SURPRISE MF (I told y'all it would be a while lol)
(August 6th, Sunday, 12:25pm)
Steve's POV:
Everything is pouring down and I'd be shitting myself if I said me, Branty, and Soda didn't all cuddle up in my bed last night. And I'd be really shitting you if I said I didn't cry when I got ready today. Right now me and Soda are driving back to his house to say goodbye to Pony, and so his parents can come with us. Darry left last week, so we've all already been through this program.
I get there and Mrs. Curtis answers the door like how she always does. She smiles but starts crying, "You know where he is. First door on the right." She falls apart in my arms and her words muffle.
We just stand here in the doorway and just cry before I can talk again, "I love you, Mrs. Curtis." I sigh.
She pulls away, "I know you do, Steve you're like the fourth son I never asked for. Eating up all my damn spaghetti when the rest of my family was tired of it. Falling in love with my wild child and somehow taming him. Teaching my kids all sorts of shit I didn't even they wanted to know. Look I'm getting this all out now so that when we get there I can just say bye. It's not gonna help anyway cause that's the hard part." She giggles.
I just sniff. I'm gonna miss her babbling.
Once she moves away Pony comes into sight, "I still don't like you. I don't think ever will. Which is why I'm not going with you for your little drop off, because when you don't get back in the car to come back. I'm scared I'll start crying or something..."
"Aw Pony." Never in a million years did I think I would end up crying with a crying Ponyboy Curtis in my arms. But I guess, it's been a million years.
After he scoots away and falls with his mom, Mr. Curtis comes and hugs me, "I never thought I'd see the day you grew up. But here we are, Steve."
"Here we are." He lets go and I turn back around. I think it's time to go.
Me, Mom, Dad, and Branty all get in Moms car. Me, Mom, and Branty all get in the back seat. Squeezed together and crying. Soda drove my car there.
"I'm so happy I only have two kids because I can't do this shit too many times." Dad was crying as he drove.
Dad was crying.
And Mom was falling apart at my chest, she's so small I could've forgotten about her.
If I remembered too.
The car ride was quiet. No sobs, just cry's and sniffles and music. Bubbly by Colbie Caillat. Golden Hour by JVKE. Hey, Soul Sister by Train.
Old shit we still wanna hear.
When we get there we silently take my stuff out of my car and set up my half of the room. Yeah, this school is so big that you get a roommate, but because I don't know anyone I didn't get to choose my roommate. I just got half a room.
When we're done I turn around and look back at everyone standing in front of the door. This is literally my whole family. My loves, kissing me goodbye this time. I choose to start easy and get hard.
I start with Mr. Curtis, "thank you for letting me live part time in your house and steal your son." I hug him again.
"Anytime, Randle." He walks off and his wife comes in exchange.
"I'm not gonna say anything else because I don't think need too." We hug, and cry and cry until finally she pulls away and rubs my arms, "Be sweet, baby."
"Okay." I feel like a little primary school kid when they do something bad.
I feel my hands go cold and now my dad is in front of me. He takes my shoulders and kisses the top of my head, "Be a man, Randy. I didn't raise you for nothing." He hugs me like a baby which doesn't help.
After him comes my mom and I feel myself breaking down. I'm quite literally quivering.
I feel her slip her little hands into mine, "Hey, uh." She pauses and looks away, "I'm gonna miss you eating up half the breakfast me and your dad made. And here's you fall on the ground laughing at some stuff shit on your phone. Or walking in on your sister asleep in your arms. Or knowing your home cause that ghetto ass music is booming out that damn Honda Civic. But I love you, and you're my baby no matter how tall you wanna be."
"I love you too Mom." If I look down at her one more time I'm gonna lose it.
"Oh shit." I sigh, here comes Branty and we don't waste anytime for that hug.
At this point I was gonna cry on one of these last three and of course it's her.
"If you ever need to call I'll answer I swear." I've been scared to leave her for a lot of different reasons, but now that I'm actually leaving I'm really scared.
"I know, I know." She sniffs.
"And I'm gonna come home." I assure.
"I know."
"I love you." I hug her for the last time for a long time.
"I love you, too." She starts crying again but I have to let go.
Damn, that one stung my soul.
Me and Soda look at each other and literally just sob neither of us move. I wipe my family with my shirt like I did when I was like four. And we stare at each other for a few more moments before we both take a few steps and meet each other in the middle.
Our kiss is soft, and sweet, and if it was up to me it wouldn't ever stop and when we pull away we pull each other into an even sloppier hug. We sob hard until I make myself stop.
And I take his hands and I pull them into my chest but I keep us together. "Hey, it's just school." I breathe.
"Yeah, okay." He nods.
I hold out my hand so we can start the stupid little handshake we made when we were twelve.
"And you're just my stupid best friend that I totally don't like at all or anything." He tells himself.
"And you're just some guy I fell in love with by accident." We get to the last piece and hold each others hands.
We begin the corny ass chant that's Lowkey kinda clever. We did this same handshake at the beginning of every game so the end gets altered every time.
*they say it at the same time btw
"Steven Dave Randle is my best friend for maybe, probably, really forever. He's really weird and I'm pretty sure he loves his little sister more than me, but it's okay cause he's my lover. He has green eyes, dark brown almost black hair, and the cutest light freckles. Ever! Win or Lose, fail or fly, he will always be by my side. He will always be my guy."
"Sodapop Patrick Curtis is my best friend for maybe, probably, really forever. He's really sweet and I'm pretty sure he loves his dog, Barbie, more than me, but it's okay cause he's my lover. He has blue eyes, and jet black hair, and the cutest movie star smile. Ever! Win or Lose, fail or fly, he will always be by my side. He will always be my guy."
Our last kiss is sweet and we're finally done crying. Next thing I know he lets go too. And I'm waving goodbye everything I've ever loved.
I sit down on my bed a girl comes in with a bunch of stuff. I guess she could tell that I was just crying because she says, "are you a freshman?"
"Yeah." I nod.
"Aw the first month is the worst month. I just did all of that at my car." She points.
She has straight red hair but it looks dyed, or maybe now because she's pale as fuck. She has hazel eyes, almost like another version of Mrs. Curtis.
"What grade are you in?" I question.
"I'm a sophomore but I transferred from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas and this is my second year in school for health and education/fitness."
"Wow that's far." And I'm over her complaining about my seventy miles.
"What about you? What are you about?" She sits on her bed and shrugs.
"I'm from Tulsa, and I'm majoring in psychology." Something about talking about school really has me wondering, how the hell did I get here?
"Cool, well I'm Brielle and I guess I'm your roommate. And now I'm gonna take a nap because that drive was not fun." And with that she lays down.
"I'm Steve." I feel like I'm talking to nothing. But I'm not because at least I heard myself.
I think?
-written: 11/26/23- 😘