Evermore | Sodapop Love Story | The Outsiders

Chapter 6 | News

"Come sit with me for a minute."

Present Day, May of 1965

"Sweetie, can ya come here for a minute?!" I heard my mom call for me.

I am still living at the Curtis house. It's been a while, but my mom is still struggling a bit. I still enjoy living here, and I see my mom most days.

Soda, Johnny, and I are all sixteen now. Out of the three of us, I'm the only one still in school. Soda dropped out because he thought he was dumb. Steve, Ponyboy, and I have all told him otherwise, but he doesn't believe it.

Johnny just gave up on school because he doesn't like it. His parents still suck and beat him around every day. He's not scared of them anymore, he's scared of the Socs because they beat on him a few months back and they still like to harass him.

I'm still in school and hating it. I'm really getting the hang of knowing all the rules of English. I actually know more complicated words. Although, I can't read very well, especially out loud. Do you know how sometimes you jumble up your words when you read out loud? That's kind of what it's like, whether it's out loud or not.

If I could, I would drop out, but my mom would never let me. I tried asking, begging, everything, but she said that I need to stay in school. Ugh, whatever. I just can't wait until I graduate, if I graduate.

Dallas, or we like to call him Dally, is seventeen. He is part of our gang now. Yes, it caught on. We call ourselves a gang. Dally changed his ways for a while when he was younger because of Mrs. Curtis, but he's back to being mean and cold. Although, he is really nice when he's around Mrs. Curtis. Almost a completely different person.

Darry was planning on going to college with a football scholarship, but even with the scholarship, there wasn't enough money, so he gave up on it. At least until he can actually go to college, and maybe do something else. He's twenty now, so he still has time. Being a greaser is difficult.

He is applying for jobs though, so I think in the next few years, he'll be able to pay his own tuition, and of course, the Curtis Parents would support him in every way they could.

Ponyboy is by a landslide and a half, the smartest out of all of us. He got put up a year because he's a really smart kid. He's fourteen. Everyone seems to put a lot of pressure on him, so I try to calm his nerves. I take the time to tell him he's doing great and that usually helps him relax, at least a little. He's the reason I know not only being the dumbest, but being the smartest is hard.

Two-bit is the most childish out of all of us, despite the fact he is eighteen. He still likes Mickey Mouse, making jokes, and all that. The only difference is that he now drinks beer. Mrs. Curtis hates it, so he doesn't drink as much when she is around. Everybody cleans up their act for her.

Soda works at a Gas station full time to make money for himself and the family. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis are very supportive of him. Steve works with him. Although he works part time since he still goes to school. They've both asked me to work with them, but I'm having a hard time in school, and I don't want to add more. Also, I've done a really good job of hiding it, so I want to keep it that way.

Steve is seventeen. Him and Ponyboy still don't get along. Pony doesn't really hate Steve, at least that's what it seems like. He's pretty quiet, so it's hard to tell. Steve thinks Pony is a little kid and it's hard to convince him otherwise.

I ran out to the living room from my room. "Yeah?"

"Come sit with me for a minute." She said, patting the couch cushion beside her. This can't be good.

I sat down next to her, looking her in the eyes. I was scared. It had to be serious if she wanted me to sit down. I thought it was about my grades.

"Sweetie...I got a new job, but it's in Chicago. I don't wanna move you, so I'm leaving on my own." I looked at her, in shock. She was leaving Tulsa? Oklahoma? Without me? I kind of want that, but I don't want her to leave at all.

"Don't be upset..." She tried to soothe me.

"Ya already took the job?" I was trying not to be angry, but it was getting harder by the second. How could she do that to me?

"Yes, I gotta leave by the end of the week." I was crushed and devastated. How could she just leave me? The end of the week is in three days. I collected myself and took a deep breath.

"Okay." I got up, and walked to my room. My footsteps were light and I was dizzy with shock. Why would she do that? I need her.

"Are ya alright, sweetie?" She asked me.

"Yeah, I'm alright." I went into my room. I shut the door behind me and plopped down on my bed, and started to cry.

After a while, I don't know how long it was, I heard a knock on my door. I quickly wiped my tears, sat up, and fixed my hair. "Yeah?"

The door opened and I saw Soda. He looked pretty happy until he saw my face. He slowly walked over and sat on my bed.

"Elle, what's wrong?" He asked, rubbing my back.

"I-don't worry about it, it's nothing." I wiped off my dry tears and tried to recollect myself.

"Well, it has to be something." He said. I sighed

"My mom is moving, to Chicago, and I'm not going with her." I said, I honestly didn't know how to feel. Glad I wasn't, or sad I wasn't. Either way, I felt like crying more, but I didn't let myself.

"Elle...I'm sure she'll call. You'll see her sometimes." He said, but that wasn't assuring me in the slightest.

"How 'bout we go on a walk, and you can relax a bit, alright?" He suggested.

"Is my mom downstairs?" I asked. I didn't want her to see me like this. 

"No, her and my mom went out together to 'talk' and I think I know about what." Soda said. I nodded, it was kind of obvious. It was about me, what's going to happen to me.

Soda waved his hand in front of my face to snap me out of my daze. I didn't even realize I had zoned out for that long.

"Sorry." I said.

"It's alright, let's just go." He said.

"Okay." I got up and started walking to the door. Sodapop got up and followed. I was scared to think about what would happen. What if I couldn't stay with the Curtis' anymore? The thought haunted me. 

Published February 5th, 10:02 AM EST

1163 Words