Hey everyone! ;) Wow! Chapter Nine! I never dreamed I'd get this far. I've been sick that's why it's been a while! I hope you haven't lost interest. This chapter is kind of slow at the beginning but I think it gets better toward the end. I tried to show the sympathetic, sensitive side of Darry and it didn't come out as well as I had hoped but hey. Also, I don't know if Steve would actually act the way he does in this chapter but I hope you think it's realistic. Anyway, Enjoy and Please review! Thanks! *Kathryn*
Chapter 9
I sat in that same spot for hours. Watching people driving by in their cars, still having a shred of hope that my mother was one of them but I knew in my heart she wasn't coming back, I knew in my heart that earlier that day in the diner was the last time I would ever see her again. I just sat there, wondering what could have possessed her to do something so cruel and heartless. It was as though she had no perception of other people's feelings. She wasn't my mother. Maybe she was at some point but not anymore. The moment she walked out on us she had stopped being my mother. She was just a woman who used to care for me but now all she wanted was for herself to be happy. To make sure that she was going to be all right. I was so ashamed of myself for being manipulated by her, falling for her story. She actually believed that out of nowhere, this woman comes into her life with no warning at all and decides that she wants to start over and become a family. How could I not have seen right through her?
My thoughts of anger and deception were interrupted when from the corner of my eye I saw a vehicle pull into the driveway. Instantly I jumped up and felt a rush of excitement take over my body, but the sensation quickly vanished when I saw that it was only Darry and not my mother. I was disappointed that I had jumped to such quick conclusions even though it was now late in the evening and I had already come to the realization that she wasn't coming. Darry looked tired and I didn't want to bother him with my petty problems so I avoided looking at him so he couldn't tell that I was depressed. I never really talked to Darry much and he came off as a tough as nails kind of guy and I didn't want to be much trouble to him. But my fool proof plan of not making eye contact failed drastically, since I forgot the small fact that my face was covered in tears and the little make-up I had been wearing was now running down my cheeks.
"Hey," he said sympathetically, sitting down beside me, "What's the matter kid, I thought you were supposed to be out looking for houses with your mom?"
I looked up at him and he actually looked worried. I didn't understand, I always thought that he thought of me as another burden holding him back from the life that he truly wanted to live, but now it seemed as though he really did care about me and was concerned why I was crying.
"Yeah," I said finally between primary sniffles. I was embarrassed to be crying over this but I couldn't help it, "I was supposed to but she never showed up."
He looked at his feet before responding to what I said. I knew that he knew that she was never coming back.
"Well, maybe she was just-" he started before I cut him off.
"No," I told him, "she just didn't want me I guess."
"Hey," he said putting a reassuring arm around me, "Don't talk like that. I'd be proud to be your mother."
I looked up at him and saw the expression on his face and couldn't help but laugh.
"Well you know what I mean," he continued, "you're a great girl. If it's any consolation, I'm glad that you and Soda are connecting. He's been so lonely ever since Sandy left. You're the first girl I've seen him get close to in a while. I knew you had to be special. You're also the only person I know of that he can so easily open up to. Hell, you probably know more about him than I do. But then again we don't really talk much. He just mainly talks to Pony. But when he told me about all the things you talked about that night in the park, I knew you had to be on special kid."
"Thanks Darry," I told him, "You're a real nice guy too." I added punching him affectionately in the arm liked I'd seen Two-Bit do so many times before. He seemed surprised at first but then he just smiled at me.
Almost instantly I saw an old red revved up T-Bird pull up to the curb and both Soda and Steve jumped out. As soon as the door shut the car sped off with it's wheels screeching. They ran up the steps laughing at something and I smiled in spite of myself since they looked as though they were little junior high kids who had just won their play-off game.
Soda was the first to notice that something was wrong. It hurt to see his carefree smile I loved so much fade. I knew it was my fault and felt a little upset to cause him to worry.
He ran up and hugged me instantaneously.
"She never came did she?" He said pulling me back and looking into my eyes.
I was amazed that he had known so quickly.
I just shook my head and buried my face in his shoulder listening to his comforting words and felt him gently stroking my hair.]
"It's ok baby," he soothingly, "You'll be ok. I'm here."
I felt Steve whiz by me and slam the door. I looked up at Sodapop and even he seemed confused. We ran in behind him to find him hunched over leaning on the piano.
"Stevie?" Soda asked, "What's the matter, pal?"
I didn't know what to think. The muscles I could see had been all tense and he seemed to be full of rage and was about to be unleashed at any second. I grabbed Soda's hand for comfort. I had never seen Steve look so angry.
