Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders, only Teresa Macks, Matthew Block, and Mr. Meyer.
Chapter 8 – Soda's POV
Darry opened the door and let it slam shut behind him. I was watching TV in the living room.
"Well? How'd it go?" He asked, hanging his coat up in the closet. He was the only one in the house that actually did that.
"We both got jobs. I'm gonna be the mechanic and the paint detailing guy is gonna teach me how to do that. I'm gonna be getting paid $3.00 an hour, and Ponyboy's getting $1.75 to pump gas and clean windshields. I promised him I would teach him how to change oil, though. Whoever changes the oil in a car gets an extra buck." I said, flipping off the TV. I had my dust rag in my hand and started to dust the coffee tables. Darry gave me a weird look.
"Why are you cleaning?" He asked suspiciously.
"Because Teresa might be coming over. I want the place to look good for her." I said.
"Who's Teresa?" Ponyboy asked as he came in from the front door.
"Just this girl I know." I replied, moving on to dust the window sills.
"Just a girl!" Darry exclaimed. "Yeah, right Sodapop. If you know a girl, she's obviously more than a friend." I blushed.
"No, actually, Teresa is just a friend. Honestly."
"Suuuure. Ponyboy, come help me make dinner." Darry said, moving into the kitchen. Ponyboy lingered back a minute, looking at me. I dropped my gaze and kept cleaning.
"Pony!" Darry called from the kitchen. Ponyboy disappeared into the kitchen, and I slumped back down on the couch just as Steve came banging into the room.
"Hey Sodapop!" He said, slapping me on the back and going into the kitchen to grab a coke. He came back in and threw me one, which I let sit, knowing he had shaken it up in the kitchen so that it would spray in my face.
"Nice try, Steve, but I know you shook it up." I said, smirking at him. He popped his open and took a swig.
"Actually, no. This time I didn't." He said, taking another drink from his own.
"I don't believe you." I said, eyeing the soda wearily.
"Honestly!" He said, holding up his hands as if surrendering.
I scooted the soda toward him.
"Fine. You open it, then." I said, smiling mischievously. He scooted it back toward me.
"No way. You know I shook it up!" He said, laughing. I laughed too. After the laughter died down, he said,
"Hey, man. Back to the whole reason I came here! Did you get the job?" I nodded, finally opening my soda. He stared at me. "Pony too?" He asked. I nodded again. He slapped me on the back, causing me to spill my coke down my shirt. I watched it soak into the fabric, not bothering to try to clean it up until I remembered it was a good shirt. Too late I thought, peeling off my shirt to reveal my white undershirt. Steve didn't notice. He was staring at the kitchen door. I followed his gaze, and saw smoke coming from the kitchen. I jumped up, saying, "Shit! Darry started a fire!" We both ran toward the kitchen, and upon arriving, both burst into laughter at the funny sight. Darry and Ponyboy were running around frantically. Ponyboy grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the sink, while Darry hopped around from foot to foot, holding a flaming chicken. Ponyboy sprayed the chicken till it was covered in white fluffy looking stuff. It continued to smoke, and by that point, Steve and I were both on the floor laughing. Ponyboy looked around in amazement, then also burst out laughing. Darry finally gave in to the temptation and began to laugh a little along with us.
We were all sitting there, laughing, until I looked up. I gasped, then jumped up from the floor, and wiped the tears the laughter had caused.
"Teresa!" I yelped, kicking Steve. "Uh…hi. This is, erm….Darry, and Ponyboy and Steve. Darry and Pony were, uh, making dinner." I looked at the limp chicken on the floor, covered in fluffy stuff. Teresa caught sight of it, and was fighting not to laugh.
"I was wondering what the smell was. And if you're still gonna eat that, then you're crazy." She said, finally letting out the laugh. It was light and bubbly, and flowed from her mouth like water from a fountain. Geez, I'm turning into some lovey-dovey poetey-person. I though, reconsidering my choice of words I had used to describe the laugh in my head.
"I would ask if you want to stay for dinner, but…." I gestured at the chicken on the floor, and she nodded, backing out of the room.
"Yeah." She smiled. "I better get going, anyway."
"I'll…uh, walk you to the front door." I said, gathering courage from my toes. We walked through the living room and toward the front porch. It was just beginning to get dark, and the first star was showing.
"Hey! Make a wish." I said. She closed her eyes, and I watched her take a deep breath.
"OK, your turn." She said, opening her eyes and looking toward me. I closed my eyes briefly and then opened them again, barely giving thought to the wish.
"Whadjya wish for?" She asked.
"Luck." I said, wondering if she would understand. "You?"
"Courage."
"Courage? For what?" I asked, looking at her and cocking my head to the side. She quickly leaned in and kissed me on the lips. Briefly, but it was a kiss nonetheless.
"For that." She said quietly. "I have to go." She said, blushing, and she turned and walked down the walk. When she reached the gate, I called after her.
"Wait! Teresa! Aren't you gonna ask why I wished for luck?" I asked. She smiled.
"Why did you wish for luck?" She asked.
"I was hoping I would get lucky and have the girl of my dreams kiss me." I said, turning to go inside. "Bye!" I said, opening the door. Of course, Ponyboy, Darry, and Steve were all standing at the window watching like three little girls watching their crush. I laughed at the sight, and plopped down on the couch, preparing for a long night of ridicule.
(a/n: sorry, short chapter I know. I got back from camp yesterday, and we leave for vacation tomorrow. I'm trying to update as soon as possible, and that was all the sooner I got this chapter finished. Hope you all like it so far! R&R please!)