Author's note at the end of this chapter.
Soda jogged up the steps to Sandy's door, but before he could even knock, she came hurtling through it in tears. She stopped short when she saw him, though, and gasped in shock.
"Soda," she said nervously, glancing behind her. "We… we need to talk. Come on." She pulled him off the porch, and he was so caught off guard that he just followed her wordlessly. She took him to the end of her block, and once they were sitting on the curb, she took a deep breath and said, "I have some things I need to tell you."
"Sandy, I…" he started, but she waved him off.
"No, this can't wait." He noticed suddenly that she had yet to look directly at him, so he tried to make eye contact. She turned her head away and said, "Soda, my mama and my daddy are sending me to Florida. I'm going to live with my grandma. Tomorrow."
He stared at her in shock and without even realizing what he was doing, he started shaking his head. "No, Sandy. No. You can't leave. Not now. I … I need you. Please." He tried to keep the tears out of his voice, but he had a lump in his throat so big that he could barely swallow.
She finally turned to look at him, and he saw tears filling her own eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "but I can't stay here like this."
"Like what?" he choked, swallowing hard. "What could be so bad that you have to leave right now?"
And then he knew. "Oh, Sandy," he breathed. "Oh, wait. We can fix this. You don't need to go. We can … we can get married. I know I don't have much money now, but we could stay with Darry until I get a better job and you get out of school. It could work!" She started shaking her head, and he repeated stubbornly, "it could! Why not? Marry me! I swear I could make you happy."
"Oh Soda," her voice broke. "I'm … I'm so sorry… but," she stood up suddenly and started to walk back to her house. He chased after her and caught her arm before she made it up the steps, turning her to face him.
"Why not!" he demanded, his voice cracking in desperation. "Why won't you?"
"Because," she said, taking a deep breath, and suddenly her voice was not her own, "because it's not yours."
Before she could look at his face and see what effect this one simple sentence had on the boy she loved with all her heart, she turned and ran inside. Soda stood in front of the house, staring at the place where she'd been standing. After a few minutes, he turned slowly and started walking home. He'd never felt so alone in his life. And he had no idea what he was going to tell everyone else. He couldn't tell Steve or Dally or Two-Bit. He'd probably have to tell Darry. And yet… the only person he wanted to tell was the one he was missing right now. He'd give anything to talk to Ponyboy.
He was home before he even realized that he'd walked that far, and he stared at the door, almost dreading the moment when he'd have to go inside and face whoever was there. It was only 7:00. He hadn't expected to be back here for another four hours.
Steeling himself against the inevitable questions, he walked into the house – and found to his immense relief that Darry was the only one there. He was sitting in his accustomed spot in the armchair, and he jumped when the door opened. Soda knew he'd been hoping for Pony, but he forced a smile when he saw his middle brother… a smile that faded when he saw the look on Soda's face.
"Soda?" he asked, obviously concerned, and Soda wondered fleetingly just why it was that everyone could read his moods simply by glancing at him. Without answering, he threw himself onto the couch and stared up at the ceiling. A few minutes passed in silence before he said, in a voice that sounded nothing like his own, "it's over. She's leaving for Florida in the morning."
Darry looked over at him sharply and then jumped up and stared down into his face. "What happened, Soda?" he asked gently. He sat down next to him, and Soda shifted automatically so he could have more room. Finally, he forced himself to say the words he hadn't even wanted to let himself think.
"She's pregnant, Darry," he said flatly, and as he saw the mixture of anger and fear cross his brother's face, he added bitterly, "but it's not mine."
The look of shock on Darry's face was almost too much for Soda, and he closed his eyes and rolled over so he wouldn't have to face him. After a moment, he felt Darry's hand on his shoulder, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it together much longer.
"I need… I need to go to bed," he said unsteadily, pushing himself off the couch and heading quickly for his bedroom before he completely fell apart. He was in his room, his face buried in his pillow once again, when he realized that Darry had followed him. He put his hand on Soda's back and felt his shoulders shaking with the sobs he was unable to hold back any longer.
"I'm sorry, little buddy," Darry said softly. "I'm so sorry."
Soda mumbled something into his pillow, and Darry leaned closer.
"Say that again?"
Soda turned over so his voice wasn't muffled.
"Don't tell anyone else, ok?"
Darry's heart broke as Soda's face crumpled, and he started bawling again, clearly against his will. He turned his face back into his pillow, and Darry continued rubbing his back.
"Not a word. I won't say a word."
He sat with Soda until he fell asleep and then went back into the living room, his head spinning. Soda had it hard enough with Pony gone… but Sandy too? How on earth had she managed to cheat on Soda? Darry knew the kinds of girls that stared at his brother, but he'd thought Sandy was different. Soda had too, obviously. Darry had no idea how his most loving brother was going to handle losing two of the people he loved most in one week. There was only one way Soda would start to feel better. Pony just had to come home soon… he just had to.
A/N: According to Pony, in the book, Soda wasn't innocent and had bragged just as much as the others… just never about Sandy… that doesn't mean he never slept with her, though. He most likely did but cared too much about her to talk about it.