He Was Mine, I Was His

Heartbreak

    The next few days flew by. I would go to school, go to the DX with the guys at lunch, occasionally have lunch with Cherry and her friends, go to work, and come home to restart. It was nice to finally have a routine. 

    I had called Cindy a few times. All she would talk about was how much she missed having me around and then she'd fill me in on the drama of Destin. It was nice to keep in touch with her no matter how much she could ramble on. One thing I was starting to miss was my mom. I hadn't spoken to her since she left and was growing worried. Elizabeth told me not to worry and that she was just busy. 

    Other than worrying about my mom, everything was fine. That was until Thursday night. It was nearly eleven o'clock when I heard a knock on the door. I got out of bed and when I opened it, Sodapop was standing there. His face was soaked with tears, eyes red and puffy. It shocked me. Everytime I had seen him, he was so happy-go-lucky. My face immediately fell which made him burst into tears. 

    "Oh Soda," I sighed as I pulled him into a tight hug. He only cried harder. I let him cry for a few moments before letting go. "Come on, let's come inside."

    He had managed to stop crying while I led him to the kitchen table. He sat down and laid his head in his hands. I grabbed some tissues and set them in front of him. 

    "Soda, what's going on," I asked, taking his hand so he would look at me. 

    "S-Sandy. She's leaving me," he blurted out before starting to cry again. Over the few days I had seen them together, I could tell he was completely in love with her. I felt heartbroken for him. 

    "What happened?"

    "She's pregnant. She's moving to Florida with her grandmother."

    I wasn't sure if I had the right words to say to that. It shocked me. I couldn't imagine the pain he was going through. 

    "Look," he started. "I'm sorry I bothered you. I just couldn't talk to Darry or Ponyboy. I couldn't talk to any of the guys. They just wouldn't understand. I can leave if you want me to."

    "No Sodapop. It's okay. I'm here for you. If it's your child too isn't there anything you can do?" I had no idea what to do in a situation like that. I figured there had to be a way for him to stay in her and the child's life. 

    "It's not mine, Marilyn. I loved her. I wanted to marry her when she got out of school. And she cheated on me. I did everything for her. I was even willing to still care for the kid like it was my own. Ya know what she said, she told me to leave her alone." Soda had started crying again. He was really broken up about this. "And I can't even deal with everything because Darry and Pony keep fighting. I always have to step in for them."

    "When did this happen?"

    "Last night."

    "You haven't told your family?" 

    "I wanted to but I couldn't. I gotta keep them happy. I gotta keep the spirits up in that house or it will all fall apart."

    "Soda, you're allowed to feel. You need to feel. Sometimes you have to put your feelings before theirs. I'm sure they'll understand and be there for you. I know you hate to hear it but if Sandy doesn't want you to help take care of her child, then you can't make her."

    "I know. I just- it's all just too much." I could see him starting to tear up again. 

    "Sodapop? Are you okay?" Ada asked as she emerged from the hallway. 

    "He's okay Ada. You need to go back to bed. It's late," I told her. She frowned and gave Soda a hug before returning to her room. 

    "I'm really sorry I intruded like this."

    I leaned over and hugged him again, "Soda, one day you need to learn and accept that you're not a burden. This is what friends are supposed to do."

    The phone rang so I got up and answered it, "Hello?"

    "Is this Marilyn?" A man's voice asked.

    "Yes."

    "This is Darrell Curtis. I'm Sodapop's brother. Is he there with you?"

    "Yes he is. Give me one second," I held the phone out to Sodapop and he knew who it was. He took the phone and I went into the kitchen. I poured us both a glass of water and returned to the kitchen table. 

    Darrell and Soda talked for a few minutes before Soda hung up. He returned to the table and looked at me with a face of sadness and exhaustion.

    "I don't want to go home," he sighed. 

    "I know you don't but it's important that you let your brothers know how you're feeling. I told Ponyboy the other day. I don't care if it's 'not tuff'. You need to do it or you'll explode."

    He nodded. I took his hand and looked into his eyes. It was like our eyes said all the words that our mouths couldn't.

    "Do you want me to drive you home?" I asked. He nodded again. I made sure Ada was asleep before I took him home. 

    Even though it wasn't a long drive, Sodapop fell asleep on the way there. I could tell when we were talking that he was emotionally and physically exhausted. When we arrived, I felt bad for having to wake him up. 

    "Take care of yourself kid. Get some rest. The world will still be here tomorrow. You can tackle it then. Just remember that your brothers will always be there for you and I'm always one call away," I smiled. 

    "Thank you." Soda gave me one last hug before going inside. 

    That night, I had a lot of trouble sleeping. It seemed as though all the things I could be thinking about were on my mind. Mostly how I could be there for Soda and where the hell was my mom when I needed her.