Categories > Books > Outsiders > Baby Girl
A/N: It is officially 10pm and I'm too tired to write anything sarcastic like usual. So I'll just say that I don't own the outsiders, just Dakota and Tyler. 009
Chapter Two
DARRY'S POV
It was nearly ten thirty before I pulled up to the curb in front of the house. It was dark, so everyone must have been asleep already. I sighed and climbed out of the old pickup truck. Working overtime gave us extra money, but I didn't get to see my siblings as much as I'd of liked. I had already missed three of Kody's swim meets. Kody's team swims competitively during the fall and winter while Pony's track season starts in the spring, which is great because they can go to each other's meets then.
During the spring and summer, Kody and few of her teammates do one-on-one clinic swimming with the coaches and lifeguard training. Now that I thought about, I hadn't seen Kody swim in over a month. As much as I was trying to prove to the state that I could be a good guardian, I was becoming less and less of a big brother. Her next meet was Sunday morning and I wasn't going to miss it. I had the day off, which was part of the reason I had been working longer hours.
I quietly opened the door and walked into the living room. There was my baby sister, asleep on the couch. The only time she gave up her bed was when Johnny was over, that meant something must of happened between him and his parents. It's sad that I don't even have to wonder about that anymore.
I set my bag down on one of the kitchen chairs and curiously picked up Kody's sketch book. In the dim moonlight I could make out the frame of a motorcycle and a few equations and measurements written on the sides. I just shook my head as I studied it, amazed at the professional-like quality. I smiled as I heard a light snore.
Kody was lying on her stomach, her head turned to face the room, a hand dangling from off the couch. Her blonde was pulled into a messy ponytail, escaping strands falling over her face. I walked over and pulled up the blanket that had pooled around her waist to cover her shoulders. I then brushed away the stray hairs and kissed her forehead. She just didn't realize how important she was to our family. I care about my brothers a lot, but I'm probably the most protective over Dakota, the same with Pony and Soda. It didn't matter that she and Pony were twins, Kody would always be the baby of the family.
I frowned as I looked at the side table where her inhaler rested. I would never forget the day we found out she had asthma, the day she almost died right in my arms....
FLASHBACK
(I don't really know anything about asthma so for the people who have it and are reading this, I'm sorry. I know this thing doesn't usually happen, I don't know how anything works, this is just what I think about in my little mind. I'm admitting it now so please don't flame me saying I'm way off base cause I already know. 009)
It was nearly two years ago, months after our parents had died in the car accident. I was finally starting to get the hang of being the guardian, but there were still times that I was afraid I would screw up big time. I was nineteen, Soda was sixteen, Pony and Kody were thirteen.
The whole gang was at our house and we had just finished playing a game of football. I had Soda, Steve, and Kody on my team while Dally had Pony, Johnny, and Two-bit. (A/N: Kody didn't meet Tyler yet 009) Our game was tied and we had the ball. I knew that since Kody was the fastest and smallest, she would probably get past the other team easily. Soda spiked me the ball and blocked with Steve while I handed my sister the ball.
She bolted down the field, dodging around Johnny and Dally with ease. Pony escaped Soda and took off after her. She was only inches away from the end when he tackled her, causing them both to drop to the ground, a little too hard for my taste. I was a little worried that Kody had gotten hurt, until they both started laughing. We called it a tie and decided to head back to the house.
On the way there, Kody had started coughing slightly, and Soda patted her on the back a few times while I asked it she was okay. She nodded and she was back to normal. Everyone was sitting around the living room watching TV while Pony and I made dinner. Two-Bit, Dally, and Steve were smoking, which was no big surprise, when all the sudden, Kody's coughing started up again and seemed to be getting a lot worse.
She was sitting next to Two-Bit on the couch, who was looking at her concerned. By the now, the poor kid was coughing so violently that her whole body was shaking. When it didn't let up I rushed over and grabbed her shoulders gently, seeing if she was okay. There were tears in her eyes and I could tell that she was scared and in pain. The next thing she said made my blood run cold.
