The Other Curtis

Chapter 24

Soda's POV
I ran down the stairs and out the door. I yelled her name but she didn't stop. I know Pony's the one on the track team but man can Sam run fast. I saw her take off towards the lot at least that was the way she was headed. I could see her hair flying in the wind as she ran. I still can't believe she even cut herself. I mean the signs were all there but I never thought she would. She acted a lot like Johnny and I did when we used to cut. I only cut for a little bit just after mom and dad died but Johnny has just recently stopped cutting. I ran after her as fast as I could. After about two blocks I was wore out. It was hard to run but I kept pushing myself making myself run faster and faster. The only thing that kept me going at the moment was that I knew she needed me. Sometimes she thinks a little different. She's not like most girls. That was one of the first mistakes I ever made. Thinking she was like most girls was the stupidest thing I ever did. Back then I was just a kid and so was she. But even back I could tell that she should not be underestimated. She would play with us when we were really little she was just 10 months old. Pony was a few months away from turning two, I was 4 and Darry was 8. We were all running around the house like mad and she slammed in the door and busted her head open. She needed stitches. But she didn't cry. The doctor said it could have been from her having a concussion. But after he checked her out he said that she didn't have a concussion. She was just that tuff. I think I saw her run into the lot when I heard a mustang pull up behind me. Sam must have heard it to because she ran right out in front of me to stop the socs. "Sam what are you doing?" I yelled at her. "Saving your butt and finishing what I started." She said back fiercely. "Sam you ain't got a blade." I told her. "That's the point soda. That's why I'm doing this. Give me a smoke I know you got one." She huffed back as she stood waiting for the drunk Socs to get out of the car. I tossed her a cigarette. I had no idea she smoked. Must be something she picked up from dal. A trick to make her look tuff. I do it so I lit both of our cigarettes. They stumbled out of their car. "Hey look who it is" one of them said with a laugh. I didn't know who it was right off but I know Sam did. She tensed up. "Hey soda look what the cat drug in." She said what a smirk. "Well ya know let's see we got Dally's girl and her brother who all our girls like. What do ya think boys?" The one asked I could tell it was Bob. Sam just looked over at me while she was puffing on her cigarette. "Well I think we should keep the girl I kinda like her. I don't really care what ya do with her brother though." One of them said as he licked his lips looking at Sam in a way I really didn't like. I could tell she didn't like it either. "Come on sweet heart come with us." Bob said. "I wouldn't go with you if you was the last guy on earth. I would rather go die in a hole." She said. "Well baby I don't think you got a choice." He said with a smirk. "Yeah I got a choice." She said before taking a swing at him. I jumped into the fight to try and help her. We were obviously out numbered but that didn't stop Sam. She was fighting 3 and I was fighting 2. I didn't want Sam to get hurt. She just woke up from a horrible concussion that lasted a week. It was hard on us all. I thought dal was about half dead at times. He never went back to bucks for some sleep or moved from the spot on her bed until Jamie made him go get some rest. The doctor said that if she does something like that again she may not come out of it. We all knew it but no one spoke of it. After about 20 minutes of struggling to win the fight the Socs took off crying for their mothers. Sam and I whooped them a good one. She stood up smiling. She looked beat but she was happy. I figured she would need a few stitches and she would have a ton of bruises but it was better than her to keep hurting herself. "Sam do you wanna go home now?" I asked her. "No." She said shaking her head. "Why?" I asked. At this point I have just about given up all hope of anything good happening. "Because I only stopped to fight those Socs because I hoped that they would finish what they had started." She said out of breath. "Do you not remember what pony said. Besides why are you so happy about beating them anyway?" I asked her. "Because I finished what I started. Plus everyone will now know that dals girl is not something to mess with." She said. "Why is that you are always saying dals girl?" I asked. "Because before that I was a nothing a no one. No rep. No nothing. I have never done anything worth even mentioning till I became dals girl." She said. It killed me to hear those words. "Sam you have done so much more. You are a Curtis sister! Does that mean nothing anymore!?" I yelled back at her. "Ya know what soda it used to! I used to take it as  an honor! Now I don't. I got tired of hearing ain't you Darry's little sister? Ain't you sodas little sister. Ain't you ponys sister? Do you k ow how tired I get of that?! She yelled before taking off running. I started to run after her but found it of no use. I turned around and walked back to the house in defeat. I hope Sam is ok. That's all I could think of other than the broken jaw I may get from Dallas for not being able to get her to come back home.