Sandy walked into the DX station as the sun was setting. "Hey Steve, is Soda there?" she asked. "You just missed him. I was about to lock up now," Steve answered as he turned off the lights. Sandy thanked him and got into her car. She drove to the Curtis house thinking about what she was going to say to Soda. Why did it have to be so hard? Why did things turn out the way they did? Why did she fall in love with him in the first place?
The last question was easy. She fell in love with his irresistible smile that made even his older brother laugh. She fell in love with how much he cared for his brothers, his friends, and of course, her. She fell in love with the way even the smallest things made him happy and how he looked at everything with fresh eyes; how he didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't need any of these to get high. He could, as his younger brother Ponyboy said, "Get high on just plain life."
The other two questions didn't have such a simple answer. Her parents had listened in to the conversation she had with her best friend, Mary. She had talked about how Soda had asked her to marry him. Her parents didn't like the idea so now she was going to live with her grandmother in Florida. On one hand she was happy to leave her parents whom she now hated and could never trust again, but on the other hand she was depressed that she would never see Sodapop again; not only Soda, but Darry, Two-bit, Steve, even Dally! And of course, Pony and Johnny.
She pulled into the driveway. She would miss this car; so many wonderful memories attached to it. She sat in it for awhile just thinking about everything; how she first met Soda, her first kiss, filling the backseat with bags of clothes she and Mary had bought from the Salvation Army store; going to movies with Mary and Soda, Two-bit, Pony, Steve, and the rest of the gang. A smile crossed her lips as she got out of the car and walked up to the door. Her smile disapeared as she took a deep breath and turned the handle of the always unlocked front door. It was locked. She raised an eyebrow and rang the doorbell of the Curtis house for the first time in her life. No answer. "Soda? It's me Sandy can I come in?" Silence. "Soda come on, I need to talk to you" She heard a sigh and the door unlock.
"Hey Sandy," he kissed her. She melted into his arms and for a moment, she couldn't bring herself to say what she had to. She pulled away from him.
"Soda, I'm moving to Florida," she said. He didn't speak. Tears formed in her eyes. She looked into his deep chocolate eyes filled with hurt. She wished they sparkled with laughter like they usually did. So many things had changed
"My parents found out about us. They're sending me away. " He looked like he was about to cry.
"Sandy, I…"
"Just shut up and kiss me" She ran her fingers through his long hair, The colour of the sun as it just finishes setting, a rich, deep gold colour.
"I love you Sandy."
"I love you too," she ran out of the house and into her car, taking one last look at the first person she ever truly loved, and vowed never to love anyone ever again.