The Outsiders Imagines

Sodapop Imagine

*Requested

"Your grades are shit, Pony! What the hell have you been doing?"

"I don't know what you want from me, Darry. I've been studying everyday!"

"Obviously you haven't, or you wouldn't have two D's. Two D's and three C's! I know you can do better than that!"

"That's not fair, Darry! After Johnny and Dallas-"

"They died months ago, Pony. You can't keep using them as an excuse for your poor work ethic, ain't that right, Soda?"

Darry and Pony were at each other's throats, faces red and frustration in their eyes. They had been doing this the past hour and a half, and Soda couldn't take it anymore.

He stared down at the table, taking deep breaths to try and control his panic.

With the lack of response, Darry glances over at him confused.

"Soda?"

"Leave me out of it," he says quietly.

His fists clench, breathing picking up. Darrys eyes narrow, turning to look at Soda.

"What did you say to me?"

"Just leave me out of it, Dar. I don't want to be stuck in the middle," he responds as calmly as he can.

Being brought into the middle of an argument with his brothers was the equivalent of being a punching bag. He couldn't stand it. These needless arguments caused him horrific anxiety to the point that he couldn't think straight, and he knew he was close to bursting.

"You're in the middle already, Soda! You think it's ok for him to slack in school and become a complete loser because he can't get over his grief!?"

"Darry, I-"

"How can you say that? Johnny and Dally were our friends!" Ponyboy screeches. "You heartless bastard!"

Darry approaches Pony, nearly the same way he did when Pony ran away.

"You ungrateful little sh-"

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" Soda shrieks, bursting from his seat.

Pony and Darry stare at him in shock. Soda is breathing heavily, struggling to pull in enough air. His face was red and tears were running down his cheeks. He erupted from his seat, taking off out the door. He ran down the street as fast as he could, desperately hoping that Pony and Darry weren't behind him. He wasn't nearly as fast as Darry, a former football player, and Pony could run circles around both his older brothers, a potential track star in the making.

He reached (Y/N)'s house, a pretty girl who he liked a lot, but hadn't had the balls to ask her for a more permanent commitment.

He knocked rapidly, not stopping until he got a response.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'! Lordy me-" she opens the door, eyes widening as she took in the state Soda was in.

"Oh my god, Soda! What's going on?"

"I-I c-can't breathe!"

"You're having a panic attack. Come on in."

(Y/N) grabs him, pulling him into the house and sitting him on the couch. She sits beside him, taking his hands into her own.

"Breathe, Soda. Breathe, " she says soothingly. She rubbed circles on the backs of his hands, trying to calm him down.

It takes a few moments, but eventually Sodas breathing slows as he finally breathes normally again. His tears have dried, and his head no longer feels like it is going to explode.

"Do you wanna tell me what happened, or do you just wanna sit her silently for awhile?" (Y/N) asks, her eyes soft as she looked at him.

Soda takes a deep breath before speaking.

"Pony and Darry were fighting again."

(Y/N)'s face falls, her thumbs resuming their rubbing on his hands.

"Aww, Soda. I'm sorry. I know how stressful that is for you."

"I just, it's completely avoidable! Darry doesn't need to be so hard on Pony, but Pony just doesn't listen sometimes which pisses Darry off and makes him yell. I-I don't wanna be in the middle of it all."

"You shouldn't have to. They should respect your boundaries."

"I know Darry is trying to step up and be Pony's father figure, but I'm not that figure. I have no right to tell Pony anything when I'm the loser who dropped out of school."

"Don't say that about yourself Sodapop!" (Y/N) said, frowning. "Just because you aren't book smart, doesn't mean you aren't smart. You fixed my car in five minutes after every other mechanic in town couldn't figure it out!"

Soda smiled sheepishly.

"That was nothing. Just a loose sparkplug."

"Nothin? Soda, not everyone can do what you can do. Darry and Pony can do all that smarty pants school shit all day long, but you could run circles around them with cars. You're brilliant, Soda," (Y/N) smiled. "You have more strengths then you know."

Soda smiled, wiping at his eyes and nose.

"You're too good to me. What would I do without you?"

"Probably do crazy. I'm so great to be around." (Y/N) giggled.

"You're right. I gotta make sure no other guy is having a great time with you."

(Y/N)'s nose scrunched up, tilting her head.

"What do you mean? I don't hang out with other guys."

"What I mean is that you're an amazing girl who any guy would be lucky to have as their girl. Would you be mine?"

(Y/N) felt like her throat had gone dry. Had the hottest guy in town who also happens to be her best guy friend just asked her out?

It had been silent to the point where it was awkward. Soda began to get nervous, thinking he had misread every interaction they ever had.

"Um, so if you-"

But she cuts him off, kissing him softly. Soda is surprised at first, but kissed back quickly, pulling her into him.

She pulls away, smiling dazedly.

"I thought you'd never ask."