"What's the matter pal?" he calmly repeated, then paused before yelling, "Don't you, 'What's the matter pal?' me!" When he said this, he knocked all the pictures and trophies off the top of the piano and I could feel Soda tense up. What was wrong with him? He had been so happy a minute ago.
Soda calmly walked over to him.
"Hey, take it easy buddy." He told Steve softly.
"I'm sorry," he said panting, "It's just, I don't like you and Kathryn together."
"Wh-What are you talking about Steve?" Soda asked in a confused voice.
"You know what I mean." Steve said getting upset again, "I don't want her dating any of us."
Soda looked hurt. Steve didn't want me dating a guy like Soda? Why?
"What do you mean any of us?" Soda asked hurt.
"You know damn well what I mean," he said angrily, "I guy like you, guys like us, a guy like me. I don't want her to end up like that?"
"Hey Steve, I know what you mean but you have to understand-" Soda started.
"No Sodapop, you have to understand, she's better than that. She should be with someone better."
"Look I love her! Is that what you want. I love her and I would never hurt her ever." Soda said getting a little angry himself.
There was a silence. I was getting scared. I'd seen Steve's temper before. I knew what he was capable of. What was worst though was that, Steve reminded me of his father.
"Love," Steve sneered, "Hah, you don't know what love is."
"Look, I won't hurt her the way your father does your mother I'm not like-" Soda started.
Steve couldn't take it. Even thought his father was a horrible person he still loved him. Steve did the only thing he could do. He grabbed Soda's collar and punched him right in the face. Soda flew back from the impact and I crashed into the table knocking him onto his feet. He felt his lip and saw it was bleeding. His eyes then were filled with rage and lunged at Steve's legs, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Soda stop! Please!" I pleaded, but he wouldn't listen.
It came to the point where Darry had to lift Soda off Steve and then carry Steve out of the house. I couldn't believe what had just happened. Soda got up and came over to me. He looked a little ashamed of what had just happened. I saw his forehead was bleeding and I lifted my hand to his face to wipe away the blood. As I did this he winced in pain. He put his hands on my waist and looked deep into my eyes.
"I'm sorry," he told me, "I do love you. I would never hurt you, ever."
I put my finger on his mouth, implying for him to stop talking.
"I know, honey," I told him, "I know."
He pulled me closer and kissed me. I knew then that it was true. No matter what Steve thought, or said, that Sodapop would always love me and never, ever do anything to hurt me.
*Please Review*
Chapter 9
I sat in that same spot for hours. Watching people driving by in their cars, still having a shred of hope that my mother was one of them but I knew in my heart she wasn't coming back, I knew in my heart that earlier that day in the diner was the last time I would ever see her again. I just sat there, wondering what could have possessed her to do something so cruel and heartless. It was as though she had no perception of other people's feelings. She wasn't my mother. Maybe she was at some point but not anymore. The moment she walked out on us she had stopped being my mother. She was just a woman who used to care for me but now all she wanted was for herself to be happy. To make sure that she was going to be all right. I was so ashamed of myself for being manipulated by her, falling for her story. She actually believed that out of nowhere, this woman comes into her life with no warning at all and decides that she wants to start over and become a family. How could I not have seen right through her?
My thoughts of anger and deception were interrupted when from the corner of my eye I saw a vehicle pull into the driveway. Instantly I jumped up and felt a rush of excitement take over my body, but the sensation quickly vanished when I saw that it was only Darry and not my mother. I was disappointed that I had jumped to such quick conclusions even though it was now late in the evening and I had already come to the realization that she wasn't coming. Darry looked tired and I didn't want to bother him with my petty problems so I avoided looking at him so he couldn't tell that I was depressed. I never really talked to Darry much and he came off as a tough as nails kind of guy and I didn't want to be much trouble to him. But my fool proof plan of not making eye contact failed drastically, since I forgot the small fact that my face was covered in tears and the little make-up I had been wearing was now running down my cheeks.
"Hey," he said sympathetically, sitting down beside me, "What's the matter kid, I thought you were supposed to be out looking for houses with your mom?"
I looked up at him and he actually looked worried. I didn't understand, I always thought that he thought of me as another burden holding him back from the life that he truly wanted to live, but now it seemed as though he really did care about me and was concerned why I was crying.
"Yeah," I said finally between primary sniffles. I was embarrassed to be crying over this but I couldn't help it, "I was supposed to but she never showed up."
He looked at his feet before responding to what I said. I knew that he knew that she was never coming back.
