Soda sighed and lied down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling on that
early Friday evening. He then reached over and opened the dresser drawer,
pulling out a shoebox. He opened it and recounted the bills that he had
been saving ever since Sandy left. He had enough for a plane ticket now and
that's what he'd been saving for. He just had to see Sandy again or he'd
wonder what happened for the rest of his life. He couldn't stand it. He
always remembered the day all those letters he sent her came back unopened.
He was planning on leaving that night when everybody was asleep. He didn't
want to worry his brothers but he felt that this was something he had to
do.
Darry was still at work so it was a good opportunity to pack without anybody noticing. He got out a big suitcase from the closet and threw a bunch of close in it. He then put all the money at the bottom of the bag to make sure nothing happened to it. He could walk to the bus station and take it to the airport. It wasn't that far away and he knew Steve would give him a ride if he'd asked but he didn't want anybody to know about this. Not even his best friend or his little brother. He'd leave a note so they at least knew where he'd gone and hopefully not worry to much.
He sighed again and finished packing his suitcase, then stuffed it under his bed so nobody could see it. He then remembered to get Sandy's address. He picked up one of the letters he'd sent her and stuffed it in the suitcase and then pushed it back underneath the bed.
"Soda, dinner!" Darry called from the kitchen. Soda got up and went out to have a big meal. He knew he'd need it but he didn't think he could stand sitting at the table with his brothers and making small talk while the whole time he was having intentions of leaving that night. He made it through the meal though without letting his guilt get the best of him.
***
The next morning Ponyboy woke up to the sunlight from the window shining in his eyes and he blinked rapidly and turned away. He smiled remembering that it was Saturday. That meant fun without having to ditch. "Soda." He turned to wake his brother but he wasn't there so he got up, figuring he was already eating breakfast. He walked out into the kitchen and found his oldest brother at the table eating eggs. A solemn expression covered his face and he looked more than upset. "What's wrong?" Pony asked. Darry looked up, startled and then handed Pony a small envelope. He opened it and pulled out the piece of paper inside. 'Dear Darry and Ponyboy, I've gone to Florida to look for Sandy. I'll call soon, Sodapop Curtis.' Pony looked up "He left?"
"That's what it looks like." Darry said. "I guess he took off in the middle of the night."
"You worried?" Pony asked.
"No Pony, I'm relieved." Darry said sarcastically in an annoyed tone.
"He'll be ok, Dar." Pony said, hiding his own worries. He figured Darry was concerned enough. "You've said it before, he can take care of himself."
He nodded. "I know but I didn't mean in Florida all by himself for who knows how long with most likely no money at all. How in the heck would he even get there? I can't even call the cops neither. This type of thing would get you two thrown into a boys home in a matter of seconds. What is that kid thinking? He ain't never done something stupid like this." Darry sighed. "Maybe I could call Sandy's later. I doubt he's there yet but if that's where he's headed-"
"You don't have her number." Pony said.
"We've got her grandmothers address. I can get the number from the operator."
"What if he doesn't wanna talk?" Pony asked.
"He doesn't have a choice." Darry said, angrily. Pony stifled a laugh. How could Darry make him get on the phone when he was all the way in Florida? "I swear Pony. if you had anything to do with this-"
"I didn't." Pony said. "He didn't say anything about it to me." He studied his big brothers face. Darry looked real mad. Gosh. Pony thought. Maybe Soda won't get off so easy this time like he always does. "He said he'd call in the note. We'd better be listening for the phone." Darry nodded. "Where's Two-Bit and Steve?"
"They'll probably be here in a few minutes. Maybe they can help us." Darry sighed. "I didn't know he was that desperate to see her. He's just gonna get hurt again when he goes down there. She didn't read his letters so I don't know why he thinks going to see her is gonna change anything. And I don't know why he'd wanna see her after what she did to him." (I have recently discovered that Sandy got pregnant with another guys child 'not Soda's' so she had to go live with her grandmother. This is no joke. A friend told me it even says this in the cliff-notes. If you read the book carefully you might catch it. It's kind of hidden.)
