The Outsider Experience

Kat's POV. Chapter 9

It almost seemed unreal that for the next few weeks me and Soda were spending a lot of time together. We went to the races, to the DX, the drive in, you name it! We were having so much fun together just hanging out as friends. I started to think though, that this friendship was going farther than being just buddies. More importantly, I wanted it to go farther. The biggest problem was, I didn't know what was holding me back from telling him. Maybe it was the fear of rejection, or the fear of being unsure of how long the relationship would last. All I knew was that at the moment, I was head over hills. Things got serious one night at the DX. We were sitting in the back of a pickup truck that he had been working on for the past week. The garage door was open to where we could see the sunset. "You know," Soda said. "Ponyboy is ALWAYS talking about sunsets like these. He's really

passionate and smart you know. I was never real smart. That's why I dropped out. But, Pony, he's got something special. He's a real good kid." I nodded in understanding. "Mack's that way too. She's mostly passionate about music though. She's pretty smart too. She's also got a good voice, and she's a little cocky sometimes. But, she's a real good sister and I love her to death." "She sounds pretty cool," Sodapop turned his head from the sunset to me and smiled. "But, I think I like the other McHolden sister much better." I turned my head to face him and fixed my gaze upon his. "I think I like the other Curtis brother way better too." "Darry?" he joked. I laughed and replied, "No he's way too uptight. I think I like the one with a reckless grin and chiseled chin." He smirked and leaned in. We were so close to our lips touching and my heart beat out of my chest. "WOAH!" Steve burst in

yelling as usual. "Was I interrupting something?" Sodapop jumped up and grabbed Steve around the neck. They started wrestling on the garage floor and I laughed so hard I thought I might die. When Sodapop finally got rid of Steve, he jumped back on the truck. We sat there for a few awkward moments until I finally broke the silence. "So Dallas has been trying to impress Mack for a few weeks now. Maybe she'll finally go steady with him." I giggled at the thought of my sweet, innocent, sister going out with Dallas Winston; the toughest, meanest, guy in all of Tulsa. Sodapop's eyes met mine as he said the most wonderful words I had heard in a long time. "Maybe we should go steady."