𝔰𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖋 '67

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 3

~Later that night~

Like Steve and I discussed, we decided it felt like the right time to go out and do our own thing. Steve wanted me to meet his friends and I wanted to take in what i've missed. As crappy as it is here, I do miss the little things.

"Your folks would kill me if they knew I was bringing you to meet the gang" Steve commented. I raised my eyebrow, "Wait what gang?" I asked. Steve tilted his head and scrunched his forehead, "Mine?"

"Okay it's not the gang you might have pictured in your head right now. Whatever you want to go by, we are just a gang or a group of friends, alright? Trust me, we aren't bad people." Steve said. I gave him a nod, I knew my cousin wasn't like in a gang of drug lords or in the freaking mafia. I didn't see him as this dangerous guy, If anything he was smart and more of the responsible type. Though as often he can be cocky and too into his looks, that didn't get in the way of defending the people he loved and cared about. Even though that love can be too strong to handle at times. For a person who was never shown of love, he sure has a lot of it. As we passed down the houses in his neighborhood, Steve pointed out all of his friends houses.

"Oh and see small house in the corner? That's Two-bit's house" he said. "Two-bit? Your friends got some interesting names" I giggled. "Well his real names Keith but we like to call him Two-bit, it's his nickname" Steve opened the front gate to Sodapop's house. It was small like Steve's or maybe a bit bigger. I wasn't really sure, but it wasn't bad lookin at all. It fit perfectly with every other house in the neighborhood. We walked up the stairs to the front porch and Steve just open the door...

"You didn't even knock!" Steve starts to chuckle to himself, "It's okay Riz, I'm practically part of the family" He said, "Hey Soda, where you at buddy?" Steve called out. Steve looks through a pile of car magazines while I took in the setting of Sodapop's home. A boy with golden hair in a flannel walked into the living space, "Hey Steve, who's the lady?" He asked as he flashed me a smile and waved. Man he was attractive that was for sure. I forgot how wild the girls from both sides here would go nuts for the all famous Sodapop. I never really got a good look at his face before so I never really understood what they were all raving about, until now.

"Soda, this is Riz. My cousin from Kansas, remember how I mentioned her at work the other day?" Soda shook his head and chuckled to himself, "Oh my bad!" He apologized, "I'm Sodapop, cool name by the way, Riz" He grabbed my hand and pulled it in for a hand shake. "I could say the same for you, I think you beat me at the name game though!" I joked. Soda started to laugh and put his hands in his back pockets, "Yeah, I guess you can say that I did" He said smiling back at me.

"So where's everyone else?" Steve asked as Soda took his eyes off of me and walked over to the couch as he took a seat, "Well they're all at the vacant lot right now, I just got back from Sandy's house and Darry is taking a shower cause he just got back from work right after I walked through the door." Soda replied as he got comfortable, "You know when they'd be back?" Steve asked curiously.

"Yeah any minute now, what's the rush?" Sodapop asked my cousin. Steve shrugged, "Nothing man, I was just simply asking you" He said. "Alright alright" Soda said. He then turned to me, gave me a bright smile and rested his chin on his hand, "So why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself? I've heard a little bit from Steve over here, but might as well get it from the true source now, am I right?" He asks as he continues to smile at me. I nervously giggle, I didn't know what to say about myself. I just sat there trying to come up with something to say, "Hey don't be nervous, I'm not gonna judge you" Sodapop truthfully states as he puts his hands up and shakes his head.

"No go ahead," I said, "Judge me, what kind of person do you think I am" I turned this into a little game, just so I didn't have to come up with something on my own and end up sounding stupid. "Okay lemme see, you are a smart girl who is most likely around my age—" I budge in, "How can someone look smart, are you saying I look like a geek?" I laughed as I asked. "Well you do dress more of the preppy type, but that's probably only because your parents have money" Well shit, he got me there. "Okay and?" I asked with my arms crossed. "Okay and well at the bottom line, you just look like a girl who's got her life all figured out and knows what she wants" Sodapop shrugged. I wonder what gave it away... Steve? Hmm