Heather: Thanks for the tip. I'm just going to make Soda turning eighteen in like two months since I don't want him to be a complete adult yet. And this chapter may seem a tad bit Mary-Sue(ish) but PLEASE don't give up on it, it gets better if you think this is alot like a Mary Sue...I promise.

That goes for everyone actually, if it seems like a Mary-Sue and you don't like it, well it doesn't exactly stay a Mary-Sue.

And everyone else, thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming, here's Chapter 2: The Difference Between Socs and Greasers

Chapter 2

- - - -

"I didn't want to have to think about her anymore," Soda said to no one unparticular, burying his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," a soft voice said from behind him.

"Its fine, you didn't know," he said turning around to see April.

"No it's not fine, I feel like a genuine jerk right now," April said, running a hand through her strawberry blonde hair.

"Well don't, you didn't know Sandy was my girlfriend, emphasis on was,"

"What happened?" April asked.

"I wanted to marry her, her parents freaked out and made her move to Florida. The first letter I sent her she sent right back to me, unopened and everything,"

"Oh my God," April said quietly, shaking her head slowly.

"Yep," Soda said, leaning back on the couch, stretching his back.

"Well I'm really sorry," April said.

"How is Sandy?" Sodapop asked.

"Fine...she has a boyfriend, his names Billy," April said and then added, "he's not half as cute as you are,"

A blush rose to Soda's tan cheeks, "Thanks," he said with a small smirk.

"Don't mention it," April said, waving her hand in the air and then glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, "Shit," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Sodapop asked.

"I have to go, my mom is gonna freak, I was supposed to be home like ten minutes ago but I got lost on my way here, anyway...I have to go, I'll see you around though. It was really nice meeting you," April said with a smile, walking backwards.

"You too," Soda said, smiling.

"Bye," April said with a wave and then disappeared out the screen door.

Soda could hear her running footsteps, he leaned his head back on the couch, his eyes closed and a dopey smile on his face.

"What's up with you?" a voice that startled him asked.

He jolted up and looked at Darry who was smirking at him.

"Nothing," Soda said in a dazed voice before gliding into his bedroom.

- - - - -

"You're late," April Highland's mother said, rising from where she was seated on the couch.

April could smell the strong scent of beer wafting in the air.

"Sorry, I got lost on my way to the house and-" April started.

SMACK!

Her mothers cold hand hit her across the cheek, her long hard fingernails dug in to her flesh, "I want you home when you're supposed to be home, that clear?" her mother asked.

"Yeah," April grumbled, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes, she turned and ran up the stairs to her room, shutting the door and locking it behind her as she let her tears fall freely. Of course she was used to this, ever since her dad left them, her mom became a strong alcoholic.

"Damn it," April said to the ceiling and beyond, "I hate you,"

- - - - -

"Thank you, have a nice day," Sodapop said with a smile to the old woman who was just purchasing some coffee.

She smiled a toothless smile at him before slowly creaking her way out of the DX Station, the door was held open for her.

"Thank you," the lady said.

"No problem," a familiar voice -that made Soda's head jerk up- say.

Soda could feel himself smiling, April had just walked in.

"Hey Soda, I forgot you worked here," she said with a smile, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I do," he said with a smile.

"So how's business at 3 PM?" she asked, looking at the empty gas station.

"Like this," Soda said and then laughed along with April.

April walked over to the soda pop area and pulled out to glass bottles of Coca Cola, "On me," she said placing them on the counter and sliding over a dollar bill.

"Thanks," Soda said and placed the dollar in the register.

April slid him over one of the bottles, "A soda for Soda," she said with a laugh. Soda laughed too and reached down into a drawer pulling out a bottle opener, he lifted off the tops of both his and April's bottles.

"What happened to your face?" he asked, staring at the red mark on her tan cheek.
April pressed her hand to her cheek wincing at the sting, "Nothing, smacked into something I guess last night, my house was dark when I got home,"

"Who hit you?" Soda asked, not believing her.

"That obvious?"

"It's shaped like a handprint and there are scratches," he said.

April blushed with embarrassment and Soda laughed, "Don't worry about it, its not like I've never been hit,"

"By your drunken mother?" she asked, taking a sip out of her Coke.

"My moms been dead for almost two years," Soda said, staring at his feet.

"Oh God, I have a really good way of making you feel bad huh?" she asked, wincing.

"It's fine. Last year Ponyboy was in this big fire, me and Darry were terrified that we were going to lose him too,"

"Darry?" April questioned.

"Older brother," Soda said.

April nodded, "I'm really sorry about your mom,"

"And dad," Soda finished.

"Your dad died too?" she asked.

Soda nodded.

"Once again, sorry,"

The two stood in silence for a minute until April finally spoke up, "How old are you?"

"Seventeen... I'll be eighteen in a little over two months. You?"

"Sixteen going on seventeen next month, do you go to school with Ponyboy?"

Soda shook his head taking a sip out of his soda.

"But if you're seventeen then you should be a junior or a senior shouldn't you?"

