The Gold Times [ The Outsiders ] WATTYS 2019

//seventeen//

3rd person

SODA AND SANDY WERE at her house watching a movie - Casablanca. It was an average date for them - they had done this plenty of times. But this time something was off. Sodapop had been acting strange for a few weeks now. Even though he held her close, he felt far. Something was wrong, and Sandy was going to find out what.

Sandy sat up from his grip and looked at him.  "What's been up with you lately? You haven't been yourself." She asked, concerned.

"I think I'm bisexual..." Soda said avoiding all eye contact with her. Sandy stared him in his face, her eyes wide.

"Soda, you're gay." Sandy groaned, standing up.

"I said I'm bisexual!" Soda raised his voice, joining her up off the couch.  Sandy stepped back a little, surprised since Soda never really raised his voice before or at her. Sandy crossed her arms for a moment, looking down and thinking about what to say next. She looked back up to him, shrugging. "Okay...well what the hell does that mean for us?"

Sodapop sighed, not knowing what to say. "Are we breaking up?" Soda gulped, looking back down at the floor. "Oh, my God. We're breaking up. And after everything we've been through together!" They had been through a lot together, including the death of the Curtis parents. Sandy started to tear up. "Who is he?" She asked.

"What?" He asked looking at her suprised.

"Who..is..he?" She asked, arms folded.  Soda still looked shocked.

"There is no he..." He said, looking away.

"Really? There's no he?" Sandy laughed, harshly. "Surely there must be someone else."

Soda paused. "That's none of your business."

"So there is! I knew it! I think I have a right to know who turned my Goddamn boyfriend." She wiped away angry tears running down her cheeks. "Who is he?"

He looked at her dead in the eye and snapped. "IT'S TEAGAN! THERE, I SAID IT! ARE YOU HAPPY? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW THAT YOU KNOW?"

She stumbled back, frightened again at his tone, though she knew he'd never hurt her. "Teagan?" She asked in a barely audible whisper. "Oh, my God... Teagan. I should've known! He's always hated me! Wait... Sodapop... I've known him for months! How long has this been goin' on?"

"It's not like that, I swear. It's all recent... Everything's happening so fast...but I never cheated on you. And if Teagan doesn't like you, I have no idea why."

"Really? So being with a guy behind my back isn't cheating?"

"That's just not fair, Sandy! You think I'm just foolin' around and havin' fun with guys all the time? Well, it's not that simple. It's new for me, too. It's all new for me, I'm fuckin' scared! And that makes me the bad guy?"

Sandy looked up at him with her ocean eyes, feeling waves of different emotions.

She felt guilty, feeling she didn't understand his situation enough. She felt angry at Sodapop for being with somebody else - a guy, of all people - while being with her. She felt insecure, wondering if she had done something wrong and pushed him into another man's arms.

Her big eyes became clouded with tears and her lips began to tremble. She sputtered and looked around around the room, trying to find hope for the situation, but it was useless. She started sobbing.

Soda's hard eyes softened as he looked at Sandy.  "Sandy, listen. I do love you and I want you in my life." Soda said looking at the sobbing girl. "I've always loved you." He extended his arm and rested his hand on her shoulder. Sandy coughed as she stopped sobbing for a moment. She wiped her running mascara as her lips continued to tremble. Soda chewed on his bottom lip, not knowing what to say. "You alright?"

"'Ma will be home soon. I think you should go."  Sandy said sadly, avoiding Soda's gaze.  Soda nodded and left the house, sadly.

:::

TEAGAN'S BACK!!!