Fresh Start -Sodapop x Reader

Coffee

You
I shoved my book down onto the register counter and took a sip of my coffee. I had been asked to do an early morning shift, which I didn't mind at all, except for the fact that it was about 7:00 in the morning. I cried out slightly when the hot coffee burned my tongue. I didn't like the heat of the beverage combined with the heat of the summer, but I was too tired to care. I needed caffine.
When I heard some light talking in the garage, I turned and opened the door. Steve and Soda were standing next to each other, working on some car, like normal. My lethargic attitude quickly was washed away. I slowly tip-toed up behind Soda, who was shirtless and somewhat sweaty, getting ready for a sneak attack, and clung myself to him. He jumped a mile high, and I began laughing like crazy.
"Jesus Christ," he breathed out. To my dismay, he pried me off of him, so I stepped back a bit.
"Hey, you two. Sorry for scaring you, Soda. How are you guys?" I asked, taking another sip of my coffee and braving the heat.
"We're fine," Steve said, his eyes shifting between me and Soda. "Uh... you?"
"I'm okay, I guess. I slept awfully; practically living off of coffee at this point. I haven't been sleeping well recently." I heard Soda mumble something under his breath. "What?"
"Hmm?" He looked down at me. "Nothin'. Listen, we've gotta get back to work. Maybe I could, uh, talk to you, though? Like, inside?"
I nodded, my eyebrows furrowing. "Oh, o-okay."
He gave Steve a grim look as he walked into the store. I'm a lamb to the slaughterhouse, I thought, and he's about to drop the axe. I followed behind Soda, grabbing my coffee off of the counter as he shut the door. The metal slammed loudly, making me jump. Light music played from the radio, something by Elvis Presley.
"Listen, these last... Two weeks have been fun and all, but I don't..." He sighed. "I don't think this-- this relationship is going to work."
I gulped, looking down at my shoes. "Oh, r-really?"
"Yeah. We're just better as friends, I think. Y'know," Soda said, twiddling his thumbs.
"N-no, don't." I faked a small smile and shook my head. "It-- it's fine. You're right, anyways. Totally better as friends. S-so, uh, friends?"
He pursed his lips, giving me an oddly... angry look. "Yeah."
I turned towards the counter and sipped my coffee, looking looking away from Sodapop with hot eyes. I wiped away a tear before it could spill, and opened up my book. I looked down at my cast and sighed, seeing Soda's feet still standing there through my peripheral vision. His plain black work shoes and the cuffs of his oil-stained jeans were still.
I spat out, "Don't you have work to do?"
"Hey, don't you get pissy with me."
I darted my head towards him, seeing his livid expression. "Don't you tell me what to do." I slammed my book down on the table. "You're not my boyfriend anymore-- you don't get to tell me anything. Also, you were the one who broke up with me, so you don't get to be mad, either. You have no right."
My eyes widened when he stepped towards me, looking like he was going to start a fight. I backed up, but he still lingered over me lividly. "Now, you--"
"Soda," we both looked towards the door leading to the garage, seeing Steve standing there and giving him a warning look, "let's get back to work. Now." I let out the breath I was holding in so tightly.
Sodapop looked back at me, grinding his teeth together and staring into my soul. I tore my eyes away from his and averted them down to my shoes again. The door shut again, and I immediately broke down crying.

A week had passed since Soda and I broke up, and I was still feeling a little down when I headed out after my shift at the station. My arm, on the bright side, had been removed from its cast just yesterday. My new friend, Cherry came to pick me up from work in the new car her parents gave her. She noticed that I avoided Sodapop when I stepped into her car, since he and Steve were also leaving, and asked me about it upon our arrival at the drive-in.
I hesitated in responded, but eventually sighed. "He broke up with me last week. He said we were better as friends, but I don't think that's it."
"Well, what do you think it could be?"
"I have no clue. I'm over him, I guess-- I mean, I still like him-- but we were only together for, like, two weeks. He's just being really awkward around me. I haven't said a word to him or Steve, which I think is weird, since Steve loves talking to me." I looked over at her and smiled. "But enough about me. Did Roger call you since you and him..." I shot her a wink, and her face turned the color of her hair.
"Shut up." She giggled. "But yes, he has called. When he heads back down here this Thursday, I'll be seeing him a bit."
"A bit?"
"Okay, a lot." She looked up at the screen. "Oh, hey, the movie's starting."
I nodded and grabbed a handful of popcorn. And soon, my mind wandered back to Sodapop for a while.