A Sandy Sodapop

Based on the request from Emolichic1

Ponyboy's POV:

A few weeks after the trial everything was looking up. Johnny was in a wheelchair. The doctor said that possibly with some physical therapy he could be on his feet, but no one was ready to set their standards that high.

Dally had his arm wrapped up along with a small section around his chest. He was gonna have a few scars, but nothing he couldn't handle.

Cherry and I were getting along fine behind closed doors. We'd talk to each other after school when no one was looking and she had a pretty nice bond with the rest of the gang too.

Steve and Two-Bit were their same old selves, they didn't change much anyway. Sodapop, Darry and I were getting along fine. Sodapop was still a little glum over Sandy, I could tell, but he wouldn't let anyone know that.

I was on the couch next to Johnny. We were harpin' on Two-Bit for watching too many Mickey Mouse Marathons. He tossed a pillow at us, but didn't mean any harm. We were laughing our heads off even when Cherry came walking in the door.

"Hey guys," She sat next to me on the couch. She looked nice, like she was dressed up to go somewhere.

"Are you going out with someone tonight Cherry?" She smiled realizing how tense I had gotten at the thought of her going out with another goon like Bob.

"No Ponyboy, I'm going to my cousin's wedding out of town. I figured I'd stop by to let you guys know so you didn't think I took the next flight out of here without saying goodbye." I sighed eternally. That was a relief.

I saw Sodapop sitting at the kitchen table. After she mentioned where she was heading he put his head in his hands and made a quiet groaning sound. It was to himself, and only Johnny and I noticed it. I looked over at Johnny and he was the one to speak up first.

"You okay Soda?" He asked across the room. Sodapop's head shot up to look at Johnny. He wiped the tiredness from his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Yeah I'm fine" He got up and jogged to our room. I'll integrate him for that tonight was the only thought I needed to dismiss his episode from my mind.

Within about an hour Cherry left for the wedding. Johnny, Two-Bit and I said goodbye and that we'd miss her. I told her Sodapop would miss her too and she smiled jumping into her car toward the city.

Darry came home with Chinese take-out and Two-Bit left to eat dinner with his family. It was the right choice. Johnny stayed to eat with us. Darry started setting the table when he looked around the house confused.

"Ponyboy, where's your brother?"

"Oh, he's in our room I'll go get him," I ran up the stairs shouting for Soda and screaming about how Darry had brought home Chinese hoping he'd just pop out of our room. He didn't. When I got to the room I saw Sodapop asleep on the bed. I shook his shoulder and his eyes shot open.

"Oh, hey Pony," he looked really out of it. I looked him up and down trying to figure out why he looked so… off.

"I was callin' you downstairs 'cause Darry got Chinese but if you're not feeling-"

"No I'm fine Pony, I just fell asleep, that's all" I nodded and we both rushed downstairs. We all started eating except for Sodapop who just pushed the food around his plate. He was real good at hiding the fact he wasn't eating. If I didn't devote every ounce of myself into seeing if his mouth opened, I might not have noticed.

"What were you doin' upstairs Soda?" Darry didn't even look up from his plate of food, but I did. Soda's head slowly pivoted up to look at Darry.

"I fell asleep,"

"You workin' too hard or somethin'? You outta tell Steve to pick up the slack" Darry joked. Soda made a noise that sounded more like 'tss' than a laugh but I guess Darry didn't notice. Just then the door shot open,

"Honey I'm Home!" Steve sang. We all smiled at his odd entrance. He came into the kitchen with Marcia wrapped in his left arm, "I picked this little doll up outside the DX. You like Soda?" One side of Soda's lip pulled up in an attempt at a smirk but it didn't fool me.

"You better watch out Steve," I cautioned, "Two-Bit was lookin' at her a while back,"

"Who doesn't Two-Bit look at?" he questioned, "If we based our girlfriends on everyone Two-Bit didn't look at, we'd have no one left. Plus, I don't need a little kid tellin' me my restrictions" He scoffed.

I just shook my head getting up from the table and bringing my plate over to the sink so I could wash it. I knew better than to argue with Steve Randle. Darry and Johnny dumped their plates in too. I didn't mind washing their plates, but when Sodapop came to empty every bit of food on his plate into the disposal I glared at him.

"Don't you dare do that Sodapop" I hissed. I didn't want to get him into trouble with Darry, but I wanted him to eat something.

"Ponyboy I ain't hungry" he whispered pleading. Nope! I wasn't going to let his smooth talk get him out of this one.

"You have to eat Soda. Are you sick or something?" I knew I sounded like the concerned mother of the situation but I really wanted to get to the bottom of his mystery.

"No. I'm just tired. I'm not in the mood for food" I grabbed his dish out of his hand as roughly as I could. Darn it! How'd he always do that? I emptied all the food, that was supposed to be in Soda's stomach, into the disposal. After washing dishes, I decided to go out for a walk when I saw Johnny wheeling after me.

"Hey Ponyboy! Wait up!" I stopped and waited for him to catch up so we could walk/roll together, "I had something to ask you" I nodded waiting for him to continue, "How are you going to get Soda to eat something?" My head shot up and I stared at Johnny.

"You noticed that too?"

"Obviously, I ain't clueless Ponyboy" I just stared ahead. I didn't have a good answer for his question.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna let him sleep it off. If he isn't hungry in the morning I have to bring Darry into the situation" Johnny nodded. He knew I'd have under control for the most part. I took him back to the house where he had been staying the night for a while. We weren't going to let him go home to his crazy family when he was vulnerable in a wheelchair.

That night I heard Sodapop stir. He got up to use the bathroom and I rolled over to look at his side of the bed. His pillow was soaked with… water? Had he been crying? When he came back into the room sniffling I shut my eyes tight and didn't move. I wasn't ready to let him know how much of him I observed, just yet.

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