In the garage of the DX, Sodapop Curtis was working under the hood of a Chevy when he heard his friend Steve's voice yell to him tell him how Darry pulled up to drive them home.

"Hurry up, Soda! Shut the hood of the car and get out here or we'll leave ya' here!" Steve hollered from passenger window laughing.

Soda smiled and sighed, shaking his head as he grabs a wrench. He looks up from under the hood and yells, "I need to finish this engine, or it'll never get done, Stevie. I'll just walk home. You two go ahead, it's Darry's turn to cook dinner anyways."

The two boys honked and drove off down the street back to the neighborhood leaving Soda to work on the car.

Sodapop's been quiet these days since he's parents have died. He's had to grow up a lot more than he wanted to since that day. And his thoughts seem to consume him more and more, but he'll never let anyone in his head to figure it out. Soda's been the one to make everyone happy; he doesn't need anyone in the gang worrying about him.

When he was finished with the Chevy, he locked up the DX and started for home. As he was walking he bumped into his friend Dallas. "Hey, Pepsi-Cola." Dally laughed quietly and smiled slyly to his friend. "You just get off work or something?"

Dally's been kinder since the incident with him, Johnny and Ponyboy in the church fire. It was almost like he had a new outlook on life and he was becoming more and more protective over Soda. Soda thought it was just because they've had a nice friendship.

"Yeah, just locked up. Had to finish fixing a car for a customer. You heading over to the house?"

"Mhm," Dally hummed with a smile. "You really shouldn't be out this late on your own, Soda. Some Socs could come by and jump you, and I know you're a good fighter and all, but one against three or maybe even five isn't…" Dally started before Soda stopped him.

"You tell me this every day, Dal. I think I'm aware of the street life here." Dally wrapped his arm around Soda and pulled him close and whispers, "Yeah, well, I just don't want anything bad happening to you. Ever. You mean too much to me."

Soda thought for a moment at what he said. You mean too much to me. 'He must have meant to the whole gang,' thought Soda.

The two walked to the house exchanging stories and memories, reminiscing about the past, and before long they were in the front yard where they could see and hear their friends inside the old house.

"Hey, Soda?" Dally stopped in his tracks as he looked at the lively house in front of them.

Soda turned around and looked at him with his head tilted slightly to the right. "Yeah, Dal?"

Dally slowly walked up to Soda and gazed into his dark-brown dancing eyes, almost inspecting them, trying to see through Soda. Soda looked back at Dally, who stood a few inches taller, so he has to look up at Dally the closer he got to him.

Dally paused a thought of nothing. His words got lost in Soda's looks. Then he snapped back into reality when Soda said his name again.

"You have Saturday off, right?" He finally was able to ask.

Soda smiled softly and nodded his head. "Good. 'Cause I think we should hang out Friday night. You in?" Dally asked him staring at Soda's lips. Dally's noticed Sodapop's features more and more since the fire, and he found them very attractive.

"Yeah, sure. I got nothing else to do on Friday nights." Soda told him, smiling as he turned around and walked up the steps and into the house.

Dally hadn't noticed, but he was staring at Soda's ass while he walked away. Dally followed his new, secret crush into the house.

In the house he saw the chaos which he considered family. Johnny was sitting on the couch with Pony laughing at Two-Bit and Steve, who were wrestling over the remote. Darry was in the kitchen finishing up dinner while Soda was nowhere in sight. He hears noise coming from Pony and Soda's bedroom and decides to investigate.

He approaches the bedroom door and finds it locked. "Huh?" No door is ever locked in the Curtis' house. He thought to himself. "Soda? You in there?"

Dally heard rustling and then Soda's voice. "Uh, yeah. I'm in here. I'll be right out. Just give me a minute."

Confused, he stood there at the door, which then swung opened. Soda jumped just about a half a mile, not thinking Dally would be standing there waiting. Soda then regained himself and laughed whole heartedly, like he always did.

"Didn't expect you to be there, Dal. Practically scared me outta my boots." Soda told him with a wink of his eye as he walked past Dallas and toward the chaos. Dally wanted to ask what he was doing in there, but got too caught up in the response he got from the kid and he forgot to ask.

The boys sat down for dinner, and soon enough it was ten o'clock.

"See y'all in the morning." Soda told the boys who were leaving as he headed off to his bedroom with Pony right behind him.

As Pony and Soda got ready for bed, Darry walked into the bedroom and told his brothers goodnight, heading off to bed himself.

Pony crawled into bed, and once Soda lay down next to him, he snuggled right up to his older brother. Ponyboy liked being up against his brother because it made him feel safe and gave him comfort. Once nuzzled in Soda's chest, Pony fell quickly to sleep, leaving Soda alone with his thoughts.

Soda looked up at the ceiling and felt his heart crack. I still can't believe she left me. All he could think about was how he was now alone. Sandy had left him and he was too afraid to let any other girl into his heart. She lied to me, she never loved me. Soda wondered if every girl would to the same and lie to him. Of course they would. All girls are the same. Pretty faces that just play with the heart until it breaks, and then they just walk away. He hated the pain he felt every day, the same pain he had to ignore and let eat him up inside.

Soon enough he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with the thoughts of being forever alone, constantly having to feel the pain of loneliness. I wish I could be numb.