I could hear footsteps coming toward the door, and then there was a metallic scratching sound, as the lock was turned. The door opened, and there stood Sandy, temporarily blinded by the bright sunlight. As her eyes adjusted, she looked nothing short of absolutely shocked to see the two of us standing there.

"Hi," Soda said, incredibly calmly for a guy who had been pining away for months about a girl who now stood perfectly within his reach.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, finally. I couldn't tell if she was angry, or excited, or just plain surprised. One thing, though- I had forgotten how pretty she was. The Florida sun had done her no disservice either. Her skin was golden and her hair was blonder than I remembered. Her blue eyes were stunning in the light. I looked down and saw a slight belly on her, but nothing like I had been imagining a pregnant girl would look like.

"I needed to talk to you," Soda said.

"So you came all the way here?"

"I had to. You wouldn't take my calls, or read my letters."

"I never got any letters... You called me?"

I figured this to be a good sign. She hadn't sent the letters back, and apparently when Soda had talked to her grandmother and she had said that Sandy didn't want to talk to him, that had been a lie, too.

"Alexandra, who is it?" a voice called from behind her, and a short woman came into the room wearing an apron and holding a dishtowel.

I was a little worried about how things would go next, to be honest.

"Uh, Nana, this is a friend of mine…from school."

She came over, putting the towel into her apron pocket.

"So… Does your friend have a name?"

It was so clear, immediately, that we were not going to be able to lie our way out of this one, that, I guess, Sandy just gave up.

"Actually, Nana, he's a friend from my old school…in Tulsa. This is Soda, and his sister, Scout."

Nana did not look happy.

"How dare you, she started in on us, "just showing up like this. We've told you to stay away from Alexandra, and we meant it. Haven't you already done enough? And, what's this- you bring your sister along with you? Shame on you, dragging a child into all of this."

I wanted to disappear, or die. Seriously. Soda and Sandy didn't look much better.

"Stop it, Nana," Sandy said, turning toward her. "Why didn't you tell me he had called? And sent letters?"

"We all just felt it would be for the best. I mean, after what he did to you…"

"He didn't do it," I said. Then, as an afterthought, I added "ma'am."

Sandy looked miserable as she looked down at me.

"I know, Sandy," I said, so only she could hear. "I know it was Steve."

Her expression turned to disbelief.

"We know," Soda whispered. "Could we talk somewhere… alone?"

Sandy turned to face her grandmother.

"Nana… Listen, Soda didn't hurt me. I lied. He just drove all the way here to talk to me, so I am going to listen. I owe him that. Especially if everyone has been lying to me and not even telling me that he has been trying to contact me."

"Honey… listen. You should..."

"No, Nana. I'll be back, later. But right now, I'm going with him to talk. Alone." She grabbed his hand and started out the door.

Good for you, Sandy, I thought, shrugging my shoulders at her Nana and turning to follow.

Soda stopped her in front of the next house, and turned to face her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He was almost crying. "God, Sandy… I love you. No matter what. And.. it wasn't your fault."

"I…just…" she started.

"He did it to me, too," I said. She spun around to face me.

"What?"

"He hurt me, too," I said.

"No… Oh, my God… No, Scout…"

"He didn't…he didn't rape me. But, he almost did. Darry came home, and he ran."

She was crying then.

"I never thought… I thought it was only me. I swear, Soda, if I knew…I would have,..Oh my God, Scout. I would have talked in a second if I ever thought he would hurt somebody else. You're just... God, how could he?"

She was looking at Soda, and he pulled her in toward him.

"You didn't know, babe," Soda said, hugging her. "I wish I woulda figured it out."

"I didn't know, either… about you… I mean, I'm sorry, Sandy…I would have told Soda… I'm sorry," I managed to speak. At this point, we all were crying. Two-Bit, down the street, was leaning against the car, eyeing us all, with interest.

"Can we go somewhere else?" Sandy said, looking at her grandmother, still looking at us from the front porch. "To talk?"

"Wherever you want," Soda said, pulling her along. We all headed up the sidewalk to the car.

"Hey, Two-Bit," Sandy said, coming up to the car.

"Hey, yourself," he said, getting back into the driver's seat.

I went over to the passenger side and climbed in. Sandy and Soda got into the back, and Sandy directed us where to go. We ended up in a parking lot at the beach. Sandy and Soda whispered to each other and got out, and walked down to the water, holding hands. I sat in the car with Two-Bit.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked.

"She didn't know he ever called," I said, "or wrote."

Two-Bit shook his head.

"Her family all thinks it was Soda, that hurt her. But she told her grandmother she lied."

"Well, that's good, at least. How could anyone think that Soda would hurt a girl?"

"I don't know."

"Wanna go play in the waves?" Two-Bit asked.

"Kinda," I admitted. We got out, and chased each other down to the ocean. Both of us had enough sense to stop short of the water and take off our shoes, before rolling up our pants and going in knee-deep.

I looked down the beach and saw Sandy and Soda sitting together, hugging. I just hoped it would work out. God, but he loved her. And nobody deserved to get what he wanted – what he needed- more than Soda.

Eventually, Two-Bit and I tired of playing in the water and we sat ourselves down in the sand, both of us drawing in it with our hands and feet as we waited for Soda and Sandy to return.

"Hey, Two-Bit?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, yeah. Sounds like you already are."

"Do you feel bad for Darry?"

"What?"

"Because he has to take care of us. I mean, you're almost as old as him, but you don't really have to worry about anything."

"I have a sister, remember?" he said.

"You have a Mom, Two-Bit. You're not responsible for her."

"I guess not."

"So, do you?"

"I don't know… I mean, he loves you guys. It's not like he's resentful, or something, that he has to be in charge."

"But it probably is really bad, and stressful, isn't it?"

"Where is this all coming from, Scout? Darry does a really good job with you all. You know how much he cares about you. Shoot, you and him probably get along the best of anyone, except maybe Pony and Soda."

"I know. I mean, really, I know. But I wish he wouldn't have to. I just wish we were all grown up so he wouldn't have to take care of us."

Two-Bit, remarkably, was silent.

"I think you need to stop thinking so much. Things just are what they are."

"I guess so, I said, and looked up to see Soda and Sandy walking back toward us.

Please, I wished, let this turn out right. I tried to read Soda's face as he came toward me, but I couldn't.

…………………………………

A/N: Okay, well, you all said a short chapter is better than no chapter. So, short it is. I only have so many hours in the day in which to write!