse unwrapped the bandage.
“This might sting a bit, sweetie, but I’ll be as quick as I can,” the nurse told him as she readied the antiseptic ointment.
Johnny couldn’t help but gasp as the antiseptic touched the cut. He tried to pull his arm away from the nurse.
“No, no more,” Johnny cried, looking pleadingly at Mrs. C.
“It will be really fast, honey,” Mrs. C said, reaching over and pulling him closer to her side.
“I’ll do it as quick as I can,” the nurse promised with a sympathetic smile.
“You just squeeze my hand, baby,” Mrs. C said.
Johnny’s eyes filled with tears, but he nodded at the nurse.
“Oww, Oww, Oww!” Johnny exclaimed, his voice cracking and his lips beginning to wobble as the nurse started to clean the cuts.
"Shh, shhh, it’s okay,” Mrs. C said, stroking his hair.
“It hurts!” Johnny said, tears brimming, as he started to squirm.
“Nearly done, sweetie,” Mrs. Curtis said, doing her best to hold Johnny in place and keeping him calm.
Johnny started to sob as the final largest cut was cleaned. Mrs. C rubbed up and down his arm and, with her other hand, squeezed his hand tight.
“I know, I know.” She sighed, her heart breaking at his pain.
The nurse stood up.
“All finished,” Mrs. Curtis told Johnny, pulling him into her lap. “You’re so brave,” she said, kissing the top of his head as he cried into her shoulder.
He stayed in her arms as she rocked him, slowly drifting off to sleep.

~

Once he woke up, it was time to get ready for his minor surgery. Johnny did his best to be brave, but as they got him prepped, once again he began to panic.
“I don’t want to!" He cried.
“It’s okay, sweetie; I promise I’ll be with you all the time,” Mrs C said, stroking his hair.
“No no!” Johnny said, desperately scrambling away as they brought out a sedative injection.
“It’s okay, baby,” Mrs. C said, trying not to cry at his fear.
She picked him up and sat him on her lap so she could hold his hand as they did the injection.
Johnny wailed when the needle went in, but she was right there, ready to hug him as soon as it was out. She held him as he cried, but as the drugs began to make him drowsy, he calmed down, and she laid him back down on the table. She took his hand, knowing that she was not going to let go the entire time.

~

“We can’t go just yet, boys; we have to wait till he’s had his operation,” Mr. Curtis told them for the 50th time.
It had not been a nice morning in the Curtis house; the boys were sleep-deprived and missing their brother. Mrs. Matthews had come over to lend a hand as best she could.
“But you said we could see him in the morning!” Soda whined.
“We have to wait until he’s had this bit done, and then we’ll be able to see him as much as we want,” Mr. Curtis explained.
“I’m going to the hospital!” Dallas announced, marching to the door.
Mr. Curtis beat him there and locked the top bolt that was out of all of their reach. Dallas growled and kicked the door a few times.
“Let me out!” He shouted.
“I’m going to break my arm, so you have to take us to the hospital!” Steve yelled, his voice cracking and frustration evident.
“Calm down, Stevie,” Mrs. Matthews sighed, standing up and pulling him to snuggle against her as she talked to him, gently trying to calm him down.
“It won’t be long; we just have to wait until she calls,” Mr. C sighed, pulling Dally away before he could break the door.

…

Half an hour later, the phone still hadn’t rung. Two boys were now in tears as a result of the frustration and worry for their brother. Mrs. Matthews was trying to calm down a crying TwoBit, while Mr. C paced back and forth, holding a sobbing Soda. Pony was curled up against Mrs. Matthews, holding one of Twobit’s hands. Mr. C was exhausted and not to mention really worried for Johnny.
"Steve, stop that, son!” Mr. Curtis called as Steve started punching cushions across the living room.
He knew it was all going to boil over soon if he didn’t act fast.
“Okay boys, go get your shoes on; we’ll see if we can get to the hospital and see him,” Mr. Curtis sighed.

~

The car had barely parked up, and Steve and Soda took off across the parking lot.
“Dad!” Darry exclaimed,
Mr. C looked around, seeing the runaways.
“Christ!” He muttered, racing after them.
He caught up to them, managed to get a hold of their wrists, and led them back to the car.
"Right, Soda, hold Darry’s hand,” he said, handing Soda over to Darry. “Dallas, you’re going to hold my hand. Pony, you stay with Keith and Mrs. Matthews. It’s going to be very busy in there, so no running off; if you’re not calm and sensible, they definitely won’t let you in to see Johnny,” he explained.

“Excuse me, would you mind directing me to Jonathan Cade?” He asked the receptionist at the front desk.
“Are you family?” She asked, eyeing the number of children.
“Just tell us where he is!” Dallas urged.
"Alright, Dallas, shhhh. Yes, we are family; his brothers are extremely anxious to see him,” Mr. Curtis explained.

~

Johnny sat up in bed, slightly groggy but much calmer. The surgery had gone smoothly. He had been given some medicine, so he wasn’t in any pain, and Mrs. Curtis sat on the chair, reading him a story. As she was reading, they began to hear a lot of hushed voices outside.
“I wanna knock!” TwoBit hissed.
"No, you said I could knock!” Soda argued.
“Let’s just forget knocking and go in!” Dallas exclaimed.
The door opened, and they all bustled in.
“Johnny!” Dally grinned, running over to him.
"Woah, gentle boys, gentle!” Mrs. Curtis called as they all descended on Johnny's bed, giving him hugs.
"Okay, back up, back up!” Mr. Curtis said, moving them all away, “How’s my boy doing?” He asked Johnny, leaning down.
“I’m okay,” Johnny told him.
Mr. Curtis smiled and leaned down, gently kissing him on the head.
“I love you, honey; I’m so glad you’re okay,” Mr. Curtis sighed.

The boys chatted happily with Johnny, so relieved to know he was okay. They were on their way back to normal. The boys buried Johnny in the gifts they picked out for him in the gift shop, and Johnny laughed and giggled as they played for a while with the assortment of stuffed animals and toy cars.

But as it came to dinner time, the nurses said that everyone needed to leave apart from Mrs. Curtis.
“No!” There were shouts as nearly all of the boys went and stood by Johnny.
Mr. Curtis sighed.
"Darry, can you go with Mrs. Matthews and unlock the car?” Mr. Curtis asked him.
Darry nodded, said goodbye to Johnny, and headed out of the room.
“Come on, boys, tomorrow we’ll come straight after school and visit Johnny. Me and Mr. C will take turns keeping him company in the meantime,” Mrs. C said, knowing by the mixture of wobbling lips and looks of stubborn defiance this was not going to be easy.

The boys still didn’t budge. Mr. Curtis sighed, reaching first for Ponyboy, who wailed at the top of his lungs, as Mr. Curtis carried him out to the car. He put him in with Mrs. Matthews and Darry, locking the door behind him to prevent any escaping. He returned, hoping Mrs. C would have managed at least some of the others to come quietly, but she was having no luck. Soda and Dally were on either side of Johnny on his bed, with a firm grip on the railings, and Steve and TwoBit were the same further down the bed. He went for TwoBit next, having to tickle him in order to get him to release his grip on the rail. But TwoBit was not laughing as Mr. C carried him out to the car.

Johnny sat there sadly as his brothers were slowly dragged away.
“It’s okay, honey; they’re just sad because they love you so much,” Mrs. C told him.
Johnny nodded as Mr. C returned, looking exhausted.
“Come on, Steve,” he said.
Steve shook his head, Mr. C sighed, and once again he had to physically drag another boy to the car, where Mrs. Matthews was doing her best to try and calm them all down.

As Mr. C carried a struggling Soda out of the room, Mrs. Curtis went to crouch beside Johnny and Dallas.
“I wanna stay!” Dallas whined.
Johnny had his arms wrapped around Dallas, clinging desperately to his last brother.
“I know, honey, but you can’t. You know Johnny’s okay now, and he will be well looked after. But I need you to be really mature for me, give him a last hug goodbye, and go quietly with Mr. Curtis.” Mrs Curtis said kindly.
“No!” Dallas said, thumping the bed.
“Listen to me, listen,” Mrs. C said, tilting Dally’s chin to look at her. “I think if Mr. C has to drag you out of here, it’s going to upset Johnny even more,” Mrs. C said.
“I don’t want him to go!” Johnny cried out.
“It’s okay, sweetie; he’ll come and see you after school tomorrow; come on, give him one last big hug,” she said, trying to urge them to be brave.
Johnny dried his eyes and gave Dallas one last big hug. He looked at him sadly. He knew he wasn’t going to be alone, but he didn’t like being without his brothers.
“Come on, up you get,” Mrs. Curtis said, lifting Dallas off the bed.
He immediately tried to climb back on the bed, but Mrs. C took his arms and manoeuvred him away.
"No, no, what did I say?” she said, crouching down to him.
Dallas stopped struggling and stood still.
“Good boy,” she said, kissing the top of his head and standing back up.

"Ah, that’s my man,” Mr. Curtis smiled tiredly at Dallas coming back in.
He walked over and ruffled Johnny's hair.
“I’ll see you later, kiddo,” he promised. “Come on, trouble,” Mr. Curtis called to Dallas, holding out his hand.
Dallas wandered over and took it, turning back and giving Johnny a sad wave before they left the room.
Mrs. Curtis looked at Johnny, who still had his eyes on the door.
"Hey, sweetie, what about another story?” She suggested.

Mrs. Curtis did her best to make Johnny feel as safe and loved as she could in the hospital. She read him stories and got to chat with him more than she ever had before.
“Sweetie, can I ask why you didn’t come to me and Mr. Curtis when you were hurt?” She asked.
It was the question that had been bugging her since they found him.
Johnny shifted slightly nervously.
“It’s okay; I promise I won’t be mad.” She told him, looking him straight in the eye with a kind smile.
“Well, I was going to. But when I got there, everyone was shouting and fighting, and it really scared me,” Johnny explained.
“Ah,” Mrs. C noted, "Oh, honey. It wasn’t anything scary; all your brothers just got a bit out of hand all at once, so it got very loud. Im so sorry we scared you, baby,” she sighed.
“Everyone just sounded really angry,” Johnny mumbled.
Mrs. C sat for a moment, not knowing how to reassure him.
"Honey, how many times has Dallas got angry and told me and Mr. Curtis he hates us?” She began.
“A lot,” Johnny shrugged.
“Do you think he really hates us?” She asked him.
“No way, he just says it when he’s upset.” Johnny replied.
“Exactly. I know it sounded bad yesterday, but it was just like that; people were upset and doing and saying things they didn’t mean. The most important thing I want you to know is that no matter what was going on inside, if you had come in needing help, every single person in that house would have dropped all the drama immediately and jumped to your assistance,” she told him.
He looked up at her.
“We would never do anything to hurt you, ever. You must never be scared to come to us for help,” she told him.
Johnny nodded.
“I promise,” he said with a smile, the first one in a while.
“Now me and Mr. Curtis have a surprise for you. We were going to save it for your birthday, but I think now is a good time for it. Honey, do you know what adoption means?” She asked him.
Johnny gasped.
He felt his heart jump, and joy burst through his soul. He leaned over and grabbed Mrs. C, tightly embracing her.
"Well, I’m guessing that’s a yes.” Mrs. C laughed, hugging him and then pulling him to face her. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” She asked, seeing tears pouring down his face.
“My biggest dream just came true,” Johnny cried.
"Oh, my sweet angel,” she said, embracing him tightly. “You’re my dream, honey,” she said, a stray tear leaking from her eye.

Chapter Text

“Stop it now, boys!” Mrs. Curtis reprimanded, turning around from driving as they came to a stop sign. “You are all going to school, and that’s final! We will go and see Johnny later,” she said firmly, shouting over all the protests from the grumpy boys.
“How come Pony gets to spend the day with him?” Soda whined.
“Because Pony doesn’t have school,” she replied.
Her and Mr. C had swapped over after Johnny had fallen asleep, so she was heading to take his place as soon as she’d dropped the boys off so he could go to work.

It took about 10 minutes of persuasion, bribery, and, in the end, threats to get the boys into school.
They don’t exactly find it easy to focus at the best of times, and now that one of their brothers was in the hospital, they found it near impossible to think of anything else. Which is why, by the end of the first hour, TwoBit, Steve, Soda, and Dallas were all in the reflection room.

“No talking!” Mrs. Brookes said, firmly.
They were split across two tables in the middle of the room, communicating through looks and miming.
"Boys, do I need to put you in different parts of the room?” Mrs. Brookes sighed as the mouthing and whispering continued. “Get on with your work!” She told them.

The boys picked up their pencils and went back to their work. After only a moment, a note slid across to Dally.
“You up for an outing, to the hospital perhaps?” It read in Twobit’s writing.
Dallas grinned and checked it, passing it subtly on to Soda and Steve. They each read it and gave a discrete nod with matching grins.

As they had been sent to the reflection room, they were not allowed out at recess, but they knew that they would get 3 minutes at the end to get some fresh air. They had 3 minutes to escape. Now this should be impossible, but they had a secret weapon.

~

“Yo Tim!” Dally called as they all sprinted over to him the minute they’d been let out.
"Ayyy, junior jailbirds,” Tim greeted coolly, leaning against the wall.
“We need to breakout,” Dally told him.
Tim grinned.
“I thought you’d be requiring my services today.” He smirked. “The hospital, I presume?” He asked, and they nodded. “Follow me.”

~

Darry scanned the playground. Where the hell was everybody? Even if all the boys had been kicked out of class, it was the last three minutes now, and they should be appearing. Nope, no one, not even Tim. Darry glanced in the reflection room window; it was empty. They must be somewhere else. He turned to go back to class, but he stepped on something. A piece of paper. He picked it up and looked at it.
“Those idiots!” He exclaimed, running off, leaving the note with a TwoBit’s scrawl falling to the ground behind him.

~

"Easy, there you go,” Tim said, helping Steve shimmy down the wall.
"Thanks, Tim,” Dallas said.
Now they were all gathered on the street outside the school.
“How’d you find this spot?” TwoBit asked.
“I gotta do something when I’m skipping class, ain't I?” Tim grinned.
"Umm, where do we go now?” Soda asked tentatively.
“You gotta get the bus to the hospital,” Tim told them.
“Cool. Let’s go, guys,” Dally said, heading off down the street.
“You know where you’re going?” Tim asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah, man,” Dally shrugged, hands in pockets.
“Bus stop is that way, genius!” Tim laughed, crossing the road and ducking into the motorcycle shop.
Dallas blushed slightly and then led them off down the street.

“How do we know what bus to get?” Steve asked Dally.
"Umm, I think all buses are the same, aren’t they?” Dallas said, looking at TwoBit, the oldest of the escapees.
“I think they all go to different places,” TwoBit replied.
“Maybe we should just walk to the hospital?” Soda suggested.
"Yeah, let’s just walk. I saw it on a map before; it’s only a few cm away,” Steve said.
"Yeah, a few cm will be easy to walk,” Dallas agreed.

~

After half an hour, they hadn’t made much progress in finding the hospital. Instead, they pooled together all their loose change and stopped off to buy candy. Well, initially, they had tried to buy beer and cigarettes, but the shopkeeper refused to let the three 5-year-olds and the 7-year-old purchase these things, much to their dismay, so they settled for some sodas and candy.

They ambled along. Steve was sure that they must have walked a few cm by now. The initial excitement had worn off, and they were all getting bored of walking.
“Woah, look at the castle!” Soda gasped, pointing at a big building.
It was not a castle; it was, in fact, a warehouse.
“Cool!” Twobit admired.
“Maybe we should just take a little break and have a look inside,” Soda suggested.
“I can’t see anyone; I think it’s empty,” Steve said.
"TwoBit, what’s that sign mean?” Dally asked, pointing at the broken fence.
"Ummm, abandoned,” TwoBit told him, climbing through the hole in the fencing.
They all followed him beyond the sign that very clearly said, “Private Property. No Tresspassing.”

~

It was very calm in the hospital. Johnny was recovering well, and he was much brighter. Mrs. Curtis and Ponyboy had spent the morning playing card games and reading stories. Johnny was starting to smile again, more and more. There was a knock at the door, and a nurse appeared. Johnny held out his arm, expecting another oxygen reading to be taken.
“Not this time, honey,” the nurse smiled at him. “Mrs. Curtis, your husband is on the phone. It sounds quite urgent.” The nurse explained.

~

“Hello?” Mrs. Curtis asked warily.
“The school just called me. It seems the boys are missing,” Mr. Curtis told her.
“What do you mean missing?” She asked.
“The school said when recess finished and everyone came back to class, four boys didn’t. Now as we can probably rule out a quadruple kidnapping in broad daylight, I imagine they’ve schemed together some sort of escape plan.” Mr. Curtis spoke through gritted teeth.
"Oh, Lord, give me strength!” Mrs. Curtis exclaimed, "Well, where on earth have they gone?” She asked, her anger fading momentarily as she began to panic about the four young boys out all alone.
"Well, I would guess they’re heading your way, or at least trying to. I don’t quite fancy their navigation skills,” he sighed.
“Oh god, Darrel, what if they get lost or abducted?” Mrs. Curtis panicked.
"Well, I’m leaving work now, and I’ll see if I can find them. The school has sent out some off-duty teachers too. Be on the lookout though; by some miracle, they may be able to make it 5 miles to the hospital,” Mr. Curtis said.

~

Darry had been conflicted. He had gone back to class to tell his class teacher, but had chickened out. He sat down in his chair, considering his options. He could tell a teacher and land the boys in a lot of trouble; he could go and find them himself and join the boys in getting into trouble; or he could do nothing and see how things played out. Just then, there was a knock on the classroom door.
"Please, could Darry go and see Ms. Auden?” The voice said.
Darry looked up; it was Tim Shepard.
“Right now?” Mr. Ryman asked.
"Yes, sir,” Tim said in an uncharacteristically polite tone.
“Okay. Darry, off you go,” Mr. Ryman said.
Darry followed Tim out into the corridor; he went in the direction of Ms. Auden’s classroom, but Tim pulled him back.
“What are you doing? Ms. Auden’s is that way!” Darry said.
“I made that up, you idiot. Look, I think I messed up,” Tim started.
Darry realised what he was talking about.
“You helped them escape!” Darry roared.
Tim hushed him and ushered him out onto the playground, behind a wall.
"Yes, I did. But I’m starting to worry. What’s the first thing Mrs. C would do if they turned up at the hospital?” Tim said, talking slightly quicker than usual.
Darry raised his eyebrows.
“Maybe murder them!” He replied.
"Yeah, well after that,” Tim said.
Darry thought for a moment.
“She would call the school,” Darry said.
"Yes, and I’ve been hanging around the front office, and there've been no calls. It’s been two hours. Even if they walked, I reckon they should be there by now,” Tim told him, panic in his eyes.
“Do the school know they’re missing?” Darry asked.
“About 10 minutes ago, Miss Harrow came down to the office and told them, and I think they realised TwoBit had gone too. So they tried calling your home. That’s when I came and got you,” Tim explained.
"Well, what do we do? I’m sure they’ll call Dad at work if Mom is still at the hospital,” Darry panicked.
“We’ve got to try and find them. Just in case they’re lost or hurt, or, I mean, it’s Dally, so they could have been arrested even!” Tim said.
Darry nodded, and they headed off across the playground in the same direction Tim had led the boys hours earlier.

~

Meanwhile, Dallas, TwoBit, Soda, and Steve were having a great time. The building was pretty much empty, apart from a few different trolleys and other equipment for transporting things—the perfect toys to keep them entertained. They charged around, pushing each other along in the carts, having races, and crashing into each other.
“We should breakout more often!” TwoBit yelled, pushing Dally along in a trolley.
“This is so much better than math!” Soda shrieked happily as Dallas crashed into him.
The hospital had drifted from their minds; they had a lot of energy from all the sugar they consumed, and they were making a hell of a racket. So much so that they didn’t hear a gate being opened outside.

~

Mr. Curtis was on his way to the school. He had decided his best bet would be to try and retrace the route the boys would have taken and hopefully find them along the way. He tried to set aside the fear that something had happened and hope that, as usual, they were just causing mischief. He rounded the final corner, coming face-to-face with the one kid he wasn’t searching for. Darry.

“Oh no!” Darry gasped.
“What the hell are you two doing here? Are any of my children in school today?” Mr. Curtis exclaimed.
“Mr. C, we’re just trying to find the others,” Tim pleaded.
"Honest, Dad, we are. I’m worried they’ve been gone for ages. They should have made it to the hospital by now,” Darry added.
“How do you know where they’re going? Please tell me you didn’t know they were going to escape!” Mr. Curtis demanded.
"No, no, no. When they were missing at recess, I went looking for them, and I found this,” Darry said, holding up the note.
Mr. C looked at the note, not particularly surprised.
“How about you, Tim? I imagine you are not an innocent bystander in all this.” Mr. Curtis said, raising his eyebrows.

Mr. C had known Tim since Darry was in second grade. He had played on Darry’s little league team, and since neither of his parents ever bothered to pick him up or watch him, Mr. Curtis had taken it upon himself to give Tim a lift home every week. Eventually, he’d convinced him to let him pick him up as well. He still wouldn’t come over for dinner and wouldn’t let Mr. Curtis repair his baseball glove. He knew there was a limit to the amount of help Tim would accept; over time, it was slowly expanding, but he knew when not to push any further.

It was because of all that Mr. C was about the only adult Tim showed any respect to, evident in how he was standing squirming slightly under his scrutiny.
"Well, I might have helped them over the wall,” Tim muttered, looking down at the floor.
“What did we talk about a few weeks ago?” Mr. Curtis asked him, crouching down so Tim couldn’t avoid his glare.
“Setting a good example and not getting Dally into trouble,” Tim shrugged, avoiding eye contact.
"Doesn't it sound like you’ve been doing that?” Mr. Curtis said, not angrily, just firm enough to make Tim look anywhere but at Mr. Curtis.
Tim kicked a stone across the sidewalk.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Mr. C’s face softened, and he ruffled the boy’s hair slightly—not too much, or he knew that he would push him away.
"Well, at least I suppose you tried to be responsible and go and find them. But you two need to go back,” Mr. C told them.
"No, we need to find them,” Darry protested.
"Look, I will go and search, but I can’t have all of you on the loose. You boys go back to school; I will phone the office and tell them to let you know as soon as we find them all,” Mr. Curtis assured them.

~

It was nearing 2 p.m. The boys had been gone for over 3 hours.
“Any word?” Miss Harrow asked Jenny, the receptionist.
“No, Mrs. Curtis just called from the hospital to check, but still nothing,” Jenny replied, worry evident on her face.
The boys were some of the most frequent visitors to the office, so she had a soft spot for them.
"Well, at least they’re all together. Safety in numbers, hopefully.” Miss Harrow said unsurely, “How’s Johnny doing?” She asked, changing the subject.
“He’s on the mend and doing well. I’ve taken down the ward number now, so we’ll be able to get in touch when they’re there with him,” Jenny explained.

SLAM.

They both whipped their heads around. A ruckus sounded from down the hall; it was getting closer, but they were not quite sure what it was.
Principal Burrows emerged from his office, looking perplexed. It sounded like some sort of fight, but it was moving.
“Get off of me!” Someone shouted.
“That’s Dallas!” Miss Harrow said, running out into the hall towards the noise.

Two men in overalls were marching down the corridor; in each of their hands, they were dragging the boys along by the scruffs of their necks.
“Oh boys, we have been looking everywhere for you!” Miss Harrow exclaimed, hurrying over to them.
“Let’s all come into the office,” Principal Burrows said, ushering everyone in, "Jenny, would you call Mrs. Curtis and let her know they’ve been found and see if someone can come in to have a chat?” he added.
“Get off!” Steve yelled, trying to wriggle out of the man’s hold as they got into the outer office.
“You can let them go now; they won’t escape,” the principal told the men.

“You are lucky we didn’t call the police on these boys!” One of the men erupted, releasing them.
“We didn’t do anything!" Dallas protested.
“Dallas!” Principal Burrows warned, holding a hand up to silence him.
“You are trespassing on private property, not to mention messing with equipment that is dangerous and not for playing!” The other man shouted.
“How do you know? Have you ever tried playing with it?” TwoBit quipped.
Soda and Steve snickered.
“Keith I suggest you keep your comments to yourself. You are in enough trouble!” The principal barked, "Gentleman, would you like to discuss things in my office, and the boys can wait out here?” he suggested.

“Miss Harrow, on your way back to class, would you mind calling into Ms. Auden and Mr. Ryman’s classes to let Darry Curtis and Tim Shepard know the boys are back safe and sound?” Jenny asked.
"Yes, I can do that,” Miss Harrow replied, glaring at the boys for a moment before she left.
Jenny stood up, poured all the boys a glass of water, and made them drink it. After all the sugar, they were quite thirsty, so they were grateful.
“You boys gave everyone a scare, including me!” She said, seriously.
They all looked slightly guilty; Jenny didn’t usually get firm with them.
“I think you boys better take a seat, and I don’t want any nonsense,” she added firmly, pointing at the chairs outside the principal's office.
“Have you called my mom?" Soda asked nervously as they made their way to sit down.
“Yes, she is not pleased,” she told them.
All their faces dropped. They were in for it.

Chapter Text

“Uh Oh. That’s Mommy’s someone’s in big trouble face,” Ponyboy said, pointing as Mrs. Curtis returned from a phone call.
“Yep. Your brothers are doing their absolute best to turn my hair grey,” Mrs. Curtis said, her face softening at Ponyboy’s remark. “Anyway, at least I got my good boys here.” She smiled at them sitting back down.

“I can’t find them anywhere!” Mr. Curtis said, bursting into Johnny’s room.
He was covered in sweat and had clearly been running all over the town, searching.
"Well, the school just called; they’ve been found,” Mrs. Curtis told him.
“Are they okay?” Mr. Curtis demanded, panting.
"Yes, they are fine, but they’re in big trouble. Not only did they escape from school, but they were found trespassing at Wade’s Warehouse,” Mrs. Curtis explained, frustration and exhaustion evident in her tone.
“What on earth are we going to do with them? They are just getting more and more reckless!” Mr. Curtis exclaimed.
"Pony, what would stop your brothers from being naughty?” Mrs. Curtis asked her youngest as he clambered onto her lap.
“Mommy would,” he replied, slightly confused.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis snickered.
“That’s not quite what I meant, honey, but thanks.” Mrs. C smiled at him.
“Are they back at the school?” Mr. Curtis asked.
"Yes, Wade and Chris dragged them there themselves. The school wants someone to go in,” she sighed.
“I’ll go; you stay with Johnny. As I’ve been running all over the city searching for them the last hour, imagining the worst, it would be nice to see them alive and well, and that might keep me from tearing my hair out.” He told them, kissing Johnny on the head before he made his way to the door.
“I don’t want to bother Mrs. Matthews while she’s away, so maybe if we handle Keith too, she won’t mind; in fact, she’ll probably be grateful. He listens to you much more than her,” she said as he reached the door.
Mr. Curtis nodded and sighed.
“They still don’t listen enough, though,” he said, heading out.

~

The boys sat anxiously waiting outside the principal's office.
"Steve, honey, don’t lean on the chair; you’ll fall,” Jenny called over to him.
Steve let the chair legs land on the floor. All the boys were shifting in their seats nervously; even Dally was struggling to disguise it.
Principal Burrows had managed to calm down the men, assuring them the boys would be punished. On their way out, they warned the boys never to set foot in the warehouse again, or they would call the police.

“Timothy Shepard, why aren’t you in class?” Jenny demanded as Tim sauntered in.
“I have a message for Dally,” Tim replied.
He walked over to Dally and smacked him upside the head.
“Ow!” Dally exclaimed, struggling to maintain his coolness as he rubbed his head.
“Don’t scare me like that again!” Tim told him.
“You helped us!” Dally protested.
“I don’t care; don’t ever scare me like that again!” Tim warned him.
"Okay, fine,” Dally muttered.
Tim left, and Dally blushed slightly.

After a while, the principal returned, this time with Mr. Curtis. The boys all sat up straight the moment he entered.
“I ought to knock your heads together!” Mr. Curtis said, shaking his head and glaring at them all.

~

The boys all stood before Principal Burrows’ desk, and Mr. Curtis sat in the chair beside them.
“You boys are very lucky. First of all, you didn’t get hurt, lost, or kidnapped, and secondly, you are lucky that the police weren’t called. Those men were furious; if you boys had gotten hurt on their property, it would cause them a lot of problems. They wanted me to expel you,” Principal Burrows explained angrily.
The boys’ eyes went wide with shock and a slight terror.
“Now I am not going to do that, but you need to understand how serious this is and how much danger and trouble you could have gotten into!” He continued.
“Not to mention how worried you got everyone. There were people out searching for Christ sake!” Mr. Curtis added, matching Principal Burrows’ fury.
“Now what have you got to say for yourselves?” Mr. Burrows demanded.
“Aren’t you just glad that we're back all safe and sound?” Soda tried.
“Sodapop, I’m warning you,” Mr. Curtis said.
“You’d think they’d be happy to find the people they were searching for, but no,” TwoBit muttered.
"Boys, this is not a joke!” Mr. Curtis bellowed, making them all jump.
There was a moment of silence.

“Why did you leave school? You know you’re not allowed.” Principal Burrows prompted them.
The boys all looked at each other.
“We wanted to see Johnny,” Steve mumbled.
“I know you boys miss Johnny, but rules don’t just go out the window when your friend is in the hospital," Mr. Burrows told them.
“Did you not think about how much it would worry me, Mrs. Curtis, and even Johnny?” Mr. Curtis said, slightly exasperated.
"Sorry, we didn’t think anyone would notice,” Soda said.
“That’s not true, and you know it!” Principal Burrows shouted, “You knew it was wrong and you knew you’d be in trouble, but you did it anyway, all of you.” He said this, pointing his finger at all of them as he spoke.

"Boys, before we go any further, I want you each to apologise to the principal. And you better mean it!” Mr. Curtis instructed them.
“We’re really sorry, sir. We won’t do it again,” Soda said sincerely.
"Sorry, Principal Burrow,” Steve added.
"Sorry, sir,” TwoBit said.
“Dallas?” Mr. C spoke through gritted teeth.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. Mr. Curtis glared at him. “Sir,” Dallas muttered, just loud enough for them to hear but quiet enough he could pretend he hadn’t.
Principal Burrows looked at the boys and sighed, “You boys know that there’s going to be consequences for this. We take this behaviour extremely seriously,” the principal explained.
They all nodded miserably.

~

Ten minutes later, in the office, were four very sorry boys. They had each been given two swats of the paddle and would be missing recess for the rest of the week.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Burrows, and I must apologise once again for the boy’s behaviour,” Mr. Curtis said, standing up and shaking the principal’s hand.
“That’s okay; all the water under the bridge now. As long as you boys have learned your lesson.” Principal Burrows asked them.
"Yes, sir,” Soda sniffled, wiping away a tear.
Steve and TwoBit gave vague mumbles of agreement through their sniffles as they dried their eyes. Dallas gave a nod. He hadn’t shed any tears, but he was looking very sorry for himself, and his eyes were certainly glossy.
“Come on, boys, let’s go.” Mr. Curtis sighed. He took Steve and Soda by the hand, and TwoBit and Dallas followed along behind.

The boys trudged back to the car, sniffling. Mr. Curtis knew he should be angry at them but couldn’t help but take pity on their sad faces.
"Boys, do you want to go home or to see Johnny?” He asked them.
“Johnny,” the unison response came, all of their faces brightening up.

~

“Yay!” Johnny cheered when the door opened and the boys arrived.
He grinned widely as they all came over to him, mirroring his smile.
“No, no, no,” Mrs. Curtis exclaimed. “Johnny, no. Don’t reward them for their behaviour!” She said sternly as Johnny hugged all of the boys.
They all started giggling, Johnny included, despite Mrs. C’s sternness.
Mrs. C looked at Mr. C, who held his hands up in defence.
"Look, I know they should be in trouble, but maybe we can save that for later. I mean, look at Johnny's little face,” he said, smiling.
Mrs. Curtis looked, and Johnny was about as animated as she’d ever seen him, with not a hint of nerves or shyness as he and the boys all played together, laughing and joking. She sighed. She was definitely going to be having a stern chat with the boys later, but the smile spreading across Johnny's face was enough for her to lose all the anger and sit and watch her boys play. They were all reunited once again.

Chapter Text

“Homework?” Miss Harrow said, holding out her hand, standing in front of table 4, the table of trouble.
"Johnnys is in the hospital,” Soda said, putting on a frown.
Steve followed his lead.
“We haven’t possibly been able to face homework,” Steve said.
Dallas smirked as the duo continued their theatrics.
“Every time I see math, I just can’t help but think of Johnny,” Soda said, wiping away fake tears.
“Any time I see paper, I just cry!” Steve said, letting out a fake wail.
“Boys!” Miss Harrow sighed.
Soda and Steve weren’t even trying to convince her anymore; they were just entertaining each other.
“JOHNNY WOULD HAVE LOVED THIS WEEK'S SPELLING WORDS!” Soda shouted.
He and Steve erupted into hysterics.
“Okay! Enough!” Miss Harrow bellowed, “Sorry everyone else for the disruption.” She added, turning to the rest of the class.
“Almost as disruptive as your friend going into the hospital,” Soda laughed.
“Sodapop!” She scolded. “You boys, come over to my desk a minute,” she said, motioning with her finger.
Steve and Soda finally calmed themselves down from laughing at their own jokes and followed her.

"Now it is Thursday, Johnny has just been resting, and there’s been no concern about his condition since Monday. And Darry told me that he is getting out of the hospital tomorrow, and he’s doing very well. So that excuse needs to stop. I’ve been giving you boys a lot of allowances this week, but no more,” she told them.
"Wow, if this was you making allowances, I hate to see what you’re like normally,” Soda giggled.
Miss Harrow glared at him and then stood up and wrote his name on the board. Soda groaned.
“I warned you. Back to normal; you behave like everyone else has to, or you’re in trouble.” She informed them.
“Were already in trouble, remember,” Steve said.
"Well, you wouldn’t be if you hadn’t decided to escape from school, so you brought that on yourselves,” she told him firmly. “Now why haven’t either of you done the homework?“ She demanded.
Steve and Soda shifted guiltily.
“We just forgot.” Steve shrugged.
“You shouldn’t need to have Mrs. C there to make sure you do it; just because she’s with Johnny, homework still needs to be done,” Miss Harrow said. “But as on the whole, you two are pretty good at doing your homework; I’ll let it slide. You can sit and do it for me at recess, though,” she added.
"Uh, come on,” Soda whined.
“You’re staying in anyway, so it’ll give you something to do. Now go sit down and do your work quietly,” she told them.
Steve and Soda walked away.
“Dallas, your turn” she called out.

“I don’t know how many times we need to have this conversation. You managed to do homework when you were on report for the week why can’t you always do it?” Miss Harrow asked him.
Dallas shrugged.
Miss Harrow sighed.
“Is it too hard? Do you need help?” She asked him.
"No, I just have better things to do,” he retorted.
Miss Harrow frowned.
"Well, you’ve had plenty of chances, so I’m going to have to call Mrs. Curtis,” Miss Harrow announced, turning and writing herself a reminder note.
“It’s just homework; I don’t see why you have to call about it,” Dallas spat.
"Well, I don’t see why you can’t just do it. It would save you all this trouble,” she told him calmly, not rising to his anger.
“You’re the one making a big deal out of it and causing all the trouble,” Dallas muttered, scowling.
“Go and sit down,” Miss Harrow ordered him, deciding that if he disobeyed that instruction, then there were going to be consequences.
Luckily, Dallas stomped back to his seat.

~

"Sodapop, I'm not going to tell you again; pick up that pencil,” Principal Burrows called over as Soda leaned back in his chair, throwing and catching an eraser.
TwoBit, Dallas, Steve, and Soda were sitting at the large meeting table in his office; they had been for every recess that week.
“But I don’t want to do homework now,” Soda moaned.
Principal Burrows sighed. These recess detentions had been near impossible to keep the boys quiet.
“Keith, I saw that,” he said as TwoBit popped a candy in his mouth.
“Saw what?” TwoBit said, grinning.
“Go put it in the trash,” Mr. Burrows told him.
“I mean, that’s just plain wasteful; it’s a perfectly good candy.” TwoBit said.
"Yes, sir, you always tell everyone not to throw away perfectly good food,” Steve added.
“Would you boys like to spend recess next week in here?” Principal Burrows asked them.
“No,” the boys muttered.
“Then just sit and be quiet; it shouldn’t be this hard.” Principal Burrows explained.
“I am sitting quiet, but you’re making me do homework,” Soda argued.
"No, Miss Harrow decided that you need to do some homework today, so you will be doing some homework. Keith!” Mr. Burrow bellowed, as TwoBit popped a new candy in his mouth. “Give them to me,” he demanded, walking over from his desk and holding his hand out.
"Ahhh, I’m being mugged,” TwoBit exclaimed, shielding his pocket.
“3…2-“ Principal Burrows began in a warning tone.
“Okay, okay,” TwoBit interjected.
He took the packet out of his pocket and started placing the candies in Mr. Burrows’ hands one by one. Principal Burrows snatched the packet, walking back over to his desk and shoving it in a drawer. He returned to the meeting table and sat at the head of it in front of the boys.
“Now you three are all doing the same worksheet?” Principal Burrows asked, his kind tone returning.
They nodded.
“Okay, come on, we’ll work through it together then.” He told them, “You just sit there and keep quiet,” he added to TwoBit.
With Principal Burrows’ help, the boys did that homework, and TwoBit kept quiet—but only because he was secretly sucking on a secret candy!

~

“What’s up, Dally?” Tim said, nudging Dally at the cafeteria table.
“He’s just sulking because Miss Harrow is going to call Mom about him never doing homework,” Soda told him.
"Well, that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about. They ring my house; no one answers.” Tim laughed, but there was a hint of sadness behind his facade.
“I don’t know why he’s sulking. I told him plenty of times what would happen,” Darry said, in a tone so similar to Mr. C’s.
Dally looked up and glared at him, but couldn’t help but smirk slightly as Darry was hit in the face by a piece of flying bread, courtesy of Steve.
“Hey!” Darry exclaimed.
Steve only grinned as he and Soda launched another piece of bread at Darry.
Darry collected the bread from the table and launched it back at them.
“Darrel! Don’t throw food!” Coach Haines shouted from across the cafeteria.
"Yeah, Darrel, don’t throw food,” Steve giggled.
“What a bad example you’re setting,” TwoBit said, shaking his head.
Darry blushed slightly and hurriedly changed the subject.
“Hey Tim, will you come to my birthday?” Darry asked.
Tim looked at him, hesitating.
"Yeah, Tim, will you?” Soda asked.
“I don’t know, when is it?” Tim asked, but Darry knew he was really asking where it was.
"Ummm, next weekend. We’re going to the fair and then back home for cake and stuff,” Darry told him.
“I’ll come to the fair,” Tim said.
"Awww, come on, Tim. You gotta come back to the house for the party,” TwoBit whined.
“You could always leave if you don’t like it,” Darry added.
“I don’t know, man.” Tim said, slightly unsure.
“Mom said you could bring Curly. I think he and Pony met at the park,” Darry said.
Tim looked at them all uncomfortably.
“Come on, man, you gotta come,” Dallas said, breaking his sulky silence.
Tim looked at Dallas, who nodded encouragingly.
“Okay, fine,” Tim sighed, getting up and making a quick exit after he agreed.

~

Soda and Steve jumped on each other, playfighting and rolling onto the floor of the gymnasium. Coach Haines sighed.
“Soda, Steve!” Coach barked, and the boys rolled off each other. “Come on, your team captains,” he told them.
“But we want to be on the same team!” Soda protested.
“Nope, we know how well that goes! I want you two separated,” he told them.

Coach Haines got the gym session underway. Today it was soccer. Team Steve vs. Team Soda.
“That was a foul!” Steve argued as a boy tackled the ball away, leaving him on the ground.
"No, it wasn’t,” Soda yelled, running over.
"Hey, no arguing. My decision is final; no foul; play on,” Coach Haines said.
“Told you,” Soda muttered.
Steve frowned, anger brewing in him.

The game continued, and Soda’s team raced ahead. Steve was getting more frustrated by the competitiveness eating away at him.
“Ow!” A boy yelled falling to the floor, even though Steve didn’t touch him.
“Penalty,” Coach announced. "Steve, be more careful.”
“I didn’t touch him!” Steve protested.
“Umpires decision is final!” Coach Haines shouted over Steve’a angry protests.
Soda lined up for the penalty and put it straight past the goalie. His team cheered.
Soda winked at Steve as he ran back to his position. It was only meant in a friendly banter way, but Steve was not in the mood for friendly banter. He shoulder-barged Soda hard. Soda fell to the ground.
“What the hell?” Soda exclaimed.
Coach Haines jogged over.
"Right, Steve, go and sit out, please.” Coach Haines ordered
“His team cheated,” Steve yelled.
“I’m not arguing with you. Red card,” Coach told him.
"Oh, come on, sir, there’s only like 7 minutes left,” Soda said, standing back up.
“Shut up, Soda; you can’t count anyway,” Steve said, pushing Soda as he stomped off to the side.
Soda looked after Steve with a hurt and slightly confused expression on his face.

The game continued. Steve sat on the sidelines, fuming. When the whistle blew, Soda walked over to him, but Steve stood up and started walking before he could get to him.
Soda ran after him.
“Steve, what’s going on?” Soda asked.
“Your team cheated,” Steve spat.
“Maybe we’re just better; it sounds like you’re a bit of a sore loser,” Soda smirked.
Steve’s eyes darkened.
"Okay I hope you enjoy winning. You know you’re so good at sports, Soda. If you weren’t so stupid and had some brains, you’d be just like Darry,” Steve shouted before stomping off.
Soda looked after him; Steve hadn’t hit him, but it felt like he’d just been punched straight in the stomach—actually straight in the heart.

~

Miss Harrow looked at the clock; it was time to go and collect her class from the gym. She set off down the hall towards the locker room; she could see Soda sitting down against the wall at the end of the hall. She sighed; no doubt he’d been kicked out of class again. But as she got nearer, she realised his shoulders were shaking and he was sniffling quietly.
“Sodapop?” She asked.
He looked up with tears rolling down his cheeks.
“What’s the matter?” She asked, crouching down in front of him.
As a kindergarten teacher, tears were a daily, if not hourly, occurrence in her classroom, but Soda was not one to usually shed a tear.
“I’m dumb,” Soda sobbed.
Miss Harrow sighed and moved over to sit down beside him against the wall.
"Now, what gave you that idea?” She asked.
“Steve said it,” Soda told her in a soft voice.
Now this took her back slightly.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that.” Miss Harrow told him.
“He did; he shouted at me, said how dumb I am, and walked off,” Soda cried.
Her heart sank slightly, although Soda and Steve drove her absolutely crazy—you could not deny their friendship. It would be an awful shame if that did fall apart.
“Soda, remind me who won the class storytelling competition?” She prompted him.
“Me,” Soda replied.
“And who was it that solved the class detective mystery challenge?” She asked.
“Me,” He said, sitting up more, his face brightening slightly.
“That takes a very clever and bright person. Sodapop, you’re the exact opposite of dumb; you hear me?” She asked him.
Soda looked up; he had stopped crying but still didn’t seem completely convinced.
“But Darry,“ Soda began.
“Are we talking about Darry?” She interrupted him.
“No,” Soda replied.
"No, we’re talking about Sodapop. You don’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. When I look at you, I don’t think about what Darry does. I think of all the great things you do,” she told him.
"Well, Steve clearly doesn’t,” Soda said sadly.
“Soda, I think Steve thinks more of you than anyone else. I am sure whatever he said, he did not mean. You must have said stuff like that when you were angry before.” She told him.
Soda shrugged.
"Well, you just remember what I said. You are not dumb, and if I hear you calling yourself that again, I will not be happy. Remember, we don’t tell lies.”
Soda smiled and gave a faint nod.

~

Mrs. Curtis was confused. There was an odd silence between Soda and Steve. Something was going on. At the hospital, they had both been quiet as the boys all played with Johnny. On the car ride home, Steve and Soda sat away from each other. It was quite unnerving without their usual racket.

Mr. Curtis was at the hospital with Johnny, so it was just her and the boys tonight. Instead of playing with Soda, Steve sat with his toy aeroplane on the mat. Soda kept glancing at Steve as he and TwoBit galloped around the living room. There was a weird tension in the air.
“Steve and Soda, can I see you in a minute?” Mrs. C called.
“We didn’t do anything,” Soda said.
“You’re not in trouble; I just want to talk to you.” She informed them.

In the kitchen, both boys stood before her, leaving a distance between them.
What’s going on?” She asked, crouching down.
“What do you mean?” Steve asked.
“Usually I cannot shut you two up or pry you away from one another. You won’t even look at each other, so tell me what’s happened.” She explained.
Steve and Soda both glanced at each other.
“Steve was mean,” Soda burst out.
“You’re a cheater!” Steve erupted.
“I didn’t cheat, you just lost!” Soda yelled back.
“DID NOT!” Steve bellowed.
The boys erupted into an argument and stomped towards each other.
"Woah, woah, woah,” Mrs. Curtis said, stepping between them. “One at a time, and everyone keep their hands to themselves,” she said.
“He lost at basketball, was a sore loser, and called me dumb.” Soda explained.
“Steven?” Mrs. Curtis said, raising her eyebrows, “Was that a nice thing to say to Soda?” She asked him.
“No…but… I didn’t mean... he was teasing me about losing.” Steve protested.
“I was just joking, but you just got angry.” Soda replied.
“Steven, what has happened in the past when you get too competitive?” Mrs C said, sighing.
Steve looked at the floor, guilty.
“Get angry,” he mumbled.
“Yes. You lose your temper, fly off the handle, and get into trouble. Do you think Soda was really trying to upset you?” She asked him, turning him to face her.
“No,” Steve muttered.
“Were you really trying to upset him?” She asked him.
“No,” Steve said, looking up at Soda sadly.
“I think you both owe each other an apology.” Mrs. C suggested.
“Sorry Soda,” Steve said sincerely.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry if I upset you.” Soda replied, his grin returning.
The boys smiled at each other. There was a moment of hesitation as the reunion sank in.
"Say, Mom, I think for being so mature, we earned some candy.” Soda tried.
"Yeah, I mean, did you see how mature we were then? I reckon that’s at least a lollipop,” Steve added, following Soda’s lead.
“The doctor said Steve had a sugar deficiency.” Soda laughed.
"Yeah, and Soda had a lack of lollipops,” Steve smirked.
Mrs. C sighed; thankfully, the phone rang so she could walk away from their theatrics. She picked it up; unfortunately Miss Harrow was at the end of the line.

“Dallas Winston, get in here right now!” She bellowed.

Chapter Text

“So you can’t go to school today because you’re really sick?” Mrs. Curtis sighed.
Dally nodded.
She leaned over the couch and put a hand on his forehead.
“You don’t have a fever,” she said.
“I didn’t say I had a fever; I said I was sick,” Dally replied.
"Hmm, it’s such a funny coincidence that you’re ill the day Johnny comes home from the hospital,” she said, raising her eyebrows.
Dallas’ eyes shifted slightly, and then he did a couple coughs, looking back up at Mrs. C, hopefully.
“Okay, we’re going to make a deal.” Mrs Curtis said, smiling slightly, “You can stay home with Johnny, but he will need to sleep for a few hours, and when he’s asleep, you will be sitting at the table doing homework.” She bargained.
“I don’t have any homework,” Dallas argued.
"Dallas, just because you don’t do your homework does not mean you don’t have any. Me and Miss Harrow had a long talk on the phone, and if you don’t start doing your homework, you will fall behind, and there’ll be consequences.” She told him.
“I ain’t doing it,” Dallas retorted.
“If you’re well enough to argue, you’re well enough to go to school,” she told him.
Dallas huffed but stayed silent.
“That’s the deal; you stay home and do homework, or you go to school and see Johnny tonight.” Mrs Curtis explained.
“Stay home,” Dally muttered.
“Okay. This is a one-off though, for extenuating circumstances, so make the most of it; it won't happen again,” she warned him.

Johnny was recovering well. The doctors had given him crutches to help him start getting used to taking his own weight again and build back up to walking. They said he should be back to normal within the month. Mr. Curtis would be bringing him back that morning. The rest of the boys had gone off to school, so Mrs. Curtis started to bake some welcome-home muffins for Johnny. Though there were some strange noises coming from the living room.
"Boys, what are you doing in there?” She called.
“Nothing!” Pony replied hurriedly.
She sighed and headed into the room to see for herself what was going on.

It wasn’t mischief; in fact, the boys were rearranging the couch, so Johnny had a makeshift bed with a table by his side and a little basket of books, toys, and blankets. They looked up at Mrs. C, ready to be told off, but she just smiled and left them to it.

~

Dallas and Pony gave Johnny a tour of the special space they’d created for him. Johnny was ever so pleased to be home. Mrs. C carried him into the kitchen and sat him on top of the counter.
“Now, how about a welcome-home muffin?” She said to take the tray of cakes out of the oven.
Johnny beamed and nodded excitedly, but then his face dropped. Mrs. C followed his eyeline. He was looking out the window at the blue flashing lights heading up the street. He looked as the cop cars came to a stop.
“Hey honey, why don't we go and sit with Dally and Pony?” Mrs. C suggested, trying to turn him away from the window.
“Do I not get to say goodbye?” Johnny asked, his eyes filling with tears as he looked back out the window.
They could hear the sounds of distant shouting.
“Get off me! Keep the stupid kid; I don’t want him anyway.” A voice was shrieking.
Mrs. Curtis sighed.
“Do you want to say goodbye?” She asked him.
He looked back at the struggle between the cops and his parents, who were cussing and resisting arrest.
“No,” he said, turning back and holding his arms out.
Mrs. Curtis picked him up.
“You’re home now, baby, and you always will be. I’ll do everything I can to protect you, I promise,” Mrs. Curtis whispered to him as she stroked his hair.
“Mom! Stop hogging Johnny!” Pony whined, coming into the kitchen.
Mrs. Curtis chuckled.
“Okay, we’re coming.” She smiled at her youngest. “Are you ready to join them?” She asked.
Johnny nodded, his smile returning.
The cop car drove off down the street, inside the two people who gave Johnny life. Johnny sat smiling as it drove away, surrounded by the people who showed him love.

~

“Do you want a drink, Johnny?” TwoBit asked.
“Can I have some water, please?” Johnny replied.
“I’ll get it!” Steve, Pony, and Soda all said at once.

"Boys, slow down!” Mr. Curtis exclaimed as all the boys, apart from Johnny, came crashing into the kitchen.
“I’m getting Johnny some water,” Soda said.
"No, I’m getting Johnny some water!” Pony whined.
“Shut up; I’m the only one who can actually reach the sink; I’m getting Johnny water,” Darry said, pushing the younger ones aside.
He ran the tap and filled a glass, but he made the mistake of putting it on the counter while he turned the tap off. Steve grabbed it and took off, with the boys right behind him.
“Hey!” Darry complained.

Smash.

Mr. and Mrs. C looked at each other before marching into the living room, where the boys all stood in a puddle of water surrounded by broken glass.
"Right, nobody move,” Mr. C ordered them.
Darry sauntered in with a new glass of water and passed it triumphantly to Johnny.
"Hey, that’s not fair!” TwoBit yelled, stepping towards Darry.
“I said no one move!” Mr. C barked at him.
They then lifted the boys carefully away from the shards of glass and started to clear up the mess. “Hopefully the novelty will wear off soon; I can’t put up with this for 3 weeks,” Mr. Curtis muttered to her.
She nodded in agreement.
"Johnny, do you want a snack?” Pony asked.
“I’ll get it!” All the boys exclaimed immediately.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis shared a sigh as the boys raced past them into the kitchen once again.

~

“Mrs C?” A soft voice called.
She looked up from her book.
“What’s the matter, honey?” She smiled at Johnny.
“I need the bathroom,” Johnny told her.
Mrs. C stood up and looked around the couch.
“Where did you put your crutches?” She asked him.
“Umm…well,” Johnny began shyly…

“Boys! Bring me those crutches right now!” Mrs. C shouted across the backyard.
“What crutches?” TwoBit said, placing a crutch on the ground and lying on top of it.
Mrs. C marched towards him; he got to his feet and ran off with the crutch, giggling. She looked around the backyard; Dallas and Steve had the other crutch and were chasing Soda around with it. Was there anyway this would end without her having to chase the boys around the yard? The answer was no; of course there wasn’t.

~

Mr. Curtis had helped Johnny to the bathroom without his crutches, and he was just carrying him back to the couch when he saw the scene in the backyard out the window.
“Come on, kiddo, this we got to see!” He laughed, taking Johnny over to the window.
They both burst out laughing at the sight before them. Mrs. Curtis was chasing the boys, who were all giggling as they passed the crutches between them and dodged her grasping. She was red in the face and working up a sweat. She stopped and stood panting as the boys carried on charging around.
“Hey Mrs. C, you look like you could use some crutches!” TwoBit cackled.
Mr. C snickered.
“Welcome home, buddy,” Mr. C said, pulling Johnny closer as they both stood laughing at the backyard drama.
Johnny smiled; it was official—he was home.

