𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮? || 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐩

𝟎𝟏

—
𝟎𝟏: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦
—
⇩

Sᴛᴇᴠᴇ Rᴀɴᴅʟᴇ POV:

𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐏 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄. To settle everything after Johnny killed Bob. We got informed that Johnny wasn't doing so good. I just hoped he'd make it through.

We were arm wrestling and I obviously won, pinning his arm down. I smirk. "Why do you like fights, Darry?" Ponyboy asks. "He likes to show off his muscles!" Sodapop replies with a laugh and toothy grin. "Hey I'm going to show them off on you, little buddy, if you keep getting mouthier." Darry replies.

As Ponyboy and Darry continued talking, I talked to Sodapop. "We're definitely going to stomp the socs heads in." I nod in agreement. He's a good fighter, no one could beat him in a fight. Well maybe expect me.

We all rushed out the door and started heading to the lot. I hugged Sodapop from behind before letting go. He smiles and I smile back. No one really gets to see a toothy grin from me except Sodapop. He's...

Special. To me at least.

I love him. Just platonically of course! I'm straight...girls...no boys.

We arrive at the lot soon enough and the socs are on time for once. They are usually late. That's how it goes every other rumble but today I guess they really wanted revenge after what Johnny did to Bob. Which I'd say I would to if Bob wasn't a fucking asshole and tried to kill Johnny and Ponyboy. But Bob was basically asking to get killed. Johnny used self defense.

"A rumble ain't no rumble without me!" Dallas yelled, coming over by our sides. The rumble started when a soc threw a punch at Ponyboy.

I fought them off as best as I could until I heard Sodapop's voice scream for me. "Steve!" He yelled, his voice breaking. I threw a soc off of me and ran to him. He had a stab wound in his stomach. My heart broke. I immediately rushed to him and helped put pressure on the wound.

Darry heard Sodapop scream and came over. "Little buddy? Can you hear me?" Darry asks. Sodapop nods. "I get to meet mom and dad again..." Sodapop says. The oldest shook his head while crying silently. "Don't say that." It was surprising to see the man cry. He didn't even cry at his parent's funeral.

The socs fled and the gang came over. Two-bit covered Ponyboy's ears and Dally covered his eyes to protect him from even more trauma but Ponyboy pushed them off to say goodbye to his brother incase if this was really the last time they'd see each other.

Darry already called an ambulance but the time they got there it was too late. "Starting compressions!" A paramedic said, doing CPR. After a minute or so but what felt like forever, they stopped. "Time of death 21:32." My heart stopped when they said that.

We walked back to the Curtis house in complete silence but Dally and Ponyboy went to the hospital to visit Johnny and tell him what happened.

I sat in complete silence in Sodapop's old bedroom he had before he moved in with his little brother. I sat on his bed, looking at all the pictures he printed of me and him and just the whole gang in general. I sobbed until I heard the door open and close. I walked out to see Ponyboy.

"Hey Pony..." Darry says softly. "Johnny's dead." He says, his voice quivering. "We told him 'bout beating the socs and Sodapop...I dunno he just died." He continues. "Hey Pony." Two-bit says softly and quietly. "Dally's gone. He couldn't take it he's gonna blow!"

We sat in silence for a good minute when Darrel's phone starts ringing but Darry was comforting Ponyboy so I picked it up for him. "Hello?" I say. "Darry?" It was Dally's voice but it was an unknown number so he was probably calling from a line.

"No this is Steve. Dally?" I say. "Steve? I wanna talk to Darry." He sounded out of breath. I nod even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah sure." I say and me and Darry switched places, leaving me to comfort my enemy. I knew we had to get closer because of Sodapop now though. Otherwise everything will fall apart because he was glue.

"That was dally. The cops are after him, we gotta hide him!" Darry says and we run to the lot. "You're never gonna catch me alive!" Dallas yells, pulling out a gun. "Drop it!" A cop yelled back. "DON'T SHOOT!" Ponyboy cries out but the cops shoot Winston god knows how many times.

"ITS NOT LOADED!" Ponyboy yells but it was too late as Dallas falls onto the wet lot grass. "NOOOO." I couldn't really tell who yelled it. I think it was Two-bit. "He's just a kid!" Two-bit shouts.

"Pony..."

—

I just walked home in complete shock. I got home and completely ignored my drunk dad and went to my room. I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. Until I felt a dip in the bed. I looked over and almost screamed but I slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Sodapop?!" I whisper yelled. "How can you see me? I'm dead." Sodapop says. "I have no idea but I don't care." I try to hug him but I fall straight through him.

I remember something I learned from a movie Ponyboy forced the gang to watch...

"They say there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Well I'd like to add one more...revenge."

It's from Cruella 2021 and I knew I was going to put revenge right next to denial in my book.