I really have no "before chapter" notes to print so I'm not gonna. I think
you can guess what this chapter is about by the title.
Chapter 8
About three weeks later, Taylor went into third period expecting to see Soda like she always did but he wasn't there. The bell rang and still, no Soda. She figured he was sick; everyone gets sick eventually. But he didn't come all week, and Taylor began to get worried. On Friday she went to the Curtis' to see if he was all right.
"Hey Taylor," Pony greeted, "Haven't seen you in a while."
"I've been busy. Is Soda okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"He hasn't been in school."
Pony looked at the ground.
Soda came down the hall, "Hey Taylor!" he greeted.
"Hi. How come you haven't been in school?"
Again, the awkward silence.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Yeah, sure." They went outside and sat on the steps.
"Taylor I probably should have mentioned this before, but… I dropped out."
"What? Why?"
"Because I'm dumb," he said simply, "and besides, I need to make more money so we can stay together."
Taylor hadn't thought about that. She knew how hard it was for Darry, Pony, and Soda to stay together.
"But you don't have to drop out, I mean… you can't."
Taylor was surprised at how this was affecting her. She took a deep breath.
"It's just that, well you were the first person who I met and became friends with here. I guess it just seems weird that you won't be there anymore. But… if you feel you need to, I have no right to say you can't."
"I don't want you to be upset-"
"I'm not," Taylor cut in, "I'm just surprised. I mean, I didn't think of you as someone who would drop out."
"Well what did you think of me as?"
Taylor hesitated, how could she answer that question?
"I don't know,"
"Well, I don't understand," Soda said, his voice starting to rise.
"Why are you getting mad? I'm just trying to be honest."
Soda stopped, his voice went back to its normal gentleness.
"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just so used to taking crap from people and,"
"Sometimes I say things I shouldn't, " they said at the same time.
They both smiled.
"Don't worry about it Soda, really." Taylor said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yup, completely. Although now I'll actually have to learn something in English because you won't be there to bother the teacher."
Soda couldn't help but laugh; he would miss that, definitely. But he felt this was something he needed to do.
"Hey Taylor, you wanna stay for dinner? I'm cooking tonight."
"Okay, sure."
They walked back inside.
"Hey Darry, Taylor's staying for dinner okay?" Soda called.
"No problem little buddy, but I think you better get in here. I think something's wrong with dinner." Darry called from the kitchen.
"What?" he asked as he ran into the kitchen. Taylor sat down next to Ponyboy, who was doing his homework.
"Hey," he said, while writing a paper.
"What are you working on?"
"I'm supposed to write the essay about what this poem means to me," he handed her a piece of paper.
"Nothing Gold can Stay," she read, "I think I've read that before. So what does it mean to you?"
"I don't know," Pony said, still writing, "I don't really understand what he's saying."
"Yeah, lots of poems are like that."
Soda poked his head into the room, "Dinner's ready."
They went into the kitchen and sat down, it was then that Taylor noticed what was on her plate. It was a pancake, but not just a pancake, it was…
"Green!" Pony exclaimed.
"Okay this is just slightly weird," Taylor said, shaking her head in amusement. Pony took a bite.
"It's good!" he said, surprised.
During dinner, Taylor told them about life in the city, but she left her brother out of it. She didn't know why, Soda had probably told them already, but she didn't feel like talking about it again.
Soon Two-Bit and Steve came over, followed by Dally and Johnny. They sat in the living room, watching Mickey Mouse, which was Two-Bit's favorite. At various times during the night Taylor noticed Soda glancing at her. She figured it was because Dally was there. She didn't care anymore though. She still didn't like Dally, he wasn't her friend, but she'd give him a chance. She had seen how hate destroys people, and she didn't want the same thing to happen to her that happened to her brother. Yes, she'd give Dally a chance.
*Please Review*
Chapter 8
About three weeks later, Taylor went into third period expecting to see Soda like she always did but he wasn't there. The bell rang and still, no Soda. She figured he was sick; everyone gets sick eventually. But he didn't come all week, and Taylor began to get worried. On Friday she went to the Curtis' to see if he was all right.
"Hey Taylor," Pony greeted, "Haven't seen you in a while."
"I've been busy. Is Soda okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"He hasn't been in school."
Pony looked at the ground.
Soda came down the hall, "Hey Taylor!" he greeted.
"Hi. How come you haven't been in school?"
Again, the awkward silence.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Yeah, sure." They went outside and sat on the steps.
"Taylor I probably should have mentioned this before, but… I dropped out."
"What? Why?"
"Because I'm dumb," he said simply, "and besides, I need to make more money so we can stay together."
Taylor hadn't thought about that. She knew how hard it was for Darry, Pony, and Soda to stay together.
"But you don't have to drop out, I mean… you can't."
Taylor was surprised at how this was affecting her. She took a deep breath.
"It's just that, well you were the first person who I met and became friends with here. I guess it just seems weird that you won't be there anymore. But… if you feel you need to, I have no right to say you can't."
"I don't want you to be upset-"
"I'm not," Taylor cut in, "I'm just surprised. I mean, I didn't think of you as someone who would drop out."
"Well what did you think of me as?"
Taylor hesitated, how could she answer that question?
"I don't know,"
"Well, I don't understand," Soda said, his voice starting to rise.
"Why are you getting mad? I'm just trying to be honest."
Soda stopped, his voice went back to its normal gentleness.
"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just so used to taking crap from people and,"
"Sometimes I say things I shouldn't, " they said at the same time.
They both smiled.
"Don't worry about it Soda, really." Taylor said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yup, completely. Although now I'll actually have to learn something in English because you won't be there to bother the teacher."
Soda couldn't help but laugh; he would miss that, definitely. But he felt this was something he needed to do.
"Hey Taylor, you wanna stay for dinner? I'm cooking tonight."
"Okay, sure."
They walked back inside.
"Hey Darry, Taylor's staying for dinner okay?" Soda called.
"No problem little buddy, but I think you better get in here. I think something's wrong with dinner." Darry called from the kitchen.
"What?" he asked as he ran into the kitchen. Taylor sat down next to Ponyboy, who was doing his homework.
"Hey," he said, while writing a paper.
"What are you working on?"
"I'm supposed to write the essay about what this poem means to me," he handed her a piece of paper.
"Nothing Gold can Stay," she read, "I think I've read that before. So what does it mean to you?"
"I don't know," Pony said, still writing, "I don't really understand what he's saying."
"Yeah, lots of poems are like that."
Soda poked his head into the room, "Dinner's ready."
They went into the kitchen and sat down, it was then that Taylor noticed what was on her plate. It was a pancake, but not just a pancake, it was…
"Green!" Pony exclaimed.
"Okay this is just slightly weird," Taylor said, shaking her head in amusement. Pony took a bite.
"It's good!" he said, surprised.
During dinner, Taylor told them about life in the city, but she left her brother out of it. She didn't know why, Soda had probably told them already, but she didn't feel like talking about it again.
Soon Two-Bit and Steve came over, followed by Dally and Johnny. They sat in the living room, watching Mickey Mouse, which was Two-Bit's favorite. At various times during the night Taylor noticed Soda glancing at her. She figured it was because Dally was there. She didn't care anymore though. She still didn't like Dally, he wasn't her friend, but she'd give him a chance. She had seen how hate destroys people, and she didn't want the same thing to happen to her that happened to her brother. Yes, she'd give Dally a chance.
*Please Review*