Hello everyone! I'm not sure how I did with this chapter, I hope you all enjoy reading it!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders.

10 – Joan's wedding

The only appropriate word to describe Joan's wedding is "fabulous".

The church her family had booked was the largest one in Tulsa and the reception was huge as well. I don't know how many people were invited, but it had to be a least two hundred, counting both Joan's and Adam's guests. Everything was perfect, but she was freaking out just half an hour before walking down the aisle accompanied by her father: she criticized her dress, her appearance and everything else about her which was supposedly wrong.

"You're gorgeous!" Helene insisted.

"Yeah, Adam won't believe his luck!" Joan's sister, Heather, remarked. Helene, Heather and I were the bridesmaids, and thanks to Mrs. Hawkins, who managed to quieten her daughter, it wasn't long before we left the room and the ceremony finally took place. By the end, when Joan and Adam pronounced their vows, I was a bit teary-eyed. I glanced at Soda, who was sitting in one of the first rows, and he smiled at me. I wondered if he was thinking about our wedding day and if he felt a bit nostalgic, like me.

I looked at Helene, who was on the verge of tears, too, and I smiled at her. She had only been in Tulsa for a couple of days and we still hadn't had the chance to get together and talk. She was really beautiful, in her pale yellow bridesmaid dress, who suited her. I was wearing the same dress, but it didn't look that good on me, and besides I had gained a little weight, even if I was not showing yet. I had told Joan the previous month, but Helene didn't know.

"May I have this dance?"

I looked up, into Sodapop's laughing eyes, and took his hand: "Sure."

The orchestra had just started playing (by the way they sounded, they were probably one of the best and most expensive band in Tulsa) and not many couples were dancing yet. Soda and I were one of the first. "You said you wouldn't cry." He teased me.

"I didn't."

"You did, a little, when they said their vows. I noticed, even if you blinked the tears away." Soda grinned.

"Blame it on the baby, who makes me feel this way. I normally wouldn't weep…" I insisted.

Sodapop raised one eyebrow at me. "I don't believe it for a second."

"Anyway…" I cleared my throat. "I feel…out of place here. It's so impressive…"

"I know. I can't wait to go home and take my shoes off. And the tie."

I laughed. "Thanks, I feel better now. Look, aren't they adorable together?" I nodded towards Joan and Adam who were dancing, too.

"I forgot!" Soda's face lit up. "While you were at the library yesterday…"

I had found a job at the local library. I couldn't believe my luck, since when I had talked to the employers I had told them I couldn't work for more than five months because I was pregnant…but they said it was fine. "Yes?"

"I talked some with Steve. He said he and Evie are trying to work out their problems and that hopefully they won't fight anymore, at least not in front of Julie."

"I hope so, but how can he be so sure? I mean, when you fight…it just happens…"

"That's why he said hopefully. Do you want something to drink? Then we'll go back to dancing." He grinned.

As we were making our way through the crowd, Soda suddenly stopped and muttered something I couldn't hear. Then he reached a guy who was sitting at one of the many tables. "Josh! Man, I didn't think I'd meet you here!"

The guy called Josh looked up and exclaimed: "Sodapop, is that you?"

Soda nodded. "Yeah. It's great to see you, man!"

He looked real excited. But he seemed to realize something and stopped smiling: "You…when did it happen?"

I was standing close to them by now but I didn't understand what he meant. Josh softly spoke: "Not long after you were sent back. It ain't that bad now I've gotten used to it."

I finally understood what was going on. Josh couldn't see anymore. His eyes were still, but it was obvious he wasn't focusing his sight on anything.

Soda hesitated, afraid of saying the wrong thing. Luckily, Josh spoke first: "I'm a friend of Adam's. What about you?"

"My wife's friends with Joan."

"Is your wife the one you always talked about in 'Nam?"

"Yeah, that's her. Sybil, this is Josh Becker, a friend…Josh, my wife, Sybil."

Josh offered me his hand and I gently shook it. "Nice to meet you, Josh."

"Same here. You have a lovely voice."

"Thank you…" I didn't really know what to say. "Soda, I'll go get something to drink, so you can chat, okay?"

He nodded and I left the two of them alone. I was feeling scared and I didn't know why. Yes you do. You know it could have been Soda. You know something even worse could have happened to him.

Josh Becker looked like a nice guy: a couple years older than Soda maybe…when I came back, I stared at him: his green eyes were beautiful. It's so unfair…

"So you're in town only for the wedding?" Soda was asking Josh.

"Yeah, then I'm going back to Oklahoma City. Got a job there. Hey, how's Two-Bit?"

"He's doing great, you know him! You heard anything from the others, since we all got back?"

"Not much. I know Tom made it back alright…"

I was feeling like an intruder listening to them, so when Helene approached me I was grateful. "Beautiful wedding, isn't it?"

"Yeah, everything's stunning." I agreed. "Helene, we still haven't talked since you got back. How are you doing in San Francisco?"

"I'm okay, even though working at the Californian can be pretty demanding."

"When I left, did Seth introduce you to some of his friends?" I asked.

"To a couple, yes." She bit her lip. "Actually…we're…we were…going out…" she slowly said.

"You and Seth? Going out?" I almost yelled. "Really? Well, that's great!"

"No. We were…we aren't anymore." She whispered.

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. Probably because we're both too busy."