"He loves her. Isn't that a good enough reason?" Ponyboy said getting defensive of Sodapop.
"I know he loves her." Darry said. "And I don't wanna see him get hurt any more than he already is."
Darry was still at work so it was a good opportunity to pack without anybody noticing. He got out a big suitcase from the closet and threw a bunch of close in it. He then put all the money at the bottom of the bag to make sure nothing happened to it. He could walk to the bus station and take it to the airport. It wasn't that far away and he knew Steve would give him a ride if he'd asked but he didn't want anybody to know about this. Not even his best friend or his little brother. He'd leave a note so they at least knew where he'd gone and hopefully not worry to much.
He sighed again and finished packing his suitcase, then stuffed it under his bed so nobody could see it. He then remembered to get Sandy's address. He picked up one of the letters he'd sent her and stuffed it in the suitcase and then pushed it back underneath the bed.
"Soda, dinner!" Darry called from the kitchen. Soda got up and went out to have a big meal. He knew he'd need it but he didn't think he could stand sitting at the table with his brothers and making small talk while the whole time he was having intentions of leaving that night. He made it through the meal though without letting his guilt get the best of him.
***
The next morning Ponyboy woke up to the sunlight from the window shining in his eyes and he blinked rapidly and turned away. He smiled remembering that it was Saturday. That meant fun without having to ditch. "Soda." He turned to wake his brother but he wasn't there so he got up, figuring he was already eating breakfast. He walked out into the kitchen and found his oldest brother at the table eating eggs. A solemn expression covered his face and he looked more than upset. "What's wrong?" Pony asked. Darry looked up, startled and then handed Pony a small envelope. He opened it and pulled out the piece of paper inside. 'Dear Darry and Ponyboy, I've gone to Florida to look for Sandy. I'll call soon, Sodapop Curtis.' Pony looked up "He left?"
"That's what it looks like." Darry said. "I guess he took off in the middle of the night."
"You worried?" Pony asked.
"No Pony, I'm relieved." Darry said sarcastically in an annoyed tone.
"He'll be ok, Dar." Pony said, hiding his own worries. He figured Darry was concerned enough. "You've said it before, he can take care of himself."
He nodded. "I know but I didn't mean in Florida all by himself for who knows how long with most likely no money at all. How in the heck would he even get there? I can't even call the cops neither. This type of thing would get you two thrown into a boys home in a matter of seconds. What is that kid thinking? He ain't never done something stupid like this." Darry sighed. "Maybe I could call Sandy's later. I doubt he's there yet but if that's where he's headed-"
"You don't have her number." Pony said.
"We've got her grandmothers address. I can get the number from the operator."
"What if he doesn't wanna talk?" Pony asked.
"He doesn't have a choice." Darry said, angrily. Pony stifled a laugh. How could Darry make him get on the phone when he was all the way in Florida? "I swear Pony. if you had anything to do with this-"
"I didn't." Pony said. "He didn't say anything about it to me." He studied his big brothers face. Darry looked real mad. Gosh. Pony thought. Maybe Soda won't get off so easy this time like he always does. "He said he'd call in the note. We'd better be listening for the phone." Darry nodded. "Where's Two-Bit and Steve?"
"They'll probably be here in a few minutes. Maybe they can help us." Darry sighed. "I didn't know he was that desperate to see her. He's just gonna get hurt again when he goes down there. She didn't read his letters so I don't know why he thinks going to see her is gonna change anything. And I don't know why he'd wanna see her after what she did to him." (I have recently discovered that Sandy got pregnant with another guys child 'not Soda's' so she had to go live with her grandmother. This is no joke. A friend told me it even says this in the cliff-notes. If you read the book carefully you might catch it. It's kind of hidden.)
"He loves her. Isn't that a good enough reason?" Ponyboy said getting defensive of Sodapop.
"I know he loves her." Darry said. "And I don't wanna see him get hurt any more than he already is."