Just yours?

Chapter 17

"Guys we are taking you home in Soda's car," I called out to my friends who were already on there way. It was pretty chilly for July night. The breeze went up my uncovered legs and I slightly shivered. I'm guessing it was a mid to low sixties. My skirts were short by most standards but I wasn't one to be super conservative. My legs were the best part about me if I'm being honest. Being tall could be advantage but not in high shoes where I became almost Sodapop's height.

"Really? Thanks Soda, it's cold out and we really don't know where we are going," Martha walked back straight to the car. It wasn't a very nice car but it would have to do. Brooklyn on the other hand looked at it funny, almost as she expected to see some nice car that the socs drive. Ignoring them I hopped into the passenger seats while my friends all climbed into the back.

"Where we headed to?" Sodapop pulled out of the driveway and stopped. The closest house was Madeline's I assumed, but I had no idea how to get there from this house.

"Madeline, you don't live too far do you?" I asked. It was pointless because I knew she wouldn't bet familiar with the neighborhood.

"I guess so and I really have no idea where we are," She looked around but it was hard to see. It was dark and quiet, and I couldn't remember how late it was.

"You guys don't leave too far from here, just get into the car and let's drive. I'm sure we will find it. What's your address?" They all shared there addresses but from here I didn't know how to get there.

"I know where to go. It's behind the DX and you keep driving straight and you hit that neighborhood. You guys all live in the same one?" Soda asked, and indeed they did. I used to live there until I moved on the other side of town. The houses were the same average size, we moved because we couldn't stand our neighbors.

"Yeah we all do. You sure you know where you are going?" Brooklyn whispered something else to Madeline but I didn't hear it. Madeline only nodded.

"What's up," my nosey self asked. Something had to be wrong for them not to say it out loud. My best guess was that they were probably talking trash about the greasers they met.

"Oh um...we were just complaining about Dallas. You actually like that guy?" Soda snapped his head toward me after the strong emphasis Brooklyn put on "like". The last thing I needed right now was for Soda to be questioning me yet again. However I could easily cover it up.

"Well Dally can be kind of an annoying bother but he's fine to talk to sometimes. He's an okay friend," Hopefully the word friend would put Sodapop at ease.

"Oh it's just because he doesn't know you guys. Dallas around his pals is a lot more pleasant than him talking with strangers." I reassured them. 

"Well Valerie, we all know you thin-" I cut Madeline off, not in the mood to talk about Dallas with my own boyfriend here.

"Okay Brooklyn, we are here. You all can just walk the rest home?" Brooklyn bounced out of the car without a good bye. The others quickly followed. Personally I have had it with their actions but Sodapop either didn't notice or didn't care. 

"Thanks Sodapop," Martha thanked him, the only one who bothered to be polite. She ran to catch up with the other girls who had bolted already. I sighed, knowing that this encounter had been pretty horrible and my friends will never be seeing Soda and his friends again. Of course I would talk to them later and already knew that they  would probably talk a whole lot of trash about Soda among themselves and give me a fake approval to my face. But at the end of the day, anything my friends could tell me was stuff I already knew or didn't care about. Heck, I didn't even care about my own parents opinions at all. 

I look at the boy in front of me and wonder why I let myself downgrade to grease level. The thing is that it wasn't really a downgrade at all. Sodapop Curtis was one of the most respectable men I had ever met. Yet many girls wouldn't dare give Sodapop a second look no matter how cute he was, just for the fact he was a dropout and a greaser. Right then it hit me why I was with Sodapop Curtis, because he gave up on greaser girls and everyone else maybe flirted with him while he was at work but they would go home to their khaki button up douche-bag boyfriend on the South side of town.  It was beyond dumb nobody would ever think highly of him but at the same time I was glad that I was the only one who could see past it. My friends and I weren't socs nor greasers, but somehow the system was effecting all of us just the same. 

"So...what are we going to do?" Sodapop broke the silence, and also my really deep thinking trance I was in. Sodapop drove down on the way towards my house. I didn't want to say good bye just yet.

"We can talk to each other in my backyard. Behind the swimming pool. " That way my parents couldn't catch us.

"Really? We could just go in the swimming pool?" Soda joked. 

"It's fucking freezing out Sodapop," I remarked. "Yeah about what happened last week, I'm sorry" I huffed, knowing he should be the one apologizing but at this point I didn't care. 

Sodapop put his arm around me, "Look Valerie, it was all me. But there's something else," His voice trailed off, which led me confused. 

"I'm not sure what I want. I'm really busy with work and ya know, Pony needs me too. Maybe we can hang out soon and then I can decide whether I still want to see you Valerie. I know I'm being dramatic but I won't let what happened to me happen again," He sighed, his words making me feel empty. I wanted to tell him he was idiot for not trusting me, but at this point I had lost all will to argue. 

"Well if hanging out if what your so hung up on, come over tomorrow. My parents will be out working all day and you can come over once your done with your day at the DX. It seems your so eager to use the pool we might as well," I smiled knowing I just was looking for an excuse to see Sodapop shirtless. 

"Sure thing Valerie. I think you should get inside now. Tomorrow then," He pulled me into a hug and gave me a kiss on the forehead. 

"Love ya," He said before turning away. I just nodded, because I knew there was a big difference between "love you" and " I love you" 

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