Sunburn (Stevepop)

Ch 1- Sunburnt

Steve rejoined the gang as he and Sodapop finished their walk back from work that day. Everybody was at the Curtis's. When more than half of them are in one place, the rest kind of file in after a while. Since it was Summer, Ponyboy and Johnny were already home, then Darry came home from work, and Dally came to see Johnny, and Two-bit showed up behind Dallas. Steve flung the door open complaining about a sunburn he got on his shoulders and biceps while at work.
"If ya put on sunblock like I told you-" Darry started.
"Yeah yeah, whatever Superdope.." Steve interrupted him.
Two walked into the main room with a muffin sticking out of his mouth that dropped when he saw Steve.
"Damn! Who traded a giant red apple in for our friend Steve?" he laughed loudly. He wasn't exaggerating either, those bright pink burns were clear as day on his otherwise pale skin.
"Aw, cram it!"
Ponyboy stared down at the muffin on the ground and wondered where he got it. Two-bit walked to Steve with his head held high.
"Ya know, Steve, I read once-"
"Bullshit," he laughed, "You haven't read a thing in your life."
Two raised his hand high and slapped his bright red shoulder, making Steve cry out loud in pain.
"As I was sayin'" Two said, watching him wince, "I read you can get rid of a sunburn by eatin', like, a ton of hot peppers 'n' wasabi 'n' shit like that."
Soda chimed in from his seat he'd taken in the kitchen, chuckling, "You're an idiot, Two-bit!"
"No no no no," he said, looking to Soda and wrapping an arm around Steve softly, "It makes the inside a' your body hotter than the outside, so naturally your skin gets colder to keep the balance goin'. Organs are smart like that, 's the same sorta process that goes into killin' cancer cells."
Two-bit tried to sound smart by using fake science to back himself up. It was working pretty well; some even say he's a genius...
Ponyboy could have immediately gotten up and explained the hundred reasons why that's incredibly wrong, but he doesn't like to interfere with Two's mastery for anybody that isn't Johnny or sometimes Sodapop, or Cherry Valance that one time.
Obviously Steve looked straight to Pony to see if he was gonna argue with it, but he just kept his eyes on that muffin on the ground. That was proof enough to him that Two actually knew something.
So Two-bit treated Steve, Sodapop, and Dallas to a night at a restaurant. He spent the whole night swiping peppers from the plates of other people's tables. Finally he brought 2 heaping handfuls of hot peppers to Steve. The three of them cheered as they were set down in front of him and he looked on with skepticism.
Dallas watched in disbelief, almost impressed as Steve started eating them one by one. Sodapop kept muttering "man, stop that!" and "Steve you're gonna die!" but nobody could understand it past his mad laughter. Two was just smirking and cocking an eyebrow, all the while the small pile shrunk and shrunk.
"E-excuse me, are those yours?" a waitress asked from behind them.
They should have realized they'd be caught. Sodapop and Two were louder than the music playing on the speaker in there, and Steve was bright pink all over and whining like a baby.
"Yup," Dally answered her.
"Are you sure? Other customers are complaining-"
"Listen, sweetie..."
Dallas and the waitress argued for another few minutes, Dal randomly spurting out dirty things that made Two laugh even though neither he or the waitress were. Finally the manager had to come and kick them out.
"AND STAY OUT!" She screamed as they were all shoved out the front door.
"Make me!" Two-bit yelled as Dallas flipped them off with both hands.
Soda and Steve were trying to not draw attention to themselves.
After a few moments of silence while they listened to Two-bit and Dallas yelling, Sodapop spoke up awkwardly.
"Conditioner helps a sunburn, ya know. Rub it in, like lotion, on the burn, 'n' it won't peel so bad."
Steve gave him with a puzzled look, "What?"
Soda rolled his eyes and repeated, "Rub hair conditioner on-"
"I meant why are you telling me that, stupid."
"Oh. Well, I mean... Some of us don't actually want you to suffer that much, man."
Steve laughed nervously, "Yeah, whatever."
Soda listened to Steve complain a little about Two-bits dumb prank as they walked home. They always listened to each other, even stupid stuff like that. Best friends are contractually obligated to, but they didn't mind.
"How're ya burns feelin', little buddy?" Two asked Steve before they both left to their own houses for the night.
"Feels like I need a new friend," he growled, punching him in the arm.
They all walked each other to their houses together, since it's safer that way. Dallas walked by himself by the end though, saying if he got jumped he'd be fine on his own.
Steve waved Dally and Two-bit bye as he walked into his house. It was a little earlier than usual, since they got kicked out of the restaurant, so his dad was awake. He hounded him about getting sunburns, but he just ignored it. He collapsed into bed within 15 seconds of being home. That's not to say he actually slept anywhere near then though.