13 - Thanksgiving

"I don't like this Thanksgiving at all." I muttered under my breath, glaring at Seth.

"Come on, Sybil, you should at least pretend you're having fun." He suggested, grinning.

"Leave me alone. You've ruined everything. I wanted to spend the day with Soda and I can't. I wanted to spend it with my father and my brother, but I have to stay with you and Lewis, instead."

I was really mad: after that day when I had found out Seth worked in the same store as my brother, Lewis had started telling me Seth was a cool guy and really fun to spend time with, and when I had told him Seth wasn't a good guy at all, my brother wouldn't pay any attention to me. Then, dad had received an urgent call from Oklahoma City and he had had to leave a couple of days before Thanksgiving: he phoned and told me he wouldn't make it back in time to celebrate, so he suggested I spent it with my brother in the flat he had rented.

The only trouble was, Seth had suddenly reached us that day. Lewis had told him I would be there and he could come over if he wanted to, because it was just the two of us.

"What are you talking about?" Lewis entered the room with a couple of beer cans in his hands.

"What are you doing?" I replied. "Why are you carrying those beers?"

"Because we've already finished lunch and I'm thirsty."

"I understand that, I just don't see why you should drink beer."

"Do you want some?" he offered me one.

"Of course not! I'm seventeen!"

"Who cares, Sybil? It's not like we're getting drunk!" Seth smiled and took one beer.

"Shut up."

"Why are you in a bad mood, little sister?"

"Are you kidding, Lewis? If I had known Seth were here I never would have come! I would have spent the whole day with Soda! Or Sophie, anyway…not with you two!"

"No one said you have to spend the whole day with us…just lunch…"

"I can go then!" I got up and smiled.

"Not yet. I have the feeling you're spending too much time with that Soda guy. What kind of name is Sodapop?" Lewis insisted.

"It's a very original name and I like it!"

"Yeah, I bet it's so original no one else is called like that." Seth piped up.

"Shut your mouth." I glared at him. "And I'm not spending too much time with Soda. We haven't spent any time together at all lately, because of his full-time job, because of my part-time job and because of school. So I'm leaving now."

Lewis sighed. "Alright. Take care, Sybil."

"Don't worry about me."

I left, feeling truly happy. Seth was really getting on my nerves. What was he hoping for? That if he got friends with my brother, I'd start to like him too? I would never do that.

As I drove toward the East Side of town, I felt worried. What if Seth told my brother nonsense about Soda? He could tell him so much rubbish to make Soda look bad. Or worse.

I knocked before entering the Curtis' house, but there was no need to, because Darry saw me immediately and reached me, opening the door. "Hi, Darry…happy Thanksgiving!"

"Thanks, you too…Soda isn't home…he went out with Steve."

"I see…" I nodded. I felt upset all of a sudden. I really wanted to see Soda.

"Don't make that face…as soon as he comes back I'll tell him to call you, okay?"

"Okay…thank you."

Darry and I said goodbye to each other and I went back home, where I got bored in less than half an hour. I wanted Soda to call. But since I just sat on the sofa waiting, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was dinner time. I wasn't hungry, though, and I didn't want to get up, since I was still feeling sleepy…but I was cold and I decided I'd go back to sleep in my room. Before I could go upstairs, however, the doorbell rang. I muttered under my breath and went to see who it was.

The day started to get better, when I opened the door: "Soda! I wanted to see you so bad!"

I hugged him and I could tell he was grinning: "That's great to know, 'cause I wanted to see you too!"

I let him come inside and asked him if he had eaten. "No, I thought I'd pay a visit to you first…since we haven't seen each other much lately and Darry told me you had come over. I'm sorry I was out of town with Steve…"

I didn't ask why, I didn't care. I only cared about him. And I thought of something. "I could cook for you if you want to…"

"Really?" Soda's eyes kind of sparkled. "Would you?"

"Sure I would! I have yet to eat, too! Why don't you phone your brothers to tell them you're staying here?"

Soda did that and I started preparing dinner. It made me nervous that he was watching, because I was afraid I could get something wrong and make it taste awful.

"Don't look at me like that, Soda!"

"Why?"

"Because…I feel…" I couldn't finish the sentence cause Soda had gotten up and was kissing me. I kissed him back and it took a lot for us to pull away…man, Soda was definitely a stunning kisser. And we actually didn't do much after dinner: Soda told me the turkey tasted perfect and we spent all the time on the sofa, kissing.

"What time is it?" Soda pulled away from me to look at the clock.

"Almost eleven…" I answered.

"Maybe I should go…"

"Already?"

He looked at me. "I could stay for a while…if you ain't tired."

Of course I wasn't, I had slept the whole afternoon. "No, I'm not. You do realize you're the most handsome person on earth?"

"Really?"

"Yeah…and also the one with the most beautiful smile…"

"Thank you, Miss Forrester…" he joked. "You're the most beautiful person in the whole universe, you know that?"

I grinned. "Thank you, Mr. Curtis…"

The phone rang. I wanted to ignore the call, but Soda told me I'd better pick it up, so I did. It was my father, who wanted to know if everything was okay and how I had spent Thanksgiving. I didn't say anything about Seth, because I still hadn't told Soda, and I wanted it to stay that way.

