Hey Everyone! I'm sorry it took me so long but I wrote this chapter like 10
different times, honestly. I didn't know what was supposed to happen. I
decided to be daring and add a little twist although now I don't know where
I'm going with this. Some people might not like it, in fact I KNOW some
people won't like it and they'll hate me for it but please don't flame. But
if you really want to just e-mail me with your complaints, don't officially
review! Thanks! I HOPE that you like it. Please Review.
Chapter 10
I knew that I had to go after Steve. I had never seen him like this before but I knew whatever he was going to do wasn't exactly going to be productive. I hoped Soda didn't think that I was abandoning him for going after Steve but I had to find him, I just had to. For lack of anything better to do, I looked around the room. Soda was sitting in a beat up old chair rubbing his lip as though if he rubbed it enough the pain would eventually go away. Darry was in the kitchen frantically trying to find some sort of cloth to put the melting ice that he was holding in.
"I don't need any ice Darry." Soda called to his brother from the living room, "What I need is to go find Steve. You know what he's like when he gats steamed like this. I don't want him to hurt anybody, or worse, get hurt himself."
"No way," Darry said coming into the room. I was surprised to see him without a shirt but then saw that he had used it right off his back to put the ice in. I couldn't help but smiling at the devotion he had for his brother. "Sorry little buddy, but I can't let you go out there like this. You're obviously hurt and pretty worked up yourself."
"But Darry," Soda said getting up from his chair to add compassion, "That's my buddy out there. Don't you even care what happens to him? Besides I hate having him pissed at me."
"I know Soda, but I just can't let you go." Darry said sympathetically.
I could see Darry's point. He didn't want his little brother out at night when he was hurt and angry. But someone had to bring Steve home.
"I could go look for Steve." I suggested, "After all he is my cousin."
"I can't let you do that Kathryn." Soda said, instantly rejecting my idea, "It's dangerous out there. I should go."
"Soda, honey, you can't go." I said walking over to him, "Besides, I don't think that you're the person that Steve wants to talk to right now. He might try to start something again."
Soda was about to say something, but gave in. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. I knew that he knew I was right although I don't think that he wanted me too.
"Now wait a minute," Darry said, "I can't just let you go out on your own."
"Darry, I'll be fine." I told him, "Anyway, you have to stay here in case Steve comes back."
"I guess you're right." Darry said, "But you better be careful."
"I will." I told him smiling. I walked over to Soda and wiped the blood away that was trickling down his sweaty cheek. I leaned in and kissed him before saying, "Don't worry. I'll find him."
"I know you will, take care of yourself ok." He told me.
"I will." I said for the second time that night and with that I was out the door.
As soon as I got out there I realized that this wasn't going to me so easy. I had no idea where my cousin was or in what direction he was going. It made it easier to know that he was walking as opposed to driving. I thought about it for a second and decided that Steve would probably go to the Dingo so I started down the street to the right.
While I was walking I had a lot of time to think. What I couldn't get off my mind was when Steve had said 'A guy like you, guys like us, a guy like me'. What did he mean by that. I know that Soda wasn't very wealthy but I didn't care. Just because he was underprivileged doesn't mean that he was a bad person. Sodapop was the best person that I had ever known, how could Steve not want us to be together. I guess it was because Steve had never known what real love was like. He probably thought that we would just turn out like his parents; miserable and cold. But I knew that would never happen to Soda and me. We loved each other too much to let anything get in the way. But maybe Steve had some other reason not to want me and Sodapop to be together. Was there something I didn't know, something he never told me?
Before I could get into that I saw someone walk into what seemed to be a vacant lot. I automatically thought it was Steve and started to walk faster. I could hear the faint sound of drunken screams and whoops coming from ahead but ignored them. I needed to find Steve; I needed to talk to him. As I got closer the noise got louder. I was getting a little nervous but I had to see for myself. Once I was approaching the spot where I saw the boy enter I slowed down just in case it wasn't Steve I didn't want whoever it was to see me. When I got close enough I could see there were about ten to fifteen boys, all sitting on the hoods of their beaten-up cars, smoking, drinking and laughing just for the hell of it. I looked around trying to spot Steve but I couldn't. Unfortunately, a rather large looking boy with long greasy hair spotted me. He began to tell his buddies and one by one their heads slowly turned in my direction until every single one of their drunken eyes were transfixed on me. The thing that scared me the most were the way that evil smirk spread across each of their faces as if they were all thinking the same evil thought.
