AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Credit for this idea goes to the wonderful author, mycookiegirl; thank you for allowing me to write this based off your idea.
Hope you all enjoy and feedback is appreciated.
Chapter 1
"Soda you're going to be late; hurry up!" Darry's deep yell echoed through the house on the particularly crisp Autumn morning.
Darry groaned as he tossed the fry-pan from breakfast into the sink. Pony glanced at his middle brother as he came rushing into the kitchen wearing his DX shirt; unbuttoned, no shoes and sporting a cheerful grin.
"Mornin' Ponyboy," Soda greeted, slapping Pony on the shoulder.
"Hi Soda," Pony replied with a smile.
"Get some breakfast into ya Sodapop before you have to leave," Darry instructed, placing down a plate for Soda.
"What took you so long?" the oldest Curtis questioned.
Still smiling, Soda slid into a chair at the table and began scoffing down his breakfast.
"I couldn't find my matching sock," Soda answered; glancing at Darry with a mouth full of food.
Darry shook his head disapprovingly and leaned against the sink with his arms crossed.
"Now why does that not surprise me, Sodapop? The mess that your boy's room is in," Darry commented.
Pony finished eating in silence and just listened to his brothers.
"Well we can't all be neat and tidy like you," Soda sassed, to which Darry abruptly raised his eyebrow.
"Well I want that room cleaned tonight. That goes for you too Ponyboy."
"Dar, my sides clean," Pony protested.
"What about all those books and papers tossed on the desk and in the bin, hmm?" Darry questioned.
Soda laughed and gently punched Pony's arm.
"He's got you there Pone. Don't stress Dar, we'll clean it tonight," Soda said calmly.
"Well you better," Darry finished with warning.
"You need a lift to school, Ponyboy?" Darry asked, changing the subject.
"Nah, Two-Bit said he'd pick me up," Pony answered.
Within a few minutes a car horn beeped outside.
"Ya rides here, Pony," Soda smiled.
"Be good in school today Ponyboy," Darry affirmed.
"He always is Dar; ain't that right Pone?" Soda cheered.
Pony fare-welled his brothers and grabbing his books, left to meet Two-Bit at his car.
"Well we best head off too. Grab your shoes and fix your shirt Sodapop. It looks very unprofessional unbuttoned like that."
"But Darry it's the look," Soda defended.
"Not for this family. Come on now," Darry instructed firmly and grabbed his truck keys while Soda grabbed his shoes, placing them on and attempting to lace them as he followed Darry out towards the truck.
Darry shook his head at his younger brother's attempts of putting on his shoes; Soda was always doing something in an unusual manner.
"Sodapop!" Darry called.
"Alright Dar, I'm coming; just fixing my shoe!" Soda called from the porch.
Darry started up the truck and began reversing out of the drive.
"You really should have put your shoes on before you left the house Sodapop," Darry commented.
Soda shrugged and smiled.
"But I like just wearing socks at home Dar. What's the point of wearing shoes if I don't have to and if I don't like 'em?" Soda questioned.
Darry didn't answer his brother and made his way towards the DX to drop Soda off.
Steve was already at the garage getting out of his car.
"See ya later little buddy," Darry fare-welled.
"Yep; don't go carryin' too much tiling today Dar; Pony, and I need ya to stay in good health."
Darry raised his eyebrow. "Just focus on your own health there, Sodapop."
Soda watched Darry drive off and he made his way towards Steve.
"Hey ya buddy," Steve greeted.
Soda cheerfully greeted his friend with a rough, playful wrestle and got to work.
"Oh yeah, my one and only bay-be, ya making me smile!" Soda sung to the song blaring on the garage radio.
It was the newly acquire hit from the pop band, Badgers.
The carefree greaser drummed his fingers against the work bench in time with the music. Steve smirked to himself at his best buddy's attempt at singing; noting he was failing miserably off key.
"Hey Soda: Soda! Quit ya singing and hand me the wrench over against the toolbox. I got to re-do the oil on this car!" Steve yelled, emerging from under the body of a client's aqua green Chevrolet Chevelle.
Soda stopped singing and reached over to grab the wrench Steve requested.
"Here, Steve," Soda announced, handing Steve the wrench.
"Thanks buddy."
Steve wheeled himself back under the car and got to work on the oil cap.
"Hey Steve: you coming over tonight?" Soda asked; unable to stop his distractions of bobbing along to another song on the radio.
Steve wheeled back out from under the car and threw the wrench on the ground.
"Nah can't tonight. Me, and Evie are going to her parent's place. Man I wish I didn't have to do that," Steve complained, wiping his oiled hands on a rag.
Soda let out a laugh. "You have to admit that's nice of her parents to invite you over."
"Yeah nice; they want to meet me to make sure I'm good enough for Evie. I hate meeting parents; I mean look at my Dad," Steve confessed.
"Maybe Evie's parents aren't too bad; just give it a chance man. You've been fine with Darry."
"Yah but Darry ain't a parent, he's your brother."
Soda frowned at Steve's comment; strongly disapproving, for if it wasn't for Darry they would have been split up ages ago and he could be goodness knows where.
"He is to me and Pony. He's a great parent to us; if it wasn't for him I might not even be around this town," Soda said with slight irritation.
It was only then that Steve realized he'd stepped out of line.
"Hey sorry man; you know I didn't mean it like that. I know Darry has looked out for you and the kid, well since your parents."
Soda nodded and went back to drumming his fingers on the counter, showing Steve that all had been forgiven.
