"Ewe, are you wearing cologne?" Pony asked, studying Soda as he greased his
hair back neatly.
"Yeah, why?" Soda asked. He had been standing there in front of the mirror for the last half an hour. Ponyboy didn't get why his brother was worrying so much about what he looked like. Soda always looked great no matter what. Heck he could wake up after three days of solid sleep with his hair all over the place and he'd still catch a girls attention.
"Because it smells gross." Pony said, scrunching up his nose.
"It does not. It smells good. Besides, it's not mine anyways. I found it in Darry's room. Now make yourself useful and stop standing there criticizing me. Amanda's gonna be here any minute. Why don't you go help Darry out in the kitchen?"
"I already did and everything's ready. Without much help from you of course since you've been in here for the past hour brushing your hair." Pony laughed.
"Oh hush up." Soda said, giving Pony a punch on the shoulder and heading out of the bathroom. "I wasn't in there that long."
"Yeah you were." Pony said, following his brother out into the living room.
"Pony, did you finish your homework?" Darry asked.
"Almost. I just have some science left. Can I do it later?"
"Yeah, I guess." Darry sniffed the air. "Soda, are you wearing my cologne?"
Just then there was a knock on the door and Soda ran to get it. Ponyboy and Darry watched their brother and the blonde girl embrace each other and then Soda brought her over to introduce her to his brothers. "This is my big brother Darry." He pointed to Darry. "And my little brother Ponyboy. Guys this is Amanda."
"Nice to meet you." Darry said, holding out his hand.
"Hi." Pony said, shyly. He was always nervous around girls. Weather it was Soda's girl or not.
"I've heard a lot about you both." Amanda said, shaking Darry's hand.
"Good things I should hope." Darry smiled.
She laughed. "Yes all good." The timer went off in the kitchen and Darry went in to get the lasagna out of the oven. "Your brothers are nice." She said, wrapping an arm around Soda's. He nodded. "Pony's real quiet huh?" She nodded towards Ponyboy, who had gone over to the couch and picked up his book.
"Yeah." Soda said. "Always has been."
"Supper's ready." Darry called.
***TWO DAYS LATER***
"Oh no." Amanda said as they pulled up to the drive in.
"What's the matter?" Soda asked.
"Nothing." She said. "Why don't we go get dinner first?"
"Ok." Soda said, looking at the clock. It was only six thirty. The had to see an early movie if he was to get her back by eleven which was the latest she could muster out of her old man even if it was to go to the 'library.' "Are you hungry now?" He asked.
"Um, kinda." She said.
"Amanda what's the oh no mean?" Soda asked getting aggravated that this girl had so many secrets but he didn't show it.
She sighed. "See that group of boys over there?" She asked. She pointed to five boys wearing Madras shirts and standing around a Mustang. Soda nodded. "The one in the black is my brother."
"Oh." Soda said, understanding. "Well, it's ok. You can just duck down when we drive in." He said, making it sound quit simple.
"If he sees me he's liable to start a fight." She said, shaking her head. "I just don't want to take that chance."
Soda smiled, knowing that she didn't want him to get hurt. "Ok, we'll get dinner first then." He pulled out and made a u-turn back onto the street.
"I'm sorry we have to sneak around like this." She said, sincerely. She wondered why this total hottie even made the effort to spend time with her since it was so difficult most of the time.
Soda just smiled at her and said. "You're worth it." He meant it to. So they were careful and they didn't take the risk but unfortunately it wasn't that simple. Apparently her brother was spending most of the night on the east side because he didn't miss them on their way back to her house that evening.
"Soda get onto the other street, fast." Amanda said suddenly.
"Ok, why?" Soda asked, turning. Amanda ducked down low in her seat. "What's the matter?" Soda asked.
"My brothers right next to us." She said. It was to late though. He had already recognized his little sister in the front of the Ford truck and he swerved in front of them, causing all traffic to stop.
Soda slammed on his breaks quickly before he hit the car. "He's nuts." Soda said, watching him walk over to the car as he ignored all of the honking horns. She sighed and sat back in her seat.
"Amanda!" He yelled walking over to her window. "What in the world are you doing in that hoods car?" Soda opened the door and was about to step out but Amanda grabbed his arm.
