By the next evening at five thirty Soda's curiosity had gotten the best of
him and he just had to know what was going on with Amanda. He picked up the
phone and dialed her number, quickly. She was perfectly fine at the
beginning of the evening and then she got sick all of the sudden? And why
didn't she ever want him to drive her to the front of her house. Soda
already had a few theory's on why this was but he wanted to ask her
himself. "Hello?" A voice came from the other line.
Oh good it's her. Soda thought. "Amanda? It's Sodapop."
"Hi, Soda." She said.
"Listen um, you feeling any better from last night?"
"Huh? Oh yes. I'm fine now." She said, quickly.
Soda sighed. "Amanda if there's something on your mind you can tell me, you know."
"What do you mean?"
"C'mon, you know what I mean. Why can't I pick you up? Or drive you home for that matter? What's going on? Are you seeing somebody else. Because if you are then we don't-"
"No, that's not it. That's not it at all." She said.
"Well than what is it?" Soda asked.
She sighed. "My dad hates it when I date and I try not to let him know about any relationships I have."
"Oh." Soda said, surprised. Why did that have to be such a secret. "Is that all?" Soda asked, relieved.
"Well, yeah but it's hard. I've seen you three times and each time I've either told him I was going to the library or a friends house. That's why I don't want him to see you dropping me off and that's why I told you I was sick last night. I'm sorry I lied to you but I had to be back by-"
"You could've just told me." Soda said. "I would've understood."
"I'm sorry." She said softly.
Soda smiled. "That's ok. It's not nearly as bad as I imagined. I know how you feel, trust me. But keeping it a secret from your dad is just gonna make things worse." I learned that the hard way. Soda thought.
"I know." She sighed. "I haven't told you all of it though."
Oh know. Soda thought. "What is it?" He asked.
"Well, my brother, Thomas. he's in graduate school now and on the side he's got this real good job and it's bringing in an awful lot of money. So he just recently moved out of the house and into the nicer part of town."
Soda groaned inwardly as he realized what she was trying to say. "So he's a soc?"
"Yeah. He's been trying to give my dad money but he won't take it because he's to proud. Than he asked if we could come stay with him because he's got enough to support all of us. But the idea of living off his son is just eating at my father and he's so stubborn he wouldn't even consider it in a million years. That's personally ok with me. I never have gotten along with my brother. He watches my every move and I can't hardly stand it. That's what I'm worried about though, Soda. I'm worried he'd give you trouble if he ever found out that I was seeing you." Soda sighed. As if they didn't already have enough trouble with the socs. "I'll understand if you don't want to-"
"Don't worry about your brother. We'll keep it under raps as best we can and if he gives us trouble than he gives us trouble. We'll just deal, ok?" Soda said, absolutely refusing to give this dream girl up.
She smiled to herself, happy that he cared enough about her not to end what they had just started. "All-right."
"Hey, you wanna come over to dinner tomorrow night?" Soda asked. "Darry cooks real good when he's expecting company."
Amanda laughed. "Yeah, I'd love to. I'll make up another story to get out of the house."
"What if I came by and met your dad. Then he'd see what a good guy I am." Soda joked, grinning.
"I doubt it would be that easy." Amanda said. "I suppose I'll have to tell him eventually though. I just need to figure out how to phrase it."
Soda smiled. "Ok, I'll see you tomorrow at seven. Does that work? I'm guessing you don't want me to pick you up."
"Oh wait, actually you can if you like. Daddy's working real late tomorrow. He won't get home until ten."
"All-right then. I'll pick you up at 6:45?" Soda asked.
"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll see you then. Thanks for being so understanding Sodapop."
"No problem, princess. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." Soda hung up the phone and smiled. "I am such the charmer." He said to himself.
"Her brother's a soc?" Darry asked.
"You are so nosy." Soda said. "Can't I have a private conversation?"
"I can't help hearing you talk when I'm in the kitchen. Now answer the question."
"Yeah, he's a soc. So what?" Soda said, nonchalantly.
"So it's a bad idea." Darry said. Soda rolled his eyes. "Listen, just be careful, ok?"
"Of course." Soda said, patting Darry on the back. "Don't worry so much."
"But I do and I have good reason to. You don't need to go getting yourself tangled up in a big mess with the socials over a chick."
"Man, Darry. She ain't just a chick. I really like her. Can't you understand?"
"I understand and I'm glad that you found someone YOUR SAME AGE that you really like. I just don't want you to get hurt so promise me you'll be careful.
"I promise." Soda grinned at his older brother and walked back into his room. "Oh and Amanda's coming to dinner tomorrow night, ok? You can't say no because you were the one that suggested it. or more like demanded it."
