Stronger with You

I Love You

Peyton
July 9, 1965

"Peyton!" Soda yelled barging into my room. Maybe we should consider locking our doors.

"What do you want?" I groan, pulling my blankets up and over my head. That didn't stop Soda from pouncing onto my bed and shaking me awake.

"We're going to have an us day. I miss you."

I sighed, "Okay. Get out so I can change." Soda jumped up and skipped into the living room, shutting my door behind him. I grabbed a pair of my levi's and a white shirt with my new converse. I still wasn't used to Two and I's house and having new clothes that actually fit well.

I stared at myself in the mirror wondering what I could do with my hair. It was getting longer than I thought, at this point the ends reached my waist band. I pulled it up into a pony tail and grabbed a red bandana to wrap around the top of my head.

I typically wasn't the type to care about how I looked, I just threw on whatever I could find while leaving my hair however it was when I brushed it. I kept thinking about why I suddenly cared how I looked while brushing my teeth.

Maybe it was me trying to gain back what was lost when the tidal wave of rape memories hit me. I just wanted to be who I was before.

"Peyton hurry up!" Soda yelled, complaining as always. Before all this stuff started happening this summer, like us sleeping together, Soda and I were two peas in a pod.

"Geez, you take forever to get ready." Soda claimed once I walked out of my room, he was sitting on our couch playing with a pillow.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Soda looked up, grinning widely when he saw me, "you look cute, P." I couldn't stop the blush from spreading across my cheeks.

We walked out in silence, I followed Soda to wherever he wanted to go. It was one of the cooler summer days in awhile, probably in the low 90's. It was a little muggy, meaning we'd probably get some rain. Who knew in Oklahoma.

"Look, first things first, I'm sorry what I said that morning. I was just mad at myself, I know that I have a "reputation" and I'm supposed to be this big ladies man but I hate just sleeping with someone. Especially someone who is my best friend." Soda had kept walking, but made sure to look at me as much as he could.

"It's alright Soda," I said, forcing a grin onto my face, "I haven't been to the park in forever," I said finally noticing that's where we were approaching.

"I know! Let's go!" Soda took off for the merry-go-round. I decided that afternoon to let everything go, to start having fun again. Enjoy the life I've been given before it gets taken from me.

After that, I lost track of time. Soda and I ran around the park playing tag for hours. Soda was currently it, I was laughing so hard I didn't even notice him run up behind me.

"Your it!" He yelled grabbing ahold of my waist, spinning me around slightly.

"Time out, time out." I doubled over laughing. I held my stomach and gasped for air, attempting to calm myself down.

We wandered over to the swings, taking a break from running around like children.

"I'm glad we did this today." I was looking up to the sky, grey clouds were beginning to roll in.

"I am too." Soda got out of his swing, to push mine. I held onto the chains, letting my eyes slip shut. Every time I went back Soda would softly push me; I felt like we were in elementary school again. The two of us would constantly swing, up until junior high.

Soda had stopped pushing so I leaned back to hang out of the swing, relying on my hands to keep myself from falling.

"Peyton," Soda said, I sat back up straight in my swing giggling slightly at the stomach twirl,

"I actually brought you out here for a reason."

I slowed down my swing so I could give Soda all my attention, "What's going on?" My heart started thudding, we had a great day and now he's going to tell me he asked out the girl he loves.

Soda stood up, motioning for me to do the same. The skies were getting darker now, it would start to rain any minute.

"Soda, it's gonna rain." I was trying to prolong this good day as much as I could. I didn't want my heartbroken now.

"Then let it rain." Soda grinned his wonderful grin, "Peyton. I love you. You are the person, the reason why I couldn't marry Sandy."

My heart soared, I have been waiting for this for so long, even if I didn't want to admit it. The rain started to come down lightly at first.

"I'm so in love with you, Peyton Matthews. I'm so in love I can't even think properly! I've screwed a lot of things up and I'm not the smartest guy, but I promise I will never stop loving you."

He placed his hands on my cheeks, running them gently from my nose over my freckles, "I love the way your eyes have flecks of gold and how your left is slightly different than your right."

The rain was pouring down now, I was staring into Soda's brown eyes and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

"What're you waiting for? Just kiss me already."

Soda didn't hesitate smashing our lips together. I never believed in fairy tails. I never believed that you could love someone so much the entire world would disappear, but standing here kissing Sodapop Patrick Curtis all that became true. Everything else disappeared, but him.

Soda pulled away from our kiss, resting his forehead against mine, his hands were now resting on my waist.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling breathlessly.

"Peyton, will you be my girlfriend? No more waiting, no more games. Just you and me now."

I pressed my lips against his once again, our lips moved together perfectly. Everything about us seemed perfect, like the last two puzzle pieces you needed to complete the picture.

"I thought you'd never ask."

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in my original outline Soda and Peyton never end up together. it was just going to be that constant frustration of knowing two people were in love but couldn't figure out themselves.

but i really just needed that happiness in my life and live vicariously through Peyton dating Soda ahahahah. anyways, hope you enjoy <3-avery