DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Outsiders. Updated for Good Fic Day.
Steve had to think fast. Getting in a fight with the Socs wasn't an odd thing, but usually he hadn't actually committed any wrong against them. This time he had.
Shit.
And now Evie would know he didn't have such a nice car, too. Great.
Luckily, Steve was the king of bullshitting. This always worked to his advantage and it was about to help him out of another pickle. He noticed Soda nervously put a cigarette between his lips and search for a light. Steve removed his half-gone pack of Diamond matches and tossed it to him before retiring his hands to his jeans pockets and slouching, tough-like.
"What's all this about?" Steve asked nonchalantly, motioning to the two angry-looking guys standing behind Brooks, one holding a switchblade.
"This?" Brooks replied, eyebrows rising in raging—and quite possibly drunken—energy. "This means y'all two are about to get your asses kicked if you don't tell me what the hell you're doing with my car!"
Steve smirked; he could always act cool under pressure when need be. He decided to test the drunken theory. "Brooksie, may I ask, what in the Sam Hill are you doing at the Dingo? This ain't your kinda hangout."
"That isn't any of your business, all right, grease?" he replied, pointing an unsteady finger at them.
"Steve," Evie said, lightly grabbing his elbow.
Steve gently shook her off and nodded at Brooks. "Oh, no kidding? Well what are you doin' out back here? Ya usually don't even find us greasers hangin' around out here."
Brooks continued to point a swaying finger at them. "I know a guy—a cook here—who sells liquor real cheap, all right?"
Bingo. "Mmm," Steve said, nodding again. "You already empty out all your parent's liquor cabinets?"
Soda laughed slightly, easing up, but Steve stayed focused on Wayne.
"Yeah, so?" Brooks let it slip easy. Drunks were always too eager to tell the truth, no matter how much they wanted to fight it.
"Well, Wayne, see, the reason we have your car is real simple!" He laughed. "I'm the head mechanic over at the DX—that's the gas station your daddy dropped the car off to get all the work done on it—and after I heard of that big baseball game tonight, I just got the greatest idea."
Brooks looked intrigued. The kid behind him lowered the knife. Those Socs sure got wasted quick. What, did they drink duringthe game? What a bunch of pansies.
"See, me and Soda here, we just had this feeling that y'all would win that ball game, and we thought, as a surprise kind of award, we'd present you with that little beauty after you scored the winning run. But when we lost …," he broke off or a moment in fake sadness, "… when we lost, I just figured you'd want to be alone. I didn't wanna bother you with all this. You know how it is."
Steve hoped they had actually lost the game. Evie snickered a bit.
Brooks' expression softened, but the scowl returned a moment later. "Well, thanks a whole fuckin' lot," he said.
"No problem," Steve said, and forced himself to add, "buddy."
"I could still kick your little asses for this … but I won't, only 'cause your chicks are here. Now give … gimme my goddamn keys."
Steve fished the keys out of his pocket and held them out in front of him. Brooks reached for them, and the second time, grabbed them. "Don't worry, man, I'll mail ya the bill," Steve said as Brooks and his friends stalked off to the car.
Steve was really going to miss that thing.
When the three Socs were securely in the vehicle and Brooks had tooled out of the lot, Soda dropped his cigarette on the pavement and turned to Steve, smiling. "Damn, you sure can lie when you gotta."
They turned to the girls and Steve quietly laughed. "It comes in handy real good."
Sandy looked distressed. "Can someone please tell me what's going on? That's not your car?"
"I think that's kind of obvious, Sandy," Evie said with a giggle. Hell, maybe she was all right with it.
"That part was kinda my fault," Soda said. "We needed a car."
"Don't you have one?" Evie asked.
"It's uh …." Steve did not want to tell her his car ran out of blasted gas. He was suddenly having a hard time thinking up a story to tell. "The engine … It's getting … worked on. And, it's uh; I'm installing a, uh, muffler cutout, so I can't … drive it. Right now, anyway."
"Oh," she said simply.
"Then how are we supposed to get home, Soda?" Sandy asked.
Soda sighed slightly but his eyes grinned despite it. He was getting a kick out of her worrying. But if she was gonna be Soda's girl—and Steve was quite sure she would be—she'd learn real soon to appreciate spontaneity. "I guess we'll be walkin'. I'm thinkin' the bus don't run this late."
