A New Perspective

5

The car ride to the DX was a little bit hazy. We were all tired from not sleeping all night and trying to figure out what to do. We were all shook up about Ponyboy running away. I almost fell asleep on the car ride there. The old Ford slowed to a screeching halt, "Here you guys are. You'll get home okay, right?" Darry asked. Sodapop nodded and opened up the door. We walked over to the store half of the station and bought some coke and snacks.

We met Steve outside of the car repair shop. He didn't have anybody around, so he was cleaning himself up. "Hey, Sodapop, I thought you called in sick?" He hugged Soda, then waved at me. Sodas face softened to a sadder expression. I pulled Steve off to the side, "Listen Steve, Ponyboy and Darry got into an argument last night and Darry hit Pony. Ponyboy had run out of the house and he has Johnny with him.  They ran away and Dally gave them money and a gun. I couldn't find them anywhere."

Steve grimaced and returned to his shop. "Hey, Steve, any other plans for tonight?" Sodapop asked. "Not that I know of," Steve said, "Why?" "I was thinking you, me, and Pepsi all play poker or something. Go see a rodeo." I smiled, "I'm up for it." Steve agreed.

We were kinda unsure what to do now. Everybody was nervous and tired. I pulled Sodapop off to the side. "Soda, you don't look too hot. Maybe going to a rodeo is a bad idea. You need rest, and lots of it." I put my hand on his shoulder. He looked at my hand for a couple seconds, then embraced me in the strongest hug I've had in a long time. I hugged back.

I felt my shoulder get wet. Was he... crying? "I... I don't know what to d-do Pepsi. Ponyboy he's... he's missing and it scares the daylights outta me." Sodapop quietly spoke, his voice breaking in between his words. I quieted him down and hugged him for a long while. "We should go home. I'll call off the rodeo. And we can get some rest for once. Okay?" Soda looked at me, his eyes bloodshot and puffy and nodded. I walked over to Steve and told him Soda needed sleep and we were gonna call off the rodeo. "Seems reasonable to me Pepsi," he smiled, "head on home. I'll see you two around."

While Soda and I walked home we pulled off to the alleyway . Soda sat against the brick wall, and stared up at the clouds. It was pretty gloomy that day, almost as if the clouds were grieving with us. I sat next to Sodapop and looked into the sky as well. The clouds were a light shade of grey, and were swirling in unpredictable patterns. I sighed heavily and lit up a cigarette. I had taken a few hits off of it, until I went to take another and it wasn't lit anymore. That's when I noticed it had started to gently rain.

I looked at Sodapop, he was crying again. Soda must have felt me looking at him, because he looked back. I put my hand on his face and he leaned into it. I began to wipe the tears that were streaking down his face. He chuckled. "What's so funny?" I asked. "It's just that..." he paused, "you're acting so affectionate towards me all of a sudden." I smiled and hugged him. "Of course I am. I love you a lot Soda. I really do. I get hurt by seeing other people hurt."

Sodapop hugged back. He let go and kissed the top of my head. "I don't know what to do Pepsi. I want to find him. I do. But I can't. Nobody can." I rubbed his back, "I know Soda. We all want to find him." That's when I noticed a damp newspaper lying beside Sodapop. I could barely read the text because the ink was smudged from the rain. "Teenage Boy Found Murdered Dead in Park" I gulped and let go of Soda, taking hold of the pages.

"Today at 8:26 am, a teenage boy was found dead in the park. He had been stabbed three times in the stomach and once in the leg. A six inch, silver switchblade was found at the scene of the crime. Authorities are still on the lookout for the vigilante who committed this heinous crime."

I couldn't believe it. This article was about Jonathan Andrew Cade, the boy with shaggy hair, who was too scared to even defend himself, had made it in the paper for killing a kid. I shuddered at the thought of what Ponyboy had seen that night.

"Pepsi, let's go home. I'm tired, and cold." Soda said, pushing himself off the moistened ground. I stood up as well, beginning to walk back to the Curtis household. I must have been shivering, since Soda had taken off his flannel and draped it over my shoulders. I smiled from the warmth I had felt. My hair and my shirt were soaked in freezing water. You would have seen me and thought I'd have taken a bath with my clothes on.

I realized I had been holding onto Sodapop's arm. I let go hastily, "Sorry..." I said under my breath. Sodapop just smiled and gripped my hand, his fingers lacing between mine. I smiled, and continued walking back home.

We quickly pushed the door open and went inside. The door slammed shut loudly behind us. Sodapop jogged off to his shared room with Ponyboy and changed. When he came back out, he tossed me and oversized hoodie and sweatpants. "Here," he said, "put those on. It'll be warmer than a soaked shirt." I thanked him and walked into the bathroom. The hoodie was a deep maroon and hung a decent two inches below my fingertips. The sweatpants fell just below my ankles, but only because I had pulled them up high and tied them tightly.

I laid down on the couch, "Hey uh, Pepsi?" I opened my eyes, "Yeah Soda?" "You can... you can sleep with me. That is, if you want to. Might be nice to sleep in a real bed instead of a couch." I smiled. "Okay Soda." I stood up and walked over to the bedroom and laid down on the side closest to the window. Soda laid down next to me. We both drifted off to sleep.