Greaser Girl // Sodapop Curtis

Long Road Home

I wake up with my head on Soda's shoulder.

Soda is peacefully sleeping, and Steve is driving in the front.

Then I remember what happened, the gangs clashing, the pistol, my dad, running, it all came back to me.

I look around. We're on a lone road in the middle of nowhere during midnight. The wind whips my hair around, and shiver.

Steve hears me and looks at me quickly.

"Good?" He asks.

"Yeah," I start, "Are they gonna come after me?"

Steve didn't say anything, "I wouldn't be surprised if it's only a few days till they show up."

"Maybe we shouldn't go to Tulsa." I thought.

"We got nowhere else to go. Besides, we'll have Tim and Curly Shepherd's gang to help us."

"True." I replied.

I climb over the seat to that I'm sitting next to Steve.

He grins at me, "It felt good to beat up people."

"I bet." I say, not feeling tired at all.

I look ahead of us, Darry's car is ahead of ours, and has already reached a small town.

Steve yawns, and I look at him.

"Want me to drive?" I ask, he looks like he hasn't slept in days.

"Sure." He says as he pulls into a rest stop.

He climbs over me, and I move over to the drivers seat.

I pull out and continue our drive. In no time, Steve is snoring and his head lying on my shoulder as I drive.

Two hours after driving, I hear Soda wake up.

I look back quickly, and find that he's frowning, looking from Steve sleeping on my shoulder, to me driving.

"What?" I ask confused, then I realize.

He's jealous.

"What? This?" I ask innocently.

"Yeah." Is all Soda says, still frowning.

"I woke up, he was driving, he was tired, I asked if he wanted me to drive, he agreed, I started driving, he fell asleep, and on a turn, his body slouched over." I finish my explanation.

Soda seems to be less concerned, but pulls Steve's peaceful body into the back seat and takes his place.

I grin.

He puts his arm around my shoulders, and I suddenly feel very tired.

Soda notices, and squeezes my shoulder.

"Should I drive?" He asks.

I only nod, and park on the shoulder of the road.

Soda jumps out and comes around to the drivers seat, and I move over to sit in the passenger seat.

Soda starts up the car again, and we continue on the road.

I rest my head on Soda's lap, and drift off to sleep.

~~~

I wake up, "Caren! Run!" I hear Soda yell.

I look around, I can't see anything.

Suddenly, cold hands cover my mouth.

The room lights up.

Soda is strapped to a chair, helpless.

Huge hands hold be back from running up to him. What are they gonna do?

Abruptly, a hammer comes crashing down onto Soda's shoulder.

He screams out in pain, and I can only close my eyes and whimper.

The hammer comes down again, and hits his knee.

His breath is ragged, he's dying.

"Soda!" I scream in distress.

I try to break free from the hands. It's no use.

I slump to the ground, but the hammer comes crashing on me instead.

~~~

I shudder, trying to remind myself that it was all a dream.

"What happened?" Soda asks, his eyebrows are furrowed.

"Just a nightmare." I say. It feels like a lie, but it's the truth.

I see that we're stopped at a rest stop, and try to change the subject.

"Where are we?" I ask, trying to include lightness to my voice.

"We're about an hour from Tulsa. What was your nightmare about?" He persists.

I don't want to talk about it. Not now, not here.

"That there was a tornado." I lie.

It tastes metallic in my mouth, I hate lying.

Soda nods, and starts up the car again. Steve is still asleep in the back.

We pull out, and Darry's car follows.

I start up a conversation, I want to get my mind off things.