Authors Note: Back after a long break. Think I wrote my last story in 2005!! .net/s/2365432/1/A_Twist_Of_Fate This story is a sequal to A Twist of Fate. Please read & review. Constructive criticism welcomed. It's good to be back!!
The cold wind caused her to bury her head into his shoulders just a little closer, and his hand squeezed her tenderly, holding onto something that was hanging by a thread. They were alone, in a place that was full of people, and although they were together; their souls were miles apart on different roads. Her green eyes focused hard on the movie screen in front of them. The story, although a favourite, was simply a distraction. His eyes stared blankly, his mind was one thousand miles away. They never came here alone, but tonight was about them. They had to work at it.
Relationships were never simple, and that fact was true for Sodapop Curtis. It was almost two years into his relationship to Tori Jameson, and it was a certain fact to say that times had not been particularly easy. Only months into their relationship and Tori had fallen pregnant. The nine months to follow had been almost the worst months of Soda's life, second only to when he lost his parents. If anyone had the worst luck, it had to be him. Things smoothed themselves out just as the baby was due, and everything seemed as though it was going to be somewhat perfect. But Soda and Tori gave birth to a stillborn. Their world was almost broken, yet somehow they managed to stay reunited. Their relationship was tainted but not destroyed. The pair had drifted apart. This date a mindless attempt to save each other.
Sodapop sat and stared, his broad shoulders relaxing comfortably against the back of the chair. His bare arm draped around his girlfriend. His eyes, which once held a lively burst of energy, remained still and focussed. His once sensitive kind face; weathered by circumstance and experience. He still loved this girl he held, but she no longer spoke to him. Their laughter and smiles once an effortless ritual, had faded.
The wind moved her long dark hair, loose curls flying behind her as though she was running. But Tori hadn't exhibited that much passion for quite some time.
The film ended, and after a few moments they stood up making their way silently toward the exit. Tori walked a few paces ahead, her hands by her side, her vivid eyes glancing around as the crowds of Greasers left the movie lot. A cold hand grabbed hers instinctively, and she jumped; her heart pounding in shock. Her eyes widened as she followed the hand to its owner. Her boyfriend smiled weakly as he pulled her back gently, so she was at the same speed as him. "You enjoy it?" He asked her obviously, trying to make this awkward meeting less painful. She nodded and shrugged. It was a film, and she was depressed. There wasn't an awful lot that made her smile anymore. Once they were outside Soda stopped, pulling her to one side. For a moment he remained silent, staring into her lifeless eyes before he pushed his lips onto hers, trying to inject some passion. She returned the kiss, but without the passion, and she smiled weakly.
Soda took a deep breath and sighed, forcefully leaving go of her hand. "What is the point? I am trying. But you, you just don't respond! You're like some sort of robot." He retorted, his eyes burning into her in frustration. The same argument which had ensued one thousand times before, was beginning again, and most likely it would end the same. "Talk to me. Please talk to me. Tell me what's wrong." He sighed his eyes dropping to the floor as he bit his lip, trying hard to control his emotions. He swiftly ran his hand through his hair as he turned away from her before quickly turning back to face her.
Tori's eyes widened slightly, and she stared at him blankly as he began his rant. Things hadn't always been like this, their relationship had once been very good. "Soda. Stop being a dick. You know what is wrong. I'm not going through this again!" She sighed pushing her hair from her face. When she lost her baby, she had felt like half of her had disappeared. Her strength of character and passion for life had faded and she had been a shadow of her former self. She rarely seen her friends anymore, and she only ventured out of her flat for work, and on rare occasions to attend social events.
Soda heard her words and they cut through him like daggers, she was so unresponsive to him these days, and she looked at him as though he didn't matter. It was always the baby. Everything surrounded the baby. "Tori, you… you have to move on. You gotta." He pleaded, his hands now firmly placed on the tops of her arms. "I cant take it anymore. Do you even still want to be with me? I love you, but if we want this to work… we've gotta move on." He sighed his face contorted in a confused expression. He wanted to believe she loved him, and he wanted to convince her that he loved her, but he was beginning to doubt himself. It was a hard to be in a relationship with someone who didn't seem to care about you.
Tori smiled lightly, more of a sympathetic smile of someone much older and wiser than the two, as if implying that she knew more than she did. "I know. I'm trying. But… it's hard. I'm getting there." She shrugged her shoulders, was she really? In all honesty she wasn't making much of an effort to get over it. She was pretending all was fine and dandy in her counselling sessions, and she made out like she was studying part time and working so she didn't have much time for her friends. The truth about the studying was somewhat reality, although that reality had ended months ago, when Tori stopped going. She had decided to study English literature. It was a subject that she was good at and it had begun to help take her mind off things, until they had began reading a book about a pregnant woman. It was a little too much and so she just stopped attending. Tori sighed and shrugged her shoulders unconvinced, her loose curls moving in the wind. If he wanted to be with her, why was he being so cruel? She looked at him sharply "I do want to be with you. I love you." She stated firmly but her tone sounded unconvincing. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly, trying to inject some passion. She pulled away, her mind ticking for something to say to make things right, but she drew a blank. Whispering close to his ear, she held him, "I'm sorry."