"Darry....I can't breathe.." I panicked, I didn't know what was wrong. She was sick, my baby sister was sick and there was nothing I could do about it. She just kept coughing, fighting for air, and finally she collapsed in my arms out cold. I told Steve to go call an ambulance as I set her on the floor. She wasn't breathing anymore, if I didn't do something quick she would die before we could get help.
So I did the only thing I could, I started CPR which the health teachers had taught in high school, never once dreaming that I would actually have to use it. I had Soda do the compressions on her chest while I breathed into her mouth, all the time praying that she would be okay. We had just lost mom and dad, I'd die if I lost Kody too. Pony was standing off to the side, tears running down his face at the sight of his twin so helpless.
It wasn't long before the ambulance finally came and the paramedics took over. We couldn't go with them because they needed to room for the medics to continue giving her CPR, so we all piled into the truck and rushed to the hospital. When we got there, the doctor met us at the door. He said that Kody's breathing was stable and she was asleep in her room, it would be a few hours before she woke up. He had taken some tests to see what had stopped her breathing and would give us the results later.
A nurse led us to the room and said that only family was allowed to go in during recovery. My brothers and I walked in quietly while the others waited outside in the waiting room. There was my baby sister, an IV needle strapped to her hand and a respirator tube through her nose. She looked so young and small, I almost couldn't handle seeing her like this. Soda and Pony had tears running down their faces, I could tell they were still scared. I just sat in a chair next to her bed and took her small hand in mine.
A few hours later, she finally woke up. The doctor came in and gave us the test results. Asthma, how could my baby girl have asthma? I couldn't believe it. Once the state heard about this there was no way they were going to let me keep her. The doctor told us that she had actually developed it when she was around ten or eleven but it hadn't reacted until now. From that point on me, my brothers, and the rest of the gang were extremely more protective of Kody than ever before. I never let anyone smoke in the house or around my sister ever again, and Pony had been trying to quit.
END OF FLASHBACK
The doctor had given Kody her inhaler with the little tube of medicine and showed her how and when to use it. Then he had taken me aside and explained that it would be a good idea if we had a spare one or two in case Kody's inhaler ever went missing when she needed it. We now have two spares. One is either carried around by Pony or Soda, depending on whose she with, usually Pony. The other I had originally kept, until we met Tyler and he became part of our gang. Since he worked with Kody and spent the most time with her, he gladly offered to carry the spare.
The doctor had also taught me how to use the inhaler on Kody if she couldn't use it herself or was unconscious, and I in turn, taught my brothers and Ty. Ty was good kid, one of the few guys in this state that I actually trusted with my baby sister. Sometimes I find myself hoping that if Kody ever starts to date, and I know she will, he would be her first choice. Apparently this matches the opinion of the rest of the gang since they are always giving the two a hard time.
I had been right about the social workers not thinking I would not be able to take proper care of Kody anymore. A few weeks after the trip to the hospital, a lady named Ms. Thomas came to our house. And this wasn't one of the annual state checkups either, she had papers that demanded the custody of my baby sister. We had been to the courthouse more times than I wanted to remember, and I had already won the rights over Soda and Ponyboy, nobody could take them away no matter what. They still hadn't made a decision over Dakota.
Well, of course, I wasn't going to let this women take her away, so once again I took the matter to the state judge. In the previous case, just me and the opposing lawyer had talked, but this time they had Kody take the stand as well. They asked her all kinds of questions about our home life, school, and whether she liked living with us. In the end, the had given me temporary custody, but there was always the chance that they could try to take her again. It wasn't fair that her life had to be this tough.
I made sure that the blanket was securely tucked around Kody's shoulders before heading off towards my room. I was so tired that I didn't even remember when my head hit the pillow.
