"Cherry, can I ask you somethin'?"

Evie and Cherry were both getting ready for bed, right along with Lily and Kathy. The other two girls were getting their sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets in the living room. Cherry and Evie were btoh dressed into what they would wear for bed and now just getting whatever they need to sleep donstairs as well.

Cherry nodded, "Yeah of course. What's up?"

Evie wanted to ask Cherry about the marks on her wrists. She didn't want to make Cherry remember something that may not have been something that might cause anything that would make Cherry… well, she wasn't quite sure what, but it would be nothing good. For whatever reason, she couldn't find it in herself to ask.

"How was your date with Soda?" Evie asked her.

She got her answer when Cherry's cheeks got pink and she saw her bite back a smile. "It was really nice," Cherry said, still trying to hold back her smile.

Evie's mindset quickly changed to Cherry and Soda's date. "Ooooh… what was really nice about it?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. You know how there are things that feel right and feel good?"

Evie smirked a bit. "Yeah…?"

Cherry bit her lip again, still trying to hold back a smile. "Well, it was kinda like that."

Evie smiled and nodded as the two continued to talk as they walked down the stairs to the living room where Kathy and Lily were and where Cherry would again be questioned about her date with Sodapop, in which she answered every question the same way she had answered Evie, which included the smile she had been holding back. This time when she answered their questions, she didn't try to hide her smile, knowing she was failing miserably. But she didn't really mind her failure to hide her smile.

-/-/-

"So how was your date with little miss redhead?" Steve asked Soda with a smirk.

The two were working their Saturday afternoon shift at the DX. That particular shift was a bit busier than the rest of the week, considering it was Saturday and that's when most people would do their errands, plus the fact that it was the afternoon so nearly everyone was awake by now. It would've been just as busy but the reason is wasn't was because of the summer. No matter what side of town you were from, families went on vacation out of town- more families from the West Side would go farther away and for a longer period of time, but even families from the East Side would drive out of town for a week to two weeks usually.

Soda kept thinking about his date with Cherry form the night before as him and Steve worked on the cars that need repairs. Cherry had said how she had enjoyed the date, and Soda would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the date either. He still felt bad and guilty about how he had lied to her- but he didn't really regret going on that date with her.

"It was good," Soda answered with a smile that Steve didn't see and couldn't see from their different angles.

"What'd y'all do?"

Soda finished up the car he'd been working on and closed the hood. "We got somethin' to eat… took a walk when it got dark…"

Steve chuckled. "No offense or nothin', but that sounds like somethin' straight outta an Elvis Presley movie, ya know that, right?"

Soda blew his comment off a bit. "Yeah, yeah… either way, I thought it was nice and Cherry thought it was real nice too."

"Did she kiss you?" Steve teased with a smirk on his face.

Soda rolled his eyes and let out a chuckle. "And to think people say I'm the one who ain't ever gonna grow up."

-/-/-

"It just don't seem like somethin' Sodapop would be doin'," Dallas said with a confused look on his face.

Dallas had somehow escaped after the whole epidemic with the cops and him robbing that store. To say it was an incredible escape would be a complete understatement. He came back a month or two after that night, a scar or two on his chest from the bullets that night; the scars were like white pills that had been crushed and made into two perfect little circles on his chest around where his heart was. When he came back, they all asked how he lived, how he escaped and a few other questions, he would just shrug and smirk would form on his face and he would say, "I know people." Ponyboy knew that Dallas always got what he wanted, and maybe he didn't really want to die that night.

As for what happened with Johnny that night, somehow the doctors had got his heart to start again. His doctor had described it as a miracle, considering his heart had actually stopped- but it was only for five minutes. The doctor had actually signed the papers, as proof that he had died. Five minutes after he signed the papers, a nurse had ran up to him saying that "the kid with dark hair and dark eyes woke up." They didn't know how, but somehow his heart had started to work again. Johnny had to go to a cardiologist every month, which would slowly lead to every two months, then three months, then six months, then once a year. Until the once a year started, the whole process- considering everything was working fine- would take about three to five years.

"I don't know, Dal… he had talked 'bout her an awful lot," Ponyboy said with a shrug.

"I get that. What I don't get is how did your brother think of a plan to trick a girl? No less, a Soc."

Ponyboy shrugged again and looked at Johnny, who also shrugged. "Maybe he likes her that much," Johnny said as he shrugged.

Dallas sighed, "Like I said before, I get that. It just don't seem like a plan that Sodapop would come up with that. As far as I could tell, he always treated every broad he came in contact with respect or whatever… it's just so outta character."

"Somebody once told me that people will do crazy things for love," Johnny said with a shrug.

Dallas merely shrugged at what he said.

-/-/-

Cherry hesitantly walked into the DX next to Evie. Soda and Steve's shift weren't over yet, so Evie thought they should go in and say hell. Evie had also hinted to Cherry about finding out about a possible second date that Cherry might have with Soda- in which Cherry's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink and she somehow managed to bite back her smile, which she had been doing a lot lately.

When Evie and Cherry first walked into the DX, neither Steve nor Sodapop was at the front counter. When the front door closed behind them, the bell above the door rang like a Christmas bell. Since the bell was somehow connected to something inside the garage, both Steve and Sodapop made their way to the counter. At first they looked around with confused expressions on their faces until Steve saw the two girls, nudged his best friend's shoulder- who looked at the two when he pointed them out- and his own smile formed.

"There's two of the best looking girls I've ever seen," Soda said with a smile as the four met up at the counter.

At this point, after her date with Soda, Cherry felt more comfortable around everyone. It's like her date with Soda had somehow loosened her and gave her this weird boost of confidence. Evie had told her things about Soda- nothing bad- and that he usually had that kind of effect on people.

Evie and Steve had gotten into their own conversation by now. "So Cherry," Sodapop started, gaining Cherry's attention, "I was thinking that maybe we could go out again or somethin'?"

Evie overheard and smirked at Cherry, who smiled and nodded at Soda. "I'd like that," she smiled at Soda.

His smile grew. "Great… I'll pick you up at Evie's house tomorrow at 5:30."

Hi there! I know it's forever but that's cause I started my classes this past Monday, and next Monday, I officially become a LUOA Edge student (college courses start)! So that means even less updating! And if you read "Cherry Flavored Soda" it will be the same deal but that will probably be updated next week- but the same with the update speed will be for "The Power Of Love" and "Up In Flames"

Oh so yesterday I was with my second family (my two best friends Alex and Sara who are sisters and their little brother Steven and their mom and dad) and first we went to Steven's eye doctor appointment and while him and their dad were there- me, alex, sara, and their mom went to the general store where their mom made me let her pay for the few things I was going to buy (I always feel bad when they do that, ever since we first met two years ago on a trip we went to together with my old church) then we got ice cream then went to the Paramus Park Mall and the whole day was super fun! Their mom bought me an Elvis Presley pen XD the pen can't write, but I can wear it around my neck and it has a little movable elvis on it

Also, apparently my mom ordered me "Tex" (book version) cause literally none of the book stores in my area that I go to have it but I can't read it yet cause I'm still reading "Charleston" by John Jakes oh well

Anyway, hope you like the chapter, peace from all the hippies of the world! =^-^=