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I walked home that day instead of driving.
I normally take the truck to work, but Soda had to make a delivery for the DX, so he took it and dropped Pony off. I’d let him take it any day, knowing that Pony wouldn't have to walk to school and all the way home alone, but they both insist on me driving most of the time.
I was making my way down Prince street, which is only about a block away from our house when I heard the screaming, and then I started running. When you’re the oldest of the gang, and the one who has to clean up, you get to be a pretty fast runner despite being twenty-one and have worked all day.
The screaming stopped after a minute and I got scared, because usually that means you've passed out or someone found a way to shut you up, but I rounded the corner and three socs towered over Pony, who seemed to be awake and alive.
“Hey! You leave him alone!” It wasn't a snarky remark, but I couldn't think of anything better to say.
I skidded to a stop in front of them and realized I easily stood taller than all three. They looked only a little younger than me, but they seemed scared, turning tail and jumping in their car. I would have roughed them up a bit more usually, but I needed to check on Pony.
As the car sped off, I kneeled in front of Pony and helped him sit up. He was shaking pretty bad, and looked a little cut up.
“Pone, hey. You okay?”
He turned away from me, and I could tell he was trying not to cry. My heart ached for him, and I just wanted to tell him he was safe, he was okay, that I loved him.
I didn't know how.
“Y-you weren't supposed to come.” Pony whispered.
I didn't know what that meant.
“Pony, what do you mean? Of course I came.”
“No-you shouldn't have-they said-'' Pony was crying now, really crying, and I realized I hadn't seen him cry since Mum and Dad's funeral. God, I was a crappy brother.
“Hey-” I reached out and wrapped an arm around him. We were both sitting on the sidewalk now, and he leaned into me, burying his face in my neck.
I wrapped my other arm around him and hugged him like that for a long time, gently rocking him back and forth like mum used to when he was a kid. I didn’t question him yet, I just held him, thinking of how nothing was fair and how he must feel.
He pulled back and I let him, he wiped his eyes and looked at me.
“Sorry-I’m sorry.”
“Pony, you shouldn't be sorry.” I didn't know what else to say, but I looked at him carefully, and he crossed his arms and turned towards the road.
“They told me they wouldn't hurt you-and Soda if they got to-y’know”
“What?”
“They said they would leave you and Soda alone. They were planning someone-to do something, I don't know, but they said-if they could toss me around enough-it would get to you, and they wouldn't have to touch you.”
“Pony!” My stomach turned at the thought of them-how long were they there before I got there? Did they hurt him, was he hiding it?
“I know-I just thought..”
I shoved down thoughts of yelling at him. He was trying to help-to protect us, to have some control.
“God, Pony-you shouldn't have done that, you know their promises mean nothing.”
“I know, they just-they told me what they would do, some of it, I couldn't think straight, they pinned me down and covered my mouth-I just agreed, so they wouldn't-” He seemed to be having trouble speaking, as if he couldn't get the thoughts out. I hated Socs, never more than at that moment.
“Alright, Pone. We’re gonna head home, okay? Soda’s probably worrying. Can you walk?”
I stood and offered him a hand, which he took, pulling himself up and standing.
“Yeah, ‘m fine”
We walked the back roads home, and I kept looking over to see Pony watching behind us. He seemed pretty roughed up, despite being afraid to show it, and he isn't usually this jumpy or open with me.
I hoped he would talk to Soda about what happened, he was always closer with him, but I didn't know if he would. He was always too quiet when things like this happened, and I was scared of what he was thinking when he didn't share.
Every step we took sounded like a chant in my head, a pounding rhythm that was driven into my soul by the time we reached home.
“ You should have protected him”