The Outsiders: Before My Time Sequel | Sodapop

Eight More Months

July 27, 2017

Soda kept making food puns throughout the entire shopping process, making it very difficult to remain focused. He would run down the isle and jump into the cart, letting it wheel out of control until it slowed or bumped into the wall with very loud clanks of the metal. People were staring at us, probably judging the man-child but we were having too much fun to care.

We had bought so many things, I definitely needed his hands to help bring them all inside. We bought a lot of fruit, perishables, some cereals that the boys requested or the closest we could find, and some canned foods. I also got milk, some soda, and juice. I could barely keep track of what we bought. Enough to fill the kitchen for three hungry boys for a couple of weeks.

We got to my house, and I noticed Lillian's car was there. I had three plastic bags being held in each hand, because I refuse to take two trips. I was trying to carry them inside while Soda only had two bags total.

"Bri, I can carry that," he kindly offered.

"No, it's fine. Just get the door please," I huffed while my arms were starting to cramp.

Just then, the bag that contained all the canned foods ripped open and rolled around the entrance. One hit the door and a few went off into the garden that surrounded the front of our house.

"Dammit," I sighed and immediately reached to grab a can. Soda had the same thought, because our heads collided at the bottom.

"Ouch!" I jumped up and rubbed the bump that was going to form on my forehead.

"Are you okay?" Soda asked with a smile, stepping closer to me and rubbed his thumb on my forehead.

"Yeah," I sighed, followed by a laugh. "Why do we always do that?"

"I don't know." He grinned, his face was gravitating toward mine.

"What are you smiling at?" I asked with a smile of my own.

He just kept smiling. I remembered that first time we were at Hanks like it was yesterday. We have shared food since then, but nothing has been quite so intimate. I was having a familiar feeling in the pit in stomach, the same one I felt when I shared that milkshake with Soda. When I'm with him, I don't think that feeling has ever really gone away.

Soda's hand brushed my arm gingerly, following his hand with his eyes. He then looked back up at me, with a gaze that told me he was in deep thought but with just one thing on his mind. Me.

"I just..." he chuckled nervously. "I just can't stop thinking about you."

I could feel myself blush with no chance of hiding it. "I can't stop thinking about you either."

"I missed you." His charming smile flashed across his features again as our noses came closer and closer.

"I missed you too," I tried not to sound ditzy, but Soda excited me so much. When I'm with him, nothing else around us matters. My knees almost feel weak, and my heart flutters.

Soda's eyes began to close as he slowly brought his lips to mine, giving me an opportunity to stop him. But I didn't want to stop him. I wanted to feel his lips on mine again, like it's the first time. His hands held my waist delicately, pulling me in closer to him.

The front door suddenly opened, which made us jump and snap out of our thoughts. Soda's hands slipped from me, and we saw Two-Bit standing in the doorway.

"It's about time. We've been waiting for forever." He snatched a few bags from my wrists and ran inside.

Soda and I looked at each other longingly and we began picking up the runaway cans of food with heavy sighs. I exhaled harshly, wishing that Two did not interrupt. For me and Soda, timing has always been terrible.