hot chocolate [sodapop curtis]

CHP. 1

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CHAPTER ONE
TWO GIRLS, ONE BOY, AND A BROKEN HEART
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"James, could you help me with the door?" I asked while trying to turn the door knob with my slippery Doc. Martens. He hadn't responded, which I was very confused about because I saw his beat up truck in the driveway of his mothers house.

"James?" I called out, stepping through the door. It was strange that he hadn't responded, since he was a generally helpful guy. After dating him for a decent amount of time, I trusted him quite a bit. So, I will say that it was a bit of a shock for me to hear the sound of him fucking some other girl upstairs.

"Oh, hell no," I curse, dropping what I had in my hands and storming upstairs. I walk over to his room and see him with a soc, who I recognized as Sherri Valance— or Cherry.

James and I weren't very public with our relationship— we mainly kept it to ourselves and some close friends. No one really knew we were dating, regardless of how long we'd been together. Not like that changes much with the situation, but I guess it proves that James is much more in the wrong than Cherry ever could be. Had he been with other girls, too? Or was this just one time?

"Yeah, I'm never talking to you again. We're over." I slam the door and run down the stairs, hearing James let out a string of curse words followed by his the sound of his feet slamming against the floor behind me.

"Casey! Casey, please wait. Hear me out-"

"Why should I hear you out? I just caught you with another girl, dumbass! I don't need an explanation, and I don't ever want to talk to you again! Goodbye!" I yell and pick up my bag, throwing it over my shoulder.

"Casey, please, I didn't mean it -"

"You didn't mean it?!" I rolled my eyes. "Like hell, you didn't mean it! If that was the case, then it never would've happened to start with! Do you understand or do you want me to speak slower?"

"Case-"

I pull open the door and step outside. "WE. ARE. DONE." James opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "DONE!" I slammed the door shut and stomped down to the sidewalk, beginning my trek to the bus stop.

I ended up on a bench in the pouring rain. I pull on the sleeves of my coat - that, quite frankly, was barely warm enough to be considered one - in an unsuccessful attempt to conserve any bit of warmth I had.

My nose had gone numb and I began to lose feeling in my toes which was impressive because I'd saved up to buy myself new boots that weren't hand-me-downs and didn't have worn down soles.

I started to rub my hands together while bobbing my leg up and down to keep myself occupied while I waited, but I had a feeling the bus wasn't going to come anytime soon.

Just as I was about to stand up and give up on the bus, it came right up next to me and I reached into my pocket to grab my money. I hopped on, greeted the driver, tossed the coins into the bin, and took a seat next to a boy reading a book I could recognize as 'Gone With The Wind'. I smiled as I pulled the same copy and a pencil. It was something I did often: writing little notes in the margins and underline quotes and things I liked.

The boy I sat beside looked to be about fourteen turning fifteen. So one or two years younger than I was (I'm sixteen-going-on-seventeen). I looked into my book and began reading, immediately getting hypnotized by the poetic words, when I felt someone looking at me. I flicked mine eyes up to meet his and I smiled.

"Hey." He smiles at me. "Are you okay? You look sad and cold." The boy sticks a thin piece of paper in his book as a marker and adjusts himself to look at me.

"I could be better, I guess. I mean, I had a pretty shit day, and then I had to walk to the bus stop in the pouring rain," I say to him, sticking a silky cloth in between the pages.

"If it makes you feel any better, my day hasn't been too great either."

"Looks like we've got something in common. I'm Casey Rose, it's nice to meet you." I stick out my hand for him to shake.

"Ponyboy Curtis."

"Your parents must have been very original people. You've got a pretty cool name, Ponyboy," I say.

"Uh, thanks. You've got a pretty name, too." He smiles. The bus stops and I'm jerked forward. I lean forward, past Ponyboy and see the empty lot through the bus window.

"Hey, this is my stop. I'll see you around....i guess....maybe." I put my book into my tote bag and stood up, Ponyboy following suit.

"It's...uh...actually my stop, too," He said while tucking his book under his arm and walking off the bus with me. I made sure to thank the driver before hopping off the step. "I'd invite you to the drive in or somethin' but I ought to get home now. I'll see you 'round, Casey." Ponyboy smiled at me and waved.

"See ya, Ponyboy." I waved back at him and turned. My house was actually in the same direction as his, but I was planning on going to this small café that was recently opened. It catered to mainly the middle class kids, which I was glad about. I was hoping no greaser-soc war would occur, as they do at every other spot.

I walked through the parking lot and saw James' truck. Damn. I stepped through the door, and there he was, lighting with his buddies like nothing ever happened. I guess i really wasn't anything to him, then. Huh.

PART TWO

As I stepped out into the cold, I only had two things on my mind. That dick James Denbury and a warm cup of hot chocolate. 

I wasn't all that mad at Cherry Valance. Well, I definitely would be if I found out she knew about mine and James' relationship, but I was under the impression she was just as oblivious as I was to James' douchbag-ery.

My mind was somewhere else completely as I was walking away from the café. I really just wanted to get as far away from there as I could in the least amount of time possible.

"Hey!" I heard someone yell from behind me. I briefly stopped, but then continued walking, figuring it was just James.

"Wait!" He called again and he ran up behind me. I turned around, expecting James to be there, but the eyes i met with belonged to another boy. An extremely pretty boy, may I add.

"Sorry, I just- I thought you were someone else." I stumble out, attempting to explain myself. He laughs.

"And who's the someone else you happened to be avoiding?" I blush, embarrassed. The word 'avoiding' kind of made me sound like an ass.

"I - well- I wouldn't say avoi-"

"Sorry, it wasn't my place to ask. Anyways, I saw you walk out of there and you looked cold, so I got you a hot chocolate." He handed me a paper cup and I grabbed it with my gloved hands. I smiled a warm smile and he grinned the most handsome grin I've seen.

"That's so sweet, thank you very much." I didn't realize how cold my hands were until I was holding the hot chocolate. My cheeks heated up and I found myself unable to stop smiling.

"It's no problem." He looked like he was going to say something else, but someone yelled something inaudible, but he seemed to hear it loud and clear.

"Sorry, that's my friend. I ought to get going," he said with a sad looking smile.

"That's alright, thanks again!" And he was gone before I could ask his name.

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hey this is chapter one.