Sodapop Curtis walked to work one day with a smile on his face, as usual. He had worked as a sales clerk at the gas station nearest to his house for over a year, and he loved going there every day. Today he was especially happy because his brothers were finally getting along. They had been making an effort to respect each other ever since his outburst.
"Hey Soda," a voice called out. It was Steve Randle, his best friend since either of them could remember. Steve also worked at the gas station, so it was no surprise to be seeing him there. What he said next was what came as a surprise to Soda.
"Boss wants to see you."
Soda liked his boss. He was a nice guy, and treated his workers with respect. Soda hoped he hadn't done something to break the trust that existed between him and his boss. The only thing he could think of that he had possibly done wrong was showing up a few minutes late. He took a deep breath, and pushed open the office door in the back of the store.
"Sodapop, come in. How are you?"
"I'm good. Steve said you wanted to see me?"
"Yes. I don't want to waste my time or yours so I'll get right to the point. How would you like to be an assistant manager?"
Soda blinked. He couldn't have heard right. Was his boss crazy? But when he looked at his boss, he was looking at him as if he was expecting an answer, so Soda decided that he was serious.
"Um…well…I don't know anything about managing a business."
"You don't have to," his boss replied. "I'm gonna teach you everything you need to know about running a gas station. You see Soda, I like you. I think you're a hard worker and could be manager of this place once I decide to move on. So I've decided to train you now."
"But I can't work full- time. You know it's just me and my brothers."
"I know. That's another thing. Taking this position would mean a pay raise. And it wouldn't be anything to sneeze at. I know the position you're in, Sodapop. I want to help you."
"That's very kind of you sir," Soda replied, hardly able to breathe. A pay raise? That's just the kind of thing that he and his brothers needed. "Is it okay if I talk to my brothers and get back to you?"
"Absolutely," his boss replied with a genuine smile.
The rest of Soda's day seemed like a dream as he did his work without even thinking about it. At home, he found Darry making dinner. "Hey. Is Ponyboy still at school?"
"Yeah," Darry replied as he cracked an egg into a frying pan. "He should be home soon, though. How was work?"
"It was good I guess… Darry, what would you think of me bringing in a little extra money?"
Darry turned around to face him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…" Soda took a deep breath before continuing. He wasn't sure how Darry would react to the news. "I mean that my boss wants to make me assistant manager of the station." He told Darry everything his boss had said, and had watched his brother's face carefully, waiting for a reaction. But Darry's face remained impassive as he listened to Soda recap his conversation with his boss.
"Wow, Soda," he finally said in awe. "I had no idea your boss liked you so much. I think you should take the job. You might have to work a little more but we really do need the extra money."
"We're getting more money?" Ponyboy's voice came from the doorway. Soda gave Darry a questioning look and when Darry nodded, he told his youngest brother Pony the story. Pony's eyes widened when he heard about the money. "Darry, you can go to college!"
"What?" Darry and Sodapop asked in unison. They both gave Ponyboy confused looks. The matter of Darry giving up his college scholarship to work and earn money was something that none of the boys ever mentioned. It was just one of those things that if you talked about it, you felt like you were hurting someone, particularly Darry, whose dream had been to go to college and play football.
"Soda will be making enough money to buy the stuff we need, so Darry can go to college with his scholarship."
"I…I never thought about it," Darry said. "I suppose I could try to re-apply."
"I got it! I got the scholarship!" Darry came in the door dancing a few weeks later. Soda had started his job as assistant manager of the gas station on the corner, and his boss was already praising him for his good work. Darry had applied for a football scholarship at the local college.
"They said they've been hoping I would change my mind ever since I rejected them. I'm going to college!"
The changes that happened in the Curtis household that year were definitely major ones. Darry started college and became the football star, as well as made good grades and started seriously dating a girl. He was happier than he had been in a long time, and so was Sodapop, who worked hard and earned a lot of money. He even considered going back to school himself. No matter how big the changes were, though, Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy were always brothers, and stuck together through everything.