Soda heaved a gentle sigh of relief as her empty words filled him full of hope. He had no idea what she was going through, what internal battle was being fought because she never shared it with him. Thunder boomed low overhead, and the atmosphere became dark and eiree. He kissed her back, as the long overdue rain trickled down their faces, smudging her make up, and hiding her tears. He heard her apology, and his broad arms tried to protect her from the demons that hid in the shadows. The sky lit with electricity as the rain poured heavier. He pushed his hair from his eyes, it needed cutting. "Come on baby, lets go home." He whispered, before loosening her grip from his neck, and pulling her hand through the watered streets. Tori didn't protest, she knew what was coming next in their façade. She knew they'd be at her flat soon enough, and he'd try and make love to her. It was a meaningless routine, and they did it, and soon enough afterwards, he made his excuses and he left.
Just as she predicted their routine occurred and she didn't protest or resist. She made love to him, almost with the same grace and passion as she had on the first night they had consummated their relationship. He worshipped her body, and she honoured his. It was an act that they both truly enjoyed, but once it was over their words were empty. As their breathing rate resumed normality, and their pulses slowed to steady, the passion faded and they were once again, two individuals alone but together. She lay their motionless, the covers splaid over her naked body, her head lying on his chest. She kissed his stomach as she sat up, bringing the covers with her to conceal herself from his view. His dreamy eyes followed her, before his lips coordinated a grin that only a movie star could get away with. That was the Soda she loved. But this was reality, and smiles didn't erase heartache. He sat up next to her, adjusting his position, the sheets covering his naked self. Glancing around the room, he caught glimpse of her clock as it hung to a steel bracket on the wall, every second ticking so loud that it became annoying in the aftermath of silence. "Baby, I gotta go… Darry will…" He cut off noting her disapproving expression.
"Yeah yeah, just go. I know Darry still treats you like a kid, even though your nineteen years old and have been through more shit than him." She spat bitterly, her warm smile covering it slightly. She knew he didn't want to hang around, mainly because he didn't have a clue what the hell to say to her, and she hadn't been all so talkative in a long while. She couldn't blame him, but she sighed as she watched him sit on the edge of the bed and pull on his underwear. He was every bit as perfect as he had been the first night she'd kissed him, he just looked a bit older and his charm was more concealed. He stood up pulling up his jeans, before picking his wet white tee shirt from the floor and pulling it over his head. It was colder than he'd imagined, but he'd only get more wet outside so what did it matter? Tori reached down the side of the bed, pulling from the floor a robe, which she daintily wrapped around her all too fragile body. She'd let herself go a little, she'd lost more than a few pounds, and her hip bones jutted slightly if she stood up straight. She pushed her bed head hair from her face, trying to tie it back in attempt to control it.
They made their way to the front door, where she held onto him for a few more seconds, pushing her lips into his. She didn't want him to leave, she only wanted him to hold her and make her feel wanted, but she feared rejection and so her mouth stayed firmly shut. He pulled out of the kiss, pushing lose strands of her hair from her face. [b]"I love you."[/b] He whispered, as he opened the door, breaking her contact, before smiling and disappearing into the dark wet night. She watched as his silhouette merged into a blurred darkened night, and she closed the door, allowing her pale cheekbones to be stained with tears for a dying love affair.
Soda walked slowly, trying to understand what was happening to his relationship, and debating his fate. He could only consider leaving her, he'd done it before but before had been different, and he'd come back. He looked at his watch, and shrugged his shoulders, deciding to bypass home. He knew Dally was throwing some party at Buck's, and instinctively his feet took him there. The thunder still rumbled and the rain continued to fall, but the lightening flashes were not the only lights to be seen. The small house stood on its own, silhouettes of people, laughter and music drawing him closer. He opened the front door without knocking, he stepped inside, a wave of relief moving over him as he began to relax. The music was loud and everyone looked like they were having a good time. Dally was no where to be seen, but Soda didn't stop to look. He made his way upstairs and into a bedroom. He opened the closet, searching for another tee shirt, something that wasn't totally soaking wet. Finding one, he quickly pulled off his, letting it fall to the floor. The bedroom door closed, and Soda glanced towards it as he began pulling the clean dry top onto his arms. His eyes widened and his posture stiffened as he reacted to the blonde stood in front of him. He pulled the top over his head and stared in disbelief before frowning slightly. "Sandy…?"