𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 ― sodapop curtis

𝕗𝕚𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟 <3

"Zara-Mae! You gotta get up! You're gonna be late for school!". Someone was shaking me, and I jolt awake, quickly realizing that I'm not at home. "Soda...", I say through clenched teeth. Soda's eyes widen in shock. "Why are you mad?", he asks, his voice laced with fearful worry. I soften, feeling regretful. I stand up a little too fast, and stumble into Soda's arms. He hugs me, and I wrap my arms around him. "I'm not,", I say, my voice slightly muffled, "but my parents might be. You could have woken me up.". Soda chuckles, shaking my whole body. "I know, but you looked so peaceful, and I wasn't figgerin' to disturb you. Besides, you're cute when you're snoozin'.". I giggle at Soda's messed up grammar. I hug him tighter, before pulling back just enough to kiss him on the cheek. Then, I let go completely, walking off to the phone. I call my mom, and after a few rings, she picks up. Before she even gets a chance to talk, I start blabbing.

ME: Mom, I am so so sorry. I accidentally-

MOM: [laughs]  I know, honey. You're not in trouble. As long as you didn't...

ME: MOM! No, I am only 16. Just no. 

MOM: I trust you, okay. Just don't miss school. See you later. I love you.

ME: I love you too, mom. Bye.

When we finally hang up, I put the phone back, before sliding down the wall in relief. Soda comes out, and when he sees me on the floor, my head tilted back, a look of utter confusion washes over his face. "Are you okay?", he asks. I jump up, giving Soda a quick kiss. "Mhm. My mom is not mad. Do you have a hoodie I could borrow? I think I'll snatch a pair of sweats from Pony.", I say happily. Soda nods slowly, before walking off to his room. A moment later, he comes back with a pair of clean black sweatpants, and a creamy beige colored hoodie. I thank him, rushing off to the bathroom. I put on the sweats and the hoodie, and fix my hair, which was still in the bun from the day before. Then, once I am done, I go back into Soda and Pony's room, and grab my Chucks from off of the floor by their bed. Once I am all ready, I go into the living room, where Soda is waiting. "Aren't you going to be late for work?", I ask, biting my lip. Soda senses my worry, and takes my hand, shooting me a warm, reassuring smile. "It'll be fine. It doesn't normally get busy until noon, which is when people start ditchin' school.", he says. I smile, letting it go. "Alrighty then, let's split.", I say, opening the front door.

♥   ♥   ♥

All day, all I can think about was... Soda. His eyes, his smile, his arms around me, his hair, his hands, his voice... everything. I go through the school day in a daze, always off on a different planet. When school finally ends, I am full of energy. I rush out of the school, and am surprised to see Soda already there. "Soda, I thought you had to work today?", I ask, confused. Soda gives me a sly smile, before walking over to me, and picking me up, throwing me over his shoulder with ease. "How did you do that?!", I exclaim, too shocked to squirm. Soda laughs, and slides me onto his back, grabbing hold of my legs, as I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck. "Aren't you going to tell me what we're doing?", I ask, earning no reply from Soda. I sigh, and say, "Do my parents know, at the very least?". He nods, but still doesn't talk. I make a hmph sound, giving in to Soda's charade. I bury my head in Soda's neck, drawn to the pine-y smell of his cologne. We walk for a while, and when the scent of dust begins to overpower Soda's scent, I finally look up. We walk through a set of gates and into... horse stables. Soda finally sets me down, grabbing my hand immediately after, as we walk through the gates. "Where are we?", I ask, hoping that Soda will finally answer me. Soda looks down at me, smiling widely. "Finley's Stables. I used to come here as a kid...", he says, trailing off, the smile slipping off of his face. I stop walking, and turn towards Soda, worried. It seems like worry is a very frequent emotion for me now. "Why'd you stop?", I ask softly. Soda bites his lip, looking at the ground. "Ummm, well, I had this horse. He wasn't really mine, but I was the only person he liked. He was an ornery little feller named Mickey Mouse. I wanted so badly for my parents to get em' for me, but I knew it would never happen. After he got sold... well, I never came back.". When Soda finishes, there are tears in his eyes. I hug him, nestling my head into his chest. "I'm so sorry, Soda.", I say, hoping that he can tell just how sorry I am. Soda laughs it off, and when we separate, he takes my hand again, walking forward once more. "It's okay, Zar. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I'd be able to come here again. I ain't all that good with emotions, but you're savvy. You're the only other person besides Pony who listens, and I know I can trust you. You dig real good, Zara-Mae,", he says, then whispers, "Real good.". Before I can take it all in, Soda's lips are on mine, hard. This kiss was good, true. When we finally separate, I am beaming, and so is Soda. I bite my lip, trying to hold back my smile, but my teeth slip. Soda laughs at this, and takes my hand again. "Let's get this show on the road.", he says, and leads me towards the stables.