Chapter Text
“God, this sucks," Ponyboy thought to himself as he walked the humid concrete sidewalks of Tulsa. If it wasn't for his own pride and self he would have been riding in one of the gang's cars back home, but he’s not. Sweat had coated his already greasy hair making it shine like gold as he passed the movie house. The streets had a chance of being littered with socs looking for easy prey but Ponyboy continued down without seeming to have a care in the world. His mind seemed to be anywhere else but where he needed it to be right now. For a reason unknown to him, all he wondered about was his older brother, Darry.
Darry, in Ponyboy mind, was this uncaring person that was barely ever open about his own feelings. Ponyboy had a hard time remembering what Darry was like before he was given the stress of having to take care of him and Sodapop. Sure, there were a few things that were fuzzy from before the passing of his parents. A memory he still vaguely remembered was of Darry facing away from him while sobbing into his handles. It was a weird thing to remember for all these years. But for reasons unknown to him, it stuck in his mind since then and it replayed on a loop every so often when he started to think of Darry. It was weird to think of his brothers when they were little. He couldn't imagine his brothers being goofy kids playing around in the yard and getting in trouble. Well maybe Sodapop, but Darry? Ponyboy’s mind tried his best to think of a world where Darry was a big eyed child but he couldn't, not even in a million years.
That thought kept ringing through Ponyboy's head before he realized where he was at and how dark it had gotten. His second older, Sodapop, was probably waiting for him to get home sitting on the porch as always with that. This wouldn't be the first or last time Ponyboy would be getting home late due to this wandering mind. But his wandering mind had wandered into a place he would have never thought of; his brothers are kind of the black sheep of the gang. Darry, for the most part, didn't really dress like a greaser at all really. The only reason why he would even be considered one was the fact he was a part of the lower class and was always around them. Then you get to Sodapop. At first he seemed like any greaser: rebellious and wild, but when you pulled back the curtain he was a complete lover boy. Sodapop always was the heart of gold and didn’t have the thinking to ever hate a soul.
Just before he made a turn down his street Ponyboy saw something out the corner of his eye on a nearby roof. What he had seen out of his eye was his brother working his job roofing, trying to make ends meet. At first Ponyboy didn't think much of it until one little-bitty detail decided to bug him. Darry did have his shirt off. It wasn't that weird to not have your shirt off, but when your sweating in the hot afternoon sun doing a laborious job such it’s weird not to. The rest of his co-works, who were cracking jokes with one another, had their bare chest out in the open without a care in the world. But Darry still had his button up with a white tank top under it. He looked to be sweating, but Ponyboy's mind started to wander like before, why he didn't just take it off?
A pep in his step with his solution, why didn't Ponyboy just ask Sodapop about it? Soda probably knew at least a little about Darry and his strange ways. With a new found goal in mind, Ponyboy's choice would be leading him down a rabbit hole he didn't know he would be going down.