Tainted Love

By: greaserlvr54 and minimart (a.k.a. MB and A)

Disclaimer: We don't own The Outsiders or any of the characters, but of course you should know that by now ;) Enjoy!

The sky was clear, not a single cloud blocked the beating sun. I brushed a strand of red hair from my face, and adjusted my books to my other arm. I couldn't wait until I could just drop the heavy school books and jump into summer, which was only a week away. I fantasized about the country club pool and lime ice pops as I walked down the scorching sidewalk, my feet making the turns and twist to my house as my mind wondered. I would have been in a Sting Ray, air-conditioning and all, with the Beatles and an older sister to keep me company. But I didn't feel like talking to Sherri, or Cherry as her friends called her. Sherri was the girl who could jabber on about boys until your ears fell off.

I stopped thinking about the coming summer long enough to pull out my house key and open the door, enjoying the cool air pouring out to the hot air. I entered the two story house and closed the door behind me, dumping my books on the antique chair that sat in the corner before making my way up the stairs. When I reached the top, I walked down the long hall and went into my room; the third and last on the right. The sunlight illuminated the pastel blue walls well, and made the lacey white curtains sparkle. But the beauty of the room wasn't on my mind as a loud honk erupted from the drive way. Irritably, I stuck my head out my window and glared down at the Sting Ray sitting on the gray concrete.

"What?!" I screamed down. The dark windows rolled down, and a light head stuck out the window. William Rivers looked up at me with dark eyes that looked like beetles from my height.

"Come down! We're going for a drive."

"Where's Sherri?"

"Cherry's right beside me. She insisted I came to get you." The passenger window rolled down, and my sister glorious red head out the window.

"Come on. Valerie! It'll be fun!" I sighed and pulled back into the house, looking at the sky blue walls. My sister always insisted on pulling me into social situations I had no interest in. Yet I shoveled back down the stairs, and walked back out into the blistering heat. Will was tapping the wheel impatiently, and Sherri was running her hand through her fiery hair. I opened the back door and plopped down sullenly.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Will tuned around and looked at me with mischievous dark eyes.

"Somewhere. You'll like it." I glared at my sister's date and turned to her. "Sherri?"

"Don't look at me. I don't know either." Her eyes where pleading for me not to say anything else, to not embarrass her in front of the first boy she's really gone with since Bob Sheldon died. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at Will. I didn't like my sister's new guy and his cocky personality. He always acted like a big shot, trying to make up for what Bob was. But no one could replace Bobby, who had practically been my big brother. Even after I found out he tried to kill that boy, I still felt horrible about his death.

Will's cursing brought me crashing back to reality. I leaned forward to where we were cheek to cheek. "What's wrong?" He jumped and whipped to face me, nearly bumping our heads together.

"Jeez, Valerie!" He rubbed his eyes and motioned to the gas monitor, which was dropping slowly down. "We're almost out of gas."

"There!" Sherri pointed to a run down DX. "There's a gas station."

"Babe," Will said hesitantly. "That's a greaser joint."

"Yeah, but I know these ones. They dig okay." Will growled, but turned to drive in. I tapped the back of the driver's seat impatiently with my foot. Once we pulled up, I offered to get us all a Pepsi inside. Sherri and Will agreed, and gave me seventy five cents. Hopping out of the car, I ran inside and was greeted with silent emptiness.

"Hello?" My voice echoed off the walls and back into my ears. I heaved one of my sighs and sat on the stool, pushing off the counter to cause my body to spin. The store rushed by me in a blur, no shape really defined. But after the third time around, a tall figure in blue came rushing up to me. I gripped the stool as it seized my shoulders, causing my spiraling escapade to come to a halt. I found that the blue figure was a boy, a boy with gold hair that danced with the light pouring down through the window. He smiled and opened his mouth to speak.

"Spinning a little too fast there, huh?" I flipped my hair behind me and placed a hand on the counter.

"Not really." The boy raised one eyebrow in a way that caused me to smile. "Three Pepsis, please." The boy hopped over the counter and disappeared behind the stainless steel counter, but popped back up with three clear glass bottles. I reached to grab them, but the boy pulled them back.

"Let me open them." He drew a bottle opener from the back of his ratted jeans and popped the caps off.

"Thanks…"

"Sodapop." The boy pointed to the embroidered name on the right side of his shirt. I chuckled.

"Really, what's your name?" His blue green eyes grew wide, practically consuming mine.

"Sodapop's my real name. I have a brother named Ponyboy." I dropped my jaw, but closed it back tightly.

"You mean the kid who was almost killed by Bob Sheldon?" Sodapop stiffly nodded his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"It's cool. You get used to having a famous brother." I took a sip out of one of the bottles, keeping my eyes on Sodapop. He looked like Prince Charming from my fairy tale books, the ones I read when I was little, definitely a catch. I think he saw me looking, because he smiled again and rested his chin on his fist.

"Here." I handed him the three quarters. He handed me back one.

"Yours is on me." I smiled back at him and blinked. Just then, the door jingled and Will stepped in with Sherri.

"Come on, Val. The car is full." My sister caught sight of Sodapop. "Oh, Soda." There was a note of ice in Sherri's voice.

"Cherry." Sodapop also had an icy tone. I knew that socs generally didn't like greasers, to say the least. But there was an extra band of tension running between the two. Will slapped a bill on the counter. Sodapop snatched it up and shoved it into the cash register. Then he looked up to me. "You never told me your name."

"Valerie. Valerie Valance." Sodapop cocked his head, a smile playing on his lips.

"That rhymes, sort of." For a moment we kept our eyes locked onto each other, mine not wanting to pull away. Finally Will coughed, and I blinked. "Well, come back Valerie. More Pepsis are assured." I chuckled, grabbed the glasses and turned around, praying that his eyes still lingered on my back. Just as I was about to walk out the door, I turned, and flashed a huge smile in Soda's direction. Sure enough, he was looking, and seemed taken aback by my smile. Slowly, as if in slow motion, I lowered my eyes and walked out, the smile still lingering on my lips.

"What was that about?" Will demanded.

"What?"

"That little stare with the greaser, what was it?"

"Oh come on, Will. A little flirting never hurt anyone." Will shoved his hands into his pockets. I blushed at my sister sticking up for me by suggesting me being a flirt. "Besides, it's not like she's going to see him again." We all pilled back into the car.

"Sherri, why where you so cold to Sodapop?" My sister stiffened immediately.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Pas me my pop, will you?" I reluctantly handed her a glass and pressed on.

"Did you know him from somewhere else or something?" Sherri whipped around and glared at me with burning greed eyes.

"Look, I knew the guy's brother. Things are just…tense between us." I narrowed my eyes and took a sip of my pop. My sister was hiding something from me about Sodapop, and I was determined to figure out what her little secret was all about.