Soda's Only

Chapter Four

I woke up the next morning covered in a blanket of leaves. I was about to panic when I remembered what had happened the previous day. Sodapop told me we were friends. How could he? We've only known each other for a few days. But when I remember his face when I fled, I felt a sharp pain.

I got up and dusted myself off. Oil and grease still covered my arms and probably my face as well. I stumbled home, took a quick shower, dressed in another tank-top and jeans, and got something to eat out of the icebox before heading off. Thank goodness my mother was not in the house. If she were, I think i would've been beaten to a pulp. The thought made me shiver.

What would I do today? I can't go to the DX. I couldn't look at Soda again. I finally decided to hit the streets and walk around for a bit. I was dumb to, of course. The thought of Sodapop made me blind to the fact that it's dangerous.

An hour into stumbling around on the side of the road, a Ford Pinto pulled up beside me and a whole pack of socs slid out of the car. It didn't take me long to process what was happening, so I quickly drew out my switchblade. They looked at me hungrily, hesitating only for a moment when they saw my blade.

One of them, tall and skinny, grabbed my arm. I slashed his hand away angrily. He yelped and sprang backward, snarling at me with menace. On the command of "C'mon, boys" all the socs leaped on top of me. One of them grabbed my blade and put it against my neck. I struggled until the soc cut me and only pain was in my mind. Darn, it hurt so bad, worse than my mother's slaps. Of course it did, though; it was a sharp piece of metal.

I thought it was the end when another soc started ripping my clothes off of me. Not again. I can't go through this again. I'd rather die.

"Whoa, scram!" One of the socs yelled suddenly. "Greasers with blades!"

And a heartbeat later, all the socs were off of me, scrambling back into their Pinto and driving away. I was left with only underwear and a bra on. I was stunned, shocked, bleeding, and hating myself for not giving a fight. Now I lay humiliated, unable to move, in front of men. At least they rescued me. But who knows if they're better than the socs?

"Hey, that's Lilly!" A familiar voice sounds, and many pairs of feet pond the earth until five men are standing over me with concerned eyes. One of them is wearing flannel. His ocean blue eyes are the last thing I see before all goes black.

                                                                                     ***

When I wake up, I'm wrapped in a blanket and am lying on a soft couch. It takes me a moment to remember everything that has happened to get me here, but when I finally do come to my senses, I'm humiliated. The last thing I saw before I passed out was Sodapop. And his friends. They all saw me naked. At least somewhat, anyway. More than I'm willing to let anyone see of me.

I look out the big window behind the couch and notice dawn is approaching. The sun is so beautiful with its golden rays and the promise of warmth. I stretch out my neck to get a better look when a sharp pain makes me yelp. I cover my mouth and feel my throat. Blood. A bandage covered it, but unraveled when I stretched out my neck. the movement also reopened my wound.

The sound of muffled footsteps scares me to death. I instinctively reached for my blade but realized I'm still just in my bra and underwear. I wrap the blanket around me securely and prepare to fight my way out of this strange house.

But when i see who has entered the room, I relax. It's Sodapop. I can trust him...right? I tense my muscles when he meets my gaze and rushes over to me. I will fight if I have to.

But what he does takes me by surprise. He comes up to me and hugs me, kneeling down on the floor to be at my height. I let him, mostly because I'm too stunned to do anything about it. But also because I like it; it makes me feel warm.