Soda's eyes widened. "What? You, you cant be. How?"
"That's what I thought. But I am. I've even done tests myself." Tori's eyes began to fill up as she sat down on the park bench.
"Shoot, Tori, what we gonna do?" Soda began to panic. "Darry's gonna kill me. And we don't have any money or anywhere to live and fuck, I'm too young to have a kid."
"Soda, I don't know. I just don't know. I can't make sense of it. I understand, if you don't want to be a part of it. I wouldn't blame you. But Soda, don't make me get rid of it. I can't. I couldn't." Tori begged.
"I won't, you don't have to. We'll sort something, I'm sure." Soda stated sounding unconvinced. The shock had hit him like a tonne of bricks. He sat down staring at the ground. What was going to happen? He didn't want a child. "Who else have you told?"
"No one. I wanted you to know first. But I couldn't tell you. I was going to. Then you told me you love me, and I didn't want to spoil the moment. I didn't want to loose you."
"What makes you think that? Shit Tori. Everything's gonna be different now. I'm gonna have to quit school and get two jobs. Shit! I don't want to be a dad." Soda started crying. Tori put her arm round him and began to cuddle him.
"Baby, don't worry. I'm sure we will figure something out." Tori sat cuddling Soda. Even though she was right next to him, she felt totally alone. Why had this happened to her? She wondered what things would be like in a few days when Soda stopped being irrational.
"Baby? Geez, Tori you really know how to rub it in, don't you?" Soda retorted.
"Soda don't be like that. It's not my fault any more than it is yours. I had to tell you. I feel bad enough as it is without everyone else kicking off. Can, can I just have a hug please?" Tori cried. Soda began to feel guilty.
"Shoot, Tori. I'm sorry. You must be feeling pretty shit. I'm meant to be supporting you and here I am crying like a little girl! Course you can have a hug." Soda wasn't entirely convinced everything was going to be okay. But he needed to think things through before made any decisions. He thought it was best to reassure Tori, and support her for now. I mean, he did love her. Didn't he?
The next day came, and Tori wasn't at school. Soda sat silently all day. Steve could tell something was up.
"Come on Soda. You know you can tell me. What's up?" Steve asked as the two friends were walking home.
"Shoot Steve, I don't even know if I can bring myself to say it." Soda's eyes looked hurt and his once excited face was emotionless.
"Buddy, what is it?"
"It's Tori." Was all Soda could manage to say.
"What do you mean? You guys finished? I noticed she wasn't in school today." Steve questioned.
"No."
"So what then? Can't be that bad? Just tell me." Steve persisted.
"She's… she's fucking pregnant. You happy now?" Soda fought back tears and kept his eyes focused on the road ahead.
"Shoot. Soda. What? But how? What you gonna do?" Steve asked shocked and in disbelief.
"I don't know. I just don't know. She unloaded the bombshell on me last night. Geez, I, I feel bad. I really do Steve. I just don't know if I could do it, if, if I could bring up a kid."
"I don't know if I could. Why do you feel bad? You love her right?"
"I don't know. Do I?" Soda asked looking at Steve.
"What do you mean? Didn't you tell her you loved her?" Steve asked unsure of where this conversation was going.
"Yeah. But that doesn't mean I need to have a kid. It's giving me second thoughts. I thought I loved her but maybe I was wrong. Maybe I don't. All I'm sure about is that I don't wanna be a dad."
The walk to Sodapop's seemed longer than usual but the short conversation with Steve seemed even longer.
"You never know Soda, you could be a real good dad. Things might turn out okay." Steve said hopefully.
"Steve. Think about it. Geez, my whole life stops here. I'm gonna have to give up everything I like, just to afford to clothe this kid!" Soda was becoming irrational and his thoughts were not making any sense.
"Hold up. Sodapop you need to calm down. Tori's pregnant. You can't leave her on her own. Well you could, but I know you won't. Buddy, listen to me its just a big shock, everything will be okay. You go home and talk things through with Darry. You'll see. Things will start to make sense."
