Mon. Aug. 12, 1968

It was a strange day. A storm in the middle of August. I hated the rain. The sky was gray and gloomy and I just wasn't happy whenever there was a storm. The thunder and lightning kept me up half the night. I could feel a tornado coming or something.

Two-Bit had come over earlier this morning. I kicked him out when I found the beer cans in his pockets. I was sitting on the couch ever since he left. I was wrapped up in blanket that didn't keep me very warm. Then there was a knock at the door. I looked up and stared at the door. They knocked again. I got up to open it. Who would be at the door at two o' clock in the morning? I grabbed a bat just in case. I flung the door open and dropped the bat. "Steve?"

"Are you Typhani Taylor?"

"Yeah." I didn't take my eyes off of Steve. "What's going on?"

"After Sodapop Curtis died, Steve here went ballistic. He started taking heavy drugs and drinking. He says he lives here, is that correct?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah." I didn't quite know what I answered yes to. Then this soldier guy pushed Steve toward me.

"Have a good night ma'am."

"Sure." Steve walked in, or I should say stumbled in. He was drunk. "I cannot believe you!"

"Don't yell, you make my head pound."

"I will make your head pound until it explodes!" I was so angry. Steve had promised me that he would never get drunk. He only promised me so the same thing that had happened with Dallas wouldn't happen with him; same with Soda.

"I'm going to bed and so are you." I demanded.

"I ain't tired." He sat down on the couch and I got on top of him to get him to lie down.

"You are going to bed Steve even if it kills me." I slapped him on the face.

"Okay, don't you worry." He playfully patted my cheek. Then he tried to kiss me, I slapped him again. I got off and said, "Go to sleep!" I went to my room to sleep… or cry. My head was spinning and I couldn't think straight. Nothing made any sense. I closed my eyes and cleared my mind. I'm not gonna think of anything.

Tues. Aug. 13, 1968

Knock knock knock. I rolled over to hide my face in my pillow. I didn't want to wake up. My door was closed which was unusual. I only closed it for privacy. I had been crying for the last three hours. Steve walked in quietly. I looked at him and tried to figure out what went wrong.

"Hey T."

"There's aspirin in the cupboard." I read his mind. I could also tell by the way he scrunched up his face and held his head in his hand. He laughed, "Thanks." I walked out with him to the kitchen. I got him the aspirin and gave him a cold towel. He laid his head back on the couch. I went to sit next to him.

"How're you doing?" I knew he was referring to Soda.

"Now that you mention it: horrible. I wasn't thinking about it much last night. I was thinking more about you, making sure you would be okay."

"Look, I'm really sorry about breaking my promise to you. I know it meant a lot and I really do feel bad." I looked into his sympathetic eyes.

"It's okay; I would do the same thing."

"You know we have to tell the boys."

"I know." I sighed, "When did it happen?"

"About a month ago." Steve hid his face from me. He was hiding something.

"Wait, don't they come and tell you when a family member dies? He's been dead for a month and I'm the only one who didn't know?" Why wouldn't they tell me? I deserved to know just as much as they did. "Why did nobody tell me?"

"Well, honestly, Pony and Darry are the only ones that know. So, Two-Bit doesn't know either."

"It doesn't matter! Nobody told me Soda was dead!" I yelled.

"Calm down Typhani."

"Don't tell me you did this for my sake because you did it for your own selfish reasons!"

"Come on, get dressed. We're going to Darry's house." He lifted me up and pushed me toward my room. I looked back at him.

Darry knew that I knew the second I walked in the door. Steve nodded to reassure him. I sank down on the couch. Two-Bit came rushing in a few minutes later.

"What's wrong?" He looked at me and saw the sadness on my face and added, "Oh no, what'd you do?"

"She didn't do anything. Sit down." Darry sighed. "Sodapop died. It happened about a month ago." Two-Bit was in shock. He wasn't much of a crier but friends were his soft spot. He looked at me for a second but I kept my eyes on the ceiling.

Fri. Aug. 16, 1968

I stayed the night every night and I did just fine on the couch with nothing to do. I didn't bother to watch TV or even eat. I fiddled with my ring and my necklace and my other ring. Darry and Pony went about life like I wasn't there. Every once and a while they would check up on me. I could officially say that I was depressed.

Darry stayed home with me today. He felt that he could take a day off of work to comfort me. He didn't take me out or anything. He was just there in case I needed him. Pony got my old job at the newspaper company. He wrote small articles that made the back page and making coffee for the front-page writers but it was money and he needed it. My ex-boss Bill even asked if I wanted my job back. Darry tried to convince me to take it but I just couldn't. He didn't argue with me.

The phone rang. Darry came to answer it.

Darry: Hello?

(Caller)

Darry: Oh, hi.

(Caller)

Darry: Yeah, she's at my house.

Darry looked at me and walked into another room. I sat up, trying to hear the conversation. I didn't hear a word he said. He came back out and didn't say anything.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"Your dad." My eyes widen.

"What did he want?"

"He wanted to know where you are." I didn't even want to know why.

Sun. Aug. 18, 1968

Pony was with me today. Darry had to work. Pony, though, got me to turn on the TV. I was curled up in a ball on the side of the couch, Pony sitting on the other end. The door opened but I saved my energy by not looking to see who it was.

"Hi baby cakes." I knew that voice and I didn't like that voice. Well, not here and not now. I closed my eyes hoping it was just a dream and he would disappear right as I opened my eyes.

"Hi dad." Pony got up to give us some privacy I suppose. I changed positions and leaned on my dad like a pillow.

"How have you been?"

"Depressed."

"Oh baby." He rubbed my arm. "It'll be okay."

"That's the problem, Dad, it won't be."

The worst part was that my dad was able to get me out of the house. But I went home, like home home. The home I purposefully ran from. A place I thought I would never go again.

I felt unusually comfortable here. The couch cushions almost formed to my body and made me not want to move. The blankets were extremely soft. My dad saw that I could use some privacy. I was left there. This was my home but I still felt out of place. Something was missing, something wasn't right. Soda wasn't here. Soda wasn't next to me telling me everything will get better. It took me a whole week to say his name.

Tues. Aug. 20, 1968

One week. That's all it took for me to lose my mind. Dad has planned to take off everyday I'm home. Why? I'm not sure. I felt trapped. Like I had to get up and walk around. So that's what I did. I walked out the door. The cool air felt amazing against my skin. I stuck my hands in my pocket and walked to nowhere in particular. I found a solitary bench that looked like it could use a friend. So I sat there. I didn't realize how much I liked being outside. The fresh air, the openness, the freedom. Nothing felt better.

Dear Darry, Pony, Steve, & Two-Bit:

I'm gonna go. Where, I have no idea. But trust me. I'll come back and I'll be okay. This has nothing to do with you guys. I love you all and I promise you'll see me again.

Typhani

I stuck the note in the door and left the same one for my dad. I didn't want them to worry. Ha ha. I took off in my car and headed for the land of nowhere. I honestly didn't know if I was going north, south, east or west.

I was driving for about an hour when I stopped at some roadside diner thing. I order a burger, fries, and a strawberry shake. I took my time to eat. I ate my burger in three hours. That made owner person pretty mad. I smiled at him.