Chapter 38

Sodapop was cleaning up from the day's messes in the garage when Mr. Frizzle was leaving for the night. As Mr. Frizzle was walking out towards his car, he heard music coming from the bay. He turned to see Sodapop working at a good pace singing along to some so called rock and roll. Mr. Frizzle really did like that kid and his family. Just as he was watching Sodapop an image of his little sister, Sara popped into his head. He thought what a cute kid she was. Always using her manners, and being polite and never causing problems around the garage that he knew of. She was a lot like Sodapop in personality and such. It was like you just gravitated to them. Thinking of her made Mr. Frizzle decided right then and there that a second vehicle for that family would probably help out so much. Mr. Frizzle really needed to get home for the night for the Mrs. and him had a dinner date across town. But something was pulling him in the opposite direction. "Sodapop?" Mr. Frizzle turned down the radio that Sodapop had blaring.

"Yes, Sir?" Soda stopped pushing the broom.

"Come over here for a moment, please?" Soda's heart started beating fast. Could this be what he was hoping for? "Sodapop, I have thought about your proposal." Mr. Frizzle paused and lowered his voice just in case Steve or someone else was in hearing distance from them. "Here is the deal, which I came up with. You can take it or leave it, Son, it is your choice. But my decision is firm and will not change. I will sell you that care for $175.00. You bring me $87.50 in cash tomorrow and I'll doc your pay $11.00 for 2 months, or equal that of 8 weeks. You pay me tomorrow and I'll let you start fixing it up on your own time here at the shop. If for some reason you fall out of our agreement, I get the car with whatever improvements you made on it, and I will not refund your $87.50. I will not sign over the title to you until we are square in 8 weeks, which is the deal." Mr. Frizzle was holding out his hand to shake with Sodapop. Soda's heart was now racing. He couldn't believe that Mr. Frizzle was agreeing to this. And that he would actually have money left over to start buying some parts with.

"Yes, Sir. It is a deal. I will have your money to you tomorrow morning." Soda gave Mr. Frizzle a hard, firm hand shake.

"Good, Son. I'll have a contract drawn up tonight and we can sign it tomorrow." was happy that he was able to do this for the Curtis Family. "Then I'll see you in the morning. Have a good night, Soda. And don't forget to lock up, Son." Mr. Frizzle waved a good bye and disappeared to his black 1964 GTO convertible. Soda was so excited he was jumping up and down and was hooting and hollering. Steve had been out doing a fill up when he noticed Mr. Frizzle and Soda talking. But it wasn't until the car was pulling off and Steve could see Sodapop jumping around and hollering in excitement.

"He said, yes? He agreed to your deal?" Steve pulled Sodapop into a congratulatory hug. "That is so cool, Man."

"Well, it isn't my deal, more his deal, but in the long run it all works out the way my deal would have. But you want to know that best news of it all? He only wants $87.50 in cash tomorrow, and he is going to doc my pay $11.00 a week for 8 weeks and I can start working on it tomorrow. I'll even have $15.00 to go buy parts with." Soda was so happy that this just made his day, actually week, no month he thought. "Hey, Man, if I come by on Sunday, can we get started?" Soda always had Sundays off and Steve usually only worked the pump, because the garage was technically closed on Sundays.

"You don't have any plans for Sunday? You are not doing anything with the family?" Steve knew that the Curtis would try to hang out together on Sundays.

"Nothing that I know of, and if we do, I'll just tell them that I have plans already." Soda had forgotten all about the plans he had already promised a little auburn hair, blue eyes girl.

"Great then, it is a plan. Maybe before Sunday we can swing by the junk yard and gather up some cheap parts. We can clean house down there." Steve knew the guys down at the junk yard and they were always giving him a discount.

"That would be fantastic. It might have to be Saturday though, when Darry gets off of work."

With the mention of Darry, Steve didn't want to ruin the mood, but he needed to ask Sodapop if he had a plan to deal with Darry yet. "Soda, I do not mean to be a party pooper or anything, but what are you going to tell Darry?" Soda now had stopped dancing around. He hadn't given that much thought.

"I don't know." Soda honestly didn't know what Darry was going to say, but he could guess what it might be.

"Maybe I should come home with you tonight." Steve offered. Soda knew this was a big offer coming from Steve seeing Steve was probably already on Darry's shit list for the stunt he pulled this morning, skipping school and all.

"No. You might want to give him time to cool off first. I can handle Darry on my own. If something comes up, I'll let you know." Soda definitely didn't want to make things worse with Darry having Steve tag along home with him tonight. He had a feeling that there was going to be enough tension in the house tonight without adding to it. Soda's thoughts had moved off from his new car to that of Sara. He needed to figure out how he was going to approach this with Darry. "Come on, Steve, let's get this place cleaned up and ready for me in the morning." Soda needed some more time to think about everything.