"baby, please don't cry"
Candice "Candy Cane" Marshall hasn't seen or talked to any of her friends in a long time. Dallas and Johnny are gone and she's terrified to face the fact that Steve and Sodapop may have met their fates in Vietnam. But when t...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
TW: PTSD
Pony and Cathy were the first ones to leave. Two-Bit bummed out a few minutes later to go and get some more beer. Twenty minutes later, Steve made his way to Sodapop's old room-- the same room I stayed in after me and Johnny Cade got jumped-- and passed out. Darry finally said he was going to hit the hay, too, and told me I was more than welcome to stay as long as I wanted, but I told him I was about to head out, too. By that point, I couldn't stop yawning.
Sodapop walked me outside and we both just stood on the front porch for a little while. It was quiet and chilly, but Sodapop didn't seem to notice because he still didn't have a shirt on. I noticed how much skinnier he was now. He was skinny and toned. Still, Sodapop had a cigarette hanging out his mouth. I'd never seen him smoke so much before. Used to be, he'd only smoke if he was real anxious or if he was just trying to look cool.
"I'm glad you came tonight," he said after we'd stood on the porch for maybe five minute in silence.
I turned to him, smiling. "I am, too," I told him.
Without looking at me, he took my hand in his and laced our fingers together. I noticed him relax significantly. His shoulders slumped and he seemed so calm now. I hadn't realized just how tense he was.
"You okay?" I asked him.
He turned to me and nodded. He never broke out into a smile, but somehow I knew he was happy then. He was, at the very least, content in the moment.
"Yeah," he said, blowing smoke. "I'm great."
He finally let his mouth twitch up into a smile and I returned it lazily. I was so tired, but I couldn't make myself leave.
"You should stay," he said.
"I have to work tomorrow," I said, letting out an unnecessary pout.
"Please?" he said.
I couldn't say no. He wasn't really even begging, either.
"Alright," I said finally.
I let Sodapop finish his cigarette before we moved back inside and toward the room he and Ponyboy used to share.
Sodapop flipped on the light and shut the door. His duffle bag was still sitting on his bed. He dug through it until he found an old tshirt and his sweatpants and set them aside. He dug through it once more and pulled out another old shirt and some boxers. He handed those to me and I moved down the hall to get changed.
When I came back, Soda was standing back to the door and he was just in a pair of sweatpants.
"You alright?" I asked him. He turned to me but didn't look at me, as he was focused on his tags.
"They give these to you so they can identify your body if they find you."