"I hope you're right Randle. I fucking hope you're right."
Soda had sat in his room all night, with only a dim reading light to push out the darkness. The room was cast with shadows, as Soda lay there in the dark, he started thinking about what he could do, what he should say to make things better and how he was going to tell his brothers.
Lucy had been at the Curtis house all night. It was eight o'clock when Darry decided to take her home. Sodapop heard the door slam shut as he stood up and walked into the kitchen, not bothering to turn any lights on. He reached for the phone and picked it up. He dialled the number Tori had given him for her brothers flat where she had been staying the past few days.
Ring ring…
Ring ring…
"Hello." Nathan's voice answered.
"Hey... It's Sodapop. Is Tori there please? I, I need to speak to her." Soda's voice was shaky. Had Tori told Nathan?
"Yeah Soda, two minutes." The line went quiet for a few seconds, and Soda heard someone take a deep breath.
"Hello." Tori's voice sounded tired and weak.
"Hey, Tori. I'm, I wanted to talk to you. I'm sorry. I freaked out."
"Hi, thanks. Soda, I expected you to freak. I did when I found out." Tori took another deep breath. "Look, whatever you decide, I still want to be friends with you."
"Yeah. I know." Soda was quieter than usual and he wasn't his usual happy-go-lucky self. "Tori, it's mine yeah? So, I'm not going to let my child grow up without its dad. I know what its like to loose parents and not have them there. I don't want that for this baby." Soda took a long deep breath.
"Yeah? Thanks Soda. I think we need to talk properly, face to face before making any decisions. I've got to go see a midwife tomorrow and get a scan. I guess, I guess you could come. If you wanted?" Tori's voice seemed uneasy and unconvinced.
"Yeah. Can I? I will. What time?" Soda didn't know what he was doing. He didn't want to see the baby on a scan. It would make it even more real.
"We, we will pick you up at ten in the morning. Okay? Don't worry, Nathan's fine with it. Then maybe after, we could go get some lunch and talk?"
"Tens fine. And lunch sounds great." Soda heard his front door open. "Listen Tori I gotta go, Darry's back I guess me and him got some talking to do."
"Okay. See you tomorrow. And thanks." Tori seemed relieved the conversation was over.
"Love you. Bye." Soda said as he hung up the phone.
Darry was standing in the doorway, watching eagerly, waiting to find out what had happened to make his brother isolate himself.
"What's up?" Darry asked his younger brother as he hung up the phone.
Sodapop glanced around the room, desperately searching for a subject other than the one he needed to talk about. "Nothing." He lied as he looked out of the partially open window.
"Don't lie to me. It's obvious something's up. You've hidden yourself in your room all night." Darry stared at Soda as if he was trying to coax an answer from him.
"I think you need to sit down. I have something to tell you." Soda said as he grabbed a can of beer and walked towards the sitting room.
Darry's stare grew intensely and his brow stiffened as a confused and concerned look set in place. He followed his brother and sat down on the sofa. "Geez, this settees seen better days. Think we will be needing a new one soon." Darry said in attempt to lighten the mood, as he had a feeling the mood was about to become somewhat darker. "Soda, just spit it out? What you done? Pony's not in you can tell me. When am I expecting the fuzz knocking?" Darry said slightly angrily. The last time Soda had sat Darry down to tell him something, the fuzz were knocking on the door ten minutes later, as Soda and Steve had been hauled in for 'disrupting the peace'. Although it wasn't a serious offence, it was enough to piss Darry off, and Soda had looked a lot less worried back then.
"The fuzz won't be knocking. I need you to promise me, you will try and understand." Soda said looking up from his can.
"Okay. I'll try. But Sodapop, it depends what you've done. I'm guessing its bad. So I'm not promising jack shit." Darry said as he edged forward in his seat.
