Later, Steve and I walked back to my house after stopping at the Curtis home for a few minutes. It wasn't a long walk. Maybe five minutes. Ten if you chose the long way around the block. Which is what we did. Neither of us were ready to go home yet. Especially Steve, who avoids his home as much as possible.
"So Chris, are you happy with the decision you made?" Steve asked suddenly.
"I guess so, why?" I looked sideways at him.
Steve shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't know what to think about the whole Jesus is what we're searching for thing. You dig?"
"Yeah." I mumbled kicking at a pebble on the ground in front of me.
"I need some time to think before I make a decision. I can't do it in one night like you and Soda did." Steve went on. By then we had reached my house.
"That's okay." I told him. Steve started to walk across the yard to his house but I called out after him, "Hey, we both know you really don't want to go home, why don't you stay here for the night?"
Steve turned and gave me a small grin. "You know what? Sometimes you drive me crazy like Pony does, but really, you're an okay kid."
"Sure." I said. "So, how about it? Do you want to stay over or not?"
Steve stood still for a minute. Then walked back to where I stood. I knew he would. Either that or he would have went back to the Curtis house. I was kind of glad he chose to stay at my place. I think Soda would have needed to show the draft notice to his brothers before he showed it to Steve and Two-Bit.
The next morning, Steve and I arrived at the Curtis house just in time to see Darry slowly read the draft notice. I gave Soda a look and he just gave me a sad look in return.
"I knew this could happen." Darry said handing the notice back to Soda.
"What is it?" Steve asked.
Soda sighed. "A draft notice. I have to go in the war."
Steve looked at me. "You knew didn't you?"
I nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me, Chris? My best friend is leaving and you didn't say anything?" Steve looked at Soda. "I can't believe you didn't tell me, Soda, we're best friends, we tell each other everything. Why'd you tell Chris and not me?"
"I was going tell you, Steve. But I had to tell Pony and Darry first." Soda replied quietly.
"And Chris. What is this? You think of your blood family and your so called family in Christ before you think of your best friend? Soda, what about our future? We were going to save up and buy the DX station. We had plans." Steve said.
"Steve, I had to tell Pony and Darry first. Chris would have found out now, just like you are, but I told him last night because we both wanted to know why we made the decision to accept Jesus." Soda put his hand on Steve's shoulder only to have it pushed away. "Come on Steve. You know I don't keep anything from you."
Steve just silently walked out the front door, slamming it behind him. The rest of us were left standing in silence. Soda looked like the door had been slammed in his face even though he was standing across the room from it.
"Woa." Was all Ponyboy could say. He had watched the entire argument from the couch. "I never thought I'd see you two fight."
Soda just looked at Darry. "Darry, what am I going to do? I don't want to go off to the war and be enemies with my best friend."
"I can't tell you what to do about this, little buddy. Maybe you two are growing apart. After all, you made a decision last night that he didn't make." Darry said. "Anyway, we should get going Pepsi Cola. If we don't both of us will be late for work."
Soda and Darry both left me and Ponyboy alone in the small house. It was actually quiet for a change. Which is rare because unless someone is sick, the television and radio are both on as loud as they can go.
"Soda told me about last night." Pony said after a few minutes.
"Do you wish you had come with?" I asked sitting down next to him.
"A little." Pony admitted. "I promised Soda that I'd go next week with him. Darry said he'd think about it."
I grinned. "Maybe Two-Bit will join us this time."
"I'm not going to comment on that one." Pony told me. "But I am curious to see if you and Soda made the right decision last night. I want to know if Jesus really is what we're searching for. If he is, maybe I'll make the decision to accept him."