Chapter Text

Two cars, three adults, one just turned 10 year old, an 8-year-old, a 7-year-old, a 6-year-old, three 5-year-olds, a 4-year-old, and a 3-year-old.
They were quite a party.

Mrs. Matthews and Mr. and Mrs. Curtis certainly had their hands full as they unloaded all nine kids from the cars.
“Right jackets on, please,” Mr. Curtis announced.
The more obedient boys, Darry, Johnny, and Pony, already had their jackets on, but it had been a nightmare trying to get everyone out of the house, so Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had given in and said the other boys could put their jackets on once they got to the fair.
"Dally, come here,” Mr. Curtis called, picking up the jacket on the top of the pile in the trunk.
“But Tim isn’t wearing one,” Dally argued.
“We’re not talking about Tim, we’re talking about you,” Mr. Curtis told him, taking the jacket over to the scowling Dally. “Tim is more than welcome to borrow one of the spare jackets we brought with us. Curly, would you like a jacket?” Mr. C asked as he crouched down and got Dally into his jacket and saw the small boy, who was definitely shivering.
Curly looked up at Tim unsurely.
“It's okay; you don’t have to. But I could show you the jackets and see if there’s one you’d want to wear.” Mr. Curtis suggested.
Curly nodded and followed Mr. C back to the trunk.

Mrs. Matthews was busy manhandling Soda, Steve, and TwoBit into their jackets, and Mrs. C was putting the supplies in Pony’s stroller. Pony didn’t need it anymore, but today Johnny was going to be pushed around in it as he still wasn’t quite able to walk for a long time.
Curly selected a jacket, and Mr. C helped him zip it up. Curly gave him a faint smile and then shyly went back to Ponyboy. Dallas was still angrily muttering about having to wear a jacket.
“Dallas I’m going to put you in that stroller in a minute,” Mr. Curtis threatened.
Dallas looked horrified at that threat, especially in front of Tim, so he stopped ranting and just kicked a stone across the parking lot instead, glaring at Mr. C.
“Tim, you want a jacket?” Mr. Curtis asked.
Tim shook his head.
“If you get cold, just let me know, and I can come back to the car and grab you one,” Mr. C told him, shutting the trunk, knowing it was best he didn’t push the matter, despite the furious look on Dally’s face at the injustice.

"Curly, sweetheart, could you hold my hand as we go through the parking lot?” Mrs. Curtis asked kindly, taking Pony’s hand and holding out her empty one to the next youngest.
Curly shook his head, looking over at Tim, who had his hands in his pockets. He took his hands and tried to shove them in his pockets; only the jacket didn’t have any, and he ended up stumbling slightly.
“Careful rascal,” Mr. C said, steadying him.
Curly moved away from both of them and went and stood by Tim and Dally.
Mrs. C sighed.
"Pony, honey, why don’t you go and see if Curly will hold your hand?” she suggested.
Pony nodded and skipped happily over to Curly. The two started one of their conversations that made sense to no one but them, and then moments later Pony came back with Curly.
“We’re going to hold onto the stroller,” Pony said happily.
Mrs. Curtis smiled at both the boys.
"Ah, thank you. Johnny, are you all ready?” Mrs. C asked, leaning forward to check on Johnny, who was sitting in the stroller.
He gave a thumbs up, and they set off.

“You have this one; I’ll take these two,” Mrs. Matthews said, thrusting a bouncing Soda to Mr. C, who took his hand as she led away a very overexcited TwoBit and Steve.
Mr. C held out his other empty hand to Dally, who looked at it in disgust. He looked over at Tim and Darry, who were smirking.
“But Tim doesn’t have to hold hands!” Dally protested, pointing at the older boys.
“Tim is older than you,” Mr C told him simply.
“I’m nearly six!” Dally argued.
"Okay, then I’ll give you the count of six to hold my hand,” Mr. Curtis retorted.
Dally growled, and Tim and Darry snickered, walking off after Mrs. Matthews.
“Come on, kiddo, just while we go through the parking lot,” Mr. Curtis said, ruffling Dally’s hair and then taking his hand.
Dally didn’t resist, but he did stomp and scowl all the way to the fairground entrance, much to Tim and Darry’s amusement.

~

"Oh, they’re down again,” Mrs. C laughed as Pony and Curly tumbled into a heap on the ground once more as they attempted to give each other piggyback rides. Johnny sat beside her laughing. Curly and Pony were so hysterical they kept having to stop to catch their breath.

They were in the picnic area, keeping Johnny company while Mr. Curtis and Mrs. Matthews took the older boys on a couple of rides Pony and Curly weren’t tall enough for. Johnny had a bag of popcorn, and Curly was clutching tight to a stuffed animal he’d won on a lasso game.
"Curly, honey, do you want me to hold your toy? You might be able to hold on to Pony better.” Mrs. Curtis called out as the boys fell to the ground.
Curly’s face stopped laughing in an instant.
“No!” He said defensively.
Mrs. C also stopped laughing.
"Oh, don’t worry, honey, I’m not going to take it from you. It’s yours,” she said, trying to assure him.
Curly looked very unsure, so she knew she better change the subject.
“Does anyone want a juice box?” She asked.
“Me!” Pony exclaimed, running over, like she hoped he would, “Come on, Curly!” He called back to his friend.
Mrs. C made sure to busy herself helping Johnny with his juice box so Curly could make his way over without feeling watched or pressured.
“What flavour do you want?” She said, holding out the selection to Pony and Curly.
“I don’t know their names,” Curly mumbled as Pony took one right away.
"Well, we got apple, we got orange, we got grape, and we got black currant, so you like any of them?” She explained.
“Apple,” Curly mumbled.
She prepared the juice box for him and handed it over.
“Thank you,” Curly said shyly.
“It’s okay, honey,” Mrs. C said, happy that he was warming up to her again.

~

"Boys, I’m not going to buy you popcorn again if you just throw it at each other,” Mr. C said, confiscating the bag from Steve.
Mrs. Matthews was doing her best to get all the popcorn she could out of Soda’s hair.
"Right, where have those two gone now?” He asked, turning to Darry, who was proudly holding the new football he’d won in a throwing game.
Darry shrugged.
“Oh god,” Mr. Curtis sighed.
“It’s okay, here they come,” Mrs. Matthews called, pointing at a ride attendant who was leading both Tim and Dally towards them.
"Well, this can’t be good,” Mr. Curtis muttered, heading towards them.
“Are you in charge of these boys?” The ride attendant demanded.
"Unfortunately, yes, what have they done?” Mr C enquired.
“They were throwing things at people on the Ferris wheel,” he informed him.
“Boys!” Mr Curtis exclaimed.
Tim and Dally snickered.
“They’re just sitting there; we couldn’t resist.” Tim told him.
"Yeah, we thought it was a throwing target game,” Dallas added, smirking.
“Stop it!” Mr. C scolded them. “I am very sorry; I will have to keep a much closer eye on these two,” Mr. C apologised to the man who nodded and wandered back to the rides.
“Maybe I do need to hold your hands if you’re going to keep wandering off.” Mr C said.
“You ain’t holding my hand!” Tim shouted.
"Well, you ain’t behaving. You boys-“ Mr C began to lecture.
Tim just walked off, Mr C stopped talking slightly taken aback. Dallas went to follow after Tim.
“No, you go stand with Mrs. Matthews,” Mr. C said, holding out an arm to prevent him from going any further, “No arguments!” He ordered as Dally opened his mouth to protest.

He gave Tim a few moments to collect his thoughts and then Mr Curtis slowly made his way over to where Tim was leaning against a wall.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” Tim muttered as Mr C got within earshot.
"No, but I can ask you,” Mr. C standing next to Tim, “I’m responsible for you today,” Mr. C said.
Tim scowled at the ground, kicking at the dirt.
“I didn’t want to come anyway.” Tim spat.
"Well, I’m glad you did. I know the boys like having you around, and me and Mrs. C certainly enjoy your company,” Mr. C said, not rising to the boy’s attempts to provoke him.
Tim wouldn’t take his eyes off the ground.
"Look, kiddo, I’m not mad at you. But you can’t wander off, especially not with your 5-year-old mini-me in tow.” Mr Curtis told him.
“It was his idea to walk away,” Tim said after a moments silence.
“I don’t doubt that. Come on, don’t be angry; let’s go enjoy the rest of the day,” Mr. C suggested, taking a few paces.
Tim huffed but slowly followed after Mr. C.
"Ah, just one more thing,” Mr. C said, halting the boy.
Tim glared up at him, and Mr. C waited.
“I’m sorry, Mr C,” Tim sighed.
"Ay, you catch on pretty quick! At least you got better manners than Dally,” Mr. Curtis said, gently nudging him.
Tim couldn’t help but smile slightly as they wandered back to everyone else.

Part 2 on the way…

Chapter Text

“Oh my goodness, what is in your hair?” Mrs. Matthews exclaimed as TwoBit came running back over.
“Cotton candy!” TwoBits burst out happily.
“How the hell?” She stuttered.
“He stuck his head in the machine,” Darry informed her.
“Soda, Steve, stop eating his hair!” Mrs. Matthews scolded, moving them away.
“But it’s tasty!” Soda said, jumping up and down.
“Soda, Steve, you’ve had enough sugar,” Mrs. C called as the hyperactive boys bounced over to her.
“I need to go clean him up,” Mrs. Matthews said, motioning to Keith. “Can you wait here?” She asked.
"Yes, we’ll manage,” Mrs. C replied. “Soda and Steve, come here now!” She called as they started trying to tackle trash cans.
Mrs. C made them both sit quietly and have some of the healthier foods she’d packed, hoping to counteract the sugar in their systems.

"Darry, honey, are you having a nice time?” Mrs. C asked from the bench next to where Tim and Darry were sitting.
“Yeah, it’s the best!” Darry beamed. “Especially with you here,” he said turning to Tim.
Tim nodded.
“Come on, you two, give me a smile,” Mrs. C said, holding up the camera.
Tim smiled as the camera flashed; it wasn’t as forced as he was pretending it was.
“You know, you can come over with Curly whenever you want. I think he gets along well with my brothers,” Darry said, motioning to Pony and Curly, who were playing some sort of game, only to stop and pose by Johnny in the stroller for Mrs. C’s camera.
“I’ll think about it,” Tim replied. “So you get any presents?” Tim said, changing the subject.
"Well, the fair is my main present, but Dad got me a starter set of tools and Mom got me a new football jersey cause I grew out the old one,” Darry told him.

Mr Curtis had rounded up the younger boys; he had to take the stroller away from Dallas who was charging up and down pushing Johnny about and he was getting them all to have a drink.
“Ah, ah, ah. Water is for drinking, not for squirting at people,” Mr. C said, confiscating bottles from Soda and Steve, who ran off laughing, full of energy.
"Wow, thirsty one, we got here,” Mr. C laughed, ruffling Curly’s hair. “What’s your little friend called?” Mr. C asked, crouching down and poking Curly’s stuffed animal.
Curly shrugged.
“Pony! Call it Pony!” Ponyboy said, jumping up and down next to Curly.
“He can’t call it Pony; it’s a dog,” Dallas argued.
"Well, he’s a boy, and he’s called Pony,” Curly retorted.
Ponyboy nodded, looking smug. Dally frowned at the four-year-old.
"Yeah, well, you’re a baby, playing with stuffed animals.” Dallas teased.
“Dallas, that’s not very kind.” Mr Curtis interjected.
“I’m not a baby!” Curly said firmly.
"No, Curly, you’re not; Dallas is the one acting like a baby,” Mr. C said. "Johnny, do you want to walk for a bit so I can put Dallas in the stroller?” Mr. C said to Johnny with a wink.
“Yeah, I think my legs are doing better,” Johnny replied with a grin.
Dallas looked absolutely furious.
“I AINT GOING IN THE STROLLER!” Dally roared.
"Well, then I suggest you apologise to Curly,” Mr. C told him, raising his eyebrows.
Dallas stood fuming as Curly smirked at him.
“Did you guys hear an apology? I know I didn’t.” Curly said smugly.
Dallas began to lunge forward.
"Ah, stroller it is,” Mr. Curtis declared, reaching for Dallas.
“Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Dallas said hurriedly, shaking off Mr. C.
"Curly, do you accept his apology?” Mr. C asked, winking at him.
Curly pondered for a moment, and Dallas glared, seething at him.
“Okay,” Curly said finally.
Mr. C smiled at him. Dallas, on the other hand, glared at him, so Curly stuck his tongue out. Pony looked up at Curly and copied him. Tim and Darry snickered from the picnic table.
“Your little brother better not be teaching my little brother bad habits,” Darry laughed.

~

Mrs. C fetched the surprise birthday cake from the car and they all sang to Darry—even Tim. Curly had never seen a birthday cake before, so Pony explained it as best he could to him. They even let Curly blow out the candles. The adults looked at the already hyper Steve, Soda, and TwoBit and knew that adding cake on top of that wasn’t going to go well. But Darry had told them that Tim wouldn’t come back to the house with them, and they wanted the Shepard boys to have the full birthday party experience, so they had brought had to do it now.

Mr. C passed Darry the first slice and made sure to hold TwoBit and Soda off so Tim and Curly got the next slices.
"Dally, are you still sulking, or do you want some cake?” Mr. Curtis asked, bringing over a slice of cake to Johnny, who was at the end of the picnic table in the stroller.
He peered down at Dally, who was sitting on the ground, back against the picnic table, next to Johnny.
“He’s still sulking,” Johnny said, looking up at Mr. C.
Mr. C smiled at Johnny and ruffled his hair.
"Well, you’re doing a good job keeping him company.” Mr. C praised Johnny, turning back to the rest of the boys, “Oh Jesus!” He exclaimed, seeing Soda, TwoBit, and Steve surrounding the unattended cake.
He ran back over and moved the boys, covered in frosting, away from the cake.
"Okay, that’s enough; no more sugar,” Mr. Curtis sighed. “Curly and Tim are the only ones who get seconds to take home with them,” Mr. C told them.
“But there’s loads left,” TwoBit said, grasping.
"Yeah, well, not everyone has had some yet.” Mr Curtis said, steering him away.
“Can I have Dally’s piece?” Soda begged.
"No, you boys have had enough sugar,” Mr. Curtis said. “Now go play; please burn off that energy; I’m begging you!” Mr C pleaded with them.
“Can you chase us?” Steve asked.
Mr. Curtis couldn’t help but smile.
“No boys I can’t! You’d better watch out though, I heard there’s a TICKLE MONSTER ON THE LOSE!” Mr. C erupted, making the boys shriek with excitement as they raced off.
Pony and Curly joined in; even Darry and Tim couldn’t resist the big group game of chase.

Mrs. C and Mrs. Matthews sat on the picnic bench, Johnny had fallen asleep and Dally was still sulking on the ground next to the bench. They took a few photos of the boys all running around playing together with Mr C.
“10 years,” Mrs. C sighed, looking at Darry running around.
“I know. It’s gone so quick,” Mrs. Matthews agreed.
“I imagine today will be the last time we use the stroller,” Mrs. C said, looking at it sadly, “All the times the boys fell asleep in it or kicked and screamed in it as we took them home from the park,” Mrs C reminisced.
“Well I don’t think we’ve quite left behind the kicking and screaming,” Mrs Matthews laughed.
“No you’re right but I don’t think I’ll be carrying Darry into the house when he falls asleep in the car anymore. I will miss those little moments,” Mrs C said sadly.
“We’ve got plenty more moments to come, from all of them. And with the older boys we’ll get new moments,” Mrs Matthews assured her, holding he hand, “I don’t know maybe we should hold on to the stroller, for Dallas,” She added with a wink.
There was a growl from down below, and the bench jolted as Dallas thumped it. Mrs. Matthews and Mrs. C did their best to stifle their laughter.

~

After an hour, the sugar was wearing off, and slowly the boys stopped running around and sat round the benches with weary eyes.
“Come on, boys, it’s time to go. Make sure you’ve got everything,” Mrs. C announced, packing up the stroller.
"Curly, make sure you got Pony,” Mr. C said.
“Pony’s there,” Soda said, confused, pointing at the sleeping Ponyboy in Mrs. C arms.
"No, this Pony,” Curly said, holding up his stuffed animal proudly.
“Oh dear, someone sulked so much they fell asleep.” Mrs. Matthews smiled, leaning over to check on Dally.
“Now this I have to see,” Tim smirked, making his way over to look. “Mrs. C, can I borrow your camera for a minute?” Tim grinned at her.
“Tim, I was hoping to avoid World War 3 if at all possible,” Mrs C smiled back at him.
Mr Curtis made his way over to get Dally.
“Should I push him to the car in the stroller?” Mr. C suggested grinning at Darry and Tim as he crouched down and picked up the sleeping Dallas.
Darry and Tim giggled.

“Today's been so fun,” Tim said without thinking as they set off back to the car. Usually, he would regret saying something like that and letting his guard down. But today he just didn’t care. He’d had too much fun, and he knew Curly too.

As they walked back; Mr. C carrying Dally and pushing Johnny in the stroller, Mrs. Matthews carrying Ponyboy and holding Steve’s hand and Mrs. Curtis holding hands with Soda with him, TwoBit and Darry walking along behind, he couldn’t help but feel happy. Tim smiled in spite of himself. The day he had been dreading slightly hadn’t been bad at all.

As they got to the parking lot, Mrs. C felt someone grab her empty hand. She looked down; it was Curly.

Chapter Text

 “I did not fall asleep!” Dallas protested.
"Well, why were you snoring?” Tim teased.
“Shut up!” Dallas said, throwing his empty milk carton across the table at Tim.
“Boys, sit sensibly and eat your food!” Mr. Ryman called over as he patrolled the cafeteria.
"Tim, leave him alone,” Darry said, nudging Tim.
“I might bring the photo of him asleep in for show-and-tell,” Tim smirked.
Dallas’ mashed potatoes came flying straight at him.
“Hey!” Mr. Ryman barked, marching towards them.
That didn’t stop Tim from leaning forward and dumping his milk all over Dally. However, by the time Mr. Ryman reached them, Tim and Dally were both grinning at each other, now even once again.
“You’ve both just bought yourselves an afternoon in the reflection room,” Mr. Ryman announced.
“I’m eating,” Tim said.
“You lost your chance to eat when you decided to to use the food as missiles!” Mr. Ryman said, “Come on, off you go.” Mr. Ryman ordered.
Tim and Dally stomped off, and without a moment of hesitation, TwoBit grabbed their leftover food and scraped it onto his own plate.

~

The boys returned to class after lunch.
“Okay, where is he?” Miss Harrow sighed, looking at Dallas’ empty seat.
“He got sent to the reflection room,” Soda told her.
Miss Harrow frowned.
“Your poor mother must be so sick of getting notes home.” Miss Harrow said; getting sent to the reflection room was the same as getting your name on the board with three crosses - a note home and missing half of free play.
“Anyway, this afternoon we’ve got a special project. Does anyone know what a family tree is?” Miss Harrow asked the class.

~

Johnny was concentrating so hard that his tongue was poking out of his mouth. He was taking extra special care, slowly drawing both Mr. and Mrs. Curtis as the starting points on his family tree. Soda was equally engaged; however, his focus was on making the drawings of his family look as ridiculous as possible. At the moment, he was finishing off Pony’s blue face. Steve, on the other hand, wasn’t drawing; his paper was blank. Instead, he was looking over at Johnny; in fact, he was glaring at Johnny as he drew.
“Steven, you need some help getting started?” Miss Harrow said, noticing his blank paper as she walked past.
“I don’t want to do it; it’s dumb,” Steve said, swinging back on his chair.
“Come on, just start with your mom and dad and see how you get on,” Miss Harrow said, pushing his chair back on to all four legs.
Steve sat frowning, staring at the page.

Half an hour later, Johnny was adding some extra special details to his family tree; he was giving Darry a football, Soda a toy car, and Pony a book.
“Johnny, that looks lovely. You’ve definitely earned a sticker,” Miss Harrow said, placing one on his shirt. “Don’t forget to add yourself,” she reminded him.
Soda was giggling to himself as he gave Darry a hairy chest and drew a big moustache on himself.

“Okay everyone, it’s nearly time for free play, so in the last 5 minutes, why don’t you all go around and look at each other's work?” Miss Harrow suggested.
“Do you like mine?” Soda asked, shoving his over to Johnny, snickering.
“Is that me?” Johnny said, pointing.
"Yeah, I thought you’d look cool with pink hair and a green face,” Soda told him.
Steve didn’t join in the boys’ laughter.
“This is mine,” Johnny said, holding his up.
“Woah! That’s great!” Soda exclaimed.
Steve glanced at Johnny’s drawing and then walked off to look at another table’s work without saying anything.
After he’d spent the next few minutes calling people over to look at Johnny’s drawing, Soda moved on. That’s when Harvey approached Johnny.

“We were meant to do a family tree,” Harvey sneered, looking at Johnny’s work.
“I did,” Johnny mumbled.
“Real family, not fake family,” Harvey said coldly.
“They’re my real family now; they adopted me,” Johnny told him.
“That doesn’t mean anything. At the end of the day, you’re still not their real kid.” Harvey retorted.
“But Mr. C said—“ Johnny began.
“It doesn’t matter what they said. It’s the facts; you’re not their real kid, and you never will be. If you think they see you the same as Soda, you’re wrong; they’ll always remember you ain’t their real kid,” Harvey told him.

Johnny sat back down silently in his seat, Harvey’s words haunting him.
"Okay, everyone, time for free play,” Miss Harrow announced.
Everyone scattered across different parts of the classroom, but Johnny stayed sitting. Dallas entered the room.
“Ah, did you have a nice afternoon in the reflection room?” Miss Harrow asked him, raising her eyebrow sternly.
“Boring,” Dallas shrugged.
“That’s the point of it. Well, I’m afraid you’ve got more boredom to look forward to as you’re sitting with me for half of free play.” Miss Harrow reminded him.
“Come on, I just sat for ages.” Dallas protested.
"Nope, you know the rules. You have more experience with behaviour sanctions than anyone else. Now sit,” Miss Harrow ordered him, pointing at the carpet in front of her desk.
Dallas huffed and sat down on the floor, looking angrily at the rest of the class playing.
"Johnny, honey, Dallas will come and join you later; don’t miss out on playing waiting for him,” Miss Harrow called, noticing Johnny still sat in his chair.

Johnny nodded, got up, and made his way over to the beanbag by the bookcase. He picked up a book and pretended to read. Johnny desperately wanted to ask someone if what Harvey had said was true, but he was too shy to ask Miss Harrow, and he knew if he asked Dallas, he would just end up fighting with Harvey or something, and he was already in enough trouble. So Johnny sat alone with his thoughts. If he didn’t have the Curtis', he didn’t have anyone; he didn’t even have his awful parents to fall back on anymore. He thought he had gained a family, but maybe he’d really lost the only one he had.

~

Johnny’s mind was still racing with these thoughts when they got back from school. He tried to nod and smile as Ponyboy sat next to him and told him stories he had made up. Although Pony didn’t seem to notice Johnny’s stress as he was telling the stories to himself as much as he was Johnny. The rest of the boys were busy roughhousing and being noisy, apart from Steve, who was making a jigsaw on his own.

Mrs. C had made them all a snack, and now she moved on to unpacking their backpacks.
"Soda, what’s this?” She called, holding up the family tree.
“It’s a family tree. We made them,” he told her.
"Oh, umm, Soda honey, who on Earth have you put in your family?” She asked, looking at his paper.
“That’s us; look, you’re the one with the grey hair!” Soda explained.
"Oh, thanks a lot!” Mrs. C scoffed. “I hope Johnny has captured me slightly better,” she said, rummaging through the next backpack.
She found Johnny’s family tree, and a smile spread across her face.
"Oh, sweetheart, this is wonderful. I think I might have to frame this,” she said, admiring it.

Johnny tried to give a faint smile, but he couldn’t. That picture was the source of all the sadness and worry pacing through him. If what Harvey said was true, then there really should be no people on his tree. The new family life he thought he had wasn’t real, and this time he couldn’t even return to the life he’d always wanted to escape. These thoughts were starting to show on his face, but Mrs. C was busy with the other backpacks.
“Who’s should I do next?” Mrs. C asked, glancing between Steve and Dally.
“Dally’s,” Steve said hurriedly.
Mrs. C's smile disappeared as she found the paper in Dallas’ bag.
“Dallas, this better not be another note!” She growled, holding it up, Dallas made a quick exit down the hall, “Don’t you walk away from me, mister!” She shouted, marching after Dallas.
If she had looked into the living room before she left, she would have seen Johnny, his eyes slowly becoming glossier by the minute. And if she had glanced back, she would have seen Steve get up and put away his backpack before she could look inside.

There were a lot of problems not being shared in the Curtis house. That night, two boys lay awake in their beds with nothing but their thoughts for company. Without the light of daytime, the world is a dark place. A sleepless night alone is when one doubts whether that light will ever return or if they will be trapped forever, the shadows slowly descending.

Chapter Text

“You stay in that corner, young man!” Mrs. Curtis ordered Steve before walking back to the breakfast table.
He had been difficult all morning, and she decided he’d had his chances.

The first day of Christmas vacation was not going well. She sighed and started helping the other boys with breakfast.
“You want peanut butter on your toast, Johnny?” She asked.
Johnny didn’t reply.
She looked over at him; he was very pale and had dark circles under his eyes.
“Johnny, sweetheart?” She called, walking around to him.
He finally looked up.
“Are you feeling okay?” Mrs. Curtis asked him, placing a hand on his forehead.
“Yes,” Johnny mumbled.
Mrs. C still didn’t look convinced, but he wasn’t overly warm, so she went back to preparing people’s food.
"Steve, are you ready to come and apologise?” She called over to him.
“Sorry!” Steve yelled angrily.
Mrs. C frowned but decided it was too early to push for a more respectful apology.
“Okay, come eat your breakfast,” she said, motioning to the plate of toast and fruit she’d made him. Steve stomped over and sat beside Soda.

Mrs. C cleared away the breakfast plates. She noticed Johnny had hardly touched his toast, and more unusually, Steve had left a lot of food behind. But her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of Dallas and Steve yelling at each other in the living room. Mrs. C headed in to see what was going on; something told her that this was not going to be a nice, peaceful day.

~

“Enough!” Mrs. C yelled, pulling Steve away from Ponyboy once again.
“He broke it!” Pony cried, pointing at his train tracks. Darry came over and helped Pony put the tracks back together.
For Mrs. C, it had been an afternoon of separating fights, putting different boys in different corners, and settling arguments, and Steve had been at the centre of all of it. Mrs. C had been so busy trying to manage the other boys that she hadn’t had a spare moment to worry about Johnny. If she had, she would have noticed he hadn’t said a word all day and just sat quietly beside Ponyboy, deep in thought or really trapped in thought.

Mrs. C marched Steve down the hall.
“Right, you stay in here, please,” she said, putting him in Darry’s room.
As she stepped back, she felt the door slam behind her, only just missing her.
“Go away!” The muffled shout came.
“You stay in there and calm yourself down!” She replied firmly, walking away.
Kids have their bad days and difficult phases; Dally’s seemed to be in a permanent state, so she hoped that was all Steve’s behaviour was.

~

"Johnny, sweetie, you’re very quiet. Is everything okay?” Mrs. C asked later that afternoon.
Johnny panicked; he didn’t know what to say. What if he asked her about what Harvey had said, and she told him it was true? So instead, Johnny did his best to disguise his anxiety and gave Mrs. C a nod and a faint smile.
“It’s nearly dinner; you look very tired; maybe you should get an early night after you’ve had some food. Just in case you’re coming down with something,” Mrs. C suggested.
Johnny gave another nod, but he could tell Mrs. Curtis still wasn’t fully convinced he was okay as she walked away.

~

“Evening all!” Mr. Curtis greeted everyone, coming in the front door and looking over at everyone sitting around the dining table.
Mrs. Curtis got up to kiss him.
"Boys, did you have a good day?” Mr. Curtis asked.

Usually, you couldn’t shut the boys up as they all talked over each other when Mr. C would ask them how the day was, but today there were definitely a lot fewer voices.
“Darling, how was your day?” He asked, turning to Mrs. C.
“It could have been better; it seems some people have forgotten how to behave themselves,” she told him.
Mr. Curtis looked straight at Dallas.
“I didn’t do anything!" Dallas protested.
"Dallas, you were far from perfect today, but no, I was not on about you,” she said, hushing Dallas with her hand, pulling his plate over and chopping up his chicken for him.
Mr. Curtis looked around the rest of the table, the usual happy faces of TwoBit and Soda, and then he landed on Steve, who was looking very brooding. Mr. C kept his eyes on Steve until the boy finally looked up, at which point Mr. C raised his eyebrows.
“Quit looking at me!” Steve spat.
“Hey, mind your manners,” Mrs. Curtis scolded him.
"Yeah, you have to say, quit looking at me, please,” TwoBit giggled.
“Shut up, TwoBit!” Steve growled, kicking him under the table.
“Hey, I saw that,” Mr. Curtis said.
“Steven, I think you better march yourself right back into that corner,” Mrs. C sighed.
Steve huffed and pushed the chair back roughly, and it fell to the floor as he made his way to the corner.
“Just how many times has Steve been in the corner today?” Mr. C asked.
“He’s not quite broken Dally’s record of 10, but he’s definitely on the podium,” Mrs. C said.
Mr. C frowned and turned to look at Steve.
“Face that wall, mister!” Mr. Curtis barked.
Steve whined, but did as he was told. Mr. C looked back to Mrs. C, slightly puzzled. She shrugged, sharing his confusion.

They finished dinner, and the boys, who weren’t in the corner, had some desert.
"Johnny, honey, do you want to head into bed? I can come and read you a story if you want. You look ever so tired,” Mrs. C suggested, kindly.
Johnny nodded, glad to be excused and to escape any further questioning.
"Steve, do you want to go home or do you want to stay here tonight?” Mr. C said, turning to look at Steve in the corner.
“Don’t care!” Steve replied grumpily.
Mr. C frowned as he helped Pony down from the table.
“You boys go and play calmly,” he said as the boys got down from the table. “And you buddy,” Mr. C said, walking over to Steve. "You’re going to bed?” Mr. C announced, picking Steve up.
“No!” Steve protested, trying to get down.
"Nope, you’re cranky so you’re going to bed,” Mr. C said.

~

Mrs. Curtis sat down on the beanbag in Johnny and Ponyboy’s room. She picked up Johnny’s favourite storybook and began to read. But after only a few minutes, she looked up at Johnny, and he was fast asleep. She sat with him for a few more minutes, but then decided she better leave him to sleep, so she crept out of the room. What Mrs. Curtis didn’t see was Johnny’s eyes opening up as soon as she closed the door.

~

As Mrs. C came out into the corridor, Mr. C emerged from another bedroom.
“Is he asleep?” Mrs. C asked.
“Yep, finally. He’s got a right strop on though.” Mr C replied.
"Johnny has been especially quiet today. They might be coming down with something,” Mrs. C suggested.
"Well, we will keep an eye on them both. We could do without that, to be honest,” Mr. C sighed.
“Can I show you my drawing?” Pony yelled, coming up the hall.
“Shhh, your brothers are sleeping,” Mr. C said as Pony led both he and Mrs. C away.

~

Back in the bedroom, Johnny lay down. He was exhausted, exhausted by the thoughts churning over in his head. Maybe adoption was just for a little while, and then in a few weeks they’d get rid of him. What would he do, then? He might have to live in a bush and eat beetles. Johnny's chest tightened as all the horrible scenarios went through his brain. Then he thought about his parents, and fear pulsed through him. He sat up. He went to get out of bed and run down the hall to Mrs. C, but he couldn’t. The thoughts of seeing the family he didn’t know if he belonged to scared him just as much. If Mrs. C was going to get rid of him when his adoption ran out, then he wouldn’t be able to run to her anymore. So Johnny lay, petrified, until eventually the fear exhausted him and he finally fell asleep.

~

“I’m going to kill you, kid!” Mr. Cade bellowed.
The door handle rattled furiously as he tried to force it open. Johnny huddled in the corner, petrified.
“Open the door!” He ordered.
Johnny whimpered, burying himself as deep as he could into the corner.
There was a heavy thud as Mr. Cade threw himself against the door. Johnny saw the door wood crack slightly. There was no escape; his dad was going to kill him. His heart was pounding heavily, and his eyes were wide with tears streaming down his face. Another thump, and the door cracks deepened. Johnny whimpered.
“I’m gonna kill you!” His dad shouted.
There was another thump, the wood split, and his dad burst through the door.

Johnny thrashed around the bed, screaming. The lights went on in the hall, and Mr. and Mrs. Curtis came running in. They flung the door open, scanning the room for threats.
“It’s okay, baby,” Mrs. Curtis said, rushing to the flailing boy.
Johnny woke, but his screaming didn’t stop.
“Don’t hurt me!” He screamed, desperately moving to the far side of the bed.
"Shhh, shhhh, it’s okay, honey. It was just a dream,” Mrs. C said, putting a gentle hand on his leg.
Johnny sat there sweating and panting, his eyes darting. Mr. C sat down on the edge of the bed and put a hand on Johnny's other leg.
“We’re here honey; you take your time. We won’t let anything happen to you.” Mrs C assured him.
"No, you’re going to give me away!” Johnny replied frantically, tears erupting from his eyes.
Mrs. C looked absolutely heartbroken at the way Johnny looked at them in fear.
"Sweetheart, we would never ever give you away,” she said, leaning forward to try and comfort him.
But it only made Johnny cry more.
“You’re not real family,” Johnny sobbed.
"Oh, baby, that’s not true,” Mrs. C said desperately, trying to reassure him.
Johnny just sat there, crying and shaking.
“Can I carry you, buddy?” Mr. C asked, standing up.
Johnny hesitated.
"Please, kiddo, let me hold you,” Mr. C begged.
Johnny slowly held up his arms.
Mr. C lifted him up and pulled the boy tight to him, rubbing circles on his back.
“Shhhh, it’s okay. We’ve got you,” Mr. C said, rocking him. Mrs. C came over to them and stroked Johnny's hair.
Slowly, they made their way to the door. They were slightly shocked to find five little boys all standing there.

“What’s wrong with Johnny?” TwoBit asked.
“Why was he screaming?” Dallas added.
“Was there a burglar?” Soda interjected.
“Did the burglar make him cry?” Pony asked.
“Can we help?” Darry demanded.
"Yeah, we can help fight the burglar,” Soda exclaimed.
“I’ll deal with them; you take him through,” Mrs. C said, ushering the boys to the side so Mr. Curtis could take Johnny through to the living room.
"Boys, Johnny just had a bad dream,” Mrs. Curtis explained.
“About a burglar?” Pony asked.
"No, sweetie, there’s no burglar,” Mrs. C told him.
“Then why did he scream?” Soda asked.
“The dream scared him, but it’s okay; we’ll look after him. You boys go off back to bed,” Mrs. C said.
“Oh, I wanted to fight a burglar,” TwoBit said miserably, trudging back to bed with Soda.
“I wanna see Johnny,” Dallas said, trying to step past Mrs. C.
“Not right now, sweetie. Me and Mr. C need to look after him, but he’s okay. You can see him in the morning,” Mrs. C said, herding Dally back.
“Is he going to the hospital again?” Pony asked worriedly.
"No, honey, he’s just a bit upset; we’re just going to calm him down, and then he’ll go back to sleep. Just like when you have a bad dream,” Mrs. Curtis explained.
“Come on, guys, let’s go. It’s like 3 a.m.,” Darry said, taking Pony’s hand and trying to pull Dallas away.
Dallas resisted, but with some gentle steering from Mrs. C, Darry did manage to lead him back to the bedroom.

Mrs. C made her way to the living room, dreading to think what state the boys would be in tomorrow, having woken up at this time of night.

Mr. C was sitting with Johnny on his lap. He wasn’t shaking as much, but he still looked so distressed. Mrs. C sat down on the couch beside them. Johnny looked up and then climbed onto her lap. She held him tight.
"Oh, sweet baby,” She said, kissing the top of his head, “Is that why you’ve been so quiet—you thought we were going to get rid of you?” She asked, and even the thought of it made her shudder.
Johnny nodded.
“Buddy, we would never ever get rid of you. You’re stuck with us,” Mr. C said, leaning into them both.
“But you’re not my real family,” Johnny said.
“Not by blood. But family doesn’t mean blood. Me and Mrs. C, we have a piece of paper that says we’re your mom and dad; you’re our son Johnny; that’s real, and that's what makes us your family,” Mr. C said.

“Honey, did someone tell you that we weren’t your family?” Mrs. C asked.
Johnny nodded, sadly.
“It wasn’t one of the boys, was it?” Mr. C asked.
“No, it was a boy at school. He said my family tree was wrong because you weren’t my real family and that you’d always know I wasn’t your real child,” Johnny cried.
“Johnny, you and your brothers are my greatest achievements. You boys are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’ve always known that. It’s not about genetics or adoption; you’ve always been our boy, and we’ve always been your parents.” Mr C said, choking up slightly.
“We got the adoption so we could make sure you’d always be ours and so that we’d be able to protect you like parents should.” Mrs C added.
“But won’t you give me back when you don’t want me anymore? Then I won’t have any family, and I’ll have to eat bugs in the bushes,” Johnny cried.
Mr. and Mrs. C hugged him tight for a moment.

"Johnny, this is the most important thing, and you need to remember it. We will never ever give you up or abandon you,” Mr. Curtis said, looking straight into Johnny’s eyes.
“Honey, you boys are the most important thing in our lives. All of you, whether you’ve got my genes or not, you’re all my boys, and you always will be, and there would be a hole in my heart without any of you,” she assured him.
Johnny finally nodded, his tears slowing.
“Johnny, we love you more than you can even imagine,” Mr. Curtis told him.
“Do you love Pony, Darry, and Soda more?” Johnny asked.
“Johnny, do you love Soda more than Dallas? Or do you love TwoBit more than Steve? Or Darry more than Pony?” Mrs. C asked him.
Johnny shook his head.
“No matter how much you like them or what they do, you still love them all the same, don’t you?” Mrs C continued.
Johnny nodded.
“That’s how me and Mr. Curtis feel; we love you all equally. You’re all so very different, but the thing that you all share in equal measure is our love, and I promise you—nothing will ever change that,” Mrs. C assured him.
Johnny's face finally relaxed slightly, and he gave her a faint smile.

They sat snuggled on the couch. The shaking subsided, Johnny’s tears dried, and eventually he was asleep in between his parents. His family tree’s roots planted deep into his heart.

Chapter Text

Johnny was better than back to normal the next day; he was brighter, clearly happier, and much more comfortable with himself. You could tell an extreme weight had been lifted.

As it was Christmas break, the boys didn’t have school. However, Mr. C still has work. Leaving Mrs. C with six boys who had not slept well and another who was in a rebellious slump. Ponyboy was just happy to have the boys to play with for nearly two weeks, and Johnny was in a great mood, so they were amusing themselves playing together.

After breakfast, Mrs. Matthews came over to keep Mrs. C company for the day and to help out with the boys. Her work had terrible hours, but they were allowed the holiday period off.

“Come on, boys, settle down,” Mrs. Matthews called over from the dining table where she and Mrs. C were drinking tea.
The bickering between Steve and pretty much all the other boys had been going on all morning, but now voices were starting to raise, and she knew fists would soon follow.
“Steve, Darry, and Keith were watching that show; leave the TV alone, please,” Mrs. Matthews asked kindly. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me,” she scolded.
“Steven I do not know where all this attitude has come from, but it better stop! You hear me?” Mrs. C said sternly.
Steve didn’t reply; he just went and sat grumpily in the armchair.

~

“I don’t care; in that bedroom, now!” Mrs. Matthews told Steve firmly after he launched an unprovoked assault on Ponyboy.
“What’s going on?” Mrs. C asked, returning from hanging out the laundry.
“Steve pushed me over,” Pony sniffled from Mrs. Matthews arms.
Mrs. C sighed and walked over to Steve.
“Come on, me and you are going to have a little talk,” Mrs. C said, holding out her hand to him.
When Steve didn’t take it, she led him away to Darry’s room.

"Right, are you going to tell me what all this is about?” Mrs. C asked calmly, sitting down on the bed and standing Steve in front of her.
Steve shook his head.
“Why did you hit Pony? He didn’t do anything to you.” She demanded.
Steve just pouted extra hard.
“Honey, is something wrong? You can tell me.” Mrs. C said kindly, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“No, I don’t want to talk to you!” Steve yelled.
“Hey, don’t shout at me,” Mrs. C said calmly but firmly.
Steve growled; in fact, he was acting so much like Dally that it was concerning.
"Well, as you can’t behave with your brothers, I think it’s best you spend some time on your own. You sit in here and think about your behaviour. I’ll come back in an hour, and we’ll try again,” Mrs. C said, getting up and leaving.
Steve frowned as she left.
"Yeah, go spend some time with your real kids,” he spat, throwing a pillow across the room. “Go talk with Johnny; you clearly love him more than the rest of us non-adopted kids,” Steve said angrily, but his voice was full of sadness.

Mrs. C returned to the living room. Steve’s behaviour was reminiscent of the first few months when Dally came to live with them. That was what was confusing Mrs. C.; Steve had been around for nearly 3 years—why was he rebelling and pushing them away all of a sudden? It just didn’t make sense.

“Mommy, when can we see Curly again?” Pony asked.
Mrs. C smiled at him.
"Soon, honey, I don’t know where he and Tim will be during the school break, so we’ll have to try and track them down.” She told him.
“I don’t want to see Curly,” Dally interjected.
“Dallas, that’s not very kind. Curly is only 4, and he is a very nice boy; you just need to get to know him,” Mrs. C said, brushing Dallas’ overgrown fringe out of his eyes.
She looked around at all the boys.
“I think we might need to do some holiday haircuts,” she said to Mrs. Matthews.
“No!” All the boys whined in unison.

~

“Who’s first?” Mrs. C asked, holding the comb and scissors.
All the boys pushed Darry forward.
Darry sat down in the chair.
“Now am I going to need to hold you down?” Mrs. Matthews laughed.
Darry grinned. Mrs. C began to cut.
“Ow!” Darry yelled dramatically as Mrs. C trimmed his hair.
The boys all giggled.
"What are you cutting with, a knife?” Darry joked.
Mrs. C smiled; she knew her oldest was just trying to get the younger ones to relax. She picked up the water sprayer and squirted Darry in the face. The boys all giggled again. Soon, Darry’s hair was all tidied up.

“Who’s next?” Mrs. C asked.
TwoBit grabbed the water sprayer and turned it on Soda.
“Oh, we’ve got a volunteer,” Mrs. Curtis said, confiscating it from him and putting him in the chair.
"Now, Keith, you sit still,” Mrs. Matthews told him firmly.
TwoBit immediately dodged the scissors, laughing.
“Stop it; look, I can’t cut it properly if you keep moving,” Mrs. C said.
With the help of a lollipop, they got TwoBit to sit still long enough for Mrs. C to cut his hair. He stood up from the chair and looked down at all the hair on the floor.
"Ahhh, I must be bald!” He said, checking to make sure he still had hair on his head, “Phew, I thought I was going to have bald patches like Mom,” TwoBit joked.
“You little-“ Mrs. Matthews hissed, and she confiscated the rest of TwoBit’s lollipop for his little remark.

“Don’t pull so hard!” Pony whined.
“Honey, I’m just combing it,” Mrs. C told him.
She did her best to work fast, as Pony was not liking this experience. Mrs. Matthews held his hand to give him some support.
“Mom, I didn’t know you were dying Pony’s hair.” Soda said.
Mrs. C gave him a look as Pony went wide-eyed.
“What!” The three-year-old exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, Pony; your hair looks great in pink,” TwoBit added.
Pony looked horrified.
“Boys, stop it!” Mrs. Matthews said.
“Is my hair really pink?” Pony asked, looking at Darry and Dallas.
“I don’t know if it’s called pink, maybe a light red; what would you say, Dally?” Darry said.
"Nah, that’s pink,” Dally replied, smirking.
Pony burst into tears.
“I don’t want pink hair!” He cried.
“Boys!” Mrs. Matthews exclaimed.
“Shh, honey, they’re just joking,” Mrs. C soothed him.
“Pony, your hair is not pink, I promise,” Johnny assured him, stepping forward.
Pony stopped crying and dried his eyes.
"Look, you can go see; I’m all finished,” Mrs. C said, lifting onto the floor.
Pony hurried towards the mirror. He was very relieved to see that his hair was its normal colour.
“I think you look ever so grown up,” Mrs. Matthews called over.
“Although pink doesn’t show up in mirrors,” Soda teased, earning him a look from both adults.

Steve emerged from the bedroom as Johnny took his place for a haircut. He looked at Mrs. C tickling Johnny as she sprayed his hair, and Johnny giggled at the water splashing. The jealousy that was burdening him fired up again, and he stomped off back to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

Chapter Text

“Daddy, do you like my haircut?” Pony asked Mr. C the minute he stepped in the door.
"Dad, do you like Pony’s pink hair?” Soda called over.
“No! It’s not pink!” Pony pouted.
“Pepsicola, I think you might be color blind,” Mr. Curtis said, crouching down and picking up Pony. “Pony’s hair is clearly green,” Mr. Curtis added.
“No, it’s not!” Pony whined.
“I’m just joking, buddy. You look very handsome; you’ll have to watch; all the girls will be looking at you in the park,” Mr. C said, ruffling Pony’s hair and placing him down on the ground.
Pony blushed but smiled and then ran back to the couch.

“Woah, look at this cool guy!” Mr. Curtis exclaimed, walking over to Johnny. “Who’s your hairdresser, kiddo? I’m going to have to go to them sometime,” he said.
Johnny grinned shyly.
“Sodapop, what on earth is going on with your hair?” Mr. Curtis asked, looking at the five-year-old, whose hair was spiked all over the place and sticking out.
“Mommy said if I sat still while she cut my hair, I could use Darry’s hair gel,” Soda grinned, looking in the mirror at his crazy hair proudly.
“Darling, what have you done to our son?” Mr. Curtis asked Mrs. C, who was sitting at the dining table.
“He’s got a normal haircut underneath all that gel,” Mrs. C assured him.
Mr. C nodded and walked over to the armchair.
“Excuse me, sir, I am looking for my son, Darrel Jr.; have you seen him?” He said, turning to Darry in the armchair.
“That is Darry, dad!” Pony exclaimed, giggling.
“Is it?” Mr. Curtis said, putting his glasses on, “So it is! He looks so grown up, I didn’t recognise him,” Mr. C said, giving Darry an affectionate nudge in the arm.

“Steve, you didn’t want gel in your hair?” Mr. C asked as Steve came and sat on the couch.
“No,” Steve replied grumpily.
Mrs. C looked up.
“Honey, I can cut your hair if you want, but it’s already quite short from when we buzzed it when you and Soda thought it was funny to fill it with chewing gum,” Mrs. Curtis said.
Steve just kept his eyes on the TV. Mr. C sighed, seeing the boy’s mood hadn't improved, but he gave Steve a hair ruffle anyway before turning to the last boy.

"Now that I’m pretty sure your hair already looked like that, you might need to ask your hairdresser for a refund,” Mr. C said, raising his eyebrows and looking at Dallas.
“I don’t want a haircut,” Dallas told him.
"Yes, but honey, you need one,” Mrs. C called over. “I told you if you didn’t have it done earlier, when Mr. C got back, you’d have to do it then.” Mrs C finished.
“No!” Dallas whined, kicking his feet.
“Come on, rascal, I’ve got a special treat for you and Soda in my bag. If you do this, then I’ll show you what it is,” Mr. C said.
Soda came charging over.
“What treat?“ he interrogated, rifling through his dad’s bag.
“Hey, not yet. Dally’s going to get his haircut, and then I’ll show you both.” He said, moving his bag away from Soda, “Come on, kiddo,” he said, motioning for Dally.

Dallas scowled for his entire haircut, much to Mr. C’s amusement.
“I think you should call this style the scowler,” he laughed to Mrs. C.
Dallas kicked out at Mr. C.
“Alright, all done,” Mrs. C said, standing up and kissing Dallas on the top of his head as she brushed away the chopped-off hair.
“Can we have the treat now?” Soda yelled, running over.
“Okay, okay,” Mr. C said, lifting Dally down and brushing him off. “You look very cool, buddy; don’t worry,” he told him.
"Yeah, much cooler than Tim,” Soda added, which made Dallas smirk.
“Okay, come here, boys,” Mr. C called, crouching down with something in his hands.
Soda and Dally hurried over.

“This is a Christmas present for both of you, okay, but you get it early because it’s in a few days,” Mr. C said, passing it to them.
The boys looked at the piece of paper they’d each been given.
‘TULSA HORSE SHOW’ it read.
Soda’s head practically exploded as he wrapped his arms around Mr. C and then charged around the room, shouting with excitement.
“That sounds good to you, kiddo?” Mr. C asked Dallas, who was smiling.
“Yeah,” Dallas said. “Thanks,” he added, looking up at Mr. C, who ruffled his hair.
Steve watched the scene miserably, sitting with his short hair, surrounded by brothers who had special Mrs. C haircuts.

~

Mr. C began to cook dinner, and once again, an argument broke out.
“Steve and Dallas, do not make me come in there!” Mr. Curtis called from the kitchen, "Steve, no better today?” He asked his wife, who was busy chopping.
“Nope, still just as defiant. I tried to talk to him, but he wasn’t having it.” She sighed.
“Hopefully it’s just a phase; god knows Dally’s had his fair share.” Mr C replied.
“I know, but I can’t help thinking there’s something wrong,” Mrs. C said.
“Christmas?” Mr. C said after a moment of thought.
“Maybe I don’t know why, though. He already knows he’s staying here on Christmas Eve; I talked to his dad about that.” Mrs C explained.
“How is Mr. Randal?” Mr C asked.
“He is doing okay, I think. He gave me some money to get Steve something for Christmas from him.” Mrs C replied.
“Is the anniversary coming up?” Mr C wondered.
"No, that’s in May. It’ll be 3 years.” Mrs C told him.
“I hate you and your stupid haircut!” Steve screamed from the living room.
Mr. and Mrs. C went in to see what was going on.

“Hey, what did I say? You cool it!” Mr. C ordered, pulling Steve and Dallas to sit on separate ends of the couch. “No one will be watching the football game if you can’t sit nicely together,” he told them.
"Mama, can I put my jersey on now?” Pony asked.
“How long till the match starts?” Mrs. C asked.
“Like 15 minutes,” Darry told her.
“Okay, we have time!” Mrs C said.

Mrs. C returned with the array of jerseys Darry had grown out of over the years. She started by giving the smallest to Pony and then handed the rest out to the other boys. Soon they were all matching—it was very cute. Darry proudly wore the new one he had been given for his birthday.
“Darling, can you run to the DX quick? We have no milk,” Mr. C said, poking his head around the kitchen door.
“Yes, anyone want to come?” Mrs. C asked.
Pony and Johnny volunteered.
“Steve, you too, please,” Mrs. C said, getting her coat on.
“I don’t want to,” he moaned.
“Come on, some fresh air will do you good,” she told him, bringing over his jacket.
Steve frowned, but put it on.

Johnny and Pony skipped happily down the street. Steve stuck his hands in his pockets and walked behind them.
“Here’s the milk!” Pony said happily, once they arrived at the DX.
“Good job, honey!” Mrs. C praised.
They made their way to the counter. Steve’s eyes lit up as he saw the yellow packet of his favourite candy.
“Can we get some candy?” He asked.
“Not today; we’ve got candy at home,” Mrs. C told him.
“But these are my favorites!" He argued.
“Steven, I said no,” Mrs. C told him calmly but firmly.
Steve scowled. “I bet she’d buy them if Johnny asked,” he thought.
Mrs. C paid for the milk and thanked the man behind the counter. When she turned away and the man went out the back, impulsively, Steve grabbed two packets of candy and shoved them in his pockets. He followed quickly after Mrs. C.

They were just approaching the house when Ponyboy noticed the yellow poking out of Steve’s pockets.
“Hey! Mom said we couldn’t get candy!” Pony whined.
Mrs. C whipped her head around.
“What was that Pony?" She asked.
“Steves got candy; I want candy!” He told her.
Mrs. C looked absolutely furious.
“Show me!” She demanded it, turning to Steve.
He revealed the two packets nervously.

~

The boys were all gathered around the TV, excitedly awaiting the game. Mr. C had come to join them as he couldn’t continue with dinner until he had some milk.
"Ah, here they come,” he said, standing up when he heard footsteps approaching.
The door flung open, and Mrs. C came in with Steve in one of her wrist holding ‘you’re in big trouble’ marches.
“What’s happened?” Mr. C sighed, recognising the scene.
“Tell him what you did,” Mrs. C ordered, through gritted teeth, leading Steve over to Mr. C.
“Steven?” Mr. C asked, raising his eyebrows.
Steve shook his head.
“He decided to steal from the DX,” Mrs. C announced, disappointment evident in her tone.
Mr. C was slightly taken aback.
“No! You know better than that.” He said, running his hand through his hair in frustration, “You are in big trouble. Go to Soda’s room, now!” Mr. C. ordered.
“But I want to watch the football!” Steve protested.
“Young man, you ain’t going to be watching any football.” Mr C said raising his voice.

