Greased Up 2 - Life After Death - Sodapop Curtis

Chapter 10 FINAL

I stood outside in the blazing hot sun, sweat rolling off of my forehead. The rest of the men sat in the shade of their tents munching on stale sandwiches, chatting about battle stories or complaining.

I've been here for two months, its now August. I write to the gang whenever I can, and when I'm lucky I can get a phone call.

Ponyboy's grades finally improved due to this amazing paper he wrote, got him a straight A in that class. Apparently the paper is a big deal, publishers are looking at it now. I'm proud of Pony, he's gonna make something out of himself. I'm proud of him.

Darry got a promotion, and with me gone they have a bit more money. He tried not to brag whenever he wrote, but he couldn't help but be proud.

Steve found a nice girlfriend, Pony says he likes her. Other than that, he hasn't changed much.

Two-Bit finally got his car fixed after almost killing Steve and him. That put him a bit behind on money, since his mom wasn't the richest, he stayed with Darry and Pony a lot.

I like being in the army. Sure, it's scary. I risk my life everyday. But what's life without thrill? Its giving me a new look on life.

I still keep a picture of Kat with me. It a got some stains on it, but I can still see her beautiful face. I look at it some nights when I'm lonely.

The first time I brought out her picture, Jessy, someone who came with me, noticed.

"Who's that there?" Jessy asked leaning next to me on the bumpy bus. His shaved blonde hair shone in the light.

"Um, just an old friend." I said frantically, folding it up.

Jessy nodded and eyed me. "Girlfriend?"

"I wish."

"Where is she now?" Asked Jessy, clearly disappointed I didn't have any saucy stories to tell.

"Dead." My voice flat and lifeless. I never really said it out loud before.

I placed my finger on the pocket I held the photo in. Not a day went by that I didn't think about her. I felt like she was everywhere, in the rocks, sun, air. Sometimes I smell her when the wind blows.

A gunshot rang a few yards away from me.

"Everyone, take cover!" The sergeant yelled as he ran for his gun.

I grabbed mine and took shelter behind a boulder. I tried to keep my breath steady, but my mind was full of questions. Did the enemy find us? How? Who's the rat?

Jessy joined me behind my boulder. "Hey, man." He said, checking around the boulder.

"Hey." I saw twenty or more men flood in, shooting frantically at our soldiers. My heart raced.

One of the men caught sight of me and started shooting in our direction. I loaded my gun and moved for a split second to shoot, when I felt a pain in my stomach.

I glued myself to the boulder and looked down, blood was spilling out of my shirt. I lifted it up, and a fresh wound was just the the left of my belly button.

"J-jess." I mustered out.

Jessy looked down at me with wide eyes. "Oh, shit." He said. "I think you're supposed to apply pressure to it. Shit, shit, shit, its bleeding real bad, Soda. I think it hit an organ or sumthin'." He said.

I put my hand down forcefully on the wound, putting my head against the boulder in pain.

They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die, but mine was a slow slideshow.

Pony stretched his arms out, making airplane sounds as he raced around the living room. Mom and dad laughed at him as they laid on the couch together.

I played checkers with Darry, who always beat me. His half grin of satisfaction always made my blood boil.

The news of our parents death hit us hard when we all were in the living room, the wails echoed through the house.

Sandy and I kissed for the first time at the DX pump I claimed as my own. Her lips were soft and smelled like strawberries.

The countless cakes I ate in the morning slipped from my taste memory.

The first time I ever saw Kat that night, how her eyes were bloodshot and full of fear.

I saw how I fell in love with her. How her eyes made me melt, how her smile brightened my day, how dead she looked.

Her funeral.

Her ghost.

Her.

I choked on the blood that seemed to be coming up and out of my wound. I took out her picture, my hands shaking.

"Come on don't die on me, remember your promise?" Jessy said, his voice cracking.

I looked at Kat in the picture. My thumb smudged blood on her left cheek. Hot tears came rolling down my cheeks.

Everything got darker and darker, my head sliding down the boulder. Then her smell became stronger than ever.

"Come to me." I heard her whisper.

I saw her hand on my wound. She looked up at me and smiled.

I sobbed as I let go.

"I'm coming."

Yay the end! I know you all hate me. As you can tell I don't exactly sugar coat things. But anyway, I am still astounded of how many people are still reading Greased Up. I'm kind of disappointed that 42 thousand read part one, but only 2 thousand read this one. 40 thousand people couldn't care less what Soda did after her death I suppose.

But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and that you have a long, and happy life.