Author Note: I really hope you're enjoying the story so far! And just in case, the name Typhani is pronounced Tiffany. Yeah, I know it's a really weird way to spell it! Anyway, enjoy and review please! I'd really appreciate it! :)
Mon. June 19, 1967
Oklahoma: here I come! In the arms of my best friends, there I will be again. This was the happiest I've been since we got here, oh, and seeing Two-Bit and meeting Keith. I wasn't able to sleep in this morning because the butterflies kept me awake. I woke up early because I just couldn't sleep. I finished packing the last few things and bringing them to the car.
"That's a lot of stuff for someone who is going to be gone for two weeks." Mom said as she held close a cup of coffee, slowly sipping it. "You have to promise to come back in two weeks."
"Mom, I can't promise I'll come back. If I did, I'd be lying."
"Well at least you're telling the truth." Mom held my face in her one free hand. "I'm doing this for you."
"I know Mom, and thank you. This means a lot."
"Did you thank your brother?" She was holding her coffee cup close now.
"Yeah.
The butterflies grew bigger inside my stomach as we got closer to the plane ride. It was almost like waking up from a terrible nightmare. I couldn't help but smile. Travis helped me lug my luggage inside. I hugged them good-bye and I was off to be with my best friends.
On the plane I was stuck next to some fat guy who snored while he slept. I didn't sleep one bit. One, the man next to me was very loud and two, I had lots of butterflies. I didn't realize how long the plane ride seemed to be when I wasn't sleeping. I almost cried when we landed.
After landing and getting my other bags, I called to my old house for Casey or Cherry to come pick me up. I felt normal and almost like I belonged again.
Casey: Hello?
Typhani: Casey, its Typhani.
Casey: Uh, hi. Are you in town?
Typhani: Yeah, do you mind picking me up at the airport?
Casey: No, no. I'll be there.
She sounded so happy to hear my voice again. That made me happy. I waited by the luggage pick-up and that's where she found me. We hugged and I officially was home again. She drove us back to our house.
"You know after you left, Cherry and I got closer to the boys. Not that you leaving was a good thing. They've been coming over here a lot." Casey told me.
"Well, I guess that's a good thing." As we pulled up, I saw my car parked in front of the house. "You never sold my car?"
"Saved it for things like this."
"Don't worry about my stuff, I'm gonna go…" I started.
"Visit Soda?" I nodded. I got back into my car and Casey tossed the keys to me. It took me five minutes. The house seemed quiet. It won't though when the boys see me. I walked in and saw Soda in the living room.
"Soda?" He looked at me with great surprise.
"Typhani!" He came over to hug me and I was home at last. I couldn't have felt more comfortable and safe in my life. I wanted to kiss him but I waited for him to make the first move.
"Soda what—" Someone spoke and interrupted our moment. This person sounded like a girl and this girl sounded familiar. Sandy. I turned to face her. I stepped back into my nightmare. I thought Sandy would never come back into our lives. This was really awkward too.
"Um, I'll just go. Bye Soda. Bye Sandy." I rushed out of there and back home. I got all my stuff out from Casey's car and started unpacking in my old room.
"Hey Typh, you never told us you were back." Ponyboy said while walking in with Steve.
"Yeah, well I decided to unpack first." I lied.
"Yeah, more like come home and mope." Steve was able to tell that I was lying and he knew why too.
"That too." I sighed.
"So what was your reaction when you found out Soda and Sandy were engaged?" Steve asked.
"They're engaged!" I was blown out of my mind.
"I guess that was her reaction." Steve joked.
"I don't think she knew that, stupid!" Ponyboy hit Steve on the arm.
"I know that know smarty!" Steve snapped back.
"Engaged…" I said to myself again. My thoughts were jumbled up and I sat silent to put them in order.
"Look, Typh, we'll let Sodapop do all the explaining but we did everything we could to stop him. Our theory is that you're the only who can stop him." Steve told me.
"I was afraid that might be true." I said as I stared at the wall. They left with nothing else to say. I was struck dumb. I finished unpacking and literally the second I finished, Soda came in. I figured he wanted to talk.
"Can we talk?" I nodded to his question. We sat on my bed. "First off, how come you never wrote me back?"
"Well, I got your letter like three days ago."
"I sent the letter—" Soda started.
"I know when you sent the letter. My mom sent it back." I explained.
"That's reassuring." Soda smiled. "The second order of business: Sandy. I know you think I'm some sort of idiot for getting back together with someone who broke my heart but when she came back, things just left off where they stopped. I'm sorry it hurts you but this is what I want and I still love her. I never stopped loving her; it was like it was put on hold while we were dating."