"Well, maybe she was just-" he started before I cut him off.
"No," I told him, "she just didn't want me I guess."
"Hey," he said putting a reassuring arm around me, "Don't talk like that. I'd be proud to be your mother."
I looked up at him and saw the expression on his face and couldn't help but laugh.
"Well you know what I mean," he continued, "you're a great girl. If it's any consolation, I'm glad that you and Soda are connecting. He's been so lonely ever since Sandy left. You're the first girl I've seen him get close to in a while. I knew you had to be special. You're also the only person I know of that he can so easily open up to. Hell, you probably know more about him than I do. But then again we don't really talk much. He just mainly talks to Pony. But when he told me about all the things you talked about that night in the park, I knew you had to be on special kid."
"Thanks Darry," I told him, "You're a real nice guy too." I added punching him affectionately in the arm liked I'd seen Two-Bit do so many times before. He seemed surprised at first but then he just smiled at me.
Almost instantly I saw an old red revved up T-Bird pull up to the curb and both Soda and Steve jumped out. As soon as the door shut the car sped off with it's wheels screeching. They ran up the steps laughing at something and I smiled in spite of myself since they looked as though they were little junior high kids who had just won their play-off game.
Soda was the first to notice that something was wrong. It hurt to see his carefree smile I loved so much fade. I knew it was my fault and felt a little upset to cause him to worry.
He ran up and hugged me instantaneously.
"She never came did she?" He said pulling me back and looking into my eyes.
I was amazed that he had known so quickly.
I just shook my head and buried my face in his shoulder listening to his comforting words and felt him gently stroking my hair.]
"It's ok baby," he soothingly, "You'll be ok. I'm here."
I felt Steve whiz by me and slam the door. I looked up at Sodapop and even he seemed confused. We ran in behind him to find him hunched over leaning on the piano.
"Stevie?" Soda asked, "What's the matter, pal?"
I didn't know what to think. The muscles I could see had been all tense and he seemed to be full of rage and was about to be unleashed at any second. I grabbed Soda's hand for comfort. I had never seen Steve look so angry.
"What's the matter pal?" he calmly repeated, then paused before yelling, "Don't you, 'What's the matter pal?' me!" When he said this, he knocked all the pictures and trophies off the top of the piano and I could feel Soda tense up. What was wrong with him? He had been so happy a minute ago.
Soda calmly walked over to him.
"Hey, take it easy buddy." He told Steve softly.
"I'm sorry," he said panting, "It's just, I don't like you and Kathryn together."
"Wh-What are you talking about Steve?" Soda asked in a confused voice.
"You know what I mean." Steve said getting upset again, "I don't want her dating any of us."
Soda looked hurt. Steve didn't want me dating a guy like Soda? Why?
"What do you mean any of us?" Soda asked hurt.
"You know damn well what I mean," he said angrily, "I guy like you, guys like us, a guy like me. I don't want her to end up like that?"
"Hey Steve, I know what you mean but you have to understand-" Soda started.
"No Sodapop, you have to understand, she's better than that. She should be with someone better."
"Look I love her! Is that what you want. I love her and I would never hurt her ever." Soda said getting a little angry himself.
There was a silence. I was getting scared. I'd seen Steve's temper before. I knew what he was capable of. What was worst though was that, Steve reminded me of his father.
"Love," Steve sneered, "Hah, you don't know what love is."
"Look, I won't hurt her the way your father does your mother I'm not like-" Soda started.
Steve couldn't take it. Even thought his father was a horrible person he still loved him. Steve did the only thing he could do. He grabbed Soda's collar and punched him right in the face. Soda flew back from the impact and I crashed into the table knocking him onto his feet. He felt his lip and saw it was bleeding. His eyes then were filled with rage and lunged at Steve's legs, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Soda stop! Please!" I pleaded, but he wouldn't listen.
It came to the point where Darry had to lift Soda off Steve and then carry Steve out of the house. I couldn't believe what had just happened. Soda got up and came over to me. He looked a little ashamed of what had just happened. I saw his forehead was bleeding and I lifted my hand to his face to wipe away the blood. As I did this he winced in pain. He put his hands on my waist and looked deep into my eyes.
"I'm sorry," he told me, "I do love you. I would never hurt you, ever."
I put my finger on his mouth, implying for him to stop talking.
"I know, honey," I told him, "I know."
He pulled me closer and kissed me. I knew then that it was true. No matter what Steve thought, or said, that Sodapop would always love me and never, ever do anything to hurt me.
*Please Review*