Without thinking, Soda turned and bolted out of the house immediately. He ran as fast as he could all the way back to Dalton's car and hopped right in. He turned and was relieved to see no one was following him.

"Sodapop, what's going on?" Dalton asked from the driver's seat.

"Gary was not willing to pay the $200. He was not fucking around," Soda was breathing fast, "He pulled a gun on me over it."

"Hmm," Dalton said, seeming unaffected by what Soda had just told him, "So he didn't pay anything?"

Soda took Dalton's tone as a sign that maybe he was overreacting. He didn't think he could possibly be overreacting. No one has ever pointed a gun at him before. Soda took a deep breath to calm down and slowly let out his answer, "N-no, he didn't. I'm s-sorry."

"Don't worry about it Sodapop," Dalton put a hand on Soda's shoulder, "Relax, alright? We're going to wait on Jesse to help us out." Soda wasn't sure what Dalton meant by that, but he just focused on slowing his heart down and getting his head back on straight.

Dalton stayed silent. Maybe he felt Soda's tension and knew silence was probably best. Although, Soda also wished he had some verbal reassurance of the situation. About fifteen minutes passed when Jesse arrived. Dalton got out of his car to relay to Jesse what just happened.

"Hey," Dalton greeted, "We have a problem."

"What's going on?" Jesse asked.

Soda listened in through the cracked window as Dalton went on, "Gary isn't paying up. I went through a lot of shit to get his entire order ready by tonight and he pulled a gun on Sodapop as a thank you. You know what to do."

Soda leaned his head back against his seat. He closed his eyes and continued to deep breathe. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Gary could have really shot him if he wanted to. And then what? How would his brothers know where he was or what happened to him? Would Dalton have confronted Gary? Would Dalton have ditched and act like he never knew Sodapop? That question haunted Soda a little bit. Dalton could easily have thrown away any recollection of Soda. They weren't close enough for Dalton to ride or die with him. Not like Steve...

The driver's door opened and Dalton climbed back in. Soda opened his eyes and looked over, "Is it okay?"

"Yeah," Dalton lit a cigarette, "Jesse is going over there right now."

"I am sorry Dalton," Soda slowly said as he continued to think about his thought process. What would Steve have done if someone ever pulled a gun on Soda? Soda couldn't even play stupid or angry at that scenario. He knew exactly what Steve would do. He'd do whatever it took to save Soda's life. He'd kick someone's ass for it.

"Don't worry about it. You'll get use to it. It takes some time," Dalton said, "One thing I will tell you is the majority of the time, those guns aren't loaded. That's how they scare people off without paying. They are too coward to actually commit a crime. They are storing medicine they aren't suppose to have in their homes, so they can't do anything wrong and have the fuzz investigating their homes. You are more than likely not dealing with a loaded gun."

Soda jumped in his seat as he heard multiple loud bangs. He spun his head around looking for the source.

"Our guns on the other hand, are loaded," Dalton commented.

"What...?" Soda couldn't get the question out of his mouth as he turned towards Gary's home. He watched as Jesse was walking back towards them with the bag Soda had originally brought over. "Dalton, what the fuck?" Soda yelled as he opened the car door.

Dalton followed him out of the car, "Sodapop, it's okay. This is just how we have to do business sometimes."

Soda walked into a grassy area and collapsed. He couldn't believe what just happened, or what he thought just happened. His voice stuttered as he wasn't sure if he wanted to ask, "I-is he...did h-he...?"

"Sodapop, relax, man. Jesse didn't kill anyone. We don't kill, we just send a message," Dalton explained. Jesse made his way back over by then and put a gun in the back of his car.

"Wh-what about the fuzz?" Soda asked as he brought his knees to his chest. He felt like he was going to vomit. He couldn't calm down.

"Like I said, they have other things going on in that house. They aren't going to want the cop's attention. Someone may call and report they heard a gunshot though, so you better get home," Dalton warned as got back in his car and started it. Soda couldn't believe it. Dalton didn't seem concerned at all about Soda. He didn't know how to deal with this scenario. He had never been involved in something like this before. He felt so alone to deal with it too.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Soda fearfully jumped up and sprinted back home. He could feel tears in his eyes. He wanted to find comfort. He wanted to go to Darry, or Pony, or even Steve to help him. There was the problem. He couldn't go to either of them. He was going to have to recover from this alone. As he made his way up his driveway, he heeled over and vomited in the yard. He never felt this alone before. He'd have to go in his house and lay in his bed and shove this night down. He'd have to literally forget about it and mask it. Would he be able to though?

A light began shining towards him and he jumped. Turning towards the street, he saw Dalton's car. Soda got up with shaky knees and walked to the car on weak feet.

"Wh-what?" Soda asked at the window.

"I'm going to be quick, because I know I can't be here," Dalton began, "Did you think about your brother's pills?"

Soda spit in the street as he folded his arms partially hugging himself, "Um...not really. I just...I just don't know."

Dalton gave him a look of disappointment, "Sodapop, come on man. This is a business. I got to go, you better make the right choice or else."

As Dalton peeled down the road, Soda's mouth hung open. What could 'or else' mean? Would Dalton have Jesse put a gun on him too? Soda turned and went to sit on the porch. Tears began flowing down his cheeks and his lips quivered. Could he really take Pony's pills? Would he be okay without them?

All Soda wanted was to go to someone, someone safe and talk to them about this. He couldn't though, and that feeling was starting to kill him inside.

