"Favorite Color?" Soda asked. Piper gave a laugh and pointed at her faded shirt.
"Red!" She told him in a 'duh' tone.
"Favorite flavor ice cream?" Piper had to think for a moment.
"Strawberry." He laughed with her for a moment and once they started they couldn't stop they just laughed and laughed and laughed until they couldn't stop and their sides were killing them. Once they was able to stop Piper gave Soda a confused look.
"Why were we laughing anyways?" She asked him. He gave another, small, laugh.
"I don't even remember." Piper laughed again, maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought. Once Darry left Soda keep apologizing but once he got that out of the way they started to talk. They've been playing 20 questions for the past hour. It seemed as though he was alright, Darry just seemed to rub her the wrong way.
"Can I ask you something?" Piper asked him.
"Sure, you have been for the past hour or so, to shouldn't be a problem." Piper gave a weak little laugh. Talking with him was easy. It was weird talking, when she was on the streets she wouldn't talk to anyone unless it was mandatory and laughing.... She hadn't laughed since her family was shot.
"What's up with that brother of yours?" She asked. Soda's smile faded, though did not go away.
"What do you mean?" He asked, a curious look in his eyes.
"Why is he making me stay here, it seems a bit hostile." Piper told him, giving a bit of a laugh at the end to make the words seem less... harsh. Soda, however, did not laugh.
"That's just the way he is." He told her, "He had to give up his job to provide for me and my little brother, Pony. If I were you I would be touched. He's not the best at showing that he cares, give him a chance. He just feels so sorry..." He trailed off. Piper wanted to feel guilty, she wanted to sympathize but she couldn't.
But she could pretend.
Piper knew that Soda made her feel happy. Not in a romantic way, but a brother sister way, though she had only known him for maybe two hours (and she had met him because he hit her with a car, not one of the nicest things someone could do, but he did save her.) she knew she would take a bullet for him. If that bullet came in the form of putting up with his bossy older brother she would do it. She nodded at Soda and his smile grew once more.
"So tell me about your family." Soda told her. Piper took a deep breath, she knew that talking about it would make her feel better but she also knew that it would make her cry. Though she nodded again and remembered the smiling face of her loving brother.
"Its a long story and not a very pretty one. " He gave her a reassuring smile and put an arm around her.
"I can be you're shoulder to cry on." He added a goofy smile and Piper laughed.
"Okay." With the word her smile died and her tone turned serious.
"Two years ago my family was killed. Most of it is still a mystery to me. It was May 8th, my 18th birthday. We had just made it back from birthday dinner and we were all laughing. Sean had come home from collage to see it, that was his gift to me. Sean was an amazing person. He was always there for me, always. He was always in a good mood and never let me down. His good mood had annoyed me on more than one date. I remember, " She gave a weak laugh, "Once it got on my nerves when our Gran had died. He kept telling me that it was okay and it was her time, and that she would be happier with that. That night I cried and cried to him, but he didn't cry with me he just smiled and I wanted him to cry but he didn't. I hit him, I'm not much of a fighter so I don't think it hurt him, but I was just there sitting there crying and yelling and hitting him with a pillow and he never fought back or got mad at me for it." A small tear rolled down her face and she whipped it away.
"Sounds like a wonderful person." Soda told her, rubbing her shoulder.
"Oh he was." Piper agreed.
"Though, it changed." Piper continued, "When he left for collage we became distant, a lot happened in the three years we were apart. When he became... different. He wasn't smiling all the time and understanding. It hurt and shocked me. That night the police came. They knocked down our door and guess what he pulled out. A gun. A GUN! When we were little he would always talk about how he wanted to make all guns illegal and now he was pulling one of the police! My dad went up with him, probably trying to see what was wrong but Mum pulled me into her room. She seemed to know what was going on. She told me that they couldn't blame me and gave me money. She gave me a backpack and told me to run. I heard a shot and she pushed me and ran in to find out what had happened. I ran and there was another shot and then, nothing." Piper's voice cracked on the last word and tears running down her face with no sign of stopping.
Soda just listening and let her cry on his shoulder. Piper didn't know how long they stayed there but she didn't mind. It felt good to let it all out.
"I'm so sorry." Soda said. Piper hiccuped.
"Don't be." She told him, "It was his choice. I just wish that he could have told me what he was doing so I could have talked him out of it.... It's my fault. I feel like such a coward.
"No." Piper jumped at bit at the sudden loudness and conviction in his voice. Piper gave him a confused look.
"What?" She asked him.
"No, you're not. You're not to blame and you're not a coward." Piper smiled. It was good to hear that.
"Well, let's go get something to eat, you must be so hungry, when was the last time you've been in a house?" He asked her. She blushed.
"About a month ago when I met an old lady that let me use her shower. She yelled at me to take one and I told her I didn't have a place to take such a thing and she offered." He gave a little laugh.
"Old people are weird." Piper gave a little laugh to match his.
"Speaking of old people offering showers...." She trailed off, "Is there any chance I can take one?" She asked. He laughed and pointed at a door down the hall.
"Go ahead. But you have to be lying in the bed when Pony and Two-Bit come home from school so you only have 30 minutes." Piper nodded, slightly surprised that they had spend so much time talking and went off, taking a new pair of clothing from her bag with her.
