Signed with love.

Xoxo

        "The Curtis boys are gonna be here in an hour Em. Do you wanna run up to the Dx and get a couple packs of cigs for us?" Charles asked as he handed me some money which meant it wasn't a question anymore. I got up off of the couch and got dressed

(http://www.polyvore.com/dinner_with_boys/set?id=149890015)

and took the car down to the Dx station. I pulled up and saw two guys with multiple girls surronding them but I didn't pay them much thought so I just walked inside and I saw Pony looking at the magizines so I went up to him and bumped him with my shoulder. "Hey there Pony how's it going?" "Hey Emilee, it's fine I guess. I'll see you later for dinner" "I'll see ya then Ponyboy!" I walked up to the counter and got four packs of smokes, luckily the guy didn't card me because he knew me. It was Steve, one of Pony and Soda's friend. "You're Steve right?" I asked him as he handed me my change. "Yep that's me, do I know ya from somewhere?" "I actually just moved here with mu older brothers but I know your buddy Soda, you told me a couple stories about ya yesterday and you seem like a swell guy." I said as I had my hand on the door getting ready to leave. "See ya around Steve, seee ya later Pony." I hollered has I walked out the door and ALMOST running into Soda for a third time..

        "Good thing I started watching my step ayy?" I said with a smirk. "Good deal milkshake. See ya in  a few, you look beautiful by the way." He said as he looked me up and down a few times. I just got in my car and drove home. 

        I got home and sat on the front porch smoking a cig and thinking about life. How we'd just moved into this town and it's officially been 7 days tonight. I haven't met all of Soda's buddies yet but my brothers have and they all seem to be getting along so I guess I'll run into them eventually. I took another drag of my stick and blew it out. I never really inhale it, I just puff. It's a cooping method, kinda. I finished the stick and headed inside and threw the sticks on the table for the boys and Sammy was the only one in the kitchen Shawn and Charles decided to go get some beers. Everyone in town drinks beers, well I guess except me. I don't really like drinking. My parents were completely different when they drank and I liked who I was and I didn't want to change to fit in, even if no one remembered how I acted because they were drunk. 

        "I think Shawn's having everyone over tonight after dinner. All of boys, so there will be about 10 guys here tonight. Just thought I'd give ya a heads up." Sammy said to me as I walked into the kitchen where he was setting up the bugers on the counter. "Well I guess that'll make tonight interesting." I said to him with a sigh. I'll probably just go for a long walk tonight while everyone's having beers, they know I don't like drinking yet they continue to do so at OUR place. "I'll probab..." "I want you to stay here tonight, please don't go walking around the streets tonight. I know you get pissed when we drink but I'm not getting drunk and I don't think all of the guys drink so someone is bound to have a straight conversatin with you tonight. Please just tonight.. for me sis." I was shocked I guess you could say, I didn't know how to responde. "I .. I guess.. yeah, I'll just go put some sweats and a hoodie on, but just one favor from you..." "Name it." "Collect keys. please." "Deal." 

        I went and changed my outfit into something comfy, I mean it was just the gang coming over to hang out tonight. I've literally met everyone now and the only one who's caught my eye is Soda. 

I walk out to the livingroom and within 3 minutes Shawn, Charles, Dally, Darry, Pony,Two-Bit, Steve, Evie (Steve's girl), and Soda all walked in the door and made themselves at home, which none of us minded. "Em care to joing me for a smoke outside" Soda asked me as he was getting up off of the floor away and making his way for the door. I didn't say anything I just followed. As the screen door shut behind me and Steve took a drag of his stick he said "When you came to the Dx today I saw this in the door way and wanted to give it back to you." It was my dog tag that I always wore. It was my dead brothers. "Oh my god Soda, thank you so much!" "I figured you'd want it back" "It's the last thing David ever gave me.." As I said that the mood between Soda and I changed but I fixed it by telling him the story. "David wa.. is my brother. He dead while fighting in the ARMY. He was actually Sammy's twin. I wasn't just closest to Sammy. David, Sammy and, I were best friends. I could tell them anything. I was a complete mess when he enlisted. He always wrote me, I probably got a neew letter once a week or maybe even more than that.." "I'm so sorry to hear about that, my father fought in the war, Steve's too." I held the tag in my hand and just looked at it blankly while I finish my story. "I didn't want to forgive him for joining the army but I later found out why he did it. Sammy.. Sammy was going to enlist because he didn't want the family to get a draft notice.. well David felt the same way. Maybe it was because they were twins, maybe they felt the same way. I will never forgive myself for only writing him back one time and that letter wasn't the way I should've spoke to my big brother. I told him off. As I was walking to the mailbox to drop it in a black Caddy pulled up infront of the house and I hollered for Sammy and two Army guys walked up to us and asked for my parents. They tried telling us that they couldn't tell us what happened but I kne..we all knew what was about to come out of his mouth. 'I'm sorry to tell you like this.. David Rankin was killed in battle.' He handed me a bag of my brothers belongings and inside I found more notes he wrote not just to me, but to everyone.. his friends, mom, dad, everyone. He knew things were going to get messy. He wrote me 7 letters one night because he couldn't sleep and he told me why he enlisted and I went crazy. I ranaway for two weeks. Shawn found me grabbing a shake at Dq and made me come home. By that time I was cooled off and the whole family talked everything out. That's when I really grew to hate authority. I always respected my brothers and only my brotherd after that." As I finished my story Soda took my in his arms and just let me cry and cry and cry until I had no more tears to cry. I felt safe in Sodas arms. 

        "He always signed his letters 'Xoxo Big Brother David'" "Sounds like you had a really good brother. He was just trying to protect his family. He loved you. I knew David.. he came here one summer to stay with your grandparents. It was the summer that he enlisted. He did it down here. We talked for hours about if it was a good idea and what all the possible outcomes could be. He wanted to protect you and Sammy. He never wanted you to hate him, please believe me on that one babe." Soda kept going on about my brother, I was happy to hear all of this. It was the closure I needed..and wanted. "He said he'd always sign your letters Xoxo and I told him one day you'd understand fully and I'd help in anyway that I could and well here I am. That's why I gave you the tag back tonight because I knew it meant everything to you. I could've just hollered at you when you were leaving but I wanted to explain what David and I talked about. I wanted you to fully understand." 

        We went back inside and everyone was probably on their third beer or more by now. Soda says the gang normally doesn't get drunk but this was a party and they were gonna be drinking vodak and much more. He reasurred me that no one would be driving and that he really want a big drinker so we just stayed up in my room and talked all night about anything and everything. We talked about our parents and school, he told me why he dropped out. He told me about his first love and how he's only been with 3 girls and I told him about my ex and me always getting into trouble and how I thought my folks were bound to divorce but he told me to have faith so I did. 

        I heard a door slam open and I sat straight up in my bed, I had the covers over me. When did I lay down? When did I fall asleep? Why is Soda in my bed next to my with his arm around my pillow like we were cuddling all night? What.. "What the hell are you doing" 

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