"Whatever. I just don't understand how you can love someone who could cheat on you and go as far as having a baby. C'mon Soda you're better than that and you deserve someone who will treat you with some respect. And I'm not saying me, just someone other than her." I said and I was sincere. He kissed me on the lips for a moment and I said, "How can you kiss me without feeling guilty?"
"I still love you, that's how." He got up and left without any other word.
Tues. June 20, 1967
Soda was getting married tomorrow to someone that didn't deserve someone as good as Soda. I couldn't stay mad at Soda but I most definitely will never let him live this down. I was gonna go to the wedding but I wasn't going to enjoy it. I'm going for Soda, nothing else, well, free food and, I guess, to keep Two-Bit in line.
I've been here two days and nothing is going as planned. I thought I'd be hanging out with the boys like old times. Instead I'm dragging my feet wondering why the guy I love most is getting married to the girl that broke his heart. It seemed as if I was always picking up the pieces and Soda never seemed to care. I didn't know what to do with myself. I was clueless. I was even more clueless when Sandy walked into my room.
"Typhani." Sandy said with a kid in her arms, I figured it was her kid. I wonder what she named him. Probably something to do with Soda.
"Sandy and…?" I wasn't sure how to greet this kid. It was kinda awkward having her bring her child in here.
"Patrick." Of course, Soda's middle name. What else would she name him?
"Patrick, right."
"Typhani, I want to talk to you. I'm sorry for everything that I did before. I was a jerk for ever dating Soda after you told me you liked him. You were the only person to accept me. I don't deserve someone as good as Soda and I think you know that. Typhani, I'm truly sorry. But don't forgive me and don't expect anything at the wedding tomorrow. Bye Typhani." That was a lot to take in.
Later that afternoon I was hanging out with Pony. He came by to keep me company and keep my mind off of Soda. We were just watching TV. I lay down while Ponyboy sat up and I rested my feet on his lap.
"You're a good friend, Pony, staying here and keeping me company. I really appreciate it." I sat up and kissed his cheek but he turned his head so we kissed on the lips. "Uh, you better watch yourself." We continued watching TV until Darry came in. I figured he wanted to talk to me too. It seemed as if people only wanted to lecture me instead of just hang out.
"Will you excuse us, Lover Boy?" I guess Darry saw us kiss. Ponyboy got up and Darry took his place. "Don't move on too fast from Soda. He needs you right now even if it doesn't seem like he does. You need to be there for him, Typhani, he may have Sandy now but she won't be the way you are. You're different and Soda needs you."
"He has Sandy to take care him. He obviously doesn't need me anymore." I complained.
"Typhani, please just be there for him when he needs you." Darry begged me.
"Sure."
Ponyboy came back and we resumed where we left off. Thinking about Soda all the time was tiring. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.
I was alone with Soda. It wasn't wrong to hang out with my friend even if he was getting married. It felt wrong though. I sucked it up though so I could have a good time with Soda. We were walking around downtown to get some information on what was going on around town. We stopped and talked to a bunch of people and had awkward moments when we saw two people making out. Then he kissed me…
Bang! I opened my eyes to find myself on the floor. Ponyboy looked over me with concerned eyes.
"Are you okay?" He helped me up. My head was hurting. I rubbed it.
"What happened?" I sat up on the couch next to Pony.
"You were making-out with your pillow." I felt my face turn red as he tried to keep from laughing.
"Great." It was the kiss in my dream. I still loved Soda.
"Is everything okay?" He asked again.
"I'm in love with someone I can't have."
Today was Two-Bit's birthday but he wanted to celebrate it tomorrow when there was gonna be free wine and beer. He planned to get super drunk at the wedding. It was his twentieth birthday. Happy Birthday Two-Bit!
Wed. June 21, 1967
My dreams were coming to an end today. The man I dreamed of being with forever was devoting his soul to another woman. Of course I was gonna be there for Soda, but just as a friend, unfortunately nothing more.
I was wearing a dress for this occasion. I was meeting the boys at Soda's house. I was dressed pretty nice for a wedding I didn't want to attend. Casey and Cherry were coming to the wedding later. I took my car to the Curtis house and this was probably the last time I was ever gonna be there. Soda doesn't have the guts to move away from us.
Everyone was so dressed up and looked well put together. They cleaned up nice. They all stared at me with eyes like I was amazingly beautiful.
"Hubba hubba, Typhani, lookin' good!" Two-Bit complimented but that got him a punch in the stomach from his date. His date was just another girl he thought was cute.
"Thank you, you guys look nice too." I said. I was quieter than I normally was probably because I was upset with Soda getting married. Dallas owes me ten bucks. I remember making that bet with Dallas.
"I just figured that you and Sodapop would end up getting married one day." I was sure he was joking, but it didn't seem like he was.
"How much do you wanna bet we won't get married?" I made a bet and I was serious.
"Alright, I bet you ten bucks the two of you will get married." We shook on it.