Steve felt all the anger, jealousy, and sadness from the last few days explode through him. He charged at Mr. C and kicked him.
“Hey!” Mr. C exclaimed, trying to grab the kicking and scratching boy.
“I want to watch the football!” Steve screamed as he fought.
Mr. C had plenty of experience with tantrums, so he managed to hold Steve’s hands together to stop him from attacking him as he picked him up and carried him down the hall. He kicked and screamed as Mr. Curtis carried him into the bedroom.
“Now you stay there and think about your behaviour!” Mr. Curtis said, placing Steve on Soda’s bed.
Steve punched the bed in anger as the door closed. Then he sat on the bed, listening to the sounds of the football start and his brothers cheering. A tear fell down his cheek, and he buried his face into the cushions and cried.

Chapter Text

Mr. C came back and sat down next to Mrs. C.
“I’ll give him some time to calm down,” he told her.

After only a few minutes, they were both uneasy and kept glancing at each other and back down the hall, from which they could hear the sound of muffled sobbing.

It always hurt Mr. and Mrs. C when the boys cried; even if it was because they were having a meltdown, it still hurt them to see the boys upset or have to be the ones upsetting them by laying down the law. However, this was not the usual tantrum crying they could hear, and as it echoed down the hall, they could no longer ignore it. Steve was not calming down.

"Okay, I can’t sit and listen to that any longer. There’s something wrong, and I need to know what,” Mr. C declared, getting to his feet.
“Should I come too?” Mrs. C asked.
“I’ll try and talk to him first, and then if not, you can have a go,” Mr. C replied, turning and heading down the hall.

~

Mr. C opened the door gently.
“Hey buddy,” he greeted.
Steve was lying on the bed with his head buried in the pillows, clearly crying his eyes out.
Mr. C sighed and came and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching over and rubbing the boy’s back.

“What’s wrong, honey?” He asked kindly.
Steve lifted his head up slightly.
“You don’t love me!” He sobbed before burying his head back in the pillow.
“You know that’s not true, kiddo,” Mr. C said, lifting his legs up and shuffling to sit beside Steve on the bed, putting a hand out to stroke the back of the boy’s head. “I love you boys more than anything in the world—even when you kick my shins and try to scratch my eyes out,” Mr. C said calmly, doing his best to soothe Steve.
“No, you love Johnny more than me,” Steve cried.
“Honey, of course we don't,“ Mr. C began, leaning over.
"Yes, you do. You adopted Johnny, but you didn’t adopt me!” Steve burst out, shaking Mr. C off.
Darrel felt his heart drop.
Of course.
How could they not have realised?

“Oh honey, oh no, no, that’s not what that means,” Mr. C said. “Oh buddy,” he sighed as Steve erupted into heavier sobbing.
Mr. C reached over and lifted Steve to sit on his lap; he held him tight.
“Shhhh, shhhh, calm down, it’s okay,” Mr. C whispered softly, rubbing his back. “Take some deep breaths for me, Stevie; that’s it; that’s my man,” he praised, as Steve slowly started to calm down.
“I think there’s been a big misunderstanding, and it’s our fault because we didn’t explain it to you. I presume this is what’s been bothering you the past few days.” He asked.
Steve nodded, still sniffling.

“Johnny is your favourite, so you adopted him,” Steve said sadly.
"No, buddy, that’s not true, I promise. We didn’t adopt Johnny because we love him more than we don’t; we love all of you boys equally regardless of whether you’re adopted or not. We had to adopt Johnny. It was the only way to keep him safe from his parents and make sure they could never hurt him again or take him away from us,” Mr. C explained.
“Oh,” Steve said, digesting what Mr. C had said.

“I know your dad isn’t the best at taking care of you, but he does love you—he’s just lost his way a bit after losing your mom." He is not like Johnny’s parents; we don’t need to keep you away from him, and he is happy to let us look after you. Do you see the difference?” Mr. C asked.
Steve thought for a moment and nodded.
“The main thing you need to know is that me and Mrs. C will always look after you; whatever happens with your dad, you will always have us. Our main priority is protecting you boys and keeping you safe, whatever that may mean. So you don’t need to worry about those kinds of things because we will handle them, okay?” Mr. C said, shifting Steve in his lap so they could look at each other.
“So it’s still the same; Johnny just doesn’t have his other parents anymore?” Steve asked.
"Exactly, buddy, nothing has changed other than Johnny's parents won’t be able to hurt him anymore,” Mr. C replied, wrapping his arms tightly around Steve.

“But why didn’t I get a haircut, and why don’t I get to go to the horse show?” Steve whined.
“Buddy, do you want to go to the horse show?” Mr. C laughed.
“Well, no,” Steve mumbled.
“That’s why I didn’t get you a ticket. Who did I take to see the car show for his birthday a few weeks ago?” Mr. C prompted.
“Me,” Steve smiled shyly.
“That’s right. If you really liked horses, I’d take you, but you don't, so you’ll get a different present for Christmas,” Mr. C told him.
“Oh yeah. Can I have-“ Steve began.
“Ah no, it’s a surprise,” Mr. C interrupted him. “And about the haircuts. Well, you got your own special haircut after the chewing gum incident, so technically, that makes it more unique,” Mr. C finished.
Steve’s face softened. He sat calmly in Mr. C’s arms for a few minutes, soaking up the comfort and thinking about what had been said.

“What about Dallas? Are you going to adopt him?” Steve asked curiously.
“Dallas doesn’t want anyone to be officially in charge of him. But we know we’re his parents, and although he probably wouldn’t admit it, I think he does too. Like I said, we’ll do whatever is best for you boys, and at the moment, Dallas is safe and happy with us without the need for anything official,” Mr. C told Steve.
“I like being in this family,” Steve said as he snuggled against Mr. C.
“And this family needs you, just as much as it needs everyone else,” Mr. C smiled as Steve relaxed against his chest. “You feel better now, kiddo?” Mr. C asked.
“Yeah. I just got scared, I guess,” Steve told him.
“I know, buddy, but if it ever happens again, just come and talk to us, okay? Don’t go all Dallas Winston on us, kid,” Mr. C grinned, nudging his arm.
And for the first time in days, Steve laughed.

~

Mrs. C popped her head around the door after a while. It was her turn to smother Steve with hugs and kisses. She was so happy to see the boy they knew come back.
“Are we going to get our Stevie back now then? No more naughtiness?” She asked him.
"Well, no more than usual,” Mr. C interjected, winking at Steve. “You wouldn’t be Steve if you didn’t cause a little chaos,” he added.
“I promise,” Steve assured Mrs. C.
“Good boy,” she said, kissing the top of his head. “Come on, then let’s go watch the rest of the football,” Mrs. C said, lifting him down.
“Hang on, there is one more thing,” Mr. C said. They both halted. “Stealing?” Mr. C said, raising his eyebrows.
Steve looked guiltily at the floor.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Steve mumbled.
Mr. C looked up at Mrs. C, not quite sure how to handle it.

Mrs. Curtis sighed and crouched down before Steve.
“Look at me, honey.” She said, taking both his hands, “You must never ever do it again, you understand?” Mrs. Curtis said it gently but seriously.
“I won’t,” Steve promised.
“After the football, you and me are going to walk down to the DX and give the man back the candy, okay?” Mrs. C told him.
“And you’re going to apologise for taking it,” Mr. C added.
Steve agreed.
“Okay, we’ll say no more about it then. Come on, kiddo. Let’s go join your brothers,” Mr. C said, hoisting Steve up onto his shoulders.

Specific days in childhood are hard to distinguish; usually, childhood memories are a vague montage of nostalgia. But Steve would remember that day forever.

The morning of conflict, followed by the comfort and assurance from Mr. and Mrs. C, which taught him one of the most important lessons. He was loved—loved unconditionally and eternally, no matter what.

Steve felt that love more than ever that afternoon. As he and the boys cheered and shouted at the television and leapt from couch to couch. As they re-enacted the football plays, Mr. C chasing them around the living room, and Mrs. C scolding them for making a mess. How they all bundled on each other, giggling and laughing.

Family wasn’t birth certificates or documents; it was that afternoon, the one he spent watching football with his brothers. In a house that was a sanctuary of love and the home he knew he’d always have.

Chapter Text

The car wasn’t even in the park when Soda took off.
“Sodapop!” Mr. C exclaimed, parking up and hurrying to get out of the car, “Don’t you move.” He warned Dallas before he left.

He chased Soda through the crowd, finally catching up to him when he was standing on the fences, reaching out to pet the horses.
“What did I say about running off?” Mr. C said firmly, lifting him down.
Soda was too excited to care, practically bouncing with joy.
Mr. C took his hand and led him back to the car; they bumped into Dallas on the way.
“Can neither of you follow instructions?” Mr. C exclaimed.
"Dad, I want to see the horses,” Soda whined.
Mr. Curtis sighed. Maybe he should have bought an extra ticket so he could have brought someone else along to help him manage the boys.

~

An hour later, and weirdly enough, Mr. Curtis was extremely relaxed. He may have finally realised how to calm the boys down. Soda was absolutely transfixed; he would not stop talking, but he was fully engaged and focused, so it was a great kind of energy. Dallas was also much more mellow and following directions for a change.

"Dad, do you know this one can only eat oats once a week or their hair gets too matted?” Soda explained as they walked along the fences, where all the horses were standing behind, waiting for their show.
A number of people had praised Soda and Dally for their amazing instincts and horse-whispering abilities. People stood and watched as a horse lent over the fence to Soda.
“He hardly likes me, and he’s never been keen on kids,” the owner said, slightly amazed.
Soda’s face lit up.
“His left back leg isn’t on the ground properly. I don’t think his shoe is on right,” Soda said as he petted the horse.
The rider turned to look.
“You know, I think you’re right, young man,” he said, giving Mr. C a look of amazement.
Mr. C ruffled Soda’s hair.
“You’re something else, kid,” he praised.
Soda gave the horse a hug, and Dallas started petting it too, and it nudged against him affectionately. The owner stood there, astonished by the way the horse was so affectionate with the boys.

“Do you want to come and help me feed him?” The guy asked.
“Yes!” Soda exclaimed, immediately trying to climb the fence.
“Easy, Pepsi Cola, there’s a gate right there,” Mr. C said, lifting him down. “You want to go feed him Dallas?” He asked, turning to Dally.
Dally nodded, petting the horse as it nudged him. Soda had already charged off ahead.

~

“What does that do?“ Soda asked his 20th question, pointing around at all the different horse equipment.
The boys were taking it in turns to feed the horse carrots, but Soda just couldn’t stop asking questions.
“What about that? What does that do?” He asked, pointing at something else.
“That’s in case a horse shoe needs repairing,” the owner explained.
"Soda, why don’t you save some breath for later?” Mr. C suggested when the barrage of questions continued.

“What about you, son? Have you got any questions?” The owner asked Dallas.
“How come he doesn’t like you?” Dallas asked.
"Well, I think he does like me, really. He had a bit of a reputation as a bad horse; that’s why I bought him; they were going to put him down if not,” the owner explained, standing up and patting the horse. “He may not be the most obedient animal in the world, but he doesn’t deserve to die; he's really a good horse,” the man finished, feeding the horse some oats.
“I think he likes me,” Soda said as the horse nuzzled against him.
“That’s why I was so shocked. He’s never been good with other people, and even me, whom he knows best, he hardly shows affection to. Then you two come along, and it’s like he met his best friends.” The man said, still slightly in awe of the way the horse showed affection to them.
“What’s his name?” Dallas asked, feeding the horse some carrots.
“Ryder,” the man replied.
“Can we ride him?” Soda asked.
“I’m afraid, not boys. Maybe when you’re a bit older, but I’m the only one who rides him, and it’s even dangerous for me because he doesn’t like to listen and will throw you off sometimes,” the man explained.

~

Mr. C exchanged numbers with the man; he said Soda and Dally were welcome to come up and see Ryder sometime. He had a small bit of land less than an hour's drive out of Tulsa.

It was nearly time for the show, and as the boys had been so good, Mr. C took over to pick out some snacks. They wouldn’t let Mr. C carry the food over to the seats for them, but somehow the two 5-year-olds managed not to spill any popcorn or drinks on their way. Mr. C had seats in the family section, so the view was good and the atmosphere was nice. As the first horse came out, Soda gasped, and once again, he began talking nonstop about horses.

About halfway through, they recognised the man stepping out onto the show floor.
“There’s Ryder!” Soda erupted.
He and Dallas both stood on their chairs and waved, not at the man but at the horse.
“Go Ryder!” Dally yelled encouragingly as he trotted around the ring.

They clapped louder than anyone when he did his jumps, and Mr. C had to make them sit back in their chairs properly because as Ryder did his final jump, they started to jump up and down with him. The owner waved over to them before he headed in, much to Soda and Dally’s excitement.
“We know a famous horse,” Soda said to Mr. C excitedly.

Ryder didn’t win anything, but the boys had had one of the best nights of their lives. It was a long show, about 3 hours from start to finish, and even though it was past their bedtimes, Soda and Dally were wide awake and full of excitement right to the end. They were the last people left in the family section, but that gave Soda and Dally enough room to gallop up and down all the aisles. They chased each other happily, pretending to be different breeds of horses, some of which Mr. C was pretty sure Soda had to be making up.

The boys roared at the final applause.
"Dad, that was the best present ever,” Soda said, hugging his father.
"Aww, good, merry Christmas boys. Dally, did you have fun?” He asked.
“Yeah, that was the biggest jump I've ever seen,” Dally exclaimed.
He and Soda talked excitedly the whole way back to the car, reliving their favourite moments from the show. Mr. C knew how much they had enjoyed it because Dally was so distracted that he didn’t protest at all when Mr. C held his hand as they walked through the parking lot.

He loaded the boys into the car, their horse conversation still continuing. Mr. C began the drive home, nodding as the boys aimed all their talk at him. He looked at his watch; it was late; there’s no way the boys were going to make it through this drive awake. But the way they were wittering on in the back of the car, they seemed wide awake.

“And then when the brown one with the black patches did the barrel,“ Soda suddenly went silent.
Mr. C waited a moment for him to continue, but when he didn't, he turned around.
Dallas and Soda were completely passed out in the backseat, slumped against each other. So full of excitement and happiness from that day’s event, Soda had fallen asleep mid-sentence.

Chapter Text

Mrs. Curtis had a slight tear in her eye as she was led down the hall by seven excited little boys. Their eyes were so full of the purest joy there was.

“He came! Santa came, Mom!” Soda yelled, jumping up and down.
"Dally, even you got something! I thought you’d be on the bad list for sure.” Pony said, scanning the presents.
“You boys may be a handful, but you are the best boys in the world—I bet Santa knows that,” Mr. C said, sitting in his armchair.
"Mom, can we open the presents?” TwoBit asked frantically.
“Wait a second, sweetheart; we need a photo of all of you together,” Mrs. Matthews said, camera in hand.

It was a photo Mrs. Curtis knew she was going to frame. All seven boys grinning widely, with Sodapop and Steve pulling faces and Darry grinning at their antics. TwoBit had decided to tickle Dallas just as the camera flashed, so they were both mid-grin, and Pony and Johnny were laughing at them. It was perfect. They were the greatest gift she never knew she’d be granted.

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis and Mrs. Mattthews had all pooled together their Christmas spending, so each boy had one gift from Santa and another gift from the adults, and they also had a special surprise later.

The present unwrapping began. TwoBit was overjoyed with his Mickey T-shirt and put it on right away.
“Oh my God!” Darry exclaimed, unwrapping the five baseball cards he’d been searching for all year.
“Your dad had to do a lot of asking around and bribery to get you those,” Mrs. C told him.
Darry ran over to his father and gave him the biggest hug.
Steve tore the wrapping paper off his gift. He gasped slightly when he saw what it was. A toy car. But not just any toy car—a red pickup—the car his mom and dad had. Mr. Randall had sold it once Steve’s mom died, but Mr. and Mrs. Curtis knew how much Steve loved that car.

The six-year-old looked at the car and then held it tight to his chest, moisture filling his eyes.
"Oh, sweetie,” Mrs. C said, coming over to him.
She kneeled beside him and put an arm around him.
“Are those happy tears?” Mrs. Curtis asked.
Steve nodded and leant into Mrs. C.
“It’s the best present ever,” Steve sniffled, tears leaking. “Thank you,” he added.
“You’re so welcome, angel,” she said, kissing the top of his head.

Johnny got a blanket; it had been specially embroidered with everyone’s names in their own handwriting. He beamed and showed it to Pony.
"Look, I got an art set, so now we do have to share it with them.” He told Johnny, “They won’t be able to mix all the colours and ruin it,” Pony finished.

Mrs. C was busy helping Sodapop get in his cowboy outfit from Santa; they had made sure to take the toy whip out and just leave the little pistol in.
“Mrs. C, can you put me and Pony under the blanket?” Johnny said, tugging on her arm.
“Hey Johnny, stick em up!” Soda shouted, pointing his pistol.
Johnny screamed and ran away. Soda chased after him, giggling.
“Johnny!” Pony yelled, and seeing his friend under attack, he ran to his aid.
Pony wrapped himself around Soda’s legs, so he couldn’t move.
“Bang!” Soda yelled, pointing the pistol at Johnny on the couch.
Johnny flopped to the side.
Pony looked horrified, so he ran to Johnny.
“Soda, you killed him!” Pony said accusingly.
Johnny sprung to life. Pony screamed.
“It’s a Christmas miracle!” Soda declared as both he and Pony jumped on Johnny.
“You boys are absolutely crazy. Maybe Santa had a crazy list, and that’s what you’re all on,” Mr. C said, clearing away all the paper.
He found Dally’s unopened present from Santa.

"Oh, come on, kiddo, we had this last year—just open the present,” Mr. C said, taking it over to where Dallas was sitting on the couch next to Mrs. C.
Dallas shook his head.
“Honey, you don’t have to believe in him to have the present. I know you didn’t used to have Christmas, but you have it now, and you’ve done so well this year,” Mrs. C told him.
“I think about this time last year you’d thrown your present from Santa on the fire, smashed the bowl of eggnog, and then ran outside and refused to come back in all day. So there’s been some improvement,” Mr. C laughed, ruffling Dally’s hair.

“What did you get, Dally?” Johnny asked about coming over.
“Go on, open it.” Mrs C said, putting an arm round him.
“What did you ask for?” Ponyboy asked, coming to stand with Johnny around Dallas.
It had been a homework assignment to write a letter to Santa, so he’d had to do it.
“Beer and cigarettes,” Dallas smirked.
“Okay, maybe you shouldn’t open it,” Mr. C said, reaching for the present.
Dallas held it out of his reach.
"No, it’s mine; I want to open it,” Dallas replied, starting to tear off the paper.
Mr. C winked at Mrs C.
Even Dallas couldn’t disguise the way his face lit up as he opened the box. Inside was a packet of cigarettes and a bottle of beer. Well, it was a packet of chocolate cigarettes and a bottle of ginger beer.
“Santa ain’t so bad after all; is he kiddo?” Mr. C said, nudging Dally on the arm.
Dally shook his head. He looked back down at his present.
“Tuff,” he muttered to himself, blushing slightly at the way he was beaming.

~

The morning was spent playing with presents and eating lots of different Christmas foods. Mr. Curtis disappeared for about half an hour. When he returned, he nodded at Mrs. C.
“Right boys, I want you to close your eyes and form a chain. There’s a surprise in the backyard for you all.” Mrs Curtis announced.
Immediately, TwoBit and Soda ran for the backyard, but Mr. C held them back.
“No, you all are going to see it together,” he told them, taking them back to the others.

“Keep your eyes closed. Soda, no peeking!” Mrs. Curtis said as she and her husband led all the boys outside.
Mrs. Matthews was carrying Johnny, as he was a bit nervous.
“Ow!” Darry said.
“Keith, hands to yourself,” Mrs. Matthews reprimanded.
“It was an accident,” TwoBit informed her.
“Darry is behind you; I saw you turn around and smack him,” she sighed.
“Yes, accidentally,” TwoBit laughed.
“Why can't we just walk with our eyes open?” Soda asked.
“It’s a surprise now; be careful; we’re at the back steps,” Mrs. Curtis said.
“Boys careful!” Mrs. Matthews called.
And like dominoes, they all tumbled down over each other, landing in a pile at the bottom.
"Well, that was successful,” Mrs. C sighed, helping them up.
Mr. C joined her, brushed Pony down, and helped him to his feet.
“Oh my god!” TwoBit exclaimed, looking up at the backyard.
The boys followed his gaze and gasped.
“Wow!” Pony shouted.
“Are they for us?” Soda exclaimed.

On the lawn, there were four bikes, and the boys ran over to them.
"Well, after the last few months, we thought you boys all deserved a treat, so we and Mrs. Matthews put together some money, and this is your main Christmas present,” Mr. Curtis explained.
The boys beamed, all chattering excitedly about which bike they wanted to ride. Soda was the first to run over to Mrs. C and Mrs. Matthews, giving them a joint hug.
“You’re the best moms in the world,” he whispered as he hugged them.
Ponyboy ran over and joined in the hug, and pretty soon Johnny followed.
“What about me?” Mr. Curtis exclaimed.
Steve and TwoBit ran over and jumped on Mr. C. Darry ran over and bundled on.
"Oh, dear,” Mrs. Curtis said disapprovingly.
“Our hug is much more calm and fun,” Mrs. Matthews added. Pony and Johnny nodded.
Soda looked longingly over at the wrestling boys.
"Umm, Sodapop, don’t you dare betray me and go join the other hug,” Mrs. Curtis said with false firmness.
Soda gave her a grin and slowly crept away. She gave a dramatic gasp and scooped Johnny and Pony up tighter.
“Don’t worry, boys, we don’t need him,” Mrs. Matthews said, embracing the group.
Johnny and Pony laughed.
"Hey, while they’re all busy wrestling, why don’t you boys get the first turn on the bikes? We got four different sizes, so each of you will fit on one and Pony the little one and stabilisers,” Mrs. C explained, leading Johnny and Pony over to the bikes.

“I can’t get on,” Pony said, trying and failing to climb onto the smallest bike.
Dally had been standing by the bikes the entire time and lifted Pony up onto the seat.
“Do you want to sit on one?” He asked Johnny.
Johnny nodded and pointed to the one next to Pony.
“You can talk, you know; you don’t need to be shy in front of the bikes, Dally laughed, lifting Johnny up and helping him onto the bike.
Mrs. Matthews stood next to Pony to make sure he didn’t fall off.

Mrs. C came and stood next to Dallas.
“Do you like the bikes?” She asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He looked up and her and nodded with a shy smile.
“Pretty cool present, thanks,” he mumbled.

The afternoon was one she knew she would look back on. She managed to get many photos as for once the boys were happy to pose for the camera, proud to show off their new bikes. Although there wasn’t enough for them each to have their individual ones they were  exceedingly grateful. Steve was so grateful half way through the afternoon he went in for 10 minutes and came back out with handmade thank you cards for all 3 adults.
“Ahhh buddy, thank you!” Mr C said, pulling him in for a bear hug, “You’re so welcome,” Mrs Matthews told him with a kiss on his head.

“Maybe we should get them treats more often if they’re going to be this angelic!” Mrs C suggested as TwoBit bought her out yet another glass of juice.
“Mr. C, do you want anything?” TwoBit asked.
“You haven’t been putting flies in it, have you?” Mr. C asked suspiciously.
"Mom, I made you a sandwich,” Darry said, coming outside.
"Christ, I think our boys have been replaced with robots!” Mrs. C laughed with Mrs. Matthews. "Thanks, sweetie,” she said, taking the plate from Darry.
"Oh, come on, Darry, why do you always have to top me?” TwoBit sighed.
“It’s okay, buddy, the effort is equal in our eyes,” Mr. C said, ruffling his hair. “Can I ask where my sandwich is?” He said, turning to Darry.
“I had some special waiters bring yours,” Darry told him, pointing to the back door.
“Awww,” Mrs. C sighed as Pony and Johnny carefully carried a plate between them.
“He’s your sandwich, Daddy,” Pony said.
Darry coughed.
“I mean, here’s your sandwich, sir,” Pony corrected himself.
“Sir? I like that,” Mr. Curtis laughed.
“I hope you enjoy it,” Johnny said.
“I’m sure I will kiddo,” Mr C said winking at him.

The adults sat happily, albeit in slight disbelief eating their food and watching the boys play.
“Hey no, it’s my turn now!” Soda whined.
“Here we go,” Mr C said.
“Well they lasted a lot longer that I was expecting,” Mrs Matthews remarked.
“Get off!” Steve shouted as Soda tried to take the bike off him.
“Boys?” Mr C called.
“It’s my turn!” Soda whined, turning to Mr C.
“Buddy, you just got off the other bike I saw you,” Mr Curtis told him.
“But it’s my turn on this bike!” Soda whined.
“Honey, Steve only just started his go and he wasn’t on another bike just before so you need to wait,” Mrs Curtis explained.
“It’s my go!” Soda said, once again trying to snatch the bike off Steve.
“Sodapop, do you need to go back in the house?” Mr Curtis asked him.
Soda looked on track for a full blown meltdown but thankfully Dallas stepped in.
“Do you wanna go on this bike?” Dallas called over to Soda, holding out the bike he had been riding.
Soda nodded, still frowning.
Dallas pushed the bike over to him.
“Here you go, man,” he said.
“Thank you Dallas, Soda what do you say?” Mrs C called out.
“Thank you Dally,” Soda said, his smile returning.
Soon he and Steve were racing up and down.

The boys had woken up at 4AM so it was no surprise that by 6PM they were all fast asleep on the couch. Johnny was snuggled under his new blanket with Pony, TwoBit was still in his Mickey shirt, Steve was still wearing a bike helmet and clutching tightly to his toy car, Sodapop was still in his cowboy costume and Darry was still holding his baseball cards and Dallas had chocolate smeared all over his face. Mrs C took another photo, when there was a little knock at the door. The one she had been hoping for all day.

Mrs Matthews and Mr C were asleep on the other couch so she crept silently to the door.
“Merry Christmas honey,” She said opening the door to find Curly waiting.
“Umm Merry Christmas,” Curly replied shyly, “You told me to come-“ he began.
“Yes honey, don’t worry I know. I got something for you,” She said turning to fetch something.
Mrs C came back with a bag.
“In here you got some Christmas food and then there’s 3 presents, one for you, one for Tim and one for you sister,” she explained.
“I don’t know if Tim will-“ Curly said.
“Just tell him it’s Christmas and if that doesn’t work tell him that you get his present instead - I bet that’ll change his mind,” Mrs C said, handing him the bag.
Curly smiled, hovering for a second.
“Umm thank you,” He said shyly before he hurried off.
“It’s okay honey,” She said sighing, watching him disappear into the distance.

Chapter Text

It was nearing the end of Christmas vacation, and it was Mr. C’s last day off. They were awoken by footsteps thundering down the hall. Soda sprung onto their bed.

“It’s snowed!!!!” He screamed.
Mr. and Mrs. C stirred groggily.
"God, what time is it?” Mrs. C mumbled.
“6 a.m.,” Soda told them, jumping up and down on the bed.
The bedroom door opened, and Johnny and Pony came in. They clambered onto the bed, giggling, and joined in with Soda’s jumping.
“Okay, okay, we’re up,” Mrs. C said, sitting up.

Soda practically dragged Mr. and Mrs. C out of the bedroom to look out the kitchen window.
“Look!” He exclaimed.
“Oh god!” Mrs. C exclaimed, seeing Dallas, Darry, and Steve all in the backyard snow in nothing but pyjamas.

Mr. C went out and managed to gather them all in; he took quite a few snowballs in the process, though.
“Boys, you know you can’t go outside without asking,” Mrs. C said.
“But it’s snowing!” Darry said, shaking all the snowflakes out of his hair happily.
“I want you three to have warm showers now, before you catch pneumonia,” Mrs. C said, ushering them down the hall.
“But I want to play in the snow!” Steve protested.
“After breakfast and when you’re wearing proper clothes, we can do it,” Mrs. C told them.

~

Once all the boys were washed, fed, and dressed, Mrs. Curtis began the stressful process of layering them up in warm clothing, much to their dismay.
“I won’t even be able to feel the snow under all this!” Soda complained.
"Well, you either wear this or you don’t go out at all,” Mrs. C told him, zipping him into his snowsuit.
Johnny and Pony seemed more excited about the snowsuits than the actual snow. Giggling as Mr. C helped them suit up.

“No, shoes first!” Mrs. C said firmly as Soda tried to run for the door.
She held up his snow boots.
“I don’t like shoes,” Soda whined.
Darry came back into the living room in his snow clothes.
“Can I get out now?” He asked his mom.
"Yes, honey, I think Pony and Johnny are ready; why don’t you start getting the sledges out of the shed?” She suggested this as she tried to keep Soda still enough to get his shoes on.
Darry held his hand out for Pony and Johnny, who came over to him.
"Darry, do I look like a superhero in this?” Pony asked.
"Sure, you do,” Darry told him.
“I’m ready!” Soda announced, "Darry, let’s go!!” He shouted, running to the door.

As Soda, Pony, and Johnny rolled around in the snow like animals, Darry headed to the shed to get the sledges. They only had two, but TwoBit had one at his house, which Darry was sure he’d bring around later. Steve came out to join them a few moments later, and he immediately dove into the snow. Darry retrieved the sledges from the shed, only to have to use them as a shield as he was pelted with snowballs from the younger ones.

About 5 more minutes went by, but finally Dally emerged with Mr. C. He was wearing a snowsuit but did not look happy about it, standing with his arms crossed and stomping through the snow.
“Good job, junior,” Mr. C praised, seeing the sledges.
SPLAT.
A snowball exploded on the back of Mr. Curtis’ head.

Mr. C turned around to see Dally standing there, smirking defiantly.
The other boys stood looking back and forth between the standoffs, anticipating the next move.
Mrs. C made eye contact with Mr. C and held up a snowball, slowly creeping towards Dallas. Mr. C maintained his firm glare until...
SPLAT.
Mrs. C’s snowball hit Dallas on the arm.
“Hey!” Dallas exclaimed, turning around.
SPLAT.
Mr. C threw a snowball that landed on his back. Dallas whipped around, grinning, grumpiness forgotten, as a snowball fight ensued.

~

15 minutes later, they were at the top of Willow Hill. TwoBit and Mrs. Matthews had joined them.
“Steve and Soda, do I need to explain physics to you again?” Mr. C sighed, looking down the hill. “You have to walk the sledge back up the hill before you jump back on it,” he told them.
The boys ignored him and did another running leap onto the stationary sledge, which barely moved. It didn’t seem to matter to them; they were whooping like they were having the ride of their lives.

“Darry no! You sit down; you do not stand up on the sledge!” Mrs. C shouted.
Darry had been going from the highest spot, and the younger boys were all watching him with admiration. Lower down the hill, Pony pushed the other sledge and attempted to stand up as it started to slide.
“Pony, no!” Mrs. C called.
Ponyboy tumbled head-over-heels off the sledge.
“That’s why you can’t do it, Darry, because they’ll copy you,” Mr. C said, hurrying over to Ponyboy.

Pony was crying, but by the time he reached him, Soda and TwoBit were already making him laugh.
“Are you okay, buddy?” Mr. C asked.
“Yeah,” Pony sniffed.
Mr. C ruffled his hair and brushed him down.
“That was so cool, Pony,” TwoBit said.
"Yeah, you did like a front flip,” Soda added.
Pony grinned.
"Well, I don’t want anymore crazy stunts. If someone gets hurt, we’ll all be going home, okay?” Mr. C said, looking around at them, “Keith, Soda, Steve? You got that—nothing reckless or dangerous,” Mr. C added.
The boys all nodded.
“Now, Soda and Steve I think you better look behind you, as your sledge may have been hotwired while we’ve been talking,” Mr. C said, smiling and looking over their shoulders.
Steve and Soda looked around.
Johnny was sitting on the sledge with Dallas pushing and then jumping on as they glided down the hill, laughing.

~

After a few hours in the snow, the adults decided they were practically frozen solid, so it was time to go home.

Back at the house, Mrs. Matthews and Mrs. Curtis hurried to get six inpatient boys out of their snowsuits before they ran off. Meanwhile, Mr. Curtis made hot chocolates for everyone. As he warmed up the milk, Soda and Steve came to join him in the kitchen.
“Are you making hot chocolate?” Soda said, bouncing up and down, delighted.
“Yes, buddy.” Mr. C smiled.
“Can we have marshmallows?” Steve asked.
“And whipped cream?” Soda added.
“Do I smell hot chocolate?” TwoBit said, entering the kitchen.
Mr. C sighed.

5 minutes later, all 7 boys were crowded around watching Mr. C make the hot chocolate.
“Okay, okay, come on then. Johnny first,” he said, reaching down and lifting him up.
Johnny took a handful of marshmallows and sprinkled them into his cup.
“Ready?” Mr. C asked him.
Johnny nodded, grinning as Mr. C helped him squirt whipped cream on top. He giggled at the sound.
“Okay, go careful,” Mr. C said, putting Johnny down and then handing him the cup of hot chocolate. “One down, six to go,” Mr. C said.
“Me next!!!!” Soda yelled, still bouncing up and down.

~

The adults were hoping the boys would calm down and start to get tired after that morning’s excitement. But if anything, the snow had given them more energy than ever.
“Can we go ride the bikes?” TwoBit asked, running over to the dining table where the adults were sitting.
“The street will be too icy,” Mrs. Curtis told him.
"No, it won’t; they salted it,” TwoBit replied.
“Maybe later,” Mr. C told him.

It was about 3 minutes before TwoBit asked the question again, and this time Steve and Soda joined in too.
"Boys, why don’t you just play a nice, quiet boardgame together?” Mrs. Matthews suggested.
“Johnny and Dallas, what are you doing?” Mrs. C exclaimed, looking over to the living room, where the two of them were standing on the back of the couch.
Johnny giggled as they both jumped off onto the cushion they’d put down.
“We might need to take them out on the bikes if even Johnny is bouncing off the walls,” Mrs. Matthews said, turning to Mr. C.
"Right, I’ll go and see how icy the street is,” Mr. C said, standing up.
The boys all cheered.

Mr. C was only out of the room for 5 minutes, but he returned to find all the boys in their snowsuits and desperate to go out.
“How’s it looking?" Mrs. C asked.
“They salted it, so it’s not icy as far as I can tell. But you’ll still need to be careful,” Mr. C said, but his voice trailed off as the boys charged off out the door.

~

Mr. Curtis was keeping a close eye on the boys and a lookout for any cars as they rode up and down on the bikes, but their street was reasonably quiet for traffic, so it was pretty safe.

Johnny had started to yawn after only a few turns on the bike and then decided to go and sit with Mrs. C and Mrs. Matthews on the porch, where he fell asleep in the chair next to them almost immediately. Mrs. Curtis smiled at him, hoping that the rest of the boys would be tired and in bed early after all the events of today.

She watched as Mr. C cheered Ponyboy on as he raced up and down the street. He looked so grown up, peddling on a bike. Soda, Darry, and Dallas were on the others, all having a great time.

Mr. C looked down at his watch.
“Okay, 3..2...1, go!” He said this to Dallas, who raced off.
The boys had wanted to do time trials between here and the lamppost a few houses down the street.

Dallas peddled as fast as he could.
“Go on, Dally!” The other boys cheered.
He was nearly there when suddenly his wheel skidded slightly, then skidded a lot, and then hit a dip, and the wheel got caught.

The sudden stop propelled Dallas over the handlebars. He came down on the concrete hard and then grazed across it for a few feet before he came to a standstill. Shocked and hurting.

Mr. Curtis ran over, and the other boys were close behind.
"Hey, you’re okay, you’re okay,” Mr. Curtis said, coming to his side and sitting him up gently.
Dallas was breathing quickly, and his lip was wobbling.
He pushed Mr. Curtis away.
Mr. C sighed.
“Honey?” He called, standing up and motioning for Mrs. C to come.

The boys gathered around. Dallas had scraped up his arms and legs and had a cut on his chin; thankfully, his helmet had protected his head. But he was hurt, and for a five-year-old, even Dallas, the pain and shock were a lot to handle.

Mr. Curtis could see the pain and distress on the boy’s face, his composure slipping by the second, with tears escaping from his tensed-up face as the pain set in.
“Come on, boys, give him some space,” Mrs. Curtis said, running over and dispersing the crowd around Dallas.
"Boys, why don’t we go and put the bikes away?” Mr. Curtis suggested herding them away.

Mrs. C crouched down beside Dallas, and he tried to hide his face.
“No one is here, honey; you don’t gotta be tough,” Mrs. C told him, turning him back around to face her.
He was crying.
“Show me where it hurts.” She asked, rubbing circles on his back.
“My arms and my legs,” Dallas said, finally erupting into proper crying.
“Oh baby,” Mrs. C said, standing up and then reaching down for him and picking him up, holding him tight against her, and soothing him the best she could.

Dally was different from the other boys. With a house of young kids, a week didn’t go by when she hadn’t had to console a sobbing boy, but it was never Dally. It was only in recent months that Dally had been less resistant to comfort. Previously, if he had ever gotten hurt or upset, he would run off or hide, refusing any comfort. But as time went on, once he returned from running off, he started to want to sit with Mrs. C on the couch. Slowly, this became a snuggle against her shoulder as she stroked his hair, and occasionally, very occasionally, he would crawl up into her lap. But in the last 6 months, she had had a few moments like this where she was able to comfort him like the rest of the boys. He still wouldn't in front of anyone, and Mr. C still wasn’t able to, but he let her, and that was one of her greatest achievements.

"Shhhh, it’s okay, honey,” Mrs. C said, kissing his head as she rocked him gently in her arms, pacing up and down the sidewalk.
Like all young kids, when they cry, Dallas starts to cough. She patted him on the back and ran her fingers through his hair as he continued to cry. After only a few minutes of tears, Dallas’ crying slowed, and she changed the way she was holding him so she could see his face. His head rested against her shoulder as he hiccuped occasionally. His eyes were puffy and red, and he had tears staining all down his cheeks and snot leaking out of his nose. She pulled out her handkerchief, wiped his nose, and then dried his eyes.

“Are you ready to go inside, and we can get you sorted out?” She asked him gently.
He nodded, moving to get down.
But as soon as she placed him down, he winced.
“Owww, Mommy?” He cried, holding his arms back up.
She knew he hadn’t meant for that to come out, but it still made a slight tear come to her eyes as she picked him back up. The boy who, nearly two years ago, wouldn’t even let her tie his shoe was now snuggled against her shoulder, and he knew it as well as she did—she was his mom.

Chapter Text

Pony sat smugly watching television as everyone got ready for school. The boys were not happy about having to go back and were making it as difficult as possible for Mr. and Mrs. Curtis to get them ready.

“We are going to be late,” Darry whined, standing by the door as his parents tried to wrangle the younger ones.
"Honey, do you want to get the bus today? Not fair you being late on account of your brothers,” Mrs. Curtis said, repacking the backpacks Dallas and Steve had so helpfully emptied onto the floor.
“See you later, sport,” Mr. C called, passing Darry his lunch and bringing the rest over to Mrs. C to put in the bags.
“Have they even got shoes on yet?” She asked her husband.
“Nope,” he sighed.
“Boys, come on, we’re going to be late!” Mrs. C shouted.
Johnny came running down the hall.
"Ay, we have one child ready!” Mr. Curtis cheered.

However, the other boys came charging in, busy with a game of chase; no one had any shoes on.
"Johnny, you are my star. Boys look at him all ready with his coat, backpack, and shoes on. Good job, honey,” Mrs. C praised. “The rest of you need to get ready now; we’re leaving in 2 minutes!” Mrs. C warned.
Her threats fell on deaf ears as the boys just continued to run around the dining table, chasing each other.

Mr. C sighed, reached out, and managed to grab Soda and TwoBit.
“Dallas, Steve, come here,” he called.
The other two joined them.
"Right, I want all of you to get your shoes on and then come and get your jackets on,” Mr. C told them.
“But we don’t want to go to school; we want to play,” Soda whined.
"Yeah, I want to play on the bikes,” Steve echoed.
“We can do that after school. Look, okay, how about we do a race? I’ll count to 3, and then we’ll see who can get their shoes and jacket on the quickest,” Mr. C suggested.
“Yeah! ”Soda exclaimed.
His and Steve’s faces lit up at the idea of competition.
"3…2…1…go,” Mr. C said.
Steve, Soda, and TwoBit sprinted off down the hall.
“I ain’t stupid, you know,” Dallas said, remaining behind. “You just want them to put shoes on,” he muttered.
"Okay, then me and you can play a different game. Dallas, I am going to count to 5, and you best be getting your shoes by the time I get there,” Mr. C warned, his voice turning firm. “1... 2...” Mr. C began.
“Okay, fine!” Dallas said, huffing and stomping off to the bedroom.

~

“I can’t wait to spend all day playing,” Pony said in a taunting tone.
They were driving to school, with he and Johnny at the very back and the other four in the middle section.
He didn’t have the opportunity to tease his brothers about much, but being the youngest did give him one advantage.
“I’m going to ride the bikes so much, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy doing math,” he said, smirking.
“Shut up, Ponygirl!” Steve said, leaning over and smacking him.
“Steven, sit down!” Mrs. Curtis ordered, “Ponyboy, do not tease your brothers,” Mrs. C told him.

~

The rest of the drive was not exactly peaceful, but miraculously, they weren’t late. Tim and Darry were standing by the drop-off area, waiting.
“Have fun doing math!" Pony grinned at Steve as he got out of the car.
Steve held up a fist.
“Off you go,” Mrs. C said, steering him away and giving Ponyboy a stern look.
“That’s your little brother’s influence right there,” Darry told Tim, pointing at Pony.
Tim snickered, watching as Dallas got pulled back by Mrs. C.
"Now, what are we going to do this semester?” She asked him.
Dallas tried to shake her off, very aware that Tim was watching.
"Uh, uh, not until you answer me,” she told him.
“Be good,” Dallas muttered, looking at Tim chuckling. “Shut up, Shepard!” Dallas yelled over to him.
“Hey!” Mrs. C reprimanded him, “That’s not being good, is it?” She said firmly.
Dallas scowled, kicking at the ground in frustration.
“Let’s see how long we can go without a note or a phone call, huh?” Mrs. C suggested her tone softening.
Dallas nodded.
“Good boy,” she said, leaning down and kissing him on the head.
Dallas scrambled away hurriedly.
“Good boy!” Tim said, patting Dally on the head when he reached them.
Dallas thumped him on the arm.
Mrs. C walked back to the car, smiling; Tim was wearing the gloves she had given him for Christmas.

~

"Boys, settle down!” Miss Harrow said the class was gathered on the mat, but Soda and Steve were full of energy.
"Miss, who would win in a fight, a polar bear or an alligator?” Soda asked.
“Sodapop, can you sit and listen, please, and we can worry about polar bears fighting alligators another time?” Miss Harrow said, frustration building.
“What about an elephant against a polar bear?” Steve asked.
“Boys!” Miss Harrow warned, glaring at them. "Anyway, as I was saying, this semester, as well as the usual writing, reading, and math, we are going to be doing a special topic on animals because we will be going on a trip soon,” Miss Harrow continued.
“Can we learn about alligators fighting elephants?” Soda asked.
The class giggled.
"Yeah, can we go on a trip to see them fighting?” Steve added.
“For research purposes!” Soda exclaimed.
Miss Harrow sighed, half an hour into the first day back, and she was already needing another vacation.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” she called, raising her voice over Soda and Steve’s animated discussion about alligators vs. elephants.
It was Principal Burrows, and following in behind him was a small girl with long red hair.

~

“Curly and Ponyboy, what are you doing?” Mrs. C called across the park.
She could hear giggling, but she didn’t know where it was coming from.
All she had done was go to put some litter in the trash, and when she returned, the boys had vanished, and so had the big packet of cookies from the bag of groceries.
“Boys?” She called.
Once again, she heard giggling.
“You better not be eating them cookies. They need to last all week,” she told them as she walked around, peering around different trees and bushes.
As she approached a large tree, she heard rustling.
“Quick,” she heard Curly say.
And then the boys ran off, Pony still keeping ahold of the cookies.

~

The class sat at their desks. The new girl, Cherry, stood at the front with Miss Harrow. As a way of introducing themselves, they were going round and saying their names and something they did over Christmas break.

Cherry had said how she had moved house into a place that had six bedrooms. Most of the class gasped and thought that was amazing; Dallas didn’t. He gave her a look of disgust, noticing her expensive clothes and personalised inscriptions on all her possessions.
When it was his turn to introduce himself, he leant back coolly on his chair in his beat-up converse and Darry’s old jeans and t-shirt.
“Dallas,” he said, glaring.
She looked away, clearly not used to boys like him.
“And what did you do over Christmas, Dallas?” Miss Harrow prompted him.
Dallas shrugged.
“Okay then, Soda, why don’t you help us out?” Miss Harrow sighed.

“Hi Cherry! I like cherries. I’m Soda. I also like soda, oh, and I like cherry soda.“ Soda waffled on.
“Soda, can you just tell us what you did over Christmas?” Miss Harrow said interrupting him.
Cherry smiled, amused by Soda’s friendly rambling.
“We got bikes, and we took them riding every day, even when it snowed,” Soda explained.
“Was it not too icy?” Cherry asked.
“Well, we didn’t think it was, but then Dally hit some ice and fell off and got hurt,” Soda replied.
Dallas looked horrified.
“Oh no, were you okay, Dallas?” Miss Harrow asked.
“Did he cry?” Harvey called across the classroom.
Soda looked at Dallas apologetically, realising what he’d revealed.
“Course I didn’t. Crying is what your mom does when she remembers you’re her kid,” Dallas shot back.
“Dallas!” Miss Harrow scolded.
“I bet he cried,” Harvey muttered.
Dally’s fist clenched. Johnny saw and knew he had to help his buddy out.
“He didn’t!” Johnny called over.
“He’s the toughest kid in the school!” Steve shouted, following Johnny’s lead.
“No wonder it was so icy; it was all Winston’s tears,” Harvey smirked.
“I’ll show you tears!” Dally said, getting up.

“Enough!” Miss Harrow shouted, "Dallas, sit down now! This is no way to welcome someone to our class,” Miss Harrow said, clearly disappointed.
Cherry stood there, wide-eyed and slightly nervous.
“Cherry, sweetheart. I do apologise for my class's behaviour. I promise they are a nice class really; they just get a bit overexcited sometimes,” she said, crouching down to Cherry.
Cherry nodded and gave a nervous smile.
"Sorry, Cherry,” Soda called out.
Miss Harrow smiled.
“Thank you, Soda. Now, sweetheart, why don’t you go and sit with Lily and Emilia over there?” Miss Harrow said, pointing to a table of girls who waved.
Cherry went and joined them, avoiding eye contact with Dallas, who glared at her the entire time she made her way to sit down.
"Right, where was I?” Miss Harrow said, “Ah yes.” She remembered picking up a pen and going over to the board.

☹️
Dallas
Harvey

She wrote.
“That’s what happens when you get in trouble,” Soda called over to Cherry.
“Shut up, Soda,” Dallas said, kicking his chair and slumping back with a huff, already fed up with school.

~

Mrs C did her best to wipe all the chocolate off of Ponyboy’s face. Beside her, the half empty packet of cookies.
“You know you can’t take food without asking,” Mrs C said firmly, brushing all the cookie crumbs off of Ponyboy.
“We just borrowed them,” Pony told her.
Mrs C couldn’t help but smile faintly. That line had Curly Shepard written all over it. She looked over at Curly and raised her eyebrows.
“Is that right Curly, you were just borrowing them?” She asked.
Curly looked away guilty struggling to think of what to say.
“Well you see this big squirrel came-“ Curly stuttered.
“Yeah! This big squirrel ate all the cookies!” Ponyboy chimed in.
“Is that right?” Mrs C said, concealing her smile.

“Yeah this big squirrel came and he said we had to give him the cookies. We had to Mrs C, he had a knife!” Curly told her.
“Yeah we told him we weren’t allowed but he made us!” Pony added, dramatically.
Mrs C looked between the two young boys, smiling at their wild imaginations.
“So who took the cookies out of my bag?” She asked.
“Umm,” Curly hesitated.
“The squirrel?” Pony said a little unsure.
Mrs C coughed slightly to disguise her chuckle.

“Okay well how about we go and get some new cookies and I suppose after all that excitement getting mugged by a squirrel you boys might need some fries?” She proposed.
“Yeah!” Pony agreed.
Curly nodded smiling.
“Curly, let me just wipe your face, come here honey,” Mrs C called.
Curly looked hesitant.
“Come on, then we’ll go get some lunch,” She said kindly.
Curly shuffled over.
Mrs C wiped his face gently and as quick as she could.
“Good boy,” She said when she finished, “I’m so lucky to have you two to keep me safe from knife wielding, cookie stealing squirrels,” She said standing up and taking their hands.

~

“I think we need to have him move classes,” Miss Harrow said in the staff lounge.
“What Dallas?” Coach Haines asked.
“Well one of them. Dallas or Harvey,” she replied.

“You can’t move Dallas out. I don’t think that’s fair on him or Johnny,” Coach Haines told her, “Look I know that class, I take them for gym. I know that little gang is a handful, but they are nice boys. Harvey on the other hand is your typical bully,” Coach Haines said.
“So what’s Dallas?” Mr Ryman interjected.
“He’s not a bully. Look at the way he is with Johnny Cade. Dallas Winston is many things, but he is not a bully,” Coach Haines said.
“Well, I agree but it’s getting impossible to teach them. That poor new girl Cherry was in tears by recess. Her first day and Dallas and Harvey were just out of control, so much so she was crying and wanted to go home. I mean we can’t have that. It’s not fair on the other kids,” Miss Harrow told them.
Coach Haines sighed.
“It’s like Tim Shepard all over again,” He said.
“Tim never came back from recess,” Ms Auden told them.

“Me and Principal Burrows were talking about how we can try and keep him in school,” Coach Haines said.
“Both of them, Dallas and Tim, we need to find a way of keeping them both on the straight and narrow because the older they get the worse they’re gonna get and the more at risk they are of really going off the rails,” Miss Harrow added.
“I think if we can manage to get Tim on track then that will have a knock on effect on Dallas because he looks up to Tim, it’s quite sweet really,” Ms Auden said.
“Yes but at the moment Tim is not the best role model,” Coach Haines sighed.
“It’s a shame all the younger ones can’t follow Darry’s example,” Mr Ryman interjected.

“Oh come on the rest of them aren’t that bad,” Coach Haines said.
“Have you ever had to try and get Sodapop and Steve to sit in silence for a full hour whilst they do a test?” Miss Harrow asked him.
“Yes I don’t envy you that,” he laughed.
“Wasn’t Tim into baseball when he first joined the school,” Mr Ryman, recalled.
“Yes he was, he was great,” Coach Haines said.
“So what happened?” Miss Harrow asked.
“He whacked a kid in the face with a bat and we had to take him off the team,” Coach Haines said, with a wry grin.
“Well maybe that’s how you keep him in school. You could let him be on the baseball team this spring, providing he stays in school,” Ms Auden suggested.
“And doesn’t hit kids in the face with bats,” Mr Ryman added.
“Do you reckon we could get Dallas on board too?” Miss Harrow asked.
“I don’t know. He might take a bit more persuading, but if he sees Tim doing it, he might want to join,” Coach Haines replied.
“I still think we need to have Harvey move classes,” Miss Harrow reiterated.
“Yes, I agree. We’ll talk to Principal Burrows,” Coach Haines declared.

“It needs to be soon though. There’s the trip to the farm in a few weeks and I’m not going to be able to manage them both away from school,” Miss Harrow worried.
“You know what. When Dallas joined my class on the trip to the stables, he was brilliant. He really was and that was with Keith Matthews as well,” Mrs Myles called from across the room.

They all turned and nodded.
“See that’s the difference between him and Harvey, he is a good kid really,” Mr Ryman said.
“Yeah, he is. Well how about I come with you so you have an extra pair of hands,” Coach Haines proposed to Miss Harrow.
“If you would, that would be great,” she thanked him.
The bell rang.

~

“Curly Shepard, fries are meant to go in your mouth, not in your hair,” Mrs C laughed as the 4 year old entertained Pony by sticking fries in his curly locks.
“I wish I had curly hair,” Pony said.
Curly grinned.
“Yes honey, his hair is lovely. If it starts to get in your eyes, you just come and see me and I can cut it for you,” Mrs C told him.
“Really? Can you make it look like Tim’s?” He asked.
“Honey, Tim doesn’t have curly hair so that might be a bit difficult,” Mrs Curtis explained.
“I think you got the best hair ever!” Pony exclaimed.
“Thanks Ponyboy. I think you got the best name ever, apart from maybe Batman,” Curly told him.
“Yeah I wish my name was actually Frankenstein,” Pony sighed.