**************************
DAKOTA'S POV
I woke up to a strange feeling and it difficult for me to breathe. I propped myself up on my elbows...or at least, I tried to. There was an extremely large weight resting on my back and prevented me from getting up off the couch. I twisted my head around and was not so surprised to see Two-Bit grinning at me.
"Boy, Kody, you're actually a lot more comfortable to sit on than the couch." he joked. I narrowed my eyes with mock anger.
"Get off me, you fat greaser. My back is not supposed to bend that way!!!"
You see, being called a Greaser can mean two different things. If a Soc or a teacher calls you a Greaser, it's an insult and automatic grounds to talk back or kick butt. But when another hood calls you a Greaser, it's a good-natured insult and means that you're cared about by your gang. Except when said hood is crushing one's spine. Then it is completely acceptable to knock him to the floor, which I did.
I got up and stretched, letting off a small yawn while Two-Bit sat on the floor, rubbing the back of his head. There was something off about this morning. It might have been the fact that none of my brothers were awake yet so I was going to have to make breakfast, maybe it was because none of the other guys were here so the house was relatively quiet, or maybe it was because it was still dark outside!!! I groaned and rubbed my eyes.
"Dang, what time is it?" Two-Bit glanced at the clock.
"Oh....'bout six thirty."
"Why are you here so early?" I asked, completely confused. I mean, Two-Bit was definitely not a morning person. Usually, he was passed out drunk or in the middle of a hang-over.
"I just didn't feel like sleeping anymore," he replied, an innocent look on his face. I raised an eyebrow.
"Okaaaay, but why did you have to wake me up??!!!" He just shrugged.
"'Cause I was bored." I sighed and slumped my shoulders in defeat. I wasn't mad or anything, I could never get angry with Two-Bit, I was just a little annoyed that an hour of extra sleeping time had been stolen from me. Oh well, that meant I got to use the shower first. I quietly walked into my room so as not to wake up Johnny, and pulled out some old clothes out of my dresser. As I made my way to the bathroom I told Two-Bit that he could help himself to the fridge, namely the few bottles of beer.
I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and towel dried my hair before putting on my usual work clothes. Usually, I would have just wrapped myself in a towel and changed in my room, but Johnny was there and I wasn't too comfortable with being practically naked in front of the gang, unlike Soda who walks around with a towel around his waist every other morning. Ty was the only guy besides my brothers to see me without a shirt, and that was only because we work out together and I usually only wear sweatpants and a sports bra.
I pulled on a pair of old jeans that had once belonged to Johnny, but he outgrew them. There were numerous rips and tears in both legs, but they were perfect to wear to work. They were still a little too big for me, so like most of my other pants, I had to cinch them tight with a white, cloth belt. I also put on a quarter-inch strapped, white tank top which contrasted sharply with my dark, tan skin. It stopped in between my chest and the waistline of my pants so a good section of my midriff was exposed, just like all my other undershirts.
I put my hair into a high ponytail and pulled on the work shirt the Ty and I had to wear. It was black and had the sleeves cut off. The words "Carson Racing" and a picture of a motorcycle were on the back in white, and "Kody" stitched above the front left pocket. Obviously the shirt was too long since it wasn't designed for a girl, so I fastened the middle three buttons, leaving two undone of the top. I then took the two tails of the shirt and tied them in a knot around my waist. I looked at the clock on the bathroom counter and saw that it was almost seven. My brothers were going to be late if they didn't get ready soon.
I walked into Darry's room and gently shook his shoulder, calling out his name. No response. I shook a harder. Nothing, my big brother was dead to the world. I sighed. Don't get me wrong, I knew that it wasn't his fault that he's been so tired lately, the extra hours were killing him, but it just made my job a little harder. Well, no more miss nice girl.
I got a glass of water from the kitchen and stalked back to the bedroom, an evil plan in my head. I tried to shake him awake one more time, but he still would not wake up. Darry was definitely going to hurt me, but it had to be done. I dumped the water right on his head and bolted out the door as he shot up in surprise.
