"I'm dying. Every day, I'm dying just a little bit more, but you wouldn't have known that, would you?"
The redhead's steely words stopped him in his tracks and the normally energetic greaser was slow in turning around, disbelief covering his features. "Wait, what did you say?"
Exhaling audibly, Cherry's eyebrows were drawn together. "You heard me. Then again, I'm a Soc. If you chose to just not listen, I'm not too surprised." Her lips pursed together in a thin line as her green eyes drove into him.
It was more than obvious that she was pissed. Yet, this was Sodapop who she was speaking to. The greaser who could see inside people's hearts, and with Cherry, he saw pain. A haunted look was burrowed far back, barely noticeable, but it was there. Sighing, he walked back up the step and sat beside the girl on the bleacher.
The football field was empty, no one coming from the school they were behind. All Soda had hoped for was to grab Ponyboy at the end of the day and convince him to fit some football in before hitting the books. Work wasn't happening today, with the DX gas station closed for repairs.
Instead though, he and Cherry had started talking. Pony had mentioned how though he'd known to expect it, no acknowledgement from her at all despite the last few months hurt. If there was one thing Soda didn't like was when those he cared about were in pain.
So it'd been the perfect opportunity to do something about it when the redhead had bumped into him. The Soc had tried brushing him off, hurrying away before anyone could spot them, but he'd followed. Seeing this, Cherry had directed him back here where they could be alone.
Civility had been there, both being polite but then when the subject was actually broached, a difference started to appear. Cherry had been quick to defend her actions with the facts about there being everyone else around her and Soda had called on it fast. The cool mask she wore had started cracking, and he'd used that to his advantage. It turned out that Dallas Winston wasn't the only greaser that could get her mad.
The greasers and Socs tension had always been there but between the two, it only erupted when Cherry had whipped it out as her excuse. It disgusted him how she was so easily able to do this after having spent time and energy helping him and the gang. With a shake of his head after telling her so, he'd gotten up and started to leave. That was when the words had made their presence, flying through the air.
Green was locked onto his eyes for a second before the exact colour was out of his sight, flickering down to her hands where they rested on her lap. She hadn't expected him to actually stay. Then again, this Curtis brother, she barely knew.
"What do you mean by that?" The stony expression was still present on her face but Soda had seen past it. He knew he had. When no answer was given, his tone softened as once more, he tried. "If you want to talk, I'll listen." The hand on his knee shifted slightly, one part of the boy always having to move. "Cherry?"