"Attention, we are now landing in Miami, Florida. Please remain seated with
your seatbelts fastened until the plane has come to a complete stop. Have a
wonderful day and Thank you for flying with us." The stuardist said. Soda
looked out the window as the wheels of the plane connected with the long
runway and they slowly came to a stop. He then grabbed his bag, which was
in the compartment above his seat and made his way out of the plane with
the rest of the passengers.
As soon as he got out of the airport he stood on the corner for a long while trying to hitch a ride. He didn't have enough money for a cab and the money he did have he needed to save for food. Finally a guy in a pickup pulled over. "Where you headed kid?"
"Coral Gables." Soda answered.
The guy smiled. "I can get you there. Hop in." Soda did so, thankful that he had finally gotten a ride. Since he had taken an early flight he was able to arrive at Sandy's by nightfall. Despite the fact he was hungry and exhausted he wanted to see her right then. With some hesitation he walked up to the door of a small white house and knocked. There was no answer so he knocked louder. Finally the door was answered and an elderly women with long grey hair stood there eyeing him cautiously.
"What do you want boy?" She asked.
"Is Sandy here?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Sodapop Curtis." He put his hand out for her to shake but she rejected. "May I please speak to Sandy?"
"I know who you are." She pointed a finger at him. "You're that dirty hood from Tulsa. Get out of here. I'll call the police if I catch you on my property again." She slammed the door in his face.
Soda sighed deeply. He couldn't have her calling the police. The cops couldn't know about his leaving for Florida or it'd cause trouble with the social services. So he walked a while, not knowing where he was or where he was going. He found an open dinner and spent the night there drinking chocolate milk and eating chocolate cake. He at least had enough money for that.
The next morning he went back to her grandmothers house to try again. He had come to see Sandy an that's what he intended to do. He knocked on the door again and waited. The same women from the night before answered. "It's you again. What do you want?"
"I need to speak to Sandy." Soda said, kind of demanding it.
"Get out-"
"Grandma, it's all-right." A young blonde girl said, putting a hand on her grandmothers shoulder. The women frowned but left them alone. "Soda, what in the world are you doing here?" Sandy asked, shocked to see him at her front door.
Soda was taken aback by her unfriendly greeting. "I'm here to see you." He said softly. "Why didn't you read those letters I sent you? Why'd you send them back?"
"You came all the way over here to ask me that?" she said.
"Can I come in?" He asked.
She shook her head. "My grandmother will have a fit."
Soda sighed. "Fine. I wanna know why you did that to me Sandy." Soda had just noticed her stomach, which was bigger in front than it was when he'd seen her last.
"Soda, I'm pregnant. Remember?"
"Why'd you do that to me?" Soda asked. "I thought you cared about me. I thought you loved me too."
"Soda, I'm sorry I hurt you. Really I am and I'm sorry that I was untrue to you. I would take it all back if I could but I can't and it just won't work between you and me now."
"We'll make it work." Soda said, almost pleading with her.
Sandy shook her head. "I don't love you, Sodapop."
Soda felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He felt cold all over but he could feel sweat dripping down his neck and hot tears coming on. He forced them back and let out a quivering breath. They were silent for a moment but then he nodded. "I understand." He turned and walked away leaving Sandy there staring after him, tears dripping down her face.
"I'm sorry, Soda!" She yelled after to him. "I'm so sorry!"
He turned and looked at her as tears welled up in his own eyes. "I'll always love you Sandy." He said. "And I only wish the very best for you." Soda then turned and walked away, dragging his suitcase behind him. It was hard not to look back again but somehow he didn't. He knew if he did it would only hurt more. So he trudged on into the night. He'd never seen it before since he'd never been out of Oklahoma. He figured he ought to go home but he didn't want to face his brothers right now. Not while he was like this. He walked and walked, in deep thought.
***
Darry sat in the arm chair and stared out the window. It was early on Sunday morning and Soda was still gone. Pony had fallen asleep on the couch. They'd been awake all night just waiting by the phone and now it was five a.m. and there had still been no call. Steve and Two-Bit had gone home by midnight. But then finally at long last it rang. Darry snatched it up immediately and Pony started to wake up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Darry." A tired and rough voice said on the other line. Soda realized there was nothing else he could do there and he may as well go back. He was tired and hungry and wanted to go home.
"Soda!? Sodapop Patrick Curtis are you out of your mind!? Leaving in the middle of the night and going to Florida! What's the matter with you?" Uh oh, big trouble. Soda thought. He used my full name. He never does that. "Where are you?!"
"I dunno." He mumbled, looking around.
"What do you mean you don't know!?" Darry demanded.
"Wait, I remember now. I'm somewhere in Miami. I'm uh, in Coral Gables I think."
Darry sighed. "You are getting on the next plane to Oklahoma. You hear me?"
"I don't have any money left." He mumbled.
"I'll order you a ticket then. All you'll have to do is show them your I.D."
"Ok, I can do that." Soda yawned.
"I want you to find out where the heck you are and then find some way to get over to the airport. Then call me the second you get there. Understand?"
