The rusty, old doorbell attached to the Curtis house, rang. Darry jumped; frustrated that he was being distracted from his daily newspaper. It took him a few seconds to recognise the sharp sound.
Had someone really just rang the doorbell? Who could it be? No one ever rang it. Everyone simply just walked in. Darry stood up and made his way to the flimsy wooden door. He pulled the bronzed door handle and looked to greet the visitor.
To Darry's surprise, standing there was three attractive girls. Had they got the right house? Darry thought, a look of confusion spread across his stern, distinctive face.
"Hey…" he said, unsure at what was actually going to happen. "Can I help you?"
"Hey," the longhaired brunette said, she smiled warmly. "I'm Tori, this is Kirsten and Leigh, em, Soda invite…is Soda in?" Tori blushed; maybe they had gotten the wrong house.
"Oh you're Tori!" a smile spread across Darry's face. "Yeah he's in, come on in. Sorry no one told me we were expecting visitors!"
Tori, Leigh and Kirsten followed Darry into his house. It wasn't like Leigh had expected, it was warm and friendly, like a sanctuary.
"Soda!" Darry exclaimed, "Your friends are here."
"What?" Soda walked into the living room. It was clear he had just been in the shower, his dark hair was jewelled with water droplets, and his tanned, toned muscular body was wet. He had a towel draped round his waist; with his right hand he was drying his face with another blue towel. He looks gorgeous; Tori thought to herself, her mouth was slightly open. Soda saw the three girls standing there. He blushed. "Shit, Sorry! I'll just go and put some clothes on." Soda turned and ran towards his room.
Kirsten looked at Tori and smiled. Suddenly the front door burst open.
"Shoot, you guys really don't have a clue! Just wait till Buck goes away. I'll be in charge of my very own house for a whole two weeks!" Dally exclaimed. Buck was Dally's friend and rodeo partner; they went back a long time. Buck was going out of town for a couple of weeks to lay low, and he was going to leave Dally with his house keys. Dally turned and saw Tori, Leigh and Kirsten sitting on the battered, old settee, "Hey." Steve and Two-Bit followed his gaze, Two-Bit smiled.
"Hi babe." He greeted Leigh, grabbed the remote and switched the TV on to Mickey Mouse. "Budge up. There's not enough room on this couch for me!" Two-Bit tried to squeeze on to the settee, next to Leigh.
Soda made his way into the living room. "Anyone wanna drink?" He asked.
"Yeah, I wanna beer!" Steve shouted back at his friend.
"Tori? Kirsten? Leigh? You wanna beer?" Soda asked.
"Yeah please." Leigh stated, just as Two-Bit pushed a cold can into her hands. "Actually I'm okay, I've got one!"
"I'll have one," Kirsten smiled at Soda; he was anxiously waiting Tori's answer. "Tori, are you having a drink?" Kirsten nudged Tori.
"Oh yeah, sorry! I was engrossed in the TV! Do you want a hand?" Tori asked Soda, she felt a bit out of place, in the sitting room. Darry kept looking at her, opening his mouth as if he was going to say something but words failed him.
"Yeah, if you like." Soda shrugged, grateful of the help. Tori followed him into the kitchen. "Hey Tori, you didn't say hello."
"Hello, then Soda." Tori cheekily pushed Soda up against the fridge; her body was pressed up against his. Soda slid his hands around her small waist and stared in her eyes. They leaned in and shared a passionate kiss, what seemed like ages only lasted seconds, as the pair were rudely interrupted.
"Oi! Soda, thought you were getting me a beer!" Steve walked in. "I can see you got distracted so I'll just get the drinks instead huh," Steve laughed grabbed some beers and left the room.
"I've wanted to do that all day, Soda." Tori smirked. She ran her hand down his chest and kept eye contact he pulled her in for another kiss. However this didn't last long either.
"Sorry to disturb you" Darry grinned, "But do you wanna watch a movie?"
Tori looked at Soda, then back to Darry, "Sure." She smiled, and walked back towards the living room.
A few hours had passed and the film had finished. The gang and the girls were laughing and telling stories.