"Don't! There's two other guys in the back of his car." She said. Soda looked and she was right. He sighed. He couldn't drive away. Her brother had blocked everybody on the narrow street and he didn't seem to care less about the honking and screaming of other drivers.
"Amanda get out of the car!" He yelled.
She rolled down her window and looked at him. "Travis what's the matter with you!?" She demanded.
"Does pop know you're out with this white trash?" He said.
"Hey! Who you calling trash buddy?" Soda said, getting angry.
"You bes' stay away from my little sister, grease or I'll bust your head open." He threatened. Soda reached to open the door again and get out but Amanda stopped him.
"Soda." She begged, looking at him, pleading. He sighed but nodded.
"Why don't you move your car before the fuzz shows up and gives you a ticket?" Soda said. Other people were starting to get out of their cars and yell at Travis.
"What's the matter with you kid! Get your car out of the road you ass whole!" One man screamed. Travis hesitated for a minute before leaving his kid sister alone with Soda.
"Amanda, dad is gonna be finding out about this." He said.
"If you tell Daddy I won't ever speak to you again, Travis Baker!" She yelled. "I'll start dating forty year old men and I'll run off to Las Vegas and get married to someone else every weekend!" She threatened. "Get back in your car and get it out of the way. You ain't got no right telling me what I can and can't do. And if you ever lay one hand on Sodapop I'LL bust your scull." Travis searched for something to say, surprised at what his little sister had said. She wasn't usually that outspoken.
"We ain't through talking about this." He said, looking at his sister seriously. He then angrily marched back to his car and drove away.
"Whoa." Soda said, once it all had ended and they started driving back down the road.
Amanda couldn't help it. She burst out laughing and Soda joined her momentarily. "I'm sorry." She giggled. "I've been waiting to say something like that to him forever."
"Well I think you scared him." Soda grinned.
"Maybe." She said. Then she sighed and rested her head. "I sure hope he doesn't tell my dad."
Soda smiled. "I don't think he will now." She laughed again and reached over to give him a hug.
"But I don't think that's the last you'll be seeing of him. No matter how angry I sounded."
"Well, whatever happens, we'll deal." He said, kissing her on the forehead. He took one hand off the steering wheel and put it around her shoulders. He wouldn't let one angry Soc ruin this relationship. Not in a million years he wouldn't.
"Yeah, why?" Soda asked. He had been standing there in front of the mirror for the last half an hour. Ponyboy didn't get why his brother was worrying so much about what he looked like. Soda always looked great no matter what. Heck he could wake up after three days of solid sleep with his hair all over the place and he'd still catch a girls attention.
"Because it smells gross." Pony said, scrunching up his nose.
"It does not. It smells good. Besides, it's not mine anyways. I found it in Darry's room. Now make yourself useful and stop standing there criticizing me. Amanda's gonna be here any minute. Why don't you go help Darry out in the kitchen?"
"I already did and everything's ready. Without much help from you of course since you've been in here for the past hour brushing your hair." Pony laughed.
"Oh hush up." Soda said, giving Pony a punch on the shoulder and heading out of the bathroom. "I wasn't in there that long."
"Yeah you were." Pony said, following his brother out into the living room.
"Pony, did you finish your homework?" Darry asked.
"Almost. I just have some science left. Can I do it later?"
"Yeah, I guess." Darry sniffed the air. "Soda, are you wearing my cologne?"
Just then there was a knock on the door and Soda ran to get it. Ponyboy and Darry watched their brother and the blonde girl embrace each other and then Soda brought her over to introduce her to his brothers. "This is my big brother Darry." He pointed to Darry. "And my little brother Ponyboy. Guys this is Amanda."
"Nice to meet you." Darry said, holding out his hand.
"Hi." Pony said, shyly. He was always nervous around girls. Weather it was Soda's girl or not.
"I've heard a lot about you both." Amanda said, shaking Darry's hand.
"Good things I should hope." Darry smiled.
She laughed. "Yes all good." The timer went off in the kitchen and Darry went in to get the lasagna out of the oven. "Your brothers are nice." She said, wrapping an arm around Soda's. He nodded. "Pony's real quiet huh?" She nodded towards Ponyboy, who had gone over to the couch and picked up his book.
"Yeah." Soda said. "Always has been."
"Supper's ready." Darry called.
***TWO DAYS LATER***
"Oh no." Amanda said as they pulled up to the drive in.
"What's the matter?" Soda asked.
