AUTHOR'S NOTE:

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Chapter 8

"That'll be four dollars and sixty-five cents," Soda informed.

A man in his late thirties handed Soda the money for his fuel before leaving. Steve watched the man leave and turned back to his buddy.

"So the kid finally stopped acting like a brat after all the crying and whining he did on Saturday night," Steve snickered; continuing their conversation from before.

"Don't say that about my brother, but if you must know I promised to take him out tonight to hang; just him and me."

"So things are back to normal then, or has the kid just manipulated ya to think he's all good?" Steve inquired.

Soda slapped his buddy in the chest.

"Don't say that about my brother. Ponyboy won't do a thing like that; he ain't you," Soda said defensively.

"Hey I take offense!" Steve retorted.

Soda gave Steve a questioning look with his eye raised.

"Well alright, maybe, I do sometimes do that, but it's not like I do it to my buddies."

Soda smiled and gave a shrug.

"Anyway, I guess things are back to normal," Soda replied.

Steve gave his eyes a flick to gesture towards the entrance.

"Speaking of normal, there's someone who seems less than normal; what happened?"

Soda turned to where his buddy was gesturing, and saw Sandy walking towards the DX at a faster pace than normal.

Soda noticed a white paper in her hand and her usual bubbly soft cheeks appeared lacking in colour; except for the red puffiness of her eyes that Soda noticed as Sandy approached closer.

Soda ran out of the garage, approaching his highly upset girlfriend.

"Sandy, honey; what's wrong?"

Soda reached his hand out in his most comforting gesture.

"Don't you honey me, Sodapop Patrick Curtis; how could you?" Sandy yelled out shakily.

"Could you not tell me yourself?"

Soda watched in surprise as Sandy let out a hitched sob, with tears slipping from her eyes.

"Sandy, honey I don't know what you're talking about," Soda defended softly.

"Don't call me that!" Sandy yelled and turned away.

Soda saw Sandy shaking the piece of paper in the air before turning back to face Soda.

"You're a liar, Sodapop! I thought you were different but you're just like every other guy I've met: a jerk!" Sandy yelled as huge tear drops dripped down her face.

Soda felt his heart crush; he still didn't know what this was all about. Soda's eyes began to well up with water.

"Sandy, please. I really don't know what this is about," Soda pleaded, again reaching his hands out to touch his distraught teen girlfriend.

"Soda, don't touch me! In fact stay away from me; I never want to see you again!"

Sandy tossed the letter at a confused Soda and stormed off.

Soda blinked back his tears.

"Whoa, that was intense; what did you do?" Steve asked, leaning against the entrance to the DX and wiping his hands on a rag.

"I didn't do anything," Soda replied quietly, second guessing himself for what he may have done.

Soda leaned down and picked up the piece of paper Sandy had tossed at him.

"What's that man?"

Soda slowly unraveled the paper and began reading:

Dear Sandy

I must be honest and tell you I no longer want anything to do with you. You have no potential to be a girl of mine and in fact wish I had never met you.

Signed

Sodapop Patrick Curtis

Soda's face paled as he read the words on the page over and over, wishing he could just snap himself out of this dream. The writing was messy with some spelling errors but Soda knew that handwriting anywhere: the handwriting of his little brother, Ponyboy.

Soda's sadness instantly turned to rage and he stopped the tears from falling. How could Ponyboy do something like this?

Soda scrunched his fists around the paper, never in his life feeling so hurt by and angry towards Ponyboy that he wanted to punch him like he did to guys in a rumble.

"Soda, hey Soda!" Steve called, now standing beside his buddy.

Steve looked over Soda's shoulder and read the letter.

"I thought you liked her, why'd you go write that?" Steve asked, slapping Soda on the shoulder.

Soda angrily jerked his shoulder at Steve's reaction, showing the greaser that he was one fired up teen.

"I did like her. I loved her! I was not the one that wrote this: Ponyboy did!" Soda snapped.

Steve stared wide-eyed. "Far-out what is that kid thinking?"

"I'm about to find out; he should be home by now!" Soda shouted, taking a glance at his watch and seeing the time read three-fifteen.

Steve nodded, "Go ahead buddy, I'll finish up here and give that brother of yours a fist for me!"

Soda stuffed the letter into his jeans pocket as Steve was continually punching his fist, eager to give the youngest Curtis a piece of his mind too.

"Thanks Steve; you're a pal," Soda grumbled with little emotion.

Soda sighed and stormed his way down the street at a fast pace to reach home.

Ponyboy was at the kitchen table speedily working on his homework which for once he was eager to start as soon as he'd gotten through the doors at three.

Pony startled when he heard the loud sound of the front screen door flinging open then slamming shut.

"Ponyboy!" Soda shouted.

"In the kitchen!" Pony called back, not picking up on his brother's tense, anger fueled emotion.

In seconds Soda had stormed into the kitchen, glaring hard at Ponyboy.

"Hi Soda, you're home early. I'm almost finished my homework so we can go out," Pony said cheerfully.

Soda scoffed.