"Right." Soda paused and took a breath. He looked down to the floor before saying anything. "You're gonna be an uncle."
"What? Is this some sort of joke?" Darry looked at Soda, his eyes somewhat softened.
"No. I wish it was. Tori's pregnant, with my kid." Soda looked up, his once blazing eyes were saddened and lifeless. He looked at Darry. "Say something then."
"I, I …" Was all Darry could say. He clasped his hands over his hair, and started shaking his head. Soda could sense the disappointment and anger, the same emotions, which, Soda himself had shown when he found out. His eyes began to fill up once more as thoughts of his life came crashing down in front of him.
Darry looked up to see his younger brother in pieces.
"Darry. I don't know what to do. I need your help. Darry please say something. Please." Soda cried in desperation.
"Hey calm down little fellow. I'm, just shocked that's all. I'm not angry. Just shocked." Darry said with a look of disbelief, reaching for Soda.
"You're, you're not mad?"
"Listen. You're my brother. I think you're far too young to have a kid. I'm guessing this was an accident, and that's fine, everyone makes mistakes. Just because I'm not shouting at you, don't mean I'm not mad. Geez, Soda you're still at school. But it was an accident, I'm not gonna abandon you. I wouldn't be a good guardian or brother if I did that would I? I'll support you whatever you decide. But I seriously think you should learn from this. Shoot, I should have been giving you the talk and not Steve." Darry explained. "So what you gonna do?"
"I think, well I think were keeping it. I don't want to have to make Tori get rid of it, wouldn't wanna put anyone through it. So I'm gonna do the right thing, and stick by her. But I'm scared. I told her I love her. But Darry, I don't know, I'm having second thoughts, think it might be because I'm totally freaked out." Soda thought about it.
"Yeah, it will be. It's enough to give anyone second thoughts. I know staying with Tori and having the kid seems like the right thing to do, but is it really what you want? You have to think of that." Darry said taking a sip from Soda's can.
"I don't know. I suppose so. Darry I couldn't handle it if I didn't have a part in it, and my kid was growing up a couple of blocks away. Then what if Tori got with someone else. Just cause she's pregnant don't mean I still don't really care about her. It's just weird. Getting used to it."
"I suppose. Guess were gonna have to wait to buy a new settee then!" Darry said calmly. "So when you seeing her next?"
"Tomorrow, I'm gonna miss school and go to the hospital with her, she's got one of those scans." Soda explained twiddling with the ring pull off his can between his fingers.
"Yeah that seems like a good idea. Give you two a chance to talk. I'm guessing she's told her mom?" Darry asked.
"Don't think so. She's told her brother though. She reckons he's okay with it. But if I had a little sister and someone got her pregnant, I wouldn't be happy."
"Hey, he's not gonna wanna push you away is he? And besides it's not just your fault." Darry said thoughtfully. "What's Tori make of it all?"
"I think she's shit scared to be totally honest with you. She seems okay though. Bet it took some nerve to tell me. She's already nearly two month pregnant."
"Wow, she showing yet?" Darry asked.
"I don't know, I never noticed to be honest." Soda thought. He felt happier that Darry had been supportive and was half excited half nervous for the next day. As he lay in bed that night he wondered if his baby would look like him or Tori, if it would be a boy or a girl and what would happen when it was born.
The next day came and before Soda knew it, Tori was knocking on his door.
The ride to the hospital was anything but the uncomfortable silence Soda had expected. In fact the tone was somewhat cheerful.
"Soda," Nathan began to speak, Soda took a deep breath and prepared himself for a threatening lecture. "Soda, I'm real glad you're coming today. Supporting my sis. It's real good of you. You're a really decent guy."
Soda wondered if he'd heard right, was Nathan winding him up?
"Sure. Course I'll support Tori. She's my girlfriend. And this is my baby." Soda didn't really know what to say, and he was almost sure he sounded unconvincing.
