TACENDA // Sodapop Curtis

Money Money Money

"Hey Blondie!" ole Dally just had to fuck up my hair whenever he could. He also pet my dog, the usual. So did Two bit and Johnny. I shoved Dally's arm away and closed my eyes, trying to sleep as boys made the most noise in the fucking world.

I eventually sat up and straightened my hair out the best I could. I actually got a good night's sleep, no cows to wake me up or anything. It felt weird.

"Do you want breakfast, Maddy?" Soda asked as he walked out of his room shirtless with jeans on. I just stared at his torso, how hot it looked. He had wet hair and his body shines with the light. Not to mention he was nice and muscular.

"Its rude to stare, you know that right?" Soda asked me with a smile. I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. If it aint too much trouble, breakfast would be nice." I said as I picked a shirt and jeans out of my bag and walked to the bathroom.

I walked into the bathroom and took off my shirt and pants. I wouldn't really like to be seen in sweatpants, they just look weird. They're nice to sleep in though. I put my jeans on, then the best thing in the whole wide world happened!!! Dallas walked in!!!

"Shit, my bad." he kept the door open and started to grease his hair. Instead of saying anything, I just slipped my shirt on and buckled my belt as I walked out of the bathroom, making sure Dallas wiped some brill cream on his forehead from me bumping into him.

"Asshole." he muttered. "Dick." I muttered back. "Yo Maddy!" Steve asked, shoving cake in his mouth. I walked over to him and took a bite of his cake. "What?" I asked, then made a slight face at the bitterness of the cake. I grew up on real German Chocolate Cake, so this was different.

"What?" he asked. "The cake, it just took me by surprise." I shrugged. "What?" I asked. "Anyway, why dont you come to work with us? Scare all the prissy girls off?'' Steve said. Dallas laughed at that. "She does do that." I just flicked him in the head. "Yeah ill go with you, might put some more 'premium air' in peoples tires." The three of us just laughed at that, it was hilarious.

Ponyboy had let me dog out, so he was waiting for me as I walked out the door with Soda and Steve. Steve was really bossy.. It kind of pissed me off but whatever. I didn't have to worry about my mommy talking to me at the DX, I could just hide from her. Or face her, yell at her, make a fool of her, who knows.

–

Steve was ringin everybody who walked in up, and I was helping Soda with the cars. My main job was changing oil, since im so great at that. "You still wanna look at cars?" Soda asked me while I slid out from under the mustang. "I rather be looking at a down payment on a house than a car." I said. It wasnt really a joke.

"Speaking of which, I got a couple people coming today to look at some Horses." I wiped the grease off my hands and put them in my back pockets. "Ill be back in about," I looked at my watch. It was 12. "4 maybe?" Soda smiled and nodded. "See ya Maddy." he said as I walked out the door to go face my mommy.

-

I took the bay horse out of his stall, he was a good horse. I tied him up in the arena, Mav was sleeping in the corner. I then got the red roan out of her stall and tied her up also, combing both of them out. These were rich ass people, like the ones that could win anything in a show.

I heard a truck pull into the driveway, so obviously I went out there with a smile, despite what you could hear from my house. It was Monica and my father yelling at eachother, but the people didnt really seem to care. They just wanted a horse.

The man was wearing a pin-stripped suit and the woman was wearing a dress that fell a little below her knee's. Her hair was all done up and her makeup was on point. She was a golden blonde with a bright red lip, she reminded me of Marilyn Monroe.

"Mr. and Mrs. Thorne?" I asked, they nodded. "Yes, and you are Madeline Shelby?" They were British, interesting. "Yes ma'am." I said with a smile. "You have a beautiful smile, dear." she told me. I looked her and and laughed a bit. "Thank you ma'am, are you ready to find a horse of your dreams?" I asked, she smiled and followed me.

"Youre horses are fantastic," she looked at the stalls. "We have over 12 AQHA champions from the Shelby ranch, and 7 world titles. So youre buying quality." I smiled back at them as they followed my to the Arena, where the red roan and bay stood shiny as ever.

"Theyre just beautiful, dont you think, Arthur?" she asked the man. The man nodded. "Have you got any studs?" he asked. "Yes sir." I replied, walking out and heading towards the stud barn. We had about 7 studs we all sold stud fee from, thats where most of the income came from. I just dont want him to pick the fucking black bay.

"That one, right there." of course, he pointed to the black fucking bay. "How old is he?" he asked. "Hes 6." I replied. "How much?" he asked. "He really isn't for sale," I tried to be polite about it. "20 grand," he told me, my face dropped in shock. "Sir, really-" he cut me off. "25 for the stud, and ill pay you another ten for the two in the arena and the gray with dapples in the barn we passed." he pulled out his checkbook and started writing a check for 35 thousand fucking dollars.

"Sir, are you sure?" I asked. He nodded. "Ive researched your stud, he's produced excellent working horses. And my wife, Linda, she loved horses." he told me. "Its a good investment." he reasurred. "Do I make the check out to you?" he asked, I nodded. "Its Madeline Shelby, right?" he asked. "Yes sir, Madeline Shelby." I told him. He smileed and took the check off from his check book and handed it to me. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you load the horses into the trailer? I'd perfer not to get my shoes dirty." I smiled at his statement. "Yes I can." then I walked away.

I folded the check up and put it in my back pocket, smiling as I led the stud into the trailer. I tied him up real tight, then put the bay gelding next to him, then the gray gelding, then the red roan mare. You always separate studs and mares, its common sense.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Shelby." Arthur shook my hand, I shook his and his wife. "Same to you." I handed him the registration papers and we parted ways. They drove off, and I was the happiest person alive, despite what I felt to the back of my head a few moments later.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" my dad asked me. "That was out leading stud?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. "You haven't messed with the horses in five years dad, its been all me. You have the cattle." Mav came and sat down beside me. My dad grunted and looked at me, disappointed I what I just did. He thought that I cared. I lost all respect for him last night.

"What's Monica doing?" I asked. "She's just staying a few days." I told me. I nodded. "Tell me when the whore leaves." I walked off, Mav quickly trailing behind me. My father just looked heartbroken. It was like he didn't have anywhere to go, anyone to talk to and he didn't know what he did wrong. I guess karma really is a bitch.