❤️Sodapop's love story ❤️

Oneshot #7

Again, personal story...
( Modern AU soda amd sara are 12 and Mr and Mrs Curtis are dead)
It started off like any other day, me and my six best friends- Dally, Johnny, Two-Bit, Steve, Darry, and Ponyboy - at my aunt's house with my boyfriend of a month, Sodapop. We were all messing around with my cousin who was a few years younger than me when my father came home with my sister-in-law and brother along with my father's mother. I was twelve and oblivious at the time as I hugged them until I noticed their blood-shot eyes and solemn expressions. " What happened?" I questioned in hopes of clarification, They got greeted by the gang  before we all took a seat on the couch where my father started by saying " Sara, remember there was a slight chance your mother would perish when she was diagnosed?"

I immediately saw where that was going.
My mother had been diagnosed with cancer nine months ago and ever since then we have been driving to the hospital for her chemotherapies and when she was home we took care of her day and night. Even my father's mother came to help all the way from South America to help around the house and help her while I was at school and my father was working . I even stopped hanging out with the gang as much because when I wasn't studying or at school I was caring for my mother and my home.

As soon as I heard those words fall from my Father's lips I gasped, " No" I sat back, stunned and in denial with my hand over my heart, not trusting myself to speak. I heard gasps next to me to realize it was the gang, I felt a hand on my shoulder which I recognized as my boyfriend's as he squeezed it, I placed my hand on top of his and squeezed my eyes shut. This can't be real! It just can't! She was only 45! No, this isn't real!  I felt several people wrap their arms around me in a hug, " I am so sorry, Sara" Soda choked out in between tears. " We know it stings, Sar" Pony sobbed, " I am so sorry dearest, we're here, whatever you may need" my grandmother cried. We were all hugging each other , I could only imagine the pain my family was in.

My father lost the love of his life, My brother lost his mother who was the only parent he had left as his biological father abandoned him ( we do not share the same biological father), my sister-in-law barely got to know my mother, and my aunt along with my cousin and grandmother were just starting to patch up their relationship with my mother. Sodapop and the gang were devastated, they had already experienced loss with the Curtis parents; The loss of my mom was another devastating blow.

We stayed in our huddle for twenty minutes before father had to leave with his mother to schedule the funeral with my brother and sister-in-law. I stayed with the gang and my aunt and cousin as my aunt served one of my family's comfort dishes, chicken soup with letter pasta. I thanked my aunt as she set down the bowl in front of me, attempting to find the letters to mentally spell 'supercalifradulisticexpialidosious' just as I did when I was three, mama taught me that word. I sighed heavily and looked at my lap, Soda wrapped an arm around my shoulders. " How long is it supposed to hurt?" I whispered to him, " the pain never really goes away, honey, in about two weeks you should be able to feel at peace once more" he replied, planting a kiss on my temple.

Once father came back, all of us drove in different cars back home so we could all spend time together. Father and Darry allowed me and soda to sleep on my bed as they both agreed that being in the arms of the man I love most is just what I needed. Soda gladly obliged, We cuddled in my bed in comforting silence and drifted off to sleep but not before the phrase " I love you" fell from both our lips.

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My eyes fluttered open, A new day had begun and I was still trying to grasp onto my new reality; Half-orphaned at twelve years of age. My eyes felt incredibly sore; I felt a chill and cuddled close to Soda, he began to play with my hair as he began to wake up.
" Morning, Sar" He yawned,
" Hey, Soda" I replied, as he engulfed me in one of his warm hugs. We both walked to the kitchen hand in hand and greeted our family members, we sat down to eat the eggs and toast served by my grandmother.
"Sara" My aunt sighed, "There's something you gotta know",
Just then, My phone rang so I ran to answer it.
"Hello?"
" Sara, I am so sorry about what happened to your mother, dear" My mother's mom's voice quivered on the other end, My father looked enraged and demanded I to give him the phone, I involuntarily obliged.
" Leave us alone, Anna, I did what I could to save her! And you know that damn well"  He yelled at her
" You terrible husband! You killed her! You're such a terrible father " Grandma yelled through sobs.
I was left speechless, my grandmother had always been there for me and my father and I were going through a rough time but he always wanted the best for me, who do I stand by? Sodapop noticed my discomfort and pulled me close to him, I grabbed onto him for dear life. I began shaking, My breathing got heavier, and tears pooled in my eyes but I did not have the means nor the strength to allow them to fall.  I was so scared and confused, that I relied on Soda at that moment. I shut my eyes and buried my face in the crook of his neck. He began to rake his hand through my hair and began to whisper, "Shhhhh Sara, I-It's okay, we'll clear this up, don't worry my love" . " I hope you are proud of yourself and your daughters, Anna" Father shouted before hanging up the phone with a slam.

He then turned to me, " Sara, I know you're confused ; but you gotta hear me out. Come look at this" He took my hand in his and signaled for Soda to follow. We did as we were told and followed father back to the diner table, where he took his phone and showed me a screenshot of a Facebook post- a public publishing of lies spread by my mother's sister about her death. She made preposterous claims that my mother wished to be dead, she was miserable with us and countless other hurtful lies. I could not believe my eyes! I trusted her! I believed she loved me! I'm a fool.
Tears brimmed my eyes, l stood speechless; " People talk of love when it's an act, simply meant to throw me" I bitterly choked.
. Soda wrapped his arms around me and held me in his arms. My aunt held up a napkin and called my name, she then folded the napkin's corner and explained " this napkin is like our family:we have our disagreements, our fair amount of fights, and our differences but we can easily fix them. Like this" she unfolded and pressed the napkin until the fold was nothing but a faint mark. "Now, this is what their family is like" she crumpled up the napkin, " their pride and problems are unable to be solved, they are jealous of our family because with every bend our relationship strengthens; with every break of theirs their relationship weakens." She explained. I didn't know what to think. I didn't want to think. I just wanted to go numb and let my pain consume me. My relationship with my mom's side was now shattered, I could never consider the people who backstabbed me in my weakest hour 'family' but I never fully trusted my dad's side because ever since I was little my love was directed at my mom's side. Learning to love would be hard but now that I truly can see without filters, I see that the people who stand by me when I can't stand on my own, they are the ones who I should refer to as my family.

Five days later was my mother's funeral and while I thought I had no tears left to cry
I was proven wrong as I sobbed in my boyfriend's arms. The next day, I woke up sick with a virus that didn't go away for four days; my immune system was weakened by the stress and sorrow so it took me some time to bounce back but I found a strong will to live and not just exist.