Chapter 20! I felt like Steve was being a little left out being Soda's best friend and all.

Steve and Two-Bit weren't immune to the sadness everyone else was feeling. They missed Soda too, but they were more angry at the Socs, particularly Randy and Cherry, than anything. They already hated them for the unfair circumstances they existed in, and they held the Socs personally responsible for the loss of Johnny and Dallas. Even if the Bob/Johnny/Dallas thing hadn't been anyone's fault, what gave them the right to take Soda away too? He was the only one really holding normal together and now with him gone everyone had to cope with life the best they could. Pony became even more withdrawn, Steve was less able to control his temper, Two-Bit drank more than ever just to make it through the day and night, Darry was changing in a way no one could really put their finger on, he was less like Darry and more like a moody stone.

Yea, Steve was angry, angry at his dad for the way he treated him, angry at his mom for letting it go on, angry at society for making his family this way, angry at the Socs for having it so good and not appreciating it, even angry at Soda for leaving. He had been the only one holding Steve's world together, he was the one who could take Steve's mind off of it or explain it all away. But now he was just gone. He had switched sides, he was a trader. He hoped Soda was enjoying it, because if Steve ever met him in a dark alley there was no way of knowing if he would be able to exercise enough self-control to keep from killing the young man who used to be his best friend.

That thought in itself made Steve sick to his stomach, how could he want to kill Soda when they had been best friends since forever. This wasn't Soda's fault, it was Randy's, and Steve didn't need a dark alley to take care of Randy, he could do it in the light of day. He would. He made one of those rash decisions to teach Randy a lesson. It was usually those kinds of decisions that got Steve in trouble, but usually Soda was right by his side, partners in crime they were.

But that was then, now he was alone. He could fix that. He was a tough boy and determined. He would take Soda back if he had to, by force.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it.