Chapter 25
*Thud* Leah's eyes flew open. Where the hell was she? She finally woke up her senses. She heard enormous thuds coming up the stairs. Mr. Cade. She knew too well of what he did to his family. She kissed Johnny goodbye and opened his window to climb out.
She jogged back home. She opened the door to see Darry's head down on the tabled asleep. Soda missing his glass as he poured the milk and Ponyboy all awake and alert.
"Hey, Leah, Want to go to the library?" Pony asked way to excited for a kid to be about school and stuff…
"Um I have job interviews…wanna go with?"
Pony smiled, "Sure!"
"Okay, Soda…Is Pony using your happy pills?" Leah laughed.
"HA, FRICKING, HA… you're so funny…" Soda grumbled.
Leah smiled, "Correction. He DEPLETED your stash…"
Ponyboy laughed really loud.
"WHO BROKE IN?" Darry woke up shouting.
Everybody blinked and stared at Darry (who was standing up with his fists up…)
"Nobody, you okay?" Soda calmed Darry down.
Ponyboy noticed Darry's appearance. Darry had deep purple circles around his eyes. His face was overall horrible. All the worries and sleepless nights were really showing through his tough act. Truth was superman was not doing well at all.
Everybody watched as Darry sank into his chair. A perplexed look of defeat spread over his face like a plague. Darry knew that he should not be freaking out like he was, but his daughter was not giving him any time to rest. He had to work to pay the bills though he was now afraid of falling off the roofs of the job sites. He really needed some sleep…
Leah's POV
I took Darry's moments of "metal breakdown" for me to slip out the door and into my room. I heaved a sigh as if it were a relief I made it in the room without being questioned.
I grabbed a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt and ran for the shower. I opened the door to the bathroom cautiously. (Considering I've walked in on Pony in the shower WAY too many times…) Soda jumped as I opened the door. I heard a clatter of beads hitting the floor. My heart stopped. No…not beads…but pills…
"Oh, Soda…" My heart beat slowly like an unsteady drum.
Soda's POV
Dear Soda,
I miss you dearly. Boy how I wish I could stay in your arms forever. Every day I regret me moving, but believe me it was for the better. Today is Patrick's 7 month. My dad told me it was time to figure out who defiantly is the father. I took him to take the test today. I will know the results in a week or two.
I love you and miss you,
Sandy
I didn't know how to reply. "I still might be the father…" The thoughts were killing me. I needed to know. I couldn't reply. I had to wait for the results of the test before I could. I hid the letter for days… until I received the second one…
Dear Soda,
Soda, congratulations you're Patrick's father! I'm so sorry I left you. My parents agreed to have me move back. Maybe we can still get married! I really can't wait to see you. Hopefully you don't have another girl by now…well your Soda… your probably do, but I still want you to meet your baby.
I love you,
Sandy
I didn't know what to do. I wanted to lose control, but that's not what Soda did around everybody. I suddenly stopped seeing Pamela and began taking the pills. They calmed me down and gave me the buzz I needed. I never thought about suicide until I saw Sandy's car pull into the gas station. I knew it was over all the pills couldn't hide me from the disaster in front of me. My ex-girlfriend and the baby I never met…
Leah's POV
"Don't…don't tell Darry!" Soda yelped in a hushed voice.
I stood there shocked. The bubbly boy we all knew was popping pills?
I shut the door and fell to my knees, "Soda…I won't I promise, but…you're not trying to kill yourself right?"
I gulped back the lump in my throat. Soda traced the patterns on the wall with his eyes. I sighed and leaned my back against the wall. Soda followed suit.
"You have a kool?" Soda asked while pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and fore finger.
My temper flared; this was not the Soda I knew, "I don't smoke anymore."
"Oh," he replied, "Let me guess you want to know what's wrong… well I guess I have to tell somebody…"
I hesitated. I didn't want to pressure him into telling me, "Soda, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"I s'pose I don't, but I will. Sandy's baby is mine."
I knew the whole story. My heart ached. I felt horrible for him. A painful thought busted though my head.
"Oh shit!" I muttered under my breath.
"I know…" Soda groaned.
"What about Pamela?"
Soda's eyes got wide, "well, I want to be with her but I don't want Sandy messing with her."
There was really nothing I could say, so I did what I do best. I cried with him.