"I ain't taking you anywhere Ponyboy Curtis!" Soda snapped; spitting out his venomous words and taking Pony by surprise; his eyes widening.

"But you promised Soda."

Soda only shook his head in anger. Pony now sensed something was up with his brother when he hadn't received the cheerful reply, or softening on his gaze towards him.

"What's wrong, Soda?" Pony asked, feeling etched with concern.

"What's wrong?" Soda spat.

"This is what's wrong, Ponyboy!" Soda yelled and waved the letter in the air.

"How could you?!"

Pony instantly realized it was the letter he had written to Sandy. How had Soda found out about that? I'm sure to be in a world of trouble now.

Pony shuddered and looked down shamefully, unable to face his brother; Soda was never meant to find out about this.

"Have you anything to say? What kind of brother does that? I'd certainly never do something like this to you Ponyboy!" Soda yelled.

Pony had tears bubbling at a rapid rate in his eyes.

"Soda I'm sorry," Pony whispered.

Soda shook his head. "I'm ashamed of you Ponyboy; never had I thought my little brother would be so heartless!" Soda snapped.

Pony didn't know what else to say, this was all turning out wrong. Pony just stared at his brother who once loved him more than anything and saw only hatred in his eyes. Pony was convinced Soda hated him and maybe he did have a reason to.

Pony let out a pained heart-felt cry.

"Soda..." Pony sobbed, just instantly wanting to make it up to his brother.

"No Ponyboy Michael: stay out of my life!" Soda yelled and stormed off to his bedroom, allowing tears to fall rapidly.

Pony waited a brief second to recover from his shock before running out of the kitchen behind Soda, but the young teen was too late; Soda had already slammed the bedroom door shut.

Pony collapsed onto the couch, face down; sobbing hard. Not long after Darry opened the front door and instantly frowned seeing his little brother so upset on the couch.

Dropping his keys and tools, Darry rushed over towards Pony and placed a large hand firmly on the teens back.

"Ponyboy what's wrong; why are you upset, baby?"

Pony shook his head into the couch cushion.

"I can't tell you," Pony sobbed.

"Why not; I know I don't always come across as understanding but you can talk to me, Ponyboy," Darry said in his softest voice Pony had ever heard.

Pony twisted his head around to face his brother and Darry sighed upon seeing Pony's tear-stained face.

"I didn't mean to Dar," Pony choked out.

"Didn't mean to what, little man?" Darry queried, finding it frustrating that Pony was not opening up and telling the now worried older brother what was going on.

Pony again shook his head into the couch; he couldn't bare telling Darry the truth for he was guilt-ridden and ashamed and if Soda hated him, surely Darry would too and there was no way Pony was going to lose both his brothers.

Darry sighed heavily upon receiving no further responses from Pony.

Rubbing his little brother's hair softly, Darry asked, "Is Soda home yet?"

Pony nodded. Darry then furrowed his brow; whenever Pony was upset Soda always comforted him.

"Why isn't he here with you? Does he know you're upset and hurt?" Darry questioned.

Pony didn't answer and only sobbed harder. Now Darry really wanted to find out what was going on.

Darry stood up and walked down towards the hall.

"Sodapop are you here? Will you come out here please?!" Darry yelled.

Soda pulled himself up from the bed, pleased that Darry had come home so he had someone in charge to tell of what his brother did.

Soda emerged from the bedroom and Darry noticed Soda was also in tears. What in the world is going on here? Darry thought.

"Sodapop what happened here and why are you crying too?" Darry demanded.

"Did you two boys have another fight?" Darry asked with frustration clear in his tone.

"You two were happier than ever this morning," Darry continued.

Soda glared at Ponyboy.

"It's more than that! Sandy and I broke up because of him," Soda angrily spat and pointed at his younger brother.

Pony buried his face deeper into the couch, just wanting to be swallowed up, for he felt both his brother's eyes on him; suffocating him.

"Come on Sodapop, you can't blame Ponyboy for your relationship troubles with Sandy; maybe she just wasn't ready for a relationship?" Darry offered, thinking that Soda had fought with Pony after being hurt by Sandy's choice to break up.

Soda only shook his head.

"Yes I can blame him because look at what he did!"

Soda then shoved the scrunched up letter he had not let go of since running to his room towards his older brother. Darry curiously took the paper and un-crinkled it, making a quick glance at Pony whose face was becoming hotter with shame.

"It's Ponyboy's writing. He wrote that and sent it to Sandy so we could break up. She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore Darry," Soda exclaimed as tears fell down his face again.

As Darry read over the letter he clenched his fists and felt the blood begin to rise inside him as he raged. Darry folded the letter back up and kept a hold of it in his hand as he turned and gazed sternly at his youngest brother.

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis, you get up and go to your room; right now!" Darry bellowed.

Pony flinched at Darry's booming voice; his brother was furious.

Pony pulled himself up from the couch, avoiding all eye contact with his brothers, but he could sense their hard, angry gazes drilling into him.

Quickly wiping his eyes on his sleeve Pony chased down to the bedroom, being left with a heavy heart full of guilt and the worry of having his brothers and only real family not love him.