I'm so scared that the way that I feel,

Is written all over my face.

When you walk into the room,

I wanna find a hiding place.

We used to laugh, we used to hug, the way that old friends do.

But now, a smile and a touch of your hand,

Just makes me come unglued.

Surprisingly, Soda was right. While Darry didn't look to pleased at the idea, he didn't have much to say about it. I think he was happy to see Soda out of the house, and it gave him some time to himself as Pony was going to bed pretty early these days.

"Am I dressed ok Soda?" I had some clothes stashed at their house for after school and had dug around until I found a pair of tight capri pants and a black halter-top.

"You look fine, Ali, not like this is much of a dress up thing, the girls tend to go pretty trashy." I nodded, pulling my makeup out of my bag and applying it heavier then normal.

"Come on kiddo, let's get going." Soda said holding his hand out to me. I took his hand as we walked out the door and headed down the street to Bucks. Bucks wasn't really a bar or anything...just a decent sized house where the party was going non-stop, they sold booze, and had rooms upstairs for people to...rent.

When we got to the door I stopped and took a deep breath. "You sure about this Ali?" Soda asked turning to face me.

"Yes! It's just something new is all." I answered with more confidence then I felt. Soda took my hand and led me into the smoky dance hall, the music was playing loud, and people were drinking and making out all around us. This definitely was unlike anything I had ever been to.

"Hey Soda" Buck said coming over "I'm sorry to hear about your parents kid, drinks are on me tonight...for both of you." and then he just wandered off, intent on finding something, or someone.

"Wanna beer?" Soda asked pulling me over to the bar.

"Sure"

"2 beers" Soda requested, and he was handed the beers without any word of payment, just like Buck had promised. Soda popped the tops off and handed me one while he chugged the other, I had seen Soda drink before, but never that quickly. "Might as well bottoms up Ali Cat if you have any prayer of keeping up tonight!"

I smiled, figuring what the hell, if we were here to forget, I might as well get obliterated (keep in mind that we're talking about a girl who had never had more then a beer here or there at the Curtis's house when their parents had been out for the night). I downed the beer and accepted the one that Soda pressed into my hand.

I took a few big sips of my new beer and noticed that Soda was already on his third; perhaps it was time to get him away from the bar for a bit.

"Come on Soda, let's dance" I pulled him over to where other couples were dancing to The Twist Soda grabbed my free hand and began to dance, fast to the music twisting lower and lower as the music went. Suddenly Soda grabbed my hip, spinning me around and pulling my back against his chest grinding tightly against me. I was surprised to feel his excitement against my back, and even more surprised to realize that I wasn't horrified. I downed the rest of my beer and took a moment to really find the beat of the music.

A moment later Buck walked by handing us each another beer, I was a lightweight to begin with, and this being my fourth beer I was getting a little unsteady on my feet. Soda on the other hand had a dopy smile on his face and glassy eyes. He had definitely accomplished what he had set out to do, that boy wasn't feeling any pain.

After about half my beer the music changed from the up-tempo beat to Unchained Melody a popular slow song from a few years ago. Soda turned me around to face him and pulled me close, definitely no room for the Holy Spirit this time.

Soda's hands came to rest on my hips, my head on his shoulder as he buried his face in my hair. No matter how much I tried to tell myself that we were best friends, or how much I tried to tell myself that this was because we were both drunk, I couldn't help but like it. I liked being close to him, being able to smell him, to feel the warmth coming off his body.

I pulled back and looked in his eyes, still as pretty as they were that night so long ago in the 8th grade. "Soda..."

"Ya?" He lowered his head to mine, tilting it, our lips just a breath apart.

"Soda..."

"Hm?"

"I'm gonna hurl." I pushed away from him and ran outside, the laughter of the other couples ringing in my ears. I made it to the side of the building before getting sick, doubled over on the sidewalk. Not even a full second behind me was Soda, who grabbed my long hair and rubbed my back as I hurled. I stayed bent over for a few moments after I finished, trying to collect myself...how embarrassing!