"Drop out,"

April nodded as the bells to the doors of the DX jingled.

"Get outta here Socs!" a guy with a grey tee shirt with Mickey Mouse yelled.

"Yeah, you don't belong here!" another guy with a DX uniform yelled.

"Oh, Sodapop, didn't know you had a lady here," Mickey Mouse guy said.

"This is April, I met her yesterday," Soda said, "April, this is Two Bit and Steve," he said gesturing to the two guys.

"Hey pretty lady," Two Bit said with a smile.

"Lay off y'all," Soda warned.

"Yeah...what he said," April said.

"She's cute..." Steve said, eyeing April up and down, his eyes pausing on her breasts.

"Up here perv," April said.

"Ooh, feisty," Two Bit said.

April rolled her eyes at them and then turned back to Soda, "I better go, I have to stop by your place and give Pony his antidepressant, see you around," she said with a smile and then squirmed between Two Bit and Steve, "Nice meeting you guys," she said and then walked out the doors.

Two Bit watched her go and then turned back to Soda, "Damn, how come you always get the girls?"

Soda's dopey smile returned to his face as he watched April disappear into the distance, "I have no idea,"

- - - - -

"I told you I don't need them anymore," Ponyboy whined.

"Just take the pill Pony," April pleaded.

"No," Ponyboy remarked, as his mouth formed in an O, April stuffed it in his mouth and held out a cup of water.

"Take it,"

Pony gulped down the water, "I really hope your happy with this, I hate those,"

April nodded, "I've had to take them before... they aren't that bad,"

Ponyboy looked up at her, "Could you grab me about 4 aspirins?"

"Why?" April asked, confused.

"Rumbling tonight, need the energy and I need to be headache free,"

"Rumbling?" April repeated.

"Yeah, against the Socs,"

"What are the Socs?" April asked.

"The rich kids from the other side of town, we usually fight them once a month tonight is the night,"

"You're not fighting are you?"

Ponyboy nodded, "Of course I am," he said, sounding as if he took it offensively.

"What about Soda?" April asked.

"Yeah, we all fight," Ponyboy said as if she knew nothing.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"We're greasers, they're Socs, the difference between us and them, we're not worried about ruining our Madras ski jackets or getting blood on our pants-its their own fault for wearing white in a place with grass stains and blood-, we fight for fun or if we need to, we're buddies and it makes us stronger than them by up to at least five times, nothings dangerous for us...well, except for the fire,"

"Soda told me about that,"

"Did he tell you about Johnny and Dally?"

"Are they greasers too?"

Ponyboy stared at his feet with sorrow, "Kinda,"

"Kinda?"

"They're dead," Ponyboy said quietly.

"See? You can't fight if they died from it,"

"They didn't die from rumbling. Johnny died from a fire and Dallas got shot from robbing a grocery store," Ponyboy said.

"Oh...you were in the fire too weren't you?"

"Yep, but I didn't get as hurt as either of them, I just got a smoke covered face,"

April nodded in understanding and then checked the clock, she had to be home in ten minutes and it took at least nine minutes to get there if she ran fast, "Well I've gotta head out...I'll see you later, don't get hurt tonight okay?"

"Yeah sure, if you wanna watch which is highly doubtable, it's at the lot,"

"The lot?"

"It's about 2 blocks from here,"

April nodded, "I'll just look for the crowd," she said and began to walk off.

"Just look for a bonfire!" Pony called after her.

"Got it!" April called back and then as she reached the door, it swung open and Sodapop came in with a guy in a white muscle tank a blue plaid over shirt and jeans, he had thick big hair and was somewhat handsome.

"Oh, April hey...this is my brother Darry," Soda said.

"Hey...I'd love to stay and chat but I'm really late getting home and it's pretty far out so..." April said and grabbed the screen door.

"Oh, Soda can give you a ride," Darry said and tossed his car keys into Soda's hand.

"Would you mind?" April asked.

"'Course not, c'mon," Soda said and walked out the door, April right behind him.

- - - - -

"Nice house," Soda said, staring at the big brick two story house.

"Thanks," April said, "For complementing my house and for giving me a ride home. You're a cool guy Soda," she said as she got out of the car, and as she walked away and up her front steps she turned to look back at him and gave him a smile, "Sandy has no clue what she's missing," she said with a wave and then hurried up the steps and into her house, disappearing behind the door.
Soda sighed and leaned his head against the headrest, smiling.

"Soda is finally back in action!" Soda exclaimed excitedly, pumping his fist in the air as he tore away from the curb.

- - - - -

April stepped into the house as quietly as possible.

Her mother was passed out on the couch, holding a bottle of vodka.

"Thank god," April whispered and ran silently up the stairs to her bedroom.

She flopped onto her white comforter with purple flowers and sighed, her hair sprayed across the pillow.
She closed her eyes and let out a sigh and wound up falling asleep.

Dreaming of Sodapop Curtis...

And her boyfriend.

- - - -

Please R&R! Lotsa love, degrassichick92