𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐠 // The Outsiders

Chapter 11 - Bubba

Soda said they get snow here in Tulsa, but not a lot. I haven't seen snow since we left home. So, when I run out of the house I feel like a child catching snowflakes on the tip of my tongue, smiling as I do so. Soda laughs at me as he steps out on the porch, pulling his shoes on. But eventually, he joins me. Steve and Mr. Curtis come outside, chuckling at us as they pass by. But neither Soda nor I care.

After a while, the truck horn honks and Steve sticks his head out the passager side window.
"Soda, Win, c'mon, we're gonna be late!" He yells. Sodapop rolls his eyes, taking my hand we jog out of the gate and into the truck. The ride to the DX is normal, and by normal I mean full of energy and jokes. And pretty sure Mr. Curtis is ready to go home once he drops us off.

Like always, Soda and Steve get right to work, and like always, I sit in my usual place behind the counter with Soda. The day drags on and not many people show up. At one point in the afternoon, we spin an empty coke bottle on the ground and ask dumb would you rather questions. Steve gives the best answers out of the three of us.

"Would you rather..." Soda starts after the bottle lands on him. "Go to a rumble or a rodeo?"
"Rumble." Steve answers.
"What's a rumble?" I ask. The boys look at me oddly.
"A big fight between greasers and socs," Steve sums up. Soda nods along before silence falls over us. It's only broken by the grumble of a truck outside. The boys jump up and Steve offers me a hand.

We all run to the window and see the familiar truck. Out of the cab jumps Ruth, Dad, and... a dog. What?
"I didn't know you guys had a dog." Soda says.
"We don't." I pull away from the window and jog outside. For the first time in what feels like forever, my kid sister has a smile glued to her face. The dog runs around her ankles, almost knocking her over.

The two look so happy, Ruth all bundled up in her wool scarf and the dog, which I think is a beagle, with his shining blue collar that matches her pale eyes. Once my family sees me, their smiles grow. Ruth and her dog come trotting over and she gives me a big hug.

"Dad got us an early Christmas gift." She says.
"Got you." I correct. Ruth chuckles, kneeling in the snow to scratch her dog behind the ears.
"What's his name?" Sodapop asks, falling into the light snow next to her.
"Bubba." She states. Bubba licks her face, making her laugh.
"You should have named him Mickey Mouse." He chuckles.

From where I stand, I kick his foot, sending him a warning look as Ruth scowls for a second before smiling again. Soda smiles a little, letting Bubba lick his face. Dad comes over and rests his arm on my shoulder, chuckling a little as Soda and Ruth stand up and start playing with our new dog.
"Merry Christmas, Winnie," Dad says.
"Thanks, dad," I give him a hug.

"So you staying with your friends for Christmas or are you staying with us?" He asks. I chuckle.
"I'll think about it." I joke as Steve comes up next to us.
"We gonna let them have all the fun?" He asks. I look over at him, my lips pulling into a grin.
"Why should we?" Steve extends a hand and bows in a joking manner. I take his hand, and he pulls me away.

The rest of the day, we take turns running around with Bubba and playing in the snow. Turns out, dad was here for something other than showing me the dog. He got gas, left, and came back a few hours later to pick us up. Ruth was so upset, she wanted to stay around the DX and hang out with her two new favorite people. I guess Soda and Steve rub off on people. There's just something about them that makes you like them. Especially Soda, Steve's a little tougher to love.