Hey to everyone who still reads this stupid story. Well just letting you
know that this is the last chapter. It's short but sweet, this story has
dragged on too long. If enough of you want it, I'm considering posting my
other story about Taylor and the Outsiders on here too. It's kinda like a
sequel to this one, but sticks more to the characters S.E. Hinton came up
with, I don't have a lot of my own (which I think is a good thing). Well
here's the last chapter to A New Life to Live
It was four weeks after Alyssa's funeral before Taylor began to speak again. As soon as the funeral was over she had returned to the Curtis' and barricaded herself in Soda's room. She knew it was wrong, that Pony and Soda would not make her come out, that they would sleep in the living room but she didn't care. Soda would knock softly then come in; she didn't lock the door. He would offer her food that she'd never accept. He would try to talk to her but she would never listen. Then, one day, Dallas came in. She looked at him as he entered, surprised.
"Hey." He said softly. Surprised, she spoke, "What are you doing here?"
"Soda told me you wouldn't talk to anyone or eat anything or even move anymore so he asked me to try and help."
"Really?" "Don't sound so surprised."
"Sorry. It's just. you know, things aren't exactly great between us."
"Yeah." Taylor noticed his blunt reply and thought she heard a slight regret in his voice.
"You ready to talk?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said but she really did want to talk to him. For the first time in her life she wanted to hear his voice. And she couldn't figure out why.
"Listen, I heard about Alyssa," he said.
"Then you know she died from some stupid drug problem."
"Yeah."
"Why does this not affect you?" Taylor asked, sounding slightly sharp.
"Because I've seen it before!" He said, matching her sharpness, "and I've learned to ignore it," he added softly.
"I can't ignore it. She was my friend. And now she's gone."
"Listen, I'm probably the worst possible person for talks like these but Soda asked me to try, so I will. I don't really know what to say, I don't really know how to comfort people." He gave a weak smile that lit his cold blue eyes slightly. It gave him a gentler appearance. And slowly, Taylor smiled too.
"That's better," he said softly.
"Thanks Dally." She stood up slowly to leave the room but Dally grabbed her hand.
"Taylor, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Your brother."
Taylor paused for a moment. It was the first time he had brought it up.
"Dally, Soda told me something that I'm trying my hardest to listen to. He said 'everyone deserves a second chance'. And, you've got yours. You're different Dally, I see it in your eyes. You're not like you were before."
"Is that good?"
"That's very good. You're an interesting person Dally, don't let anyone tell you differently."
"Okay, I won't." Smiling, Taylor stepped out of the room. She walked through the hallway that seemed so different than before. She went into the living room and saw Soda sitting on the couch. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Hey," she said.
"Are you alright?"
"Better than I was."
Soda stood up, "Did it work?"
"Did what work?" she asked, but knew the answer immediately, "Dally."
Soda smiled, "Yeah. Well?"
"Yes Soda, it worked. You were right, people do deserve a second chance."
"So you two are okay now?"
"Yeah."
"Are we okay?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Soda looked embarrassed, "Never mind."
"No, tell me."
"Never mind. It's nothing."
"Okay."
Taylor looked at him again. She saw something different in his eyes. She couldn't place it but it was something important.
"Hey Soda?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
He pulled her into him and hugged her, and at that moment there was no place she would have rather been.
*Please Review, and please tell me if I should post the next story*
It was four weeks after Alyssa's funeral before Taylor began to speak again. As soon as the funeral was over she had returned to the Curtis' and barricaded herself in Soda's room. She knew it was wrong, that Pony and Soda would not make her come out, that they would sleep in the living room but she didn't care. Soda would knock softly then come in; she didn't lock the door. He would offer her food that she'd never accept. He would try to talk to her but she would never listen. Then, one day, Dallas came in. She looked at him as he entered, surprised.
"Hey." He said softly. Surprised, she spoke, "What are you doing here?"
"Soda told me you wouldn't talk to anyone or eat anything or even move anymore so he asked me to try and help."
"Really?" "Don't sound so surprised."
"Sorry. It's just. you know, things aren't exactly great between us."
"Yeah." Taylor noticed his blunt reply and thought she heard a slight regret in his voice.
"You ready to talk?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said but she really did want to talk to him. For the first time in her life she wanted to hear his voice. And she couldn't figure out why.
"Listen, I heard about Alyssa," he said.
"Then you know she died from some stupid drug problem."
"Yeah."
"Why does this not affect you?" Taylor asked, sounding slightly sharp.
"Because I've seen it before!" He said, matching her sharpness, "and I've learned to ignore it," he added softly.
"I can't ignore it. She was my friend. And now she's gone."
"Listen, I'm probably the worst possible person for talks like these but Soda asked me to try, so I will. I don't really know what to say, I don't really know how to comfort people." He gave a weak smile that lit his cold blue eyes slightly. It gave him a gentler appearance. And slowly, Taylor smiled too.
"That's better," he said softly.
"Thanks Dally." She stood up slowly to leave the room but Dally grabbed her hand.
"Taylor, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Your brother."
Taylor paused for a moment. It was the first time he had brought it up.
"Dally, Soda told me something that I'm trying my hardest to listen to. He said 'everyone deserves a second chance'. And, you've got yours. You're different Dally, I see it in your eyes. You're not like you were before."
"Is that good?"
"That's very good. You're an interesting person Dally, don't let anyone tell you differently."
"Okay, I won't." Smiling, Taylor stepped out of the room. She walked through the hallway that seemed so different than before. She went into the living room and saw Soda sitting on the couch. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Hey," she said.
"Are you alright?"
"Better than I was."
Soda stood up, "Did it work?"
"Did what work?" she asked, but knew the answer immediately, "Dally."
Soda smiled, "Yeah. Well?"
"Yes Soda, it worked. You were right, people do deserve a second chance."
"So you two are okay now?"
"Yeah."
"Are we okay?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Soda looked embarrassed, "Never mind."
"No, tell me."
"Never mind. It's nothing."
"Okay."
Taylor looked at him again. She saw something different in his eyes. She couldn't place it but it was something important.
"Hey Soda?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
He pulled her into him and hugged her, and at that moment there was no place she would have rather been.
*Please Review, and please tell me if I should post the next story*