Just as I was about to leave, I felt a rough hand slip over my mouth and a strong arm grip my waist and pull me backward. Before I could begin kicking and screaming, he spun me around and a wave of relief rushed over me when I saw the familiar face. It was Two-bit. He indicated for me to be quiet by placing his finger over his lips. He stepped in front of me protectively as the boy who first spotted me came up to us.
"Hey Tim, having a little party I see." He told him calmly.
"Why yes we are. I just thought I'd come over here and see if that cute little broad behind you wanted to, you know, come party with us." He said before smirking and winking at me.
I just smiled gripping closer to Two-Bit.
"Who, Kat, nah I don't think so Tim. See we were on a date and she wanted to see what you guys were up to. I have to take her home or else her old man'll kill me." Two-Bit said calmly.
"Aww, forget her old man, come have some fun." Tim said trying to convince Two-Bit to stay.
"I better not." He told him, "I'm trying to get in good with him ya know. See what it's like to actually have the father of my girl like me for once."
"Alright then Two-Bit. You bring her around later." He told him, "What I can't understand is why a pretty little thing like that is going with a bum like you." He started laughing and ruffled Two-Bit's hair a little before walking back to the group.
Two-Bit turned around and smiled at me but his smile vanished instantly when he saw my expression.
"Hey, what's wrong." He asked, "Why are you out here anyway?"
I couldn't even look at him. All I could see was Steve. He was at that party, drunk as hell, with a beer in his hand. I couldn't believe it. He knew that I hated when people got drunk, he knew that I hated all people who were drunk and yet there he was one of those people, drunk.
Finally Two-Bit caught on. He turned around and saw what I saw.
"You don't need to see this." He told me, "C'mon let's get outta here."
"No." I said simply. I wasn't leaving. Not now anyway.
"I'll take you home, let's go." He pleaded, gripping my arm trying to pull me away.
"No!" I said louder.
I walked over to that vacant lot passed all the boys who I had earlier been terrified of as if they weren't even there.
"Look who decided to come back after all?" I hear Tim yell.
"Lay off Tim." Two-Bit said defending me. I was surprised Two-Bit was still there. If it had been anyone else, they would've left by now.
I walked over to Steve. He reeked of the alcohol on his breath and the smoke on his clothes.
"Heeey Katty!" He said slurring his words together, taking a sip of his beer.
"Don't 'Hey Katty' me Steve." I said grabbing his beer and throwing it to the ground. The bottle shattered just like my respect for Steve had.
"What the hell did you do that for? Now I have to go get another one." He said angrily.
I just ignored him.
"How could you do this to yourself, Steve? How could you do this?" I pleaded.
"Do what?" he asked before hiccupping.
"How could you become the type of person you loath, the type of person you hate, we hate?" I tried to ask him, although it was difficult since he couldn't even focus on my eyes.
"Oh loosen up, I've only had a couple." He said, trying to defend himself.
"A couple?" I repeated, "You don't get this drunk from a couple."
"Ok so I had a few more then a couple. What do you care anyway?" He asked.
"Because Steve, I care about you." I told him, I could feel the tears stinging my eyes. I tried to stop. I didn't want to cry for him. Not like this anyway. "You're my family, that's what families do."
"Well Kat this is what I do." He said, taking a drag on his cigarette. "And I have my own family."
"Would you listen to yourself, you sound like an drunken idiot." I told him.
He seemed to get offended since he grabbed my arm. "Now you listen to me." His breath was so strong of alcohol I nearly gagged, "I am not an idiot. I'm just having a little fun."
"You're right, you're not an idiot." I said with tears streaming down my cheeks, "What you are is just like your father, and that's far, far worse than any idiot."
His arm went up as if he was going to hit me and my heart stopped, but someone from behind me grabbed his arm.
"I don't think so Steve." Two-Bit's voice said, "You don't want to do anything you'll regret now."
"Butt out Two-Bit, this doesn't concern you." He told him.
"Yes it does." Two-Bit said calmly.
"Yeah, how?" Steve asked.
"Because I'm not about to let you hit the girl that I love." Two-Bit blurted out.
I turned around and looked at him. He looked as thought he wanted to kick himself for saying that and I could see in the dim light that his face was red.
"What?" Steve said, "You don't love her, Sodapop does."
