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"I didn't mean to!" Darry shouted. "I didn't think! I forgot! That's all I hear out of you! Can't you think of anything?"
"Darry..." Sodapop began, but Darry turned on him. "You keep your trap shut! I'm sick and tired of hearin' you stick up for him."
"You don't yell at him!"
As soon as Darry's hand hit Ponyboy’s face, he knew he had made a huge mistake.
Everything was completely still for a moment, like someone had taken a picture. Darry was staring at his hand, which was turning red, an expression of shock on his face. Soda’s eyes were wide, like he couldn't believe what he had just seen. And Ponyboy’s hand was holding his cheek where Darry had hit him, looking like he was going to cry.
Then, Ponyboy ran out of the house as fast as he could, letting the door slam behind him.
Soda yelled, “Pony, wait!” and ran to the front door, but it was too late. Pony was already gone.
Meanwhile, Darry was still frozen in his spot, staring at his hand.
Soda turned away from the door and slowly began walking towards Darry. “Darry?”
As soon as Darry heard Soda’s voice, he ran into the bathroom and began throwing up into the toilet.
Soda rushed in after Darry, kneeling next to him by the toilet as he continued vomiting, rubbing his back and offering comforting words.
“Just breathe, Dar.”
“It’s okay.”
But Darry didn’t believe him.
After Darry was done puking, he leaned his head against the edge of the toilet, taking heavy breaths.
“You done?” Soda asked. When Darry didn’t answer, Soda flushed the toilet and wiped Darry’s mouth with a piece of toilet paper.
Darry kept his eyes on the floor, his mind focused on what had happened a few minutes ago. “It’s all my fault… It’s all my fault…”
“Darry, what are you talking about?” Soda asked, though he had a pretty good idea what Darry meant.
“I hit him… I hit him, Soda… It’s all my fault.”
“Darry…”
Darry began to clench his fists tightly, nearly drawing blood. “Mom and dad… Mom and dad never would’ve hit him… they never would’ve… It’s all my fault, Soda. It’s my fault he ran.”
Soda wasn’t sure what to say. He knew it was true, that their parents never would’ve hit them no matter what, but Darry couldn’t blame himself for this. Soda knew that what had happened was a complete accident, and that Darry would never hit Pony on purpose.
Soda softly grabbed Darry’s hands and unfurled them, holding them in his own. “Listen to me Darry, this isn't your fault. It was an accident, everything’s going to be okay. Pony’s going to come home soon. He said he was with Johnny in the lot, so he probably just went there to cool off for a bit. It’s all going to be okay, you hear me?”
Darry took a deep breath and looked up at Soda. “Yeah, I hear you.”
“Good. Now c’mon, let’s get out of this bathroom.” Soda said as he stood up and helped Darry up, leading him out of the bathroom.
Soda began to steer Darry towards his bedroom, wanting him to get some sleep, but Darry broke away from him and went to the living room, sitting down in the old recliner.
Soda followed Darry into the living room. “What’re you doing, Dar?”
Darry didn’t answer him. He stayed unmoving in the recliner, his eyes locked on the front door.
“Darry, it’s real late. You should get some sleep, you have work tomorrow.” Soda said, stepping in front of Darry.
“I’m staying right here. I’m waiting for Ponyboy.”
Soda put a hand on Darry’s shoulder. “I’ll stay up and wait for Pony. You really need to sleep.”
Darry moved his eyes away from the door for a moment to look up at Soda. “No, Soda. I’m staying up and waiting for him. Then I’ll go to sleep.”
“Alright, but I'm staying up with you.” Soda said as he backed away from Darry and sat down on the couch.
But little did they know, Ponyboy wouldn’t be coming home that night. And in a little over an hour, they would get a knock on their door that would change their lives forever.