When I said goodbye to dad on the phone, Soda got up: "I better go, Sybil…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…I'll see you soon anyway, since you don't have school for a couple of days…"

I nodded. "Are you working tomorrow?"

"Only in the morning, the boss said I could have half a day free since it's around Thanksgiving. We could go somewhere."

"Definitely." I kissed Soda's forehead and then frowned. "Soda, your forehead is hot…how do you feel?"

"What? I feel great!"

"Take care of yourself, I don't want you to get a temperature…"

"I won't."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day which followed Thanksgiving, Soda was forced in bed by a huge temperature. Ponyboy phoned me to tell me and I decided to go over there, since I didn't have school. Ponyboy, too, was home.

"Hey, Soda…" I said softly. "What did I tell you last night?"

Soda managed to grin. "Aw, I don't feel that bad." He tried to get up but failed miserably.

"Stay in bed and rest!" I exclaimed. "Have you eaten something yet?"

"No, I'm not hungry…"

"Ponyboy and I'll cook something, okay? Now you sleep." I kissed his forehead. His cheeks were red and he was sweating and he looked adorable, like a little kid. He looked younger.

Ponyboy and I started to chat. I asked him if everything was alright with the three of them.

"Yeah…Darry was worried because Soda never gets sick, but I guess it had to happen once…so we know he's human." He grinned, and I thought he looked a lot like Soda that very moment.

"I could go get some medicines, maybe…" I pondered out loud. Ponyboy shook his head. "I think a day of rest will do. Sodapop's been working hard lately, maybe he got ill because he was tired."

"I see…I bet that's hard to work all day long when you're only eighteen…"

"Soda says it's a lot better than going to school. He hated school. He wanted to skip it so bad everyday, but he used to go because of mom and dad…they trusted him and he didn't want to make them mad." Pony explained.

I nodded. "What about you, Pony? Soda told me you have the higher grades…"

Ponyboy blushed. "No…well, I like school. Except chemistry…and math, I don't really like them, but I try. I prefer literature though."

"I don't like chemistry and math, either. Literature, instead…you get to read some really interesting things and you can learn a lot from books…even if the characters are unlike you."

He nodded. "What's your favorite book, Sybil?"

I thought for a while. "To kill a mockingbird…by Harper Lee. Have you read it?"

"No…" he shook his head. "I've heard it's a good novel, though…"

"You can borrow it from me. What's your favorite book, instead?"

"I don't have one really…there are many different novels I enjoy-"

The front door slammed and Ponyboy was cut off by Two-Bit who jumped on him. "Hey, Sybil!"

"Hi, Two-Bit…" I laughed, as Ponyboy struggled to kick his friend.

"I've heard Soda's sick…must be only an urban legend, right?" Two-Bit asked.

"No, he's really sick…he's got some temperature…but don't make too much noise, because he's sleeping… or trying to…right now."

"I can lend a hand with the cooking!" Two-Bit exclaimed enthusiastically. Ponyboy, who had gotten away from him now, rolled his eyes. "I saw that, Pony."

Two-Bit and Ponyboy started fighting again and I reached Soda. He was asleep. I sat next to him and watched him. He definitely looked younger.

I spent the whole day at the Curtises', till Darry came back and told me I could go home, that they would manage things on their own. He sounded a bit annoyed and I didn't understand why, but I left, feeling a bit disappointed, because I didn't know what I had done wrong.

To make things worse, when I got home, I found my father was mad because I had come home that late and I had spent the whole day at Soda's house. I tried to explain Soda was sick and I wanted to lend a hand, but he was so mad he wouldn't listen. He never got mad. I phoned my brother because I wanted to vent, but he wasn't home. I was very frustrated.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Monday, at school, I wasn't able to pay much attention. Dad was still angry, Lewis was nowhere to be found, Soda hadn't called me. And my math teacher called me and told me my grades were slipping and I needed to improve. She suggested someone helped me. "I even know who…do you know Seth Tucker?"

"What?" I almost yelled. "Sorry…what did you say?"

"Seth Tucker…he could help you, he's got really good grades and he works hard. I'll tell him about this, I'm sure he'll be fine with it."

"But…do I have to? I mean, I can study on my own, I'm sure Seth has got better things to do anyway."

My teacher looked up. "We can ask him now. Seth, please, come here!"

Seth was walking by and heard the teacher calling out his name. When he saw me, he smiled and reached us.

"Sybil Forrester needs some help with my subject…would you lend her a hand?"

"Of course!" Seth smiled at me and I felt awful. I left the room and Seth followed me.

"So, Sybil, when do you want to start?"

"Never."

"Our dear teacher said you have to."

"Who cares about her. If I need any help, I'll ask…" I stopped talking. Soda probably couldn't help me. He hated school and he worked all the time, we barely spent some time together.

"You'll ask your boyfriend? I thought he was a dropout." Seth grinned, cause he knew he was right.

I didn't answer.

"You know you need help from me, Sybil."

"How can we study together when I can't stand your presence, Seth?"

"Hey, you don't even know me. I'm not that bad. If I act the way I do, it's because…" he lowered his voice. "I'm in love."

"Suuure." I sarcastically said. "You don't even know what love is."

"How do you know that? I wouldn't be spending this much time trying to get to you if I didn't care for real."

I sighed. "Whatever. Goodbye, Seth."

"See you soon, Sybil."