I ran into Soda and Pony's room and dove under the bed, covering my head with my arms. I could see Darry's feet appear in the doorway and tried not to laugh as drops of water made little puddles on the floor. I couldn't tell if he was mad or not since I couldn't see his face, but I was praying that he wouldn't find me. By now, my other brothers and Johnny were wide awake from all the commotion we were causing. Yep, never a dull moment in this house.
Suddenly, hands shot under the bed, grabbed me around the waist, and dragged me to my inevitable doom. Darry gave me an evil smile and began tickling me mercilessly. Now, I knew he wasn't mad, just wet. It wasn't long before Soda joined in on the torture and I could barely breathe. Pony came to my rescue and tackled both my brothers, giving me time to escape and totally abandon my twin while I started breakfast, the task of waking up my brothers now complete.
I took out a few plates from one of the cabinets and set them on the table next to the cake. Two-Bit was sitting on the floor in front of the TV, watching Mickey Mouse like the little kid he is. Just like I thought, he had a beer in his hand. Hmm...beer and Mickey Mouse, strange combination. I started frying the eggs and brewing the coffee for Darry. Cooking was definitely not one of my specialities, so the eggs were scrambled. I loaded up four plates with eggs, cake, and toast and told Two-Bit to fix his own plate. I poured the coffee into Darry's mug and filled three other glasses with chocolate milk. I also set one more plate out for Johnny.
I grabbed my drawing and my breakfast and jumped up on the counter, sitting Indian style. I don't know why, but I did it every morning even when I could sit at the table. I think it's because I felt taller or something like that. In between bites, I finished the fenders and started the design on the custom hubcaps we put on every bike. The sun had been up for awhile now, Ty would be showing up soon. Pony and Johnny were the first to appear out of the hallway, and then Darry.
My oldest brother leaned next to me, his mug in hand, and kissed me on the cheek. I made a face, sticking my tongue out in fake disgust and wiped the spot with the back of my hand. He chuckled and looked at my sketch as I turned my attention to my twin and his best friend.
"So, you are you and Johnny gonna do today?" I asked. They both shrugged.
"Dunno. Maybe play cards or something," Pony replied. I nodded and Soda came running in dressed in nothing but a pair of jeans. Didn't even has his socks on yet, the dork. He grabbed one of the glasses of milk and took a long swig before taking a bite out of a piece of toast and running back to his room. Just regular weekend routine.
I heard the screen door open and Ty waltzed into the house. We all said our hellos while Two-Bit just gave him a distracted wave, completely absorbed in his cartoon. I rolled my eyes and motioned for Ty to come closer so I could show him the sketch.
"What do ya think?" I asked. He grabbed the notebook and studied it, nodding his head in approval. His work clothes were similar to mine. His had some old blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Over that was his black work shirt which had short sleeves and the same writings as mine except his was labeled "Tyler". He looked a little more professional than I did with the shirt tucked in and buttoned except for the first two.
"It's rad, Mac'll flip."
"It's just the frame so far. Once we find out where the bikes going, I can add more design and crud like that." Ty looked at his watch.
"Well, we better get going." I nodded and jumped off the counter. Ty looked at my twin. "Pony, you and Johnny wanna come along? I'm sure Mac'll give ya something to do if you're bored?" Tyler and Ponyboy got along real well, and that made me happy because I would hate to be stuck in the middle. Pony shook his head.
"Nah, I don't really feel like cleaning up the garage again." Ty just grinned.
"Suit yourself." I gave both my brothers a hug, told Darry I'd be home around seven, and yelled out a goodbye to Soda who was probably searching for his DX shirt. I picked up my inhaler from off the end table, tucked it into the side pocket of my jeans, and followed Ty to the car, sketch book in hand.