"Yeah I-I know, that's what I meant. I meant I'm not gonna let you hit the girl Sodapop loves."
I could tell that wasn't what he meant. Why hadn't he told me? Would it have changed anything if he'd told me sooner? I couldn't believe what a day this was turning out to be
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Chapter 10
I knew that I had to go after Steve. I had never seen him like this before but I knew whatever he was going to do wasn't exactly going to be productive. I hoped Soda didn't think that I was abandoning him for going after Steve but I had to find him, I just had to. For lack of anything better to do, I looked around the room. Soda was sitting in a beat up old chair rubbing his lip as though if he rubbed it enough the pain would eventually go away. Darry was in the kitchen frantically trying to find some sort of cloth to put the melting ice that he was holding in.
"I don't need any ice Darry." Soda called to his brother from the living room, "What I need is to go find Steve. You know what he's like when he gats steamed like this. I don't want him to hurt anybody, or worse, get hurt himself."
"No way," Darry said coming into the room. I was surprised to see him without a shirt but then saw that he had used it right off his back to put the ice in. I couldn't help but smiling at the devotion he had for his brother. "Sorry little buddy, but I can't let you go out there like this. You're obviously hurt and pretty worked up yourself."
"But Darry," Soda said getting up from his chair to add compassion, "That's my buddy out there. Don't you even care what happens to him? Besides I hate having him pissed at me."
"I know Soda, but I just can't let you go." Darry said sympathetically.
I could see Darry's point. He didn't want his little brother out at night when he was hurt and angry. But someone had to bring Steve home.
"I could go look for Steve." I suggested, "After all he is my cousin."
"I can't let you do that Kathryn." Soda said, instantly rejecting my idea, "It's dangerous out there. I should go."
"Soda, honey, you can't go." I said walking over to him, "Besides, I don't think that you're the person that Steve wants to talk to right now. He might try to start something again."
Soda was about to say something, but gave in. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. I knew that he knew I was right although I don't think that he wanted me too.
"Now wait a minute," Darry said, "I can't just let you go out on your own."
"Darry, I'll be fine." I told him, "Anyway, you have to stay here in case Steve comes back."
"I guess you're right." Darry said, "But you better be careful."
"I will." I told him smiling. I walked over to Soda and wiped the blood away that was trickling down his sweaty cheek. I leaned in and kissed him before saying, "Don't worry. I'll find him."
"I know you will, take care of yourself ok." He told me.
"I will." I said for the second time that night and with that I was out the door.
As soon as I got out there I realized that this wasn't going to me so easy. I had no idea where my cousin was or in what direction he was going. It made it easier to know that he was walking as opposed to driving. I thought about it for a second and decided that Steve would probably go to the Dingo so I started down the street to the right.
While I was walking I had a lot of time to think. What I couldn't get off my mind was when Steve had said 'A guy like you, guys like us, a guy like me'. What did he mean by that. I know that Soda wasn't very wealthy but I didn't care. Just because he was underprivileged doesn't mean that he was a bad person. Sodapop was the best person that I had ever known, how could Steve not want us to be together. I guess it was because Steve had never known what real love was like. He probably thought that we would just turn out like his parents; miserable and cold. But I knew that would never happen to Soda and me. We loved each other too much to let anything get in the way. But maybe Steve had some other reason not to want me and Sodapop to be together. Was there something I didn't know, something he never told me?
Before I could get into that I saw someone walk into what seemed to be a vacant lot. I automatically thought it was Steve and started to walk faster. I could hear the faint sound of drunken screams and whoops coming from ahead but ignored them. I needed to find Steve; I needed to talk to him. As I got closer the noise got louder. I was getting a little nervous but I had to see for myself. Once I was approaching the spot where I saw the boy enter I slowed down just in case it wasn't Steve I didn't want whoever it was to see me. When I got close enough I could see there were about ten to fifteen boys, all sitting on the hoods of their beaten-up cars, smoking, drinking and laughing just for the hell of it. I looked around trying to spot Steve but I couldn't. Unfortunately, a rather large looking boy with long greasy hair spotted me. He began to tell his buddies and one by one their heads slowly turned in my direction until every single one of their drunken eyes were transfixed on me. The thing that scared me the most were the way that evil smirk spread across each of their faces as if they were all thinking the same evil thought.
