The Outsiders: Book Two

Pony's Wake-Up Call

Soda and Red sure seem to be getting along well. But Soda gets along with just about anyone, and girls get along with Soda because they liked him.

I sighed. Soda seemed to be everything I wasn't, in all the best ways. Sodapop was handsome, charming, and he knew how to use his head. He could melt girls like butter on a hot day, and here I was—awkward and kinda shy. I couldn't flirt with a girl if you gave me a manual on how to do it—which was exactly what I needed, a manual on girls. I at least wish I looked more like Soda, then it wouldn't really bother me so much that I was romantically challenged. Girls just didn't notice me.

I sat in my room for a long while, and when I looked outside, it seemed near dusk. Red sure had been gone a while. I decided to go and meet her, at least to make sure she was getting home okay—I wasn’t getting anything accomplished here anyway. If Soda was already there with her, that wouldn't matter either. He's got a girl anyway.

I slipped on my shoes and jacket and began trekking down the sidewalk, noticing my breath hanging like smoke in front of me, it was that cold. I shivered.

The grocery store was in view when I realized that I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Red, and she had a lot of hair to see, so that was saying something. She couldn't have been in the store that long, it's been several hours. I decided to go in and look anyway, and even asked the clerk. He said she was definitely there, he couldn't forget her if he tried to, and that she had left. He also told me that I'd been the second guy to ask about her. I wondered who the other was, but didn't ask, and just left.

I walked around for a while, it began to snow lightly, but that snow sure gathered on the ground fast, like powdered sugar on a donut. It began to get dark, and I could feel myself getting more tense as the sun sank into the horizon. Not only was Red missing, but so were the rest of the guys. I hadn't seen them since...since Soda brought me home from the Shepards' land. I shivered again, but I don't think it was from the cold this time.

I couldn't go home, as far as I knew, no one was there anyway, except Ricky, and he didn't make real good company—but only because nobody really knew him at all, and he only talked when he wanted to make a point. It was like he thought his words were special, and only deserved to be heard when he felt it so. Pompous words. Haha.

I wandered around like a lost dog after that, the sun was receding into the earth, and I didn't even think about where I was going until I heard a clattering noise, like metal falling.

I suddenly notice my surroundings, and zero in on the disturbance. The DX. A light is on in the garage, and there are continual clanging noises. Then it dawned on me it must be one of the guys! I mean, the only people that work there are Steve, Soda, and the manager, Jeb Pritchett. Pritchett is a pretty cool guy, he lets me help work on the cars sometimes, and has big parties in the garage every once in a while that Steve and Soda invite us to—not that I ever get to go, Darry hasn't let me since a couple of drunk guys went to the hospital because there was a fight, and they pulled some of the shop equipment on each other. I...think...they both lived.

I let out a sigh of relief and immediately began sprinting towards the station. Someone was in there mumbling to themselves. I poked my head around the corner, and didn't see anyone at first. My eyes surveyed the scene, and drifted to one of the cars in the lifts. I felt my jaw go slack as my gaze looked up there, saw who was in that car. Red, unmistakably—her head was leaning against the window, and her hair was pressed against it. But she shifted slightly, her face split in a grin with laughter, and I saw Sodapop. She was sitting on his lap. I realized no one had been mumbling to themselves at all, but that Red and Soda had been conversing animatedly, and their being in the car had muffled it.

I felt my heart split in two. I thought Sodapop had a girl. It occurred to me now what he might have meant. He had had his sights on a girl, and that girl had been Red. And it looked like he was winning—winning her. My heart sank, I had no chance against Sodapop—he was literally a girl's dream guy, then there was me, awkward and shy, not too good-looking. I felt resignation begin to sweep over me, but then it suddenly met by violent defiance.

I could be just as good as Soda. I wouldn't let Red slip away.

 All I needed was a plan. I left, feeling fiery and determined. I could win this.

A/N

Okay, my little Moonshiners, the next chapter is going to have major feels, I literally almost cried while writing it. And I don't cry. If you liked Red, you're not going to after it, but trust me, she's not a bad person. I don't think so, at least. Get a box of tissues. There are some really adorable parts, but still - tissues. Vote and follow, comment to tell me what you think! Bye x.x