A/N: And that was chapter two. What do you think, cute story? I kinda like it. But, I wanna know what ya'll think, so tell me. 009
Chapter Two
DARRY'S POV
It was nearly ten thirty before I pulled up to the curb in front of the house. It was dark, so everyone must have been asleep already. I sighed and climbed out of the old pickup truck. Working overtime gave us extra money, but I didn't get to see my siblings as much as I'd of liked. I had already missed three of Kody's swim meets. Kody's team swims competitively during the fall and winter while Pony's track season starts in the spring, which is great because they can go to each other's meets then.
During the spring and summer, Kody and few of her teammates do one-on-one clinic swimming with the coaches and lifeguard training. Now that I thought about, I hadn't seen Kody swim in over a month. As much as I was trying to prove to the state that I could be a good guardian, I was becoming less and less of a big brother. Her next meet was Sunday morning and I wasn't going to miss it. I had the day off, which was part of the reason I had been working longer hours.
I quietly opened the door and walked into the living room. There was my baby sister, asleep on the couch. The only time she gave up her bed was when Johnny was over, that meant something must of happened between him and his parents. It's sad that I don't even have to wonder about that anymore.
I set my bag down on one of the kitchen chairs and curiously picked up Kody's sketch book. In the dim moonlight I could make out the frame of a motorcycle and a few equations and measurements written on the sides. I just shook my head as I studied it, amazed at the professional-like quality. I smiled as I heard a light snore.
Kody was lying on her stomach, her head turned to face the room, a hand dangling from off the couch. Her blonde was pulled into a messy ponytail, escaping strands falling over her face. I walked over and pulled up the blanket that had pooled around her waist to cover her shoulders. I then brushed away the stray hairs and kissed her forehead. She just didn't realize how important she was to our family. I care about my brothers a lot, but I'm probably the most protective over Dakota, the same with Pony and Soda. It didn't matter that she and Pony were twins, Kody would always be the baby of the family.
I frowned as I looked at the side table where her inhaler rested. I would never forget the day we found out she had asthma, the day she almost died right in my arms....
FLASHBACK
(I don't really know anything about asthma so for the people who have it and are reading this, I'm sorry. I know this thing doesn't usually happen, I don't know how anything works, this is just what I think about in my little mind. I'm admitting it now so please don't flame me saying I'm way off base cause I already know. 009)
It was nearly two years ago, months after our parents had died in the car accident. I was finally starting to get the hang of being the guardian, but there were still times that I was afraid I would screw up big time. I was nineteen, Soda was sixteen, Pony and Kody were thirteen.
The whole gang was at our house and we had just finished playing a game of football. I had Soda, Steve, and Kody on my team while Dally had Pony, Johnny, and Two-bit. (A/N: Kody didn't meet Tyler yet 009) Our game was tied and we had the ball. I knew that since Kody was the fastest and smallest, she would probably get past the other team easily. Soda spiked me the ball and blocked with Steve while I handed my sister the ball.
She bolted down the field, dodging around Johnny and Dally with ease. Pony escaped Soda and took off after her. She was only inches away from the end when he tackled her, causing them both to drop to the ground, a little too hard for my taste. I was a little worried that Kody had gotten hurt, until they both started laughing. We called it a tie and decided to head back to the house.
On the way there, Kody had started coughing slightly, and Soda patted her on the back a few times while I asked it she was okay. She nodded and she was back to normal. Everyone was sitting around the living room watching TV while Pony and I made dinner. Two-Bit, Dally, and Steve were smoking, which was no big surprise, when all the sudden, Kody's coughing started up again and seemed to be getting a lot worse.
She was sitting next to Two-Bit on the couch, who was looking at her concerned. By the now, the poor kid was coughing so violently that her whole body was shaking. When it didn't let up I rushed over and grabbed her shoulders gently, seeing if she was okay. There were tears in her eyes and I could tell that she was scared and in pain. The next thing she said made my blood run cold.
