Chapter 6

"DX." Pony answered the phone.

"Pony? It's Darry."

"Hey Dar." Pony grinned. He didn't think he'd be so happy to hear him. "Where are you?"

"In Tallahassee. We just got a motel room. Soda's taking a shower."

"Has he seen her yet?" Pony asked, nervously twisting the phone cord around his fingers as Steve walked into the office area.

"No not yet. We drove past the house though. There was some kid stuff out in the yard so I guess she's still living there."

"How's Soda doing?" Steve asked, wiping grease off his hands.

"Yeah, how's Soda doing?" Pony asked him.

"All things considered, I think pretty good. He's going to go see her later today."

Pony nodded. "I hope it goes well."

"You and me both. Listen I gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow. Is everything okay back there?"

"Yeah it's fine Darry. Don't worry. Just take care of Soda."

Steve hung up the phone and walked out of the office slamming the door behind him. "Come on let's go."

"I guess Evie's not coming to eat with us?" Pony was sitting on the hood of Steve's car waiting.

"No. She's still pissed. I think she had a lousy day looking for a job."

"Oh. Where is she looking?"

"I don't know. Grocery store. Clothing store. Diner. Places like that."

Pony understood why Evie was upset. She didn't want to do that. He knew she didn't. She had told him. But obviously she hadn't told Steve. "That's good I guess."

"No it's not. It's a sucky job for sucky money."

Pony nodded, not knowing what else to say to him.

"Maybe I should just marry her now."

Pony looked up. "But I thought you said you wanted to let her do something first?"

"I don't know. She just seems so upset that I didn't ask her. Maybe I should."

Pony was torn. He knew what was really bothering her. And he knew Steve would never guess it on his own. On one hand, he did promise Evie he wouldn't tell anyone. But on the other hand, if Steve knew, he may be able to do something about it. And that would make Evie happy. Which would make Steve happy. But he did promise her.

"Hello? You planning on riding home on the hood of my car or are you gonna get in?" Steve yelled at him.

Pony realized he must have been staring off into space thinking again. Steve was in a foul mood over Evie, but Pony pushed the conversation anyway. "What do you want to do?"

"What?"

"With Evie? What do you want to do? Do you want to marry her now?"

"I don't know. I just don't want her to marry me because she doesn't feel like she's got any choices. I just, nevermind."

"What?"

Steve gripped at the steering wheel. "Okay, I guess you'll probably understand this, cause you're the same way sorta." He looked at Pony who he could tell was confused. "You wanna be more than a greaser. I mean I don't blame you for that. And there's nothing wrong with that. I know that now. Now that I'm older. I mean in high school and all, yeah that was all I wanted to do was be a greaser. It didn't seem like I had any other choices. I still don't really, but at least I can do something as a greaser. And you got the chance to be more than just a greaser. You got brains and all. You'll make it out of all this. Evie wants out of all of this. She doesn't just want to be a greaser chick anymore. She wants more. But marrying some greaser isn't gonna get her more. That's why I thought she might want to do something. Something more than just graduate and marry me."

"Oh." Pony didn't know what to say so he just kept his mouth shut. They went home, changed and went to the Dingo. The entire time they were out he kept thinking about what Steve said. And what Evie said.

"What's the matter with you kid? Even you ain't never this quiet?"

"Sorry. Just thinking I guess."

"About Soda? Me too." Steve told him assuming that's what was going on. "I wish I knew what was happening with them."

"Um, yeah. Me too." Pony told him trying to drop the subject.

Soda's knuckles were turning white from holding the steering wheel. He pulled up in front of the house. It was hot, but that wasn't why he was sweating. He was nervous about seeing her. Very nervous. Finally he climbed out of the car and closed the door behind him. He stared at the house for a moment before finally working up the nerve to cross the street and walk up the path. His feet felt like lead as he climbed the front steps. The front door was open and the hallway was revealed behind the old wooden screen door. Music was playing somewhere in the house. Taking a deep breath he raised his hand and knocked on the screen door.

"Just a minute." A woman's voice called as she walked to the door. "Yes? Can I help you?" She looked at him for a moment waiting for an answer. Suddenly a look of recognition came across her face. "Oh my. Just a moment. Stay right there."

She turned back towards the room she had just came from and called out. "Sandy. Come here."

She stepped out of his sight. He could hear her talking. "It's for you. Give me Luke, I'll go put him down for his nap."

Soda stood on the front porch. He watched her slowly step out of the room and into the entry hall. The moment he saw her he knew why he fell in love with her the first time. She was still as beautiful as he remembered.

