I do not own any characters from the Outsiders.

Chapter 4 of my story. Yay =)

Chapter 4

Soda P.O.V

I waited outside the school for Ponyboy where I told him I'd meet him. Boy that kid sure is slow. I hope he ain't gettin' in no trouble with them damn Socs though. I thought. Of course right after I start worrying about him, he shows up.

"Hey Soda." Pony said to me as he came over.

"Hey Pony, how'd you like high school?" I asked with a grin.

"S'all right I guess. Got a coupla classes full of Socs though. So that wasn't any fun."

"Ah shoot kid, school ain't fun. Too much thinking involved." I nudged him playfully. We started walking home and didn't even get to the corner without getting called 'Greaser' at least once.

"Man I wish they'd shut their traps." Ponyboy sighed.

It didn't really bother me that they were calling us greasers. I wasn't paying much attention either. I had other things on my mind. Like that girl, Laurie I think her name was. She was cute. Man, I better be able to concentrate. Darry won't be too happy if I'm flunking. I don't see why though, I mean Pony's the smart one.

"Soda, you payin' attention?" Pony asked.

I looked at him with a sheepish grin. "Sorry Pony, I just got a lot on my mind."

Someone behind us burst into laughter. Two-bit. I thought. Pony and I turned around and it was Two-Bit laughing his head off.

"What's so funny Two-Bit?" Pony asked.

"Soda havin' a lotta stuff on his mind." He said through laughs.

"Ha-ha Two-Bit, real funny. But I can have stuff on my mind too you know." I defended myself jokingly.

"Ah, I'm just playin' with ya buddy." Two-Bit Matthews said as he playfully punched my side.

We all walked the rest of the way to me and Pony's house.

"We're home Darry." Pony said as we walked in.

"Picked up a bum while we were walkin' home too." I said talking about Two-Bit. All three of us laughed. It was never a dull moment with the guys.

"Do you guys got any homework?" Darry said walking into the living room.

"Yeah I got a little." Pony admitted.

"Yeah well get it done now. Soda, how 'bout you?" Darry asked me and I looked away. "Get it done little buddy, knowing you, you'll wanna go somewhere tonight, but you won't be able to 'cause you ain't got you're homework done. 'Sides you got work today too."

"Alright, alright don't get fussy." I said. If there was one thing I hated doing, it was homework. I wasn't exactly the smartest person you'd ever meet. Heck I was probably one of the dumbest. The only things I was good at, were auto mechanics and gym, which I have this semester. But English and Science, not so much. That's why Two-Bit laughed so hard when he heard me say I had a lot a stuff on my mind, 'cause that don't happen a lot. But if it were anyone else that laughed at that other than Two-Bit and maybe a couple other people, I would've hit him so hard it'd make their head spin. I knew I wasn't smart, but they didn't have to make a scene.

Man, I thought, this Get to Know your Textbook thing is so messed. It's just flippin' through a textbook to answer questions. And half the questions are about what the chapters are called. This is probably going to be the easiest thing for me all year. It didn't take me too long for me to finish my homework. It had the pages for me to go to and everything. I finished just before the rest of the guys started coming around. They would've said something if they saw me doing homework.

"Hey, buddy, ready for work?" My best buddy Steve said as he came in through the door.

"Yeah, just let me grab my DX shirt." I said and went back into my and Pony's bedroom to get the shirt. I walked back out into the living room as I popped the collar of my shirt.

"You takin' the truck Soda?" Darry asked me.

I looked at Steve to see if he wanted to drive there.

"Actually don't take it Soda; I might have to go out." Darry changed his mind.

"Guess we're walking Steve." I said as we walked out the door.

It wasn't that long of a walk to the DX unless you were thinking about it. Me and Steve were only working at the gas station part time because of school. I liked working better than school. I was good at my job and I liked it.

A lot of girls always came by when we were working. Steve said it was because they liked to flirt with me, but I think he was just joking around. About halfway through my shift, Dallas Winston came by.

"Hey, it's the two school boys." Dally said as he walked up.

"Hey Dal, how ya doin'?" I asked him.

"I'm doin' alright man. Just thought I might stop by ya know, 'fore I go to Buck's." Dally explained. Leave it to Dally to go to Buck's in the middle of the week. It wasn't like he went to school or anything, so it didn't really matter.

Steve came over after he finished working with someone, and we talked for a while. When it started getting dark Dally made his way to Buck's.

It was eight-thirty when me and Steve's shift ended. We walked only halfway together because Steve had to go home. I walked the rest of the way by myself. I kept thinking about school and how I wished it was still the summer. Then I thought about that girl again. Shoot, she might say she's gonna talk to me, but that don't mean nothing. I shoved that thought out of my mind as soon as I thought it. I had to stop thinking about school. This was probably the first time I've ever even thought of school. Man, that girl sure was something though. I walked into the house and Pony was sitting on the couch reading some book.

"What ya readin' Pony?" I asked.

"Gone with the Wind." Pony said simply without even looking at me. I guess he didn't want to talk.

"Is Darry home?" I asked again.

"Nope." Again Pony didn't look up at me. I gave up trying to talk to him and sat down. After about a minute I turned on the TV.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ponyboy looking at me. "How was work Soda?" he asked.

I looked at him. "Alright, Dal came by. Talked to me and Steve for a bit then went to Buck's." I said.

"What's it like in Buck's." Pony asked. He'd never been allowed in there. Darry and me would kill him if he even went near it.

"Don't you worry 'bout that, just go readin' your book." I said not wanting to explain Buck's to him again for about the billionth time. Pony let out a little sigh and did as I said.

Darry came home around ten and told Pony to go to bed. Pony didn't like it, thought he could stay up later, but in the end Darry won. You didn't really want to fight with Darry, he was pretty big. I was pretty tired then myself so I went to bed to. And boy was that ever a mistake. Once I closed my eyes I saw that girl's smile. It took forever to get to sleep that night.

k so that was Chapter 4. Reviews are much appreciated, please keep them coming! =)