“You two are so funny and you don’t even know it,” Mrs C giggled, the door of the Dairy Queen opened and closed.
“Oh-“ she said stopping laughing as she saw who had just walked in, “Hello Tim,” She greeted.
“Curly what are you doing?” He spat.
“I just having lunch with Ponyboy,” Curly replied nervously.
“No no, my names Frankenstein!” Pony interjected.
“Sweetheart, why aren’t you in school?” Mrs C asked.
Tim scowled, ignoring Mrs C and glaring at Curly.
“Mrs C said she can cut my hair for me, so we don’t have to try do it ourselves again,” Curly told him.
Tim frowned even more.
“We don’t need any help and we don’t need any damn charity!” Tim said, stomping over.
“Oh honey, I don’t mind. I cut all the boys hair, it’s no sweat,” Mrs C assured him.
Tim glared at her.
“Do you want any food?” Mrs C asked hopefully.
“It’s none of your damn business what I want. Stay away from me and stay away from my brother!” He shouted, ripping off his gloves and throwing them on the table and dragging Curly away.
“Curly?” Pony called after him sadly, he looked back at his Mom.
Mrs C held the gloves in her hands, with tears glistening in her eyes.

Chapter Text

“Get off! Stop! Tim!” Curly whined, trying to twist out of Tim’s grasp as they walked down the street.
“What did I tell you?” Tim shouted.
“I was just playing with Ponyboy!” Curly protested.
"No, you weren’t; she’d bought you lunch!” Tim yelled.
“I was hungry,” Curly said clearly upset.
“If you’re hungry, come to me. We don’t need strangers poking their noses in, and we certainly don’t want their food or money.” Tim told him firmly.

“She ain’t a stranger; she’s Mrs. C.” Curly argued.
“It doesn’t matter who she is; what matters is that she’s already getting into our business.” Tim shot back.
“I don’t see why that’s so bad.” Curly muttered.
"Look, she’s cutting your hair, giving us food and clothes.“ Tim began.
“Exactly! She’s nice!” Curly yelled.
“But we can’t let her be nice, Curly!” Tim yelled, louder.
“Why? I like her; she’s like a real mom!” Curly said a mix of anger and sadness.

Tim hesitated for a moment, sighing before he continued.
“What happened to the kids next door?” Tim asked him.
“That wasn’t anything to do with strangers!” Curly shouted.
"Yes, it was! Robert told his teacher that he didn’t have any food at home, and they sent a lady around. Then what happened?” Tim said.
“They got taken away.” Curly muttered, sadly.
“You want that to happen?” Tim asked him.
“No,” Curly said, shaking his head and looking at the ground.
"Look, I’m not saying don’t be friends with Pony, but you can’t let adults know our business or start looking after you, okay? Or else we might get split up and taken away someplace.” Tim explained, his voice softening.
“I don’t want to go away to some place.” Curly said looking up at him worriedly.
“We won’t, as long as we keep on doing as we do.” Tim assured him.
“But I just... I want a mom!" Curly burst out tears leaked down his face.
“I know, kid, I know. But you have me and Ang. We’ll look after you,” Tim said, putting an arm around Curly.
“But I want to be like Pony,” Curly sobbed.
"Hey, come on, don’t cry, man. Look, I’ll go get you a candy bar,” Tim said, giving his brother a quick hug.

Curly sniffled, watching as Tim walked into a shop and came out seconds later with a candy bar.
“Can we go home now?” Curly hiccuped.
"Nah, man, Dad’s freaked out at me when I went home earlier, so I think it’s best we stay out for a bit. But look, I managed to grab this before he threw me out,” Tim said, revealing Curly’s stuffed animal he’d won at the fair.
Curly smiled and snuggled it against him.
“You want me to carry you? And we’ll go find somewhere to lay low for a bit.” Tim asked.
Curly nodded.
So the 8-year-old Tim Shepard lifted Curly up and carried him. Anyone who walked past them thought
"Aww, what a sweet brother; his parents must be so proud.” Little did they know.

“It’s okay, kid; we’ll be okay,” Tim whispered into Curly’s ear as he carried him away.
The four-year-old clutched tight to the stuffed animal—the one he had named Pony, the one Mrs. C had been so proud of him for winning, the one that symbolised the day that he got to see what family could be.

~

“Honey, come on, come to bed.” Mr. C sighed, seeing his wife still sitting in the armchair.
“I just don’t know what we do.” Mrs. C said, desperately.
“We can’t do anything. Look, we’ve been here before; it takes time,” Mr. C reassured her.
"Yes, but we don’t know they’re going to come back.” Mrs. C said.
“Honey, how many times did we have this conversation about Dallas? And look at him now. He asked me for another bedtime story today,” Mr. C told her.
Mrs. C smiled.
“I know, but you can see how much Curly wants us, but Tim won’t let him,” Mrs. C said sadly.
“He may not know it, but we’ve been building trust with Tim for years. We’ll get there; he knows where we are if he needs us,” Mr. Curtis said.
“I hope you’re right,” Mrs. C said, standing up and walking over to her husband.
With one last glance out the window she headed to bed, her heart calling out to the boys. The heart in which she hoped they knew, they could find a home.

Chapter Text

Dallas and Harvey had been at war all week, and it was starting to get to everyone in the classroom, especially Johnny.

He liked Dallas sticking up for him, but he had a bad feeling; their fighting was getting worse, and he didn’t think it was going to end well. Harvey was cruel and Johnny was scared of him.

That morning when Harvey threw an eraser at Dallas, Johnny grabbed his wrist before he could retaliate.
“Dally, don’t!” He pleaded, “Please, please don’t fight him.” Johnny begged.
Dallas’ face softened, and he unclenched his fist, still shooting a glare at Harvey.
“Okay,” he sighed, going back to his work.

~

“Just stay away from him,” Darry said.
“How can I? He’s in our class?” Dally replied.
“Why don’t you just beat the kid up? Then he’ll quit it,” Tim suggested.
“Not helpful, Tim,” Darry sighed. "Anyway, Dallas already fought him before,” he told Tim.
"Oh, is he the kid you decked on your first day?” Tim asked.
“Yeah,” Dallas said, smirking at the memory.
“No, Dally, no. You can’t fight him,” Johnny said eyes full of worry.
“He’s not going to; are you Dallas?” Darry said in a tone similar to his father’s.
Dally shrugged.
Darry glared at him, then motioned to Johnny.
"No, kid, I’m not, don’t worry,” Dally assured Johnny.
“Promise?” Johnny asked.
"Yeah, man, I promise,” Dally said with a faint smile.

~

“I cannot take much more of it. I am spending all my time managing them; the class has gotten hardly anything done this week,” Miss Harrow said, arriving in the teachers lounge at lunch, exhausted from yet another few hours of bickering between Dally and Harvey.

“Principal Burrows said he spoke to Harvey’s parents, and they said that it should be Dallas that moves,” Coach Haines sighed.
“But Dallas is not the instigator,” Miss Harrow complained.
“We have no way to prove that, and it does not help that Dallas has a history of assaulting Harvey.” Coach Haines pointed out.
“You know as well as I do that he was provoked and protecting Johnny.” Miss Harrow countered.

“I know. But as long as Harvey denies it, we can’t prove it, and unfortunately, his parents hold a lot of power, and Principal Burrows will not challenge them without some strong evidence.” Coach Haines sighed, sadly.
“But you know how this is going to end, don’t you? Harvey is going to keep on at Dallas, and then at some point Dallas will snap and end up getting suspended or worse, and Harvey will walk away from it without anything.” Miss Harrow said, frustration at the injustice.
"No, it’s not fair on him. But Harvey’s parents have power that the parents from the other side of town just don’t have. Unfortunately, Harvey seems to be aware of that; it usually takes kids till middle school to figure that out.” Coach Haines replied.
“The school is letting them down, both of them.” Miss Harrow said.
“I know. Well, how about I take Dallas for the afternoon? I’ve got a good relationship with him, and it’ll give you a break from them both and keep him out of trouble.” Coach Haines suggested.
“Thank you; I’m sure Dallas wants a break as much as I do.” She smiled, relieved at the idea of the break.

~

Cherry Valance was struggling at her new school. Not only had she moved house, but she had also moved town, which meant leaving all her friends behind. Sure, her new house was amazing, but she was not happy with the school. There were only a few elementary schools in this town, and her parents said Willows was the one that came most highly recommended. But from what she’d seen, she couldn’t understand why.

In her old school, they had uniforms, and all the kids were friendly. Sure, she didn’t get along with some of them, but no one had been intimidating, and there had certainly been no boys like Dallas Winston. It was true that the teachers were nice here, but the classes were so noisy and the kids caused so much trouble. In her last school, she had never seen anyone even get a detention; here, she had seen a detention given out every day. Even some of the friendly kids, like that boy Soda, got them.

Some of the kids were very different from her old classmates. Apparently, some didn’t even have parents and someone said that shy boy’s parents were in prison. It was not like her old school, where most of her friends parents were lawyers or business owners. No, here, half the class wore battered old shoes and jeans with holes and rips in them.

Which is why she was struggling. She was ever so scared and anxious about this new environment. Most of the girls had already established their friendship circles, having known each other for months, so she hadn’t been able to find any friends. The girls were nice to her, but she still spent each recess and lunch alone. A boy called TwoBit (she was baffled by some of these kids names) had helped her when she got lost on the way to the cafeteria, but other than that, no one had interacted with her outside the classroom. So here she sat, all alone, at a table by herself. Until a shadow loomed over her lunchbox.

~

“What are you doing here?” Darry asked, seeing Dallas standing with Coach Haines when he walked in for the gym.
“Dallas is going to be my assistant today,” Coach Haines explained.
"Yeah, I get to boss you about,” Dally said with a smirk.

“Okay everyone, as you can see, I got a special helper here today,” Coach Haines began, motioning to Dally, who gave the class of fourth graders a nod. “He’s going to help me lead the lesson,” Coach Haines explained.

“Okay, do 10 pushups; Darry, you do 20,” Dally told the class.
“How come?” Darry protested.
"Hey, don’t answer back, unless you want your name on the board,” Dally threatened with a smirk.
Darry looked over to Coach Haines, who was smiling at the scene.
“I’d do what he says, Darrel; he’s a very strict teacher,” Coach Haines said with a wink.
Reluctantly, Darry submitted to Dally’s personal training session, while Coach Haines led the rest of the class.

“Do 30 squats,” Dally ordered.
“You’re loving this, aren’t you, bud?” Darry said, smiling.
“Did I say talk?” Dally retorted, relishing in this power over Darry.
“Oh, I am so going to get you, kiddo,” Darry laughed.
"Okay, now do 100 lunges!” Dally said, getting bored, that Darry was managing all the exercises easily.
“I’ll show you a lunge,” Darry chuckled, charging forward, tackling Dally to the ground, and tickling him.
“Get off.” Dallas choked through his laughter.
“Nope, you need reminding who’s boss,” Darry said, smiling and continuing his attack as Dallas tried to escape.
Dally wriggled around laughing until Darry stopped, and he lay panting.
“Darrel, what have you done to my assistant?” Coach Haines called over.
“He attacked me! I think he should get expelled!” Dally said, sitting up.
“Did he attack you, or did you get too cocky and he had to put his kid brother back in his place?” Coach Haines said, raising his eyebrows.
Dally grinned to himself.
“I think that answers my question. Well, there’s only one thing to do here. Darry, would you like to have a go at being Dally’s personal trainer?” Coach Haines suggested, with a grin.
"Oh, it would be my pleasure,” Darry said triumphantly.
“No!” Dallas whined.

~

Cherry dried her eyes in the bathroom. Her arm ached where Harvey had punched her, and her stomach rumbled. He had taken her food and also the small amount of change her father had given her for doing the dishes that morning. She looked in the mirror, debating whether she should tell someone when she went back to class. Harvey had told her if she did, she would end up in the hospital. She believed him; in this school, nothing was out of the question. He had also said that he would be seeing her again, as he had a job for Cherry, and she should do what he said or else. Cherry looked into the mirror, desperately longing for her old school and her old friends.

~

Johnny and Dallas reunited at the end of the day in the pick up area.
“Hey man, you miss me?” Dally grinned.
“Yeah,” Johnny said returning his smile, but his smile disappeared as Harvey stalked past them.
“See you tomorrow, Winston,” he snarled, “And you street rat,” he added with a sneer at Johnny.
Dally clenched his fist and stepped forward.
“No, you promised!” Johnny said, pleadingly.
“Johnny!” Ponyboy exclaimed running over.
Dallas still hasn’t broken his glare at Harvey and Johnny kept his eyes of desperation fixed on Dally.
Ponyboy looked between them, confused.
“What are we looking at?” He asked.
Harvey gave them a last sneer and then headed off and finally Dally unclenched and Johnny breathed a sigh of relief.
“You promised,” Johnny muttered to him.
“Well I didn’t do anything did I,” Dallas shot back, stomping over to the car and slamming the door behind him.
“I see he’s in a good mood,” Mrs C sighed, greeting the rest of the boys with hugs and snacks.
Johnny smiled at Mrs C, but Harvey’s words were going round in his head, “See you tomorrow,” it was a warning. He was planning something, he didn’t know what tomorrow was going to bring, but he knew it would be nothing good.

Chapter Text

Mrs. Curtis stood on the porch and sighed. The little package of food and drink she had left out the day before was still there and untouched. She collected it sadly; once she’d taken the boys to school, she’d make some new food to leave out—those cookies Curly had loved, just in case.

Mrs. C hoped the Shepards would return; last night the school had done a fundraising rummage sale. She had managed to get the boys some second-hand clothes, and she had picked out a couple of bits with Curly in mind. She would keep them safe and save them for him, no matter how long she had to wait.

“Mrs. C, do you like my new jacket?” TwoBit yelled, bursting through the door.
“Keith, what did I say about knocking?” Mrs. Matthews scolded him from outside.
"Oh, I gave up knocking years ago,” TwoBit told her.
Mrs. Matthews glared at him through the screen door.
“You be good for Mrs. C and your teachers!” She warned him before blowing him a kiss and leaving.

“Go on, then give me a spin,” Mrs. C said.
TwoBit grinned and spun around in his leather jacket.
“Wow, don’t you look cool?” She praised, “You know, when we saw it at the school last night, me and your mama knew you’d love it,” Mrs. C said, pouring and handing him a glass of chocolate milk.
“It didn’t cost her too much, did it?” TwoBit asked nervously.
"No, sweetie, that was the point of the rummage sale. It’s all second-hand, so it’s not too expensive. Although it was very busy, I’m sure the school managed to raise a lot of money,” Mrs. C explained.
“Maybe they could build a slide! Or a Waterpark!” TwoBit exclaimed.
“I imagine it will go towards getting you kids more books and academic equipment.” Mrs C told him.
"Uh, but I hate books!” TwoBit groaned.
“I know, and it’s because of boys like you who do things like throw their books onto the school roof that the school has to have fundraisers to buy new ones!” Mrs. C reminded him, waving her finger.
“It was just one book on one roof; I offered to climb up and get it,” TwoBit muttered.

~

Cherry walked hurriedly across the playground. If she could just make it to class before he saw her, then maybe she’d be okay. She sighed with relief when she made it into the building, but all the air was taken out of her as she was slammed into the wall.
“Hey, you’re in a hurry. You weren’t trying to avoid me, were you?” Harvey snarled.
“No,” Cherry whimpered as she was pressed against the wall.
Unfortunately, the halls were empty; her dad had dropped her off early.
“Good, because I have a job for you,” Harvey said, with an evil look in his eye.

~

“Soda and Steve, what are you doing?” Miss Harrow sighed, seeing the boys dangling off their chairs.
“Seeing if we can learn upside down,” Soda told her.
“Boys I cannot teach you when you’re upside down,” She said.
“How do you know?” Steve asked her, “Have you ever tried,”
“Boys can you do something useful and hand out the workbooks for me?” Miss Harrow suggested.
Thankfully, the boys agreed and turned themselves the right way up again.

“Hey!” Harvey yelled as Steve smacked him on the head with a workbook.
“Steven, hand them out sensibly,” Miss Harrow warned.
“It was an accident,” Steve told her, looking over to Dally and smirking back at him.
Soda passed Dally his workout, and a note fell out.
“Meet me in the art room at recess,” it read.
He just shrugged—it must be Tim, he thought—so Dallas made a mental note to go to the art room at recess.

“Now, I have an announcement. Mr. Jonathan Cade, come up here, please,” Miss Harrow said, standing in front of the class.
Johnny looked terrified as he made his way to the front.
“Don’t look so scared. Emilia, you too, please,” Miss Harrow called. “Now you two are my students of the semester,” Miss Harrow announced.

Steve and Soda started cheering and clapping and the rest of the class followed suit and gave them a round of applause as Miss Harrow gave Johnny and Emilia a special certificate.
“Well done! Now remember, only six students from the whole class get this prize each year, so it’s a big achievement, and you should be very proud of yourselves,” Miss Harrow said, congratulating them.
“Johnny was barely even here last semester!” Harvey complained.
"Ay, shut up!” Dallas shouted across the classroom, “Shows how good he is. You were here every day, and he beat you. Don’t worry, you still won, class jerk,” Dallas said.
“Umm no! We are not starting this again; I am not having it!” Miss Harrow said, raising her voice before Harvey could retort, “Not another word from either of you!” She ordered.
Dallas and Harvey glared at each other until Miss Harrow clapped her hands and continued to praise Johnny and Emilia.

“Seriously, well done, man,” Dallas said as Johnny came to sit back down.
“Thanks,” he replied, smiling proudly at the certificate and putting it on the desk in front of them.

~

“Do you want to go play football at recess?” Steve asked Dally as the class packed away their stuff.
"Nah, man, I got to go meet Shepard; he left me a note,” Dally said, looking around for the note.
“Where?” Soda asked.
“I don’t know; it was here a second ago. Anyway, he told me to meet him, so I’ll catch you guys later,” Dally told them. “Are you okay, Johnnycake?” Dally asked, turning to Johnny.

“Yeah, do you think Mrs. C will frame it?” Johnny wondered as the classroom emptied, leaving just him and Dally.
"Yeah, course she will, man. She’s going to be so proud of you,” Dally told him.
“You know in their bedroom on the wall where they got Darry’s player of the season and your week on report framed?” Johnny asked.
“Yeah,” Dally said, blushing slightly.
“I’m going to ask if she’ll put it there,” Johnny said.
Dally grinned.
"Well, I don’t think I’ll be getting much more on that wall, so I’m sure there’ll be plenty of space,” he said, ruffling Johnny’s hair.
Once he said goodbye to Johnny and watched as he went to join the others, Dallas headed off to the art room.

~

“Where’s Dally?” Darry asked Johnny.
“Tim, left him a note he’s gone to meet him,” Johnny said.
“Tim’s over there,” Darry said, pointing to the others playing football.
“Oh, well the note must have been from someone else then,” Johnny shrugged.
The boys were interrupted when the ball came flying their way and soon their minds were on the game.

~

The art room was empty when Dally arrived; he went in and sat on a desk waiting for Tim. He looked around, the closet behind the desk was open and it looked like stuff had been pulled out and knocked over.
Dallas walked over to it and peered in, just incase Shepard was hiding, but no one was there.
“What are you doing in here?” A voice asked.

Dally looked up; it was the art teacher, Mrs. Hargreaves.
“Nothing.” Dally shrugged.
"Well, you shouldn’t be in here. Off you go, please,” she said.
“I was leaving anyway,” Dally muttered on his way out.

In the hall, he saw that new girl, Cherry, sitting and reading on her own. She looked up at him and gave a nervous smile. He gave a vague nod and then headed off down the hall.

Moments later, Mrs. Hargreaves hurried out into the hall.
“Excuse me? Do you know the name of that boy who was just in here?” She asked, coming over to Cherry.
"Umm, yes, he’s in my class. Dallas Winston,” Cherry told her politely.
"Sweetheart, have you been sitting here all recess?” Mrs. Hargreaves asked.
"Yes, ma'am,” Cherry answered.
Mrs. Hargreaves smiled at the young girl’s manners.
"Now, has anyone else been in this room? I think I saw you sitting here when I left just after recess started.” She asked.
"No, ma'am, no one else. Just Dallas,” Cherry told her.
Mrs. Hargreaves huffed slightly.
“Thank you, sweetheart; you go back to your book now,” she said kindly before she marched off down the hall.

Cherry sighed both with relief and with guilt. She stood up and rummaged in her pocket, taking out a piece of paper. It was the note that had been in Dallas’ workbook earlier. She ripped it up and put it in the trash as she made her way down the hall. Oh god, what had she done?

Chapter Text

The class was busy doing worksheets; for once, it was reasonably calm, just low-level chatter, which Miss Harrow didn’t mind.
There was a knock at the door.

"Sorry, Miss Harrow, could we borrow you a second?” Principal Burrows asked, poking his head around.
He had a serious look on his face.
The class murmured curiously as she went out.

“Maybe Miss Harrow is getting detention!” Soda hissed across the table.
The boys giggled at the thought.
Johnny shifted in his seat.
“You okay?” Dallas asked.
“Harvey keeps looking over, and it’s scaring me,” Johnny mumbled.
“It’s okay, man; if he tries anything, I’ll floor him,” Dallas assured Johnny.
"No, Dally, please; I don’t want you to get in trouble,” Johnny hissed.
“He’ll be the one in trouble if he tries anything,” Dallas reiterated.
Johnny sighed, looking back across the room. Harvey’s eyes were still on them with a smug and snarling expression.

The classroom door reopened.
“Dallas,” Miss Harrow called, stepping back into the room. “Can you come out here, please?” she said, her expression not happy.
“Why?” Dallas demanded.
“Dallas, outside now!” Miss Harrow ordered firmly, anger evident in her tone.
“Fine,” Dallas huffed, stomping out the door.
Johnny looked after him as Miss Harrow followed him out and shut the door, and then he looked back across the classroom; Harvey had a look of satisfaction spread across his face.

~

“Your kid brother is in trouble,” Paul said, returning from the bathroom and sitting back next to Darry.
“Which one?” Darry asked, already knowing the answer, but to be fair with his brothers, you never knew for sure.
“Dally,” Paul told him. “There were a bunch of teachers in the hall with him, and he’s freaking out and yelling, and they looked pretty angry,” Paul said.
Darry put his head in his hands.

“Did he look like he’d be in a fight? Was that other Harvey kid there?” Darry asked.
"Nah, it was just Dal. They were saying he stole something. I don’t know, but the kids in the bathroom were saying he stole all the money the school raised last night at the fundraiser.” Paul explained.
Darry’s face changed. That didn’t sound right. Why on earth would Dally do that? I mean, he wasn’t exactly opposed to stealing, but if it was candy bars or comics, he wouldn’t steal from a fundraiser, surely?
“Sir, can I go to the bathroom?” Darry called.
"Okay, Darrel, but quickly, please,” Mr. Ryman said.

~

“I didn’t take any money!” Dallas shouted.
“Dallas, we found most of it in your  locker when we searched it,” Principal Burrows sighed, furiously.
“I don’t even use my locker!” Dally protested, slamming his fist against a locker, denting it slightly.
“Hey! Don’t damage my school! Would you please tell us where you put the rest of the money? It’s still $50 short,” Principal Burrows said, raising his voice.
“I saw you in the art room moments before I found the money missing, and I have witnesses to say you were the only person in that art room all recess,” Mrs. Hargreaves told him.
“Dallas, why did you do it?” Miss Harrow asked so disappointed.
“I didn’t!” Dally roared, storming off down the hall.

“Dallas, get back here now!” Principal Burrows shouted after him.
Dallas flipped him off and then continued down the hall.
The teachers stood there, slightly shocked.
“And he’s in kindergarten?” Mrs. Hargreaves asked.
“Yep,” Principal Burrows sighed, following after Dallas, "Son, get back here!” He barked.

“I didn’t take any money!” Dallas yelled back.
Coach Haines emerged from the gym at the sound of the ruckus.
“Trouble?” He called to Principal Burrows as Dallas stomped off past him.
“Dallas, I’m going to go and call Mrs. Curtis now. If you don’t want to get in even more trouble, you need to come with me to my office,” Principal Burrows said.
“I don’t care; call her. I didn’t steal anything!” Dallas roared, kicking the trash can over.
Principal Burrows looked furious, and Coach Haines looked between him and Dallas.
“Okay, Dallas How about you come and sit with me and calm down, then we’ll go up to the office in a bit?” Coach Haines suggested.
Dallas shook his head.
“Well, you had your chances,” Principal Burrows said shaking his head and going off in the direction of his office.
Coach Haines looked at Dallas, who slumped against the wall, seething.

~

Mrs. C and Pony were having a pleasant afternoon. They were baking cookies, with extras to leave out for any stray Shepards wandering about.
"Okay, you lick the bowl, and I’ll get them in the oven,” Mrs. C said, sitting Pony on the counter, bowl in hand.
Just as Mrs. C opened the oven, the phone rang. She put the cookies on the side.
“Don’t touch!” She warned Pony.

“Hello?” She said, picking up the phone.
“Hello, Mrs. Curtis. It’s Principal Burrows from Willows Elementary,” the voice said.
Mrs. C’s heart sank slightly. The boys hadn’t even made it to the end of the first week back.
“I’m afraid we’ve got a bit of a situation with Dallas,” he told her.
Mrs. C sighed as Principal Burrows continued.
“We are going to need you to come in. He’s in serious trouble, and we’re struggling to manage him right now. He’s refused to come to my office, and he’s been rude to staff,” Principal Burrrows explained.
“Okay, I’ll come straight in,” Mrs. Curtis said, her voice wobbling.
It wasn’t clear whether it was from anger, sadness, or both.

~

Darry could hear Dallas before he could see him, and it did not sound good. He found him ranting outside the gym, and Coach Haines was just nodding at him from across the hall.

“What’s happened?” Darry asked, going to stand next to Dally.
He looked over at Coach Haines, who smiled at Darry.
“I’ll be in my office. Dallas, do not go stomping off somewhere, okay? Just stay here or come see me; if you run off, then you’ll be in much more trouble,” Coach Haines explained.
Dallas just sat down on the floor against the wall, but Darry nodded to Coach to say he understood, then he sat down next to Dallas.

"Dal, I’ll believe you, whatever you say, man,” Darry assured him.
“I didn’t do anything! They’re saying I did something,” Dally exclaimed.
You could see the fury billowing inside him.
“Hey, buddy, come on. Calm down,” Darry said kindly, putting a hand on his shoulder.
He’d seen his parents try to deal with Dally when he was like this before.

“But I didn’t even do what they’re saying I did,” Dally told him.
“Stealing the money?” Darry asked.
“Yeah, man. I didn’t, I swear,” Dally said, looking Darry right in the eye.
"No, I believe you, kid. It’s not your style,” Darry said. “Did you tell them that?”
"Yeah, but they said I was seen where it was stolen from, and it was found in my locker. Someone set me up.”
Darry thought.

“It looks like it, I suppose. Well, you’re just going to try and explain that.” Darry told him.
“They won’t believe me,” Dallas said.
“Just try. Go talk to Principal Burrows calmly,”
“Nah, he didn’t even let me explain. I ain’t talking to him; he was all nice to me before, and then he didn’t even give me a chance to talk. He just decided I must have stolen it,” Dallas said, clearly quite hurt. “I’m just going to go,” Dallas said, standing up.
“I won’t let you, buddy. You’re just going to get in way more trouble. Look just to sit with Coach Haines,” Darry insisted.
“I don’t want to talk to anyone,” Dally said, fists clenching and unclenching.
“I’ll tell him,” Darry said, poking his head into the gym and calling Coach. "Look, he doesn’t want to talk to anyone, but he’s going to walk out if I can’t get him to come in here,” Darry explained.
Coach nodded and held the door open. He whistled.
“Dal, come on. In here, please,” he called.
Dally huffed but walked in reluctantly, tutting as he went.
“Darry, could you just nip down to the principal’s office and tell them where he is?” Coach asked.
Darry agreed.

~

"Hello, Mrs. Curtis,” Jenny greeted. “Hello, Ponyboy, haven’t you grown?” She added, peering over the top.
“Can we do some more coloring?" Pony asked her.
Mrs. C sighed. The fact that her son, who didn’t even go to school, was on a first-name basis with the principal’s secretary really summed up her boy's behaviour.
"Yes, of course, I’ll just show you Mom in the office,” she said, getting up and walking over to Principal Burrow’s room, knocking before she entered.

Mrs. Curtis was expecting to find Dallas in there, but it was just Mr. Burrows.
“Hello, thank you for coming in.” He greeted her, motioning for her to sit down. “I’m afraid it’s a serious incident today. Dallas is suspected of stealing the money the school raised yesterday at the fundraiser, close to £300,” Principal Burrows explained.
“I….I…..Dallas wouldn’t do that,” Mrs. C said, in slight disbelief.
“I’m afraid he was seen where the money was taken from moments before it was discovered missing, and we have witnesses to confirm he was the only person in the vicinity of the money when it went missing. Not to mention most of it was found in his locker,” Principal Burrows explained.

Mrs. C was taken aback.

“Has he admitted it?” She asked, still shocked.
“No, Dallas insists it wasn’t him. But with all the evidence against him, I’m afraid he is the main and only suspect,” Principal Burrows explained.
There was a knock at the door.

“Sorry to interrupt; Darrel Curtis just came by with a message from Coach Haines saying Dallas is with him in the gym,” Jenny said, peering around.
“Why’s he in the gym?” Mrs. Curtis asked.
"Well, you see, that’s another thing. I’m afraid Dallas was not exactly polite when we pulled him out of class,” Principal Burrows sighed, launching into another explanation that made Mrs. Curtis’ heart sink lower and lower.

~

Dallas paced around the gymnasium. Coach Haines just sat at the side and gave him some space.
“I didn’t do it!” Dallas suddenly exclaimed, looking over at Coach Haines.
“I never said you did,” Coach replied calmly.
“Someone set me up!” Dallas growled, thoughts racing around in his head.
Until one caught his eye—the look Harvey was giving him moments before he’d been pulled out of class. Of course.
Coach Haines jumped as Dallas suddenly charged out of the room.
Oh no, that can’t be good, he thought as he followed after him.

~

The class was eerily quiet. They had heard the earlier shouting in the hall and could see that Miss Harrow was clearly quite shocked and slightly sad about what had happened. So for once, they worked in silence. The only person relishing in this silence was Harvey, who had been smiling all morning.

Johnny looked at the empty chair next to him and hoped Dallas was okay. His certificate from earlier was on the table. He tried to distract himself from worrying about Dallas by thinking about watching Mr. C put it up on the wall. He would be so proud to be framed among his brother’s achievements.
SLAM.

The door burst open.

“I’m going to get you, man,” Dallas shouted, making a beeline for Harvey.
“Dallas! What are you doing here?” Miss Harrow said, standing up.
Dallas ignored her, and Harvey stood up with a snarl. The two met halfway, only a few feet away from Johnny. Punches were thrown, and the class erupted as the fight broke out.
Soda and Steve looked at each other, not knowing whether to jump in to help.

“Boys no!” Miss Harrow said as she ran over to the boys and tried to separate them, but they were both set on hurting each other as much as possible.

For a moment, she managed to pull them apart, but with a bit of distance between them, Harvey ran at Dallas and tackled him off his feet.

CRASH.

They slammed straight into Johnny, and at such a force, the desk was also pushed over. When Harvey made to try and punch Johnny, Dallas went into a frenzy.
“Woah, woah, woah!” Coach Haines yelled, running in from the hall.
He managed to grasp the brawling boys.
“Calm down, stop Dallas. Stop,” Coach Haines said, holding Dallas as Miss Harrow held Harvey.
“He set me up!” Dallas growled, fighting to get back at Harvey, who had a cruel and taunting smile on his face.
“It’s okay, Johnny,” Soda said.
That caught Dallas’ attention, and for a moment he stopped kicking and turned.

Soda and Steve were beside Johnny, who had been knocked over when the desk was pushed. He was crying silently, pale, and shaking. In his hands, he had his certificate ripped and ruined.

"Johnny, man, I’m sorry,” Dallas began, anger replaced by guilt.
“You promised you wouldn’t fight him,” Johnny said accusingly as he cried.
Soda and Steve did their best to comfort him.
“I’m sorry,” Dally muttered, the guilt so strong he could barely project his voice.
“I stopped you earlier, but you still did it,” Johnny sobbed, looking at his ripped certificate sadly, still not looking up at Dally.

There was such a lump in Dallas’ throat, he couldn’t have gotten words out if he wanted to.
“Coach Haines, I think it’s best if you could escort Dallas to the office, please.” Miss Harrow said, “I’ll look after Johnny.” She added, although she was clearly furious, she aimed the last bit reassuringly at Dallas.
“Come on, Dallas. Let’s go,” Coach Haines said kindly, steering Dallas out of the room.
He had kept a hold of him to prevent him from fighting with Harvey, but the only person Dally had on his mind right now was Johnny.

Nothing angered or upset him more than when someone hurt Johnny; he just never thought he would be the one he was angry at. Dally had been the cause of the tears he usually helped to dry.

Chapter Text

Coach Haines, led him gently down the hall.
“Johnny will be okay,” He said, seeing Dally keep glancing back, “Come on, we need to go sort this out,” Coach Haines added, steering him into the office.

“Dally!” Ponyboy exclaimed jumping up and running round from behind the desk.
He went to embrace Dallas but he was put off by his expression. It was not a face he recognised, he looked kind of angry but more than anything he just look miserable.
“Ponyboy, why don’t you wait till later to say hi to Dallas, come on, come finish your picture,” Jenny called over to him, seeing Pony standing hesitantly and Dallas clearly not in the frame of mind to deal with a three year old.

“Do you want to sit down, or do you want to just go straight in?” Coach Haines asked Dallas.
Dally didn’t reply, he just stood there.
Coach decided to go and knock on the principal’s door. He went in and Dally could hear voices for a minute and then he popped his head back out.
“Come on, let’s go,” Coach Haines said kindly, motioning for Dally.

~

Darry sighed as he sat back down.
“What happened?” Paul asked.
“I tried to calm him down. I just hope he’ll go to the office and not kick off even more,” Darry said.
“Well there’s no sirens yet so that’s a good sign,” Paul chuckled, “I’m presuming he didn’t do it?”
“No, Dallas wouldn’t do that and he definitely wouldn’t get caught if he did,” Darry replied.
“Oh, isn’t that your car,” Paul said, glancing out the classroom window.
“Well that’s worse than cops. Mom is gonna lose it when she hears how he was talking to people,” Darry sighed.
“At least she’ll calm him down,” Paul pointed out.
“Yeah, let’s just hope he doesn’t dig himself too deep into trouble before she can,” Darry added.
“Boys. Did I say talk?” Mr Ryman called over.
Darry and Paul hushed and went back to their worksheets - even though Darry’s mind was still racing with scenarios of Dallas going wild.

~

The classroom was still in a shocked silence. Johnny was brushing away the occasional tear as he did his worksheet, Cherry looked over at him - guilt burdening her. Miss Harrow had sent Harvey to the reflection room for the fight. Although this seat was empty, Cherry could still feel his presence and threats haunting her, but Johnny’s sniffles were torturing her. What should she do?

~

Dallas didn’t even look at Mrs C or Principal Burrows he just slumped in the chair and starred at the floor.
“Fighting?” Mrs Curtis demanded, raising her eyebrows.
Dallas just sat there silently, so Principal Burrows decided it was time to start talking.
“Now Dallas I’ve just been explaining to Mrs Curtis the situation,” Principal Burrows began, “The money was stolen, you were the only one who went in the room the money was taken from, you were discovered in that room moments before the money was found to be missing and most of the money was also found in your locker,” Principal Burrows explained.
“Dallas, why?” Mrs Curtis sighed sadly.

Dallas looked up for the first time, a look of disgust on his face. He glared at her. How could she think he would do that?
“I didn’t!” He spat through gritted teeth.
“Well Dallas why does all the evidence point to you?” Principal Burrows countered.
“Someone gave me a note to go to the art room, so I went,” Dallas told him.
“Well where’s the note?” Principal Burrows demanded.
“I lost it,” Dallas muttered, knowing how that made him look, frustration clenching and unclenching his fists.
“That’s convenient,” Principal Burrows said, “Look Dallas all the evidence points to you and the only evidence that corroborates your story, you lost,”

“If I took the money I wouldn’t be dumb enough to put it in my own locker, would I?” Dallas told them.
“Hey! Don’t you get smart with me, you are in a lot of trouble,” Principal Burrows warned him.
“Expel me I don’t care, I don’t want to go to this stupid school anyway!” Dally shouted, standing up.

“Dallas!” Mrs C exclaimed, putting an hand on his arm, “Look at me!” She ordered.
Dally refused, sitting back down seething and shaking with anger.
“Calm yourself down!” She told him firmly, “Look at me honey,” she sighed, as Dallas continued to turn away from her.
“Why don’t we give you two a minute,” Coach Haines suggested standing up and motioning to Principal Burrows.

~

“Keith Matthews and Timothy Shepard what are you doing?” Mrs Brookes exclaimed.
TwoBit and Tim burst through the door of the reflection room.
“Oh don’t mind us, just delivering milk,” TwoBit said, running over to Harvey and dumping a carton straight over his head.
“Keith Mathews!” Mrs Brookes bellowed.
Tim followed dumping another carton and tipping Harvey over in his chair.
“You’re gonna pay for this kid,” Tim threatened, before he and TwoBit ran out the room, Mrs Brookes shouting after them.

~

“Dally, look at me,” Mrs Curtis said softly, stroking his hair as he refused to show her his face.
“No! You think I did it!” Dally shouted, sadly.
“Honey, I promise, I will believe whatever you tell me,” Mrs C assured him.
Dallas turned round slowly.
“I didn’t do it,” Dallas told her looking straight into her eyes desperately.
Mrs C smiled at him.
She reached out and cupped his face.
“I believe you honey,” She told him.

~

“Is Harvey hurt?” Principal Burrows asked.
“Nope, to be honest he looked very pleased about the whole situation,” Coach Haines sighed.
“What are you implying?” Principal Burrows demanded.
“Look I am not saying Dallas didn’t do it, I am just saying that there’s should at least be a proper investigation. Instead we’re jumping the gun. We need to talk to other kids who might have seen things and just make sure we’re after the right person,” Coach Haines said.

“What am I suppose to do? I mean he is not exactly a star pupil - the money was found in his locker, he was seen where it was taken from. Look I like Dallas I really do, but I’ve got to do my job,” Principal Burrows said, “And frankly set aside the stealing, his behaviour today is alone cause for suspension,” he added.
“Excuse me sir, sorry to interrupt,” Mrs Brookes said, entering the outer office.

“Please tell me there’s not more trouble,” Principal Burrows sighed.
“I’m afraid Tim Shepard and Keith Matthews-“ Mrs Brookes began.
“I know them!” Ponyboy exclaimed.
“Shhhh, Pony,” Jenny hissed.
“Well they burst into the reflection room and covered Harvey in milk,” She finished.

Principal Burrows and Coach Haines stood in silence for a moment.
“Thank you Mrs Brookes,” Principal Burrows said, “I’ll deal with them,” he sighed.

“I’m sure that is a completely unrelated incident,” Coach Haines smirked.
“Well it’s not evidence enough!” Principal Burrows said, raising his voice.
“How many times has Dallas been in your office?” Coach Haines asked him, undeterred and determined to make his argument.
“Second only to Tim Shepard,” Principal replied.
“And out of all those times, has he ever denied the things he’s done?” Coach Haines pointed out.

Principal thought for a moment.

“No, he hasn’t,” Principal Burrows sighed.
“No. Dallas may do wrong, but he always admits it. In fact he takes pride in it, a lot of the time. But today it’s different and I think although there is evidence against him, I think his reaction today should be evidence enough for us to at least investigate it properly,” Coach Haines said finally.

Chapter Text

Principal Burrows and Coach Haines returned after a few minutes.
“Look, Dallas, why don’t you go and sit outside the office, and we’ll talk to Mrs. Curtis about what’s going to happen next?” Principal Burrows suggested as he sat back down.
“Why can’t I be in here?” Dallas demanded.
“Because you’re only going to get yourself into more trouble, and I don’t think it’s fair to put you in that position,” Principal Burrows explained.
“Go on, honey,” Mrs. C said kindly.

~

She couldn’t take it anymore; her legs were shaking, and every time he sniffled, her heart jolted. Harvey wasn’t here; he wouldn’t know - this was her moment.

Cherry stood up and walked over to the front desk.
“Miss Harrow?” She asked.
"Yes, Cherry.” She smiled back.
Cherry’s heart pounded; the words were on her tongue, but she couldn’t get them out; Harvey’s threats were silencing her.
“Umm, please, can I go to the bathroom?” She stuttered.

~

Dallas sat on a chair outside the office. Ponyboy had drawn him a picture of a horse; he’d given the three-year-old a vague smile, but he couldn’t muster much more. Between the accusation and upsetting Johnny, Dallas was drained. There were too many emotions and thoughts running through him; he didn’t know what he should be feeling or pretending not to feel.

“That’s him,” a girl whispered from the hall.
Dallas looked up.
“What?” He said, as intimidatingly as he could; they were much older.
“You’re a thief, that’s what!” The girl shot back.
“That money was going to help out Mrs. Dalton with her hospital treatment,” the other one said.
"Girls, back to class, please,” Jenny called, from where she sat with Ponyboy.
The girls glared at Dallas.
“Thief!” They said again.

Dallas scowled and scuffed his shoes on the floor, not in anger; he felt wounded. He felt vulnerable, under attack from others and himself. Dallas wasn’t used to feeling like that; hell, he well practiced with many emotions.

“I hope they expel you, thief!” Another voice from the hall called.
Anyone would have thought that Dallas hadn’t heard him; his face didn’t change in the slightest, but Dallas was doing nothing but hearing people's remarks as they walked past, and for once, he didn’t like having a reputation.

~

Cherry walked through the halls on the way back to class. She was desperate to tell someone; it was bursting out of her, but fear was keeping her silent.
“If you don’t give the rest of the money back, kid, I’m going to kick your ass!” A voice said, further up the hall.
It was a boy; he looked as though he was in the 5th grade.
“Hey! That’s not nice!” A small voice called; it sounded like a toddler, and it certainly wasn’t old enough to be a pupil.

Cherry walked along the hall until she reached the boy who was outside the office.
“James Saxon, you go back to class right now or I will give you a detention,” the receptionist ordered.
“Yeah, Jenny. Give him a detention for being a dummy!” the little boy sitting beside her at her desk said.
“I’m going. But I meant it—thief!” He snarled before heading away.

Cherry moved closer, and until she was in front of the door, she looked in the office.
On the other side of the room, near the desk, Dallas was sitting on a chair against the wall.
"You're going to start on me now too?” He yelled at her when their eyes met.
“No,” Cherry mumbled, jumping slightly.
“Dallas! You hush,” Jenny hissed at him. “You need something, hun?” She asked Cherry.
“Yeah, what can we do for you?” Pony asked, excited to have a customer.

Cherry was stumped for a second, scrambling to find an excuse.
"Please, could I call my mother? I don’t know whether I am getting the bus home or being picked up,” Cherry said.
“Of course, did your teacher send you?” Jenny asked, motioning her in.
“No, I went to the bathroom, and I just realised I didn’t know,” Cherry said, panicking slightly.
“Of course, hun, come and sit down next to my little assistant; we’ll call someone to ask.” Jenny smiled at her.
Cherry walked around and sat in the chair next to the little boy. She glanced over at Dally, but he wasn’t looking.

“What’s your name?” Ponyboy asked.
“Sherri, but people call me Cherry because of my hair,” she told him.
"Oh, hi Cherry,” he replied.
“What’s your name?” Cherry asked.
“Ponyboy Curtis,” he told her.
“That’s an original name,” she replied.
"Yeah, my dad is an original person,” Ponyboy said, repeating the phrase he had heard Darry say many times when introducing his brothers. “I got a brother named Sodapop; he even says so on his birth certificate,” he said proudly.
“I know Soda; he’s in my class. I should have known he was your brother; you both look alike,” Cherry told him.
"Umm, Cherry,” Dally called.
She looked over.
“How’s Johnny doing?” He asked as casually as he could.
"Umm, he’s okay. He was pretty upset, but Miss Harrow taped his certificate back together and said she’d get him a new one,” Cherry told him.
“Is he still upset?” Dallas asked.
"Yeah, a bit, but Soda and Steve were looking after him,” she said with a faint smile; it wasn’t reassurance - it was a smile of shared guilt.

“Thief!” A kid called as he walked past.
Cherry was sure Dally was going to run out in the hall and punch the kid, but no, he just sat in a sad silence, deep in thought.

Cherry felt sorry for him, and then she remembered that it was her fault he was in this mess in the first place. Her heart was pounding so full of guilt that she was sure Dally would be able to hear it and know everything; he would kill her for what she’d done.

~

“He promised me,” Johnny said sadly.
It was free play, and he, Steve, and Soda sat around on the beanbags together.
"Yeah, but he also promised Mrs. C that he would do all his homework,” Steve said.
"Yeah, but he never breaks promises to me,” Johnny said, wiping a tear away.
He looked out the window; Mrs. Curtis’ car was still there.

~

“Come on, honey,” Mrs. C smiled, nudging Dallas as she emerged from the office. “We’re going home,” she told him.
“Am I suspended?” Dallas asked.
“No, they’re sending you home with me, and then while they investigate what’s happened properly, you’ll spend the next few days in the reflection room. Not because you did it, just until they can prove you didn't, and it’s all sorted out,” Mrs. C told him, crouching down.
“Everyone thinks I’m a thief,” Dallas said sadly.
"Well, I know you’re not.” She smiled at him and said, “Come on, let’s go wait in the car for everyone else.” She finished standing up and taking his hand.
“Bye Cherry!” Ponyboy said, running over to his mom.
She waved and watched them go, knowing she had the power to make everything right. Cherry was a victim but felt like a villain, neither role providing her with the heroism she needed.

~

They made their way out to the car.
Mrs. C gasped as she saw who was standing waiting for them.
“I want to talk to Dally,” Tim said, not looking at Mrs. C.
Mrs. C released Dallas’ hand; she pulled Ponyboy away and put him in the car.
“Mom, ask him if Curly can come back.” Pony pleaded.
"No, honey, we can’t. If we do, Curly may never come back, okay?” she told him as they sat in the car. “When things feel like they’re being hunted, they’ll run. We want to be the shelter he seeks, not what he runs from. So we just have to wait patiently,” she explained, sadly.

~

Cherry went back into the classroom; she expected to find it as silent as when she left, but it was full of life.
“Steven and Sodapop, what are you doing?” Miss Harrow called out.
Cherry could hear laughter; she looked over—it was Johnny. He was rolling around on the beanbag, hysterically giggling.
“You told us to cheer up, Johnny!” Soda yelled.
“Oh my goodness!” Miss Harrow exclaimed, walking over to them.

Soda and Steve had been trying to do a little comedy routine for Johnny, involving them both getting into Steve’s t-shirt. But they had ended up in a weird tangle of clothes and limbs, falling all over the place, and Johnny thought it was hilarious.
“Miss Harrow, leave them like that!” Johnny laughed, practically falling off their beanbag as Soda and Steve tumbled around.

Cherry smiled, but she looked out the window and saw Dallas talking to Tim Shepard. Maybe he knows? Maybe he’s telling Tim to come and get her? If she told the truth, she’d have to deal with Dallas and all his tough friends; at least Harvey was on his own. She trembled, unsure of who to anger and who to save.

~

“I’m guessing it wasn’t you?” Tim said.
Dally shook his head.
“Harvey. He left me a note; I thought it was you, so I went to where it said,” Dally told him.
Tim sighed.
“You suspended?” He asked.
“Nah, they’re going to do some investigations, and I have to stay in the reflection room till they’re finished,” Dally explained.
“Maybe I’ll do my own investigations; interrogate that little shit.” Tim smirked, looking to the side. He saw Ponyboy pressed up against the car window and Mrs. C looking over at them, and he shifted uncomfortably.
“Look I’ll see you tomorrow,” Tim said turning away, “I think me and TwoBit are keeping you company in the reflection room anyway, for throwing milk at Harvey," he added with a wink before he left.

As kids filed out at home time, many stopped to shout accusations at Dallas. Mrs C, just told him to stay calm and ignore them. He put up his "I'm not bothered, I don't care," facade and stayed silent. But the words cut deep and Johnny's tears were still stinging his wounds.

Chapter Text

"Right, say cheese,” Mrs. Curtis said, camera in hand and Johnny standing proudly holding his new, non-ripped certificate in the kitchen. “Now I think I better find a frame, and we’ll get this up on the wall,” she said, scooping him up.
“Can it go in your room?” Johnny asked.
“Of course it can! I want to see this every single day when I wake up and am reminded of my amazing, clever boy.” She said, tickling him.
But she was distracted by another boy hovering at the kitchen door.

“What’s up, Dally?” She asked, seeing Johnny frown as he looked over.
Dally wandered in, looking at Johnny guiltily.
“I know that face,” Mrs. C sighed, putting Johnny down. “What have you done?” She asked, crossing her arms.
“He broke my promise,” Johnny said from beside her.
Mrs. C was confused.
“I didn’t mean to,” Dally whined.
"Okay, okay, hold on. What’s going on?” She asked, crouching down beside Johnny and motioning Dally over to them.

“He promised he wouldn’t fight Harvey!” Johnny said, his voice full of hurt.
“I had to!” Dally protested, his voice equally full of hurt.
"Everyone, wait a minute and take a breath,” she said, holding her hands up as she perched between the two boys. “So Johnny, you’re upset because Dallas promised he wouldn’t fight anyone and he got in a fight with Harvey?” Mrs. C asked kindly.
Johnny nodded tearfully.
“And he ripped my certificate!” He added, the tears leaking.
"No, I didn’t!” Dallas protested, his voice cracking, and if Mrs. C wasn’t mistaken, his eyes looked slightly glassy.
“Okay, okay. Calm down. Both of you,” she said, rubbing Johnny's back. “Now Johnny, your certificate doesn’t look ripped to me.” She pointed out.
“No, they had to make me a new one because he broke the other one, just like he broke his promise!” Johnny said, bursting into proper tears.

“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay,” Mrs. C said, pulling him into a hug.
Dallas stood looking miserable, his lip sticking out slightly.
“Come on, come here,” Mrs. C said, opening an arm and motioning for him.
He wandered over, and she held both boys, rubbing Johnny’s back as he cried softly and kissing the top of Dally’s head with him against her other shoulder looking miserable.

“Now, I think the fact that both of you are so upset shows how much you care about each other,” she said, once Johnny had stopped crying.
She turned them to face her.
"Look, you two need to stick together, you hear me. Don’t you start falling out? Friends upset each other sometimes. What matters is that you care about each other, and just because Dally broke one promise doesn’t mean he cares any less,” she explained to Johnny. “In fact, I think it means he cares more. He is desperate to make it up to you,” Mrs. C said.
Johnny looked up at Dally, and they both shared a look.
“Dally, do you have something you want to say to Johnny?” Mrs. C prompted.
“Sorry,” Dallas said, as sincerely as he had ever said it in his life.
Johnny smiled.
“It’s okay,” he mumbled.
“Right now, you’re not leaving here until you give each other a big hug,” Mrs. C told them.

They both hesitated, but Mrs. C started to push them towards each other, and they came together in a tight hug. The hug that would always be there—even when they were apart—they would never let go of each other in that hug.

“Come on, boys, let’s go hang up that certificate!” Mrs. C announced.

~

Mrs. Brookes looked at the reflection room, with Dally at one table, TwoBit on another, and Tim on the other.
“I think she’s pleased to see us boys,” TwoBit grinned, seeing the dread on Mrs. Brookes’ face.
“We are going to have a nice calm day, okay?” She told them; it was an order, not a request.
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” TwoBit told her.

~

“I hope they expel him; he’s a thief,” Lily said to Emilia.
“I know. I don’t want to be in class with a thief,” Emilia replied.
Cherry sat across from them, listening. Well, she was doing everything she could not to listen, but she couldn’t help but hear their discussion like a loudspeaker.
“He’s not a thief,” Steve shouted over.
"Yes, he is,” Harvey called back.

Cherry whipped and looked at him, initially in anger, but when she met his eye, she shuddered with fear and turned quickly away, sinking back into her seat.
"Umm, why are people shouting across the classroom?” Miss Harrow said, “Like I said earlier, no one is a thief until the investigation is complete.” She warned them.
“I don’t see what there is to investigate,” Harvey muttered.
Cherry thought, and for a moment she really thought she was going to say something. Tell Miss Harrow, tell someone, but she just couldn’t.

~

"Tim, sit down!” Mrs. Brookes said, getting up and closing the door.
For the 10th time that morning, someone had heckled Dally, calling him a thief. Even now with the door closed, they still glared at him and mouthed insults. The stolen money had been for a very well-liked teacher’s medical treatment, and her fan base was not pleased about it being stolen.

