Sunburn (Stevepop)

Ch 3- What could have been

When Steve came back to the Curtis house with Soda, he was met with laughter and joshing about the night before and his sunburns. He yelled at Two to screw off and for Dallas to shut his trap, but obviously it didn't do any good. Steve got sick of it almost immediately, he shrugged on a coat and stormed outside for a cigarette on the porch. Sodapop met him out there a few seconds later.
"You know they mean well," Soda started, putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling brightly.
"Yeah, whatever."
Steve knew they didn't actually mean well, it was just playful joshing. He wasn't sure if Sodapop knew that, or if he was just trying to help.
"Well at least now you got reason enough to carry around sunscreen all the time! Darry won't have to worry about ya gettin' skin cancer or something," Soda joked.
Steve was a lot for worried about his dad and Evie getting upset over a silly sunburn, but of course Soda wouldn't understand any of that.
Steve smiled but didn't speak until another minute later, "You wanna take a walk to the park or somethin'?"
During Summer, the sun doesn't set until around 8, so they had time. They both walked especially slowly without realizing it. They liked to bask in each other's time, and Soda told him that all the time. He liked to think if people liked him so much, they'd want to know that he liked them too, so he always said it.
"Ya know," Soda glanced at him, "You gotta give that coat back after tonight," he chuckled.
Steve obviously forgot he was wearing this random jacket that he'd picked off a chair at the dining table. It smelt like leaves, whipped cream, and new car.
"Na," Steve said, "It's mine now. You'll pry it out of my cold dead arms!"
Soda began to wrestle it off of him. He got one of Steve's arms pinned against a tree and tried to pull the sleeve off the other. Steve struggled against his grip and grasped at his shirt collar to slow him down, throw him off his rhythm or something. But all it did was throw himself off. Steve stared into Sodapop's eyes, he couldn't look away. Soda was still laughing to himself and tugging on the sleeves of his jacket that Steve wore, but he slowed down too. They locked eyes. Steve could feel himself leaning closer, very slowly.

Steve pov
At about the pace of a snail, I leaned in toward him. I know damn well I shouldn't, but after a while I barely noticed it happening. I inched closer to him, attempting to close the little space between my lips and his.
I don't even want to think about the smack to the face I have coming. Just two straight dudes making out in the park at sunset doesn't exist, and he knows that. I had to stop, inches away from him, he stared at me with glossy eyes. He sniffled quietly and blinked away tears.
Oh glory, what did I do? Could he tell I was thinking about kissing him? Is Soda really gonna cry when his friend tries to kiss him?
"Whats goin' on, Soda?" I asked, concerned.
He forced a smile, "Oh nothing, it's just..." he cleared his throat, "Me 'n' Sandy used to do this sometimes..."
I groaned quietly despite myself. Sandy Sandy Sandy, all the time with this guy! He didn't notice my irritation, thankfully.
"We got real close... 'N' she'd say something sweet, she's such a sweetheart... We kissed the whole way back home, 'n' boy if Darry wasn't always waiting up..." he blushed and chuckled. "I'm sure you and Evie know just as well, huh?"
I could feel myself getting sick.
"Why're ya telling me, Soda?" I snapped.
At this point he'd stepped away, and he was almost pacing, running a hand through his hair. His eyes were wet and his voice was shaky. He turned to me with his hands on his hips and tears just barely about to fall.
"Sandy's cheatin' on me, Steve... I-I..." he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.
I plunged off the tree and threw the dangling sleeve back over my shoulder, immediately starting to pace too. He stood in place, holding his head in his hands, while I stomped around quickly muttering obscenities.
"How can she do that to you, man?" I shouted, "I mean, you've been goin' out for like a million years! You gave her the world, right!? She-"
He cut me off before I could get anywhere further, which is probably good.
"Two-bit saw her with another guy at the drive-in not even a week ago, and they were NOT paying attention to that movie, man!" he forced a chuckle while tears just ran down his face, "Right in front of all those people, she just..."
Tulsa's small, and girls ask a cute guy like Soda if he's got a lady every day at the DX. By now everybody in the town knows damn well that Soda's taken, and he has been for a while.
"I-it's like she wants to get caught or something!" he shouted shakily.
All I can do is pace angrily.
Sandy has no right to make Soda cry! Doesn't she know how lucky she is? And what kinda guy would go around kissing other guy's ladies in public?!
I know it's not all Sandy that's pissing me off, it's Soda too.
He thinks he's stupid, and he's really not, but sometimes I swear he does stupid things just because he likes proving he dropped out for a reason. Something like that, maybe. Stupid things like falling head-over-heels for a girl like Sandy. Some cleaned-up greaser girl, who he hasn't known or been best friends with since grade school. But it's not his fault he's blinded by love. Maybe this whole cheating business is a step toward opening his eyes. She's never been great, at least in my book, and I'd love to see eye-to-eye with him on that.