"Darry....I can't breathe.." I panicked, I didn't know what was wrong. She was sick, my baby sister was sick and there was nothing I could do about it. She just kept coughing, fighting for air, and finally she collapsed in my arms out cold. I told Steve to go call an ambulance as I set her on the floor. She wasn't breathing anymore, if I didn't do something quick she would die before we could get help.
So I did the only thing I could, I started CPR which the health teachers had taught in high school, never once dreaming that I would actually have to use it. I had Soda do the compressions on her chest while I breathed into her mouth, all the time praying that she would be okay. We had just lost mom and dad, I'd die if I lost Kody too. Pony was standing off to the side, tears running down his face at the sight of his twin so helpless.
It wasn't long before the ambulance finally came and the paramedics took over. We couldn't go with them because they needed to room for the medics to continue giving her CPR, so we all piled into the truck and rushed to the hospital. When we got there, the doctor met us at the door. He said that Kody's breathing was stable and she was asleep in her room, it would be a few hours before she woke up. He had taken some tests to see what had stopped her breathing and would give us the results later.
A nurse led us to the room and said that only family was allowed to go in during recovery. My brothers and I walked in quietly while the others waited outside in the waiting room. There was my baby sister, an IV needle strapped to her hand and a respirator tube through her nose. She looked so young and small, I almost couldn't handle seeing her like this. Soda and Pony had tears running down their faces, I could tell they were still scared. I just sat in a chair next to her bed and took her small hand in mine.
A few hours later, she finally woke up. The doctor came in and gave us the test results. Asthma, how could my baby girl have asthma? I couldn't believe it. Once the state heard about this there was no way they were going to let me keep her. The doctor told us that she had actually developed it when she was around ten or eleven but it hadn't reacted until now. From that point on me, my brothers, and the rest of the gang were extremely more protective of Kody than ever before. I never let anyone smoke in the house or around my sister ever again, and Pony had been trying to quit.
END OF FLASHBACK
The doctor had given Kody her inhaler with the little tube of medicine and showed her how and when to use it. Then he had taken me aside and explained that it would be a good idea if we had a spare one or two in case Kody's inhaler ever went missing when she needed it. We now have two spares. One is either carried around by Pony or Soda, depending on whose she with, usually Pony. The other I had originally kept, until we met Tyler and he became part of our gang. Since he worked with Kody and spent the most time with her, he gladly offered to carry the spare.
The doctor had also taught me how to use the inhaler on Kody if she couldn't use it herself or was unconscious, and I in turn, taught my brothers and Ty. Ty was good kid, one of the few guys in this state that I actually trusted with my baby sister. Sometimes I find myself hoping that if Kody ever starts to date, and I know she will, he would be her first choice. Apparently this matches the opinion of the rest of the gang since they are always giving the two a hard time.
I had been right about the social workers not thinking I would not be able to take proper care of Kody anymore. A few weeks after the trip to the hospital, a lady named Ms. Thomas came to our house. And this wasn't one of the annual state checkups either, she had papers that demanded the custody of my baby sister. We had been to the courthouse more times than I wanted to remember, and I had already won the rights over Soda and Ponyboy, nobody could take them away no matter what. They still hadn't made a decision over Dakota.
Well, of course, I wasn't going to let this women take her away, so once again I took the matter to the state judge. In the previous case, just me and the opposing lawyer had talked, but this time they had Kody take the stand as well. They asked her all kinds of questions about our home life, school, and whether she liked living with us. In the end, the had given me temporary custody, but there was always the chance that they could try to take her again. It wasn't fair that her life had to be this tough.
I made sure that the blanket was securely tucked around Kody's shoulders before heading off towards my room. I was so tired that I didn't even remember when my head hit the pillow.
