Outsiders, 1983 I Just Wanted To Tell You

-6 years ago-

I heard a slam at the door. I could tell it was my dad. He slammed his hat down at the floor and cursed in the air.

"What's the matter?" my mom asked him.

"That damn boss got me fired and he wouldn't tell me why. Work these days. They overwork you and they give you chicken feed. Wonderful!" he ranted.

I watched from the stairwell what had happened.

"I'll go over and speak to him," my mother said.

"it's no use," he said.

"Why?" my mom asked.

"Why? Because I say so, you idiot!" he shouted.

"Excuse me?" my mother asked.

"You know what? F**k this whole thing! I'm going to bed. Leave me alone," he said as he went upstairs.

I scurried along upstairs, quietly. I went into my room and went into my bed. I cried myself to sleep.

For the 2 weeks after that incident, my dad started to treat me and my mom differently. He used to carry me and call me his baby girl. Now he pretends that I'm not alive. He starts to hit my mom more and call her these mean names which I will never forget.

Then one night, he took it too far. That night, my mom was crying at the dinner table and I was standing at the stairwell again, hearing my mom cry her poor little eyes out. Suddenly, we heard a car screech in front of our house. A man carried in my dad, who was passed out, into the house.

"Goodness, what happened?" my mom asked. She shook my dad but he didn't respond.

"He's so damn drunk that he couldn't even walk home! So we had to drop him off. Pathetic, huh?" the other guy said.

"D-d-drunk...?" my mom asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, can you believe it?" he asked as he left.

My mom looked dumbstruck and started to scream and cry. She looked at me at the stairwell.

"Lily, go upstairs," she said.

I followed her orders and went to my bedroom and went to my dresser. There was a picture of my dad and me, riding my first horse. I looked at it and the photo smudged with a tear. Before I knew it, I heard myself sobbing.

Couldn't get worse? Boy was I wrong.

The next morning, I heard a huge thump at the floor downstairs. I went downstairs at the same stairwell. My dad's suitcase and belongings were sitting there, waiting for him to pick them up.

"Where are you going?!" my mom asked my dad as he picked up his stuff.

"Away from here, that's where I'm going!" he said as he left the house. Forever.

There, my mom just broke down. I went downstairs and I hugged my mom. She held me into a huge embrace.

-Months later-

Suddenly, my mom collapsed out of nowhere. I discovered her laying on the floor in the kitchen. I called 911 and some paramedics came and took her to the hospital. Being in the ambulance and the emergency room really scared me because it made me feel like death is just a heartbeat away. Not the prettiest sight.

"Extreme fatigue," the doctor muttered.

I kept my head down and weeped for a little bit.

Since then, my mother couldn't have enough energy to do anything. She never exactly recovered. And out bills were getting higher and higher; we didn't have enough money for everything. So we had to move to Tulsa, where the cheapest homes are.

-Present Day-

I walked into history class and found out that we are learning about Greece today. It fascinates me, how they were such early peoples, yet they created these amazing things. But during the whole lesson, I was thinking how godly my friend, Sodapop is. He's just like a Greek god, as his brother, Ponyboy calls him.

After school, I decided to stop by the DX before work. After all, Sodapop is my best friend so I have to say hi to him. But while I was walking there, some dumb Soc guys started to throw papers and pencils at me.

"Hey you stupid Grease! Yeah you! Trash!" one of them said.

I was boiling inside, but I tried not to go balistic.

The Soc guys laughed and walked the other way. Close call!

I continued on my way to the DX. There, I saw Soda and Steve working on a busted car.

"Hey Lily!" Soda said. Steve just glanced and went back to his work.

"Pepsi-Cola!" I said.

Soda put a huge grin on his face. He loves it when I call him Pepsi-Cola.

"So you wanna help me on this car? Some doofus brought it in and we can't find anything wrong!" Soda said.

I ran to the car and stole Soda's wrench.

"There's your problem," I said, pointing to the rusty engine.

"Oh wow, how did we not catch that? Thanks, girl!" Soda said.

"Always happy to help," I said.

An Elvis song was playing on the radio, so I started to dance to the tune. Ever since I was little, I loved to dance. My mom wanted me to take dance school at one time, but I shook my head.

"Oh you, always with the dancing," Soda said. I smiled.

"Well, everyday my foot is tapping to a beat or I'm just going crazy with moves," I said.

Soda smiled. He put his wrench down and stood in front of me.

"Care to dance with me, pretty princess?" he asked.

"Would I?!" I asked enthusiastically, as I took his hand.

We did the typical dance to the music that was playing. Nothing much, except for the fact that Steve was giggling and chanting that stupid "Lily and Sodapop, sitting in a tree..."...you know, that stuff. Soda and I just rolled our eyes playfully.

Suddenly, my watch ticked 4 pm.

"Aw man, I have to go!" I said ruefully.

Sodapop put on the biggest frown ever and said okay.

"Alrighty then. See ya," he said. I waved.

I walked on over to the local diner; I work there and I must saythey give higher wages than other places. But I didn't want to go to work today; I wanted to stay and dance with Sodapop all day.

Even at the diner, I daydreamed about Soda. I guess I got carried away. My colleagues told me to snap out of my trances.

At the diner, there were many people who were depressed or just plain tired. I saw someone who had just lost their job, just like my dad 10 years ago. He wanted to talk to me whenever I walked to his table. I listened carefully. I was actually about *pinches fingers* this close to crying...

Sigh. It ain't so fun serving food all day. It makes you feel hungry. The food just smelled so good and I just wanted to steal those milkshakes. I was relieved that I was done at 10 pm. I work 6 hour shifts because I'm younger.

But as I was walking home, I was counting my paycheck, and BOOM! I crashed into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" I said.

"It' fine," he said. Sounded like Soda.

"Soda?" I asked.

"Lily?" he asked.

"Wow, I can't believe we just bumped into each other like this," I said.

"Me neither..." he said. Hm. That's funny...Usually he would make a joke out of it. Honestly, I would call him a second Two-bit; they both love to make jokes!

"You okay? You seem quiet," I said.

"Yeam I'm fine, but I wanna tell you something," he said.

Oh my...here goes!

"Lily...uh..." Sodapop rambled.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Well I never got to tell you this because every time I tried, Steve or Two-Bit would try to make fun of me," he said.

I felt my heart pount faster. Faster.

"I love you, Lily," he said.

Those words started to ring in my ears like chimes would do on windy days. They sounded beautiful...

I just took my chances and kissed him right on the lips. I felt the same way, so why not?

Soda returned my kiss; he put his arms around my waist and hugged me tightly.

I smiled the biggest grin I have ever put on in my whole life. Because hey, it's my first kiss. You can't overlook that.

"Wow Lily, I guess we feel the same way for each other," he said.

"Yeah..." I said dreamily.

We held hands as we walked home together.

THE END


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Outsiders, 1983, Romance