Chapter 1- The Letter
Soda's POV
As I walked up to the house on Thursday afternoon, I grabbed the mail out of the mailbox. I then walked into the house and carefully closed the door behind me. If I slam the door and break it, Darry will freak out. I would still be at work on a normal day, but Steve and I are off every afternoon this week. We got off because we covered two weekends' worth of night shifts for some other guys at the DX. As I walked into the kitchen and sat down, I began to think about the drag races that would be happening tonight. Steve and I have been talking about going for three whole weeks. Hell if I had a car, I would be racing tonight.
Hopefully, I can bring Pony with me. He is usually home by now, but he has track practice today, so Two-Bit is gonna drive him home in his ratty-ass car. Then I remembered that I was still holding the mail, so I looked down and began to flip through it. In the mail is a bill, another bill, a letter from the bank, a draft letter, another bill, and a letter from the state. Once I reach the end, the realization of what came in the mail hits me. I quickly flip back until I am staring at the cream-colored envelope that says on the front in business font, 'Sodapop Curtis.'
Staring at the letter, my whole body seemed to freeze. I couldn't move, I was paralyzed by fear. I don't know how long I sat there before the sound of the door slamming shut snapped me out of my trance.
I turned my head around as my best friend started to speak, "Hey, Soda… Are you ok? You look like you saw a ghost."
I looked back at the envelope in my hand and then at my friend. As Steve walked into the kitchen, I put down all of the mail except my letter and stood up to face him.
Steve looked at me very confused until he noticed the envelope in my hand. "What is in your hand?" he asked nervously.
Instead of speaking, I handed him the unopened letter. He glanced at the front before quickly opening it and reading aloud, "The President of the United States to Sodapop Curtis. Greetings, You are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States and to report at local board 73 on October 23, 1967, at 7 AM."
Steve continued to read, but I couldn't listen. October 23. Four days before my life would change forever. How would I tell Darry? How would Pony react?
I was drawn from thoughts when Steve started laughing. I scowled angrily. I wondered why he was laughing. I'm going to war. "What in the hell are you laughing about?" I said angrily.
He grinned, holding onto the letter. "It's a mistake."
Rolling my eyes, I said, "The government doesn't make mistakes." I wondered where he got that crazy idea from.
"Well, this time, they did. The letter says you cannot be drafted if you are the provider for a child."
"Yeah, so what?" I asked, only half-listening.
"Well, didn't you and Superman add you as Pony's co-guardian last week?"
Sighing, I knew this was a dead end. "Yeah, but that was only a precaution just in case something happened to Darry. To tell you the truth, Pony only needs one guardian."
Steve sighed. "Yeah, but it's worth a try."
"Yeah, I guess it is," I responded.
Steve hands the letter back to me.
"Everything will be fine. Just tell Superman tonight, and then y'all can go down to the draft office tomorrow with your papers and prove you're Pony's guardian. Then they will take you off the list, and everything will be ok."
I wanted to believe Steve, but I couldn't because this war was tearing apart families left and right. It couldn't be that easy to get out of.
I was drawn from my thoughts as Steve plopped down on the couch, saying, "I'll take Pony and Two-Bit to the races tonight so you can talk to Superman."
"Ok," I answer with my mouth while my head is in a different place.
"Soda, you better go hide that letter before the kid shows up unless you want to tell him today."
I nod as I realize I was daydreaming. I walked into my room, lifted the mattress, and stuck the letter under it. Returning to the living room, I saw that Steve had left, and I headed to the kitchen to make supper.
Tonight would be interesting.