**************************
DAKOTA'S POV
I woke up to a strange feeling and it difficult for me to breathe. I propped myself up on my elbows...or at least, I tried to. There was an extremely large weight resting on my back and prevented me from getting up off the couch. I twisted my head around and was not so surprised to see Two-Bit grinning at me.
"Boy, Kody, you're actually a lot more comfortable to sit on than the couch." he joked. I narrowed my eyes with mock anger.
"Get off me, you fat greaser. My back is not supposed to bend that way!!!"
You see, being called a Greaser can mean two different things. If a Soc or a teacher calls you a Greaser, it's an insult and automatic grounds to talk back or kick butt. But when another hood calls you a Greaser, it's a good-natured insult and means that you're cared about by your gang. Except when said hood is crushing one's spine. Then it is completely acceptable to knock him to the floor, which I did.
I got up and stretched, letting off a small yawn while Two-Bit sat on the floor, rubbing the back of his head. There was something off about this morning. It might have been the fact that none of my brothers were awake yet so I was going to have to make breakfast, maybe it was because none of the other guys were here so the house was relatively quiet, or maybe it was because it was still dark outside!!! I groaned and rubbed my eyes.
"Dang, what time is it?" Two-Bit glanced at the clock.
"Oh....'bout six thirty."
"Why are you here so early?" I asked, completely confused. I mean, Two-Bit was definitely not a morning person. Usually, he was passed out drunk or in the middle of a hang-over.
"I just didn't feel like sleeping anymore," he replied, an innocent look on his face. I raised an eyebrow.
"Okaaaay, but why did you have to wake me up??!!!" He just shrugged.
"'Cause I was bored." I sighed and slumped my shoulders in defeat. I wasn't mad or anything, I could never get angry with Two-Bit, I was just a little annoyed that an hour of extra sleeping time had been stolen from me. Oh well, that meant I got to use the shower first. I quietly walked into my room so as not to wake up Johnny, and pulled out some old clothes out of my dresser. As I made my way to the bathroom I told Two-Bit that he could help himself to the fridge, namely the few bottles of beer.
I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and towel dried my hair before putting on my usual work clothes. Usually, I would have just wrapped myself in a towel and changed in my room, but Johnny was there and I wasn't too comfortable with being practically naked in front of the gang, unlike Soda who walks around with a towel around his waist every other morning. Ty was the only guy besides my brothers to see me without a shirt, and that was only because we work out together and I usually only wear sweatpants and a sports bra.
I pulled on a pair of old jeans that had once belonged to Johnny, but he outgrew them. There were numerous rips and tears in both legs, but they were perfect to wear to work. They were still a little too big for me, so like most of my other pants, I had to cinch them tight with a white, cloth belt. I also put on a quarter-inch strapped, white tank top which contrasted sharply with my dark, tan skin. It stopped in between my chest and the waistline of my pants so a good section of my midriff was exposed, just like all my other undershirts.
I put my hair into a high ponytail and pulled on the work shirt the Ty and I had to wear. It was black and had the sleeves cut off. The words "Carson Racing" and a picture of a motorcycle were on the back in white, and "Kody" stitched above the front left pocket. Obviously the shirt was too long since it wasn't designed for a girl, so I fastened the middle three buttons, leaving two undone of the top. I then took the two tails of the shirt and tied them in a knot around my waist. I looked at the clock on the bathroom counter and saw that it was almost seven. My brothers were going to be late if they didn't get ready soon.
I walked into Darry's room and gently shook his shoulder, calling out his name. No response. I shook a harder. Nothing, my big brother was dead to the world. I sighed. Don't get me wrong, I knew that it wasn't his fault that he's been so tired lately, the extra hours were killing him, but it just made my job a little harder. Well, no more miss nice girl.
I got a glass of water from the kitchen and stalked back to the bedroom, an evil plan in my head. I tried to shake him awake one more time, but he still would not wake up. Darry was definitely going to hurt me, but it had to be done. I dumped the water right on his head and bolted out the door as he shot up in surprise.