While Piper was taking a shower Soda thought about what he had heard. It was terrible, she seemed so nice. Though he had only known her for a few hours he felt he understood her, like he had known her in a past life or something. She didn't deserve this grief. I know what will make her smile! Soda thought as he went into the kitchen. He took out the griddle to make some purple pancakes. Sure, it wasn't breakfast but that would just make it all the better! Once the water turned off Soda was finished with all of his pancakes. Piper came out now in different, cleaner looking, clothes; a new pair of jeans and a light green shirt. Soda pointed to the couch and Piper was just laying down as the door opened and Pony and Two-Bit walked in.
"She lives!" Two-Bit yelled. He walked over to the confused Piper and held out his hand, "Two-Bit Mathews, nice to meet you Miss....?" He trailed off.
"Piper." She managed to get out. Ponyboy walked up behind him and held out his hand.
"I'm Pony, don't mind Two-Bit, he's just a bit... different." He told her. Piper took his hand while Two-Bit faked betrayal.
"I am HURT!" He yelled out shock on his face and a hand over his heart. Piper gave him a small laugh and he sprang back to happiness.
"See! She doesn't think I'm "different."" He said the word in disgusted manner with a thick British accent. "The lady has fine taste!" He proclaimed. Piper laughed again and Soda came in. He smiled when he saw Piper, smiling, clearly in a better mood.
"Here Piper, you can eat these." He handed her a plate with five giant purple pancakes. Piper looked at him, shocked.
"You think I can eat all of this?" Soda laughed.
"Try your best, if you can't I only made three dozen so one of these jokers will take if off your hands." Piper laughed, thinking it was a joke and when she was the serious look on Soda's face laughed even harder and took a bite.
The time passed quickly. An hour later Steve came and meet Piper, they seemed to get along well enough. Before she knew it she was laughing and joking and feeling, for a moment, like she belonged. Though only for a moment.
Just as Soda came out to give Piper her dinner, green chicken and blue corn, the door opened again and Darry came back in, a worried look on his face, though very faint as if there was a hard question stuck on his mind that he couldn't figure out. He looked at Piper.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked, true concern played out on his face and Piper remembered Soda's words once more and willed herself to feel guilt. Piper nodded, not wanting to hurt Soda. He smiled.
"So, how long until I can leave?" She asked him. His smile seemed to leave just a bit but still a smile was still present, though it was never very big to begin with.
"At least a week." He told her. She nodded, she kind of liked this family and was learning that company wasn't so bad, though there still was only so much she could take.
Darry went back into the kitchen to get some food. He had been working late and the boys had already ate so not much was left. All the others were talking and watching TV in the living room and Darry just ate in peace. Darry finished and was just sitting there, thinking, when Soda came over.
"Hey." He said in a small voice, very unusual for him. Darry gave him a confused look.
"Hey...?" He asked back. Soda gave a sigh and pulled up a chair.
"I found out about her family." He told him. Darry's eye brows went up.
"She told you?" He asked. Soda nodded.
"We clicked, she's a real nice girl, I just don't think she's to good at being controlled. We all know that you're doing it for her own good but I think she just needs something to hate right now..." He trailed off. The words stung Darry. He had picked up that she didn't like him but hate? Ouch.
"What about her family?" He prodded.
"Gone." Soda told him.
"Gone?" Darry repeated.
"Gone." He confirmed.
"Like, dead gone?" He asked again.
"Yes, dead and gone." Soda told him once more, getting tired for repeating himself.
"She's lucky." Darry whispered, more to himself than anything.
"What?" Soda asked him, apparently hearing his side note and outraged at the thought of Darry thinking Piper was lucky as Soda saw her as one of the most unlucky people in the world.
"Not that her family is dead, that's terrible. No, the fact that she ran into us. We'll help her." He told him.
"Can we afford it?" Soda asked, he was thrilled at the idea of taking her in but didn't want his older brother to work forever. Darry nodded though.
"She's old enough, she can choose. Once she's healed we'll offer her a place to stay, she can get a job here and help us with the money and we'll be her family." Darry hadn't really thought about giving her a home before but as the words rolled off his tongue he liked the idea. Soda's small smile grew, more and more and more until it seemed like it would brake his face.
"Thank you so much!" Soda told him and gave him a small hug, glad that he wouldn't be losing his new friend as soon as he had first thought.
Darry and Soda walked out to join the Two-Bit, the only one still in the living room, Steve apparently having left sometime when Darry and Soda were talking and Pony was already in bed.
"Two-Bit, if you need a place to stay you can go to Soda's old room but why don't you let Piper sleep." Darry told him. Two-Bit laughed.
"Buddy, she don't need my help with that one." He pointed over to the couch where Piper was lying, eye's closed and chest slowly rising and falling. Soda laughed with him and Two-Bit waved good bye, maybe going to a party.
Darry and Soda went their different ways and both fell into simple, meaningless dream along with their younger brother. Though all was not calm in the house as the girl sleeping on the couch was thrashing around in her sleep, being bombarded by ghostlike memories and terribly vivid images of the night her life went down hill.
Thank you for reading. I just wanted to apologize for the really long paragraph I had in the last chapter. I just had a lot I wanted to get out and forgot to space it. I hope this one if better! Give me feed back, good or bad. (Hopefully good!) I want to know what you're thinking!
-Jasmine