The Outsiders: Before My Time Sequel | Sodapop

Meeting Steven

July 27, 2017

Lillian and I kept texting throughout the night to discuss our unique situation. We came to a mutual agreement that we should keep the boys a secret for obvious reasons and to not release them out in their own. I was just so anxious about the whole thing. We added Jenni in the conversation too but she never responded. She probably went to sleep.

Lillian said that she would start on the Time Machine plans first thing in the morning, she had mixed emotions about the gang being here. She was excited and happy, yet worried and nervous. I know them very well, and I have a little more faith in them than she does. It'll just take time for them to adjust. If I had the opportunity to be given lessons on the 60s before I actually went there, I would have greatly appreciated that. Instead, I was thrown to the wolves. I managed, but by the skin of my teeth.

Lillian told me that it took well over a year to get these plans just perfect the first time after spending many years before that just gathering her research. She estimated that it would take about eight to eleven months to complete it the second time. I wasn't sure why it would take so long, but I took her word for it. I can imagine building a whole Time Machine would take a lot of time and effort.

We agreed that the guys could not stay with us for forever. We needed them to get their own place, which meant that we had to help them find jobs. It was difficult for me to come to terms with this, because of how kind Darry was to me by letting me live with him. He never kicked me out or made me pay rent, and that was exactly what I was doing to him. If I lived alone, it would be fine. However, I live with my entire immediate family, they would not be so inviting with letting strangers live in our house.

We had plans to put all of them into school, which would be hard to talk them into. I was planning to talk to Soda about finishing high school, but the information we learn in school now is more difficult than in 1965. I know he can manage, he is a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for. Luckily, it's still the middle of summer so I still have time to talk to him about it.

In the morning, my first stop was the bathroom. I washed my face and criticized my bun that had been ruined during the night. I took it out and brushed through the knots and tangles before I went into the kitchen and made myself a bowl of cereal. I took my breakfast to the couch and laid a blue blanket over my legs as I scrolled through social media just to kill time.

Soda was the first to wake up. He opened the door to the guest room slowly, it made the hinges creak quietly. He scanned the living room with tired eyes until he saw me. He came out of the bedroom while shutting the door and he walked up to the couch with a warm but groggy smile.

"Good morning." I smiled as I took a bite of my oats.

"Morning," he said back in his deep morning voice. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, what about you?"

"A lot better than I expected," he chuckled.

"Want anything to eat? I'll make you something. We've got cereal, milk, eggs..."

"Nah, I'm not hungry," he replied. He sat on the couch right next to me.

"Okay. If you get hungry or anything, the kitchen is always open," I offered.

"This is where you live, huh?" He asked, looking around. My house has a different layout than Lillian's. My living room and kitchen are open to each other on the ground floor. There's a laundry room off of the kitchen across from a small bathroom. By the front door is the dining table, and across the room we have a sliding door that leads out to the back porch.

Soda opened his arms up and they were resting along the back of the couch. "I had always tried to picture what your home looked like. It wasn't nothin' like this. I still don't exactly understand everything that happened... but I'm glad it did."