“Just ignore them, man; what do they know?” Tim sighed, sitting back down.
Dally forced a faint smile in his direction, but instead of continuing to laugh and joke with TwoBit, he busied himself with his worksheet.

~

“You haven’t forgotten what I said!” Harvey yelled in her ear.
“No, no, I haven’t,” Cherry whimpered, tearing up.
Harvey punched her in the arm, hard. She started to cry.
“If you tell anyone!” He yelled, “Anyone! I will kill you!” He said, towering over Cherry.
“I won’t, I won’t,” she cried.
He thumped her other arm for good measure and shoved her against the wall before retreating.

She slumped down, letting the tears flow down her face as she waited for the ache to leave her arms.
“Are you okay?” A voice asked.
She looked up; it was Johnny.

He wandered over.
“Do you want me to get someone?” He asked nervously.
She smiled at him; it wasn’t her arms aching anymore; it was her heart desperate to tell him everything.
“I’m okay,” she sniffled.
“Do you need anything?” He asked.
"No, no, don’t worry. My dog died this morning. I’m just sad,” she said quickly. “What are you doing in this part of the school?“ she asked him, changing the subject.
“I’m going to meet Dally in the reflection room,” he told her.
“Oh,” Cherry said, without meaning to sound so disappointed.
“He didn’t do it, you know,” Johnny told her, clearly thinking she thought Dallas was a thief.
"No, I believe you,” she said with a faint smile.
“Anyway, I’ll see you later,” Johnny said, heading down the hall.

She watched him go. Her head was screaming at her to run after him and tell him everything.
“Johnny?” She called after him, standing up.
But it was too late; he’d already gone.

Chapter Text

“Not going!” Dallas said firmly.
"Yes, you are,” Mr. Curtis told him. “Now go get in that car!” He ordered.
“No!” Dallas shouted.

“Honey, why don’t you want to go to school?” Mrs. Curtis asked.
Dallas just sat on the couch, scowling. Johnny looked at him, hoping he would speak, but when he didn't, Johnny knew he would have to.
“Because everyone is calling him a thief,” Johnny said.
Dallas didn’t react; he’d been hoping Johnny would talk for him.

Mr. C's expression softened.
“Is that right, buddy?” He asked.
Dallas nodded.
“But honey, you’re not a thief,” Mrs. C said.
“It doesn’t matter; they all think I am,” Dallas said sadly, walking out of the room, and kicking the door on his way out.
Mr. and Mrs. C looked at each other.
“You go take the rest of them to school; I’ll sort him out,” Mr. C said with a sigh.

~

“We gotta do something!” Soda whined.
“Like what?” TwoBit asked.
“I don’t know, but something. Dally’s upset,” Soda said.
“And I want him back in class!” Johnny added.
"Well, I don’t see what we can do. We got no evidence; it was Harvey,” Steve pointed out.
The bell rang, and they all started walking down the hall, leaving a red-haired girl hovering behind them.

Cherry was breathing heavily, she kept taking some steps and then immediately retreating. Her legs shook, so much that is propelled her forward. She had to do this.

As TwoBit headed off and Steve and Johnny went in the door, she quickened her pace and tapped Soda on the shoulder before he went in the classroom.
“Soda, can I talk to you?” She asked, her voice shaking.

~

“I'm not going to school,” Dally said miserably as Mr. C sat down on the edge of his bed.
“I’m not going to make you,” Mr. C told him. “Not today, anyway. You’re going back tomorrow,” he said.
“I am not; I’m never going back!” Dally said, punching the pillow.
“And what do you think people will think then? Dally can’t be a thief because he’s not coming to school!” Mr. C countered.
Dally scowled, not sure how to respond to that.
“Don’t let them win, buddy. You’re not a thief; eventually, people will realise that. Don’t give them any extra ammunition in the meantime, huh?” Mr. C suggested moving to sit beside Dallas on the bed.
“But what if they don’t prove it?” Dally asked worriedly, looking up at Mr. C.

Mr. C sighed.
“Well, we know you’re not a thief; you know you’re not a thief. Those are all the people that matter. Whatever happens, we’ll be on your side, and we’ll all be in it together.” Mr. C assured him.
Dally nodded, and for a brief moment, he lent against Mr. C’s shoulder. Until he realised what he was doing and hurriedly sat up. Mr. C chuckled, standing up and ruffling Dallas’ hair.
“Come on, kiddo, let’s go enjoy the day. You don’t have to think about school until tomorrow,” Mr. C said, beckoning him out of the room.
Dallas thought for a moment, then nodded with a grin and followed Mr. C out of the room.

~

“So Harvey made you do it?” Soda asked.
"Yeah, he made me write the note and then sit outside the art room and tell Mrs. Hargreaves that Dally was the only one in there,” Cherry explained.
“Did you see Harvey take the money?” Soda asked.
"Yeah, just before Dally came, he took it and then went and put it in Dally’s locker. Oh, and he made me steal back the note and rip it up so Dally couldn’t prove it,” she added.
Cherry was shaking, but this time it wasn’t in fear; it was pure relief.
“Are you two thinking of coming into the classroom today?” Miss Harrow asked, peering around the door.
"Yeah, we’re coming,” Soda said, heading over. "Look, can you come with me at recess and we can talk with the others about this properly?” Soda asked.
"Yeah, of course,” Cherry agreed.
A weight had been lifted, in fact Cherry had lifted that weight and with her new found strength she felt braver, ready to make things right.

~

Mrs. C smiled as she sat drinking a cup of tea on the couch, with Dallas sitting against her. Mr. C had gone to work, and Dallas had calmed down. She hoped, for his sake, that the school would find him innocent. It wouldn’t be fair to have his record tarnished anymore, especially when he hadn’t done anything—no, they needed to save space on his school record for any future crimes he did commit!

~

“There must be someone who can help us.” TwoBit sighed as they all sat in the car after school, waiting for Mrs. C to get back from collecting any homework for Dally.

Cherry had explained everything, and now they were all set on taking Harvey down, she was in too. But so far, they were struggling for ideas; they needed someone who was good at that sort of thinking and planning.
The car door opened.
Darry got in, and the younger boys’ eyes lit up.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?” Darry asked, slightly baffled.

Chapter Text

“You see? It’s just Dally’s word against his; we can’t prove it,” Darry explained.
“Even with Cherry?” Steve asked.
“She’s terrified of Harvey. You know what he’s like; he’ll deny it and spin it against her, and she’ll crumble under the fear. We need to be smart,” Darry told them.
“What do you mean?” Soda enquired.
"Well, we know it was him. And we need to prove it, but I also think it’s time he got a taste of his own medicine. Payback and proof—that’s the goal.” Darry said with a smirk.
“But how?” TwoBit chimed in.
"Well, we got something he doesn’t have.” Darry began.
The other boys all looked at eachother, confused.
“Eachother,” Darry said.

~

“Dally’s in,” Darry said, emerging from the bedroom, Dally following behind. “Now, I need to talk to Cherry tomorrow about stage 2 of the plan—the proof—but until then, it’s time for a little payback planning,” Darry grinned.
“Yes!!! I love it when you aren’t boring!” Soda exclaimed.
“What are you guys doing?” Ponyboy asked.
The boys all turned.
“Nothing, go away!” Steve shot at him.
“Mom! They won’t let me play!” Pony whined.
"Okay, okay, we’ll let you play,” Steve said, hushing him and ushering him over.
“Room for a little guy on the team, Darry?” TwoBit asked.
Darry nodded, and Pony grinned, so happy to be in the huddle with his brothers.

~

Mrs. C stood stunned. All the boys were washed, dressed, jackets and bags on, and shoes tied, by the door, waiting to leave.
"Boys, we’re not leaving for 25 minutes,” she stuttered.

Even Ponyboy was with them and Dallas; she had been expecting to have to persuade him to go to school today, not to have him waiting for her.
“Can we go early today, Mom?” Soda asked.
“Why?” She asked suspiciously.
"Well, they got this new milk in the cafeteria, and it’s so good,” Darry said.
“So you’ve all got ready without any arguments... for milk?” She asked.
The boys nodded.

“Pony, why are you ready?” She asked.
“Ummm, well, Steve said he’d beat me up if I made them late for the milk,” Pony shrugged.
Steve shot him a look.
“Steven?” Mrs. C asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, shooting Pony another look.
Pony was smiling to himself.
“Okay, who are we missing?” Mr. C asked, wandering in.
“No one,” Mrs. C told him.
Mr. C stood next to his wife and eyed the boys suspiciously.
"Okay, what’s going on?” He demanded.
“They say there’s new milk in the cafeteria, and they want to go to school early to have it.” Mrs C said, her voice full of disbelief.
“You’ve changed your tune,” Mr. C said to Dallas.
“It’s good milk,” Dallas shrugged.
“Boys, I’m going to warn you now that you best not be up to anything.” Mr C sighed.
“We’re not,” Darry protested.
“Ah well, let’s see about that,” Mrs. C said, spotting TwoBit coming up the drive.
She moved the boys aside and opened the door.
“Keith, why does everyone want me to leave early today?” She questioned.
The boys all held their breath, hoping TwoBit would remember the excuse they’d rehearsed.
"Well, for the new milk, of course!” TwoBit yelled.

~

“Do you remember what you have to do later?” Darry whispered to Pony.
Pony nodded and opened his mouth.
“No! Don’t say it; just remember after school, buddy,” Darry said with a wink as he and the boys got out of the car.
“Have a good day and be good!” Mrs. Curtis called after them, still not convinced this was all about milk.

~

The boys scattered off around the school to do their various jobs. Johnny and Dallas went to Harvey’s locker, Soda and Steve went to the classroom, and TwoBit and Darry went to Harvey’s cubby.

They all ran back after 10 minutes to reconvene.
“Everything set?” Darry asked.
The boys all nodded. The bell rang.
“Just in time,” TwoBit laughed.
“Cool. Well, I’ll see you later. I reckon we can start stage 2 after lunch,” he grinned at them.
The boys all headed to class, and for once, they were looking forward to it.

~

“Can’t I come in?” Dallas whined to Miss Harrow.
“No. Reflection room, now!” She told him, not harshly; she was slightly amused with Dallas arguing to get in the classroom for a change.
“But Johnny will be lonely,” He tried, and on cue, Johnny did his best puppy dog face.
“Dallas, you know what Principal Burrows said. Now do I need to get someone to escort you to the reflection room?” Miss Harrow sighed.
“No,” Dally mumbled.
“Good, then off you go!” She ordered him.
“Fine,” he said. “But now I’m going to miss the big show,” he added once Miss Harrow was out of earshot.
“We’ll let you know how it goes; anyway, he won’t go in his locker until recess. So you’ve got that one to look forward to too,” Soda winked.

~

Soda, Steve, and Johnny sat nervously waiting as everyone else put their coats and lunchboxes in their cubbies. They sighed as Harvey came back in; he hadn’t noticed the surprise for later.

Cherry looked at the three boys, who all had their eyes locked on Harvey, as he made his way to his seat. She wondered why.
CRACK.
Harvey fell to the floor, and the class busted out laughing. Cherry caught Soda’s eye, and he winked at her as they both joined in the class hysterics. So this must be Stage 1 of Darry’s plan, she thought to herself.

“Someone broke my chair!” Harvey yelled, getting to his feet.
“I think that someone was you!” Steve called over, making the class giggle more.
"Alright, alright, calm down everyone,” Miss Harrow said, making her way over to Harvey’s chair. “The chair looks okay, Harvey; it seems to just have snapped; I don’t know how anyone could make it do that,” she told him.

Well, that was thanks to Steve’s mechanics. Mr. Curtis had told him before that if a joint is weak, the structure can snap. The boys grinned as Harvey continued his outraged tirade.
“Eww!” Emilia exclaimed, pointing at Harvey’s shorts.
They were light brown, but across the back, a distinct wet patch had appeared.

“Harvey peed!” Another classmate announced, causing laughter to erupt once more.
Cherry looked over at the boys again.
“How?” She mouthed to them.
Steve held up an empty water bottle.
She smiled, relishing in Harvey’s humiliation after her week of torture.

“I did not pee!” Harvey was screaming.
“Hey Miss, maybe we should do potty training today; Harvey obviously needs a refresher!” Soda suggested, reigniting the class’ laughter.
“Alright! Alright! Settle down!” Miss Harrow bellowed.
The class slowly hushed.
“Come on, Harvey, we will find you a new chair and some dry clothes,” she said, leading him out of the classroom.

~

“Dallas, that worksheet won’t do itself,” Mrs. Brookes called over.
“I’m bored!” He sighed, so agitated to know what was going on in the classroom.
“Tell you what; I’ll give you a job to do. You take this down to Jenny in the office,” Mrs. Brookes said, holding a file.
Dallas jumped up, happy to be released from the room.
“You come straight back, mind!” Mrs. Brookes warned.

~

Darry sat smiling to himself. It felt quite fun being mischievous for a change.
“Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Ryman. Do you have any spare chairs?” Miss Harrow asked, poking her head around the door.
Darry had to stifle a laugh with a cough.
“Are you alright there, Darrel?” Mr. Ryman asked, taking a chair over to Miss Harrow.
"Yes, sir, I swallowed a fly,” Darry choked through his chuckling as he saw Harvey outside the door.

~

“Oh dear, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Jenny sighed as Dally strolled in. “What have you done now?” She added with a smile, knowing from his expression that today he was the calm Dallas she liked to see.
“Nothing; I’m a delivery man today,” Dally said, handing her the file.
“Ah, thank you!” Jenny said, standing up, “Now I usually offer my delivery men a drink and a cookie.” She suggested.
"Well, I suppose if it’s part of the job,” Dally grinned, making his way around the desk to the seat she pulled out for him.

“I thought you were supposed to be in the reflection room." Miss Harrow sighed as she entered the office and saw Dally.
“It’s okay; he was delivering me a file, and I thought he could have a cookie and a drink for his troubles,” Jenny explained.
Dally had the biggest smirk on his face as Harvey appeared behind Miss Harrow.

“What are you looking at?” Harvey demanded.
“A fucking idiot,” Dallas retorted.
“Hey!” Jenny and Miss Harrow yelled in sync.
“You have 3 seconds to apologise before I pick up that phone, and you can repeat that to Mrs. Curtis,” Jenny told him firmly.
“Sorry,” Dally mumbled.
“Thank you,” She smiled at him, passing him a glass of juice to go with his cookie, “Now, what can I do for you?” She asked, turning to Miss Harrow and Harvey.
“Would it be possible to call Harvey’s mother to bring in some dry clothes?” She asked.
Dallas snorted.
“Right! Back to the Reflection Room!” Jenny ordered, taking the last of the cookie and juice from Dallas.
"Hey, you can give the rest of the juice to Harvey; he might need to rehydrate after pissing himself,” Dally chuckled, heading out of the room before the adults or Harvey could react.

Chapter Text

Harvey returned to class in dry clothes, scowling and seething.
“Can someone hand out the books out for me?” Miss Harrow asked, “Cherry?” She called.
Cherry nodded.

She made her way around the classroom, when she reached Harvey, she felt him elbow her in the ribs.
“Hey!” She exclaimed.
Instead of cowering away, she glared at him and slapped his book hard on the table in front of him before making her way back to her seat behind him.

Harvey turned around to face her.
"You're going to get it,” he hissed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cherry saw Soda carefully creeping along the floor. She did her best to keep Harvey occupied.
“Oh really?” Cherry countered.
“Yeah, you need reminding who’s in charge,” Harvey threatened her.
Soda snuck away with Harvey’s book. Cherry held her glare with him.
“Oh yeah, who’s that then?” She said this, raising her eyebrows.
Harvey frowned and turned back.
“Hey, where’s my book?” He exclaimed.
“Maybe it was taken by the same person who took the money!” Cherry said, making the boys laugh.

~

Dallas was leaning back on his chair, still grinning from seeing Harvey, when there was a knock at the door.
“Oh, not again!” Mrs. Brookes sighed as Tim Shepard sauntered in, Coach Haines behind him.
Dally and Tim grinned at each other as he sat down next to Dally.
“I’m afraid so, and he is going to sit down and write a letter of apology to Mrs. McKenzie,” Coach said.
"What do you do?” Dallas asked Tim.
“She was being annoying, so I was very honest about her appearance,” Tim smirked.
Dallas snickered.
"Tim, she wasn’t being annoying; she was asking you not to throw pens out the window.” Coach Haines sighed.
“Yeah, it was annoying. I was having fun throwing the pens,” Tim retorted.
“Your class was meant to be picking out some books from the library!” Coach Haines exclaimed, “Now I want you two to be no trouble for Mrs. Brookes. I won’t be happy if I have to come back,” he warned.
"Tim, you should be setting a good example for Dallas,” Mrs. Brookes added.
“He is a good example. I always wanted to throw pens out of windows,” Dallas laughed.
Coach Haines sighed but couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay, I’ll leave you with the two knuckleheads. Good luck!” He said, leaving the room.
“Bro, you’ll never guess what we did to Harvey,” Dallas hissed.

~

In the classroom, Harvey was still fuming from this morning’s events, not to mention Cherry’s new-found bravery. He hated how she had spoken to him and knew he was going to have to do something.

He sat plotting as he drew, but then his pencil snapped. Harvey looked around and then turned to Cherry.
“Can I borrow a pencil?” He asked with an intimidating glare.
Cherry didn’t look up; she just shook her head. Harvey nudged her harshly in the arm.
“Why not?” He hissed.

The boys had been watching the scene from the other table.
“Cherry?” Steve asked, walking over; Harvey backed off from Cherry. “Can I borrow a pencil?” Steve asked.
“Sure!” Cherry said with a bright smile, passing him one.
Steve gave Harvey a smug grin and then headed away.
“How come he gets one?” Harvey exclaimed.
“If I give you something, there’s no guarantee I’ll get it back,” Cherry said coolly, looking him right in the eye.

Harvey’s fist clenched, every inch of him wanting to punch Cherry. He looked over at the other table; they were all glaring at him, clearly warning him not to dare touch her.
“Harvey? Why aren’t you working?” Miss Harrow called.
“I am!” Harvey shouted.
Miss Harrow frowned and went and wrote his name on the board.
Harvey huffed, not just because he was angry but because he could feel his power slowly leaving him. An alliance had been formed between his victim and his enemies, and he knew they were going to try to take him down.

~

“Dear Mrs. McKenzie, I am very sorry you didn’t know you were so ugly and stinky. If you did know, then you shouldn’t be angry at me for saying it, because that’s just plain honesty,” Mrs. Brookes read aloud as Tim stood beside her desk.
Dallas applauded as she finished.
“You cannot give that to Mrs. McKenzie,” Mrs. Brookes sighed, although she didn’t sound angry.

Dallas and Tim were her most frequent visitors to the reflection room, and she was used to their antics and had a soft spot for both of them. She had seen them at their worst and been the person in charge of calming them down; it was her job to always be on the kid’s side, not that she didn’t ever reprimand them; she just made sure they knew she would support them no matter what. Although Dallas and Tim liked to think they were the toughest boys in the world, after working for 20 years in her job, she had seen plenty worse.

“Why not?” Tim protested.
“I thought that apology was great, Tim!” Dally called over.
“Tim, if you give this to Mrs. McKenzie, you will just get in ten times more trouble,” Mrs. Brookes explained. “Dallas, you get on with your work!” She added.
"Well, you’re outnumbered 2 against 1, so I've got to hand it to her. That’s the law,” Tim shrugged, taking the note and making his way to the door.
“Timothy Shepard!” Mrs. Brookes exclaimed, “Back here right now!” She ordered.
Tim hovered by the door.
“Okay, I’m going to give you two a challenge.” Mrs. Brookes proposed, “I want you to work together and write your really rude letter of apology, and then what we will do is work together to change each sentence to say the opposite, and then you can go and hand the nice one in. But you’ll still have fun writing the rude one, deal?” She suggested
“Deal,” Tim agreed.

~

“Okay, go get your snacks, guys. It’s snack time,” Miss Harrow announced.
The class made their way to the cubby area.
Soda pulled Cherry back.
“Wait for it,” he whispered.
“Ewwww!” Harvey shrieked.
“What now!” Miss Harrow sighed, making her way over.
Harvey came out of the cubby area carrying his stuff, which was absolutely dripping with honey and was stuck all over his hands and up his arms.

“Oh no, someone’s stuff must have leaked,” Miss Harrow told them. “Right everyone out of this area; we’ll get it cleaned up,” she said.
“What about me?” Harvey whined.
“Second time today, you need cleaning up,” Steve muttered.
Cherry, Soda, and Johnny snickered.
“How did you do that?” Cherry hissed.
“That was Darry and TwoBit,” Soda chuckled.

~

"Okay, so what’s the opposite of ‘I am not sorry; you’re fat and ugly, and the books in the library are glad when they get borrowed so they get away from your stench?” Mrs. Brookes asked, with an exasperated yet slightly amused look on her face as Tim and Dallas smirked at their words.
“I mean, I like it how it’s written,” Tim said.
“No, I want you to tell me the nice version. You have been doing good so far. Dally, you want to try this time; what’s the opposite of that?” She asked.
“Umm. I am really sorry; I was rude. You do a really good job in the library,” Dally tried, a little unsure, “and the books like you!” He added it with a grin.
“Very good, okay, next sentence,” Mrs. Brookes continued looking back down at their letter, “Oh my goodness! Timothy Shepard, you should not be using those words! You’re 8; you shouldn’t even know those words!” She exclaimed, horrified.
“Not me; that bit was Dally,” Tim told her with a smirk.

Chapter Text

“I need to work out how we can get some proof,” Darry said to Paul as they walked through the halls. “I keep trying to think, but I can’t come up with anything that wouldn’t just be our word against his,” Darry sighed.
“You’ll get there, man. Anyway, ain’t it time for the fireworks?” Paul pointed out.
“Oh yeah!” Darry exclaimed, charging off down the halls.

~

"Please, can we go now?” Dally whined.
“You know the rules; if you’re in the reflection room, you only get the last 5 minutes of recess,” said Mrs. Brookes.
"Oh, come, please!! I’m not even in here for doing anything wrong!” Dally protested, knowing he’d be missing the big payback finale.
“I suppose that is true. Okay, fine,” Mrs. Brookes gave in. “Dallas, you may go; I want you back here on time though,” she said.

Dallas charged through the halls, praying he wouldn’t be too late.

~

The rest of the boys lurked around Twobit’s locker, which was close to Harvey’s but not too close; they didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire. Dally came running down the hall.
“Did I miss it?” He asked, panting.
“Shhhh,” Darry hushed him, motioning to Harvey, who was talking to someone by his locker.
“He hasn’t opened it yet,” Johnny whispered to Dally with a grin.

~

Cherry walked through the halls. Her class had gym after recess, so she went to her locker to get her stuff. She saw Harvey a few feet away, but this time she didn’t flinch and retreat; she just continued to her locker.

Once she had her gym stuff, she closed her locker and went to leave when something caught her eye. The boys were all gathered up in the corridor, eyes on Harvey. They were frantically motioning for her to move. She looked at Harvey and realised that the boys had probably set up something and that she should get the hell out of the way. Cherry was about to, when something in Harvey’s hand stopped her. He had just pulled out a wad of cash from inside his jacket. She was about to get a closer look when he opened his locker.
BANG
SPLAT
“Arghhhhhh!” Harvey screamed.
Cherry opened her eyes; she was covered in splatters of some sort of paint, but when she looked up at Harvey, he was completely drenched in it, from head to foot.

Noise erupted in the halls. Teachers and students were running to see what the noise was. She looked at the boys, and they all had a triumphant look on their faces as they laughed.

The boys were at the front of the crowd, making their way towards the paint-covered Harvey.
“Hey Harvey, Halloween ain’t till October!” Paul heckled, giving Darry a wink.
“I think you look better like that,” Soda added.
“Yeah, this way we don’t have to see his lying face,” TwoBit chimed in.

Cherry laughed with the rest of the crowd. Then she remembered the money; it was back in Harvey’s jacket pocket, which was lying on the ground. She tried to catch Darry’s eye, but there were too many people, and teachers started to try and disperse the crowd.

“You did this! You thief!” Harvey yelled at Dallas.
“He ain’t a thief!” TwoBit said firmly as the boys stood beside Dallas, glaring Harvey down.
“Yo Harvey,” Dallas began as they locked eyes in a standoff. “You got a little something on your face,” Dallas sneered.
Harvey went purple with rage as the gathered crowd laughed.
“I’m going to kill you!” Harvey roared, charging straight at Dallas.

Dallas was taken off guard slightly, and Harvey slammed him to the ground. But Dallas Winston is always up for a fight, even at a moment's notice, especially if it is with Harvey.

The crowd in the halls shouted and screamed, all pushing each other to either get away or get closer to the fight. Teachers were shouting to try and get back control.

Steve and Soda ran forward to help Dally, but Darry pulled them back.
“No, no, no. Look, the teachers are coming!” He said, ushering them away as multiple members of staff broke through the crowd and set about breaking up the fight.

Dallas and Harvey were intent on hurting each other as much as possible, throwing punches and kicking as much as they could. They were both covered in paint now and so was much of the hall.
Teachers tried to pry them apart, but they both scrambled to get back at each other, fighting through the grasping.
“Enough!” Principal Burrows yelled, the hall went silent, and the only sound was Dallas and Harvey fighting.

Coach Haines managed to get a grip on Dally and restrain him. However, Dallas just stood there casually, looking completely unbothered about the fight, as if it were like every other recess. Another teacher held a fuming Harvey back.
“Everyone, back to class, now!” Principal Burrows ordered.
The crowd slowly retreated, all whispering animatedly.
“Get them to my office now!” He yelled at the teachers.
“What’s happened?” Miss Harrow asked, appearing in the hall, taken aback by the scene that met her.

The teachers marched Dallas and Harvey away.
“That boy is out of control!” Principal Burrow exclaimed.
“Dally didn’t do anything! Harvey started on him!” TwoBit protested.
“I don’t want to hear it! All of you away now!” Principal Burrows said.
“Harvey started it!” Soda added.
“Boys, go back to the classroom,” Miss Harrows said kindly, trying to calm everyone down. “You can all go, even if you’re not in my class,” she added with a smile.

Reluctantly, the boys headed off.
“I knew I should have suspended him last week! Now look what he’s done!” They heard Principal Burrows ranting at Miss Harrow.
They all looked at each other, alarmed.
“I thought we were going to get Dally out of trouble—not  even more of it,” Steve said.
Darry looked down miserably, but someone tugged on his arm. He turned, expecting to see Johnny, but it was Cherry.

~

“Oh my-“ Jenny gasped as Coach Haines marched Dallas into the office. “What happened?” She asked.
“Some sort of paint bomb, and then he got into a massive fight with Harvey,” Coach Haines sighed. “Chris and Sean are taking Harvey to change into some other clothes because he is absolutely covered. The stuff on Dallas is dry now,” Coach Haines explained.

Dallas was smirking slightly; seeing Harvey covered in paint had been a satisfying end to the payback.
“You best take that look off your face,” Jenny said, disappointment evident in her tone. It was her next statement, however, that did wipe the smirk from Dally’s face: “Should I call Mrs. Curtis?” She asked.

"Yeah, and just warn her; this might be a bad one; Principal Burrows is furious,” Coach Haines said, keeping a hand on Dallas’ shoulder. “You go and sit at that desk over there,” he added to Dally, pointing to the desk for when people were sent to work outside the principal’s office; it was also known as Twobit’s table.

Dallas wandered over and sat in it. He was starting to feel slightly nervous about what the consequences were going to be, but as usual, he shrugged it off. At least this time he was getting in trouble for something he’d actually done.
“Dallas, am I to presume you had something to do with the paint bomb?” Coach Haines asked.
“Yep, he deserved it,” Dally said nonchalantly.
“Anyone else involved?” Coach Haines asked already, knowing what Dally was going to say.
“Nope, just me,” he said.
Coach Haines raised his eyebrows; Dallas didn’t break eye contact.
“Okay, well, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble for it,” Coach Haines sighed, but there was a slight smile at Dally’s loyalty to his brother’s hidden beneath his stern expression. "Well, just sit there and stay calm and do not get into any more fights with Harvey, okay, it will just make things worse,” he warned.
Dally nodded, looking over to see Jenny dialling the phone. He stayed cool, but Coach Haines saw him wince with guilt slightly.

~

“Miss Harrow! Miss Harrow!” Multiple voices called as they ran down the corridor.
Miss Harrow turned around to see Darry, Johnny, Steve, Soda, TwoBit, and Cherry running towards her.
“We can prove Dally didn’t steal the money!” Darry exclaimed, beaming.
Miss Harrow smiled.
“Good. We need to prove it quickly, though; that might be the only thing that saves him from being expelled,” she said, all her attention ready and waiting.

~

Principal Burrows came thundering in a few minutes after Dally had arrived in the office.
“Have you called Mrs. Curtis?” He asked Jenny.
“Yes, she’s on her way. Should I call Harvey’s parents too?” She asked.
"Yes, please; we will no doubt have to apologise to them profusely, so they don’t take this to court,” he said through gritted teeth.
“They should apologise to me for their psychopath of a son,” Dally muttered.
“Dallas, just sit there quietly, please,” Principal Burrows said, not unkindly; it was more an air of desperation and exhaustion.

He liked Dally; he really did. But he was stuck with a tough decision now, and he had to think with his head, not his heart. The school had put a lot of time into Dally, and they thought they’d seen improvements, but between the stealing and fighting, it seemed like all their efforts had been wasted and were being thrown back in their faces. Were they letting down other kids? Should teachers’s energy be put into the kids who are making the effort?

5 months Dallas had been at that school, and he’d been in more trouble than most kids get into in their 6 years at the school. Should they quit while they’re ahead?

These were the thoughts racing through Principal Burrows’ mind as he stood in the office. Harvey arrived, interrupting his thoughts. He was in clean clothes, but his skin was still stained with paint like Dally’s.
“Okay, Harvey. I’ll talk to you first, in the office, please.” Principal Burrows sighed, going into the office, the future of a five-year-old in his hands.

Chapter Text

Dallas could hear footsteps coming down the hall, and he braced himself for Mrs. Curtis to come charging in.
“Coach Haines, can I have a word?” Miss Harrow called.
“Uh, yeah, okay,” Coach said, following her out into the hall.
Dallas watched him go, not sure what she would have to say.

He could hear animated discussion outside; they sounded happy, almost excited.
Coach Haines came back in; he was smiling. He walked straight over to the office door and knocked, heading inside. What was going on?

~

“Hi Darry!” Pony exclaimed, seeing his brother down the hall and running towards him.
“Shhh, Pony, people are learning!” Mrs. C scolded him.
“Do I still get to do my thing later?” Pony whispered to Darry.
“I don’t think so, kiddo,” Darry said, ruffling his hair.
Pony pouted back at his older brother, who laughed.
“Next time, buddy,” he promised.

“Why aren’t you in class?” Mrs. Curtis asked him.
“Umm, well, we had to do something, you see.” Darry smiled at her.
“Oh yeah, more milk?” Mrs. C asked, raising her eyebrows.
“No, not that. We may have managed to prove Dally didn’t steal the money,” Darry beamed at her.

~

“I didn’t!” Harvey protested.
“It was found in your locker, and Cherry has told us how you intimidated her into helping you set up Dallas,” Coach Haines said firmly.
He didn’t often get angry, but you could see the fury on his face.
“She’s lying!” Harvey yelled.
“Harvey, I don’t think I need to tell you how serious this is! I am absolutely disgusted with your actions.” Principal Burrows said voice-raising and frustration-building.

~

Dally sat outside the office; Jenny had given him a cookie and a glass of juice at the request of Miss Harrow, who had apologised for ever thinking he had taken the money. He was happy, finally proven to be innocent—well,  innocent of that crime; on the whole, he was not your most innocent kid.

"Ah, Mrs. Curtis,” Jenny greeted. “I’m pleased to say that we have a witness who has proved Dallas to be innocent,” she explained.
“I just heard; Darry told me.” Mrs. Curtis smiled, looking over at Dally.
“I knew you weren’t a thief, Dally!” Pony said, running over and giving him a hug, which Dallas begrudgingly accepted.
“My turn,” Mrs. C said, wandering over.
She leaned down and wrapped Dallas in a tight hug.
“I’m so proud of you, honey,” she whispered in his ear.
“Yeah, well, um, I might still be in a bit of trouble,” Dallas said.
“I know, they told me.” She sighed, continuing to hold him tight. “But I’m used to being proud and mad at you simultaneously; it’s your specialty!” Mrs. C said.

~

“Harvey’s been expelled!” Soda yelled, running back into the classroom.
“Soda, you told me you were going to the bathroom?” Miss Harrow called over; she had let the boys, even Darry and TwoBit, sit in her classroom while the rest of the kids went to the gym.
“I saw him going with his parents, and Coach Haines said he was expelled!” Soda exclaimed, still bursting with excitement.
The boys all cheered. Miss Harrow chuckled as she watched them dance around the room, celebrating.

~

“So that’s that sorted out,” Principal Burrows began. Mrs. C and Dallas were sitting opposite him in his office. “However, we still need to cover today’s incidents,” he said, raising his eyebrows.
“Can’t you just let me off with a warning?” Dally tried.
“A warning. Dallas, you covered half the first-floor corridor in paint and had a massive fight,” Principal Burrows said.
“Yeah, I won’t do it again,” Dallas said with a smirk.
“Uh, you watch your manners, mister. You’re in big trouble; it’s not a joke,” Mrs. C reprimanded him.
“I am willing to let the fight slide, considering the circumstances. But the paint bomb could have led to injuries and put people at risk, so I can’t let that go unpunished,” Principal Burrows explained.
Mrs. C nodded.
“I have no choice but to suspend you,” Principal Burrows sighed.
Dallas saw the disappointment wash across Mrs. C’s face and he shifted in his seat, guilty.
“This is going to be the last time I have to do that, isn’t it?” Principal Burrows said, raising his eyebrows.
Dallas nodded miserably.
“Good boy,” Principal Burrows said, smiling at him. “However, I do have some other news. Coach Haines would like you and Tim Shepard to be on the baseball team this year,” he announced.
Dallas’ head shot up, and he couldn’t hide the delight on his face.

“Really?” Dallas asked.
“Yes. Although there are some conditions—no more skipping class, and definitely no more paint bombs— And you two have got to show some discipline; if you can’t behave in practices or at matches, then you can’t be on the team,” Principal Burrows explained.
“No, we’ll be good,” Dally promised, eyes wide with excitement.
Mrs. C couldn’t help but smile at this rare enthusiasm, despite the trouble he was in.
"Okay, then you got that to look forward to when you get back from suspension. You’ll be 6 by then, no?” Principal Burrows asked.
“Yeah,” Dally said shyly.
"Well, how about the 6-year-old Dallas shows us how good he can really be? Make it the best year yet, deal?” Principal Burrows proposed.
“Deal,” Dally agreed.

~

“So I don’t get to do anything?” Pony whined.
"Nah, sorry Pony, we already got payback,” Soda explained.
Pony pouted, crossing his arms and legs and glaring at them.
“I mean, you could help us with something else,” TwoBit said, with a wicked smile spread across his face. Steve and Soda looked at him, confused.

~

Mrs. Curtis was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables in preparation for dinner. Dallas was sitting in one of the corners; it was meant to be a punishment for being suspended, but she was going soft on him, letting him just sit and chat with her. Mrs. C could tell he was enjoying it, even if he was missing out on playing with his brothers.
“Can we have chocolate cake for dessert?” Dallas asked.
"You're going to help me make it?” Mrs. C said, looking over at him.
“I don’t want to make it; I just want to eat it,” Dallas grinned at her.
Mrs. C rolled her eyes.
“I’ll get dinner on, and if I have enough time, I’ll make a cake,” she told him.
Dallas smiled, then he looked up at the clock; it was nearly 5.
“Is Mr. C going to be mad at me?” He asked as casually as he could.
“I thought you didn’t care about getting in trouble,” Mrs. C countered, stirring the pot with a slight smile on her face.
“Nah…nah, I don’t,” Dallas stuttered.
“I’m sure he’ll just want to have a talk with you,” she said, turning to look at him. “And you’re grounded with no TV and dessert while you’re suspended, but that’s all. And I am still proud of the way you handled things this week, honey. Well,  apart from the paint bomb, you really made me so proud when everyone was turning against you; you showed real maturity,” Mrs. C explained.

~

Darry was sitting and reading his book on the back porch. He still had a smile on his face from the triumphs of that day. He was just on the verge of finishing the last page when...
SPLASH
A cascade of water fell down on him. He looked up and saw Pony, Steve, TwoBit, and Soda hanging out the window above, all cackling.
“That’s payback!” Pony yelled.
“For what?” Darry asked, standing up and dripping everywhere.
“For not letting me do payback,” Pony told him.
Darry couldn’t help but grin.
"Ah, but now it’s my turn for payback,” Darry smirked at him. Pony's smile vanished.
“Just kidding, little buddy,” Darry grinned at him.

~

The front door opened, and Mr. C stepped in.
“Okay, I was just at the DX, and Charlie’s son told me about some paint bomb at the boys’ school today,” Mr. C asked, wandering into the kitchen.
“Yep, we have the demolition expert right here,” Mrs. C said, pointing to Dallas sitting on the floor in the corner.
Mr. C looked between his wife and Dallas’ guilty face and then sat down on the kitchen chair.
“Okay, start talking.” Mr. C sighed, looking at Dallas.
A father’s love needs to be boundless, mainly because kids tend to go out of bounds and break the rules. Parental love is infinite, yet so are the possibilities of trouble for their children, surrogate or otherwise!

Chapter Text

With Mrs. Curtis and Mrs Matthews at a friend’s wedding, Mr. Curtis had all the boys to himself for the weekend. Now it was rare for the boys to get to go to the city centre; it was very hard to manage them in such a busy place. However, having been woken up by seven boys jumping on his bed at 6:30 a.m., Mr. C had run out of ideas and decided it would hopefully tire them out enough that at least the evening would be easier. So he got all the boys in their jackets and shoes and loaded them into the car.

Darry was very smug as he was getting to sit in the front seat, much to the dismay of the rest of the boys.
“Silence in the car!” Mr. Curtis shouted over the whining and moaning from the backseats of the station wagon. “Children may not sit upfront until their tenth birthday,” Mr. C said.
He didn’t know if it was true, but he wanted a reason the boys couldn’t argue with.

~

The drive went well. For once, he didn’t have to pull over to break up a fight. It was when Mr. C was helping all the boys out of the car that he realised he had a problem. He would only be able to hold two kids’ hands, meaning there would be five kids on the loose at all times.

“Darry, can you hold Pony’s hand for me?” He asked, "Johnny, are you okay holding Darry’s hand?” Mr. C added, turning to Johnny.
Johnny nodded.
“Okay, but if you need to hold my hand, just let me know,” Mr. C assured him, ruffling his hair. “Now Dallas and TwoBit come here,” Mr. C said.
"Uhhh, come on,” TwoBit sighed.
“I ain’t holding your hand!” Dally protested.
“I just want to talk to you. Now move it, or you will be holding my hand,” Mr. C said firmly.
The boys came over to him begrudgingly, and he crouched down to talk to them.
“Now I am warning you both. If I find that you two take anything from the stores that I don’t pay for, there are going to be serious consequences!” He told them sternly.
“So we can take stuff as long as you don’t find it!” TwoBit quipped, laughing at his own joke.
Mr. C did not see the funny side.
“Do you understand?” He asked, glaring at TwoBit.
“Yeah,” TwoBit agreed, stopping his laughter.
Dallas nodded.
"Okay, good,” Mr. C said, standing back up. “Steve and Sodapop, come here, please,” Mr. Curtis called, holding out his hands.
They whined for a minute, but Steve and Soda did eventually hold Mr. C’s hands.

~

“Daddy, can I get a book?” Pony asked.
“Of course, honey, remember everyone gets to pick one thing each,” he said to the boys.
Mr. C was practically being torn in half, with Soda and Steve pulling him in all directions.
“Boys, why don’t we go to the bookshop for Pony, and then we can pick somewhere else after?” he suggested.
“I don’t like books.” TwoBit began with a groan, but then his eyes caught sight of the candy store, and he looked at Mr. C mischievously.
“No!” Mr. C ordered, reading Twobit’s mind, but it was too late; he’d disappeared into the crowd.
Soda and Steve practically dragging Mr. C after him.
“Candy! Candy!” They chanted.
Out of the corner of his eye, Mr. C saw Dallas try to sneak off in the other direction, so he released Soda to grab on to him.
"No, you don’t, mister. We’re staying together,” Mr. C told him firmly, keeping a grip on his jacket.
But when Mr. C looked around, he caught a glimpse of Soda disappearing into the crowd after TwoBit.
“Okay, I guess we are going to the candy store,” Mr. C sighed, leading the others off after Soda.

~

“Keith Matthews and Sodapop Curtis, come here now!” Mr. Curtis ordered once they got into the store.
He released Steve and Dallas, and the boys all scrambled down the different aisles of sweets and candies, eyes wide.
Soda and TwoBit emerged from behind a display.
“You do not run off! Now you’ve got the privilege of holding on to my hand for the rest of the day,” Mr. C told them.
They didn’t care; they were in candy heaven.

“Mr. C, can I get this?” Steve asked, bringing over a packet of candy.
"Remember, boys, you only get to buy one thing under $3 for the whole of today. Don’t you want to save it for the toy store?” He asked them.
“No, I want candy!” Soda beamed, jumping up and down happily.
“We could have just gone to the DX if you’re all just going to buy candy,” Mr. C sighed. “Okay, if that’s your choice. You got up to $3 to spend on candy then,” Mr. C gave in, which resulted in cheers from the boys, all but one: Ponyboy.

~

Pony had walked around the candy store with Johnny, but he wasn’t all that interested; he still wanted a book.
“Johnny, will you come to the bookstore with me?” Pony asked, looking longingly back out into the mall.
“Umm, I think we have to wait for Mr. C,” Johnny said.
“But they’ll be ages,” Pony sighed. “I really want my book, and the others won’t come to the bookstore, so then we’ll have to go home, and I won’t get it,” Pony said sadly.
Johnny hesitated. He looked over at Mr. C, who had his hands full, chasing Steve and Soda up and down the aisles and trying to stop TwoBit from opening the packets and eating things.
"Well, we will have to be quick,” Johnny said.
Pony smiled and took Johnny’s hand, and they went back out into the crowded mall.

~

“Do not open them; I haven’t paid for them yet!” Mr. Curtis told Steve, "Right, is that everyone’s, Darry?” He asked.
Darry put on the counter a big bar of chocolate among the younger boys brightly coloured packets of candy. Mr. Curtis had barely put the money in the cashier’s hand, and the boys were scrambling to grab their packets.
“Alright, alright. You animals,” Mr. C said, herding them away from the checkout. “Now TwoBit and Soda, come hold my hands,” he said.
“But I can’t eat candy one handed!” Soda complained.
“Johnny, Pony, hold Darry’s hand, please,” Mr. C said, looking around the group. “Hang on, where’ve those two gone?” He wondered.
Mr. Curtis scanned the store quickly; the boys weren’t there.

~

“Which way is the bookstore?” Johnny asked Pony nervously, dodging the busy shoppers.
“I don’t know,” Pony sighed. “I thought it was just over here,” he said sadly, his bottom lip sticking out slightly.
“It’s okay, we’ll just go back to the candy store,” Johnny suggested.
He tried to sound brave for Pony, but his voice was shaking all over the place.
“I was trying to, but I don’t know where that is either!” Pony said, his lips wobbling and his eyes filling with tears.
“It’s okay, Pony,” Johnny assured, despite the fact that his own eyes were also filling with tears.
They took each other’s shaking hands.
“Will we have to live here now?” Pony asked Johnny.
“I don’t know, maybe. I’m sure Mr. C will find us,” Johnny replied as confidently as he could.
“What if he never finds us?” Pony worried, tears leaking from his eyes.
Johnny’s blood ran cold. What if they never found them? He had already lost one family; he couldn’t lose another, especially this one.

“You boys, okay?” A security guard called to them.
Johnny was frozen; he couldn’t get any words out and just stood petrified to the spot.
“We’re lost!” Pony burst out, tears pouring down his cheeks.
“Hey, it’s okay,” the security guard said kindly, crouching down in front of them. “Who’ve you lost?” He asked.
“Daddy!” Pony sobbed.
“Where was he?” The man asked.
“In the candy store,” Pony told him.
Johnny stayed silent; the only two adults he trusted were not here, so he stayed silent as Pony talked to the man.

~

Darry held tight to Dally and Steve as he followed hurriedly after Mr. C as he searched.
“Let me go find him!” Dallas growled.
“No! We don’t need anyone else getting lost!” Darry said firmly, and he wasn’t backing down, not even for Dally; he should have been looking out for Johnny and Pony, and now he was going to make sure they didn’t lose anyone else.

Mr. C scanned all the faces in the crowd as best he could. Where were they? Where would Pony go? And then he thought of it—the bookstore, of course!

They set off in the direction of the bookstore, and sure enough, about half way there, they came across Pony and Johnny with a security guard.
“Daddy!” Pony cried, running over to him as soon as he saw him.
Mr. C scooped him up.
"Oh, thank God you’re okay. I was so worried!” He said, holding Pony as tight as he could.

Mr. Curtis opened his eyes and saw Johnny still glued to the same spot.
Dallas ran past him and towards Johnny, and it wasn’t until Dallas said Johnny’s name that he blinked. Relief washed over Johnny’s face as he looked around and saw his brothers and Mr. C, and then he just burst into tears.

Mr. C ran over, dropping to his knees instantly. He put Pony beside him, reached out, and embraced Johnny tightly.
“It’s okay; it’s okay. You’re okay; I’ve got you. You’re safe,” Mr. C reassured him as he rocked him gently.
The other boys gathered around Pony and comforted him, apart from Dallas, who stood behind Johnny, patting his back here and there.

“I thought I wasn’t going to see you again, and I’d be on my own forever,” Johnny cried into Mr. C's shoulder.
Mr. C stood up and rubbed circles on Johnny’s back.
“Shhhh, it’s okay. I’ll always find you, buddy; you can never lose me, even if you wanted to,” Mr. C told him as he stroked his hair gently.

Once Johnny had calmed down enough, Mr. C bent down and lifted Pony into his other arm.
“Come on, boys, that’s enough excitement for one day,” Mr. C said, leading them off back to the car.

This time Johnny got to sit in the front; no one protested, and Mr. C gave his hand a squeeze every time they came to a stop.
“You’re okay, kiddo,” he assured Johnny, who was still sniffling softly.

~

“Why don’t you all go and play? I’ll sit with Johnny and Pony on the couch, and we can watch a movie or something,” Mr. C suggested, carrying Johnny over.
He sat down with Johnny on his lap, and Pony climbed up and buried himself in his side. Johnny had finally stopped sniffling, and Mr. C made sure to hold tight to his hand and give it a squeeze every few minutes to let him know he was there.

“Umm, Johnny?” Dallas said, unsurely, from the door to the living room.
“What’s up, trouble?” Mr. C smiled over to him.
“We got something for Johnny,” Dallas said. “And Pony,” he added, when Pony looked at him accusingly.
“You want to go and see what it is?” Mr. C asked Johnny.
Johnny nodded and climbed down from Mr. C’s lap. He waited and held out a hand, and Mr. C took it gladly, and they walked down the hall together.

The boys were all waiting in Pony and Johnny’s room.
"Awww, you guys,” Mr. C beamed when he saw what was laid out on the bed: the candy from the mall the boys had been so desperate for.
“Is that all for us?” Pony gasped.
The boys nodded.
Johnny and Pony smiled at each other and climbed onto the bed. Mr. C looked at Johnny’s face; the color was returning, and as he watched Johnny stuff three sweets in his mouth, he knew the kid was alright.

Chapter Text

After the last few weeks, Miss Harrow was looking forward to today, well, kind of. She and Coach Haines were taking her class on a field trip to the farm. In the weeks leading up to it, she had been dreading the Harvey and Dallas combo, but now she no longer had to worry about it, and the class was a much happier place.

Although looking at the playground and seeing Steve and Soda charging back and forth, she knew today was going to be anything but easy. Coach Haines arrived and walked over to her.
“Everyone here? “He asked.
“I think so; maybe we should try and leave those two behind,” she laughed, pointing at Steve and Soda, who were running around pretending to be horses.

The bus hadn’t even left the street before it started to kick off.
“Miss, Soda keeps throwing things at my head!” Cherry shouted down the bus.
“Sodapop, if you throw anymore things at people, you will be in detention tomorrow!” Miss Harrow warned.
“Miss, Soda told Steve to throw things at my head!” Cherry’s friend Marcia complained.
“Steven, you too!” She shouted.
A few moments passed.
“Miss, Soda is throwing things out the window!” Another girl yelled.
“She didn’t say I couldn’t throw things out the window.” Soda protested.
"Boys, you see this,” Miss Harrow said, holding up a clipboard with paper attached to it. “Today this is my whiteboard. Just because we are not in school does not mean you can’t get your names on the board,” she explained.
“That’s cheating!” Sodapop exclaimed.
“I wasn’t even throwing things that time!” Steve protested.
"Boys, come sit down the front with me!” Coach Haines called.
Soda let out a groan.
“I’m not going to tell you off. I’m just stopping you from getting yourselves into more trouble,” Mr. Haines explained with a smirk.

A little while later, the bus was much calmer.
"Okay, Soda, how about T?” Mr. Haines asked, smiling.
“Nope!” Sodapop grinned, drawing another line on their game of hangman.
“Come on, Steve, we need to figure this out,” Mr. Haines said, looking at Steve on the other side of Soda.
“P?” Steve asked.
“Yes!” Sodapop exclaimed, adding it in; the last word in the hangman now reading "PEE.”.
He burst out laughing as he wrote it in.
"Oh, I know what it says,” Mr. Haines sighed, smiling. “I need a pee,” he said, smiling as Sodapop giggled hysterically. “Very funny! Come on, Johnny, your turn,” Mr. Haines said, passing the paper over to Dally and Johnny.

Miss Harrow looked around the school bus. It was bustling with kids chattering, but it wasn’t out of hand; everyone was behaving themselves. She was extremely thankful for Coach Haines; he seemed to be very good at handling the boys; he’d kept them quiet for the last half hour, and that was a near impossible task.

~

The bus pulled into the farm after a very successful drive. The kids filed out and assembled outside; two farmers were there waiting.
“Hello everyone, we’re very excited to have you all here today,” the female farmer began.
“Boys!” Miss Harrow called as Sodapop and Steve immediately started playfighting, not listening to what was being said.
Mr. Haines walked over to them.
"Ayyy, hangman, gang back together!” Soda joked.
“Shhhh,” Coach said with a slight grin.
He turned them both to face the front. “Listen to the man,” he told them, standing behind them.

After the explanation from the farmer, Miss Harrow divided the class into two groups: one to go spend the morning on the farm and the other to spend the morning in the stables.
“Put them in my group; I’ll keep them on track,” Mr. Haines told Miss Harrow as she hesitated over where to put the boys.
“I was going to split them up.” She replied.
"No, I think it’s best they stay together. Johnny will get shy if he’s with kids he doesn’t know, and Dallas will probably find some new enemies or something.” He said.
"Well, I don’t envy you the task of handling them together.” Miss Harrow told him.
“They’re alright,” Mr. Haines smiled. “Boys! Steve, off that wall, please! You’re in my group,” he called out to them.
“But I want to go to the stables!” Dallas argued, pointing at the other group—the stable group.
“You’ll get to swap over after lunch,” Miss Harrow told him.
“But I don’t care about stupid cows!” Dallas said, kicking at the grass as he stomped over.
“Have a nice time!” Miss Harrow grinned at Mr. Haines, looking at the scowling Dallas.
He returned a sarcastic smile as she walked away.
"Dallas, do you want to know a little secret?” He asked, crouching down.
“You’re a spy?” Soda suggested.
“Sodapop, what are you on about?” He sighed before turning back to Dallas. “We have more time after lunch than in the morning, so our group will get longer in the stables than the morning group,” Mr. Haines explained.
Dallas’ face brightened slightly. He did his best to disguise his pleasure, but he gave Mr. Haines a nod and followed him back over to the rest of the group.

They made their way to the barn, where a farmer called William started to show them around.
“Hey Dallas, this one looks like you!” Mr. Haines joked, pointing at a cow.
Dallas rolled his eyes but did flash a brief smile.
The kids all sat down on hay bails, and William stood up front and started to talk them through the jobs farmers have to do.
“Hi Mom!” Sodapop called over to a big pig, making everyone giggle.
“Shhhh,” Mr. Haines said, but he could not help smiling. He decided to sit down next to them where he could keep an eye on them.
“Now who knows what you call baby pigs?” He asked the class.
“Tim Shepard,” Steve called out, making himself laugh and the other boys snicker.
“Boys, stay focused,” Mr. Haines said quietly, leaning forward to look at them.
The boys did settle down, and they actually started to really engage. When William asked for volunteers to collect the eggs from the chicken coop, their hands were straight up.
“Amy, Johnny, Minnie, okay, you too, then Soda,” William said, picking kids.
They made their way into the coop while the rest of the class looked on.
“Has anyone got any questions?” William asked as the volunteers placed eggs in the basket he was holding.
Dallas’ hand shot straight up, much to the surprise of Coach Haines.
"Why, when you open the egg, isn’t there a baby chicken inside?” Dallas asked.
“Very good question, Dallas,” William praised. Dally blushed slightly. "Well, you see, because these eggs aren’t fertilised, eggs can’t turn into baby chickens unless a male chicken, called a rooster, fertilises the egg,” William explained. “Very good job, Johnny,” he added as Johnny placed some eggs carefully in the basket.