"I can't believe Buck's leaving you with his house! It'll be non-existent by the time he comes back!" Darry exclaimed laughing at the proposition of Dally looking after a house.
"Well, I just thought parties, broads, you know, things like that! I think it'll be real fun. And I'm pretty sure how ever much you guys think that I cant manage it, well I'm sure you'll come to the parties! Isn't that so?" Dally laughed excitedly, a wild, reckless smile was stamped on his face.
"Yeah, sure we'll be there." Pony said, he looked at Darry, waiting approval.
"Your not going Pony, parties at Buck's, well shoot, things always happen." Darry scowled.
"Ah shoot, Darry I'll not get in trouble. You know that. Just let me go… please." Pony pleaded.
"We'll talk about this later Pony."
Two-Bit was wrapped around Leigh like a blanket, kissing her neck. He whispered into her ear; "Do you want to go someplace quieter?" Leigh looked at Two-Bit and smiled. "Shoot, y'all I'm tired, gonna walk Leigh home and hit the hay." Two-Bit remarked between pretend yawns.
"Yeah, sure your tired, see you Bit, Leigh, night." Steve sarcastically stated. He turned back to see that Kirsten was actually asleep. Great! He thought to himself. Fuck all for Steve. Kirsten suddenly woke up.
"Geez, what time is it?" She asked sleepily.
"Ten thirty, well just after," Darry informed her.
"I better be going. Got to be up early tomorrow, got to do a shift at the hospital before school. Leigh is it okay if I walk with you guys?" Kirsten said putting her jacket on.
"Yeah, it is. Later guys. Thanks." Leigh, Kirsten and Two-Bit said their goodbyes and left the Curtis house.
"Geez, it's nearly eleven. I think I'm gonna go to bed. Nice meeting you Tori. Keep the noise down Soda, and Pony don't stay up too late. Night everyone." Darry stood up and went upstairs.
Soda, Tori, Dally, Steve, Pony and Johnny, sat down stairs, and talked some more. Dally was bragging about the amount of drink he could hold. He had already drank quite a considerable amount that night, and his words were becoming slurred.
"Do yous know sumthn', am the best rideo kid in this side of Tulsa. Even the bull himself couldn't knock me off my back." Dally wasn't making any sense.
"Hey Dal, your pissed. Go to sleep!" Pony yawned.
"I am not pissed. I haven't even been drinkin'. Tori do you wanna come to bed with me? Ha ha. Soda you shoudla seen your face." Dally laughed hysterically. Soda, Steve, Tori, Johnny and Pony were laughing at Dally as he tried to pull himself up, "Hey, my legs are wobbly, my legs are jelly legs. Hey Coca-Cola, make me a cancer stick! I'm going home. See you lot later. Ha ha smell you later!"
Dally stumbled out of the door and went home. Half an hour later Pony and Johnny were in bed and Steve had fallen asleep on the chair. Tori and Soda lay on the settee. Soda was running his hand through her soft dark hair.
"God, you're beautiful!" Soda exclaimed. Tori smiled and blushed slightly. This is perfect, she thought, Soda is perfect.
"Hey Sodapop, what's happening with us?" Tori asked. She didn't want to spoil the moment but after all, she didn't know what was happening.
"Well I presumed we were dating. As in girlfriend/boyfriend. But that's if you want it to be that way I suppose its up to you." Soda smiled. He hoped that it was what Tori wanted.
"Yeah, that's how I want it to be. I like you a lot. "Tori thought to herself, Oh my God, Sodapop Curtis is my boyfriend! Oh my God!
Tori and Soda kissed for a while, before they carried on watching TV. Hours past and silence fell upon the room. The two lovers fell asleep on the old comfy settee.
It was seven am. In the country the birds sang to the golden rays of the early morning sun. However Tulsa was not the country. And in Tulsa, a twenty year old walked down the stairs fully clothed ready to start the hard day ahead.
"Oi lazy bones! Get up." Darry shouted.
"Shoot, what time is it?" Tori asked sitting up rubbing her eyes.
