The next chapter is, quite obviously, up. I hope you like it! Please review!
I do believe I forgot the disclaimer earlier, but I don't own The Outsiders. Although I sort of wish I did... I'd write a sequel
-rach
2 Years Earlier- Sam's POV
I woke up early and trudged down the stairs, making my way to the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was only 8:07. Great. I get up at eight on a saturday.
Deciding there was nothing better to do I got the coffee going for my parents, hoping to get some brownie points. Since I finished my current book the night before, I stepped on the porch to get some reading material. I flipped through the newspaper and gasped aloud when I turned the page and glanced at the obituaries.
"Emily and John Curtis'' headed one of the entries, and I read the rest, having to sit down as I read about their car tire getting snagged on the rail. I knew what was coming next. It wasn't very detailed but since I have a very active imagination, I could see in my minds eye the car getting hit by a speeding train. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to stop any tears.
Over the last few months I hung out with the boys in school, and talked to Soda's mom once when she picked him up one day. She seemed real tuff, and I wanted to get to know her better.
Poor Pony, poor Soda, I thought. After reading the rest I wrote down the date and time of the funeral and made plans to go.
I hated funerals. I hated them so much I made every excuse I could not to go. This time was different. I had to go for Soda and Pony.
I stared out the window, thinking about the weather. It was overcast, raining off and on. The sun was covered by thick, black clouds, and I wondered why it always seemed to be that way on the saddest of days.
I opened my closet and took out the black dress hanging in the back, knowing it would still fit. After all, the last funeral I was at was only a year ago.
I finished putting my makeup on and looked down at the dress. I hated every aspect of funerals, even the attire. I trudged down the stairs and sat at the table, trying not to get any crumbs on my dress from the toast I found sitting on the table. I let loose a sad smile, knowing my mom left it for me. It disappeared as quickly as it came, and let my head rest on my arm. I didn't even have the heart to butter it, knowing it would be tasteless anyway.
My mom didn't ask any questions when I told her I had to go to a funeral for someone she didn't even know I had any connection to, just furrowed her eyebrows and asked when. That's something I love about her. I don't know what I would do if I lost either of them, her or dad.
She led me out to the car, dressed in a similar way. We quietly made our way to the cemetery and I stood in back, glad Mom let me miss the part in church. God and I have our issues. But that's for a later time.
I waited until the group started walking by the double-casket, saying final words and telling the family their apologies. I whispered in my mom's ear that I would be right back and slowly walked up the aisle of chairs, hating the way my heels sank into the spongy ground.
"Soda," I whispered to the boy I considered my friend. He looked up at me from where he was sitting in the chair in the front row hugging his knees to his chest. "I want to tell you I'm sorry, but that's probably not something you want to hear right now." I gave him a one-armed hug and smiled sadly, showing I understand how he felt. Not knowing what else to do I turned and started to make my way back to my mom, but he stopped me.
"Sam..." I met his eyes and he started to cry again. He had been doing that the entire time I was there, he and Pony. The man standing behind them, who I assume is their older brother Darry, didn't shed a tear. I nodded my head to Pony, hoping this would suffice. I sat next to Soda in an empty seat and let him lean against me and cry. Once he got a hold of himself again he started to apologize, but I stopped him.
"Don't. Just be with your brothers, okay? Remember how much you loved your parents and cry if you need to, but know that it will be okay." I tried to comfort him, knowing how horrible I was at it.
I quietly left after walking by the casket and paying my condolences, not allowing myself to think about the reason the top was closed. They were hit by a train, after all.
The way back home my mom kept looking at me and I finally asked her why, getting annoyed. She bit her lip before explaining.
"I know how you feel about funerals, especially after Max-"
"No, mom. I appreciate it, I really do, but I don't want to talk about this right now." She let it goo, much to my relief.
As soon as she stopped the car in our driveway I jogged inside to avoid the falling rain, having taken off my shoes in the car. I quietly closed the door to my room and got out of the horrid dress, putting on a my comfiest pair of pajamas in its place. I wrapped myself in my favorite blanket and grabbed a random book, hoping to leave this world for something better, at least for a few hours.