I ran into Soda and Pony's room and dove under the bed, covering my head with my arms. I could see Darry's feet appear in the doorway and tried not to laugh as drops of water made little puddles on the floor. I couldn't tell if he was mad or not since I couldn't see his face, but I was praying that he wouldn't find me. By now, my other brothers and Johnny were wide awake from all the commotion we were causing. Yep, never a dull moment in this house.
Suddenly, hands shot under the bed, grabbed me around the waist, and dragged me to my inevitable doom. Darry gave me an evil smile and began tickling me mercilessly. Now, I knew he wasn't mad, just wet. It wasn't long before Soda joined in on the torture and I could barely breathe. Pony came to my rescue and tackled both my brothers, giving me time to escape and totally abandon my twin while I started breakfast, the task of waking up my brothers now complete.
I took out a few plates from one of the cabinets and set them on the table next to the cake. Two-Bit was sitting on the floor in front of the TV, watching Mickey Mouse like the little kid he is. Just like I thought, he had a beer in his hand. Hmm...beer and Mickey Mouse, strange combination. I started frying the eggs and brewing the coffee for Darry. Cooking was definitely not one of my specialities, so the eggs were scrambled. I loaded up four plates with eggs, cake, and toast and told Two-Bit to fix his own plate. I poured the coffee into Darry's mug and filled three other glasses with chocolate milk. I also set one more plate out for Johnny.
I grabbed my drawing and my breakfast and jumped up on the counter, sitting Indian style. I don't know why, but I did it every morning even when I could sit at the table. I think it's because I felt taller or something like that. In between bites, I finished the fenders and started the design on the custom hubcaps we put on every bike. The sun had been up for awhile now, Ty would be showing up soon. Pony and Johnny were the first to appear out of the hallway, and then Darry.
My oldest brother leaned next to me, his mug in hand, and kissed me on the cheek. I made a face, sticking my tongue out in fake disgust and wiped the spot with the back of my hand. He chuckled and looked at my sketch as I turned my attention to my twin and his best friend.
"So, you are you and Johnny gonna do today?" I asked. They both shrugged.
"Dunno. Maybe play cards or something," Pony replied. I nodded and Soda came running in dressed in nothing but a pair of jeans. Didn't even has his socks on yet, the dork. He grabbed one of the glasses of milk and took a long swig before taking a bite out of a piece of toast and running back to his room. Just regular weekend routine.
I heard the screen door open and Ty waltzed into the house. We all said our hellos while Two-Bit just gave him a distracted wave, completely absorbed in his cartoon. I rolled my eyes and motioned for Ty to come closer so I could show him the sketch.
"What do ya think?" I asked. He grabbed the notebook and studied it, nodding his head in approval. His work clothes were similar to mine. His had some old blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Over that was his black work shirt which had short sleeves and the same writings as mine except his was labeled "Tyler". He looked a little more professional than I did with the shirt tucked in and buttoned except for the first two.
"It's rad, Mac'll flip."
"It's just the frame so far. Once we find out where the bikes going, I can add more design and crud like that." Ty looked at his watch.
"Well, we better get going." I nodded and jumped off the counter. Ty looked at my twin. "Pony, you and Johnny wanna come along? I'm sure Mac'll give ya something to do if you're bored?" Tyler and Ponyboy got along real well, and that made me happy because I would hate to be stuck in the middle. Pony shook his head.
"Nah, I don't really feel like cleaning up the garage again." Ty just grinned.
"Suit yourself." I gave both my brothers a hug, told Darry I'd be home around seven, and yelled out a goodbye to Soda who was probably searching for his DX shirt. I picked up my inhaler from off the end table, tucked it into the side pocket of my jeans, and followed Ty to the car, sketch book in hand.
A/N: And that was chapter two. What do you think, cute story? I kinda like it. But, I wanna know what ya'll think, so tell me. 009
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