Disclaimer: Susan Hinton owns all of the amazing characters you recognize, not I.

Authors Note: big thank you to Divine Energy for being my beta reader throughout all of my work she is AMAZING and I encourage you all to go read her work.

Monday, 13th February 1966.

"My life can't be worthless,
There's got to be a point in living,
I'll keep on til I succeed."
Work-Work, N-Dubz

I remember the first time I had ever seen Sodapop; it had been at one of Darrel's football games. He'd been bouncing up and down, cheering on his big brother with his two proud parents sitting beside him. He'd been an overly excited, over active, friendly child – his teenage years hadn't changed him much.

When Sodapop had joined Will Rogers High School it wasn't much of a surprise to anyone. All of the teachers were excited to have yet another Curtis in the fold, Coach Shaw the most. What none of them had expected for Sodapop to be the complete opposite of his big brother.

He was often in my office with his friend Steven Randle, or Keith Mathews, depending on the seriousness of the matter. It was sometimes Dallas Winston; three people I never expected Darrel to associate with - obviously I had been wrong.

"Listen, I know you have had a hard time lately," I began. "But this is the very last thing we want you to be doing."

I sat opposite him and sighed. I hated cases like this and the worst thing was I had expected a lot more from a Curtis sibling; we all had - especially when Ponyboy had joined that year and was immediately accepted by his teachers as Darrel's kid brother.

"Do you need more time to catch up on your work?" I asked.

He shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Nope."

"Well what about some extra help after class?" I looked through the papers on his desk. "We have a great tutoring system and I am sure your teachers could give you a little more time after class."

"I really appreciate the thought Mr. Gordon, but I'm done here," he explained. "I just think there's more things I could be doin' with my time."

If it was for the fact that I thought he was quitting only because he didn't want to be here anymore, then I would have let it slide. However, something tugged at the back of my mind that this was more than just a kid that didn't like school

I raised his eyebrow. "There is really nothing I can say to make you reconsider?"

Standing from his chair he shook his head. "Nothin' my brother probably hasn't."

He opened the office door taking a step out he looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks a lot for everythin', Mr Gordon."

"Not a problem, Sodapop," I said disappointedly. "Be sure to tell Darrel we are thinking of him."

"Will do," he replied shutting the door behind him.

The idea that Sodapop didn't like school may have been enough for any other teacher, however being a younger sibling myself I thought of the more plausible ideas of Soda being the black sheep in his family.

His brother Darrel had been an A-star student, just like his younger brother Ponyboy. The youngest and eldest Curtis brothers also shared the same love for sports, and both had been expected great things from their teachers.

Maybe the pressure was too much from him? Especially with his younger brother being moved up a grade and Sodapop close to failing.

Ella opened my office door knowing already her favourite student had left. "He's going to be missed."

"He certainly will," I agreed.

She smiled. "He wasn't happy here, George. There wasn't anything you could have said, or done to make him stay."

"I know," I replied. "It's such a shame though."

"It always is."

All he wished was that Sodapop Curtis had left for the right reasons and not for the reasons of jealousy. Looking back would the young man regret his decision? Where would he work? How would his life change because he no longer had the discipline that a student like Soda needed so badly?

I looked out of my window and down to the car park. Keith, Steve, and Sodapop were stood around a friend's car looking it over. Soda had always excelled in motor vehicles, hadn't he?

I picked up the phone and dialled the all too familiar number of the DX station close to the school.

"Hello?" a tired voice answered.

"Uncle Terry, it's George," I greeted.

"George, how're ya, lad?"

"I'm well, thank you," I replied. "I'm actually calling for a favour, do you still have the position open at the gas station?"

"Yes, both of them," he confirmed.

"How would you like me to send down a couple of students? It's a full, and part time position isn't it?"

"Yes," he said. "I suppose you could do that but I'm not giving out the jobs on recommendations George. They're gonna have to prove they can do what I need of them."

"Oh course," I answered. "I'll send them down after their school day."

I hung up the phone and called Ella back into my office.

"Yes George?"

"I need Sodapop Curtis, and Steven Randle," I explained, nodding outside to where the pair was still stood.

I watched out of the window as she called the boys over to her and ushered them back into the building to my office. They looked dumbfounded as they were pushed through the door.

"A quick word, boys," I began. "Sodapop, you were planning on looking for a working position, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Steven, you asked Mr Walton last week about a part time job in motor vehicles didn't you?"

He nodded curtly. "Do you both know the DX Station on 4th?"

"Yeah, we know it," Steven said impatiently.

"I've just got off of the phone with the manager, there's a part-time, and full-time position open if you two are willing to give it a shot?"

Soda smiled. "Yeah, that'd be great, Mr Gordon."

"Very good, the manager is a personal friend of mine so I've told him you'll both be down straight after school so he can test your practical ability but I've got a feeling you'll both be fine."

"Thanks a lot," Steven said. "This sure is swell of you."

I smiled at the pair. "Just make sure you get the jobs, boys. It'll be good to have somewhere decent to take my car."

"Sure thing Mr Gordon," Soda answered.

I nodded towards the door. "Off you go then."

None of the staff, or student would ever be able to say I didn't care about the individuals. Every one of them deserved a break, and none more than Sodapop Curtis.

"If they only knew how it is where we grew,
The things that we see,
They call us thugs and we put our chin chins up so."
Work-Work, N-Dubz.
End Note: I will never write Sodapop again that was very hard but I'm proud to not have only written about my most disliked character but also from the POV of an authority figure.