Snapshot // Sodapop and Dallas

Chapter 26

We were back at the Curtis house. This was the day Soda and I broke up the first time when Sandy came back. That day was like a stain in my memory I couldn't wash clean. I remember the way everything smelled and felt. It was the day I thought for the first time that Soda and I may not be soulmates. A thought that scared me to death. 

"This is ten seconds after you walked out that door," Ariel said.

"I ran so fast," I started. "If Johnny hadn't had stopped there's no telling where I'd be right now." Just as I finished Darry walked in the door and Soda came running out.

"Woah, little buddy where are you going?" Darry asked grabbing Soda.

"I let her go, Darry." He was still crying and there were wet droplets on his DX shirt. "I let her go. I said I was in love with Sandy, but its not the same love." He was frantic and I had never seen him this worked up. "Darry what do I do?" He asked through the tears. 

"Easy Pepsi-cola. Take a breath." Darry figged his brother and Ariel and I watched quietly. 

"He was always so good to them," Ariel started. "I often think if I had made a better decision, Dallas would have been better off in the hands of Darrel too." 

"I love her Darry. I want her." Soda repeated this over and over and finally I started to cry too. 

"This isn't helping me!" I cried out to Ariel. "I love them both! They both love me! How do you pick between that?" She held my hand and lifted my chin up. 

"You still don't see it do you?" She asked. I shook my head. I was confused and hurt. And finally she explained herself.

"Look at him," she commanded and I looked over. I hadn't noticed that he had stopped crying. Darry had comforted him calmed him down. Without saying anything to me, Ariel set her hand on my face again. 

"Damn it!" I heard Dallas scream. I opened my eyes and we were in his room. 

"When is this?" I asked. 

"The day you were jumped and he saved you. He was so scared he was too late," she said and I watched Dallas throw his bedside table against the wall. The legs broke off and scattered about in the floor. He was crying. He put his head in his hands and stayed there for a moment. 

"This is just because I was jumped?" I asked. 

"He was terrified. When he found you the boy was about to do horrific things to you. He almost saw it happen and it scared him more than anything the world ever has," she spoke softly as we watched her son fall apart just as Soda had done. But nobody came to save him. Nobody came to pick him up and promise him I would be okay, that he would be okay. 

"I understand," I said sternly. 

"They're both good to me. Great to me. I need both of them, but only one of them needs me." I turned and looked at Ariel. She smiled at me. Her smile was warm like Sodapop's. It made me smile. 

"Take care of my boys," she said and then she put both her hands on my face again. This time we didn't move, we didn't leave, I just felt water start to fill my lungs. I coughed over and over and grabbed Ariel's shoulder's in an attempt to beg for help. She closed her eyes and all of the sudden there was nothing but bright light once again. I kept coughing and coughing. 

"Come on Henna! Come on baby girl!" I heard someone screaming but still couldn't see anything but light surround me. I coughed again and again. I felt like my lungs were on fire. Then for a split second, a minuscule moment, I saw my mother, my father, and my little brother. And then I opened my eyes. 

I was alive.