As she realized who was standing there in front of her she brought her hand up to her mouth in shock. "Soda." The words came out as a whisper. "Oh my god Soda. I thought I'd never see you again." The tears formed in her eyes and quickly started to pour down her cheeks.

Soda opened the door and stepped in. Putting his arms around her waist. "Sandy." He hugged her. "Oh god Sandy."

"Perhaps you might want to go somewhere and talk. Alone." Sandy's grandmother was suddenly standing behind them. "Your grandfather won't be gone much longer. I don't think here is a good idea."

After her grandmother said that, Sandy got her purse and she and Soda silently walked to the car and climbed in. "Go that way. We can talk at the park."

She gave him directions and he drove. He pulled into a spot and turned the truck off. Neither of them had really said anything. They hadn't even looked at each other. "He's my baby isn't he?"

"Yes." She said on the verge of tears.

Soda nodded.

"I'm sorry Soda." She started crying. "I'm so sorry."

"No. I'm sorry." He said, shaking his head as the tears ran down his eyes. "I loved you. I thought you loved me too. I'm sorry you didn't."

"But I did!" She cried. "I did. I'm so sorry Soda."

"Then why?" He yelled at her. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you leave? Why?"

"I thought it would be better for you. For everyone." She bawled.

Soda was upset. He was actually mad. At her. At himself. "How? How could you think that? I loved you. You were having my kid and you left. You lied to me and told me you cheated on me. That it was somebody else's baby. How could that make things better?"

"I don't know. I just," she pulled a tissue out of her purse. "I just wanted to make it easier on you."

"On me? How? By dumping me? Breaking my heart? Running away? Lying to me? Never telling me I had a kid? My God Sandy!" He realized he was yelling at her but at that moment he didn't care. A year and a half of pent up frustration was finally coming out and it was all directed at her and at the moment, he didn't care. "God Sandy! Do you realize when you left that was one of the two worse weeks of my life! And I got a kid and didn't even know about it till a few weeks ago. I had to find out by accident! Do you realized I'd give anything to see my dad again? Anything! And here I got a kid and didn't even know about it!"

She sobbed into her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. When I found out I was pregnant, Pony and Johnny were already missing. You were so upset. And I told my mother." She cried. "The next thing I knew they decided to send me to Florida. My father made me lie to you. He made me Soda. He said if I told you the truth he'd kick me out. My grandparents wouldn't take me. No one. They wouldn't give me any money and they'd make the state take the baby!"

Soda felt bad for yelling at her, but he wasn't ready to forgive her. Not yet. "But why didn't you just tell me? I would have taken care of you."

"I didn't know what I was going to do! My mother just kept telling me this was the best thing. That there was no way you'd be able to take care of me and a baby. Not then, with everything with your brother and the state. She kept saying that what my dad said was the best thing. For everybody. Me. You . And the baby. She said telling you it wasn't yours was the best thing. She said that way you wouldn't come after me. You'd break up with me and never want to see me again. And you couldn't do anything stupid like try and marry me." She sobbed.

Soda couldn't take it any longer. He put an arm around her and pulled her close. "But Sandy I did want to marry you."

"Soda I was so confused. And you were so upset about your brother already. My mom seemed to make sense. It seemed like the right thing to do. I didn't want to saddle you with a baby. So I left. And then when I never heard from you. I figured she was right."

Soda just stared at her for a second. "Sandy I wrote you constantly. For months. I kept getting all the letters back. Finally I just gave up."

"Oh God Soda." She stared crying again. "It was my grandfather. Him and my dad. They must have sent them back. Oh God Soda I'm so sorry. It was all my dad! He hated you. Especially after he found out I was pregnant! I couldn't even say your name without him throwing a fit. And my grandfather was the same way. I'm so sorry Soda. I was so stupid."

"No you weren't." He said softly as he stroked her hair. "You were just confused and everybody was telling you stuff. I'm sorry. I wish I could have made it better for you. I wish I could have been there for you."

They sat there for a moment as she slowly stopped crying. "But you're here now."

"Yeah, I am."

"Wait, why are you here now? Why now? All of a sudden? And how did you find out?"

"Evie over heard Susie talking to someone about you. Heard her say she had a picture of the baby. Evie snuck a look at the picture. Realized it looked an awful lot like me and told me. Finally I decided I had to see you so Darry and I drove down here. He's back at the motel."

"Oh." She stared out the front widow while he kept stroking her hair. "Soda, I just want you to know I never cheated on you. Ever."

"I know. It's okay."

"I missed you Soda."

"I missed you too."

"I always loved you Soda. I still do."

"Good. Because I still love you too." He kissed the top of her head. "Tell me about Lucas."