I'm Broken Enough

6

Steve POV
I shot my head back in awe.

She really did come.

"I'm so sorry I'm late I got caught up in a class, can I sit?" She asked again, but I just stared at her with my jaw dropped. Johnny nudged me and I snapped out of it "sure yeah, of course you can" I said and scooted down to make her room.

I can't believe she actually came back! I mean, the way she spoke to me last night I should have known, but it was all still surprising to me.

She sat down and turned to me, "hey!" she excitedly smiled, probably happy that her brother wouldn't be bothering us unlike the day before.
"Hi y/n, surprised you're still sitting with us" I answered, "why wouldn't I? Not like Josh'll do anything" she said and started eating.

"Now who do we have here?" Dally asked, changing my attention from y/n and I's conversation to the rest of the guys at the table, who were all staring at us.
"Oh right, Dally this is y/n" I introduced them, "hey doll" "hi" she gave a small smile.
"What is she doing back here?" Ponyboy asked,
"oh yeah no need to worry about my brother anymore, I told him to stay away from us. We won't have a problem again" she said and smiled at him, which he returned back.
"Ok cool! He was such an ass yesterday and I didn't want that to happen again" Ponyboy said which made y/n laugh.
"Yeah I know, no need to worry now though" "which one are we talking about?" Dally asked,  confused by the story because of his absence the day prior. Y/n pointed to her brother on the other side of the cafeteria. Dally scoffed "looks like a dick" "depends on who he's talking to, as most of you've seen" she answered.

"What's a soc girl like you doing hanging out with us anyway?" He questioned her.
"She doesn't like to be called that. She doesn't believe in all the class shit Dal" I told him, which led him to say "well good for you sweetheart. Finally someone with a brain around here" and went back to eating his food.

I turned back around and y/n was smiling at me, then we all went back to eating our lunches and chatting like normal.

...

I was walking down the hallway, about to leave since school had just ended.
"Hey Steve!" I heard a voice behind me and turned my head.
"Hey y/n!" "What's up?" "Not much since I last saw you, what about you?" "Oh nothing. Hey! Are you doing anything right now?". I look at her confused "no, why?" "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out?".

I just looked at her for a second, not saying anything.

"What? I'm bored and I don't know what to do around here! This isn't exactly North Carolina-"
"North Carolina?" I asked her confused.
"That's where I'm from, you know where I moved from. I didn't tell you that?" "Nope". She looked at me thinking for a moment, when I said "I can hang out until I have to work later. This may not be Carolina but I can still show you a good time".
She smiled and we started walking away from the school.

Her smile was so pretty.

"You hungry?" I asked her when we were further into town, "a little, you?" she asked in return and I nodded. We stopped at a small convenience store and got some sodas and chips, then continued walking around town.
"So" she spoke in our silence, "yes?" I asked with raised eyebrows "now what do you want to do?".
"Uh" I thought "well normally I just hang with my buddies at their houses".
"Hmm" she responded, scrunching her eyebrows and looking down at the ground.
"We can just hang at my place if you want" I said and she nodded "alright".

We walked back to my place, talking along the way. I couldn't help but feel nervous that my parents were home, even though I knew they were working right now. I walked up my front steps and opened the door, silence.
Phew.

We sat around and talked about ourselves and our lives, since we really didn't know too much about each other besides what we've talked about when we met up during the night. She told me about how her parents are douches and don't let her hang out with people they don't approve of, prime examples of entitled socs. Which explains why her brother acted the way he did yesterday when he saw her with us, he just didn't want her to get into trouble again.

Fair enough, I'd do that for a sibling too.

I told her a little about my parents, that they're douches too, and just straight up hate me. Not that I was the perfect son or anything, but what they did was still inexcusable. I don't think we've told each other everything yet . I mean, I know I haven't, doubt she has either.

After a little over an hour of hanging out at my house, I went and got changed for work. When I came back y/n said "I can walk with you there if you'd like" to which I said "ok sure".

We walked together and continued talking the entire way there. I'm finding out so much about her, she is such a cool person.

We finally arrived and she said "oh I didn't know you worked here! I may just have to stop by and see you sometime then". I smiled at her and said "yeah, you may just have too". We both said goodbye and I walked into the DX.

"Who were you talking to?".

Startled, I turned around quickly to find that it was just Soda.

Soda, the one who still didn't know I was hanging around a soc girl or that she was the reason I was out so late at night. So obviously I had to bullshit an answer.

"What? I wasn't talking to anyone" I told him, hoping that he'd believe my obvious lie.
"Oh. Ok then" he said confused and walked away.

Damn, how did that work?

Whatever, I shook it off and got to work.

Soda POV
I'm really worried about Steve. And I know he told me there's nothing to worry about and that he just needed more time, but I can't help it!
He's my best friend alright! It's of my best interest to be worried about him. But I just know there's something he's keeping from me, and I don't know why.

What reason would he have not to trust me? We've told each other everything for years! I don't know what would've suddenly changed that.

My best guess is that things at home have started taking a really bad turn and he's left with no where to go at night besides my house and the street. And who was he talking to? I mean, does he really think I'm that stupid? I knew that he was talking to someone when he first walked into the DX, but that part doesn't make total sense with the rest of what's going on.

And surprisingly through all this, he's actually been going to school more. Poor kid probably needs an escape and I feel awful that there's nothing that I can do to help him right now since he won't tell me anything.

Come on Steve, please just let me help you!