"You know Soda, it's about time you got yourself a girl," Steve announced casually as he packed away his tools.
"Sure I'd love a girl but I just haven't found the right one for me," Soda shrugged.
Soda pushed his back up against the counter; flopping his arms at right angles to his sides.
Steve laughed, "Ya have plenty of choice here with all the hot ones coming in to cop a look."
Soda rolled his eyes, sure Steve was right in saying he'd had ample opportunity to choose a girl but to his romantic heart the girl had to be right; she had to be someone special.
At that moment a cream coloured Volvo drove into the DX station, parking next to a petrol visor.
"Well there's another chance for ya," Steve gestured.
In the cream Volvo sat a blonde girl around Soda's age of sixteen and beside her in the passenger seat was another girl of the same age with dark brown hair.
Soda jogged over to them with a wide beaming smile and speaking in his polite Sodapop tone he greeted them.
"Hi ladies; how are you today?"
The dark haired girl in the car grumbled a fine but kept herself preoccupied filling her nails. The blonde however stared up at Sodapop with a smile; her china blue eyes glistening.
"I'm fine thank you," she replied sweetly.
The blonde looked up at Soda's work uniform and read the name; moving her lips upwards to smile wider.
"Come on Sandy, let's get what we came here for, and get going to Jonathan's party."
Soda shrugged shyly at the blonde; she definitely was a looker with her fresh, soft features and something about her seemed nice too.
"What can I help you with?" Soda asked.
"I need some fuel, but I've also been having a problem with a rattling noise under the hood; would you mind taking a look?"
Soda smiled confidently.
"Sure thing," he answered politely and after filling up her car he popped the bonnet to take a look inside.
Sandy stood beside Soda watching the greaser thoroughly check the inside.
"I'm sorry about my friend before, she's desperate to go to this party and meet up with a guy."
Soda only smiled in response and got back to work.
"So what do you think it is?" Sandy asked.
Soda reached in and pulled out the culprit of the rattling noise.
"A broken cap on the water tank; they break all the time, but good news is, we have some spares out back and I can fix it real quick and your friend can get going to that party."
Sandy smiled and watched Soda run off into the garage.
"How's it going out there?" Steve smirked.
"I don't know what you mean; I'm just helping them," Soda replied casually, as he siphoned through the supplies compartment in the garage looking for the cap he needed.
Steve nodded unbelievingly. "Sure, I saw the way you and that blonde were talking and staring. Why don't you ask her out?"
Soda did like Sandy but he was convinced such a sweet and pretty girl had already been taken.
"She probably already has a boyfriend."
"She probably don't, and besides since when did Sodapop Patrick Curtis turn down asking a girl out?" Steve snickered.
Soda wasn't impressed with his buddy using his full name like that but he had to admit he did have a point.
"I've got to get this back and fix her car," Soda announced, finally pulling out the designated cap.
Steve watched Soda jog back outside and shook his head at his best buddy.
"Just remember what I said, buddy!" Steve whooped; loud enough that Soda could hear the faint words as he neared the cream coloured Volvo.
Upon Soda's return, the girl in the car gave a groan, "Finally."
Sandy glared at her friend, "Julie, come on; he's helping. "
Sandy turned back to Soda feeling embarrassed. Soda was preoccupied under the hood as Sandy hovered around him.
"Sorry about my friend again," she said quietly.
Soda turned his head and smiled up at Sandy. "It's okay; I understand."
"How long have you been working here, Sodapop? I noticed you had a special name; I've never heard that before."
Soda wiped his hands on a rag. "Yeah my Dad named me and my little brother: Ponyboy. I guess I've been working here for about a year now," Soda answered.
"You seem too young to be working all that time," Sandy commented; gently twisting from side to side with her hands behind her back.
"I had to drop out of school to help my older brother Darry after our parents died."
"Oh I'm sorry." Sandy's face fell.
"It's alright, we get by. I haven't seen you around before," Soda said, focusing back on the work under the bonnet.
"Yeah I just moved to Tulsa from Florida. I was living with my parents."
Soda didn't want to ask why despite his looming curiosity and Sandy noticed the forlorn look on Soda's face.
"It's a long story, maybe I'll tell you some time," she smiled.
"Sandy is he done yet? I don't want to be late."
Soda smirked at Julie's persistence and quickly wiped his hands and slammed the bonnet.
"All done," Soda said, with a pleasant smile.
"Thank you, Sodapop," Sandy said in a soft, sweet voice.
"You're welcome. All that came to four dollars-sixty."
"I'll get my purse."
Sandy reached into her car and Soda couldn't help but check out her fine features: her shapely legs, her round curves, and soft skin; she had a hot body in his eyes.
"Here: keep the change," Sandy smiled, handing over a five dollar note.
"Thanks. Say this party you're going to; are you waiting for someone?" Soda finally asked.
Sandy blushed, "No one in particular. If you're asking, I'm not going out with anyone."
Soda was silent for a moment, thinking over his options.
"I guess I'll see you around. My name's Sandy by the way." Sandy smiled and hopped back into her car.
"Nice to meet you: see you around."
Soda watched as Sandy drove away and hoped that one day he would see her again soon.
Steve walked out of the garage with a smirk on his face, slapping Soda's shoulder. "You let her go."
"No I didn't, she was busy."
"You really liked her didn't ya?" Steve snickered.
"Yeah I did," Soda laughed and shoved Steve.
"Let's finish up and get out of here," Steve stated.
Steve and Soda ran back inside, wrestling and roughing each other up as they went, quickly closing up and cheering as they shut the doors to leave.