I realized Soda's too young to be getting married and taking care of a kid that wasn't even his. I haven't even seen Soda since I got here. Where was that seventeen-year-old heartbreaker? Ha ha.
"Am I late?" Someone came in while fixing his tie. I took a double take at who just walked in.
"Travis?" I didn't know why Travis would be here for Soda's wedding.
"It's part of the deal. You come here, I have to come too." Steve and Two-Bit greeted him.
"How'd you know about the wedding?" I asked.
"Steve told me; they're my friends too.
I stood up and shouted, "Why didn't I know about the wedding?" Soda came out and I was star struck.
"I didn't want you be any more depressed than you were already." Travis said in my ear. Soda smiled at me and then I remembered: Sandy. I sat back down.
I drove with Travis, Steve, and Two-Bit to the church. It was gonna be a small wedding. They had no bridesmaids or groomsmen just a few family and friends. Speaking of family, Soda's cousin Kevin came to the wedding.
"Hey Typhani." It was Kevin.
"Hi Kevin, I had no idea you were coming." I was happy to see him, even if he got married a few years ago and had a kid.
"Me either, when Sodapop invited me, he said you were living in California."
"Well, my mom let me come to visit. So where's the wife?" I hadn't met his wife yet and I wanted to meet the lucky lady that got to marry the handsome Kevin Curtis. Kevin's dad was the brother of Soda's dad so he had the same last name.
"Oh, um, well, we're getting a divorce." He sighed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" I was embarrassed for asking about his ex-wife.
"It's okay, you didn't know. We should sit together." He pointed to a nearby seat. He got in first and I sat beside him. His kid was with us. I found out his name was Austin. I didn't start to pay attention until it got closer to the "I do's."
"I do." Soda said. My heart stopped beating for a moment. The minister said his lines about being there for the other in sickness and in health blah blah blah. Then it was Sandy's turn to hurt me once again. She told me yesterday not to expect anything but everything seemed to be going normally.
"No." Sandy said. My heart couldn't take this. If it skipped another beat, I was sure to have a heart attack. Everyone gasped and Soda turned himself and Sandy so they could have a small conversation.
"I shouldn't be the one marrying Soda. It should be Typhani if anyone." Sandy pointed to me and everyone glared at me, especially, who I thought to be were her parents, stared at me even more than anyone else.
"Must be another Typhani in here." This was really awkward. I could feel my face getting hotter and turning bright red.
"No, you're the right Typhani. I don't deserve Soda. The truth is I cheated on him. I was dating another guy and I got pregnant. I thought that this would be my second chance. But… that just shows I don't really love him. And I know for a fact that Typhani loves Soda because I stole him away from her and if I was a better friend I would have let her have him." Sandy explained. She ran out as fast as she could in her beautiful wedding dress and I chased after her.
"Sandy what are you doing?" What am I doing? I wanted to stop her before she made the biggest mistake. I don't know exactly why I cared if she ran off or not but it felt right.
"What I said in there was true. Please, let me go." I nodded and I watched Sandy leave for (hopefully) the very last time. I went back inside the church and everyone waited for me to deliver the news.
"Um, Sandy, uh, will not be marrying Soda today." I didn't know what to do now. Soda came up to me and kissed me. This took me by surprise. I was in the clouds, leaving everyone else in the uncomfortable church. Soda set me free and I floated back to Earth. All the people were still staring in my direction. Sandy's parents (I think) walked past me with a dirty look and bumped me on the shoulder while holding Patrick.
"Sorry 'bout you and Sandy." I apologized.
"I'm sorry there ever was a me and Sandy." Soda said. I laughed in astonishment. The boys came over and we had a giant group hug.
"It's about time." Two-Bit said. When we split, Kevin pulled me to the side.
"Hey, Typhani, I was wondering if you wanted to go to Flinn's tomorrow, so we can catch up."
"I'd love to." I cheered.
"Great, I'll pick you up at twelve. Is it alright if I pick you up at Soda's house?" I nodded. He took the hand of his little kid and walked out the church.
"What's going on with you two?" Steve asked.
"Just hanging out tomorrow." I was happy to spend some time with Kevin; I haven't seen him in years. But now I was stuck in the middle, between Soda and Kevin. I've always liked Kevin. I mean, more than just friends. Well, I'd have to give Soda some space before he moves on to other girls. So, going out with Kevin would be fine.
Travis flew back to California about an hour after the wedding and I drove him to the airport. The good-byes didn't hurt too much this time; I knew I'd see him again.
Thurs. June 22, 1967
Around nine o' clock I went to Soda's house. I was already dressed for my date with Kevin and I was pretty excited. When I got there, Soda and Pony were still asleep and Darry was already at work. I didn't want to make too much noise so I didn't bother to watch TV, instead I raided the fridge. I just grabbed a Pepsi. I took a seat at the table. I stared at the walls surrounding me. Soda came out and into the kitchen while putting a white shirt on.
