The Outside of the Glass (The Outsiders FF)

Chapter 2

When Soda and Steve finished working on the car, we ditched the DX and went to the burger joint across the street. I walked in between the boys, Steve on my left and Soda on my right, as we walked down the street. Steve slipped my hand into his and walked backwards, in front of me.

"Soda, I don't know how you live under the same roof as your fine lookin' daredevil kid sister and not have a small crush." Steve winked. I giggled. I knew he was just trying to get under Soda's skin, and it worked.

"Gross, Steve!" Soda wrinkled his nose. "She may be my adopted kid sister, but she's still family." I frowned. I knew Soda wasn't in the best of moods, today, but no one ever brings up the fact that I was adopted.

Steve's eyes flickered from Soda to me. Then, Steve tried to get my mind off is.

"I'll race you to the burger place?" Steve challenged me.

"You're on!" I grinned. We both lined up an imaginary line.

"Ready, set-" Steve took off in a sprint.

"Hey!" I yelled, trying to catch up. Before I could, however, Steve stormed into the restaurant. I followed, close behind, and scanned the busy room for Steve. I found him sitting in a booth in the corner of the room, a smirk spread across his face. I rolled my eyes, walking over to him. He slid over to allow me room. I sat beside him, trying to catch my breath as I felt my heart pumping.

"Not fair, cheater!" I grumbled.

"Arie, I wasn't even running fast." He said with a chuckle.

"Yes you were!" I objected. He shook his head and took my hand, holding it to his chest. His heart felt normal, like he hadn't just ran faster than me to get here first. My heart, on the other hand, was beating so fast you would think I just ran a marathon. The entire time my hand was pressed to Steve's chest, I was looking at my hand, focusing on his heartbeat. Steve, however, was watching me, carefully. I looked up into his dark blue eyes and we both smiled at each other.

Just then, Soda walked over to our table and sat across from us, a waiter following close behind him. I put my hand down, blushing. I hope the boys didn't notice.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Our waiter asked.

"Coke all the way around." Steve said. The waiter wrote it down on his notepad. Why did he look familiar?

"Are you ready to order?"

"Yeah, I want two hamburgers and fries." Soda spoke. How he manages to eat so much and stay in such good shape is beyond me.

"I want three cheeseburgers." Steve said. Steve eats just as much as Soda and stays looking fit, as well. Again, how they do that is beyond me. "And the little lady would like a cheeseburger with fries." Steve finished. I gave him a look as the waiter walked away. I am, by no means, "little". I'm taller than most girls in the neighborhood. Also, I have short, brown hair and bright green eyes. I'm kind of tan, too.

"After we leave, I have to go pick up Ponyboy from school." Soda said.

"Arie, if you don't want to go with him I can take you home. I was going to run by there, anyway." Steve offered.

"Thanks, Steve. I would like that." I said. I didn't have to ask why Steve was going to go to my house. He never goes for a certain reason. He just goes because he's board and has nothing to do.

"Look, Aire, I'm sorry about what I said, earlier. I'm just not in the best of moods. And with Pony's health dropping, I'm not sure what's going to happen." Soda said. "I'm just worried about him."

"We all are, Soda" Steve told him. Soda looked at the table.

"Yeah, I know." Soda mumbled. "I feel really bad about what I said, though."

"Why? It's true. I'm adopted." I shrugged.

"But that doesn't matter." Soda looked at me. "It doesn't matter that your adopted. What matters is that you're a part of our family now and I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's fine, Soda. Don't worry yourself about it. You've got enough on your shoulders as it is." I said.

The waiter walked over and gave each of us our meal. We ate in silence until there was no food left on any of our plates. Soda stood and Steve wiggled his way around me.

"Steve and I are gonna smoke." Soda said. I nodded. I've only smoked one time in my life: after I had been jumped by a group of Socs. Soda and Steve tracked those boys down and gave them the beating of their life. I still have the scars. I shivered at the thought.

Steve handed me some money.

"This was on me." He said. "Thanks, Steve." I smiled. He grinned back and walked off as Soda handed him a cigarette.

I sat at the booth for a little longer than necessary. It may not have been too quiet in the restaurant, but it was perfectly silent in my head, I liked that.

After sitting there for about five minutes, I stood and walked across the room, handing the cashier the money Steve gave me on the way out. I shoved what little bit of change that I got back into my back pocket.

When I stepped outside, the cold air nipped at my skin. I shoved my hands in my pockets. That's when I heard shouts.

I looked up and saw a group of Greasers surrounding a fight. I groaned and made my way to the flight, hoping Soda and Steve weren't involved. Sure enough, I saw Soda trying to fight off two other Greasers. I rolled my eyes.

Soda was shoved into me. I looked up at him.

"Soda, what the heck?!" I demanded, watching blood ooze out of his nose.

"They started it!" He said. I helped him to straightened up, and I saw Steve attempt to knock one of the other guys over, but the boy just sat on top of Steve and reached his hand out to the other guy. The Greaser standing a few feet away from me pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket. Panic rose in me.

"Steve!" I screamed as I launched myself at the boy with the blade. Having a weapon while the opponent is left unarmed is left unarmed is a sign of a coward.

I, successfully, knocked the Greaser over while the other got off of Steve and grabbed my throat. I struggled to breath and what little breath I did breath smelt like alcohol. Steve punched the boy in the face, causing him to release me. My body fell to the ground as I gasped for air. Soda had jumped the boy I tackled.

I looked around and found the switchblade on the ground, just an inch from where I lied. I snatched it up and stood, pointing the blade at the fight. Forget what I said about being a coward. This had to stop.

"Hey!" I yelled, trying to get their attention. It didn't work, so I walked over to the guy Soda was fighting and held the blade to his throat. Soda backed away.

"Tell your friend to back down." I said in a low but demanding voice. He nodded, but we heard police sirens before anything could happen.

"Go! Run!" Steve yelled. Me and Soda would be put in a home if the police caught us. Besides, if Steve makes it look like it was a two-on-one fight, he shouldn't be taken in.

Soda and I took off in a sprint towards the house, running into Ponyboy on the way there. Soda grabbed his arm and started running faster.

"What the-" Pony's words were cut off by Soda's panicked voice.

"We'll explain later!" He heaved. I grabbed Ponyboy's free hand as we ran back to the house.

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Second chapter! This kind of gives you an idea of Steve and Arie's relationship. What did y'all think? :)