Chapter Text
The new year came and went, and so had the snow. Well, mostly. Instead of the nice, fluffy, Christmas snow, it was the thick and icy snow that came along with the promises of springtime. It was both welcome and unwelcome.
The part Darry despised the most was keeping the driveway salted to prevent anyone from slipping. The fact that he loved his kids enough to keep up with driveway maintenance baffled him daily.
Today though, he wouldn’t be able to do it, since he and Ponyboy had decided maybe it would be best for him to see a doctor about his eating problems. And who better to put in charge but the two laziest kids in the house.
“I’m leaving in about twenty minutes, and I won’t be home until…noon. Or earlier.” He informed Scout and Two-Bit as he put his jacket on. “While I’m gone, all I expect of you two is that the driveway needs be…thawed I guess is the word…There’s a bag of salt sitting on the porch. As long as that’s taken care of, I don’t care what you do.”
Two and Scout glanced at each other from across the living room, nodded, and went back to sleep. Darry scoffed. He needed better kids. No, not that…he loved them too much to even think about replacing them. They just needed better manners.
“I have too much faith in them.” He told Ponyboy as he got in the car, shaking his head.
Ponyboy laughed, “Yeah you do. Even I know better than to put Two-Bit in charge of a task.”
“If it's not done, I might…no, see I can't even do anything. I love you guys, you know? And if I kicked them out, the house would be too quiet. We'd have to replace them. It's not gonna be easy to replace Two-Bit.” He leaned behind his seat, backing slowly out of the driveway.
“But Scout is replaceable?” Ponyboy teased.
“I guess not. She’s a good kid. I wish she hadn’t been so willing to keep that damn cat, though.”
“Hey, he’s house trained already!”
“Mostly. You don’t see what I have to pick up before you guys come home from school.”
Pony laughed, “Probably make me throw up too, huh?”
“Oh, for sure.”
“How much are you willing to bet they don’t move all afternoon?”
“Depends, do you think they will?”