~

Once the kids in the chicken coop had finished collecting all the eggs, they started to climb out and head back to the hay bales. Mr. Haines watched as Soda ran over to Dallas and whispered something in his ear, and before Mr. Haines could do anything, Soda took the hidden egg from his pocket and smashed it straight on Steve’s head.

Mr. Haines sent Soda to sit in a corner of the barn while the rest of the children began to feed the animals and while he tried to get Steve cleaned up.
“Sodapop, turn around,” he ordered, not unkindly, just with enough firmness for Soda to listen.

Once he had gotten as much shell and egg off Steve as he could, he sent him off to join the rest of the class. However, Steve took a detour and dumped a handfuls of hay on top of Soda. Coach Haines chuckled.
“Steve, come back here,” he said, “Now do you boys want to feed some animals or do you need to stay in timeout as you can’t behave?” Mr. Haines asked them, looking back and forth between them.
“Feed the animals!” Soda exclaimed, jumping up.
“Okay then,” Coach Haines said as he picked up his clipboard, drew a sad face, and wrote both their names underneath. He turned it around to face them.
“I don’t want to have to add any crosses, okay?” He said and the boys nodded.

~

Over the next hour before lunch, the boys were some of the star students. Coach Haines was beyond impressed. William got Johnny to demonstrate to the class how to feed a lamb, as he was so good at it, and for once, Johnny wasn’t nervous at all; in fact, he was quite happy to answer the class's questions about how to do it. Anytime their attention started to fade, Mr. Haines just redirected their focus, and they settled right down and stayed engaged. Farmer William even came over to say how impressed he was with them.
"Boys, do you want to try some milking?” Mr. Haines called out.
Soda and Steve ran over excitedly.
The boys couldn’t stop giggling as they milked the cow. Sodapop even aimed the udder at Mr. Haines and squeezed spurting milk all over him, which they found absolutely hilarious.
“Okay okay. Enough milking for you,” Mr. Haines said, wiping his face and ushering Steve and Soda away from the cow.

The rest of the morning went well, and Miss Harrow was surprised when she saw Mr. Haines coming over to join them in the picnic area—even more surprised by a smiling Dallas following behind him.
"Well, you look like you’ve had a pleasant morning?” She asked, raising her eyebrows as Coach Haines sat opposite her on the picnic table.
“It’s been really good, actually. They’ve been brilliant,” he said, pointing at the boys.
“I thought they’d have you tearing your hair out by now. I don’t think I’m going to have much hair left by the summer.” She said.
“No, it’s like I’ve always said they’re good boys. All of them, that whole group—even Tim Shepard—just need extra guidance and attention.” Coach Haines told her.
“Dallas and Steve just threw Cherry’s sandwiches in a tree,” Miss Harrow said, looking over his shoulder.
Coach Haines turned around.
“Dallas! Steve! It would be a shame if you couldn’t be trusted to go to the stables,” he called sternly.
“No!” Dallas exclaimed, shoving Cherry’s lunch back at her.
“Sit down!” Mr. Haines ordered, and the boys obeyed.
Cherry pulled a face at Dallas, which he returned, before she marched off back to her friends. She had finally managed to join the friendship group of the girls in the class.

"Well, I have to say I’m impressed.” Miss Harrow said.
"Look, they’re never going to be perfect; they’re the type of boys who are always going to get into scrapes here and there, but I think it’s our job to do our best to try and keep them on the right path. It’s not fair the way some of the staff write kids like that off and then wonder why they go off the rails.” Coach Haines said, voice full of passion.
“I agree, but someone like Tim Shepard, who only last month put a chair through my classroom window,” Miss Harrow began.
“Someone like Tim Shepard has never had any proper parental love or guidance. It’s our job to fill in that gap and make it up as much as we can before he leaves or, you know, gets expelled. If after our best effort he still goes down the wrong path, then at least we did all we could; anything less than that is a failure in my opinion,” Coach Haines added.
“That’s very admirable, Coach. I just hope you feel the same when they’re swearing at you and shouting.” She said.
“That’s when I feel it most,” Coach replied, standing up and gathering his group.

~

In the stables, the class was full of questions. Well, all of the questions were coming from Soda and Dallas. William and Coach Haines smile at their enthusiasm. It was extremely rare that you got to see Dallas chattering excitedly like a normal 6-year-old, and it was nice to see Johnny doing the same.

“We have 12 horses in these stables. Now the other group has already sorted half of them, but we’ve got to do the rest. Dallas, do you want to be my helper for this bit?” Farmer William asked.
Dally nodded and joined William beside a lovely brown horse.
“We’re going to start off by giving her a coat and a nice brush. Come here, Dallas,” William said.
He gave Dallas the brush and directed his hand to shove him the movements, and then Dallas took over the grooming all by himself.
“Very good!” William praised, and Dallas beamed.
The rest of the group split off to do the other horses.
“Come on, Steve, me, you, and Johnny will do one,” Coach Haines called as Steve started throwing bits of carrot at people, bored because Soda was busy with Farmer Williams, feeding the already groomed horses.
"Hi, Principal Burrows!” Steve said as they reached their horse.
Coach Haines did his best to disguise a chuckle. They set to work brushing its coat.

Meanwhile, Dallas was already on the next stage, leading the horse out into the paddocks.
"Dallas, that’s outstanding!” William said, slightly taken aback at the ease with which the six-year-old managed to lead the horse outside.
“Farmer William, our horse won’t move!” Cherry’s group called.
“I’ll help!” Dallas said, wandering over to them.
And once again, as soon as he’d taken the reigns, the stubborn horse walked obediently outside.
“Good boy, Dallas!” Coach Haines called.
“Can you do ours now, Dallas?” Another group called.
“Yeah,” Dally shrugged, grinning.
He ended up leading all of the horses out to the paddock as the class cheered him on.

“Now is anyone brave enough to have a little ride on the horses? I’ll lead them around slowly so it won’t be fast,” William asked the group.
The class looked very hesitant.
“Dallas?” Coach Haines asked.
Dally nodded.
“Can I do it too?” Soda asked.
"Yeah, there’s room for both of them,” William said.
Coach Haines lifted both Dallas and Soda up onto the saddle and made sure they were safely holding on.
William led them around the paddock; Dally grinned widely; and Soda let out whoops of joy.

~

Soon it was time to go home, and everyone was gathered around the bus.
“It has been a pleasure to have you all here; we hope you enjoyed yourselves,” one of the farmers said.
“Now we have one last thing to do. Dallas, can you come up to the front, please?” William asked.
Dallas looked slightly confused, putting on his usual frown for when he was in trouble as he clambered over people to stand beside William.

“We would like to present you with a Junior Farmer certificate for Outstanding Effort,” William said, handing the award over to Dallas.
Dallas couldn’t help but grin as he saw his name written on a certificate; usually, it was written on referral forms or detention sheets.
“Now that is extremely well deserved,” Mr. Haines said.
“What about me? Did I get one?” Sodapop asked.
“I’m happy to send home a note. Dear Mrs. Curtis, not only did Soda smash an egg on Steve’s head,“ Mr. Haines began, smirking.
"Nah, nah, I’m okay,” Soda said hurriedly.
“I reckon you have earned a sticker though,” Mr. Haines said, placing one on Sodapop’s shirt and then one on Johnny's, and then he hesitated but did also put one on Steve’s with a wink.

The drive back to school was a lot quieter; most of the kids were worn out. Although he denied it, Dallas definitely nodded off for a bit. Mrs. Curtis was waiting with the other parents in the playground. The boys came racing over.
“Mom, look, I got a sticker!” Soda said as he was running over to his mom.
“Oh sweetie! Well done!” Mrs. Curtis praised him, scooping him up, "Oh, and Johnny, you got one too, and Steve!” She exclaimed, embracing those two as well.
“Did you have a good time?” Mrs. Curtis asked Dally, crouching down.
He nodded and then shyly held out the certificate.
“Oh no, what’s it this time?” She sighed, taking it from him frowning.
But as she read it her expression changed, a moisture pooled in the corner of her eyes as a smile spread across her face.
“Look at me honey,” She said to Dallas, he did, “I am so so proud of you!” She told him, he blushed but leaned in for a hug.
She held him tight, after the last few weeks to hold that certificate in her hands, her heart could have burst with pride.

Chapter Text

Mrs. Curtis had just sat down in the armchair and opened her book when she heard the familiar sound of fighting in the backyard. Within seconds, the back door slammed open, and a crying Ponyboy came running over.
“Steven!” Mrs. Curtis shouted; she lifted Pony up and rubbed his back as she carried him out to the back porch.

Steve was strolling around the grass, scowling. Mrs. C raised her eyebrows and glared at him.
“What happened?” She demanded.
“He took my car and then threw me on the ground,” Pony sobbed, lifting his head up from her shoulder.
“No I didn’t!” Steve shouted.
“Uh,” Mrs C held up her finger to silence him, “I can’t talk to you if you’re gonna shout,” she said calmly.

Mrs. C looked around the rest of the backyard. Dally and Johnny were playing happily in the far corner.
“Boys, did you see what happened?” She called to them.
Dally and Johnny shook their heads.

Mrs. Curtis sighed and put Ponyboy down on the ground. He started crying louder and held his arms up as he followed her down the porch steps.
“Pony, no whining. You’re not a baby,” Mrs. C said calmly, not rising to the toddler’s clingy dramatics. “Steve, come tell me what happened, then,” she called, seeing that he was now looking calmer.

“He took my car, and when I went to get it off him, he wouldn’t give it back, so I pushed him,” Steve told her.
“That true?” She asked Pony, who was snuggled against her on the steps.
“No, it was my car!” Pony shot back.
“It’s mine!” Steve growled, holding up the car—the same one Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had got him for Christmas.
“Pony, that’s Steve’s car,” Mrs. C said.
Pony shook his head.
“I wanna play with it,” he whined.
“Did you tell Steve that, or did you just run over and take it?” Mrs. C asked, raising her eyebrows.
Pony looked at the floor guiltily.
“You don’t take something without asking, even if you want to play with it.” She told Pony firmly, “And you, mister,” she continued, turning to Steve. “You don’t push people; you come and tell me if he does something, okay?” She explained sternly.
They both nodded.
“Now play nicely. Why don’t you play together? Soda and Darry won’t be back for another half an hour or so,” Mrs. C suggested.
She stood up and headed back to the armchair, knowing it probably wouldn’t be long before she was called on again.

~

Steve and Pony knelt down in the grass; they had some other cars and were attempting to play together. It was a rare experience for them both.
“No! That one goes there!” Steve yelled at Pony. “Stupid Ponygirl,” Steve muttered.
“Hey!” Pony said, crashing his car purposefully into Steve’s.
“Hey!” Steve yelled, slamming his car back into Pony's.
Pony started laughing.
Steve couldn’t help but crack a smile at the three-year-old’s hysterical laughter as Pony rammed his car back into Steve’s.

~

Mrs. Curtis reached the end of the chapter. She sat and listened to the sounds coming from the backyard. It was quiet. She got up and headed to the window. Dally and Johnny were still in one corner of the grass, playing quietly together, but strangely, in the other corner, so were Pony and Steve. Oh, maybe there weren't. Pony looks like he’s crying. She was just about to open the porch door and march out there to tell Steve off when she realised Pony wasn’t crying; he was laughing.

After the moment of shock passed, she smiled and headed back to her reading, taking advantage of the peace while she could.

~

"Hey, can we play?” Dally asked, wandering over with Johnny.
Steve and Pony shuffled over, and Johnny and Dallas sat down. Steve handed Dallas and Johnny a car each, and Pony immediately rammed his into Dally and burst out laughing.
“Hey! You idiot!” Dally exclaimed, nudging Pony slightly in the arm.
"Dally, that’s the point of the game, and don’t push him,” Steve said.
Dally scowled slightly.
“Stupid Ponygirl,” Dallas muttered.
“Hey, only I can call him that,” Steve shouted.
“Yeah, only Steve can call me that!” Pony told Dally.
Steve grinned and winked at Pony, who attempted to wink back at him but just ended up blinking for about a minute before he gave up and instead slammed his car back into Dallas and burst out laughing once more.

Chapter Text

 “I don’t want to do homework!” Soda whined as Mrs. Curtis led him over to the dining table.
Steve and Johnny were already sitting there, working quietly, and Dally had done his during the day on suspension.

“How come Darry doesn’t have to do homework??” Soda argued.
“Darry is older than you; I can trust him to do his homework on his own,” Mrs. C told him, physically putting him on the chair this time.
Soda frowned. It was so unfair that his brother didn’t have to go through this every night, being forced to do homework and not being allowed down to play until you were finished.

“Hey,” Darry said, strolling into the kitchen.
Soda glared at him, wandering around freely.
“Hey honey, I didn’t make anything specific for dessert tonight, so just help yourself,” Mrs. Curtis called to him.
Soda furrowed his brow further; his mom would never let any of the other boys just help themselves, but no sensible ‘older than you’ Darry gets special treatment.
“Sodapop, that pencil ain’t going to pick itself up,” Mrs. C said sternly.

~

Later that evening, most of the boys were out playing in the backyard. Mr. Curtis emerged from taking Ponyboy to bed and stood on the back porch.
“Steve, Soda, Johnny, inside please,” he called.
“How come Darry gets to stay out?” Steve protested.
“Because he is older than you boys. Just like you got to stay out later than Pony, he gets to play later than you,” Mr. C explained. “Come on, bedtime,” he said, clapping his hands.
“But we’re not tired!” Steve yelled.
“You sound pretty overtired to me, little buddy,” Mr. C chuckled.

The younger boys all stomped inside, looking furiously at Darry as he continued to throw the football around.
“Not fair,” Soda mumbled.
“No, not fair,” Steve agreed.
Then they shared a look—a look that meant Darry should be very worried.

~

“But why?” Johnny whispered.
“Because he always gets to do everything we don't, and it’s not fair,” Soda hissed.
The boys were all huddled on Johnny and Pony’s bed, having a meeting under the covers by torchlight.
“But that’s just because he’s big; Momma says I get to do all those things when I get big,” Pony said.
“Shhhhh,” the boys all hushed him; Pony still hadn’t quite figured out the art of whispering.

They heard footsteps, and they all held their breath, the door creaked open.
"What are you guys doing?” Dally whispered, wandering over.
They all breathed a sigh of relief and made room for him on the bed.
“We’re going to take down Darry,” Steve said.
“Cool!” Dally smirked.
“But I don’t want to hurt him,” Johnny said nervously.
"No, we are not going to hurt him; we just want to be the older ones,” Soda said.
"How are you going to do that then, time travel?” Dally pointed out.
“No, we just make us the ones in charge of him,” Steve told him.
“You in, Johnny?” Soda asked.
“We’re not going to hurt him.” Johnny asked, and Soda shook his head. “Okay, I’m in,” Johnny agreed.
"Pony, are you in?” Soda demanded.
“I don’t know. I quite like Darry; can’t we take down Steve?” Pony suggested.
“I’ll take you down, kid,” Steve threatened, thumping him.
“Owww!” Pony exclaimed.
“Shhhh!” Everyone hissed.
“Boys! What’s going on in there?” Mrs. Curtis called; they heard her footsteps, and they all hurried to turn the torch off.

Mrs. Curtis opened the door to find all five boys, all lying eyes shut on Pony and Johnny’s beds.
“Yeah, pretending to be asleep isn’t going to work. Pony, you’ve got one eye open for Christ's sake,” she said, turning the light on.
“Good morning, Mom!” Soda said with a fake yawn, which the rest of the boys followed with fake stretching and yawning.
“Alright, enough theatrics. Bed, all of you,” she ordered.
Steve and Dallas climbed off the bed.
“You in?” Soda hissed at Pony.
“Sodapop, let’s go,” Mrs. C called over.
Pony nodded. Soda grinned and hopped down, running off happily to his bedroom.

~

Darry sat alone at the dining room table the next morning. Where the hell was everyone? He shrugged and decided to go and get some cereal, but when he opened the cupboard, it was empty, as was the next cupboard. In fact, the only food left in the entire kitchen was fruit and vegetables.

“You want some cereal?” A voice asked him.
Darry turned. Pony stood in the kitchen doorway with a nervous smirk on his face.
“Where is it?” Darry asked suspiciously.
“I can’t tell you that. But if you get some money, we might be able to get you some food,” Pony explained.
Darry raised his eyebrows. Surely Ponyboy wasn’t the front of this operation.

Darry marched forward quickly and peered over Pony’s shoulder. Sure enough, the other boys were all standing there, urging him on.
“Alright, what’s going on?” Darry asked, coming out into the living room.
“You’ve been running this place for too long; we’re taking over!” Soda declared.
“Yeah! Down with Darry!” Steve cheered.
“Down with Darry!” Pony echoed, and the boys erupted into chants of “Down with Darry! Down with Darry!”
“Alright! Alright!” Darry yelled over them, finally hushing them down. “Where did you put the food?” Darry asked, patience dwindling and hunger growing.
“We won’t tell you,” Dally said with a smirk.
“You have to buy it from us.” Steve grinned.
"Oh, you’re all in charge now, are you?” Darry said sarcastically.
The boys nodded.
“Even you, Johnnycakes?” Darry asked, turning to Johnny.
“Down with Darry,” Johnny mumbled, getting a cheer from the other boys.

“Okay, I’ll go ask Mom and Dad to buy me some food from you, ‘the leaders of the house',” Darry said with a smirk, heading down the hall.
The boys looked horrified; maybe they hadn’t quite thought this through. By fixating on Darry as the leader, they’d forgotten about the real bosses of this house. The ones Darry was talking to right now!

“Boys! Get in here now!” Mrs. Curtis yelled from the bedroom.
Their revolutionary spirit evaporated instantly as they looked around at each other, because no one, not even Dallas Winston, wanted to take on Mrs. Curtis. Hell, a whole country would struggle to take her down.

~

When Mrs. Matthews and TwoBit arrived 15 minutes later, they were quite bemused by the scene that greeted them. Darry was at the dining table, happily eating a very large bowl of cereal, and Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were in the kitchen, seeming to be putting food back into the bare cupboard as the other boys brought it to them from various trips around the house.

They watched as Soda brought in three packets of cookies covered in soot.
“Where was that?” Mr. C sighed.
“Up the fireplace,” Soda told him matter-of-factly.
“Of course,” Mr. C scoffed, shaking his head.

“What did we miss?” Mrs. Matthews asked, coming into the kitchen.
"Oh, there was a mutiny and an uprising, or, as we like to call it, a Saturday,” Mrs. C told her.

Chapter Text

It was a lovely sunny Sunday morning; the birds were chirping, the temperature was just right, and in the Curtis house, all hell was breaking loose.

Mrs. Curtis’ parents were coming to visit, so she and Mr. Curtis were trying to make the boys look presentable, which was easier said than done.
“Either you comb it, or I’ll hold you down and do it,” Mr. Curtis told Dally.
“I don’t even want to see them!” Dally yelled.
Mr. Curtis sighed, looking over to see if Mrs. C was having any better luck. She wasn’t. Wrestling Soda and Steve into their smart shirts was a near-impossible task.

Pony, on the other hand, was very excited about today.
“Mom, when do we get to go to church?” He asked happily.
“When they get here, honey,” Mrs. C said.
Her parents were much more traditional than the Curtis’ and went to church every Sunday. Not that the Curtis’ didn’t want to go to church, but with the boys, most of whom were unable to sit still for more than 5 minutes, it was not something they managed to attend often.

Mr. C combed Dally’s hair, and as soon as he’d finished, Dally’s messed it all up with his hands.
“Johnny, come comb Dally’s hair,” Mr. C called, trying a new tactic.
Johnny was nervous and excited about today; he really liked Mrs. C’s Mom; she was ever so kind, but Grandpa J was a bit more traditional and intimidating, and he was slightly afraid of him.

Dally reluctantly stayed still as Johnny combed his hair, and once he’d finished, Dallas resisted the impulse to screw it up again, not wanting to offend Johnny and all. Mr. C smirked at him, and Dally scowled and stomped over to the couch. With one hurdle over, he went over to help Mrs. Curtis get Steve and Soda into their shirts.

~

Pony had his face pressed up against the window; it was no secret that he was the closest to the maternal grandparents.
“They’re here!” Pony exclaimed, desperately jumping to try and undo the latch.
“Darry!!!” He whined.
Darry smiled but went and picked Pony up so he could reach it.

As soon as the door was open, Pony charged down the steps to meet his Grandparents head on.
“There’s my sweet boy!” Grandma J greeted, reaching down to lift Pony up.
“You’ve grown kiddo,” Grandpa J said, ruffling Pony’s hair and kissing him.
“I all ready for church!” Pony told them, proudly brandishing his smart shirt and shoes.
“Wow! Don’t you look handsome,” Grandma J said, tickling him under the chin, “Come on let’s go see everyone else, we got some presents for y’all,” She said, which made Pony scramble to get down and practically drag them inside.

“They got presents!” Pony announced, as he led them into the living room.
“Pony, let them say hello first,” Mrs C smiled, coming over to embrace her parents.
Once she’d said hello to Mr and Mrs C, Grandma J next went to Johnny.
“Hello sweetie, remember me?” She said.
Johnny nodded and smiled shyly.
Grandma J gave him a gentle hug and then put a toffee in his hand. The ones he had told her how much he loved the last time she visited.
Soda and Steve saw this and charged over, practically mugging her for more toffees.

“You’re gonna be taller than me soon buddy, you best stop growing,” Grandpa J chuckled, embracing Darry.
“Where’s the presents?” Pony asked.
“In a minute, honey, let them finish saying hello to everyone,” Mrs. Curtis told him kindly.

Once Grandpa J had finished tickling Soda and Steve to the ground, he moved over to Dallas, where Mr. C had kept a hand on his shoulder to stop him from sneaking away.
“And Dallas, how are you doing?” He asked, crouching down as best he could.
Dally shrugged.
“You being a good boy now?” Grandpa J asked, raising his eyebrows.
Dally stayed silent, scowling, and Grandpa J looked up at Mr. C.
“There’s still room for improvement, but he’s doing okay,” Mr. C said, ruffling Dally’s hair.
"Well, that’s better,” Grandpa J said, holding out his hand for Dally to shake.
Dally relaxed slightly and shook it, and Grandpa J smiled at him and gave him an affectionate pat on the back as he stood back up.
Mr. Curtis bent down.
“Good job, buddy,” he praised. "Remember, you’ll warm up to him, and if you think you’re going to do or say something bad, just come to me or Mrs. C, okay?” Mr. Curtis told him.

It’s fair to say that when Mrs. C’s parents first met Dally, they weren’t happy with their new surrogate grandson. In fact, on their first visit after he’d arrived, Dally smashed their car window and pushed all the dinner off the table. Grandpa J was not used to such disobedience from children and had tried to discipline him. Which had only made matters worse and ended up with Dally kicking Grandpa J and having to be restrained by Mr. C until he calmed down.

Over their next visits, they got to know each other more, and Grandma J shared her daughter’s understanding and empathy for children like Dally, and she happily accepted him and all his faults as her grandson. Grandpa J did his best to bond like he had managed to with Steve and the other boys, but he couldn’t hide his disapproval for some of Dally’s behaviours and subtly implied that the boy needed more discipline and that he would never stand for behaviour like that.

However, Grandpa J was slowly seeing the other side of Dally, the one his daughter knew so well, and gradually, that was becoming the side he thought of most. And although at the beginning he had advised his daughter against taking Dally in, he would never in a million years tell her that now; in fact, if she said she couldn’t manage him anymore, Grandpa J might just volunteer to take him on himself.

“Hey Stevie, I remodelled the engine of my car, and I need an expert to look it over for me.” Grandpa J said.
Steve beamed and followed him out to the street.
Grandma J sat down on the couch with Pony and Johnny snuggled against her on either side.
"So, how’s school?” She asked.
“They made a paint b-“ Pony burst out.
“Painting! They’ve been painting; Johnny, go get your family tree to show Grandma,” Mrs. C interrupted.

~

They got to the church and found a row near the back, all to themselves. Pony and Johnny sat either side of Grandma J, excitedly awaiting the service. Mr. and Mrs. C sat either side of Steve and Soda, with Dally on the other side of Mrs. C next to Darry and Grandpa J.

The boys managed to behave for the first sentence of the sermon, then Soda and Steve decided to start making paper aeroplanes out of the hymn sheets. Mr. and Mrs. C left them to it, as it was keeping them quiet. However, once the planes were finished, they started launching them, which turned a lot of heads.

“Sit still!” Mrs. C hissed firmly, taking the rest of the paper away.
Mr. C held up his hand in apology, and the sermon continued.
“Jesus Christ!” Steve burst out, making Soda giggle.
“Oh my God!” Soda yelled.
“Stop it!” Mr. C said sternly, turning to them.
“We’re just showing support for the sermon,” Steve said.
“Yeah, they’re religious statements; if we can’t say them in church, where can we say them?” Soda protested.

Pony sat, frowning at them. He was trying to listen.
"Grandma, make them shush,” he whispered.
Grandma J smiled.
“It’s okay, honey; you just focus on yourself.” She told him kindly, squeezing his hand and letting Johnny hold the other one.

There was about five minutes of calm before Steve and Soda discovered the Bibles under their seats and started clowning around with them. When Steve’s went crashing to the ground with a resounding bang and the whole place turned, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis went red with embarrassment. Especially as Soda decided to wave.
“Sodapop, come sit next to me,” Grandpa J said sternly.
Soda looked at Steve sadly but did as he was told, and everyone shuffled along.
"Now that you keep quiet, you hear. I got a candy bar with your name on it if you can,” Grandpa J told him.
Soda slumped down on the pew and decided it was time to daydream.

When it was time for everyone to stand up, Dallas stayed sitting.
“Dally!” Pony whined.
“Dallas, on your feet,” Mr C said, seeing the boy still slumped on the pew.
“Come on, nearly done,” Mrs. C said, pulling him to his feet.
When everyone sat back down and the pastor finished his final statements, there was a moment of silence in which Soda burst out.
“Are we done now?”
The church laughed.
"Yes, young man, we are finished. Thank you for your patience.” The pastor called, and then everyone began to leave.
“What patience?” Darry scoffed as Soda and Steve charged out of the church at top speed.
“Good job, buddy,” Grandpa J said, ruffling Dallas’ hair on his way past.
Dally gave a vague smile and hung back to wait for Johnny.

~

The grandparents took the boys to the park, and they rode their bikes happily and played all together. They even got everyone ice cream. Mrs. Curtis got a lovely photo of them all. Johnny and Pony sat by Grandma J and just played with her all afternoon. Even Dallas joined in the fun.
“Come on, I haven’t had a hug from you yet,” Grandma J said after Dallas had been playing with them for a while.
Dally grinned shyly and went over and let her give him a hug, and then she kissed his cheek before she released him.
“Hey, you said nothing about kissing,” he said, wiping it away.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis chuckled.

Soda, Darry, and Steve were throwing the football back and forth with Grandpa J as he tried to teach them his special moves from when he was a kid. It was the kind of family scene Mrs. Curtis had always hoped they’d achieve with the grandparents.

Well, nearly achieved. They had nearly got through the day but after dinner, while Johnny and Darry were helping Mr. C and Grandma J in the kitchen, Grandpa J started talking to Ponyboy.

“You must enjoy the house to yourself when the boys are at school.” Grandpa J said.
“Yeah. Well, when Dally isn’t suspended, I do,” Pony said, unaware of what he had just revealed.
“What!” Grandpa J said, looking across the room at Dally furiously, “Come here,” he ordered, pointing at the floor in front of him.
“Dad, no, it’s okay. We’ve already talked to him, and he’s going to do better,” Mrs. Curtis called from across the room.
Grandpa J didn’t break his glare and once again motioned to the floor in front of him.
“I’m going to make sure of that,” he said.

Dallas wandered over, more out of defiance than anything else, he wasn’t afraid of confronting Grandpa J, at least he didn’t want people to think he was. But as Grandpa J took both his wrists and held Dally to stand in front of him, he could help but feel slightly nervous and ashamed of his behaviour.

Mrs. C looked concerned, but she knew her dad wasn’t hurting him, so she held back.
“My grandkids do not get suspended, you hear. I raised my daughter to be a good student, and I know she has raised you better than that.” He began with a slightly raised voice.
“But,“ Dallas began.
“No! I don’t want to hear it! You do what you’re told and behave in school, or else!” Grandpa J continued, Dallas pouted, he hated the guilt that he couldn’t help but feel.
“Dad,” Mrs. C sighed, trying to motion for him to back off.
“No, I’m sorry, honey. But it’s not fair on you,” Grandpa J said to her before he turned back to Dally. “If you’ve been in trouble again the next time I come down, I’m going to bust your butt,” he warned.
“Dad!” Mrs. Curtis exclaimed, getting to her feet and whisking Dally away as she saw his fists clench.

Dallas shook her off and stomped into the kitchen, kicking the couch as he went. Mrs. C looked at her father.
"Dad, you can’t talk to him like that.” She sighed.
“Honey, I treat your boys the same way I treated you because I love them and want them to do well.” Her father explained, “You know the importance of education. I want them to be good educated members of society; I don’t want people throwing away their potential and getting suspended,” he finished.
“I know, Dad, I know. But not all the boys are the same, okay? You can want the same thing for all, but you have to handle each one differently.” She explained.
“Dallas needs discipline! If he was my son-“ Grandpa J said, raising his voice slightly.
"Well, he’s not,” Mrs C said firmly, cutting him off.
“But he is my grandson, and like all of my grandchildren, I care about him too damn much to let them behave badly.” Grandpa J continued, in a softer voice.
“I know, Dad. I understand.” She smiled at him, referring to Dallas as his grandson.
She embraced her father. His heart was in the right place, as was the case for all her boys, and in her eyes, that’s all that ever matters.

Chapter Text

“I don’t want to get shot!” Pony was wailing.
“Honey, no one is going to shoot you. Don’t listen to your brothers,” Mrs. C said, trying to wipe his face as she got him ready.
“Soda says I gotta get shot,” he sobbed.
"No, sweetie, you’re going to get shots. It’s medicine,” she explained. “Darry honey, where’s everyone else?” She asked, lifting Pony up.
"Umm, well, last I heard Dad was trying to get them to open the bedroom door,” Darry told her.
“Christ, can you take Pony and Johnny out to the car for me?” She asked him.
She looked at the bottle of wine they had bought last night, in preparation for today; it would be waiting for them when they got home but first they had to get through the hell that was coming.

~

Dr. Phillips came out of the waiting room.
“Ahhh, my favourite day of the year,” he said, clapping his hands and sharing a smile with Mr. and Mrs. C. “Who’s first?” He asked.
Darry looked around at all the boys who stayed silent, either sulking or terrified.
“Okay, I guess I am,” he said.
“Johnny, you want to come at the same time as Darry?” Dr. Phillips asked, seeing the trembling boy huddled against Mrs. Curtis.
Johnny shook his head and buried himself deeper into Mrs. C’s side.
“Come on, you’re just going to get more nervous if you wait,” he said kindly.

“Sweetie, if Darry does it with you, it won’t be so scary,” Mrs. C said, leaning down to talk to him.
“I don’t want to,” Johnny whimpered.
“I know, honey, come on, let’s get it over with,” she said, standing up and turning around to pick him up.
“No! No!” Johnny said, bursting into tears, eyes wide with terror.
Darry walked over.
“Come on, little buddy, it’s okay,” he said, trying to reassure him.
Mrs. C picked him up and rocked him back and forth before heading to the doctor's room.
Johnny just continued to wail, so she rubbed his back, squeezed his hand, and whispered reassurances to him. But her heart was breaking hearing his distress.

Mr. C swallowed a lump in his throat as the door closed and Johnny’s wails muffled slightly. He looked over at Pony, who looked even more worried now, so he lifted him to sit on his lap.
“It’s okay, buddy; he’ll be okay,” he assured him.
“Boys, no!” The receptionist scolded.
Mr. C looked over and saw Steve and Soda trying to get to the candy bowl.
“Those are for afterwards,” she told them.
“Sodapop, Steven!” Mr. Curtis barked, “Sit down!” He told them firmly.

~

Mrs. Curtis sat down in the empty chair with Johnny on her lap. She soothed him the best she could.
“Okay, Darrel, if you just get on the table, I’ll just do all the usual checks,” Dr. Phillips said with a smile, knowing this was going to be the easiest of the boys to deal with.

Darry was slightly nervous, but he knew his job was to show Johnny everything was fine, so he hopped on to the table and gave Johnny a thumbs up as the doctors started with the reflex testing.

“Okay, that all looks good. Very healthy, no issues,” Dr. Phillips said after examining him. “Now if you come here, I’ll just take your height and weight,” he told him.
Dr. Phillips recorded the results.
“Now, we just need to take some blood, and I think you’re all up to date on your shots, so then you’ll be all done,” he announced.
Darry forced a smile, but Mrs. C could see he was worried.
“Just sit on the table again and roll up your sleeves,” Dr. Phillips told him.
Johnny had been sniffling quietly the whole time, but now knowing his turn was coming, he was getting louder again. Mrs. C squeezed his hand again, and he held on to her tightly.

~

“Dal, sit,” Mr. Curtis said as Dally went towards the doctors’ room door.
“Johnnys crying!” Dally whined, frustration and desperation evident.
“He’ll be okay; Mrs. C will look after him. They’re not hurting him; he’s just scared,” Mr. C told him.
The door opened, and Darry came out. Dallas walked towards the open door.
“Dallas! Sit down!” Mr. C ordered.
“He’s fine, Dal; when he saw I didn’t die from the needle, he chilled out,” Darry assured him, putting an arm around the younger boy and walking him back to his seat.

~

Johnny had started crying again as Mrs. C carried him over to the table but as Dr. Phillips began the examination, Johnny’s crying slowly calmed. Mrs. C stood right by his side, smiling at him whenever he looked to her for reassurance. He even giggled slightly as his height was taken, and the tape measure tickled him.
“Wow, Johnny, haven’t you grown?” Mrs. C exclaimed.
“And your weight has come along brilliantly; well done!” Dr. Phillips praised him; he even went over to his desk and got a sticker for the now smiling Johnny.

Once Dr. Phillips had recorded the results, he gave Mrs. Curtis a look.
“Now if you just sit down and Johnny can sit back on your lap,” he began, “Right now, Johnny, if you hold out your arm,” Dr. Phillips asked kindly.
Johnny whimpered and looked at Mrs. C.
“It’s okay, sweetie; look, your other hand can hold mine,” she told him, kissing the top of his head.
Johnny nervously held out his other arm and closed his eyes.
“Good boy,” Mrs. C said, holding him tight as the needle approached.
“Ah!” Johnny exclaimed as it went in, and he started to cry again.
“Shhhh, it’s okay; it's nearly done,” Mrs. C said, squeezing his hand.
“Just two quick shots, and then we were all done,” Dr. Phillips said, quickly hurrying to get the other needles as Johnny cried into Mrs. C’s shoulder.

~

The door opened.
“There’s my brave boy!” Mr. C exclaimed as Johnny emerged.
Johnny had a tear-stained face and puffy eyes, but he was smiling, especially when the receptionist offered him a piece of candy.
“Thank you,” he replied shyly.
"Johnny, did they shoot you?” Pony asked.
“Twice!” Johnny told him, showing him the two bandaids, one on his arm and one on his thigh.
“Good job, kiddo,” Mr. C said, ruffling Johnny’s hair.
“Right, who’s next?” Dr. Phillips asked.
“Pony?” Mr. C tried.
“Can I go with Soda?" Pony asked.
"Yeah, okay, come on, Pepsi Cola; you’ll get your candy in a few minutes,” Mr. C said, leading the next two boys in.

~

Soda immediately rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm.
“Not yet; we gotta do the other checks first,” Dr. Phillips chuckled.
“I want the candy,” Soda whined.
“Soda,” Mr. C said, raising his eyebrows.
Soda huffed but hopped onto the table.

"Soda, I need you to keep still; I can’t hear your heartbeat,” Dr. Phillips asked him.
“Soda’s dead!” Pony exclaimed in horror.
“Pony, does your brother look dead?” Mr. C pointed out, motioning to the jittering 5-year-old on the table.
On cue, Soda fell back dramatically, causing Pony to scream.
“Sodapop!” Mr. Curtis scolded him as the five-year-old giggled.
“It’s okay,” Dr. Phillips smiled. “Okay, come on, let’s do your height and weight,” he said.
Soda leapt off the table to the height chart.
“Soda, you need to stop bouncing,” Dr. Phillips told him.
“Am I taller than Darry?” Soda asked.
“Were you taller than him out there?” Mr. C laughed.
“No, but I might have grown.” Soda shrugged.
“I’m afraid Darry is still taller, but you are slowly catching up,” Dr. Phillips said, recording the results. “Now we just need to take some blood, and I think you’re due for one shot today,” he explained.

Soda tried to be stoic in front of Pony, but as the needle went in, he couldn’t help but cry out, and a few tears leaked down his face.
“Good job, buddy,” Mr. C praised, ruffling his hair.
Once Dr. Phillips had done the shot, Mr. C picked him up, and his tears had already stopped.
“You okay?” Mr. C asked him as he wiped Soda’s face.
“Can I have my candy now?” Soda asked.
"Well, that answers my question,” Mr. C chuckled.

~

The doctor’s room door slammed open.
“I can have candy now, Carol!” He yelled, running over to the front desk.
“Sodapop, slow down!” Mrs. Curtis scolded him.
Soda didn’t care; he was too busy eating candy, all needles forgotten.

~

Mr. C lifted Pony onto the table and stood next to him, stroking his hair.
"So, Pony, what’s your favourite storybook?” Dr. Phillips asked, gently starting the examinations.
Pony hesitated for a second but then launched into such in-depth descriptions that he managed to distract himself and didn’t even notice that Dr. Phillips had finished his checks and was now drawing blood.
“Oh,” Pony said, noticing the needle in his arm.
“Good job, buddy,” Mr. C grinned.
Pony looked at it unsurely, his lip wobbling slightly.
“So what about your favourite film?” Dr. Phillips prompted, and once again Pony launched into another ramble.
This one was so in depth that he didn’t even flinch at the shots, and once Dr. Phillips had taken his height and weight, he had to wait for the 3-year-old to stop talking before he could let him go.

~

“Steve?” Mr. C called as he led Pony out, who ran and got his piece of candy.
“Not going in!” Steve said defiantly.
Mrs. C sighed; Steve absolutely hated needles.
“Come on, sweetie.” She beckoned, holding out her hand, but Steve didn’t budge.

Mr. C knew what he had to do, took a deep breath, and marched over.
“No!” Steve yelled, immediately kicking out at Mr. C.
But Mr. C was well practiced with the boys’ tantrums, so he just hoisted Steve up and carried him kicking and screaming into the doctor's office.

“Shhhh, you’re okay,” Mr. C said softly as he sat down on the chair holding the writhing Steve. “Just do the blood now, and then he’ll calm down,” he suggested.
“He’s due two shots as well,” Dr. Phillips sighed, prepping the needle as quick as he could.
“Let me go!” Steve shouted desperately, fighting against Mr. C’s hold.
"Stevie, calm down,” Mr. C said softly, holding down Steve’s arms as the needle went in.

Steve erupted, at first in anger, kicking and screaming, but then he stopped fighting and started crying, and Mr. C loosened the hold slightly.
“Shhhh, good boy, almost done,” he said as comfortingly as he could.

“Okay, Steve, where do you want the shots? You can pick arms or legs?” Dr. Phillips asked him, picking up the other needles.
“I don’t want shots,” Steve sobbed, tears streaming down his face.
“I know, buddy, it’ll be quick,” Mr. C said, rolling up Steve’s sleeves and motioning to Dr. Phillips.

Dr. Phillips grabbed the needles and quickly inserted the two shots, one in each arm.
Steve yelled at each and buried his face in Mr. C.
“Good job; that’s all the hard stuff done,” Dr. Phillips said.
Mr. C sat rubbing circles on Steve’s back as he slowly calmed down.

~

"Ah, there he is,” Mrs. C smiled, seeing Steve come out of the doctor's room, he ran over to her, and she hugged him tight. "Aw, you’re so brave. And I like how you chose me over candy,” she whispered.
“Oh yeah,” Steve remembered, wriggling out her arms and running over to the receptionist.
Mrs. C scoffed.

“Soda, I already gave you one.” The receptionist sighed as Soda went up after Steve.
“But I ate it, so it doesn’t count,” Soda tried.
“You can always have another shot, Soda,” Mr. Curtis suggested.
“No!” Soda exclaimed, horrified.
“Then go sit down,” Mr. C told him.
Soda did so, with a last longing look at the candy.

“Just one left,” Dr. Phillips said.
“Dal?” Mr. C beckoned.
Dallas didn’t move.
“Dallas,” Mrs. C warned, glaring at him.
He huffed and got to his feet, scowling, making sure to kick a chair on his way.

“On the table, please, Dallas,” Dr. Phillips asked nicely.
Dallas sat, scowling, as the doctor did all the usual checks. He pushed away Dr. Phillips hand as he tried to put the stethoscope on his chest. Mr. C cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. Dallas furrowed his brow further. Mr. C nodded at Dr. Phillips, who tried again with the stethoscope, and this time was successful.

“Now, we just need to do bloods and some shots,” Dr. Phillips said after he had recorded Dallas’ height and weight.
“I ain’t doing that,” Dallas said simply.
“Come here,” Mr. Curtis said, sitting down in the chair and motioning to him.
Dally shook his head.
“Do I need to go get Mrs. C to help hold you down?” Mr. Curtis threatened.
Dallas finally relented and went over to Mr. Curtis, who lifted him to sit on one of his knees.

Dallas screwed up his face as the needle went in.
“Nice one, tough guy,” Mr. C said, ruffling his hair.
"Right, I’m afraid you need three shots today, but then you'll finally be up to date with your brothers,” Dr. Phillips explained.
“No, I don’t want anymore,” Dallas said with an uncharacteristic whine.
“You can choose where they go; I can do your arms, your legs, or even your buttocks,” Dr. Phillips said, coming over with the three needles.
“I will fucking kill you if you put them in my butt!” Dallas roared.
“Hey!” Mr. Curtis scolded him, “You do not use that language; you hear me?” He said sternly.
Dally didn’t reply, but silence usually meant he knew he’d done wrong, so Mr. C held his glare a moment longer and then left it.

“Arms or legs?” He asked Dally, who remained silent, “3 seconds or I’ll decide for you,” Mr. Curtis told him.
Dallas didn’t respond, just scowling, miserably.

Mr. Curtis sighed and then shifted Dallas to sit on his left knee and put his right leg over Dally’s legs, trapping them. He then rolled up Dally’s shorts, much to Dally’s annoyance, which he made known by struggling against Mr. C as much as possible.

Mr. C held him still while Dr. Phillips administered the shots to Dally’s thighs. He whimpered slightly at the last one, so Mr. C gave him a quick hug before releasing him.
“Good job, kiddo,” he praised as Dallas shook him off, scowling once more.

~

"Well, I’ll see you all next time. Be good boys!” Dr. Phillips said, waving them off.
Soda grabbed one more candy from the bowl on his way past and charged out the door before he could be made to return it.

~

The boys were all tired after getting shots, so most of them were asleep on the couch within the hour.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis sat with a glass of wine each at the dining room table, thankful the ordeal was over for another year.
"Hey, look,” Mr. Curtis said, pointing.
Mrs. Curtis turned.
“Awww, bless them,” she smiled.
Dallas was passed out on the floor, toy horse in hand, and Johnny was beside him, snoring softly.

But just then the door burst open, waking up all the boys, who were now very groggy, very grumpy, and with sore arms and legs.
“TwoBit!” Mr. Curtis yelled at the grinning boy, who had just burst in.

Chapter Text

“Dallas, Keith, come here,” Mrs. Curtis called.
It was Friday evening, and she and Mrs. Matthews were in the kitchen together, cleaning up after dinner.
TwoBit bounded into the kitchen, and Dallas strolled in behind him.
“Whatever it is, I didn’t do it,” TwoBit burst out.
Mrs. Matthews snickered.

“Do you two know what you did this week?” She asked.
“Ummm nothing?” TwoBit tried, trying to read his mother’s facial expression and gauge how much trouble he was in.
“Exactly,” Mrs. Curtis chimed in. “Neither of you got a note home at all this week.” She smiled at them.
“I think that this is only the second time this school year that we’ve had a week without a note,” Mrs. Matthews added.
“What about Steve’s?” TwoBit grinned.
“Yes, well, we are not talking about him. He doesn’t get notes all that often, you two on the other hand must hold the school record,” Mrs Curtis told them.
"Well, actually, Tim-“ TwoBit began.
“Keith, I don’t want to know; it’s not an achievement,” Mrs. Matthews cut him off.
"Well, I’ve had more than TwoBit, so I win,” Dallas interjected.
“Dallas!” Mrs. Curtis sighed.
The boys smirked at each other.

“We’re aiming for no notes, okay?” Mrs Matthews reminded them.
“And anyway, we’ve decided that whenever you boys go a week without a note, you can have a little treat,” Mrs. Curtis explained.
The boys’ eyes lit up at that. Mrs. Curtis held out two pieces of candy and two dollar bills.
“Thank you!” TwoBit yelled, immediately shoving the candy in his mouth and hugging them both before bounding back out of the room.
“Thanks,” Dallas said, taking his treats and turning to wander off.
Mrs. C managed to sneak a quick kiss on his head. Dallas blushed and wiped it off hurriedly, but Mrs. Matthews ran over and kissed him too, so he decided to just run out of the room, making both the mothers laugh.

At that moment, the cupboard under the sink opened, making them both jump. Pony climbed out, followed by Johnny.
“How long have you two been in there?” Mrs. C exclaimed.
"Well, we went on an adventure across the sea,” Pony said. “I think we’ve been away for about 3 weeks, but then our food ran out, so we had to come back,” he explained, pointing to the empty cookie packet and water bottle Johnny was holding.
“Umm, did you have fun, Johnny?” Mrs. Matthews asked.
Johnny nodded.
“I saw dolphins, and we fought some pirates,” Johnny mumbled.

Mrs. Curtis and Mrs. Matthews looked back and forth between each other, still slightly taken aback.
“Mom, you know. I didn’t get any notes home this week,” Pony pointed out.
"Oh, I see why you suddenly emerged,” Mrs. C smiled. "Well, Pony, you don’t go to school,” she said.
"Yeah, but I didn’t get any notes home,” he tried again.
“Well,” Johnny began. “I actually didn’t get any notes home either,” he said shyly.
Mrs. Matthews and Mrs. Curtis broke out into the widest smiles at Johnny’s cheekiness.

“I suppose they are right,” Mrs. Matthews said.
"Actually, I never had a note home,” Pony added proudly.
“Me either,” Johnny chimed in.
Mrs. Matthews chuckled and fetched two pieces of candy.
“Here you go, our good boys,” she said, giving them both a kiss.
“Wasn’t there a dollar as well?” Pony tried.
“You little monkey,” Mrs. C said with a laugh, coming over to stand with Mrs. Matthews. “You’ve been spending too much time with your brothers,” she added, reaching out and tickling him.
Mrs. Matthews followed suit and tickled Johnny. Both of the boys shrieked with joyous laughter.

“Now, you can have the dollar on the condition that you stay our good boys,” Mrs. Matthews bargained.
“Yes, our good boys who go on sea voyages instead of putting paint in my shampoo,” Mrs. Curtis added.
Pony and Johnny giggled at the memory.
“No, not funny. Your brothers are naughty,” Mrs. C said, trying to be firm but unable to resist smiling at their laughter.
“Mommy’s hair was green,” Pony said, gasping for air.
“And blue,” Johnny said through his chuckles.
Mrs. Matthews started laughing along with them, and pretty soon Mrs. C was too.

When the laughter settled down, Pony looked over at the time.
“Mom, we've got to go on another voyage now; we’re picking up another passenger,” Pony said, running off.
Johnny followed after him.
Mrs. Matthews and Mrs. Curtis looked after them.
“Oh, why can’t they just stay like that forever? Why can’t they all be like that?” Mrs. Matthews sighed.
On cue, there was a ruckus sounding from the living room and they headed in to see what the not so good boys were up to.

“What’s going on?” Mrs. C demanded, pulling Steve and Darry away from each other.
“He poured water all over me!” Darry exclaimed, showing his soaking wet shirt.
“TwoBit paid me to!” Steve protested.
Mrs. Matthews glared at TwoBit, who was hovering guilty.
“You gave me the money; I was just spending it,” TwoBit shrugged.
“Steve, give me the dollar,” Mrs. Matthews ordered.
“But,“ Steve argued.
“Now!” Mrs. Matthews told him firmly.
Reluctantly, Steve handed over the money.

Mrs. Matthews gave the dollar bill to Darry.
“Call it compensation.” She said winking at him, “Now you are going home!” She added, walking over to TwoBit and leading him away.
"Mom, no, I’m playing.” TwoBit whined.
“If you can’t behave, I’m not letting you stay here. It’s not fair on Mrs. Curtis, so you’re coming home with me,” Mrs. Matthews told him.
“Bye TwoBit!” Soda yelled.
"Bye, my brothers! I hope I’ll see you again some day!” Two-Bit fake wailed dramatically as his mom tied his laces.
"Oh, hush, you’ll see them in the morning,” Mrs. Matthews said, waved at Mrs. C, and then led TwoBit out the door.

Mrs. Curtis raised her eyebrows and turned back to Steve.
“If TwoBit gave you money to jump off a cliff, would you?” She said.
Steve shrugged.
“I don’t know; it depends on how much money and how high the cliff was,” he said.
"Yeah, Mom, could Steve wear a parachute when he jumped?” Soda asked.
"Yeah, cause then I’d definitely do it,” Steve added.
Mrs. C dropped her arms in defeat and headed back off into the kitchen, leaving them to their animated debate about jumping off cliffs. Christ, these boys would have all their hair grey before they even got to the teenage years at this rate. At least she had her good boys, Pony and Johnny; she could hear them playing in their room down the hall.

But if she had gone in to check on them, she would have realised it wasn’t just Pony and Johnny. Like Pony said, they had picked up another passenger for their next imaginary voyage. The window was open, and laughing and playing with them was Curly Shepard.

~

It was nearly 9PM when Mrs. Curtis finally managed to herd all the boys into their rooms.
“Go to sleep!” She told them firmly, closing Steve and Dallas in one room and Soda and Darry in the other.
She walked along the hall and carefully peaked in on Pony and Johnny. They were both passed out, sprawled on the bed. She smiled, walked over, and kissed them both on the cheek.
"Goodnight, boys,” she whispered, then she felt a breeze.

Mrs. Curtis looked over. The window was open. That’s odd; the boys must have gotten hot, she thought. She went and shut it. It was dark outside, but if she had looked beyond the shadows, she would have seen a small boy watching her from behind a tree, clutching a stuffed animal. Curly watched longingly as the curtains were drawn, and then he turned away, leaving behind the light and heading home into the darkness.

Chapter Text

10-year-old Darry was exhausted. The first week of March every year, Mr. Curtis had to go to a conference for a few nights, and Darry had to help his mom out with the boys. He hadn’t quite realised how much work the boys were, but it was only the second morning, and he was ready to put them all up for adoption.

“Stop!” Darry sighed as Steve and Pony started their usual bickering at the breakfast table. “Soda, no!” Darry yelled as the 5-year-old tried to get more chocolate milk.
Darry slapped his hand away.
“Owwww!” Soda whined.
“Then stop it,” Darry told him.
“Mom, Darry hit me,” Soda called into the kitchen.
“Well, I imagine you deserved it, honey,” Mrs. C replied, walking into the dining room. “Steve, Pony, just leave each other alone,” she added with a sigh.
“Mom, can you tell them to get their shoes on? They won’t listen to me,” Darry complained.
“Boys, you do what Darry tells you. Now shoes on!” Mrs. Curtis ordered, clearing away the breakfast table.
“Morning!” TwoBit greeted me, coming through the door.

Although he had the maturity level of a 3-year-old, TwoBit had been a good assistant the last couple of days, and Darry was very grateful to him.
“We need to get everyone to put their shoes and backpacks on while Mom makes the lunches,” Darry told him.
TwoBit nodded, heading over to Soda and Steve.
“Come on, Dally?” Johnny called, wanting to do what Darry told him.
Dally didn’t look as enthusiastic.
"Dal, just do it; come on,” Darry sighed.
For once, Dally took pity and followed after Johnny and TwoBit was helping Soda tie his laces, so that just left Ponyboy.