"Hi Typhani, what are you doing here so early?" Soda asked, taking a seat next to me at the table. He took a swig of my Pepsi. Steve came in next. He had come from the DX because his face had grease smudges and he was wearing the DX shirt. He stood behind Soda and stole my Pepsi.
"I had nothing better to do. And besides I thought you guys would be awake. I mean, don't you have to go to work?"
"Yeah, but nobody'll notice I wasn't there." Soda said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah, well, it's pretty boring without you, buddy." Steve patted Soda on the back. Steve went to the fridge; I figured he was going for chocolate cake. Two-Bit came in as Ponyboy woke up.
"Morning Pony, hi Two-Bit." I said. We were all surrounding the table now and Soda looked like he had something to say.
"Will you guys give us a moment?" Soda looked at the boys when he said that.
"Yeah, sure thing, buddy." Steve said. They all got up and left. I was a bit nervous to see what Soda had to say.
"It takes the biggest change in your life to know what you really want. Typhani, my point is that I love you and I don't want to risk losing you again, so promise me, it will be me and you in the end." His speech was definitely rehearsed but it was cute. He held up a ring and for a second I thought he was proposing to me. "Will you wear this ring as a promise?"
"Yes, yes, I promise!" I cheered in a whisper. He slipped the ring onto my finger. We kissed and I could hear the small cheers of the boys peeping through the doorway. They came in and were happy with us. I had completely forgotten about my date.
Steve and Soda left for work about fifteen minutes later. So I stayed at the house with Pony and Two-Bit. Two-Bit planted his butt on the floor in front of the TV with the chocolate cake, like he always does, and Pony sat on the couch behind him. I continued sitting at the table, examining my new ring. What would my parents say if they saw I was wearing a ring? They knew jewelry wasn't my thing and when they saw it all they would do is question me. Well, the ring from Soda and the necklace from Dallas meant everything to me so I wasn't going to take it off just because my parents.
Finally it was time for my date, ten minutes to twelve. I sat anxiously by the door. Kevin came in and I got really excited. Pony and Two-Bit talked with Kevin for a little while before we left. When we did leave, I was as anxious as ever. The car ride was silent but when we got there, we had plenty of things to talk about.
"Well, Typhani, nice to see you." Nancy, our typical waitress said. "Where're the boys?"
"Oh, I'm just here with Kevin, Soda's cousin. Kevin this is Nancy and Nancy this is Kevin." I introduced them.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Kevin. Can I take your orders then?" Nancy pulled her taking-orders pad out.
"Um, I'll have a hamburger with a strawberry milkshake." I ordered and Nancy quickly wrote it down.
"And I'll have a bacon burger with a Pepsi."
"Great!" Nancy skipped off back to the kitchen.
Kevin and I had a blast hanging out together. It was like old times. We had enjoyed just talking when we younger. I learned a lot about him from this one date. His ex-wife Robin was kinda crazy and the reason they split but young marriages never end happily. My parents for example. Kevin drove me to my house as I told him where to go. We ended the night with a kiss on the cheek.
Fri. June 23, 1967
I slept in today. I had no job or school so there was no point in waking up early. Except for school back in California but I was planning to drop-out since I didn't think I was going back. I had to call my mother to let her know that I wasn't going to be able to come back, not after I made a promise—a promise that I meant—to Soda. If I did leave him, Soda would be devastated, he might get together with someone else, and worst of all, he might push me out of his life. I couldn't say good-bye anymore.
Mom: Hello?
Typhani: Mom, It's me.
Mom: Oh, hi, sweetheart. How are things going?
Typhani: Good, things are going well. But, uh, Mom, I need to tell you something.
Mom: What is it?
Typhani: I can't come home. But let me explain. I made a promise to Soda and I really don't want to break it. Please don't make me fight for this.
Mom: Typhani, you promised.
Typhani: No, no, I never promised anything and you know it. I specifically said 'I can't promise anything.'
Mom: Fine, stay there! I no longer care because you are an adult and you can make your own decisions.
My mom hung up before I got the chance to say anything else. Her voice was shaking so I knew she was gonna cry. I couldn't feel happy that my mom let me stay because she was gonna cry and I practically just had a fight with my mother. I sighed and dropped my head.
It's been two days but things had been going well for me and Kevin. We were getting pretty serious. I even met Kevin's son Austin. Soda seemed okay with it because there wasn't anything that showed he wasn't accepting my relationship with Kevin. Everything almost went back to normal. Then again, nothing would ever go back to normal, unless, Dallas and Johnny magically came back to life but of course, that would never happen.