"What kind of reason is that?" I asked, in disbelief. "If it's Seth's fault, I understand, you don't have to protect him-"

"No, it's not his fault. But on the bright side…when we parted just before I came back to Tulsa last week…he said he didn't want it to end and if I was willing to go back with him once I return to California…he'd be happy."

I had never understood Seth. "Are you willing then?"

"I don't know. I have to think about it. I'm going back next week…and I do like him a lot, Sybil…" she firmly said.

"Don't be sad. I'm sure things will work out." I smiled and hugged her. "I do think you're too smart for him, though!"

She laughed. "Time will tell."

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I was walking through the woods. I didn't know where I was, but I was feeling at ease, like I was in some kind of secluded environment.

I kept walking for a while, looking around. The hot climate was starting to get more tolerable because the sun was slowly setting. It was quiet, so quiet the silence was starting to bug me. Then I heard a terrible explosion which almost made me fall down.

I started running toward the direction where the blast had come from. Lying on the mud, bleeding heavily, was a boy who looked no older than twenty. He was a soldier. I couldn't see his face clearly, because he was covered in mud and dirt. He was obviously suffering a lot.

I reached him and knelt down, letting a cry escape my mouth when I recognized him: "Sodapop!"

He was losing a lot of blood. He smiled weakly. "Sybil…"

"Don't worry, I'll help you!" I assured him, trying to not panic. I cleaned his face with a tissue while I frantically looked around, but there wasn't anyone who could lend a hand. And Sodapop looked so pale, paler by the minute. I should have gone to get help, but I didn't want to leave him there on his own.

I tried to stop the bleeding but I didn't know how to. I had never been that scared, I wasn't even able to think. "Don't worry…you're gonna be okay!" I repeated.

"It's too late." He whispered. "It's fine…I ain't feeling much pain now…I guess it's almost over…"

"Don't talk like that! I told you everything'll be alright!" I almost yelled. I was desperate, I didn't know what to do.

"It's fine." He said, resignedly. "Just remember I love you. Don't forget me…" he took a deep breath, before closing his eyes and going to sleep. Forever.

I started shaking him. "Soda…come on, Soda, wake up! If you just stay awake some more, someone will come to the rescue…Soda!"

I was crying by now. Soda lay there in my arms, lifeless, and I hadn't been able to help him, to save him. My vision was all blurry because of the tears…

Someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw Sodapop's face. He looked fine, he wasn't bleeding or hurt or anything of the sort. I immediately hugged him and held him tight. "Thank God you're okay…" I whispered.

"Of course I am…" he replied, holding me. "You had a nightmare?"

We parted and I noticed I had really been crying in my sleep. He wiped my tears away, as I answered: "Yeah…a horrible nightmare…"

I stared at him. I knew it was just a dream, but it had been so vivid… I couldn't stop crying.

"Don't cry, Sybil…it's alright…" Soda tried to comfort me, but I simply couldn't erase that scene from my mind and I bawled like a baby, while I recalled the dream outloud. "It was terrible, you had been wounded, I think it was…I think it was in Vietnam cause you were wearing your uniform and…and the landscape wasn't from round here…and I tried to stop the bleeding but it wouldn't…it wouldn't…I wasn't able to…and…then you…" I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Soda forced me to look at him and firmly said: "I'm here and I'm safe, I ain't going nowhere. I ain't leavin' you."

I nodded. "Yes…I know…"

"D'you want something to drink?"

"No…what time is it?"

Soda glanced at the clock. "It's 6.40. We might as well get up now."

"No, let's stay here." I lay down and when Soda did, I rested my head on his chest. "I think it's because of…because we saw your friend today and I just thought…" I didn't finish the sentence.

"I know. Josh…I almost didn't know what to say to him today." He stayed silent for a while, then added: "I'm lucky."

"We are lucky."

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"I'm not sure I want to know!"

"What? Yesterday you were going crazy, you said you couldn't wait to find out!"

"I know, but…what if…" I hesitated.

"What if what? You're only nervous, come on!"

Soda and I were in our car and he was urging me to get off and enter the doctor's studio with him. We would find out if we were having a boy or a girl that day, and I was constantly changing my mind about knowing it or not. "I…I guess you're right. Let's go."

Not much later, I was anxiously staring at my gynecologist, Mr. Carson. He had been my mother's doctor and he was actually the one who had delivered me and my brother. He was in his late fifties now. "Mr. Carson?"

"Okay…are you ready?" he teased. He had always had a good sense of humor and even now he didn't seem like a fifty something year old guy.

"Yeah!" Sodapop answered for both of us.

The doctor smiled and told us.

"I knew it, I knew it!" I excitedly said.

"What? You never told me!" Soda exclaimed.

"I just had the feeling, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you so!" I replied.

After Mr. Carson finished my check up, Soda and I left in the least quiet way possible. Well, he was the one causing an uproar, not me.

"I wanna tell Pony as soon as we go home! And Darry, we should phone him, and Steve, Two-Bit…"

"I wanna tell people too! Lewis, and Joan and Helene…"

When we arrived home Ponyboy was in the living room with Julie. Steve had probably asked him to look after her for a while.

Pony got up as soon as he saw us enter the room: "So?"

"It's…" I began, but Sodapop interrupted me: "Wait! I tell him!" he excitedly said.

"Alright, go ahead!" I nodded. He was acting all hyper, like he had eaten a cake all on his own.

"So, what is it?" Julie piped up.

I smiled, as Soda finally pronounced the words: "It's a boy!"