"Have ya seen the new manager yet, Soda?" Steve Randle pulled his key from the ignition of his worn out truck and he got out of it with Soda.
"New manager?" Soda asked, distracted from buttoning up his DX gas station uniform.
They had the afternoon shift and Soda, being himself, had slept the whole morning through, only waking up just in time for a minute's worth of breakfast and shower. By then, Steve's truck was pulled up in front of their house, todrive the both of them to work.
"Yeah," Steve said. "Ol' guy. Prob'ly 10 years older than our old manager."
"How'd you know?" It was rather odd for Steve to know the latest news be it at work, or around the neighbourhood.
Steve smirked. "I've seen him at last night's shift when you were at home—you shoulda've been there. He ain't bad. He ain't bad at all."
"D'you think he'd give us both a pay-rise?" Sodapop asked, smirking back.
Steve crossed his arms and wiped his greasy black hair back. "I could work my charm on 'im, y'know."
They entered the DX gas station's convenience store and the wind chime attached on the door rang. Billy Mike, the convenience store's cashier, who probably lives and breathes in that very DX gas station looked up from his magazine and smiled a chubby (and not to mention stubby) grin.
"'Ey, look who's 'ere," he laughed raucously. "My boys. Slow day today, huh?"
"Really?" Sodapop asked. "Damn, shouldn't have rushed here."
"Well, forget that," Billy Mike shrugged off. "Come 'ere, there are nice tv shows on today. There's not much customers anyway."
Steve grinned. He didn't hesitate to jump over the cashier's counter to settled himself next to Billy Mike. He took one of the lollipops displayed at the corner and peeled it open as his eyes glued to the small television screen attached on the ceiling.
"Hey hey hey, no free food fer yeh!" Billy Mike chided, but it didn't take long for him to finally ignore it.
"Come an' join us, Soda!" Steve invited, throwing a gum from the counter to Soda.
Soda caught it swiftly and threw the gum into his mouth.
"Comin'—"
The wind chime rattled again as the door swung open. A girl wearing a light white and blue striped shirt-waist day dress walked in. Her long beige blonde hair was down, except that her sides were neatly clipped up. She had no make-up on, revealing her somewhat squarish, admirable face.
"Hi, Billy Mike," she greeted.
"Oh, good to see you again, Lyn!" Billy Mike exclaimed, reflexively lowering down the volume of the television, catching Steve a little off-guard.
Sodapop cocked a brow slightly and exchanged glances with Steve. He had never seen anyone like this girl before. She didn't seem like the average Tulsa girls. In fact, he had never seen her around before, even back when he was still in school. She noticed Sodapop and Steve and she smiled and nodded in a friendly, acknowledging way.
Steve returned her a cocky wink which she had blatantly ignored. Sodapop rolled his eyes and was tempted to slap Steve if he only he wasn't behind the counter.
"So what can I help you with?"
The girl pulled out her wallet and placed a bill on the counter. "I just need to fill up my dad's car, that's all."
Billy Mike took the bill and kissed it. "Yes, ma'am!" He then looked at Sodapop, who seemed to be taken slightly aback.
"Wha—oh, right, um, yeah, right here." He detached himself from where he was leaning, pulled out his hands from his pockets (which he had not realised where there until he had to walk) and lead the girl out to where the gas pumps were.
They reached her car: an orange Pontiac GTO, and the first thing that came across Sodapop's mind was 'Soc'. It had been almost a year since all the tension between the Greasers and Socs had been abandoned. But all that happened before was still crystal clear in Sodapop's head. It was a tormenting phase in his life, as well as for his brothers and gang.
"I haven't seen you around before," he said casually, pulling out the nozzle and sticking it into the fill spout of the car. "You new here?"
"We just moved here two days ago," the girl answered. She held her hair in place when a gush of wind came blowing at them.
"So what's your name? Lyn?" At that moment, Sodapop wanted to smack himself. Sure he was girl-crazy. He was used to being upfront and direct, and possibly flirty when it came to girls he liked, but it felt like he was meant to put up a certain standard of behaviour around this girl. She didn't seem like the other neighbourhood girls. She seemed out of place—in a good way.
"Marilyn, actually," she answered, smiling. "I just met Billy Mike yesterday when I visited and he thought my name was a mouthful. Thus, why he resolved to calling me 'Lyn'."
"How'd you want us to refer to you around here then?"
"Marilyn."
Sodapop smiled. He leaned against the gas pump and crossed his arms. "Well, nice to meet ya, Marilyn. My name's Soda. Sodapop Curtis."
Marilyn had leaned against her car as well and she looked up at Sodapop and grinned. "That's an interesting name. Do you happen to be related to Ponyboy?"
Sodapop's brow jumped up a little and he beamed, nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah, how'd you know?"
"I've been partnered with him for our school's Book Club," Marilyn explained. "He looks a little just like you."
"You don't look like a freshman kid, though."
"That's because I'm not," she corrected, "I'm in my junior year already."
Sodapop smiled at this. Marilyn seemed very nice. And pretty. And not to mention that they were practically the same age.
The fuel tank was quick to be filled up and before Sodapop could move, Marilyn had already taken out the nozzle and place it back at the gas pump for him. "So what brought you to Tulsa?" he asked curiously, not exactly wanting to end their conversation just yet.
"My dad's company assigned him here and the whole family had to move with him," Marilyn said. "We didn't like the idea of living separately. My dad is actually the new district head for the DX gas stations in Tulsa. The overall manager, basically."
"That's cool—wait," Sodapop stood straight and gave Marilyn a disbelieving face. "Did you just say new district head for the DX gas stations? Including thisDX gas station?"
Marilyn nodded, completely oblivious to Sodapop's sudden discomfort.
"Marilyn!"
The both of them turned to look and an man in his late 40s, dressed like a proper working man, was walking towards them after getting out of a taxi. He had slightly balding grey hair. When he reached Marilyn and Sodapop, he glanced at Sodapop then back at Marilyn.
"Oh, hi, dad." Marilyn looked at Sodapop and quickly introduced, "This is my dad whom I was just talking about by the way."
The man looked at Sodapop and stretched his hand out for a shake, which Sodapop took, a little awkwardly. "That's very flattering to know that you've been talking about me," he said. "The name's Ralph Crowe. New district head for DX gas stations."
"Sodapop Curtis…um, staff." He seemed to be a little off-guard, awestruck perhaps. "So you're the new overall manager."
"That's right," Mr Crowe. "Thank you for your service for my daughter."
"My pleasure, sir." He almost felt like saluting him. Again, Sodapop felt like smacking himself.
"Unfortunately, I came to take my car and my daughter away for an appointment," Mr Crowe said humorously. "Please help inform Billy Mike that I'll be coming back to visit this station soon. You have a very lucrative and warm environment here at this gas station, Mr Curtis. Keep up the good work."
Sodapop didn't dare say that the DX gas station he and Steve worked in were very popular thanks to their—well, mainly his looks. And he only knew this thanks to Ponyboy's observations. Two-Bit mentioned it once or twice as well when they were with the whole gang.
"Thank you, sir."
Mr Crowe turned to Marilyn. "Shall we go?"
Marilyn nodded. "Yes, dad." She looked back at Sodapop and smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Sodapop. I'd love to see you around soon again."
Sodapop grinned and nodded. "Me too."
With that, Mr Crowe opened the car door for his daughter before he nodded once again at Sodapop and got in. Sodapop watched the orange Pontiac GTO leave the gas station and join the rest of the passing vehicles on the street.
He smiled to himself. He was really looking forward to seeing Marilyn again.