Chapter 2-

As long as the tides ebb
The earth turns the sun sets
I promise I'll always be true
And as long as theres Stars over Texas
Darling I'll hang the moon for you

Sandy didn't come to see him that evening, or the following two nights. Soda pined restlessly for her. Was she all right? Did she not want to speak to him anymore after what happened? Curly Shepard sure didn't. He hadn't meant to insult his mother, though.

At Sandy's house, things weren't always the perfect picture they seemed to be. When company was over, everything was perfect. They were like the real live version of the Cleavers, what with Sandy's dad working at the office, her mom being the typcial house wife, her younger brother Mikey making decent grades, and her being a beautiful teenage girl. But when company left and the doors were closed, things changed. Her father was a drunk who liked to abuse her. Her mother locked herself in her room and cried all of the time. Her brother was never home, running around with some gang or the other. That little 12-year-old boy would be in trouble one day.

Sandy sat in her room, crying. The whole left side of her body was a blue and purple mess. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. It hurt to do anything but just lay there on her back, staring at the ceiling. Vaguely, she wondered where her dad had gotten that baseball bat from.

"At least things can't get any worse," she mummbled to herself.

Tick... Tick... Tick...

She looked over to her window. In the fading afternoon light, she could see little pebbles hitting the glass. The young blonde pulled herself out of bed painfully and limped over to the window. When she opened it and looked down, she saw Soda standing there, beaming up at her.

"Soda," she sighed, smiling. He was the one thing that kept her going when she thought of killing herself.

"Hey, baby! Come down?"

"I can't, Soda... My dad grounded me..." That was a lie, but she knew he wouldn't let her out of the house anyway. He hated Soda.

"Please? I'll have you back before he knows you're gone. Promise!"

She shook her head. Soda could always make her do anything. She was putty in his hands. Carefully, she climbed down the gutters and stood beside Soda. He swept her up in his arms, kissing all over her face. Sandy tried not to wince as his arms touched her side, squeezing her.

"Ready?"

"Where are we going?"

"Dance contest at the Dingo."

The smile on Soda's face was completely wild. Soda loved to dance. That was one of his favorite things ever. He led her back to the car he borrowed from Steve once again, speeding away to the Dingo.

They danced the night away. Her side kept bothering her now and then, but she tried not to let her pain show. For Soda. She knew what would happen if she did. He would worry himself sick. She could never do that to him. Not for anything in the world. He meant everything to her.

She climbed back up the gutters and in her window. Soda blew a kiss up to her, then left. She laid back down on her bed, missing him already. Why couldn't she be together with him always? Her door slammed open. Oh, yeah, that was why.

Her father stood there, drunk and angry. He knew. He knew that she snuck out with Soda. The look on his face told her that he knew.

"Where were you?!"

"Daddy, I was--"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear your lies!"

The large man advanced on her. She tried to explain herself, but to no avail. He just kept coming despite her pleas. A swift backhand to the cheek knocked her down on the floor. She couldn't keep the tears from coming.

"I know what you're doing with that boy!"

"Daddy, I'm not doing anything!!!"

"LIAR!"

He lifted her up from the floor and after a few shakes and a slap here and there, he threw her down on her bed. Then he did something awful. Something she had never thought he would do. Her own father raped her. She had never allowed anyone, even Soda, touch her like that, but he did.

She had been able to handle the bruises and the beatings and the harsh words. But as she lay there later, crying on her bed, she felt like utter trash. How could anyone ever look at her the same? They would know for sure.

Somehow, she limped to the shower and got in. She had never felt so dirty in her entire life. The skin on her arms was scrubbed bloody. When she was done, she put her clothes in the garbage can, poured gasoline over them, and set fire to them. Sandy watched the flames dance for the longest time, thinking somewhere in the back of her mind that maybe she should be joining them in those flames.

Her father had passed out in his armchair in front of the tv. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him. As quietly as she could, she went back to her room after putting out the fire, and crawled back in bed.

Soda came by two days later, a Tuesday afternoon. Her parents were out at a business function, one that Sandy had been too "sick" to attend. It was on rare occasions such as these that Soda was allowed in her house. He absolutely loved her house. It was so neat and tidy and everything was just perfect. Yes, perfect...

They sat on the couch, Sandy looking down at her hands. She had put on enough make up to hide the facial bruises from Soda. Even though it was the dead of summer, she was wearing a heavy sweater and a long skirt. Soda didn't say anything. He thought that maybe it was just because of her cold. Or perhaps he just wanted to see it that way.

"Can you come out later," he asked, breaking the long silence.

"No, I don't think so..."

"Oh... okay..."

More silence.

"Sandy?"

"Yes, Soda?"

He put a finger under her chin, gently making her look at him. All of the love she had for him was clearly reflected in his eyes. She was about to cry, she knew it.

"Sandy, I love you... I really do... And I would never do anything to hurt you... You believe me, don't you?"

"Yes, Soda..."

"As long as there's stars over Texas, Sandy, I'll hang the moon for you..."

That elicted a small smile from her. To Soda, that was the greatest reward. Nothing could ever make him more happy than that small token of her appreciation.