"Nothing." She said. "Why don't we go get dinner first?"
"Ok." Soda said, looking at the clock. It was only six thirty. The had to see an early movie if he was to get her back by eleven which was the latest she could muster out of her old man even if it was to go to the 'library.' "Are you hungry now?" He asked.
"Um, kinda." She said.
"Amanda what's the oh no mean?" Soda asked getting aggravated that this girl had so many secrets but he didn't show it.
She sighed. "See that group of boys over there?" She asked. She pointed to five boys wearing Madras shirts and standing around a Mustang. Soda nodded. "The one in the black is my brother."
"Oh." Soda said, understanding. "Well, it's ok. You can just duck down when we drive in." He said, making it sound quit simple.
"If he sees me he's liable to start a fight." She said, shaking her head. "I just don't want to take that chance."
Soda smiled, knowing that she didn't want him to get hurt. "Ok, we'll get dinner first then." He pulled out and made a u-turn back onto the street.
"I'm sorry we have to sneak around like this." She said, sincerely. She wondered why this total hottie even made the effort to spend time with her since it was so difficult most of the time.
Soda just smiled at her and said. "You're worth it." He meant it to. So they were careful and they didn't take the risk but unfortunately it wasn't that simple. Apparently her brother was spending most of the night on the east side because he didn't miss them on their way back to her house that evening.
"Soda get onto the other street, fast." Amanda said suddenly.
"Ok, why?" Soda asked, turning. Amanda ducked down low in her seat. "What's the matter?" Soda asked.
"My brothers right next to us." She said. It was to late though. He had already recognized his little sister in the front of the Ford truck and he swerved in front of them, causing all traffic to stop.
Soda slammed on his breaks quickly before he hit the car. "He's nuts." Soda said, watching him walk over to the car as he ignored all of the honking horns. She sighed and sat back in her seat.
"Amanda!" He yelled walking over to her window. "What in the world are you doing in that hoods car?" Soda opened the door and was about to step out but Amanda grabbed his arm.
"Don't! There's two other guys in the back of his car." She said. Soda looked and she was right. He sighed. He couldn't drive away. Her brother had blocked everybody on the narrow street and he didn't seem to care less about the honking and screaming of other drivers.
"Amanda get out of the car!" He yelled.
She rolled down her window and looked at him. "Travis what's the matter with you!?" She demanded.
"Does pop know you're out with this white trash?" He said.
"Hey! Who you calling trash buddy?" Soda said, getting angry.
"You bes' stay away from my little sister, grease or I'll bust your head open." He threatened. Soda reached to open the door again and get out but Amanda stopped him.
"Soda." She begged, looking at him, pleading. He sighed but nodded.
"Why don't you move your car before the fuzz shows up and gives you a ticket?" Soda said. Other people were starting to get out of their cars and yell at Travis.
"What's the matter with you kid! Get your car out of the road you ass whole!" One man screamed. Travis hesitated for a minute before leaving his kid sister alone with Soda.
"Amanda, dad is gonna be finding out about this." He said.
"If you tell Daddy I won't ever speak to you again, Travis Baker!" She yelled. "I'll start dating forty year old men and I'll run off to Las Vegas and get married to someone else every weekend!" She threatened. "Get back in your car and get it out of the way. You ain't got no right telling me what I can and can't do. And if you ever lay one hand on Sodapop I'LL bust your scull." Travis searched for something to say, surprised at what his little sister had said. She wasn't usually that outspoken.
"We ain't through talking about this." He said, looking at his sister seriously. He then angrily marched back to his car and drove away.
"Whoa." Soda said, once it all had ended and they started driving back down the road.
Amanda couldn't help it. She burst out laughing and Soda joined her momentarily. "I'm sorry." She giggled. "I've been waiting to say something like that to him forever."
"Well I think you scared him." Soda grinned.
"Maybe." She said. Then she sighed and rested her head. "I sure hope he doesn't tell my dad."
Soda smiled. "I don't think he will now." She laughed again and reached over to give him a hug.
"But I don't think that's the last you'll be seeing of him. No matter how angry I sounded."
"Well, whatever happens, we'll deal." He said, kissing her on the forehead. He took one hand off the steering wheel and put it around her shoulders. He wouldn't let one angry Soc ruin this relationship. Not in a million years he wouldn't.