Just as I was about to leave, I felt a rough hand slip over my mouth and a strong arm grip my waist and pull me backward. Before I could begin kicking and screaming, he spun me around and a wave of relief rushed over me when I saw the familiar face. It was Two-bit. He indicated for me to be quiet by placing his finger over his lips. He stepped in front of me protectively as the boy who first spotted me came up to us.
"Hey Tim, having a little party I see." He told him calmly.
"Why yes we are. I just thought I'd come over here and see if that cute little broad behind you wanted to, you know, come party with us." He said before smirking and winking at me.
I just smiled gripping closer to Two-Bit.
"Who, Kat, nah I don't think so Tim. See we were on a date and she wanted to see what you guys were up to. I have to take her home or else her old man'll kill me." Two-Bit said calmly.
"Aww, forget her old man, come have some fun." Tim said trying to convince Two-Bit to stay.
"I better not." He told him, "I'm trying to get in good with him ya know. See what it's like to actually have the father of my girl like me for once."
"Alright then Two-Bit. You bring her around later." He told him, "What I can't understand is why a pretty little thing like that is going with a bum like you." He started laughing and ruffled Two-Bit's hair a little before walking back to the group.
Two-Bit turned around and smiled at me but his smile vanished instantly when he saw my expression.
"Hey, what's wrong." He asked, "Why are you out here anyway?"
I couldn't even look at him. All I could see was Steve. He was at that party, drunk as hell, with a beer in his hand. I couldn't believe it. He knew that I hated when people got drunk, he knew that I hated all people who were drunk and yet there he was one of those people, drunk.
Finally Two-Bit caught on. He turned around and saw what I saw.
"You don't need to see this." He told me, "C'mon let's get outta here."
"No." I said simply. I wasn't leaving. Not now anyway.
"I'll take you home, let's go." He pleaded, gripping my arm trying to pull me away.
"No!" I said louder.
I walked over to that vacant lot passed all the boys who I had earlier been terrified of as if they weren't even there.
"Look who decided to come back after all?" I hear Tim yell.
"Lay off Tim." Two-Bit said defending me. I was surprised Two-Bit was still there. If it had been anyone else, they would've left by now.
I walked over to Steve. He reeked of the alcohol on his breath and the smoke on his clothes.
"Heeey Katty!" He said slurring his words together, taking a sip of his beer.
"Don't 'Hey Katty' me Steve." I said grabbing his beer and throwing it to the ground. The bottle shattered just like my respect for Steve had.
"What the hell did you do that for? Now I have to go get another one." He said angrily.
I just ignored him.
"How could you do this to yourself, Steve? How could you do this?" I pleaded.
"Do what?" he asked before hiccupping.
"How could you become the type of person you loath, the type of person you hate, we hate?" I tried to ask him, although it was difficult since he couldn't even focus on my eyes.
"Oh loosen up, I've only had a couple." He said, trying to defend himself.
"A couple?" I repeated, "You don't get this drunk from a couple."
"Ok so I had a few more then a couple. What do you care anyway?" He asked.
"Because Steve, I care about you." I told him, I could feel the tears stinging my eyes. I tried to stop. I didn't want to cry for him. Not like this anyway. "You're my family, that's what families do."
"Well Kat this is what I do." He said, taking a drag on his cigarette. "And I have my own family."
"Would you listen to yourself, you sound like an drunken idiot." I told him.
He seemed to get offended since he grabbed my arm. "Now you listen to me." His breath was so strong of alcohol I nearly gagged, "I am not an idiot. I'm just having a little fun."
"You're right, you're not an idiot." I said with tears streaming down my cheeks, "What you are is just like your father, and that's far, far worse than any idiot."
His arm went up as if he was going to hit me and my heart stopped, but someone from behind me grabbed his arm.
"I don't think so Steve." Two-Bit's voice said, "You don't want to do anything you'll regret now."
"Butt out Two-Bit, this doesn't concern you." He told him.
"Yes it does." Two-Bit said calmly.
"Yeah, how?" Steve asked.
"Because I'm not about to let you hit the girl that I love." Two-Bit blurted out.
I turned around and looked at him. He looked as thought he wanted to kick himself for saying that and I could see in the dim light that his face was red.
"What?" Steve said, "You don't love her, Sodapop does."
"Yeah I-I know, that's what I meant. I meant I'm not gonna let you hit the girl Sodapop loves."
I could tell that wasn't what he meant. Why hadn't he told me? Would it have changed anything if he'd told me sooner? I couldn't believe what a day this was turning out to be
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