"Soda, I'll miss curfew …"
He put his arm around her and smiled. "Don't worry, darlin', I'll make it up to ya."
A small smile crossed her face. "How?"
"Aw, you'll see. Hey, Steve, I guess I'll catch ya later."
Steve shook Soda's free hand. "Guess so. Make sure we remember to mail that bill tomorrow, savvy?"
"Heh, you remind me and I'll remember, savvy?"
Steve grinned. "Good deal, then. See ya later."
"See ya, Sandy," Evie added, as she and Soda turned away.
Steve and Evie turned in the opposite direction and began their walk. Steve couldn't help but feel embarrassed over having to walk his date home all the way from the Ribbon. It was goddamn embarrassing, for chrissake.
Evie must've sensed his inner-turmoil. "This is okay; I like to walk. There's a breeze now."
He felt he should tell he was sorry, but Steve was never good at apologies. Apologizing was almost like admitting he was wrong. Sure, he was wrong, but nevertheless …. Steve put his arm around her shoulders and figured that would suffice.
XXX
Truth be told, Evie was glad Wayne Brooks had come and taken his car back. She'd been looking forward to some alone time with Steve, getting to know him. He was certainly an interesting character.
With his arm around her, she felt secure, and had to keep herself from leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked. They weren't exactly close enough to cuddle just yet. She hoped to remedy that.
"You gonna be in trouble for being late?" he asked. She knew this was code for, "Is your daddy gonna kick my ass?" Her father had that effect on people.
"Like, I said, Steve, time doesn't matter. Don't worry about my dad."
He shrugged and fell quiet. It seemed like he was like that a lot, except maybe around Soda. She wondered why. "I had a good time tonight," she said finally.
Looking down at her, his face brightened. "You did? Even havin' to walk through all this?" He motioned to the various loud, drunken people staggering down the sidewalks, and the cars driving loudly and quickly by.
"I don't mind it," she said. He seemed to be enjoying the action, despite his quiet voice. "It's actually kind of nice."
"I dig it, too," he said. She went ahead and leaned her head on his shoulder. He didn't shrug it off, so she figured he didn't mind. She thought she even felt his overly tensed shoulders relax a little.
Nearing the end of the Ribbon, that turned down a quieter and darker street, looking, Evie realized, like a couple of disgustingly sweet teenage lovers. She smiled. "You know what Sandy said tonight?" she asked rhetorically. "She said you looked really pissed off, like you didn't like her or something. I told her she was being idiotic."
Steve laughed, looking down at the ground.
"What?"
He looked up again. "That ain't the first time I heard that. Mrs. Curtis—Soda's mom—used to tell me all the time I gave off some kind of air of 'I hate you,' even if I didn't." He laughed again. "She was a real blunt woman, Mrs. Curtis was."
Evie laughed a little. She'd heard about the Curtis kids losing their parents a few months previous, and she didn't want to say the wrong thing about a touchy subject. She knew how it felt.
They both grew quiet again, but Evie liked it. She found herself enjoying just being with Steve, which something she hadn't expected a few days ago. Yes, Steve Randle was definitely an interesting character, and one she hoped to get to know further.
XXX
As they approached her house, Steve slowed his walk. He wasn't looking forward to seeing her father, and, if he was truthful with himself, he didn't want to say good night to Evie, either. There was just something about her that he dug more than all of his former girlfriends put together.
The porch light flicked on. They stopped.
"Maybe I shouldn't walk you to the door …" Steve started.
"Maybe not," Evie replied. She leaned her head up, and Steve moved his arm from its comfortable place on her shoulders. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sure," he said. "I'm workin' for a while, though."
The front door opened and a little boy poked his head out.
Evie rolled her eyes. "That's my brother."
"Well, I guess … Good night," Steve said. He wanted to kiss her, but he still wasn't sure if she was the type of girl to kiss on the first date, especially with the ten-year-old within viewing distance.
"Good night, Steve." She leaned forward and gently kissed him. She smiled, raising a manicured eyebrow, and then walked back to her house.
Steve grinned widely. It was hardly even a kiss, but he sure felt like he had something to tell gang the next day.
Oh, jeez. I'm rather worried about this chapter coming off as sappy. If it is, or seems unrealistic, please tell me and I'll do my best to fix it. Comments/Concrit appreciated!