trapped in a soda can (sodapop x reader)

Romeo and Juliet Bullshit

It was time for lunch, and Ponyboy was shaking beside me, his foot tapping repeatedly on the pavement as we sat outside. His eyes seemed glued on a certain point, a dreamy daze in his look.

"You okay Pony?"

"Have you ever been to the country Y/N?" his voice was tinged with a bittersweet tone.

"I've been places on the way here," I said. "Nothing beyond that though."

"The countryside seems so beautiful. My folks had always wanted to go there, have a farm with me, Soda and Darry- maybe even bring the rest of the gang too. We'd watch the sunsets, tell stories… maybe Soda would've been able to keep Mickey Mouse."

I haven't heard this story yet. "Mickey Mouse?"

"It was this pony Soda had three years ago, when he was about thirteen or what-not. He worked at this horse stable you see…"

The two of us were thrown into these long-past days, Pony's words describing every detail that I felt as if I were in the stables with Soda, playing about with Mickey's hair. Pony was about to delve into a funny story about some rodeo, when a shadow cast above us.

The bratty voice over us was very familiar.

"Y/N?"

It was Tiff.

"Hey Tiff," my voice sounded plain, disappointed even.

Tiff went on, as if Ponyboy wasn't sitting right beside me. "Are you dating that Sodapop fella?"

"Excuse me?"

"C'mon, don't play dumb with me. You know who I mean."

"It's not that, but, dating?" The puzzlement seemed obvious in my voice yet not obvious enough for Tiff to pick up.

Her curls bounced as she stepped closer.

"You're no fun," Tiff said. I could now smell the slight alcohol in her breath. Clearly she was on something at the moment. "Well, it was nice talking to you after a while. Have fun with your Greaser scum."

She sauntered off into some cute convertible waiting for her in the lot nearby us. Some other bimbo was waiting there for her, more drunk than Tiff.

"Are they even allowed to do that?" I muttered.

Pony broke into unexplained laughter, slapping my back harshly.

"You drink too?" I threw him a glare.

"Maybe you have competition for my brother," he teased.

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It was the end of the day, and Ponyboy was practically dragging me to his place.

"Come ON, Y/N. Don't you ever want to get our English done?"

"Pony, we finished it in class."

"We need to reread it. Double check it. Come on Y/N!" His tone grew more desperate after glancing at my reluctant expression. "We can grab a drink with Johnny after at the DX."

Johnny Cade was still closed blinds to me. I had sat with him sometimes during lunch when he came by, and even picked up a slight conversation with him. Quiet kid, always stayed in his own lane and never ran his mouth too much. I could see why the gang cared so much about him, for I began to care too.

"Fine," I said.

"Great!"

Ponyboy went on, half walking, half dragging me, his jeans creasing with effort. I made it so that every time I did decide to walk, it was slow and dreadful, and on uphill spots I'd lock my knees and let myself be dragged.

"Consider it a free workout," I'd call to Pony whenever he began to curse. "Don't you wanna make that track team?"

He'd grunt a quiet retort then continue with his steady process of getting home.

By the time we got there, everyone was home except Pony- it was around 4pm, just about to make that corner to 5. Life was yet again buzzing from the house, inside and out. Johnny sat with a smiling Dally smoking some sticks on the steps up to the doorway.

"Hey doll," Dally said as we came through the chain fence.

"Hey Dallas, hey Johnny," Pony replied.

"Hi man," Johnny said shyly. "You want a smoke?"

"Nah I'm good, Darry said he'd skin me if he caught me smoking again this week."

I followed Pony closely, my toes almost scuffing the edges of his heel.

"Careful doll, you might just wear his shoes if you keep that up," Dally commented. Smoke billowed from his breath.

"C'mon man, lay off," Johnny said quietly. "She's probably just nervous about…"

I was practically glued onto what Johnny was to say next, but Pony had finally finished dragging me home and I found myself at the Curtis house once again.

"Hi Y/N!" everyone greeted in unison.

I waved back, hanging behind Ponyboy. Two-Bit lay on the ground again, beer bottle in hand, while Darry cooked something good. In the kitchen, I found Soda and Steve arm wrestling, an unfinished game of cards spread out before them. Such a sight set a warm feeling across my chest.

"You hungry?" Ponyboy said. "We got chocolate cake leftover from this morning."

"Chocolate cake sounds good."

"Oh and, let's hang in my room to discuss our English class, alright?"

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Dangling my feet off Pony's shared bed, I stared out the window, observing the sky. The scent of chocolate cake danced around us. I took a bite of my slice and set it aside before turning to Pony.

"So, English?" I said, mouth half full of cake.

Pony seemed dazed, and quite surprised with what I asked. "English?"

"Yes. English. You dragged me here for English."

"Oh yes!" he swiped a chocolate crumb off my face. "Let's talk Shakespeare."

"Shakespeare? Pony, what bullshit is this? We're talking about Robert Frost at school."

This he completely ignored. "Don't you think Romeo and Juliet is good?"

By now the sun had begun to make its way across the horizon, and the tips of the oaks were glowing a soft orange. "Romance?"

"Yes, romance."

"Cut to the chase Pony. We hardly talk of romance, let alone Shakespeare."

"Y/N, I think I like someone." The sky was now pink.

"Oh?"

"And I'm pretty sure it's you."