"Shoot, where you guys gonna live? I mean, if you decide to bring up this baby together? No offence but my flat aint really big enough; for you two, a baby, my girlfriend, Lindsey, when she gets back from college and me." Nathan asked concerned.
"Well, I guess we could always live at mine, just until we found somewhere else." Soda suggested.
"Well, the doctor said, she's gonna book me an appointment to see social services, then they might be able to get me my own flat." Tori explained, somewhat relieved by the fact Soda seemed to be going along with it.
The three arrived at the hospital and moments later, Tori and Soda were taken into a room, lots of things were explained from complications and procedures, to help and support, and this reassured Sodapop somewhat.
It was time for the ultrasound. The midwife asked Tori to lift her top up to show her stomach. Soda saw there was a small bump. How had he not noticed? He thought to himself. He sat down on a chair anticipating what was about to occur. The midwife covered the bump with a jelly like substance and told them to watch the screen as she ran a small piece of equipment through the jelly.
"Isn't this exciting? All prospective parents anticipate seeing their baby on the first scan. I think the first scan is the best." The midwife explained as she moved the equipment over Tori's stomach. "There. Look that is your baby. That's its head there."
Tori looked at Soda, she was pretty sure what she was looking at, looked nothing like a baby. Soda was smiling, this in itself made Tori smile.
"Should I get your brother?" The midwife said excitedly. "I'm sure your baby's uncle will want to see what it looks like!"
"Yeah you can." Tori smiled. The midwife put down the equipment and left the room. "Soda. It doesn't look like a baby. Can you see it?"
"Yeah. It's really cool. Thanks for letting me come." Soda beamed.
"Thanks for coming with me! You sure you're sure about this?" Tori asked unconvinced.
"Yeah, surer than I've ever been before. Can we keep pictures of our baby? I wanna show Steve and the guys!" Soda asked excitedly.
"Sure we can." Tori replied as the door opened. Nathan and the midwife came in. The midwife placed the machine on Tori's stomach again and showed Nathan his niece or nephew.
"Ha! That's cool. I'm gonna be a good uncle Tor, I promise!" Nathan smiled and hugged his sister. He pulled away from the hug and smiled at Sodapop. "Congratulations mate!"
"Thanks. This is surreal." Soda said laughing.
After the hospital, Nathan dropped Tori and Soda off at The Dingo where they were to get lunch.
Soda and Tori were sitting in a booth laughing and looking at the pictures of their baby.
"You know something Tori, I think everything's gonna be okay. I really do. What do you think we will have?" Soda grinned.
Tori shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "I dunno, I don't care as long as it's healthy."
Kirsten and Steve entered The Dingo, spotted the couple and walked over to them.
"Hey budge up pal." Steve said pushing Sodapop along.
"Hey, what's this?" Kirsten said as she picked up a picture of the ultrasound scan.
"It's our baby." Soda said before Tori could open her mouth.
"What? You guys serious? Tori, how come you haven't told me?" Kirsten asked in shock.
"Sorry. I've only just been getting my head round it." Tori said timidly. Maybe she should have told Kirsten earlier, she was her best friend.
"It's okay." Kirsten smiled. "I understand. Come here, give me a hug. You okay then? You guys are keeping it then?"
"Yeah we are." Tori said returning her friend's hug.
Steve looked at Soda with a worrying look. Soda gave him a reassuring smile and mouthed the words "I'm fine. It's okay." Steve smiled.
The next few days passed by and Tori returned to school. Tori and Soda had told everyone about the pregnancy, well everyone except her mom and John. Every time she thought about telling them she felt sick, what if they forced her to have an abortion? What if her mom hated her for it? She knew she needed to tell them but at the minute she was biding her time.
Author's Note "Thanks again for all of my reviews. Yeah you lot guessed it Tori's pregnant, but i assure you there are more 'twists of fate' in store for this lot! Please review! Thanks!"