Soulmates // Sodapop Curtis

Six

It's been two weeks since I began fake dating Steve. It felt strange having Steve as my boyfriend. He would take me to the Curtis house a lot and he and Sodapop have been getting into arguments. I'm starting to want to call it off, I don't want to jeopardize their friendship.

I visit Steve at the dx a lot to bother him. Sodapop always gives me dirty looks when I talk to Steve. Sandy has disappeared. I swear when I'm in the back garage with Steve, I can hear Soda rambling.

Steve has tried to make it clear to Sodapop that we're dating now, but it just sets Soda off even further. I don't want to be the reason our long-time friendship breaks.

I think it'll be a few more days with Steve before I try to talk to Sodapop.

I walk into the dx and Sodapop's head pops up from behind the counter. "He's in the back." Soda says, but he sounds so drained.

I nod my head at Soda, but he ignores me. I walk to the back where I see Steve working underneath an old ford mustang. I closed the door quietly and sneakily walked by him.

"How are you doing Steve?" I yelled, successfully scary him. "God damn it, Sydney!" He screamed, laughing. "Oops, sorry." I shrugged.

"Hey, I have to talk to you about our fake dating," I said, sitting on the ground. "Yeah?" Steve said, wiping oil off his hands.

"I'm starting to feel guilty. Sodapop always looks sad, and this is fucking weird." I laugh, and Steve laughs too.

"Yep, I've noticed how he's trying to distance himself. Yesterday Sodapop was supposed to close the shop, so I was leaving. I had driven my truck a couple of blocks before I realized I had forgotten something so I turned around. When I walked into the dx, Sodapop was in the back garage sulking. He was crying and was saying how Sandy was a big mistake, and that he wanted you back." Steve explained with a sorrowful look on his face.

My heart breaks in two. I just wanted Soda to realize Sandy wasn't right for him, I didn't want him in pain.

"Well, I-I guess we'll do this for a couple more days. Tomorrow I'll try to talk to Sodapop." I said while I exited. "Bye, Steve!" I said as I closed the garage door. I walked into the shop area and opened the door.

"Bye, Sodapop," I said, giving him a smile. He ignored me again. "I'm sorry," I mumbled as I walked out onto the pavement. I guess I'll just go back to Bucks.

As I walked I took notes of my surroundings. I walked past the bench where I was struggling to tie my shoe when I was around six, and Sodapop helped me. Then he teased me about it the rest of the day. For days Soda and Steve referred to me as 'The girl who can't tie her shoes', man would that get to me.

I walked passed the park when Steve kissed me when we were ten. After that, he went around screaming in the neighborhood he had his first kiss.

I walked past where I had been walking home from the bookstore. I had gotten Ponyboy 'Gone with the Wind' since he continued to say he wanted to read it. Well, these older socs decided to come along and give me trouble. They started to say dirty things, and one even tore the book I got for Pony. Needless to say, Ponyboy didn't get his book. I was twelve.

I walked by the old shoe store. I and Steve went there so we could get Sodapop shoes for his birthday. Well, while Steve was trying on shoes, and turned around fast. He didn't know I was there and did a kick with these huge monster shoes. He broke my nose when I was thirteen.

I walked past the place I used to work at when I was fourteen, Mack's Diner. I worked there for two weeks before Steve, Soda, and Dally got me fired when they came in. I was having a rough day and they just made it worse. I threw Dallas's plate down at him, and Steve made a snarky remark that made me shove his food in his face.

I remember when I had almost peed myself from laughing when Steve and Sodapop and I made fun of people who walked down the street. Soda called this old lady Elmo's grandmother because of her big red nose and ironically a red fur coat. I walked past that

I walked by the field me and Sodapop used to look for frogs, even though we were both scared of them and refused to pick them up. We also went there to stargaze, trying to find constellations. Or we went and sat in the flowers finding clouds shaped like things.

I walked past the Dingo, where I had so many fond memories. Ones where Dallas would get kicked out for insulting employees and flirting with waitresses. God, there were so many memories of Dallas there.

I walked past the waterfall I and Sodapop went to not even a month ago. When I knew I wanted him more than a friend. Where I almost confessed how I liked him, even though I had just realized it. Where we went swimming and Sodapop shoved me into the freezing waters.

I went up to an old man on the street and asked what time it was since he had a watch. "Well, it's 4:48 pm." The old man replied with a smile on his face. "Thank you." I smiled back.

I couldn't do this. I couldn't do this fake relationship with Steve, I wanted Sodapop. I needed him. I ran to the Curtis house as fast as my feet could take me. I ran until my feet were numb. Sodapop wasn't home yet, so I'd just have to wait it out.

Sodapop usually gets home around 5:00 pm. He's not closing today. I ran until I reached the front door of the Curtis house. This was it. I opened the screen door and sat down, beginning my wait for Sodapop.