“Come on, Pony, let’s go get your shoes on,” Darry said, walking over to him and lifting him up.
“No! I don’t want to wear shoes!” Pony whined.
“You gotta wear shoes, Pony,” Darry told him, heading into the bedroom where Dallas and Johnny were getting theirs on. Darry grabbed Pony’s usual shoes and passed them to him.
“No, I'm not wearing them,” Pony said, picking them up and throwing them on the floor.
“Ow!” Dally exclaimed as one collided with his head. He picked it up and launched it back at Pony, hitting him straight in the face.

Pony immediately burst into tears.
“Dallas!” Darry growled, exasperated at the wailing three-year-old. Dally just shrugged and left the room with Johnny.

“Hey, Pony, it’s okay.” Darry sighed, sitting down and hugging the three-year-old.
Pony slowly stopped crying, so Darry reached down for the shoes and started to put Pony’s feet in them, but Pony kicked out.
“No! I am not putting them on!” Pony yelled.
“For Christ sake, just put the shoes on! Help me out, kid!” Darry shouted, which only made Pony protest more.

~

“Okay, so we got everyone,” TwoBit said, putting Johnny’s lunch in his backpack. “I’ll go tell Darry. You all just stay there,” TwoBit told them.

He walked down the hall to Pony’s room, where he could hear the tantrum from outside the room.
“What’s going on?” He asked, opening the door, seeing Darry sitting on the bed, looking depleted, while on the floor Pony was kicking and screaming.
“He won’t put his shoes on,” Darry sighed.
“Come on, Pony,” TwoBit said softly, crouching down beside him.
“I don't want to wear my shoes,” Pony told him sadly.
"Well, how about you put on someone else’s shoes?” TwoBit suggested.
Pony seemed to be intrigued enough by this idea to stop crying.

Darry looked at TwoBit, jealous of his endless patience and ability to manage the boys so much better than him.
“Everyone is ready; do you want to get them out to the car, and I’ll bring him in a second?” TwoBit suggested.
"Yeah, man,” Darry said with a tired smile. “And thanks, kid. When did you get to be so helpful?” Darry added.
“Nah, it’s a special offer for the week; don’t get used to it,” TwoBit grinned at him.

~

5 minutes later, the boys were all sitting in the car, waiting for TwoBit and Pony.
“Dallas and Steve, you sit sensibly, please,” Mrs. Curtis called as the usual elbowing and shoving started.
Steve turned his attention to kicking Darry’s chair instead.
“Randal, quit it, or I’ll thump you,” Darry threatened.
“Darrel, no thank you,” Mrs. Curtis told him.
"Yeah, Darrel,” Steve jeered.
“I didn’t even do anything!” Darry protested, frustration building.
“Everyone calm down,” Mrs. C said. “Here they are,” she added, seeing Pony and TwoBit approaching. “Is he wearing my shoes?” she wondered.

Yes, he was. Pony was wearing some bright red boots and holding on to Twobit’s hand to keep from stumbling over.
"TwoBit, what the hell is he wearing?” Mrs. C yelled.
“Shoes,” TwoBit told her matter of factly as he sat in the car.
Mrs. C looked at Pony, sitting calmly wearing the boots. She shrugged, I suppose.

~

Darry was still a bit annoyed about his mom telling him off earlier; he knew she hadn’t meant to upset him, but he sat there, letting his annoyance build. He hated being the oldest; it was so much harder for him than the rest of them, and he had to do so much more without getting anything in return. Unfortunately, Darry didn’t know that, as a special thanks for stepping up, Mr. Curtis was returning with tickets to Darry’s first ever NFL game. But right now, unaware of that, he sat ruminating and venting in his head.

It didn’t help that the boys knew he was annoyed and were seeing it as an opportunity to press all the buttons they knew he had.
“Quit it!” Darry said through gritted teeth as Steve kicked his chair once more.
He could hear the row of Dallas, Soda, and Steve snickering, and it was starting to get to him. And when water poured over him and he looked back to see them grinning, he snapped.

Darry reached around and thumped all three of them hard.
“Ow!“ Soda exclaimed.
“Darrel!” Mrs. C scolded, “What the hell are you doing? Dallas, don’t you dare!” She added when she saw Dally making a move to go for Darry in the front.
“All of you sit quietly; not a word from any of you!” She said firmly.
“But Mom, they-“ Darry began.
“I don’t care, you do not hit your brothers,” she snapped back.
Darry slumped miserably in his chair as they drove the last few minutes to school.

When they arrived he just opened the door and slammed it shut, heading inside without looking back.

“Darrel, no running in the hall!” Mr Ryman called.
Darry ignored him, annoyed at once again being yelled at for nothing.
“Darrel!” Mr Ryman shouted after him.

~

Darry sat at his desk as the rest of the class filed in, Mr Ryman arrived and looked straight over to him. He sat down at his desk and motioned for him. Begrudgingly, Darry made his way over.
“I do not like being ignored,” Mr. Ryman said.
"No, sir,” Darry sighed, in trouble once again today.
“Do you have something to say?” Mr. Ryman asked.
"Sorry, sir,” Darry replied.
“Okay, go sit down,” he told him.

“Right everyone, can you get out your homework, please?” Mr. Ryman asked.
There was a rustling as the class all presented their pages. Apart from Darry, He had spent all of yesterday evening helping his mom make the others do their homework, so much so that he’d forgotten to do his own.
“Darrel, where is your homework?” Mr. Ryman asked.
“I didn’t have time,” Darry told him.
“Well, that’s not good enough. I want you to do it for this afternoon, please,” Mr. Ryman said sternly. “Not a good start to today,” he added, walking over to the board and writing Darry’s name under the sad face, a very rare sight.

Darry frowned, frustrated at being told off once again today when it hadn’t been his fault. He sat there miserably, alone. Usually he had his brothers to turn to and vent to, but for the first time, today he didn’t want them. He wanted some boys his own age to turn to—ones that he didn’t have to put shoes on or break up their fights constantly.

So when the bell went for recess, Darry didn’t head straight to find his brothers. He hung back on the playground and surveyed the rest of the kids. It was time to make his own friends.

Chapter Text

Tim Shepard lent against the wall, standing around the corner from the main playground. He was minding his own business, debating whether or not he should jump the fence after recess. Coach Haines had been checking up on him and Dally to make sure they were going to all their classes, so he knew he wasn’t going to, but he liked to tell himself it was because he couldn’t be bothered rather than because he wanted to go to baseball practice at the end of the day. Tim couldn’t deny it; he was enjoying the training sessions, and he was looking forward to starting playing against schools in the regional league in a few weeks.

As part of their agreement, Coach Haines even came to get Dallas and Tim 10 minutes before class ended to help him set up the equipment, which they always liked getting to skip out early. Ms. Auden and Miss Harrow could not believe the improvement in both boys’ attendance, so they were more than happy to accommodate.

Tim looked over to the corner of the playground and nodded at the group of boys standing around. He didn’t really know them; they were in the fifth grade, but he knew they were cool, and he knew in a few years he’d be where they were. But as he briefly scanned the familiar faces, he stopped, dead in his tracks, and did a double take. There was Darry. Right in the middle of the gang of fifth graders. He waved at Tim and then went back to talking and laughing with the others. What the hell was going on? Maybe Darry was trying to get them to join some nerdy club or sports team or something. Yeah,  that must be it, he thought.

~

By the end of recess, Darry was feeling much brighter. He had enjoyed talking to Rick and Mason and their friends. They were slightly older, but Darry enjoyed being the youngest for a change; he didn’t have to worry about looking out for the little ones; instead, others were looking out for him. It was a nice feeling.

As he walked to class with a new-found skip in his step, TwoBit caught up to him.
“Hey man, are you okay?” He asked.
Darry smiled at him. He wasn’t mad at TwoBit; in fact, he had been his right-hand man the past few days, actually trying to help him out, a rare thing for his brothers.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” Darry told him.
“Look, I told the others to lay off. I’m sorry you got in trouble. After you left, Mrs. C lectured them for a while, so she knows it wasn’t you behind it,” TwoBit assured him.
"Thanks, Two. Look,  I’m going to hang with some other kids at lunch. You can come if you want, but I don’t really want the others in on it,” Darry said.
“Oh, okay, who?” TwoBit asked.
“You know Mason Reid and Rick Alton?” Darry said.
“Oh yeah, they’re cool. I mean, sure, I’ll see what the others are doing, but I’ll come hang with you guys at some point. That’ll be nice for you, though you deserve a break from us sometime, Dar,” he grinned before heading off to his classroom.
Darry smiled; it was nice to know at least TwoBit appreciated him. Maybe he wasn’t as much of an idiot as he pretended to be.

~

Coach Haines knocked on the door.
“How’s he done?” He asked Miss Harrow.
“Another full day,” she said with a smile.
“That’s what I like to hear; come on, Dal,” he called.
Dally got up with a smug grin at Steve and Soda, who sat miserably still doing their worksheets.
“Let’s go get Shepard,” Coach Haines said, heading down the hall.
“I mean, we should probably try the reflection room,” Dally grinned.
“I like to pretend that you boys at least try to stay out of there,” Coach Haines said.
“I wasn’t in there!” Dally protested, pointing back to the classroom door.
“You were this morning, buddy.” Coach Haines countered.
“How’d you know?” Dally asked, blushing slightly.
“You can’t keep anything from me. Anyway, I’m just happy you’re going to all your classes, even if you’re sometimes getting kicked out of them.” Coach Haines explained, “We’ll work on that further down the line,” he added, knocking on Ms. Auden’s room.
“Sorry Coach, he’s in the-“ Ms Auden began.
“Reflection room,” Dally finished with a grin.
“He skipped any classes today?” Coach Haines asked, rolling his eyes at Dally.
“No, he did really well until he refused to do the spelling test and just got disruptive.” Ms Auden told them.
“What a bad student!” Dally tutted.
"Yeah, alright, it takes one to know one kiddo.” Coach Haines with a chuckle, “Let’s go get him.” He said guiding Dally away down the hall.

Dally walked the familiar route to the reflection room and strolled in.
"Hey, Mrs. Brookes,” he greeted. “I’ve come to talk to Timothy about his behaviour,” Dally told her.
"Oh, have you now? Afterwards, is Tim going to talk to you about your behaviour earlier?” she countered, raising her eyebrows.
Dally snickered and then looked around the room to find Tim. His heart skipped a beat. At the desk in the middle of the room, looking up at him, it wasn't Tim; it was Darry.

Chapter Text

“Just don’t do it,” Mason told Darry.
“No, he said I’ve got to do my homework and give it to him after lunch,” Darry said.
“Just don't, man; tell him to shove it,” Rick added.
Darry thought.
“But I’ll get in trouble,” Darry said, knowing how pathetic that made him sound.
“So!” Mason exclaimed, "Look, the worst he’ll do is send you to the reflection room,” he assured Darry, putting a hand of his shoulder.
"Yeah, and you’ll just have to read a book for the afternoon,” Rick added with a smirk.
Darry smiled, but inside he felt unsure. He’d never been to the reflection room; he’d only been kept in for recess once or twice at most. But Rick and Mason talked about it like it was normal, like going to the reflection room was like a trip to the bathroom; it was just part of life.

He looked at them; they were relaxed, they were happy, and they really were nice to him. Rick had already given Darry a candy bar when he’d dropped his on the ground. They weren’t worrying about getting homework in or hoping their brothers weren’t getting into trouble. But he had told his brothers time and time again against doing the very thing he was considering.

Then he thought about the way his brothers shook off Mrs. C’s lectures and how they broke the rules without a care; sometimes they broke them just for fun. Maybe he should? Maybe it was time? The thoughts swam around Darry’s head, the same way the guilt, yet excitement and nerves swam around his stomach.

“Don’t they send a note home if you get sent to the reflection room?” Darry burst out, slightly higher-pitched than he had intended.
"Yeah, but that doesn’t matter. Hey, the number of brothers you have, your parents won’t care if you bring a note home; they probably won’t even notice,” Rick laughed, nudging his arm affectionately.
“They’ll probably think it’s one of Winston’s!” Mason chuckled, holding out his packet of chips to Darry. But Darry couldn't even force a smile at that. The words echoed in his head.

They were right. His parents probably wouldn’t notice. How many times had he brought home a certificate or a test with a good mark, and he’d had to wait for them to finish dealing with notes and phone calls about his brothers?

Just this morning, his mom yelled at him for his brothers’ behaviour. It wasn’t fair. If he had meltdowns like Ponyboy, refused to follow directions like Soda, or antagonised people the way Steve did, his parents would be outraged. And if he dared to defy them like Dally does, they would be having none of it. Why did he have to be perfect?

Why did Dally get rewarded when he went a week without a note home, when Darry, who had never had a note, got nothing? Why did they praise Soda for getting Cs and tell him he needed to study better next time the one time he brought a C home? How come Pony got a round of applause every time he cleared his plate, when Darry cleared it every day and had never once even heard a single clap? When his dad and he built that shelving, how did Steve get to join in too?

As these realisations broke his heart, in the wreckage a new decision formed: Darry was going to the reflection room.

~

“What the hell are you doing in here?” Dally exclaimed.
“Dallas, no shouting,” Mrs. Brookes scolded him.
“You know this is the reflection room, right?” Dally said, still in disbelief.
Darry nodded but shifted guiltily in his seat. He had felt a sense of triumph and adrenaline from his rebellion earlier, but now, looking at the confusion on his younger brother’s face, he couldn’t help but feel like he had betrayed them.

“They look up to you, Darrel,” he could hear his mother’s words.
Darry knew from the look on Dallas’ face that she was right. They needed his good example; they didn’t exactly follow it, but they needed it. Darry was their leader; he walked out in front, and they followed behind him along the road of life; it was his job to make sure they were on the right path.

If Dally hadn’t said what he did, then Darry may have held on to that thought, but his 6-year-old brother’s shocked expression changed into a smirk as he said:
“Mr. and Mrs. C are going to kill you!”
And his rebellious spirit started burning once again. That smirking 6-year-old, who got sent to the reflection room every other day, hardly even got in trouble with his parents anymore when he got sent there. He certainly never feared his parents reaction, because these days there hardly was one. But no, when they found out Darry had been sent there for the first time in his life, Dally was right—they were going to kill him.

~

“Come on, Pony, we’re going to be late.” Mrs. Curtis called.
She could hear Pony talking to himself as he played in his room, even though she’d called him 10 minutes earlier to start getting ready to leave.

"Pony, we need to leave!” She yelled.
Finally, he emerged.
“Who were you talking to?” She asked, getting his jacket on.
“Umm, my imaginary friend,” Pony told her.
“Oh yeah, do they want to come pick the boys up?” She smiled, leading him out to the car.
“No, they’re not allowed to talk to you,” Pony said. “Their big brother told them,” he added.
Mrs. C tried to understand what on earth he was talking about, but she shook her head. This kid's imagination was something else.

~

Now Dally had baseball practice for 45 minutes after school, 4 days a week, Mrs. C started taking the boys to the park across the street from the school while they waited. She sat on the bench as they played. She noticed Darry and TwoBit were on the swings together, talking. It was odd for TwoBit to be sitting quietly in the park; usually, he and Soda were the hardest ones to keep track of as they charged around.

She looked at her watch.
“Boys, come on, time to go!” She called, collecting up the backpacks and jackets sprawled everywhere.
She noticed Darry and took his off her rather hurriedly, but as Soda ran off in the direction of the street, she was distracted from her worries.

~

“Another good session,” Coach Haines told Mrs. C, walking over with Dally.
“Good boy,” Mrs. Curtis praised, crouching down and giving Dally a bottle of water and a snack bar from her purse.
Darry looked on with a slight pit in his stomach at the praise Dally got—not for doing anything good, just for not being bad.
“Honey, can you go give this to Tim?” She asked, taking out another snack bar from her purse.
Dally nodded and ran back over to Tim.

Mrs. Curtis watched as he took it. He glanced up at her, and she smiled and waved at him. He gave a nod; it was so subtle you could hardly notice it, but she saw it, and she knew it was slightly less subtly than last time. Dally strolled back, happily munching on the snack bar.
"Tim, honey, do you want a lift home?” She called, hopefully.
"Sodapop, get down!” Coach Haines said it from somewhere behind her.
She looked around to see Soda swinging on the soccer goals, and when she looked back, Tim had gone.

Mrs. Curtis sighed. Maybe next time.

“Alright boys, let’s go.” She said, herding them out, “Sodapop, come hold my hand!” She added as he started swinging on the door handles.
Mrs. Curtis loaded the seven boys and their backpacks into the car. What she didn’t know yet was that two of those backpacks had notes inside, but one of those boys had forgotten about the note already while the other was doing nothing but thinking about it as they drove home.

Chapter Text

When they arrived home, Mrs. Curtis saw the screen door was open. Funny, she was sure she closed it. However, a stampede of boys flew past it moments later, so it didn’t really matter.

“Shoes off!” Mrs. Curtis called as the pack charged through the barely open door, dumping their stuff as they went. At least Darry and Johnny followed her through the door in a more civilised manner.

"Dallas, what have I said about dumping your backpack on the floor?” Mrs. Curtis called over to him as he slumped on the couch, watching television.
As usual, it fell on deaf ears, and the rest of the boys had already disappeared off into the backyard, so she couldn’t reprimand anyone else.

She picked up the backpacks, cleaning out the usual candy wrappers and toy cars from Steve and Soda's, and then moved on to Dally’s with her finger crossed as she opened the zipper. Mrs. Curtis frowned, taking out the note lying in there.
“What’s this?” She demanded.
“Paper,” Dally mumbled.
Mrs. C was about to scold him when she noticed Darry was still hovering there, holding his bag.
“Are you okay, honey?” She asked.
He held out a note.
“Christ, Dallas I swear, if they’re now giving Darry notes to deliver to me about you, then you’re for it.” She warned, taking the note from him, “Thank you, honey,” she added to Darry with a smile.

She looked down at the note.

Student Name: Darrel Curtis
Referral Received: C3
Description: Darrel did not do his homework; he was asked to do it over his lunchtime. He did not. He was rude and disrespectful, and despite C1 and C2, he continued his disobedience and disruption to the class. As a result, he received a C3 and was sent to the reflection room for the rest of the fifth period.
Teacher Signature: Mr. Ryman

Dallas watched as Mrs. C looked back up at Darry, definitely slightly taken aback.
“Darrel,” she began through gritted teeth, disappointment evident.
"Oh, how disappointing!” Dally interjected, smirking.
“CAN YOU LOT JUST STAY OUT OF IT FOR ONCE?” Darry roared.
“Hey!” Mrs. C snapped, “You do not yell at your brothers, and you certainly don’t get referrals, young man!” Mrs. C reprimanded him firmly.
“Oh yeah, how come he does?” Darry retorted, pointing at Dally.
“Don’t smart mouth me! You are in a lot of trouble!” Mrs. C said, raising her voice.
“What about him? We both got C3s." Darry shouted back.
“I am not talking about him; I am talking about you! I am absolutely furious. You wait until your father hears about this.” She said, lecturing him, “Now get to your room and stay there!” She ordered finally.

Darry growled in frustration and marched down the hall, slamming his bedroom door behind him. It wasn’t fair that Dally wasn’t sent to his room. Tears of frustration and anger slipped out of his eyes as he fell back on his bed.

~

Mrs. Curtis took a few moments to collect herself. It wasn’t like she had never been shouted at; in fact, Darry’s outburst barely measured on the Dallas Winston scale, but still, she was not used to an outburst from her eldest. Maybe she had been too harsh?

Dally watched as she took a deep breath.
“Are you okay?” He mumbled.
"Yes, honey, I’m fine,” she told him, finishing packing away the bags. “Now me and you need to have a chat,” she said more sternly, picking up the other note as Dallas reluctantly came over to her.

Student Name: Dallas Winston
Referral Received: C3
Description: Dallas would not follow directions this morning and ignored repeated warnings to change his behaviour. He received a C3 after he refused to take off his jacket and was rude to assistant teacher Mr. Quinn, shouting at him, “Why are you asking a child to undress?”. He was sent to the reflection room for the rest of the morning to calm down and change his attitude.
Teacher Signature: Miss Harrow

“Dallas!” Mrs. C exclaimed, exasperated.
“Go to my room?” Dally suggested.
"No, you can go sit in that corner,” she told him.
"Ah, come on,” Dallas sighed.
“Corner now! And don’t think Mr. C won’t be hearing about this. There won’t be any baseball at the park this weekend; you’re grounded to this house,” Mrs. C announced.
“But I didn’t get to go last weekend!” Dallas whined.
“Because last weekend you were also grounded for getting a note home. Now go sit!” She told him firmly.
Dallas stomped off to the corner grumpily.

~

Darry usually went to his room after school to do his homework and get some space from the boys. But being sent there was different. He lay there, frustrated, angry, and upset. He didn’t want to come out, though, and have Mom lecture him and see Dally sitting there happily without any consequences for his actions.

What Darry wanted was to be back with Mason and Rick. They’d put an arm around him and be a shoulder to cry on. In this house, he had no one to turn to; he was the support for his brothers; they were too little to support him. And now he couldn’t even turn to his parents. Where did that leave him?

He could hear Pony and Johnny playing noisily next door. Christ, they’re meant to be the quiet ones.
“We’re the three musketeers!” He heard Pony shout.
Dally must be playing with them, Darry thought. This makes sense, as Mrs. C wouldn’t have sent him to his room because apparently he was the only one who ever got into trouble around here.

But as he listened to the younger ones blissfully playing away, he couldn’t help but yearn for that. Friends to play with, not just brothers. Being together without having someone run to tell on him or start whining and fighting. Just that freedom of play without the pressure of being in charge.

Darry was searching—searching for somewhere else to belong. Somewhere, he didn’t have to worry about setting an example; somewhere, people looked out for him for a change. And he’d felt that today, not at home, but when he was standing in the playground with Mason and Rick. That’s what he wanted.

Chapter Text

Mrs. Curtis did a final stir and then turned off the heat on the cooker. She hadn't stopped thinking about what Darry had said.

“Can you lot just stay out of it for once?”.

What did he mean? She knew the boys wound each other up, but not so much that they’d explode like that, and he had said it with some malice. Something was wrong. Darry had always been the best brother, and he had definitely always been a good student, unlike some of the boys. That reminded her...

“Dallas, you can get out of the corner now,” she called, turning around. “Can you go get your brothers from the backyard? I need to go and talk to Darry,” she added.
He stood up and wandered over to her.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
“Thank you; you’re forgiven, honey.” She said, crouching down, "But, mister, you will be sitting in that corner for twice as long if there’s any more notes this week, understood?” Mrs. C told him.
Dally nodded. She smiled and stroked his hair.
“Now I need to go see Darry,” she said, standing up and heading down the hall.

“Quick, Mom’s coming!” She heard Pony yell.
Her hand hovered on the door handle to Darry’s room, but the sound of a scuffle from the bedroom next door drew her away.

“What’s going on?” She asked, opening the door and seeing Pony and Johnny standing there, looking guilty.
“Nothing,” Pony mumbled.
“Okay, then what WAS going on?” She demanded to know.
“We’re just playing,” Pony shrugged.
Mrs. Curtis eyed them suspiciously.
"Mom, I’m hungry!” Soda yelled from the dining room.
“We’re coming!” Mrs. Curtis called back. “Okay, dinners ready,” she said, standing to the side to let them pass as she scanned the room for signs of mischief.
Her eyes fell on something on the floor—Curly’s stuffed animal.

~

“She didn’t care about him; none of them did,” Darry thought as he lay on his bed.
He had heard Mrs. Curtis come and get Pony and Johnny for dinner, but she hadn’t bothered to get him. She probably wanted dinner with her favourite kids, and then later she’d come and lecture him about how disappointed she was.

Well, he didn’t want to hear that, so Darry rolled over and decided to go to sleep instead.

~

“Don’t you lie to me!” Mrs. Curtis said firmly, “Why was Curly’s toy in your room?” She interrogated.
“I just found it,” Pony tried.
“Ponyboy Michael Curtis, you tell me the truth!” She said firmly, “Was Curly in your room?” She demanded.
Pony looked at the floor guiltily, his bottom lip sticking out. He nodded.
Mrs. C’s face softened, and she crouched down.
“Honey, why didn’t you tell me? You’re not in trouble. Curly is welcome here anytime he wants,” Mrs. C told him.
"No, because you’ll tell Tim!” Pony protested.
“Of course I won't, sweetie. But I want to make sure Curly is okay; I don’t want you lying to me and sneaking him around because that’s dangerous for both of you, okay?” She explained.
“But he said he’s not allowed to talk to you any more,” Pony said.
“That’s why you’ve been sneaking him in?” She asked.
Pony nodded.
“Well, he doesn’t have to talk to me; he can just wave to let me know he’s okay. But you tell him next time he comes through the front door, not the window,” she said.
“Can I not talk and just wave?” Dally called over.
Mrs. C glared at him, but his grin made her smirk slightly.
“You shush,” she told him before turning back to Ponyboy. “Now I imagine he’ll be back for his toy, so you tell him that. And let him know he can always get you to pass on messages if he needs any help. That won’t be talking to me. And I’ll leave him a little box of food on the side every time he comes,” Mrs. C said.
Pony nodded happily.
“Come on, Johnny, let’s go wait for him!” He said, running off happily.
Johnny frowned slightly but wandered after Pony.

~

It was late as Mrs. Curtis cleared away the plates from dinner. She was exhausted. The boys were getting ready for bed, and she knew as soon as they went to sleep, she would too.

There was a gentle rap on the window. She looked up. Curly was there; he held up his stuffed animal, giving her the smile she’d been so desperate to see again and worried that she wouldn’t.
She smiled back and waved.
He waved back.
Then he turned and disappeared into the night.
“They always come back, eventually,” her husband's words rang in her head.
He was right; they always did.

She went and tucked Pony and Johnny into bed, kissing them both goodnight. Before going to Dally, who was sharing with Steve while Mr. Curtis was away as no one could walk him home at night. She wasn’t surprised to find Soda in there, and she was also not surprised that none of them were in bed.

“Come on in that bed, please,” she told them.
“I’m not tired,” Dally yawned from the beanbag.
"Sure, honey,” Mrs. Curtis smiled, guiding him over to the bed.
Steve did a running flip onto the bed, and then Soda followed suit.
“Now go to sleep; I don’t want to hear you all talking,” she told them, pulling the covers over them and leaning down to kiss Soda and Steve. She then walked around the other side. Dally immediately rolled her face away. She smiled, leant down, and kissed him anyway.

Anyway, she was sure Darry would like a night free from Soda’s wriggling and kicking. Her heart skipped a beat.
Darry.
She ran down the hall and opened his door.
“Honey,“ she began.
But then she looked at him; he was fast asleep. It was too late.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Darry woke up, and Mrs. Curtis was sitting at his desk.
“Hey sweetie,” She smiled at him, coming over and sitting on the edge of his bed. “I am so sorry, baby, about yesterday. There was this whole thing with Curly, and….I messed up,” she said.
Darry nodded with a sigh.
“I am so thankful for all your help, honey; I can’t tell you how much. Well, I hope these can help show you,” she added, placing a plate of homemade chocolate chip and banana pancakes on his lap.
Darry smiled at her.
“Shhhh, don’t tell your brothers.” She whispered, leaning in and hugging him tight.
"Thanks, Mom,” Darry said as she released him and sat back down.

“Now, I think we’ve got a lot to talk about,” Mrs. Curtis began.
Darry shifted guiltily.
“Everyone makes mistakes, honey. I’m not mad, and I am sorry I flew off the handle yesterday without letting you explai-“
CRASH
“What on earth was that?” Mrs. Curtis exclaimed, standing up. “I’ll be back in a second, sweetheart,” she called back, running out of the room.

Darry’s smile faded as he watched her leave, looking back down at his special pancakes, the love he had felt moments ago evaporating and slowly the rebellion creeping in once again. He was alone once again. Problems unshared, and new problems arising as his mother tended to his brothers once again.

~

“I LEFT THE ROOM FOR 5 MINUTES!” Mrs. Curtis yelled, aghast at the scene that met her in the kitchen.
The shelf of pots and pans had fallen off the wall, and all its contents covered the floor. Underneath the wreckage were Soda and Steve. Standing to the side, covered in milk, flour, and eggs, were Pony and Johnny.

She bent down, pulled Steve and Soda out of the kitchenware debris, and checked them for damage.
“Are you hurt?” She asked them, unclenching her jaw momentarily.
“Yeah, I’m really hurt. I don’t think you should yell at us.” Steve tried with puppy dog eyes, and Soda followed suit.
“You two are damn lucky; you’re cute!” She huffed, taking their wrists and leading them away from the mess.
“Pony, Johnny, are you okay?” She called in a much softer tone.
“I have flour in my nose!” Pony said, his eyes filling with tears.
“Oh dear,” Mrs. C sighed. “Boys! Look at the state of your poor little brothers,” she said, turning to Soda and Steve.
“I think they look very tasty!” Soda said.
"Sodapop, I suggest you hush!” Mrs. Curtis said firmly, "Pony, honey, what happened?” She asked, crouching down to console him.
Johnny seemed to find the whole situation quite funny and was playing with the flour and egg dripping off his jacket.

“Me and Johnny were just coming to get some cereal, and then the shelf came down, and it knocked all the bowls Steve and Soda were making all over us,” Pony said, bursting into tears.
Mrs. C glared at Steve and Soda.
“We wanted pancakes,” Soda mumbled.
“Yeah, we were going to give him some too!” Steve protested. “The stuff was already out; we just needed a pan,” Steve said.
“So you decided to scale the shelves!” Mrs. C said, raising her eyebrows.
“I mean, it’s not our fault they weren’t screwed on the wall properly,” Soda sassed back.
“What the hell happened in here?” Dally asked, wandering in.
“Dallas, you stay out there; I’ve got enough boys to clean up; I’m going to have to give these two a bath before school,” Mrs. C said.
“You could just take them down to the DX and hose them down,” Steve suggested.
“Why’s Johnny wearing the food?” Dally chuckled still in the doorway, Johnny giggled.
“And Pony!” Ponyboy protested.
“Dallas, away! Unless you want to help clear this up,” Mrs. Curtis called to him.
Dallas retreated back into the living room.

Mrs. C turned back to Soda and Steve, who were now decorating Johnny with chocolate chips.
“Oh my goodness,” Mrs. C sighed, exhausted.
“We’re just adding some final touches,” Soda told her, laughing.
“I’m going to call Grandpa J,” she announced, standing up.
“No!” Steve and Soda exclaimed.
“Then you two best put all these pans on the side before I get done cleaning these two up, or else!” She warned them.

Mrs. Curtis led Pony and Johnny down the hall, and Darry emerged from his room.
“Oh sweetie I’m sorry, your knucklehead brothers decided to try and make pancakes, so I’ve got to clean these two up before school.” She apologised, her heart breaking as she saw the disappointment on Darry’s face. “I promise straight after school, whilst Dally’s at baseball, me and you will sit on the bench and talk; I’ll get Mrs. Matthews to come and watch the others,” she assured him.
"Okay, Mom,” Darry smiled at her.
He didn’t really want to talk to her anymore; he just wanted to go and talk to Rick and Mason.
“I’m going to get the bus today,” he said, heading off down the hall.
“Okay, honey, I’ll see you after school. I love you!” She called after him.
The only response she got was the sound of the front door opening and closing.

~

"Guys, I told you to be chill!” TwoBit said, seeing the aftermath of the chaos.
“We wanted pancakes,” Soda shrugged.
“Come on, it’s not fair, on Darry; where is he?” TwoBit asked.
“He went to get the bus,” Dallas called over.
"Okay, cool, I’m going to go get it with him. Can you guys please just be good for Mrs. C, please?” TwoBit pleaded.
“We’re always good!” Soda grinned.
"Yeah, Two, you’re our role model; we behave just like you taught us!” Steve retorted.

Well, TwoBit had no response for that, so he headed out the door and ran for the bus stop, making it with only a few minutes to spare. He saw Darry there, standing with Rick and Mason; he headed over to join them.

~

“Curly!” Pony exclaimed happily, seeing his friend sitting there as he came back into the living room, wet hair dripping.
Johnny frowned slightly and followed in after, sitting down next to Dallas.

Mrs. C walked in. She looked and saw the pots and pans were all on the side, like she had asked. She looked around to see the boys but gasped when she saw the curly-haired addition sitting there too.
Mrs. Curtis went to speak but stopped herself, instead holding up her hand and waving. Curly returned the wave with the widest grin on his face.

“Okay, where’s TwoBit?” She asked.
“He’s getting the bus with Darry,” Soda told her.
“Right then, we should be on our way. Dally, Steve, and Soda, go get your backpacks, and the three musketeers, come with me, and we’ll get in the car,” she said, grabbing the car keys.

~

Rick and Mason liked TwoBit. Although he was younger, he had the greatest sense of humour, so it didn’t matter that he was immature; he was immature in the right way.
“You dig, okay, man,” Rick laughed as TwoBit continued to crack them up as they walked across the playground.
“Say, why don’t you come hang with us and Darry at lunch?” Mason suggested.
“Yeah, cool!” TwoBit exclaimed.
"Alright, we’ll see you later,” Rick said, heading off with Mason in the direction of their class.
“I like them; they’re really cool,” TwoBit said as he and Darry headed the other way to class.
“I know. I wish they were my older brothers,” Darry said. "Hey, can you not invite the others though? I want to keep this as our thing,” Darry asked.
“Yeah, I get it. No worries, man,” TwoBit promised.
“Okay, I’ll see you at recess.” Darry said, heading off to class, "Oh, and be good!” He called back.
“Hey, you have been in the reflection room more times than me this week!” TwoBit called after him.

~

“Do you think Darry is mad at us?” Soda asked the others as they sat doing the colouring sheet Miss Harrow had given them.
“Who’s care, man? He doesn’t have anything to be mad about. He’s just sulking because he got in trouble with your mom; it’s not a big deal; he’ll get over it.” Dally said.
“Dally knows; he’s the expert,” Johnny chimed in, grinning.
“Ay, get on with your colouring,” Dally smirked back at him.
“But why won’t he hang out with us at recess?” Soda wondered.
“Maybe he’s found some other boring people who like the same boring things as him,” Steve said.
"Look, Soda, enjoy it; there won’t be anyone at recess bugging you about doing homework or lecturing you when you get into trouble.” Dally told him.
“Dally knows he’s the expert,” Johnny burst out, giggling.
“Did you hit your head on a pan this morning?” Dally said, turning to Johnny with a smile.

~

When recess came, Darry and TwoBit headed off to meet Mason and Rick. This time, Darry sat doing his homework with the help of the older boys. He’d never had people help him with his homework before; it was nice.

“Hey TwoBit, do you need any help with yours?” Mason asked.
“I mean, if you’ve got any good excuses, I’d like to hear them,” Twobit replied.
“Come on, Two, do yours.” Darry encouraged him.
"Hell, Darry, I’ve not done any homework in all the three years. If I start doing it now, they’ll die of shock, and that’s murder, so really, I’m doing the right thing,” TwoBit told him.
The boys all laughed.
“I like this; it’s like we’re our own special group. It’s cool,” Darry said.
He felt a sense of belonging here—the one he was starting to lose at home.

Chapter Text

“Now he’s taken TwoBit! What are we going to do?” Soda said dramatically.
“What if he wants to take me? I won’t get to see you anymore.” Steve worried, equally as dramatic as Soda.
“You guys are weird,” Dally sighed as he continued to throw bits of paper across the playground at Cherry.
“Quit it!” She hissed at him; he just smirked and continued.
“We still see them at home, though,” Johnny pointed out.

Soda and Steve dropped their dramatics momentarily.
"Yes, but... it’s not the same!” Soda said with a theatrical wail.
"Yes, we need to make sure that no one else leaves. Everyone needs to swear allegiance to this gang!” Steve declared.
“Yeah, say that we’ll hang out at every recess and lunch, and we won’t leave each other for other friends,” Soda added.
“Okay,” Johnny agreed.

“Sir, Dallas won’t stop throwing things at me!” Cherry called the on-duty teacher.
“Dallas, if you like Cherry, I think you better just talk to her rather than throw things,” Coach Haines called over.
Dallas went bright red, and Cherry and her group of friends all laughed.

“Dally!” Soda whined.
“What!” Dally yelled, turning back around to them.
“Swear allegiance to our gang, SSJD,” Soda told him.
“What’s it mean?” Dally asked, huffing, still slightly blushing.
“School Sucks, Juciebox Dragon,” Steve said.
"No, it’s our initials,” Johnny told him, shaking his head.
"Yeah, and it means that we won’t leave each other for other friends,” Soda said.
Dally looked unsure.
“And it means Darry can’t take Johnny to join his new friends,” Soda added.
"Okay, I’m in,” Dally decided. “What about Tim? I want to hang with him sometimes,” Dally said.
Soda and Steve thought.
"Well, okay, Tim doesn’t count,” Soda decided.
“Yeah, Tim has shared custody of you with us,” Steve chimed in.
“What about Cherry? Dally might want to see her from time to time!” Johnny interjected, giggling.
“You little-“ Dally began.
"Okay, girlfriends are exempt,” Soda added, laughing along.
Dallas jumped on both of them, and SSJD rolled around, fighting for the rest of recess.

~

Mrs. Curtis loves her boys more than anything in the world. She knew she could not let him down again. Which is why she had not given in to Pony’s tantrum; she hadn’t gotten involved in Soda and Steve’s fighting; that was for Mrs. Matthews to deal with. Today was Darry’s time, and her attention was for him and him only for the next 45 minutes.

Mrs. Matthews herded the rest of the boys away, and she sat next to her eldest on a bench. She passed him a specially made brownie and a flask of hot chocolate.

Darry smiled.
"Thanks, Mom,” he said, and he meant it.
His doubts and disappointment eased as he tasted the brownie. The same brownies she’d made him when he lost his first football game, the same brownies she made him when he dropped his favourite toy car down the weather drain, the same ones he’d eaten snuggled in her arms after he’d had to get stitches when he busted his chin.

It was quiet; it was peaceful; a weight felt as though it had been lifted as the brownie melted on his tongue; he knew they were going to be okay. Darry had just forgotten what those brownies tasted like for a while.

~

Mrs. Matthews stood looking out across the park.
“Keith, let them go!” She called as TwoBit made his way towards the fountain, dragging Steve and Soda.
“No, I’m disciplining them for earlier,” he told her, continuing with the struggling boys in tow.
“Keith!” Mrs. Matthews warned, strolling over.
“Put them in!” Pony chanted, clapping excitedly.
“Hey!” Soda protested, Pony giggled, and he continued his chanting.

“Keith Matthews, I am warning you." Mrs. Matthews began.
SPLASH
Soda and Steve landed in the fountain. Pony cheered.
Mrs. Matthews marched forward; she pulled the soaking boys out of the fountain. Steve immediately lunged for TwoBit.
"Uh, uh, allow me,” Mrs. Matthews said, pulling him back.
She reached for TwoBit, who didn’t have a chance to dart out of the way.
“Mom, no!” TwoBit protested as she pulled him towards the fountain.
“It’s only fair; you put them in the fountain, so you’re going to get a taste of your own medicine, my boy,” Mrs. Matthews told him.

They reached the fountain.
“In,” she ordered him.
TwoBit sighed, but then a smile spread across his face. He cannonballed into the fountain, creating a huge splash that splattered his mother in water.
“You little devil!” Mrs. Matthews smirked, shaking off the water, as TwoBit climbed out, grinning.
“Hey Mom, get caught in the rain, did you?" He laughed at her.
Mrs. Matthews shook her head as TwoBit stood there, cackling widely.

~

“It’s called growing up, honey,” Mrs. C told him as he rested against her on the bench. “You’ve only known life in our household, but now that you’re older, you’re finding your life away from us. It’s never going to be easy. But you don’t need to worry; you can have friends and family. Sometimes those things cross over, sometimes they don’t, but you don’t have to choose.” She explained, “The thing about family, though, is that you can never really lose them. You can lose friends, but you’ll always have family—they're part of you, no matter what,” she added, kissing his forehead.

Darry knew what she meant; it was the answer he’d been searching for and struggling with for days. Who was he? Was he a big brother to Darry, or was he a friend Darry? But now he knew—Darry was all those things. He had thought he was being lost in the crowd and that his identity was diluted by his brothers. But now he realises that other people don’t take your identity; they bring new parts out. You get more out of yourself through others.

“But honey, I’ve let you down. This is the time in your life when you need me most, and I haven’t been there for you,” Mrs. C said, her voice wobbling slightly.
“It’s okay, Mom, really; I understand." Darry told her, “I just got jealous of all the attention they get, but I was forgetting how much attention I got when I was their age." He said.
“When did you get to be so mature?” Mrs. C grinned at him. “I wish attention was something we could divide as equally as our love, but it’s impossible—with seven completely different boys, it’s impossible. But I think me and your father need some sort of system to give each of you some 1:1 time, no matter what chaos your other brothers are causing,” she said.

There was a moment of silence between them.
“Mom, I’m sorry I got mad; I didn’t mean it,” Darry told her.
“Honey, you don’t have to apologise. In fact, I’m glad you yelled at me; I deserved it. But you gotta remember, no matter how mad you are at us, we love you, all of you, equally,” Mrs. C drilled into him.
“I know, Mom, but I don’t know. I just got a bit rebellious, I guess.” Darry said, blushing slightly.
“Well, everyone gets like that sometime. But you got no excuses anymore; you bring home more notes, and I’ll treat you the same as Dally.” Mrs Curtis said, nudging his arm.
“But Dally doesn’t get in trouble.” Darry replied, looking confused.
“Oh yes, he does!” Mrs C exclaimed, “Have you ever wondered why he only gets to go out with you other boys at the weekend once in a blue moon?” She asked.
“He told us it’s because he’s got better things to do.” Darry told her.
“Oh no, it ain’t! It’s because he’s doing chores with me and grounded.” Mrs C chuckled.
Darry smiled.
“I thought he was…that little liar!” Darry said.
“None of you boys get away with acting like fools in my house, not even the big bad Dallas Winston, whatever he tells you.” Mrs C said, putting an arm round Darry and pulling him close.
Darry smiled.
“Do you know what Pony said the other week?” She asked him.
“What?” Darry wondered.
“I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up... He said he wanted to be Darry.” She revealed.
Darry’s heart swelled.
“You don’t need to worry about being perfect; you just need to worry about being you because you are as good as they come, honey, and that’s all I want for any of you is to be your good selves. That’s the best example you could set them.” Mrs Curtis explained.
“I will, Mom, I will.” Darry promised her.
“Hey buddy,” A voice spoke from behind them.

~

“Timothy Shepard and Dallas Winston, what are you doing?“ Coach Haines called, walking over to them.
They both had two baseball gloves on and were boxing.
“I asked you to practice your catching; look, the rest of the class is doing it.” Coach Haines said, motioning to the rest of the obedient team.

The boys ignored him and continued playfighting.
“Boys,” Coach Haines said in a warning tone.
“Catch this, Dally,” Tim said, laughing and landing a solid punch in his stomach.
Dallas fell back, laughing.
“Okay, that’s enough. Come on,” Coach Haines said, helping Dallas up and removing the gloves from him. “You can both run a lap around the gym,” Coach Haines told them.
"Uh, come on,” Dallas whined.
“You can either run a lap or you’re not coming to practice tomorrow,” Coach said simply.
Dallas kicked at the ground and scowled, but did eventually begin a slow jog around the gymnasium.
“Tim?” Coach said, turning back to him.
“Not doing it,” Tim said defiantly, going and slumping on the bench at the side.
“Your choice, but you will have to miss practice tomorrow,” Coach told him calmly.
Tim threw a baseball glove angrily at the wall just as Dallas reached them after finishing his lap.

“Thank you, Dallas; now you can go join everyone else, and if Tim will run his lap, so can he,” Coach said.
“Just do it, man,” Dallas said.
Tim still sat seething.
“Yo, Shepard?” Dally called after a moments hesitation.
Tim glanced up. Dallas was holding his leather jacket with a smirk on his face.
“Put that down, kid!” Tim warned.
Dallas smirked and took off running, with Tim right on his heels.

“I’m going to get you, Winston!” Tim yelled, running after Dallas as he continued to charge around the gym.
Suddenly, he came to a stop and dropped the jacket.
“That count, Coach?” Dally asked.
Coach Haines smirked at them.
“I guess we’ll call that a lap; go on, go join everyone else, you two knuckleheads,” Coach told them.
Dallas turned back around to Tim, and he winked, earning him an affectionate punch from Tim, who, after picking up his jacket, did come and join the rest of the team.

~

“Dad!” Darry exclaimed, turning around and running into his father’s open arms.
“I missed you junior. You been taking good care of everyone?” Mr C asked him.
“He’s been fantastic. I think he did a better job than you!” Mrs C interjected.
“Wow, you're going to try and steal my job; you fancy yourself as the boss of this house, huh?” Mr C grinned.
"Well, that’s not your job; it’s Mom’s!” Darry laughed.
“You got that right, buddy, but I am still a tickling champion!” Mr. C said, tickling Darry to the ground, despite the 10-year-old initially trying to resist but then being overcome by laughter.

"Say, I think you got something in your pocket there,” Mr. C said, ceasing his tickling.
Darry looked down. He gasped.
“Oh my,“ he spluttered.
Two NFL tickets.
“Dad I-“ Darry choked out.
“You deserve them, buddy,” Mr. C said, crouching down.
“You do, honey,” Mrs. C added.
Darry looked up at his dad the same way his brothers looked up to him.

“Here they come,” Mrs. C sighed, seeing the others make their way over.
“Are Soda and Steve wet?” Mr. C asked.
“Probably,” Mrs. C sighed.
“Daddy!” Pony exclaimed, running over.
“Hey there, little buddy!” Mr. C said crouching down and scooping up Ponyboy.
Soda and Steve ran over, with Johnny jogging along behind. Mr. C placed Pony down to greet the others.

"Darry, did you like your brownie?” Ponyboy asked, running over, looking up hopefully at his brother.
“I loved it, little buddy.” Darry smiled at him, ruffling his hair.
Yeah, they were little, but that wasn’t why his brothers looked up to him. It was those hopeful smiles they gave when they sought his approval or the way they ran to him when they were hurt or needed help. It was the way he piggybacked them home if they were too tired. Being an older brother wasn’t a burden; he was the special one. He was the chosen one. Out of seven boys, he was the lucky one who got to lead the pack, and no one could ever take that away from him.

Chapter Text

“There’s my baseball player!” Mr. C smiled as Dallas came wandering over. “You been being good, Buster?” He asked, ruffling Dally’s hair and handing him a snack bar.
"Yeah, real good,” Dally smirked at him.
“Oh yeah, now why don’t I believe you?” Mr. C chuckled, leading Dally back to the car.
“Can we go play baseball at the park this weekend?” Dally asked as they approached the others.
"Yeah, sure,“ Mr. C began.
“No!” Mrs. C interrupted, “You are grounded, mister, and you know it!” She said it firmly.
Dally tutted.
“Nice try, pal,” Mr. C said.
“Don’t worry, Dad, we’ll play baseball at the park with you,” Darry said, “while Dally has better things to do!” Darry added with a smirk.
“Shut up!” Dallas spat, scowling as they all got into the car.
“How is being grounded better than playing baseball?” Ponyboy asked Darry.
“Good question, Pony!” Darry said, with mock wonderment, “Ask Dally!”
“I'm going to punch you, Superman!” Dallas growled.

“Oh no, you ain’t!” Mrs. Curtis warned him with a stern glare, turning around in her seat. “You just sit there nicely. I am not happy with how you have been telling your brothers you don’t get in trouble. Dallas Winston, you ought to know by now you ain’t too tough to be grounded and you ain’t too tough for timeout; which is straight where you’ll be headed if you do anything to Darry, you hear me?” Mrs. C lectured him sternly.
Dallas blushed slightly as he scowled. Darry had a satisfied smile on his face and looked over at his mom, who winked at him.
“Dallas, I think Mrs. C asked you a question,” Mr. C prompted.
"Yes, ma'am,” Dallas spat through gritted teeth, pouting.
“Thank you,” Mrs. C said, turning back to face the front. “Okay, let’s go home!” She said.

~

Mr. and Mrs. C sat on one couch, Darry snuggled in between them, and Ponyboy was on Mrs. C’s lap. It was nice to be home. Mr. Curtis felt a little tug on his arm. He looked to the side.
“Hello?” He smiled at Johnny. “What can I do for you?” He asked kindly.
Johnny looked over at Ponyboy.
"Ah, I see,” Mr. C chuckled, reaching out and lifting Johnny to sit on his lap. "That better?” He asked, tickling Johnny gently.
Johnny nodded, giggling.
"Dally, you want to come sit on my lap?” Darry called over to the other couch.
Mr. and Mrs. C snickered as Dally glared.
“We’ll come sit on your lap, Darry!” Soda grinned, pulling Steve up.
“No-“ Darry protested.
But it was too late; the two of them were already bundling on top of him, eventually all three of them ending up on the floor in a heap.
“Welcome home,” Mrs. C sighed, looking at Mr. C.
“Aww, I’ve missed this,” he grinned, looking at the wrestling boys as Johnny buried himself in his chest.

~

The next few days, life was back to normal; the only difference was that Darry, and sometimes TwoBit, spent recess and lunch break with Rick and Mason. But it wasn’t out of spite, and “School Sucks Juicebox Dragon” had their own fun without Darry’s supervision.

The normality was nice, but everything was about to change, and it all started when Darry’s grade went to a swimming class.

“Good job, Darrel!” Coach Haines called as Darry finished a length before everyone else. “We got ten minutes left, so I’ll let you have some free time in the pool,” Coach announced, looking at his watch, much to the delight of the class. They all spent the next ten minutes splashing, diving, and jumping around, having a great time.

When they headed back to the locker rooms, everyone hurried over to their peg. Darry did too, but there was nothing there. His stuff had gone. All that was left was his towel.

Darry looked down the back of the benches and across the floor, but he couldn’t find anything. Well, actually, he did find an old referral form with the name Keith Matthews on it.
“Come on, Darrel, everyone else is ready,” Coach Haines said, poking his head around the door.
“I can't, sir; someone has taken my clothes!” Darry told him.

~

To say the next hour was humiliating is an understatement. Coach Haines managed to find Darry a robe to wear, but that didn’t stop everyone from whooping, whistling, and laughing at him. They pulled at his robe as he walked as quickly as he could to his next class, blushing all the way. And in the classroom, the giggling and comments continued. Darry just wanted to go home.

When it was finally time for recess, he sped out the door and found sanctuary in his usual quiet corner, waiting for TwoBit, Mason, and Rick.

"Jeeez, Darry, where’s your clothes?” TwoBit exclaimed, laughing as he sat down.
“I don’t know, someone took them in swimming,” Darry said. He saw TwoBit grinning. “Don't laugh; it’s not funny!” Darry said, punching his arm slightly.
"Aw, come on, it’s pretty funny. I can’t believe I never thought of it!” TwoBit said, erupting into hysterical laughter, much to Darry’s annoyance, "Say, do you know when Tim Shepard has swimming?” TwoBit choked out, through his laughing.
Darry snickered in spite of himself, and pretty soon he was laughing along with TwoBit.

“Hey guys!” Mason greeted him, walking over with Rick.
“Lose something, Darry?” Rick said it with a smirk.
Mason held up a bundle of clothes.
“Oh my god, it was you guys! What the hell?” Darry yelled, getting up, snatching his clothes.
Rick and Mason burst out laughing.
“Nice one, guys!” TwoBit said, still cackling wildly.
“I am gonna get you back for this I swear,” Darry promised, although he was chuckling slightly with everyone else.

“Chill out, man; it was just your initiation,” Rick told him, sitting down.
“What’s that mean?” TwoBit asked.
"Well, see, we all have to do something to prove we’re part of our club,” Mason explained.
“Do you guys have to do it too?” Darry asked, looking at Rick and Mason.
"Yeah, man, we all do,” Rick told him.
"So, what’s my initiation?” TwoBit asked.
"See, me and Rick were just talking about a group of friends a few years ago; they had the most badass initiation,” Mason began.
“You don’t mean Corey Daxy?” Darry interjected.
"Yeah, man, see, you’ve heard about it. It’s legendary; I think that’s what we should all do for initiation,” Mason said. “Once Darry’s changed, of course!” He added with a grin.
“I wanna do it!” TwoBit exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement.
“You don’t even know what it is yet,” Darry said, a hint of nerves in his voice.
“I don’t care; I’ll do whatever it is!” TwoBit said proudly:.
“I know, that’s what worries me!” Darry muttered as the boys headed inside.

Chapter Text

“Dallas, go to Coach Haines!” Miss Harrow told him furiously.
She was busy trying to help Cherry get some gum out of her hair that someone had so helpfully put there.
“She asked for some gum!” Dallas protested.
“You’re going to have a C4 if I have to ask you again!” Miss Harrow warned.
“What is he on at the moment?” Soda called out, “Just for us audience members to keep track!” He added with a grin.
Miss Harrow's frown twitched slightly.
"Ah, there we go!” She exclaimed as she finally managed to pry the gum out.