"How ya feeling kid?"

"I've been better."

"Come on" Soda said helping me to stand up straight "your drunk, let's get you back to the house."

"I'm drunk? You're drunk too!"

"Ya, but at least I can stand without falling down" Soda wrapped an arm around my waist and we started home. There was a lot of staggering on both our parts that night...maybe a bit more on mine, and we stopped once more on the way home for me to be sick, but we finally made it.

"Can we sit outside for awhile? The airs nice" I asked Soda as I sat down on the stairs without waiting for an answer.

"Sure" Soda sat next to me wrapping an arm around me as we sat there.

"Soda?"

"Ya Ali?"

"Were you gonna kiss me tonight?"

Soda sighed, "Ya...I was, and I think this is a conversation that we need to have, but I think we need to wait and have it when we're both sober."

"When did you become such a grown up?" I asked right before I leaned over the porch railing and hurled yet again. "Ya...maybe that's a good idea."

We sat out on the porch until the sun came up and I fell asleep on Soda's shoulder.

xxx

I woke up the next morning (well...more like afternoon) on the Curtis's couch. My shoes were sitting on the floor next to the couch and a blanket had been thrown over me.

As I opened my eyes and let the light in, I immediately squeezed them shut again...a hangover, wonderful. Well, this was my own fault, time to make the best of it and get moving. Besides it was rude to just stay on someone's couch any longer.

I got up and went into the bathroom where I found a old pair of Soda's jeans and one of his flannel shirts. They'd be big, but it would do. Even when drunk that boy always took care of me.

I took a quick shower and put the clean clothes on, praying that the pants would stay up as they hung low on my hips. The shirt smelled like Soda and I couldn't help but inhale it like some love sick girl in a movie.

Moving into the kitchen I found Darry making grilled cheese for him and Pony and I couldn't help but gag a bit at the smell of the melting cheese. Darry laughed at me and handed me a cup of black coffee, "Here, I figured you could use this."

"Thanks, I'm gonna go sit outside ok?"

Darry laughed even harder "Grilled cheese making you sick?" I nodded. "Serves you right, drinking like that last night."

I took my coffee and sat down on the steps leading from the back door into the small fenced in back yard. The sun was bright but it was still better then the smell of food. As I sat there slowly sipping my coffee I thought back over the night before. I was such a fool...I had almost gotten sick on that boy no less then 3 times, tried to kiss my best friend, and then wanted to have a conversation about feelings after all that. I was such a lightweight...

"Hey" I heard quietly from behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know it was Soda.

"Hey" I answered not looking up from my coffee as he came and sat beside me.

"So...last night?"

"Ya?"

"Were you going to kiss me?" He asked with a sly smile, parroting my question from the night before.

"I...yes."

"Ali, we need to talk about this, you're my best friend and I don't want that ruined because we got drunk one night. Just talk to me about this, please?"

"I wanted to Soda...but then I figured that getting sick on you wasn't going to be so attractive..."

"Ya...that would not have been so good...there would have been some major, major groveling going on after that. But seriously Alice, I like you, a lot...I haven't said anything because your my best friend and I don't know what I'd do without you if I had said something and you didn't feel the same. But after last night...I have the feeling that you might feel the same way about me." Soda looked me right in the eyes as he said this, not staring at his hands as he had so many years ago when he asked me if I would still be friends with a greaser.

I smiled back at him. I wasn't sure if we were making a good choice here or not, but it wasn't really a choice, it was just happening. "Are you gonna kiss me or not boy?"

Soda smiled and leaned in towards me, his hand on the back of my neck bringing me closer. "Absolutely."

A/N – Song is Complicated by Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Sorry that I didn't update on Friday as usual, my students graduated high school, I went to trapeze show and then Saturday…well…Saturday I slept on the couch. Let's see if we can get 15 reviews before next Friday! 20 gets you an early update though!