SODA'S POV
"Hey, you feeling alright? You look kind of down."
"Look who the hell are you?"
"Well, I____"
"Oh God. I'm sorry, really sorry. It's just that well my friend recently died and well I'm just trying to get by."
"Oh, I've been in that situation, except with me it was my brother. I always just blew up on people even though I knew they were only trying to help."
"Yeah, sorry again."
"No problem."
"Hey, so how did you get over it?"
"I haven't. I mean it just happened about two weeks ago. I was coming to visit him because I live in New York, and then I find out he died. I was really close to him. I always wrote to him. Every week I would send a letter and he would always write back. I hadn't seen him for such a long time, I wanted to visit him as a surprise. Also I came because he stopped writing back after a while. I was worried, so I came to Tulsa to check everything was all right. When I went to his house my father told me that he was dead. I couldn't speak to my mother because she wasn't feeling right emotionally. And then now I'm here."
"Yeah, but how are you not able to show your emotions?"
"I don't know. I just hold my head up high and I know that my brother is better of resting in peace than suffering here on earth. I know I'll see him again someday."
I looked up to look at her. She looked very familiar. I couldn't remember where but I knew I had seen her somewhere, but it was just a vague memory. Was it on TV that I saw her? No I don't think so. She looked older now.
"What's your name?"
"Oh, right. My name's Stephanie. Yours?"
I had the right mind to lie about my name. I didn't want her to know my real name because it was different, but I told her my real name anyways.
"Sodapop," I said.
"Sodapop? That name rings a bell." She gasped. "Are you Sodapop Curtis?"
I nodded.
"I'm Stephanie Randle. Steve's younger sister."
"Oh my God! I knew you looked familiar. Wow, I never thought I'd see you again."
"I wasn't planning on coming back. But_____"
"But then the whole Steve thing happened. I think the reason hy he didn't write back would be because he was high or drunk or something."
"Um...how did he die?"
"Drug overdose. He was taking drugs and nobody knew about it. I mean if I had been here he wouldn't have done this. I wish___"
"Where were you when this happened?"
"With my dad. Adopted. I don't live in Tulsa anymore. I was adopted after my parents died. I moved somewhere outside the city and so did Ponyboy."
"But Darry would be of age now wouldn't he?"
"Uh yeah, but he left us in a boys home to go to college. He said he couldn't take care of us. That he wasn't ready."
"And so Steve got depressed and took drugs to get his mind off of it?"
I nodded. I couldn't speak anymore. It was too much to tell. It kept reminding me of all the shit that happened since that day Darry left us.
"Well, Sodapop, it was nice talking to you again. I hope I get to talk to you more often. I gotta get to the airport because I'm leaving for New York tonight."
"Okay, I'll see ya." I held out my hand and she shook it. Then she turned and left.
"Oh wait! Stephanie!"
She turned back around.
"Can I get your number. I might give you a call sometime."
She took out a pen and paper and wrote down her number. "Here," she said. She then walked over to her car and left. I looked after her until her car completely disappeared. I never thought I would see Stephanie Randle again. I remember when she had left. She was only thirteen. That was three years ago. She was really funny, and another great friend. She was like sister to me. I couldn't believe I had forgotten her. I remember getting mad at her when she told us she was leaving. Steve and I would not talk to her, but then accepted it. She wanted to fulfill her dream to become a journalist so she went to New York to live with her aunt. That was the last time I saw her. This time though, I will not let 3 years pass before I talk to her again.
Thinking about this made me remember Darry. He left us and maybe he'll come back. If he ever does I have to remember to forgive him and say that I am sorry.
"Hey, you feeling alright? You look kind of down."
"Look who the hell are you?"
"Well, I____"
"Oh God. I'm sorry, really sorry. It's just that well my friend recently died and well I'm just trying to get by."
"Oh, I've been in that situation, except with me it was my brother. I always just blew up on people even though I knew they were only trying to help."
"Yeah, sorry again."
"No problem."
"Hey, so how did you get over it?"
"I haven't. I mean it just happened about two weeks ago. I was coming to visit him because I live in New York, and then I find out he died. I was really close to him. I always wrote to him. Every week I would send a letter and he would always write back. I hadn't seen him for such a long time, I wanted to visit him as a surprise. Also I came because he stopped writing back after a while. I was worried, so I came to Tulsa to check everything was all right. When I went to his house my father told me that he was dead. I couldn't speak to my mother because she wasn't feeling right emotionally. And then now I'm here."
"Yeah, but how are you not able to show your emotions?"
"I don't know. I just hold my head up high and I know that my brother is better of resting in peace than suffering here on earth. I know I'll see him again someday."
I looked up to look at her. She looked very familiar. I couldn't remember where but I knew I had seen her somewhere, but it was just a vague memory. Was it on TV that I saw her? No I don't think so. She looked older now.
"What's your name?"
"Oh, right. My name's Stephanie. Yours?"
I had the right mind to lie about my name. I didn't want her to know my real name because it was different, but I told her my real name anyways.
"Sodapop," I said.
"Sodapop? That name rings a bell." She gasped. "Are you Sodapop Curtis?"
I nodded.
"I'm Stephanie Randle. Steve's younger sister."
"Oh my God! I knew you looked familiar. Wow, I never thought I'd see you again."
"I wasn't planning on coming back. But_____"
"But then the whole Steve thing happened. I think the reason hy he didn't write back would be because he was high or drunk or something."
"Um...how did he die?"
"Drug overdose. He was taking drugs and nobody knew about it. I mean if I had been here he wouldn't have done this. I wish___"
"Where were you when this happened?"
"With my dad. Adopted. I don't live in Tulsa anymore. I was adopted after my parents died. I moved somewhere outside the city and so did Ponyboy."
"But Darry would be of age now wouldn't he?"
"Uh yeah, but he left us in a boys home to go to college. He said he couldn't take care of us. That he wasn't ready."
"And so Steve got depressed and took drugs to get his mind off of it?"
I nodded. I couldn't speak anymore. It was too much to tell. It kept reminding me of all the shit that happened since that day Darry left us.
"Well, Sodapop, it was nice talking to you again. I hope I get to talk to you more often. I gotta get to the airport because I'm leaving for New York tonight."
"Okay, I'll see ya." I held out my hand and she shook it. Then she turned and left.
"Oh wait! Stephanie!"
She turned back around.
"Can I get your number. I might give you a call sometime."
She took out a pen and paper and wrote down her number. "Here," she said. She then walked over to her car and left. I looked after her until her car completely disappeared. I never thought I would see Stephanie Randle again. I remember when she had left. She was only thirteen. That was three years ago. She was really funny, and another great friend. She was like sister to me. I couldn't believe I had forgotten her. I remember getting mad at her when she told us she was leaving. Steve and I would not talk to her, but then accepted it. She wanted to fulfill her dream to become a journalist so she went to New York to live with her aunt. That was the last time I saw her. This time though, I will not let 3 years pass before I talk to her again.
Thinking about this made me remember Darry. He left us and maybe he'll come back. If he ever does I have to remember to forgive him and say that I am sorry.