Snapshot // Sodapop and Dallas

Chapter 2

"I love you Lilly. But I have to go." I explained while picking up my suit cases.
   "Where Henna? Where are you going to go?" She pleaded. I didn't answer. I didn't know how. I didn't know where I was going. I just knew I needed to leave.
   "I'll call you when I find a place to stay. I promise." She hugged me one last time and with that I turned around and walked outside to my car. I was ready to drive, drive until something stopped me.
It began to rain as I crossed into Oklahoma borders. It started as a light drizzle but as time passed it picked up into a storm. I reached Tulsa and decided to pull over at the small DX and take shelter. The garage was open and I saw a young man in there. I got out and proceeded to yell at him.
"Hey!" I yelled as I began to soak up the rain. "Hey!" I screamed a little louder and this time my voice cracked in mid scream, but he heard me. He motioned me to come inside and I hopped back in my car and drove in.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but the storm was getting bad so I needed to take shelter." I explained myself as he came around the corner. I realized he was much younger than I first thought.
"No it's okay. Glad you're safe. I'm Sodapop." He introduced.
I admired him for a small moment. He was stunning in a very obvious way. His dark blonde hair was flat from the rain and he had small droplets of rain dripping down his perfectly structured face.
"I'm.. uh" I stuttered. He chuckled and looked at the ground before coming back and meeting my eyes again.
"That a hard one?" He joked.
"No." I laughed softly. "My names Hendrix. But I usually go by Henna."
"Well Henna, lets go inside the shop. I've got some snacks and drinks in there and we can wait till this storm passes." He motioned me to follow him and I did without much thought. Normally I wouldn't follow a stranger into a store by myself when I had no way of leaving. But I trusted him somehow.
"So Henna, where you from?" He asked opening a Coke and sliding it to me.
"California." I smiled as a quick thank you for the drink. He raised his every brows as a quick sign of shock.
"Wow. Why'd you come to this place?"
"I wanted to drive until something stopped me. Then I planned on staying and making a home." I answered honestly. I took a small drink of my cola. I hadn't had one since I was a kid and I forgot how the bubbling sensation felt traveling down my throat. I missed Coke.
"So here."
"What?" I asked.
"You're staying here right? I mean, God made you stop didn't he?" I stopped for a second and thought. Maybe he was right. Maybe this is where God wanted me. Maybe this is where I was meant to be.
"Yeah." I replied quietly. "Yeah I am."
He smiled and somehow became even more attractive. "Good. I could get used to seeing you around here."
I chuckled embarrassed and looked down at my now almost empty coke bottle.
   Hours went by and Sodapop and I continued learning about each other. I learned about his dead parents and he learned about mine. He told me about his younger and older brother and I told him I had a younger brother. He said I had to meet his friends soon because I'd love them.
   "Oh my goodness. It stopped raining?!" I glanced out the glass door and saw nothing but sunshine.
   "It stopped about an hour and a half ago actually." I turned my head quickly and saw him laughing.
   "Why didn't you tell me!" I laughed and softly hit his chest. He smiled at my response.
   "Just wanted to keep this moment alive as long as I could." His words made my face turn a deep red. I shook away the blush and laughed softly.
   "So are you taking me to meet these friends of yours or what?" I giggled. He made me a bit more outgoing than I normally was. I wasn't a quiet person. I was goofy and sarcastic. But I also didn't tend to get in trouble very often. I never drank or did drugs and I made good grades. I was nice to everyone I didn't know and was jokingly mean to the few friends I had. I cussed when I was trying to be funny and make people laugh, but if I was angry I never cussed because it seemed wrong somehow. I'm strange that way.
   "Of course. Would you like to stay for dinner?" He invited me as we began to walk out the store.
   "That would be amazing. Are you sure your brothers won't mind?" I wasn't going to refuse a good offer but I didn't want to intrude.
   "Nah, they'll be happy to see a pretty face. Only people we have over is the gang." The word gang still made me a shiver and ounce but one again I trusted Sodapop Curtis.
   "Okay, let me grab my camera real fast. Never know what you might see." I said and ran off to my car in the garage.
   We walked casually chatting until we arrived at his house. It was old and run down and exactly what I picture three greaser boys living in. I grinned at the sight of his house. It wasn't much, but it was a home and it had the feeling that made you feel welcome.
   We walked in with Sodapop leading us. "Y'all this Hendrix. But she goes by Henna. She's a friend I made just a few hours ago." I smiled at the boys. There were six of them, seven counting Sodapop. I could tell which ones were which by how he described them. Sodapop was very detailed when explaining things and he did his friends justice.
   "Let me guess." I said grinning. "Ponyboy And Johnny Cade." They grinned shyly at me and nodded. "You're definitely Two-bit." I laughed and he did too. "Steve. Darrel." They both did quick nods and smiled at me. "And you must be Dally." I said to the scary young man with his head down. I couldn't see his face. I waited for a response but didn't get one. I looked over at Sodapop and he shook his head telling me not to worry.
   "It's very nice to meet you Henna. Will you be staying for dinner?" Darrel asked me politely.
   "Sodapop invited me, but if I'm a burden I don't have to."
   "Of course you aren't a burden. We'd love for you to stay." I grinned at him and followed him to the kitchen to help him cook.
   After getting the casserole in the oven I began to set the table. I looked into the living room at the boys and admired them. They were different, strange, and fearlessly stunning. And I thought for second how Tulsa might just be the home I was searching for.