This is the last update I'm having for a week, since we're going camping... :-( Family camping trips are normally a living hell on a good day. Anyhoo... leave nice reviews so that I might be sane upon returning... (cue nervous laughter)

"Soda?"

"Naomi... uh... hi..."

"Okay, I know you're probably mad at me, and with every right, too, but I need to tell you something."

"Uh... okay... do you want to come in?"

"I... no, Sandy's probably there, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Great. She'll call me a liar, or she'll turn it around so that-"

"What? Naomi, hold on... does this have to do with Sandy?"

"...Yeah. It does."

"Well, let's go outside."

Once we were out, he turned around calmly to look at me.

"Alright. Now, what is it that you have to tell me about Sandy?"

"You know Star? Well, it's like you said... she's on drugs. She's a good person, Soda," I said, giving him a warning glare, "But she's made some bad choices and now she's in a problem area. But still, she knows this dealer... this guy who sometimes will demand a payment other than money from girls who approach him alone. So I went with her- Oh, for God's sakes, Soda, don't give me that patronizing look! It was to keep her from getting raped! - But we saw Sandy there... alone... and talking to him. I don't know if you've knowthis, but not only is she most likely ondrugs... she's most likely cheating on you, too..." I trailed off.

His eyes were closed, and he was starting to shake his head ever so slightly.

"I knew..." he managed finally, and his voice tugged at my heart, and also at my memory asI was reminded of that Christmas Day when I'd been forced to lie and tell him that I didn't have feelings for him...

"I was going to say..." I really had no idea what I was going to say, "Last night was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened," I was staring at my shoes, noticing how they weren't very white anymore, "I mean..."

"Yeah?" I noticed Sodapop sounded like he might start crying. That made two of us.

"I guess...there's..." I trailed off again, not sure what to say.

"There's someone else?"

"Yeah."I bit my bottom lip.

"Okay." I had expected him to get upset or yell or something, but he just sounded defeated.

"I'm sorry-"

"It's not your fault."His tone of voice really made me want to cry. It was so sad and defeated.

"I knew... she might... I thought she might be... I didn't know... I couldn't really say for sure."

He wasn't crying, but he was pretty close to it. I wanted to hug him, right then and there, but of course, I didn't.

"This probably looks stupid," he continued, "Me getting all upset over her... but I told you, Naomi, somehow I still love her. I might not like her... I might hate her, even... but I still love her. She's not how she used to be. She used to be real sweet... so it does hurt. It still hurts to know that she's not being true, becauseI always think about how she used to be... and I still love the person that she used to be... "

"I'm sorry..." I stammered, "It wasn't my place to come and tell you-"

"No, I'm glad you told me. Listen, I'll-" he trailed off as Sandy poked her head out the door, and raised an eyebrow.

"Soda? What's wrong?"

He just looked at her - his eyes full of hurt - and turned away, shaking his head. Once he was gone, she glared at me.

"What did you say to him?" She asked, her voice low and dangerous.

"Nothing he didn't deserve to know." I whispered, shrugging my shoulders and sauntering away.

"Where were you? You were gone all day!"

I knew I sounded worried, but I wasn't really. Marie and Soda had been gone all day, and she was safer with him than with me.I had been waiting, though. I knew that Naomi had told Sodapop that I was being unfaithful to him, and I knew that it was still hurting him... why, I have no idea, I was sure he hated me by now... but it was really eating at him inside. I wanted to ask him to see if he knew for sure, but the look in his eyes right now told me not to.

"Where were you?" I asked again.

"At the hospital."

"Why?"

"I took Marie..." He breathed out, and looked me in the eyes. "I got a paternity test."

I was sure that the world stopped spinning. I'd always made excuses as to why he couldn't. Marie was the only thing keeping us together. If he thought she wasn't his daughter... he'd leave us for Naomi. I know he would. And now he knew...

"She's not mine." He was glaring daggers at me, and I felt myself shrinking in his gaze.

"Soda-"

"Don't bother... just don't try and talk to me." He turned and left the house.

It was a while before I noticed that he took Marie with him.

I normally hate it when authors do this, but...

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