The Outsiders: Before My Time Sequel | Sodapop

Bri's Nightmare

I came home with our food, and together Lillian and I watched Mean Girls and we continued to talk about what had happened. I kept thinking that I should have handled it a different way, but Lillian assured me that I didn't do anything wrong.

Eventually Lillian had to go home since she had work in the morning, so I went out again for another drive shortly after she left. Blasting my favorite music to fill my ears while driving on the highway or around the nearby lakes was a great way I like to relieve stress.

I soon found myself driving around in hopes that I'd see Soda again, but I didn't. Eventually I turned around and headed back home. Even when I got inside the apartment, Soda wasn't there. I tried to imagine that he was in our room, sound asleep as if our argument had never happened. At this point, it was so late that he probably wouldn't come back until morning, just like he said.

I kicked my shoes off and walked into the kitchen. I wasn't tired enough to try to sleep yet, because I knew that I'd just lay there thinking about him. I made myself a cup of tea with milk and honey, and sat on the couch. I leaned against the arm of the couch as I sipped on my tea, and I finished off the candy that Lillian had brought over. I watched some episodes of my favorite television show to try to cheer myself up.

I regretted what I said. I really did. I wish that Soda was here with me right now. I can force him to watch TV with me and I would feed him pieces of the freshly popped popcorn and I would twirl my beautiful engagement ring around my finger as I laid awake dreaming about how beautiful our lives together will be.

Even though it had only been a few hours, I missed him. I missed seeing his face, I missed holding his hand, his arms around my waist. I missed him.

If only I knew where he was.

I eventually turned the TV off and put my empty mug away before I walked to mine and Soda's bedroom. I flicked off all the lights and fell down into the bed. I haven't slept alone in so long. The room was darker, it was quieter, and it was eerie. I didn't have Soda's light snoring or heavy breathing to fall asleep to

In the middle of the night, I woke up from a nightmare. I dreamt that Soda and I were on a cliff, having a picnic. Soda wanted me to take his picture, and as I was getting the camera ready, he got too close to the ledge and he slipped. I fell to my stomach and reached out for him, just in time to catch his hand. He kept looking at me, with pleading eyes and asking, "why are you doing this to me?" on repeat before he slipped through my fingers and plummeted to the bottom of the endless cliff.

I sat up straight, catching myself in mid-scream. My pajamas were covered in cold sweat, and my heart felt like it was about to pop out of my chest. I did not realize I was clutching the sheets with my fists until I relaxed. I thought that even my neighbors could hear my heart beating. Whenever I have nightmares, Soda just cuddles me back to sleep. Just like he does with Ponyboy. It's actually really relieving, it helps so much.

"Soda—" I reached my arm to shake Soda awake.

But he was not there.

I forgot. I was not sure how I could forget. I shivered and bunched the sheets to my neck as I laid back down, and tried to fall back to sleep. It was difficult without the man I was to spend the rest of my life not being there with me.