"Yeah, I heard you ask her." Darry said. "Thanks for the compliment on my cooking by the way."
"Sure thing." Soda said, entering his bedroom.
Oh good it's her. Soda thought. "Amanda? It's Sodapop."
"Hi, Soda." She said.
"Listen um, you feeling any better from last night?"
"Huh? Oh yes. I'm fine now." She said, quickly.
Soda sighed. "Amanda if there's something on your mind you can tell me, you know."
"What do you mean?"
"C'mon, you know what I mean. Why can't I pick you up? Or drive you home for that matter? What's going on? Are you seeing somebody else. Because if you are then we don't-"
"No, that's not it. That's not it at all." She said.
"Well than what is it?" Soda asked.
She sighed. "My dad hates it when I date and I try not to let him know about any relationships I have."
"Oh." Soda said, surprised. Why did that have to be such a secret. "Is that all?" Soda asked, relieved.
"Well, yeah but it's hard. I've seen you three times and each time I've either told him I was going to the library or a friends house. That's why I don't want him to see you dropping me off and that's why I told you I was sick last night. I'm sorry I lied to you but I had to be back by-"
"You could've just told me." Soda said. "I would've understood."
"I'm sorry." She said softly.
Soda smiled. "That's ok. It's not nearly as bad as I imagined. I know how you feel, trust me. But keeping it a secret from your dad is just gonna make things worse." I learned that the hard way. Soda thought.
"I know." She sighed. "I haven't told you all of it though."
Oh know. Soda thought. "What is it?" He asked.
"Well, my brother, Thomas. he's in graduate school now and on the side he's got this real good job and it's bringing in an awful lot of money. So he just recently moved out of the house and into the nicer part of town."
Soda groaned inwardly as he realized what she was trying to say. "So he's a soc?"
"Yeah. He's been trying to give my dad money but he won't take it because he's to proud. Than he asked if we could come stay with him because he's got enough to support all of us. But the idea of living off his son is just eating at my father and he's so stubborn he wouldn't even consider it in a million years. That's personally ok with me. I never have gotten along with my brother. He watches my every move and I can't hardly stand it. That's what I'm worried about though, Soda. I'm worried he'd give you trouble if he ever found out that I was seeing you." Soda sighed. As if they didn't already have enough trouble with the socs. "I'll understand if you don't want to-"
"Don't worry about your brother. We'll keep it under raps as best we can and if he gives us trouble than he gives us trouble. We'll just deal, ok?" Soda said, absolutely refusing to give this dream girl up.
She smiled to herself, happy that he cared enough about her not to end what they had just started. "All-right."
"Hey, you wanna come over to dinner tomorrow night?" Soda asked. "Darry cooks real good when he's expecting company."
Amanda laughed. "Yeah, I'd love to. I'll make up another story to get out of the house."
"What if I came by and met your dad. Then he'd see what a good guy I am." Soda joked, grinning.
"I doubt it would be that easy." Amanda said. "I suppose I'll have to tell him eventually though. I just need to figure out how to phrase it."
Soda smiled. "Ok, I'll see you tomorrow at seven. Does that work? I'm guessing you don't want me to pick you up."
"Oh wait, actually you can if you like. Daddy's working real late tomorrow. He won't get home until ten."
"All-right then. I'll pick you up at 6:45?" Soda asked.
"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll see you then. Thanks for being so understanding Sodapop."
"No problem, princess. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." Soda hung up the phone and smiled. "I am such the charmer." He said to himself.
"Her brother's a soc?" Darry asked.
"You are so nosy." Soda said. "Can't I have a private conversation?"
"I can't help hearing you talk when I'm in the kitchen. Now answer the question."
"Yeah, he's a soc. So what?" Soda said, nonchalantly.
"So it's a bad idea." Darry said. Soda rolled his eyes. "Listen, just be careful, ok?"
"Of course." Soda said, patting Darry on the back. "Don't worry so much."
"But I do and I have good reason to. You don't need to go getting yourself tangled up in a big mess with the socials over a chick."
"Man, Darry. She ain't just a chick. I really like her. Can't you understand?"
"I understand and I'm glad that you found someone YOUR SAME AGE that you really like. I just don't want you to get hurt so promise me you'll be careful.
"I promise." Soda grinned at his older brother and walked back into his room. "Oh and Amanda's coming to dinner tomorrow night, ok? You can't say no because you were the one that suggested it. or more like demanded it."
"Yeah, I heard you ask her." Darry said. "Thanks for the compliment on my cooking by the way."
"Sure thing." Soda said, entering his bedroom.