DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER | SODAPOP CURTIS

TWO

I kneeled onto one knee right in front of him. My eyes strained as I looked, but I saw that his shirt read DX in the corner of it, and so did his hat he had taken off and sat on the floor. 

I soon remembered that my cousin always went out to the DX to bring back some snacks when my family was over there.

     "..Hey. Are you.. alright?"

     He looked up, and although it was extremely dark in the room, I could see his piercing blue eyes almost perfectly.

     "What does it look like? Who are you and why did you come over to me? Are you gonna tell me what else I did wrong?" He breathlessly said, wiping tears from his face.

"You're right, that was a bad question, sorry. I'm Alice, I moved here last summer... I live on the West Side of town... I only wanted to help you, that's why I'm here." I lowered my tone to try to calm him.

     "I'm sorry for acting this way... I just keep on losing people, everything keeps going wrong I dunno how I'm gonna be okay again, I was just starting to get better until my girlfriend she just...left."

His voice made a little crack at the end of his sentence, and it was kinda adorable. I smiled and he gave me a cold stare back. He tried not to smile, but he ended up doing so.

     "Hey, you're gonna be okay. Look, you just smiled. It hurts now, I know. But you will be okay. You just said you were starting to get better. So, you'll get better again in time. You'll be okay."

     He sniffled but still didn't face me. "I hope so. Are you a soc or something? You sure look like it."

He finally looked at me, not hiding a bit of his face.

     "...Alice I know I'm good looking and all, but are you gonna answer the question?"

     My cheeks flushed, and I snapped out if my thoughts. I couldn't see myself and he could hardly see me, but I knew they were a dark shade of crimson.

     "Sorry to break it to you buddy, but I can hardly see you. Keep dreaming though."

     "Anyway, I'm just a nice person. Well, sometimes I am. I heard someone crying and instead of ignoring it I wanted to try to help. I don't care who is who in the greaser soc battle, or whatever you all call it. I'm a soc I guess, but not all of us are that bad. I've even got some family over here near the East side. I don't talk about that though, cause I don't wanna lose my friends. I don't talk to people this often either, so don't take it for granted buddy."

     "You don't seem too bad. But you won't go around telling people I was crying will you? I don't wanna have more to deal with, and my little brother will probably have to get the worst of it here at this school. Please, Alice, I'm askin-"

     "You got it." 

     I stood up and reached my hand out for him. Tears were still falling from his eyes, but he was getting better. The boy's hand lingered for a moment, making things slightly awkward.

     "Nice ring you've got there." He said as he looked at my hand.

     "Thanks...buddy? Sorry I didn't catch your name." I nearly called him Soda, but I didn't want him to know I heard the fight.

     "Sodapop. Sodapop Curtis."

     "You're.. are you Ponyboy's brother?"

     "Sure am. Why, you friends with him or something?"

     "Yeah, we've worked together a few times. He's a nice kid."

     "Yeah, he's real nice. I gotta get going now. Thanks for talking, Alice. See you around."

He tried his best to smile at me but walked away with tears forming in his eyes again.

     "See ya, buddy." I said.

The clock read 9:15. I turned back down the hall rushing to get the cheer supplies as soon as I heard the doors shut behind Sodapop. Dragging the bag up the hall, off to the side I saw Soda's hat next to the lockers. I put it on my head, kept walking, and unlocked the gym doors. Tossing the bag in, I headed out the doors.