Cherry walked back to her seat, glaring at Dally and sticking out her tongue.
“Dally’s in love!” Steve singsonged to Soda, and they both giggled.

Cherry gasped as she sat down, immediately jumping back to her feet.
“Oh yeah, forgot to say, I didn’t know how many pieces you wanted, so, uh, I left you some extra,” Dally said coolly as Cherry looked down to see she now had gum stuck on her skirt.
“Right, C4—out!” Miss Harrow ordered.
"Ah, come on, it’s only like a C3 at most!" Dally tried, knowing a C4 was an immediate phone call home.
“I’m sure Cherry’s parents won’t agree when they have to buy a new skirt. To the office, now!” Miss Harrow repeated.
"Alright, alright,” Dally sighed, getting up and heading for the door.
He turned around and gave one last wink at Cherry, who growled in frustration, desperately trying to get the gum off.

~

“Why are we in here?” TwoBit asked.
It was lunch break, and Mason, Rick, Darry, and TwoBit were in the auditorium on the stage.
“This is the way to the initiation,” Mason told him, heading to the door at the back of the stage.
"What? Going backstage?” TwoBit asked slightly confused as they all made their way to where the props and costumes were stored for various school productions.
“No, going through there,” Rick said, pointing to the door at the side of the backstage room.
"See, through that door is a staircase, and the staircase leads to that clock tower thing on top of the school. And that’s what Corey Daxy and his friends did—they all climbed to the top and leaned out, writing their names on the roof,” Mason explained.
“That’s our initiation,” Rick added.
“Won’t that door be locked?” Darry said.
Rick walked over and took a dime out of his pocket, putting it in the slit of the door handle and turning it until there was a click.
“Not anymore!” He grinned at Darry.
“Who’s first?” Mason asked.
“One of you go first; show us how it’s done,” Darry said, still looking over his shoulder every minute or so back out into the auditorium.
Rick headed through the door.

~

“Curly, what are you doing?” Mr. C chuckled as the 4-year-old hung upside down off the back of the couch.
“I'm a bat,” Curly said.
"Dad, you can’t talk to him!” Pony told Mr. C.
“No, Tim only said I couldn’t talk to Mrs. C,” Curly called as he dangled.
“Oh, okay, Dad, you can talk to him!” Pony said going back to playing with his train.
"Curly, you may be a bat, but just watch yourself; you don’t want to-“
THUMP
“Fall!” Mr. C sighed, getting to his feet and coming over to where Curly lay on the floor in shock.
“Are you okay there, Batman?” Mr. C asked, gently sitting him up.

His lip wobbled, and he looked up at Mr. C, his eyes filling with tears. Which eventually poured over, and Curly held out his arms.
"Aww, come here, buddy,” Mr. C said, hoisting Curly up. "Shhh, you’re okay,” he said, patting his back as Curly cried quietly into his shoulder.
“Daddy!” Pony said, tugging on Mr. C’s leg, and he held up Curly’s stuffed animal.
“Good thinking, little buddy,” Mr. C smiled at him. “Curls, I got someone that will make you feel better,” he said, putting the animal right next to Curly.
Curly lifted his head slightly, and Mr. C made the animal pretend to give him a kiss. Curly smiled, snuggled it close, and leant back into Mr. C’s shoulder, sniffling but he was smiling - finally back safe and looked after in an adult's arms.

~

“I’ll go next!” TwoBit said that now Rick and Mason had both been.
“No, I’m gonna go. I want to make sure it’s safe before I send you up there,” Darry told him, heading through the door.
He also wanted to check that Rick and Mason’s names were on the roof.

He climbed the staircase, and sure enough, when he leant out the bottom window on a tile outside, there was Rick and Mason’s names and on another tile was Corey Daxy and his crew. Darry picked up the chalk that was lying on the ground in the clock tower and added his name. He smiled at it proudly when he stood up, happy to see his friendship confirmed in this way. There gang was now the stuff of legend.

~

“Stop it, you two!” Jenny sighed.
Two boys had been sent to the office that afternoon: Dallas Winston and Tim Shepard. There should be a rule that if one has already been sent to the office, the other should be sent somewhere else; otherwise, it ends up with her having to try and contain them while they wait for Principal Burrows.

They had somehow found a ping pong ball and were reeking havoc by throwing it to each other or at each other.
"Oh, dear, what’s going on?” Principal Burrows sighed, returning from lunch, another man following behind him.

Jenny held out the two referral slips.
"Okay, youngest first,” Principal Burrows said, heading to his office. "Oh, Jenny, could you sign in Mr. Botham? He’s the plumber here to repair the radiator in the auditorium,” he added, heading into the office with Dally.

~

Rick, Mason, and Darry stood messing around with the props and costumes while they waited for TwoBit. But suddenly, they all froze.
“It’s just through here,” a voice said.
“Quick! Someone’s coming!” Rick hissed, charging out the door. Mason and Darry followed after him.

They just made it out the fire exit door when the janitor and the plumber came into the auditorium.
“Twobit’s still up there!” Darry hissed as they all stood peering through the small window on the door.
“It’s fine; I’m sure they won’t stay long; we’ll go and get him when they leave,” Mason whispered back.
“We left the backstage door open; look, the janitor has seen it!” Rick gasped.

They watched on in horror as the two men went in. After a minute or two, they emerged, and the janitor had his keys in his hands.
“Oh my god,” Darry gasped.
“What?” The other two said, turning to him.
“They’ve locked him in,” Darry said faintly, the color draining from his face.

Chapter Text

“Dallas I’m just struggling to see how you can accidentally put gum on Cherry’s chair,” Principal Burrows said.
Dally thought for a moment.
"Okay, can I start again? I’ll think of something better,” he suggested.
Principal Burrows smirked slightly.
“Are you going to put gum in people's hair or on people's seats again?” He asked, turning more stern.
"No, sir,” Dally replied.
“Okay then. Now remind me, what happens when you get a C4?” Principal Burrows said, raising his eyebrows.
Dally frowned.
“No free play,” he said miserably.
“And?” Principal Burrows prompted.
“Can’t you just make a note?” Dally tried.
“No, a C3 is a note, and a C4 is a phone call,” Principal Burrows said, picking up the phone on his desk.

~

Mason, Rick, and Darry watched on as the plumber set to work fiddling with the radiator. There’s no way they could get to TwoBit without being seen.
“We’ll have to come back for him later,” Mason sighed.
“We can’t leave him there all afternoon!” Darry said.
"Well, we can’t go in there now, or they’ll know what we did,” Rick argued.

They were right; Darry knew it—it was the only way to keep his little brother out of trouble. The bell rang.
"See, we have to go now,” Rick said, starting down the steps.
Darry looked one last time through the window, feeling helpless, before he headed down the steps to class. He’d be back to rescue his little brother; he knew it.

~

"Cherry, do you want to marry Dally?” Soda called across the classroom.
“Shut up!” Dally growled.
“He’d be a great husband—sulking and scowling are included!” Soda added as Dally launched an eraser at his head.
"Awww, and he’s caring; he knew I needed an eraser!” Steve said, picking up the eraser.
“Johnny, do you want me to find you a different table to sit on, one where people actually do their work?” Miss Harrow asked.
Johnny smiled but shook his head.
“Cherry, if you had to marry one of us, who would you marry?” Steve asked.
Dallas did loosen his scowl for a second to listen to her answer.
“Probably Johnny,” Cherry said. “Or Soda,” she added.
Johnny blushed bright red, and Soda smirked at Dally triumphantly.
"Why are you looking at me? She’s the last person in the world I’d want to marry!” Dally yelled.
“Don’t worry, Winston, you’re last on my list!” Cherry retorted, glaring at him.
"Okay, you two!” Miss Harrow called, silencing the bickering. “Let’s all just be civil; anyway, it’s time to start packing up, and Dallas, you need to come sit on the mat,” she told the class.

Dally huffed; he hated missing free play. With a C3, you only missed half, but having to sit there for all of it because he had a C4 was going to be a challenge.

~

Not as much of a challenge as it had been for Darry trying to sit still in the classroom that afternoon. After about an hour, he couldn’t take it any longer.
“Sir, I don’t feel well. Can I go and see the nurse?” He burst out.
“Uh, okay, Darry,” Mr. Ryman replied, writing out a note. It was certainly out of character for Darry to interrupt him, so he must be ill.

Darry took the note and sprinted down the halls. He hesitated outside the auditorium, looking through the window—it was empty.
In an instant, he was backstage and scrambling to find a coin.
“TwoBit?” He called.
No answer.
Finally, he found a lost dime in his jeans and managed to open the door. He flung it open.
“Oh my god!” He gasped, seeing TwoBit lying on the floor inside the door.
He rushed to his side.
“TwoBit!” He yelled, shaking him.

A grin spread across the 7-year-old’s face.
“Good morning!” He said, sitting up.
Darry frowned.
“Don’t do that!” Darry scolded him.
“How about you! Locking me in here?” TwoBit protested.
“We didn’t; the janitor came and we had to run, and he locked it, and we couldn’t come back because he was in the auditorium for ages!” Darry explained.
“Yeah, I know. I knew you wouldn’t lock me in, and I knew you wouldn’t make me miss class, so I thought something like that would have happened,” TwoBit said, standing up.
"Well, I'd say you’re definitely initiated now! They’ll be so glad when they know you’re out,” Darry said, breathing a sigh of relief.

A sparkle went across Twobit’s eyes.
“What?” Darry asked, knowing that look.
“I know how we can get them back for stealing your clothes,” TwoBit proposed.
“Oh yeah?” Darry said he couldn’t hide his intrigue.
“They don’t know I’m out. If you lock the door, then the school play rehearsal will be going on when they come and check at the end of the day, and you could tell them I’m still stuck in there,” TwoBit said.
“And then what?” Darry asked, curiously.
“Welll….ummm. Oh, I know, you could tell them to meet you back here at 5 when the rehearsals end, and then we’ll like scare them and set up booby traps and stuff!” TwoBit said excitedly.
“I don’t know.“ Darry said, shaking his head.
"Oh, come on, Darry, please! It’ll be fun; they like playing pranks, so now it’s our turn; they’ll like it, and then they’ll know they can’t prank us just because we’re younger.” TwoBit told him.
Darry supposed TwoBit was right—it would show Rick and Mason that they were equals.

~

Johnny lay on his belly, slowly slithering across the carpet. Dally was grinning at him from where he sat on the mat in front of Miss Harrow’s desk. He was silent and somehow managed to avoid detection, crawling to sit next to Dallas. They both snickered quietly.
“Can I play with you when we get home?” Johnny whispered.
“I don’t know; Principal Burrows called Mr. C, so I’m going to be in trouble,” Dally told him.
Johnny frowned slightly.
“You got Pony to play with!” Dally reminded him.
“Yeah, but he just plays with Curly now, and I just have to watch,” Johnny mumbled sadly.

"Steven, get off the bookcase, now!” Miss Harrow yelled across the classroom.
“You told me I needed to take more of an interest in reading,” he called back.
“That’s not what I meant; now you get down or you can come and sit with Dally on the mat,” Miss Harrow warned, motioning to Dally and then doing a double take. “How long have you been there?” She asked Johnny.
Johnny shrugged shyly.
“Does Dallas need your help to get through his detention?” She asked kindly.
Johnny nodded, putting a hand on Dally’s shoulder.
“He lost a wife today,” Johnny said with a giggle.
Miss Harrow couldn’t help but laugh, both at Johnny’s comment and Dally’s furious expression. If it had been anyone else, Dallas would have erupted, but he couldn’t do that with Johnny, and the expression on his face at the internal conflict was hilarious.

~

“Did you let him out?“ Rick and Mason called, running over to Darry, who was waiting outside the auditorium.
“I was going to, but look,” Darry said, motioning to the window.
The boys peered through and saw the school play rehearsal.
“Oh no! What are we going to do?” Rick worried.
“We’ll have to rescue him somehow,“ Mason added.
“Look, I think we’re going to have to sneak back in tonight, once everyone has gone,” Darry told them, keeping his face as serious as he could, even though internally he was beaming.

~

Johnny sat in the bedroom, frowning as Curly and Pony played, excitedly running around the room. He could hear Mr. C yelling at Dally, so he knew that that wasn’t an option. Maybe he should try again with these two.
“Pony, can I play now?” Johnny asked, climbing down off the bed.
Pony stopped running and looked at Curly.
"Well, this game is just for two people,” Curly told him. “But you can watch,” Curly added.
“Can we do something for three people, please?” Johnny pleaded.
“No, I like this game; we can play with you another time,” Pony said, pushing Johnny away slightly.
“You mean you’ll play with me when Curly’s not here!” Johnny retorted.
"Hey, don’t be mean to Curly!” Pony said, turning on him.
"He's taking my friend; Mrs. C said he could come here, but she didn’t say he could take friends!” Johnny protested sadly.
“Just cause you ain’t got any other friends!” Curly snarked.
"Well, at least I can talk to Mrs. C; she gives me hugs and everything!” Johnny boasted.
“Hey! You be quiet…your real parents don’t even like you.” Ponyboy exclaimed, seeing Curly’s hurt expression.
Johnny's heart dropped slightly; he could feel tears filling his eyes, and he ran out of the room.

He was heading down the hall, straight to crawl up into Mr. C’s arms.
“Dallas! You better not have just done what I think you have!” Mr. C yelled, stomping across the living room.
Johnny stopped, tears streaming down his face, but was too scared to go any further.
“Look at that hole in the wall! You are for it now, Buster!” He heard Mr. C roar.

Johnny retreated back down the hall, scrambling for somewhere to retreat too. Sadness and fear overwhelmed him. Darry. He’d go to Darry.

Johnny ran into Darry’s room, ready to melt down in his arms. But it was empty. Johnny whimpered, crying properly, unable to comfort himself, and unable to find anyone to comfort him.
"Honey, you must always come to us when you are upset!” Mrs. C's words rang in his ears, but Johnny just couldn’t.
Once again, Johnny was scared. He didn’t need to be scared right now; he wanted to be safe. A gust of wind caught him off guard, sent a chill down his spine, and lit up the tears on his cheeks.

The window in Darry’s room was open; he wandered over, still sniffling and shaking. He looked out, and he could see Darry and TwoBit in the distance, heading across the street.
“Darry?” He called.
But no one heard him.
SLAM
Johnny jumped out of his skin as a door slam close by caught him off guard. His pulse skyrocketed again, and he looked off after Darry. That was his safety right now; Darry would help him, so he scurried out the window and ran after the older boys as they disappeared into the distance.

Chapter Text

“Have you calmed down now?” Mr Curtis asked calmly, looking over at Dallas, who shuffled guiltily in the doorway.
“Sorry,” Dally mumbled.
“Are you sorry for slamming the door or kicking the hole in the wall?” Mr C asked gently raising his eyebrows, “Or getting the phone call home?” He added, remembering the reason the confrontation had begun.
“All of it,” Dally mumbled.
“Come here Buster,” Mr C smiled, motioning over for him, once he was close enough he pulled him in for a rough hug (the only type Dallas would accept from him), “Good job calming down. You’re in trouble but we’ll talk about that later; I need to get dinner on. So you go play with your brothers and be good,” Mr C told him, with a final squeeze before he released Dallas sending him on his way with a gentle pat.

~

Johnny jogged along the lawns and streets best he could, trying to keep up with the older boys but he still couldn’t catch up to them . Although with all the exercise, he had stopped crying. Now his main concern was his energy, he’d been running for ages. Where on Earth were they going?

~

TwoBit and Darry ran along the streets excitedly, full of adrenaline. Unaware of the stowaway they had following behind them. They were nearly at the school when a familiar face emerged round the corner.
“Hey Tim, tell your brother he owes me a cookie, kid ate mine when I was in the bathroom!” TwoBit chuckled panting, as they came to a stop near him.
“Curly’s at your house?” Tim asked, slightly confused.
“Yeah man, he’s playing with Pony,” TwoBit shrugged.
“Look Tim, we gotta go do something, we’ll see you later,” Darry interjected.
Tim watched them run off, his jaw slowly clenching.
“That little brat!” He growled, charging off in the direction of the Curtis house.
He was going at such a speed he didn’t see the small 6 year old boy stumbling after Darry and TwoBit, panting heavily.

~

“Hey honey,” Mrs C greeted, coming in the front door, “It’s very quiet - where is everyone?” She asked.
“They should just be playing. Dinner’s nearly ready if you want to go and get them,” Mr C replied, “Oh and after we eat, we need to have a talk with Dallas,” he added with a frown.
“Not another note!” She sighed.
“Nope this time is was a phone call,” Mr C explained, “And we now have a lovely dent in the wall that I’m going to have to fix this weekend,” he said, motioning to the large chunk missing from the living room wall.
“I thought baseball was meant to make him better behaved, not worse!” Mrs C said.
“This is better honey! Do you not remember what he was like this time last year,” Mr C pointed out, “Anyway, I’m dishing up now if you could go get the little rascals!” He added, bringing over the pot of stew.

~

Darry and TwoBit climbed on top of the trash can and through the bathroom window that was never locked. They didn’t hear the little voice calling them from down the street; they were too busy running to the auditorium with only had about 5 minutes before the others arrived.

“It’s pitch black, they’ve shut off the power!” Darry said, flicking the light switch on and off.
“I think I found a torch,” TwoBit said, rustling around in the school play props and soon a beam of light appeared.
“Okay quick, let’s grab that skeleton and put it behind the staircase door, so when I open it with them they’ll freak!” Darry said, pointing to the prop they had found earlier.
“Yeah, I’ll hide in there and then jump out after,” TwoBit added, “Hey, we should use these they’ll make it even spookier!” TwoBit said, holding up some candles.
“Okay, you take the torch in with you, quick, they’ll be hear any second!” Darry said, unlocking the other door and passing TwoBit the skeleton.

~

“I don’t understand how 3 of you can completely vanish and no one knows anything!” Mrs C exclaimed, to the lineup of boys before her.
“Me and Steve were just playing in the backyard, I haven’t talked to them since we got back from school,” Soda said.
“Pony? Curly?” Mrs C asked, turning to them.
“Well…we saw Johnny for a bit,” Pony mumbled shifting nervously.
“What did you do, you little rat!” Dallas demanded, towering over him.
“No thank you!” Mrs C told him firmly pulling him away.
Dallas growled and shook her off, turning and running off out the front door.
“Great, now there’s 4 on the loose!” Mr Curtis sighed, “I’m going to call Mrs Matthews, get her to come straight over,” he said, getting up and going to the phone.
“Now Pony, what happened with Johnny?” Mrs C said sternly.
“Ummm…I think I made him sad,” Pony said guiltily, his eyes looking slightly glossy.

~

Dallas ran down the block, scanning everywhere - he’d checked the usual spots, but still nothing.
“Oi, Winston!” Tim called.
“Yo Tim, you seen Johnny?” Dally asked, running over to him.
“Nah, I saw Darry and TwoBit. They were by the school,” Tim told him, “Hey is my kid brother at your house?” He added.
“Yeah man, was Johnny with Darry?” Dallas asked.
“I didn’t seem him,” Tim shrugged, both boys looking in the opposite directions.
“Look I’ll see you later,” Dallas said, charging off towards the school, calling out for Johnny as Tim turned and ran towards the Curtis house.

~

“Darry?” Mason called.
“In here!” Darry shouted back.
“Why’s it dark?” Rick asked, following Darry’s voice.
“They’ve shut the power off, I’m just lighting these candles so we’ll be able to see. Why don’t you let him out, I forgot to bring a coin,” Darry said, desperately trying to disguise his smirk.

Mason unlocked the door.
“Pass me a candle?” He called, looking into the blackness of the next room.
“TwoBit?” Rick called.
There was no answer.

Darry brought over the candle.
“Oh my god!” Mason screamed as the flame light illuminated the plastic skeleton.
Both boys shrieked.
“Hello gentlemen,” A voice whispered in the shadows.
They shrieked again, higher this time.
A beam of light appeared and Twobit’s face lit up.
“Boo!” He yelled.
“Arghhhhhh!” Mason and Rocky screamed, scrambling to run out the room, crashing into everything in the poor light.
“Quick Darry, before they go get people to do an exorcism!” TwoBit laughed, standing up.
Darry and TwoBit charged after the older boys.

“Mason! Rick! It was just a joke!” TwoBit yelled, still laughing.
Mason and Rick hesitated at the end of the hall.
“See I’m not dead!” TwoBit told them.
Slowly, they came back down the hall.
As they got closer Darry saw how wide their eyes were and how pale they looked. Were they mad?

“Hey…you got us man!” Rick said, a grin spreading across his face as he put an arm round TwoBit and messed up his hair,
“We were so worried about you!” Mason told him, laughing and breathing a sigh of relief.
“Well, I guess we’re all initiated!” Rick said, clapping Darry on the back.
“Who are you guys talking to? There’s no one else here but me,” Darry said, looking confused.
They all hesitated for a moment and then busted out laughing, TwoBit so much he fell to his knees.

“Hey TwoBit you even smell like a corpse!” Rick gasped through his laughter.
“Nah, that smell ain’t me. I had a shower this morning, must be Darry!” TwoBit joked.
Darry sniffed the air. What was that smell?

The boys all stopped laughing as the smell grew stronger and stronger.
“Oh my god! Run!” Mason exclaimed pointing down the hall.
A cloud of smoke was billowing from the auditorium, slowly seeping under the door.
The boys all gasped and ran. Coughing and spluttering as the smoke thickened.

They burst out the back, smoke clouding behind them.
“Is everyone okay?” Darry asked, looking round.
“Yeah,” TwoBit nodded, Mason and Rick gave a vague nod but just stood panting, slightly shell-shocked.

“What the hell is going on!” A voice yelled, they heard footsteps and turned to see Dally charging towards them.
“I don’t know, there was just this smoke out of nowhere,” TwoBit told him.
“The candles,” Darry remembered.
“Oh shit, did we just burn down the school!” TwoBit said, his eyes lighting up slightly, “We’re gonna be heroes!” He grinned.
“Never mind that! Have you seen Johnny!” Dallas yelled.
“Is he not at home?” Darry asked.
“Nah, he’s gone. I’ve looked everywhere, did you see him on your way here?” Dally asked.
The boys shook their heads.
“Where the hell is he?” Dally exclaimed, desperation evident.

An orange glow was starting to engulf the school and the roaring of the flames was building.
“Look we need to go call someone!” Darry said, herding TwoBit and Dally away, Rick and Mason followed.
“Listen to the flames, that’s wild man!” TwoBit exclaimed.
The boys all stopped to listen.
They could hear the flames crackling and roaring in all their power.
“Help,” a very distance, almost indistinguishable voice called.
The boys looked at each other, unsure what they had heard.
“Help,” a voice called again, distant and fading.

But there was no doubting it this time, it was Johnny’s voice and it was coming from inside the school.

Chapter Text

Mrs Curtis was starting to panic more and more each minute that went by as she and Mrs Matthews searched the park, whilst Mr Curtis waited at home incase the any of the boys came back.

“There’s no sign of any of them, not even Dally,” Mrs C exclaimed, hands shaking and voice wobbling.
“Look! Over there!” Mrs Matthews gasped pointing across the park, there was a small figure approaching.
They rushed towards it but as they got closer, they realised it wasn’t one of the boys they were looking for.

“Tim?” Mrs Curtis called, “Tim honey, please don’t run off! Have you seen Dally or Johnny or Darry or TwoBit?” Mrs C pleaded with him desperately.
Tim hesitated, but he could see the worry on both the mothers’ faces and any thoughts he has about not snitching were immediately overpowered by sympathy for them.
“Umm, I saw Darry and TwoBit by the school and then I saw Dally on my way here and I think he probably went after them,” Tim told them.
“Thanks honey!” Mrs C said, giving him a smile and running off past him, giving his shoulder a squeeze as she went.

~

“Quick! Go get help!” Darry screamed desperately at Rick and Mason as he ran round the outside of the blazing building trying to figure out where Johnny was.
Rick and Mason ran off down the street, heading for the phone booth.
“Johnny?” Dally yelled as he paced around the outside of the building, coughing and spluttering from the smoke.
But they hadn’t heard anything since the earlier call for help several minutes ago.
TwoBit had tears pouring down his face.
“Dally we can’t do anything, we just have to wait for the fireman and hope they can find him,” TwoBit cried.
Dally growled, kicking against the wall and pounding his fist against the lowest window he could find. It smashed and smoke billowed out.
“Darry! We need to stop him!” TwoBit called, running over to Dally as he started trying to get through the broken window.
Darry ran over and he TwoBit did their best to pull Dally away as he fought against them.
“Johnny!” Dally screamed at the top of his lungs and from the bottom of his heart.
The heart he hadn’t known he had before Johnny and Mrs C but in that moment he knew he had a heart, because he thought it might stop beating.

~

Mr Curtis paced around the house, desperately checking every single hiding spot for the 10th time. But when he heard the front door open he ran to the living room.
“Oh hello Tim,” Mr Curtis said, sighing, “The boys are in Soda’s room if you want to go play with them,” He told him.
Tim nodded and followed Mr Curtis’ pointing.
Mr Curtis headed out to the backyard to search once again, surely he could find at least one of the four somewhere.

~

Curly sat playing and laughing with Pony on the floor, they were so involved in their game they didn’t notice the door opening and closing, or Soda and Steve go silent.
“I’m gonna kill you kid,” Tim growled, towering over them.
Curly looked up terrified and shocked.
“Oh hi Tim….ummm…me and Curly are just…umm well,” Pony stuttered.
“Shut it kid!” Tim roared.
Pony flinched and looked over at Soda.
“Uh Tim, they didn’t mean to upset you. They’re just playing together,” Soda said, quietly.

Tim didn’t even look up from his glare with Curly.
“He knows he’s not allowed to come here!” Tim yelled.
“But Tim-“ Curly protested, eyes filling with tears.
“Don’t!” Tim shouted, pulling Curly up to stand roughly.
“Please Tim, I want to play with Pony,” Curly begged, tears slipping out of his eyes.
“I told you! I gave you one rule and you didn’t listen!” Tim shouted shaking Curly’s shoulders.
Curly started crying, Pony crawled over to Soda tears streaming down his face.
“Say goodbye, we’re going!” Tim told Curly.

“No!” Curly cried bursting into tears, “Tim please!” He sobbed, digging his feet into the ground as Tim tried to pull him out the room.
Tim growled with frustration, turning round giving Curly a thump which shocked him enough to stop resisting long enough for Tim to hoist him up and carry him away.
“No!” Curly wailed, arms stretching out for Pony, and scrambling desperately to get away.
But his wails faded and soon only Pony sniffling into Soda’s arms was the only sound left in the room.

~

The minute they saw the smoke Mrs Curtis and Mrs Matthews ran as quick as they could towards the school. The second they heard Dally screaming for Johnny, they sprinted faster than they ever had before.
“Oh my god are you okay?” Mrs Curtis exclaimed as they finally reached the boys surrounded in a cloud of smoke.
“Johnny!” Dally screamed, looking at the building still restrained by Darry and TwoBit.
“Mom, we can’t get to him!” TwoBit cried, burying falling into his mothers arms in tears.
Leaving Dally to escape from Darry’s grip and run towards the school.
“No!” Mrs Curtis screamed, running after him.

Sirens filled the air and fire engines pulled into the school.
“Dallas no!” Mrs Curtis yelled, as Dally reached the burning doorway.
“Kid you can’t go in there!” A fireman called jumping out of the fire engine and pulling Dallas away.
“Johnnys in there!” Dally screamed at him, trying to shake off his firm grasp.
“You leave it to us to find him, we’ll get him don’t worry,” The fireman told him, pointing to the group of fireman entering the burning building.

Mrs C pulled Dallas away but he still fought with all his mite to get to his brother.
“Johnny!” Dally cried as Mrs Curtis did her best to restrain him.
“I know, I know honey, they’ll get him!” Mrs C said as convincingly as she could, despite the streams of tears coming silently down her face as her mind thought about Johnny trapped in the school. She felt helpless, she couldn’t help him - all she could do was try and protect the rest of her boys.

“Let me go!” Dallas roared, struggling against her furiously.
Mrs C held onto him like her life depended on it; well, it did. Her boys were her life - she couldn’t lose any of them, they were her lifeline.
“No! I can’t lose you too!” She cried, holding the writhing boy, “I can’t save Johnny! Please let me keep you safe!” She pleaded, starting to sob.

Darry came over, rushing to his mothers side and wrapping his arms around her.
“It’s okay Mom, he’ll be okay,” Darry sniffled into her shoulder.
Dallas finally stopped his struggling, sitting up and looking at the school and the flames erupting from it. He whimpered and Mrs C wrapped her arms round both him and Darry. Mrs Matthews and TwoBit joined them and they held eachother and their breaths.

The group of firemen emerged from the building seconds before it collapsed behind them; they were carrying a small body.

Chapter Text

Mr Curtis bundled Ponyboy, Steve and Soda into the car - they were all trembling with worry.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Mr C tried to reassure them, but his voice cracked and a few tears dropped onto the steering wheel.
Pony was beside himself, the possibility of losing both Curly and Johnny on the same day was terrifying.

They drove to the hospital Mrs C had called them from, he picked up Ponyboy and ushered Steve and Soda across the carpark. Neither of them ran off or horsed around, for once Soda and Steve were silent and walked obediently behind Mr C.

Mrs Matthews was in the reception area waiting for them, sniffling and pale faced - TwoBit and Darry sat on the bench in the reception with puffy eyes and tear stained faces.
“How is he?” Mr Curtis asked.
“It’s not good,” Mrs Matthews told him, her voice shaking, “Shhh come here sweetie while your Daddy goes and finds your Mom,” Mrs Matthews said taking Ponyboy from him.
“Where are they?” He asked her.
“Intensive Care Unit,” She replied, leading the boys back over to the waiting area.
“Where’s Dallas?” Mr C asked doing a quick head count.
“They couldn’t get him to let go of Johnny so he’s gone with Mrs C,” Mrs Matthews explained.
Mr Curtis nodded and looked for the sign to the ICU running off in that direction.

~

“Come on kid, you can’t go into surgery with him,” A doctor said, trying to reason with Dallas.
They had let Dallas stay where he was whilst they assessed Johnny but now they needed to operate.
“I ain’t letting him go!” Dally told them.
“Dallas, we’ll wait right here for when he comes back,” Mrs Curtis promised him, “You need to let them look after him,” she said, putting her arm on his arm, gently trying to pull him away.
“No!!!” Dallas yelled, but it wasn’t defiance, it was desperation - he looked at Mrs C with pleading eyes.
Please don’t let them take him, he might not come back if they take him; Mrs Curtis could read Dally’s mind.

At that moment a nurse led Mr Curtis into the room, he looked at Johnny and immediately looked away, inhaling sharply.
“So…” He choked, he cleared his throat and trying again, “What’s the situation?” He said eyes glossy and looking over at his wife, forcing a smile that said; no matter what I love you and we will get through this.

“He is badly burned and has a deep cut across his cheek that will scar badly,” Mrs Curtis said, “But they think something fell on him because they had to pull him out from under some fallen wood and….” She stopped, steading her voice, “He was already unconscious…but they had to put him into a coma because his lungs are full of fluid and he has a serious swelling on the brain,” Mrs C cried, looking at Johnny’s poor injured lifeless body.
Mr C ran over embracing his wife.
“He’ll get through this!” He said as strongly as he could muster.
“They need to operate to try and relive some of the pressure on his brain and drain his lungs,” Mrs C sobbed, motioning to Dallas who was still clinging to Johnny whilst the doctors prepped him for surgery.

Mr C got the message. He crouched down beside Dally.
“He Buster,” he began, his voice wobbling.
Dallas shook his head immediately.
“No,” he whined, eyes filling with tears as he tightened his grip on Johnny.
“You have to buddy,” Mr Curtis said, his heart breaking as he reached for Dallas’ hands and started to pry them off Johnny.
Dallas cried out and clung to Johnny, grasping back for him once Mr Curtis managed to get one hand free.

Mr C finally managed to lift the distraught Dallas away from Johnny and the doctors immediately whisked him out the room down to surgery.
Mr C waited until they had gone before he let Dally go.
“No, Johnny!” Dallas cried, tears absolutely streaming down his face.
“It’s okay honey,” Mrs Curtis said, coming over and crouching beside him, stroking his hair gently and trying to gauge what sort of comfort Dally needed right now. But he answered the question for her, turning round and putting his arms out collapsing against her sobbing and burying his face into her shoulder.
“Awww baby,” Mrs Curtis said lifting him up and going back over to the chair with him, “Shhhh, it’s okay,” she soothed him.

Seeing her toughest boy crumble like this was almost as heartbreaking as seeing Johnny all burned and injured. It was just as heartbreaking because she knew losing one, would mean she would lose the other - maybe not physically, but she knew, they needed eachother in order to have themselves.

~

“It’s my fault,” Darry cried into his fathers shoulder, as they sat in the waiting room.
“Buddy, it is no one’s fault and don’t you dare go thinking that,” Mr C told him.
“I lit the candles,” Darry sobbed.
“And I didn’t notice Johnny was missing, hell I didn’t know any of you were missing. Did you light those candles, trying to burn the school down?” Mr C asked him, rubbing the boy’s back to calm down.
“No!” Darry choked.
“Accidents happens, and no matter how serious the consequences it doesn’t change that it was still an accident and that means you cannot blame yourselves,” Mr C explained.

TwoBit wandered over, crying just as hard as Darry.
“Come here kiddo,” Mr C sighed, pulling TwoBit against his other side.
“It’s my fault too!” TwoBit cried heavily.
“Boys listen to me, it was not your fault. You did not know Johnny was following you,” Mr C told them, “Do you remember when Steve was on the bike and the breaks stopped working so he crashed into that lady,” He began.
The boys nodded.
“Was she mad?” He prompted them.
“No, she just tried to calm Steve down,” Darry remembered.
“That’s right. She knew he didn’t mean to and she knew he was upset that he’d done it. But it wasn’t his fault, that’s why she wasn’t mad and that’s why you boys can’t blame yourselves okay,” Mr C told them, giving them both a squeeze.
Neither of them had a reply so they clearly understood what Mr C had said, even if they weren’t quite ready to accept it yet.
“Talking of Steve, I want you two to help me cheer them up. The situation is sad enough, seeing those two sit completely still and silent is destroying me. I haven’t had to tell any one off for hours,” Mr C said.
Darry and TwoBit finally smiled.

They’d get through this, they had to; for eachother.

Chapter Text

“Is he asleep?” Mr. Curtis asked, poking his head around the door.
Mrs. C gave a sleepy nod from the chair where she sat with Dallas in her lap.
“Finally, did you get everyone back home, okay?” She asked.
“Yeah, they’re all exhausted; everyone fell asleep in the car, and Ponyboy was already back asleep on the couch with Mrs. Matthews when I left,” Mr. C said, but Mrs. C saw the slight frown.

“What’s the matter?” She asked.
“Well, in all the chaos earlier, I didn’t realize, but...” Mr. C began, “Tim came by after you’d gone, and I thought he wanted to see the boys, but Pony said he dragged Curly away.“ His voice cracked, and the rest of the sentence was lost in sadness.
“Oh god,” Mrs. C gasped.

“Excuse me?” A voice called, “Are you the family of Johnny?” The doctor asked.
“Yes,” they both replied instantly.
“We need to talk to you about the next options,” she told them.
“Was the surgery not successful?” Mr. C asked.
“If you would like to come with me, please?” She said bluntly.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis shared a look of horror. Options? They didn’t want options; they wanted Johnny.

~

Mrs. Matthews woke up in the pitch-black living room; someone had prodded her. She reached back and turned on the lamp. Steve stood there, looking miserable.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked softly, reaching out for his hand.
Steve went to talk, but no words came out, only tears.

“Shhhh, come here, sweetheart,” Mrs. Matthews said, pulling him to sit on her lap and rocking him gently. “He’ll be okay, don’t you worry,” she assured him.
“Mom…scared…. I don’t...him,” Steve choked out between sobs.
“I don’t know what you’re saying, sweetie.” She said, patting him on the back, helping him cough and catch his breath.
“I don’t want Johnny to die like Mommy. That’s what happens when they put you in a coma; they don’t come home,” Steve cried.
"Oh, honey, don’t you think like that. Johnny's going to do everything he can to get better, so you need to believe in him, okay?” Mrs. Matthews said. “You just gotta try and stay strong and be brave like I know you are. You’re mom would be so proud of you,” she told him.
Steve nodded, wiping his face.
“You want to sleep on the couch with me and Pony?” She asked.
“Uh huh,” Steve sniffled.
Mrs. Matthews smiled, wrapping him up in the blanket and holding his hand until he fell back to sleep.

~

5%. That was his survival chance.

They had managed to drain his lungs, but the operation to relieve the pressure on his brain had not been successful. And now Johnny was developing sepsis, which could not be treated while he was in a coma due to the drugs he was on to try and prevent his brain from swelling. If they took him off the drugs, his brain would swell and he would die; if they left the sepsis untreated, he would also die.

The doctor explained this to them as they stood out in the hall.
“So what’s the 5%? It is possible he can survive.” Mr. C asked.
“We can do a second surgery to try and contain the brain swelling, but it is high risk. The first surgery only has a 65% success rate, but the second only has 5%, but it is his only hope,” she explained.
“Please, do anything you can!” Mrs. C gasped.
The doctor nodded and headed off down towards the surgery area again.

Mr. and Mrs. C held each other tight as they cried for a moment. When they released the embrace, they turned to head down the hall when they saw Dally standing there. His expression was no longer sad; Dallas was on the verge of explosion.
“Hey Buster,” Mr. C tried, softly taking a step cautiously.
SMASH
Dallas punched a dent in the wall.
CRASH
He sent a cart of medical supplies smashing to the ground and then tore off down the corridor. Mrs. C knew that look, and she had never seen it so strong before; they needed to act fast.

“Darrell, quick!” Mrs. Curtis screamed desperately as Dally disappeared down the hall, fear in her eyes as the smashing sounds continued. “You need to calm him down!” She exclaimed; Dallas was in a dangerous mood.
From the outside, you’d think the danger was towards others, but no, the only one Dallas was a danger to when he was like this was himself.

Mr. C nodded and took off after him.
“I can’t lose him too,” Mrs. C whispered, hoping and praying her boys would all come back to her: Curly, Dally, and Johnny.

~

Security guards were already wrestling with Dallas in the waiting room when Mr. C came running in. A window had been smashed, and glass was everywhere.
“I’m going to put you in handcuffs, kid, if you keep fighting.” One of the guards threatened.
“Get off of me, you bastards!” Dallas screamed, kicking out at them, so much so that the three of them could barely hold him.

Dallas wiggled away and stood up. Mr. Curtis went to grab him, but then he noticed the eerie silence that spread across the room. And the way the security guards froze. That’s when he saw him.

Dallas was holding one of the guard’s guns and pointing it straight at them.

Chapter Text

"Okay, kid, put down the gun,” one of the guards said softly.

“No!” Dallas screamed, distress evident on his face.

“Dallas!” Mr. C called.

Dally looked over, his eyes darting and desperate, not sure what to do or what not to do.

“Dallas, put down the gun,” Mr. C instructed.

Dally shook his head.

“Johnny's going to die,” Dally said, his voice cracking, and he lowered the gun momentarily. “I don’t... I don’t,” he stuttered, then let out a growl of anger and raised the gun once again.

“Dallas, listen to me!” Mr. C told him, not angrily but just strong enough for him to hear, “You need to put the gun down, okay? I know you’re upset, but I am begging you, don’t do something stupid, kid, and throw away everything; you’re too good.” Mr. C said he wasn’t shaking; he looked Dallas straight in the eye, past the blazing fury that was blinding him, but into his soul and heart. That’s where the real Dallas was, and that’s who he was talking to.

Dallas gripped the gun, but his face was looking more and more distressed by the minute. He let out another growl of frustration and turned back to the guards, resuming the gun. But then he glanced back at Mr. C, looking at him pleadingly.

Mr. C took a few steps towards him.

“Give me the gun,” Mr. C said softly, crouching down.

Dallas looked at him with tears in his eyes.

“Come on, Buster,” Mr. C said, looking straight back at him.
His eyes were no longer blazing; they were the deepest eyes he knew.
“Do it for Johnny,” Mr. C added.

Slowly, Dallas’ hand brought the gun around and placed it in Mr. C’s hand. The minute he released it, Dallas burst into tears. Mr. Curtis breathed a sigh of relief, handing the gun to the guard and then scooping Dallas up.

“Shhhh, you’re okay. We’re going to be okay,” Mr. C said as he held the boy tighter than he ever had before. “I’m so proud of you,” Mr. C said, kissing his head. "Shhh, it’s okay now,” he soothed, rocking him.
Mr. C was too caught up in the moment to realise it, but it was the first time Dallas had let him comfort him when he was crying.

“Don’t you dare ever scare me like that again,” Mr. C whispered to him.

“Oh my god, what happened?” Mrs. C gasped, coming around the corner and seeing the scene.

“It’s okay, he’s okay,” Mr. C told her, motioning to Dallas.

Dallas heard her voice and squirmed to get down. Mr. C took the hint and lowered him to the ground.

He ran over to Mrs. Curtis, who was waiting open-armed.

“If you take him back, I’ll just help clean everything up,” Mr. Curtis said.

Mrs. C nodded, knowing her husband would explain everything later, but between the broken glass and security guards and the hysterical Dallas, she was glad she hadn’t seen it.

“We will need to have a talk with you in a minute, sir,” one of the guards said kindly.

“Of course, whatever you need. Thank you for being so understanding in that situation. He just found out his brother only has a 5% chance of making it through the night, and he’s not the best at emotions,” Mr. C explained as he helped the men sweep up the glass.

“Is his name Winston?” A guard said.

“Yeah, do you know him?” Mr. C asked.

“Not really, but I used to work down at the police station, and I’m sure you know that’s his father's usual hangout.” The guard replied, “Poor little guy must have only been 4, and he’d come by and try and bust his dad out of jail.” The guard remembered.

Mr. C smiled sadly. Poor baby, he thought.

“It used to break my heart; the dad just didn’t give a shit. One time he fell asleep in the waiting room waiting for his dad to get let out, and Mr. Winston got bailed, saw his kid sleeping there, and walked off without him. The poor little guy couldn’t even tie his laces yet! Although he would not let anyone tie them for him either.” The guard chuckled.

Mr. C chuckled, remembering the first time Mrs. C finally managed to tie his shoes for him.

“I’ll kick you!” The four-year-old yelled, scowling in the backyard as Mrs. C came over.

"Oh, will you now, mister?” Mrs. C smirked, crouching down. "Darry, can I have your football helmet? I need protection to tie some shoelaces!” She called.

“No!” Dallas shouted, stomping to the other end of the backyard.

“Okay, have it your way. But I’m going back inside to make brownies, and you won’t be coming into my house to have them unless your laces are tied,” she told him, standing back up.

Dallas growled and kicked the fence.

“I don’t think that’s how you tie laces, honey,” Mrs. C chuckled.

“Okay fine!” Dallas yelled, stomping over to her, crossing his arms, and pouting fiercely.

Mrs. C smiled, crouching down.

“If you want, I can get you some shoes that don’t have laces, but you’ll have to come to the shop with me,” she said as she tied his shoes.

Dallas shook his head.

“I don’t need anything from you,” he spat.

“Not even brownies?” Mrs. C countered.

“Well…I…” Dallas stuttered, trying to argue, “Brownies don’t count!” He declared.

“Good, because I need someone to come and eat them,” Mrs. C smiled at him, smiling at her husband and heading inside.

“Anyway, when the kid disappeared, I was worried he’d been hurt or killed. I didn’t know he’d got a family; that’s great, man. I’m so happy to finally know he’s okay,” the guard beamed at Mr. Curtis.

“Well, thank you. Although him turning a gun on you probably wasn't the greatest of reunions,” Mr. C replied.

"No, you could see it in his eyes, he didn’t want to hurt anyone; he just didn’t know what to do; he’s a kid. The minute you spoke, I knew nothing was going to happen, and so did he. You’re doing a good job, man. Kids like that usually don’t stand a chance; you’ve given him more than that; you’ve given him the life and the parents he deserves, and I commend you for that, I really do,” the guard said, putting out his hand for Mr. Curtis to shake.

“I appreciate it,” Mr. Curtis smiled at him, shaking his hand. “Now am I going to get billed for all the damage? I am happy to pay; I just might need to do it in installments,” Mr. C said.

"No, buddy, we’ll just say it was a drunk. Around here, the city is used to broken windows and things; it’s not a big deal. I hope your other kid is okay. 2 years ago, I’d have only given the Winston kid a 5% chance of survival, and look at him now,” the guard said with a wink before turning off and walking away.

Mr. C nodded. He was right. Any chance was a chance, and if he knew anything about his boys, it was that they always defied the odds.

Chapter Text

“Umm, who said you could have cookies for breakfast?” Mrs. Matthews asked, slowly sitting up on the couch, yawning.
All the boys sat beside her, watching TV and eating cookies.
“You did,” TwoBit replied.
“I most certainly didn’t,” Mrs. Matthews scoffed.

"Yes, you did; we asked if we could have cookies for breakfast, and you nodded,” Soda told her, grinning.
“I was asleep!” Mrs. Matthews exclaimed.
“Well, you nodded,” Steve said, still snuggled against her from last night, covered in cookie crumbs.
"Oh, did I now? Did my head nod on its own or did it have some assistance?” She asked the boys.

Soda, Steve, Darry, and Pony looked over at TwoBit, who looked away guiltily.
“I thought as much.” She smiled. "Keith, come here and bring those cookies!” She told him.
“Awww Ma!” TwoBit protested, dragging his feet over.

Mrs. Matthews took the packet of cookies and took out three before she handed the packet back to TwoBit and gave him a playful smack.
“You know better than to eat cookies without me!” Mrs. Matthews mock-scolded him, taking a bite out of a cookie.
TwoBit smiled, leaned forward, and climbed into his mother’s lap, and they all sat happily munching on cookies for breakfast.

~

“Hey buddy,” Mr. C smiled as Dallas slowly sat up from his makeshift bed in the hospital room. “You’ve got a roommate,” Mr. Curtis told him.
Dallas looked at him confused and then glanced around the room.
“JOHNNY!” He exclaimed, jumping to his feet and rushing to the hospital bed that now finally contained Johnny.
“Careful, he’s still in a coma,” Mrs. C said from where she sat next to Johnny, holding his hand.
“Is he okay?” Dallas asked, looking Johnny up and down desperately.
“The brain operation was a success,” Mrs. Curtis beamed at him.
“IT WAS!” Dallas roared, ecstatic.
“Yes, so now they are treating the sepsis, and our Johnny will have a fighting chance,” Mr. C explained, chuckling at Dallas’ joy and ruffling his hair.
Well, if there was one thing Dallas was good at, it was backing people up in fights; he and Johnny got this.

~

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had called Mrs. Matthews to let her know the news, and the boys were ever so pleased, even more so because school was cancelled.

“Why aren’t they going to school?” Pony asked, looking at the clock.
"Uh, maybe because Darry and TwoBit burned it down,” Soda said, laughing with Steve.
“You hush,” Mrs. Matthews told him before she turned back to the three-year-old. "Well, honey, the school is closed the rest of the week while they clear things up. But after that, the boys will go back,” Mrs. Matthews explained.

“But where will they go if there’s no school?” Pony wondered.
“Schools have more than one building dummy,” Steve laughed.
"Umm, Steven, I might change my mind about letting you boys have Pepsi if you can’t be nice,” Mrs. Matthews said, raising her eyebrows.
"Sorry, Pony,” Steve mumbled.

“Are they going to get in trouble?” Pony worried.
“Well, now Johnny is more stable. I imagine we’ll find out. The most important thing was making sure he was okay. Principal Burrows is going to call back later to have a chat, but I imagine there will be some consequences for their actions, even though it was accidental.” Mrs. Matthews told him.

“Did TwoBit burn down the school just so he didn’t have to go?” Ponyboy asked.
Steve and Soda busted out laughing.
“Ay Soda, we should have thought of doing that months ago!” Steve chuckled.
“Hey! It is not funny, you two; that building will have to be torn down and rebuilt,” Mrs. Matthews said sternly.

"Yeah, but it’s just the auditorium and like some old art room and a bathroom—it’s the worst building of the whole school!” Soda told her.
“Boys, I don’t care if it’s a cardboard box; your brothers still burned it down, and they are still in a lot of trouble!” She explained.
“Wow, so Darry might get expelled before Dally,” Steve laughed.
“Right, go sit in separate corners. If you two can’t be serious, you can look at wallpaper for 10 minutes,” Mrs. Matthews told them.
Pony giggled.
"What are you laughing at, sweetie?” Mrs. Matthews asked.
“You’re good at telling them off,” Pony told her.
"Thanks, honey.” Mrs. Matthews winked at him.

~

“Can you wake him up now?” Dallas practically whined at Mrs. C.
“We can't, sweetie; the doctors have to ease him back into breathing and doing everything on his own again. And he’s not quite ready for that, not while they’re still treating the sepsis, so it’s going to be a little longer, but you can still sit with him and talk to him,” Mrs. C explained.
“But I want him to wake up!” Dallas protested.
“I know Buster, but he’ll wake up when he’s ready. If he’s not ready, then it’s dangerous; you just have to be patient,” Mr. C said calmly, not rising to Dallas’ frustration.

“Why don’t you come back with me and see your brothers for a bit?” Mrs. C suggested.
“No!” Dallas shouted back.
Mr. and Mrs. C shared a look—one that was a look between parents who had dealt with hundreds of meltdowns in their time and knew to brace themselves.
“Come on, you’ve hardly slept the last 2 days; you’re overtired; you need some rest. Me and you will go home for a little while; Johnny will be here when we come back,” Mrs. C told him, pulling Dally over and getting him in his jacket.

Dallas shook his head, despite his eyelids drooping.
“Come on, buddy, you look exhausted,” Mr. C said, reaching out and ruffling his hair.
Dallas yawned, much to his annoyance.
“I'm not tired,” he insisted.
"Uh, huh, sure, honey, let’s go,” Mrs. C said, taking his hand.

Dallas must have been tried because he didn’t try to resist and followed her out of the room obediently for once.

~

“So…Mom,” TwoBit began, seeing Mrs. Matthews put down the phone.
“Yes Keith?” Mrs. Matthews said, looking over at him, “You’re not about to tell me that you shouldn’t be in trouble for burning the school down, are you?” She added, raising her eyebrows.
“No?” TwoBit tried.
“We have a meeting with Principal Burrows tomorrow, so you just better hope he takes pity on you.”
Mrs. Matthews told him.

The front door opened, and Mrs. C poked her head around. She motioned to Mrs. Matthews, who followed her out to the car.
“Look,” she smiled, pointing inside the car.
"Ah, bless him,” Mrs. Matthews gasped, seeing Dallas passed out across the backseat.
“I might leave him there for a little while; if I try and move him, he’ll just get grumpy,” Mrs. C said.
“I’ll sit on the porch and keep an eye on him,” Mrs. Matthews said. "Oh, we need to take Darry and Keith to see Principal Burrows tomorrow,” she remembered.
“How lovely! We were so close to getting through the school year with no expulsions!” Mrs. C joked.
"No, he sounded very sympathetic on the phone. I think it helps that Darry is their golden boy model student, so hopefully they won’t be expelled,” Mrs. Matthews said as they headed inside.

“Mama!” Ponyboy exclaimed, bounding over to her.
"Hello, baby, have you been a good boy?” She asked.
Pony nodded proudly.

"Mom, would you like to place a bet?” Soda asked, wandering into the room with Steve.
Steve ran over to Mrs. C, hugging her tight.
“Hey honey,” Mrs. C said, kissing his head. “Place a bet on what Soda?" She asked.
“Whether Darry and TwoBit will get expelled,” Soda told her.
“Sodapop, no! We are not betting on your brothers punishments,” Mrs. C scolded him.
"Yes, we are; I have two bets already. TwoBit has bet three pieces of candy that he gets expelled,” Soda explained.
“Has he bet on whether you will spend the day in your room for gambling with your brothers?” Mrs. C countered, raising her eyebrows.
“I reckon you’d get good odds on that Soda,” Steve chimed in, grinning.
Soda pouted.
“But Mom!” He protested.
“Give me the notebook!” She ordered him.
Soda stomped over and threw the notepad into her hands.
“No gambling!” She told him firmly.

“Just try to make a little money!” Soda mumbled.
“We were betting with candy,” Steve reminded him.
“Candy is better than money!” Soda argued.
"No, it’s not! Can you buy a car with candy?” Steve bickered back.
"No, but candy tastes better, and you can get candy shaped like cars. Can you get money shaped like candy, no!” Soda told him.
“You can’t get candy without money!” Steve shouted.
“Boys!” Mrs. C sighed.
Soda and Steve stopped arguing, both turning to look at her.
There was a moment of silence.
“Mom?” Soda asked.
“What?” Mrs. C asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Can we have some candy?” Steve asked, reading Soda’s mind.