~Chapter 2~ Hiya! Here's Chapter 2!! Yippee! Thanks for all the reviews on my last chapter! I only own Daphne, and Riley. Rina owns herself. So yeah. Yeah Rina, I'm using you again cuz I can't come up with a name and I don't want to use myself because I don't really like Soda and you do like him! So yeah! Oh and this is like the next day from my last chapter..did that make since? Well anyway it's the next day so yeah!
****Steve's POV****
"Hey Curtis!" I ran in the Curtis house, past Dally, who I hadn't seen for a while, and flung the bedroom door open. "I got you a job!"
Soda looked at me like I was insane and then muttered a quiet, "what are you talking about?"
"Just what I said. I got you a job. Come on. I explained to the boss about everything that's happening and he said you could have your job back at the DX, 'cause we've lost a lot of business since you haven't been there." Soda had gotten fired for missing four days and not calling in or explaining why he had missed those days. He wouldn't tell me why he had missed either, although I had a slight hint that it was because of Riley.
He hadn't been telling me anything lately. He seemed kinda distant but I had Carmen so I was doing ok. He still layed there like a bump on a log, and just stared at me. "Well come on, what are you waiting for?"
"Steve. I didn't want my damn job back. I'm doing fine, just laying here all day." I shrugged and he got up anyway and put his DX cap on. Then he followed me out the door and we started to walk to the DX.
"Come on, will you atleast try to be happy?" I wondered outloud, although I hadn't meant too. Soda looked at me like I was crazy.
"What the hell are you talking about Steve?" He asked in a fake, cheerful voice.
"You know damn well what I'm talking about. I mean all you do is mope around now. I know that Riley's gone but goddamn, Soda, you hafta keep living. Its not the end of the world. I mean drop the act."
He frowned and then sighed. "Maybe its not the end of the world to you. But it is to me." That shocked me. I didn't expect him to drop the act so quickly. I expected him to put up an argument and say that he wasn't acting and everything was fine, but he didn't.
That last statement finally hit me. He didn't. He didn't put up an arguement. It was strange. Normally he would argue with me, jokingly, of course, but it would still be an argument. He wasn't supposed to just give up like that.
"Steve. She was the first person, other then you guys, that I loved. I mean really loved. Not like some little puppy-love, like me and Sandy had, I mean actually loved. Someone that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I could see myself with her forever."
"But its over now. I'll be there for you. You can count on me. Just please, for today, be happy. I miss the you that I've known forever." I found myself using a pleading voice. I was pleading for Soda to be happy. Even if he had to pretend, just for one day. I missed the old Sodapop Curtis. The one who would always smile, and grin and talk and never close his mouth.
He just shook his head and said, "Ok. I'll try."
When we got to The DX Soda decided that he would work the counter inside so I said I'd work on the cars. That wasn't too unusual, since I usually worked on the cars.
I still was worried about Soda as I worked on the cars, but I figured he would get over it soon enough. So I found myself grinning like an idiot when Carmen pulled up, making me completely forget about Soda. "Hey Steve!" She called to me and I waved to her.
"Hey Carmen. Whats up? On your lunch break or something?" She shook her head.
"Nah. I'm just cutting classes. Looks like you've rubbed off on me, because I see you aren't exactly in class today!" I laughed.
"Yeah. Soda, just seems so distant and upset lately I figured I'd try to get him his job back and it worked. So then I decided that I'd skip classes today, but you better get back. Won't you get in trouble?"
"Do you think I care if I get in trouble? I've already got a detention this week, because I didn't do any work and I smarted off to the geometry teacher. Now, most of my Socy friends dumped me because I'm hanging out with as they put it, 'no good greasy hoods' and because I got a feeling that they only liked me because of Riley." She grew silent after that.
"Sorry Carm. Anyway wanna hang around here, 'til I get off work?" She shrugged.
"Yeah. I guess. Sure, why not? But my friend is in the car and she's seen Soda around and she wants to talk to him, so where's he at?" I pointed inside to the counter and she signaled for her friend to get out of the car.
"I don't know if he'll want to talk to you. He's kinda down about Riley." I said to Carmen's friend when she walked up to me and Carmen.
"That's ok. I just want to introduce myself, you know in case he does ever want to go out. By the way, my name's Sabrina. Rina for short." She brushed her long red hair out of her face and made her way inside. Me and Carmen both followed her.
"Hey, Soda!" I yelled the minute I walked in and then I saw something that I didn't ever want to see. It had been one of my worst's thoughts and it was now confirmed.
Soda was sitting there at the counter, holding his switch blade in his hand and running it down the other arm. The blood was trickling out of the little cuts and scratches and running all down his arm.
~A/N~ Ok..what do you think? Good? Bad? What? Please review!!! Oh and hey Vicki, do you want me to add you to this story cuz I will!!! So yeah!! Anyway Review!
