Chapter Eight: Ice Cream Man

The days fell into a pattern. Seamus and Hannah were going to be married in April, just in time for spring.

It was February now, fast approaching Valentine's day. This year had been a throwback to an Indian summer, as Two-Bit had put it.

"An Indian summer," he chortled, nudging Sonia. "That's what happens when Indians come around here."

Being half-Irish, Sonia's skin was fair enough that people didn't make a big deal out of her heritage. But her problems with making friends came from being a decent girl on the wrong side of town. Greaser girls thought she was stuck up, and Socs thought she was trash.

So she hung out mainly with Ponyboy, Cherry Valance, and even occasionally Randy Adderson. Sonia had by now learned the entire story of what had gone down and what Ponyboy had been through.

Her friends in Philly kept in touch, writing her every so often. Sonia saved all of the letters, from Lakshmi, Charu and Isha.

It was almost closing time at the DX. Sodapop waltzed in and threw his rag at Sonia. "Whazzap, Sony?"

"Don't call me that," she said, throwing it back at him. The bell above the door jangled as she did this, heralding the arrival of Jason Ranaldi and Stephen Denis, the captains of the football and swimming teams respectively.

"How sweet. Greaser romance," Jason said. Stephen laughed on cue.

"Don't you two have something to go to on your side of town? Getting drunk off scotch or something?" Sonia challenged. Those two thought they were all that, and was sick and tired of getting knocked around as they barreled through the hallways at school. Of course, Soda wasn't to know this, and kicked her out of sight of the Socs to get her to shut up.

Jason leered at her. "You've got quite a smart mouth, for a mixed mutt."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Soda shot in.

"Half white, half…what the hell are you anyway?" Jason said scathingly. "You're not black, what are you? Mexican?"

"Indian," Sonia said shortly.

"Indian. Well, looks like we got us a squaw here," Jason said, circling around the counter and looking her over.

"Not even, man. She's the chick from India." That was Stephen.

"How do you know?" Jason demanded.

"She's in my AP Calculus class. The Arabian filly from Philly, they call her."

"What do you want?" Sonia said calmly.

"Nothing," Jason said, still leering at her. Sonia's hand edged slowly towards the gun taped under the cashier.

Soda kicked her ankle again and gave her a warning look, but Sonia didn't move her hand. She kept it suspended under the table.

"Actually, I need a fill-up," Jason said casually, not taking his eyes off Sonia. "Go fill it up for me, will you, greaser?"

Soda gave him a nasty look, but slowly made his way to the door. When he had left, Jason and Stephen both rounded on Sonia.

Oh, shit, Sonia thought. They're gonna jump me.

But neither boy moved. Sonia stared them down until Soda came back in.

"How much do I owe you?" Jason asked calmly.

"Ten dollars," Soda said. Jason handed Sonia the crisp bill. As she took it from him, his hand grabbed her wrist.

Sonia opened her mouth, but Jason was already scribbling something on her palm with a pen. He released her, smiled and walked out, Stephen following him.

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"What'd he write?" Soda asked when they had gone. "His number?"

"No," Sonia said quietly. "Where can I wash my hands?"

Soda leaned over to see. Scrawled on her hand was possibly the most obscene racial slur he had ever seen in his life, including the ones greasers sometimes shouted to black folks.

"In the back," he said. "There's a bar of soap there, too."

As Sonia trudged off, Two-Bit barged in. "Howdy!" he said cheerfully.

"What are you doing here, Two-Bit?" Soda demanded.

"Well, excuse me for interrupting your party of one," Two-Bit frowned. "I just saw Mr. Super Soc and his crony leaving. What's up?"

"Nothing, just harassing Sonia," Soda sighed. "She's in the back washing off the ink."

"They poured ink on her?" Two-Bit said, aghast.

"No!" Soda groaned in disgust. "One of them made like he was giving her his number, and instead of writing that on her hand, he wrote…something else."

"What?" Two-Bit demanded. "What did he say?"

Soda told him. Two-Bit's eyebrows shot up. "He said that to her?"

"Well, wrote it, but yeah," Soda said heavily. "She's taking it okay, but still. Ouch."

"You're telling me," Two-Bit mumbled. "I'm gonna slash their tires."

"Have fun," Soda said.

"Have fun doing what?" Sonia demanded. "Oh, hi, Two-Bit."

"Have fun slashing those dumb Socs' tires," Two-Bit frowned. "After what they said to you."

"Wrote, actually," Sonia said dryly. "And thanks."

"No problem, chickadee," Two-Bit said. "C'mon, time's a wasting. Hey, where's Mr. Swirly?"

Soda cocked an eyebrow. "You mean the ice cream man that only goes around the West side of town?"

"No. Steve. But now that you mention it, I do miss Mr. Swirly," he said reminiscently.

"He never came to our side of town!"

"Yeah, but remember when we were kids, and it was still safe to go over there, and we would run the full twenty miles so we were nice and thirsty for ice cream when we got there?"

"Sounds like you guys had a fantastic childhood," Sonia said.

"Like you ever had an ice cream man?" Two-Bit challenged.

"We had better. Every summer we used to head down to the little drugstore at the end of our street and get ice creams from the icebox there. We used to take our own sweet time choosing with our arms in the box, because that was the only air conditioning we got. We'd hang around there until Mr. Singh, the owner, chased us away. But only after we'd paid for the ice cream."

By this time Soda and Two-Bit were laughing.

"Oh yeah, some letter came for you today," Two-Bit said, handing it to her. "Anne was going to open it as soon as she saw it was for you."

Sonia frowned. "She's awfully nosy," she commented.

"You're telling me," Soda rolled his eyes. "The last time she was in here she wouldn't stop asking me about Pony. What's Pony's favorite drink? What's his favorite book? Does he have a girlfriend? Does he want one?"

"Don't go talking bad about my sister," Two-Bit warned while Sonia read her letter.

"I'm not, I'm just saying."

"Oh my god."

The boys turned to Sonia, whose wide eyes were fixed on the page.

"What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost," said Soda.

"It's Preity," Sonia said in a hushed voice.

"Who?" Two-Bit said.

"My friend from Philly. I've got to tell Seamus. I've got to get to Philly as soon as possible!" she said, darting to the door.

"Wait!" Soda and Two-Bit ran after her. "Why do you have to get to Philly?"

Two-Bit hopped into the driver's seat and Sonia dove into the passenger seat. Soda was left standing by the door, yelling, "What happened?"

But they were already gone. The next afternoon, Steve said she hadn't been at school when she didn't turn up for work. The manager insisted that she had had a valid excuse, but it was none of their business.

She didn't quit, Soda reassured himself. That means she'll be back. I hope.

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