Sophie And Lane

Chapter 1

Sophie's POV

"You're moving to Tulsa and that's final, you little bitch," my mom's new husband punched me hard in the face.  His gray eyes showed more hate in them than I had ever seen.  He punched me again.

"You're really picking this...this, Douche Canoe over me?" I spit out the words, holding my already swelling cheek, suprised at how much hate was in my voice.

"Stop being dramatic, Sophie," my mother snapped at me.  She threw my back pack at me.  "Your father can deal with you.  You've been nothin' but a little shit.  Jack and me are tired of dealing with an ungrateful, worthless disrespectful brat."  Her words cut me like daggers, but I sure as hell wasn't gonna show it.  I snatched up my bag, grabbed my bus ticket from the table and stormed out with my middle finger in the sky.

It was about an 8 hour bus trip from Houston, Texas to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I hadn't been back to Tulsa since I was three.  My mother, in a drunken stupor, took off with me after a fight with my father.  I pulled an old picture out of the front pocket of my cut off denim shorts.  It was a picture of me and my brother.  I hadn't seen him in 11 years.  My stomach rumbled and I cursed myself for not grabbin' some snacks.  I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my head on them.  I tried to picture what my brother looked like now.  Would he even recognize me?  Would my father even want me? So many questions swirled through my head like tornadoes.  I pushed them out of my mind.  Relax Soph, I said to myself, anything is better than this hell hole.

Lane's POV

I stared at the obituary in my hand.  It still hadn't hit me that they were gone.  "Lane," my older brother, Ponyboy (yes, that's his real name), "Laney," his green-gray eyes filled with concern, "we gotta go to court."  He took my hand and led me out of my room.  My oldest brother, Darry, was trying to get custody of me and Ponyboy.  Our other brother, Sodapop, just turned 18, dropped out of school to work full time in hopes that we looked "financially stable".

The four of us piled into the Darry's pick up truck, I met Darry's cold blue eyes in the rearview mirror and quickly looked away.  Darry was giving up his college education and football scholarship for me and Pony.  I felt guilty as hell and if I'm being honest, I was also terrified; terrified that he would end up resenting me for throwing away his shot to be someone.  But I was more scared of being sent to a girl's home. 

Darry pulled in the parking lot of the courthouse.  The cold, cemented cinderblock building seemed taunting to me.  Inside that intimidating building would decide if I could stay with my brothers or be sent to a girl's home.  I stood outside the courtroom, fiddling with my hair.  Sodapop kneeled in front of me and took my hands on his, "Lane," he spoke with a confidence that I wish I had, "the judge will see that we can care for you and Pony."  He flashed me his dazzling smile.

Darry came up beside, giving me a sideways hug, "Soda, save it for the judge," he joked.  I giggled a little.  Soda always seemed to get his way.  It was either his smile or his dashing good looks or his charming personality.

The door opened causing Pony and I to jump, "Case 102, Custody of the Curtis Children."  Darry stood and reached for my hand.  I grasped it and bravely stood.  The four of us walked hand in hand up to the front of the courtroom.