@jeanieisms | continued
‘ — right. right, ponyboy ,’ the name still sounds funny in her mouth. what kind of person named their kid that ? ‘ he doesn’t sound like he’s got any respect for you. i mean, why else would he talk like that ? ’ she asks, though, it’s a hypothetical question. ‘ if any of MY siblings talked to my parents like that they’d be out on the sidewalk in a second. or at least grounded for months. ’
jeanie was right. ponyboy didn’t respect him. he just saw him as an overbearing older brother who could never replace his parents. and he was probably right too. darry never wanted to replace them. no, he just wanted to keep their little family together until soda and pony were old enough to not be taken from him.
he couldn’t stand the thought of losing them.
“ well, i’m not his parents. he’s just been takin’ losing mom and dad real hard. i mean, i don’t like havin’ him talk back an’ all, but what can i do ? i’d rather have him blow up at me than get himself into trouble. ‘sides, soda says he’s jus’ goin’ through a phase ... ”