"Yeah, I get it." Soda said. Darry finally let him go and he hitched another ride back to the airport. Man, I am gonna catch it when I get home, he thought. He called Darry when he got there and got all the information on what flight he'd be taking. After some confusion he got his ticket and found himself on a plane back to Oklahoma.
As soon as he got out of the airport he stood on the corner for a long while trying to hitch a ride. He didn't have enough money for a cab and the money he did have he needed to save for food. Finally a guy in a pickup pulled over. "Where you headed kid?"
"Coral Gables." Soda answered.
The guy smiled. "I can get you there. Hop in." Soda did so, thankful that he had finally gotten a ride. Since he had taken an early flight he was able to arrive at Sandy's by nightfall. Despite the fact he was hungry and exhausted he wanted to see her right then. With some hesitation he walked up to the door of a small white house and knocked. There was no answer so he knocked louder. Finally the door was answered and an elderly women with long grey hair stood there eyeing him cautiously.
"What do you want boy?" She asked.
"Is Sandy here?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Sodapop Curtis." He put his hand out for her to shake but she rejected. "May I please speak to Sandy?"
"I know who you are." She pointed a finger at him. "You're that dirty hood from Tulsa. Get out of here. I'll call the police if I catch you on my property again." She slammed the door in his face.
Soda sighed deeply. He couldn't have her calling the police. The cops couldn't know about his leaving for Florida or it'd cause trouble with the social services. So he walked a while, not knowing where he was or where he was going. He found an open dinner and spent the night there drinking chocolate milk and eating chocolate cake. He at least had enough money for that.
The next morning he went back to her grandmothers house to try again. He had come to see Sandy an that's what he intended to do. He knocked on the door again and waited. The same women from the night before answered. "It's you again. What do you want?"
"I need to speak to Sandy." Soda said, kind of demanding it.
"Get out-"
"Grandma, it's all-right." A young blonde girl said, putting a hand on her grandmothers shoulder. The women frowned but left them alone. "Soda, what in the world are you doing here?" Sandy asked, shocked to see him at her front door.
Soda was taken aback by her unfriendly greeting. "I'm here to see you." He said softly. "Why didn't you read those letters I sent you? Why'd you send them back?"
"You came all the way over here to ask me that?" she said.
"Can I come in?" He asked.
She shook her head. "My grandmother will have a fit."
Soda sighed. "Fine. I wanna know why you did that to me Sandy." Soda had just noticed her stomach, which was bigger in front than it was when he'd seen her last.
"Soda, I'm pregnant. Remember?"
"Why'd you do that to me?" Soda asked. "I thought you cared about me. I thought you loved me too."
"Soda, I'm sorry I hurt you. Really I am and I'm sorry that I was untrue to you. I would take it all back if I could but I can't and it just won't work between you and me now."
"We'll make it work." Soda said, almost pleading with her.
Sandy shook her head. "I don't love you, Sodapop."
Soda felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He felt cold all over but he could feel sweat dripping down his neck and hot tears coming on. He forced them back and let out a quivering breath. They were silent for a moment but then he nodded. "I understand." He turned and walked away leaving Sandy there staring after him, tears dripping down her face.
"I'm sorry, Soda!" She yelled after to him. "I'm so sorry!"
He turned and looked at her as tears welled up in his own eyes. "I'll always love you Sandy." He said. "And I only wish the very best for you." Soda then turned and walked away, dragging his suitcase behind him. It was hard not to look back again but somehow he didn't. He knew if he did it would only hurt more. So he trudged on into the night. He'd never seen it before since he'd never been out of Oklahoma. He figured he ought to go home but he didn't want to face his brothers right now. Not while he was like this. He walked and walked, in deep thought.
***
Darry sat in the arm chair and stared out the window. It was early on Sunday morning and Soda was still gone. Pony had fallen asleep on the couch. They'd been awake all night just waiting by the phone and now it was five a.m. and there had still been no call. Steve and Two-Bit had gone home by midnight. But then finally at long last it rang. Darry snatched it up immediately and Pony started to wake up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Darry." A tired and rough voice said on the other line. Soda realized there was nothing else he could do there and he may as well go back. He was tired and hungry and wanted to go home.
"Soda!? Sodapop Patrick Curtis are you out of your mind!? Leaving in the middle of the night and going to Florida! What's the matter with you?" Uh oh, big trouble. Soda thought. He used my full name. He never does that. "Where are you?!"
"I dunno." He mumbled, looking around.
"What do you mean you don't know!?" Darry demanded.
"Wait, I remember now. I'm somewhere in Miami. I'm uh, in Coral Gables I think."
Darry sighed. "You are getting on the next plane to Oklahoma. You hear me?"
"I don't have any money left." He mumbled.
"I'll order you a ticket then. All you'll have to do is show them your I.D."
"Ok, I can do that." Soda yawned.
"I want you to find out where the heck you are and then find some way to get over to the airport. Then call me the second you get there. Understand?"
"Yeah, I get it." Soda said. Darry finally let him go and he hitched another ride back to the airport. Man, I am gonna catch it when I get home, he thought. He called Darry when he got there and got all the information on what flight he'd be taking. After some confusion he got his ticket and found himself on a plane back to Oklahoma.