Soda spent most of the next day in bed. He told Darry he wasn't feeling too well, and thankfully Darry left him alone. It wasn't far from the truth anyway. He had barely slept throughout the night. He was fearing that Gary somehow knew where he lived and was going to come attack him or his brothers. He had no reassurance that he had nothing else to worry about. It was all unknown, a big mystery as to what the next night of work would bring. That anxiety from that wouldn't simply go away either.

That night, after Pony had gone to bed, Darry sat with Sodapop on the couch.

"Are you feeling better?" Darry asked.

Soda nodded, "I was getting a little antsy, so I figured I must be feeling a little better."

"Want some food?"

"Not really," Soda said flipping through the TV channels.

Darry didn't say anything else. He was tapping at his armchair though, so Soda knew a conversation was about to start. In fact, he already knew which topic.

He groaned as he tossed the remote onto the next cushion, "You really have to ask this every night, don't you?"

"I actually don't think I asked last night," Darry responded.

"Well the answer is no," Soda said to the obvious question of if he had talked to Steve that day, "I've been in bed all day anyway, so it couldn't take you much to figure that out."

"It's been over a week. You can't still be mad at him."

Soda shrugged, "No, I'm not really mad."

"You must miss him."

Soda thought about what had happened to him last night and how he started comparing what Steve would do. "Well yeah, I do. There's nothing I can do though, Darry. There's really nothing I can say anymore, he has to decide when he wants us to move on."

"You know that's not true, little buddy. There's plenty you can say. You both are probably in the wrong of saying things you shouldn't have said to each other," Darry said.

As Darry said that, Soda shook as he still had the flashbacks of their fight outside the hospital. 'You are an idiot, Soda.' Steve could really say anything to Soda and he could just shake it off, but that one just wouldn't leave Soda alone. "How are the bills?"

"Soda, don't change the subject."

"You asked, I answered," Soda said firmly, "Now I'm asking, you answer."

Darry rolled his eyes, "We're being steady, Soda. You know that's the best I can do."

"But you haven't done anything about Pony's recent bill," Soda argued.

"Well, I can't add another monthly payment right now," Darry admitted, "I'll get in some overtime. Soon Pony won't need someone here helping him all the time, so I'll be able to go work more."

"I'll keep doing overtime too," Soda lied.

Darry shook his head, "I know there's no point in stopping you."

Soda thought about Darry's comment again, of him and Steve saying things that shouldn't have been said. 'You are an idiot, Soda.'

"Darry?"

"What?"

"You're right, we did say things we shouldn't have said," Soda admitted, "But there's one thing Steve said to me that I don't know if I can forgive him for. I can't stop thinking about it."

"What did he say?" Darry asked with concern.

Soda sighed, "Do you think I'm just an idiot since I dropped out?"

"Soda," Darry tilted his head to the side, "We've had this conversation before, we've had this conversation a thousand times, and you already know my answer. A diploma doesn't signify if you're smart or worth any value."

"I know, I know. Outside the hospital though, after Steve got his arm wrapped, we got in a big fight and he called me an idiot...it's not the worst thing I've ever been called, but it keeps bothering me," Soda explained, "It's one thing when people we don't know says I'm dumb for not graduating high school, but Steve knows how sensitive I can be about it. He knows that would stab me real good. He shouldn't have used it against me just because he was mad at me."

Darry sighed, "I know that term can really get to you. But you know that is all it was. He was just mad, and because you guys are so close, I think he just knew the right thing to say to get under your skin."

"Maybe, but I keep thinking about it. It replays in my head," Soda looked down at the floor.

"Then that's something you can tell him. You think there's nothing else you can say, well I think you can bring that up. He should know how it's effected you." Soda was silent as he thought about it. He didn't think Steve would care. If he went up to Steve and said his feelings were hurt, that wouldn't suddenly fix everything. "Believe it or not, I do miss having all the guys here being loud and rowdy. And taking all of our food."

Soda sighed, "They are all against me. I didn't even do anything to anyone."

"They aren't against you Soda. Everyone is just frustrated at you, me included."

"Oh thanks," Soda said sarcastically.

"We care about you Soda. And I think the only reason Two-Bit and Dally are hanging around Steve with all of this is because you have me and Pony, Steve doesn't really have anyone else to lean on when he isn't coming over here. We're all just worrying about you."

"There is nothing to worry about," Soda threw his hands in the air, "I'm just as frustrated with all of you too!"

"Buddy, I'm not trying to make you mad. I just want this to get fixed."

"Nothing needs to get fixed between me and you though," Soda argued.

"I think there does."

"What are you talking about?"

"Soda, if Steve really thinks you aren't being honest, then I need to figure it out. I need to get to the bottom of it," Darry explained. Soda rolled his eyes as he stood up from the couch. He was getting frustrated. "Soda, please. I've heard things now from Steve, Tim, Two-Bit, and Dally. For this to have gotten so far and you becoming stubborn over Steve, something is clearly going on." Soda shook his head as he faced away from Darry. He knew Darry was right in his suspicion on how he's been handling things with Steve. As much as he wanted to be comforted from last night's actions, Soda still couldn't bring himself to admit anything to Darry. "Soda, I know you. You wouldn't be causing such a fight if nothing was going on. You'd be upset at Steve for stopping the gambling shit, but then you'd move on. For you to still be mad, something is up."

"Darry, stop."

Darry got up from the couch, "Soda, are you in some trouble? Have you gotten yourself into something?"

Soda spun around to face Darry, "No! I wish you all would stop thinking shit like that! Nothing is going on. I'm not being stubborn with fixing things with Steve, it's all him!"

Soda brushed past Darry and marched up the stairs.