Summer Nights // Sodapop Curtis

Sixteen

"You thought you loved me?" I asked, Dally.

"Yeah, but now I'm sure I love Amy," he said.

"Love and like are really different, Dallas. You can't just go around telling people you love them," I said, crossing my arms.

"I know, but I think I really mean it when I say I love Amy, she's just the right amount of crazy for me," he smiled.

"Her parents are never going to approve of this-" I began.

"I don't need you making things any worse," Dally snapped.

"But I'm happy for you two," I finished.

"You're a really good person Callie, I'm glad you moved here," he said.

"About that," I began, "you can't tell anyone this, especially Soda."

"What," Dally asked.

"I don't actually live here, my family is just staying with Amy and her family for another few weeks, then we're going home to Chicago," I confessed quickly.

"Wait, so you're leaving?"

I nodded, a tear running down my cheek. "You should go, before my parents get home."

"See you later, Callie," he said, turning to leave.

"Please don't tell anyone," I said.

"I won't, but you need to tell Sodapop," Dally said, and he left.

"I know," I whispered to myself as I closed the door.

"Callie!" Charlie yelled, running down the stairs.

"Hey Charlie, I didn't know you were home!" I hugged him. He didn't pull away from the hug, and I knew that something was wrong. "Charlie, are you okay?"

"No," he looked up at me with watery eyes.

"Charlie, what's wrong?" I asked, and we walked over and sat down on the steps.

"We got a call today," Charlie said slowly, "Grandma had a heart attack, they said she isn't going to make it."

Although I hadn't seen my grandmother in a few years, we had always been close. I hugged Charlie and we both cried. We sat there for a long time, until our parents came home. Dad and Aunt Karen were the most upset, and as they packed their bags, preparing to drive a few hours to get to the hospital where their mother was, the house was completely silent.

"Charlie, why don't we go sit outside for a while?" I asked quietly, wanting to get away from the sadness inside the house.

After an hour of sitting outside, Dad, Aunt Karen, and Uncle Tim left to visit Grandma, and Amy still wasn't home.

"I don't feel like cooking tonight, so we're going out for dinner," Mom said. "Are you guys going to be okay?"

"We'll be okay, we just need some time," Charlie answered, sounding like an adult again.

"We're leaving in five minutes. Peter told me about a diner on the other side of town," Mom said.

Charlie and I followed Mom inside, and we all got ready to go. Peter left a note on the counter for Amy when she got home, and we left, still silent, and Mom was still crying.

When we arrived at the Dingo, I was surprised to see Amy, sitting with Dally and the rest of the gang, but no one else noticed.

"I'm going to use the bathroom," I told Mom as everyone else sat down in a booth.

"Callie!" Two-Bit yelled.