audrey newman
hanging out with the guys has been fun lately, ponyboy and johnny had the same interest as me which was watching sunsets until we were old and frail. sodapop started hanging out with this girl named, sandy, she didn't like me very much.
mom finally got a job by the office where she answers phone calls for sales, she's been doing well and it gives us health insurance which was the only good benefit my mom was looking forward to for a job.
it was the fourth of july, mom went out with her co-workers to go celebrate by the baseball field and beer. darry invited me over for a little gathering with the gang for fireworks and a barbecue.
i put on my floral shorts that matched my tank top, put a sweatshirt over it just in case it got cold. i walked out of my house, locking the door then proceeding to the route.
they left their backyard fence open for anyone coming in, i used that entrance to be greeted by a backyard filled with other greasers. two-bit's arm was wrapped around some girl while talking to a bunch of men, steve with his girl, dally with johnny and pony, and soda with sandy.
"hey audrey!" darry smiled, "didn't think you'd show up."
"why wouldn't i? a party with free food." i laughed.
"guys are spreader out, find whoever you'd like to talk to." he insisted.
i nodded before walking over to dally, pony, and johnny. they all said 'hello' while sharing a cigarette, pony handed me one but i declined, a cigarette was one step closer to being my mom back in the days which was something i never looked up to be.
i glanced over at soda who was laughing, smiling, and all talkative with sandy who was getting touchy with him like they were dating. dally then placed his arm over my shoulder while talking to johnny, didn't think much of it because i knew for sure i was out of dal's league, and soda's.
"so audrey, how's tulsa going for ya?" pony asks, taking a swig of dally's beer but later spitting it out.
"great, met new friends and it's a place i won't be moving out of after two months." i guessed, i couldn't help but look back at sandy and soda who were sharing a burger together. "hey umm... how long have y'all known sandy?"
'they've known each other since 4th grade, soda dated her for a year in his sophomore year before she cheated on him. ever since then, she manipulated him into coming back to her, this could be the third time."
"wow." i was shocked, really.
"maybe you should shoot your shot with soda." ponyboy suggested, i rolled my eyes.
"hardly know him besides the crazy girlfriend and him working at a gas station." i laughed.
"pony's got a point." dally snickered, i threw his arm off of me and walked away.
soda broke away from sandy and stopped me by my tracks, i stopped with a shocked face. this wasn't the first time he snuck up on me like that and i wished that last time was the only time he did.
"audrey, when did you get here?" he sort of sounded like he knew i was here.
"a few minutes ago, was hanging out with dal and the rest." i went along with his act. "i see sandy's here."
"yeah, umm..." he looked down for a little, i noticed she was walking out. "can we take a walk? and talk?"
"sure." i accepted his request.
soda had to go talk to darry about leaving the party for a walk, i went with soda who wasn't happy. i didn't see his normal smile from when his safe bubble was near mine.
we began walking until we made it to the lot, soda sat down on the curb with his hidden beer that i never noticed. he downed a sip before running his hand through his hair, he looked stressed until he shedded a single tear.
"what's wrong, soda?" i sat closer to him, letting him in mine arms.
"sandy came back but she was pregnant and was moving to florida by the end of next month." soda sniffled, "thought she came to talk to me about getting back together, she was awfully nice to me."
"from what i heard, she's uhh... a very a nice girl." i lied to make him feel better, "but you know, you deserve better, soda. if that nice girl of yours isn't gonna stick around by your side then maybe she's not the one."
"she is, i still put up with her after what she's done." soda defended himself.
"look, i can't stay out for long so can we just talk about this tomorrow? when it's not so dark?" i pleaded, he agreed.
soda and i didn't talk for the rest of the walk, he didn't even say 'goodbye' or waved at me when i made it to my house. he left me for his house and you could tell it had something to do with sandy breaking his heart, i wish he'd understand that sandy was never the right person.
