Disclaimer: I do not own Sodapop Curtis or any of the other Outsiders. I only own Teresa.

Summary: Sodapop thought the only person he loved was Sandy. Then she moved away. Sodapop was crushed, but found that to heal his pain, Teresa Macks was the one to turn to. What happens when Sodapop and Teresa start getting serious in their relationship?

Chapter 1 – Soda's POV

I opened the door and went inside, staring at the mail. I had sent a letter to Sandy at her new address, and she had sent me something back. My letter had been a little along the lines of this:

Dear Sandy,

How are you doing in your new town? I hope you've made lots of friends and are doing well. Everything is all right here. Ponyboy and Darry are both OK with Johnny's death, and the rest of the gang is dealing alright with Dally's. I miss you a whole lot, and hope you'll come back to visit.

The reason I was righting (aside to just drop in and say hi and check up on you) was because I was thinking about our relationship and how much I really and truly loved you, and I decided that maybe we could work out some sort of long-distance relationship. I would really love it if we could start up something like that, and I know it won't quite be the same for either one of us, but I feel like I just need to be in touch with you.

Well, think it over and get back to me on that. I hope to hear from you soon and maybe you can come back and visit sometime!

Love,

Sodapop Curtis

The letter I got returned from Sandy didn't even sound like her at all. This is what her letter said as I opened it slowly on the kitchen table.

Dear Sodapop Curtis, at first I couldn't figure out why she had called me "Sodapop Curtis", but I soon found out why. Things were NOT the same with her and I.

I was also spending lots of time thinking about you and I, and I came to a bit of a different conclusion. You see, when we got here, I met a boy. He's very nice and handsome (but he could never beat you in that category, and he asked me out on a date. I sort of figured that since I had moved away, we had broken up. I guess you had different feelings about that. My new boyfriend's name is Matthew Block.

Sodapop, I am so truly sorry that it didn't work out between us, and I hope to see you again soon. Maybe you can meet Matthew. He really is very nice. Please don't be mad at me, and I hope to hear back from you.

Your friend,

Sandy

I sighed, staring down at my feet. Even though no one was around to see me, I still felt my face get red, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up like it always did when I was upset. I refolded the letter neatly, then slowly crumpled it in my fist, watching the paper fold into itself. It was oddly satisfying. Who needs her anyway? I have the whole gang to take care of me. I don't really have time for a girlfriend anyway. I thought, trying to reassure myself. It didn't work so well. Matthew. What a prissy-boy name.

I got up and walked into me and Pony's room. Ponyboy looked up from his book. I noted that the title was Gone With the Wind. Pony had read it nonstop since Johnny's and Dally's deaths. I flopped down onto the bed. He looked at me quizzically.

"Sodapop? Are y-" He began. I held up my hand to silence him.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said, letting my hand plop down onto the bed beside me with a light thumph.

"OK, whatever." He said, going back to his book. It was silent for a few minutes, until I suddenly just about exploded. I knew he wanted to know all about it, but wouldn't ask because I had told him not to. The silence was his way of squeezing info out of people. I knew he did it, but it always worked on me like a charm.

"Ok, fine." He looked up with mock surprise on his face, but in his eyes, there was concern. "I sent Sandy a letter a few weeks ago asking her if maybe we could go long-distance. Today I just got a letter back from her saying that she had a new boyfriend. Next time she comes to visit, she wants me to meet him. His name is Matthew." I said, staring down at my feet again. "Prissy-boy name…." I muttered under my breath.

"What?" Pony said.

"Nothing."

"Where's the letter? I wanna read this for myself." Pony said, sliding off the bed.

"In the kitchen on the floor in a wad. I sort of wadded it up when I finished reading it." I said thinking, I would've burned it for this exact reason, but couldn't find matches.

He came back in a few minutes, slowly walking while reading the letter. He looked up when he got to the bottom and sighed, tossing the letter toward me. It didn't quite make it, due to the weight of it. Or lack-there-of, I guess.

"Sucks, huh?" I said, now switching my stare to the wrinkled paper on the floor.

"Yeah. Hate to say it, but that's not so tuff. Especially since you were gonna ask her to marry you." He said, shaking his head. I sighed.

"I know whatcha mean, lil man." I glanced out the window. "I think I'm gonna go take a walk. Wanna come?" I asked.

"Nah," He said, shaking his head. "I think I'm gonna read some more." He plopped down on the bed, grabbing his book.

"Ok. Tell Darry where I went when he gets home. I might be gone a while. I need to think things over real good." I called over my shoulder, grabbing my jacket off the floor by the couch. I always threw it haphazardly on the floor when I came in. My shoes were on the front porch, and I slipped into them without tying them before taking off down the street toward the lot.