"Seven. You three going to school today?" Darry asked.
"SEVEN! Shit! I musta fell asleep. My Moms gonna kill me!" Tori stood up and ran to the mirror. "I look a mess I can't go to school like this!"
"You look fine babe. Go home and get changed before you go to school. Or you could just stop off with me?" Soda sat with a cheeky grin over his face.
"Looks like im gonna have to stop off. I can't go home now, they'll kill me! I'll have to brave it later. You don't mind do you Darry? Im gonna be in so much trouble." Tori sat down on the settee with her head in her hands.
"Course I don't mind. And who's they? Your Mom and Dad?" Darry asked concerned.
"Thanks, my Mom and John her fiancé, I hate him, he hates me, any excuse to… " Tori faded out she couldn't tell them about the real John. The soc John, the prejudiced John, the John with the strength to be a sumo-wrestler, the John who only cared about himself and his twisted son, the John who was a black belt in Judo, Karate and any other martial art you could think of. He classed himself as, The Man.
"Any excuse to what, Tori?" Soda asked, he put his arm around her.
"Just to shout and complain at me. Its nothing really just annoying." Tori brushed off the conversation and tried not to think about it. Think about the horror that waited for her when she stepped in her own front door.
"Come on then lets go back to bed." Soda said, he sat up, yawned and started to get up.
Darry grunted disapprovingly and when Soda only closed his eyes in responded, he cracked. "No, Sodapop Patrick Curtis, get to school. Get an education, or get to work."
"Ah Darry, really I'm tired, I'm working tonight so just let me sleep today. I don't feel well, anyway who will stay in with Tori? After all she can't go home can she?" Soda argued.
"Right Soda, but you better start stickin' in at school. You don't wanna be workin' at the DX all your life do ya?" Darry sighed.
"Well, shoot, Darry, I like my job." Soda grinned. He looked over to Steve who was still asleep on the chair.
"No, you like all those girls that visit you. Shoot Soda, you wouldn't know hard work if it came right up to you and bit you on the nose!" Darry exclaimed.
Tori looked at Soda. What did Darry mean? What girls? Did Soda have a few girlfriends? Tori thought to herself, she ought to ask him; after all she wasn't going to be another in a long line of girls. The shrill sharp sound of the kettle broke Tori's thoughts.
An hour passed. The hustle and bustle of the Curtis house on a morning was homely. Darry rushed around sorting everyone's breakfasts out. Johnny got dressed quickly. Pony took a while longer, applying a more than adequate amount of grease to thick hair.
Steve had woken up, ate his breakfast, had a quick shower and left to go to school.
At ten past nine the house was quiet. All except for Tori and Soda had left.
The couple sat in the sitting room, on the battered in settee. Tori looked over at Soda who was engrossed in the TV. "Soda, what did Darry mean by 'all of those girls' that come to see you at work?" Tori braced herself for what she expected to be a disappointing answer.
"Well, just some girls. They sometimes come to see me at work. Try to get me to give them a kiss n stuff. Mosta them are younger, like Pony's age or something, but I don' know they just always seem to be there when I'm at work," Soda stared into Tori's green eyes. He looked confused. "Why you asking Tori?"
"I don't know just interested I guess. So do you give them kisses?" Tori asked, her heart was racing.
"Well, sometimes. I guess, well not since I started kissing you. Is that what your worried of? In case I kiss one of them while I'm seeing you?" Soda realised all of his mucking about at work had to stop.
"In a way, yes. I don't want to be one of many, Soda. I don't want to be taken for a ride and I don't want to get hurt." Tori confessed.
"Geez, Tori do you honestly think I'd treat you like that? Guess you don't know me too well then. Huh? I'll never hurt you. And I certainly wont be kissing no one else but you." Soda smiled. His smile melted into a kiss. The kiss was passionate and meaningful. The world around them seemed to melt away. Tori began to forget the troubles, the troubles that surrounded and suffocated her everywhere she turned. The troubles she could never escape, the ones that haunted her dreams, the ones that stood as a shadow when she was awake.