Steve quickly tore his gaze away from Soda when he had finished putting his shirt on. He knew that his best friend would get upset if he caught him looking at it. He didn't want anyone looking at it.

Soda sighed quietly to himself as he made his way out of his room and over to Steve. He kept his gaze on the floor and didn't even look up at him when he reached him or as he said, "I'm ready…"

Steve nodded when he said this and forced himself to fake a small smile at him. He thought for a moment about putting his arm around his friend to try and help to calm his upsetting thoughts but he decided against it and decided to lead the way over towards the front door. He held the door open for Soda until he was sure that he had got it. He didn't want it hitting him or something since all of his attention seemed to be on the floor, lost in his own little world.

"Damn it's hot," said Steve as he shielded his eyes from the sun. "Do you want to just stay on the porch or-"

"We could go for a walk," interrupted Soda quietly without looking up at his friend. "Just a small one though…"

Steve stared at Soda for a few moments before managing to say, "Sure buddy. We can do that." He was proud of him. Soda never wanted to leave the house anymore after what had happened. Not that Steve blamed him for it but… this seemed to be like a step forward. A step forward to getting the old Soda back.

The two well known friends started down the road in silence. Soda seemed content with not talking but Steve wasn't. He wanted to talk with Soda. There was still so many questions he wanted to ask him…

Steve sighed before taking his gaze off of his friend and trying to focus on something else. He didn't understand how Soda could just stare down at the ground like that and not say anything until he was pretty much forced to by someone else. He didn't understand his friend at all anymore. After a couple more moments his gaze was back on his friend wondering what the hell could be running through that mind of his…

Soda looked up from the money he was counting when he heard someone walk into the DX and couldn't help but smile his prize-winning smile when he saw David. "Hey what are you doing here?" he asked with the wide smile still plastered across his face.

David grinned when he asked this and looked lazily around the store for a brief moment before answering, "I just came to see you. Man this must be a boring job. Is that all you do here? Stand there?"

Soda shook his head when he said this and laughed a little before saying, "No I help Steve in the garage sometimes but he's way better with the cars than me. It's an okay-"

"Steve..?" David asked with a raised eyebrow as he leaned against the counter Soda stood behind. "That fella with the bad teeth?"

Soda couldn't help but laugh at this but he quickly stopped himself when he saw the smug grin on David's face. Soda didn't like to make fun of Steve. At least not out of meanness, but playfully he did a lot and was okay with it because he knew that Steve, no matter how annoyed he got at him, knew that he was only joking around with him.

"Yeah, that Steve. He's got bad teeth but he's a real nice guy when ya' get to know him."

David stared down at the counter when Soda said this. He couldn't have looked less interested even if he tried. "When do you get off?"

"Of work?" Soda asked but when David didn't answer him he said, "Uh well I'm closing tonight so-"

Suddenly Steve came bursting into the store from the back door that led down to the garage, unknowingly interrupting the conversation Soda and David were having with a long rant filled with many curse words about the "damn" heat. The hot-headed greaser stopped when he saw the dark haired teen leaning against the counter like he practically owned the place. He didn't like David. He never has and never will.

"Hot in there?" Soda asked with a grin and humorously shining eyes.

Steve rolled his eyes in annoyance at this but he couldn't help but grin a little as he wiped the grease off of his hands and onto his jeans. "It's like a fuckin' oven in there buddy. Seriously I-"

"So when are you getting off?" David asked suddenly as he looked up at Soda with a smile, completely ignoring Steve and the heated gaze he was throwing towards him.

"I told ya' I'm closing tonight," Soda answered with a small, almost awkward laugh. He knew that the unfriendly feelings Steve had towards David were mutual with the other greaser. The two just didn't get along.

David stared at Soda for a moment after he said this before looking down at the counter. He started to trace an imaginary pattern with his finger onto the painted wood and hesitated before saying, "That's fine. I'll stay here until you get off. We could go do something later."

Soda smiled sheepishly at him when he suggested this. He wanted to go hang out with David, he really did, but he couldn't. He's been coming home late a lot lately and Darry hasn't been too happy about it. He could understand his older brother's annoyance though. Darry had enough on his plate already to be worrying about his younger brother coming home all right from work too.

"Sorry David but I-… I can't tonight. Maybe tomorrow or something. I get off a little earlier then."

David didn't look up from the counter when he said this and he waited a few moments before nodding. "Okay," he said, "tomorrow…"

Steve watched as David ran his finger along the countertop in a reoccurring pattern but he looked up at him when he said this and he couldn't help but stare at the expression that was on his face. There was just something off about this guy, something very strange. He had a bad feeling about him. The guy didn't have many friends and he's heard some crazy stories about some fights he's been in. Steve was almost always willing to rumble with a guy but he only liked skin-on-skin fights. No blades. This guy was all about the blades.

"I'll still stay here until you close up," David said as he looked up from the counter, "I don't really got nothing better to do."

Soda smiled at him when he said this and laughed a little before saying, "Well okay. If you want to."

David grinned at the smile on Soda's face and leaned against the counter more before saying, "If there's anything I can help you with just tell me. Okay?"

Soda couldn't help but laugh at this as he said, "Okay, I'll tell ya'. I'm not gonna complain if you really want to help out. I-… I just don't see why you'd want to but-… okay." Soda ended this with another small, amused laugh.

David grinned a little more at this and started to tap his finger tips against the counter as he said, "I just want to help ya' Soda."

Soda laughed again at this before saying, "Ya' must be crazy then."

David snickered slightly at this and nodded to himself before looking back down at the counter and saying, "Yeah, must be crazy…"

"We're back Soda," Steve said after he had stopped in front of the Curtis house and when Soda had kept on walking at his slow, almost careful pace.

"Huh..?" Soda said quietly as he brought his gaze up from off of the ground. He took in his surroundings and stared at his house for a moment before looking at his worried friend. He didn't even realize that they were back yet. Was he that lost in his own thoughts to even realize?

Steve stared at his friend and the expression that was on his face before faking a small smile at him and putting his arm around him. "We're back," he said with a small nod as he started to lead the scarred teen back up to his house.

Ooh another flashback haha. I hope you liked this chapter. Please, please review! I love reviews! I'd like to thank Steph36 and AlexisLe97 for their reviews! =)