The Outsider Future: Life After the Experience

Chapter 7

MACK
The next morning I woke up and looked for Kat. She must have went for a walk. I knew that she had woken up in the middle of the night with a bad nightmare. I could hear her crying throughout the whole thing. Now I just wondered what it was about. I woke up, though, and immediately tried to find something to do. I decided I would cook myself some breakfast, eggs maybe, when there was a knock at the door. I opened the door and there was John Darling, standing at my door. "Hey Mack," he said looking me up and down. I was immediately embarassed because all I had on was my night gown and my hair was a complete mess. I smoothed both down and looked at him firmly standing my ground because I knew what he was about to say. "Hey John," I replied in a formal tone. "I was wondering if we could go for a walk and a drink at the Dingo," John suggested. I looked at him sadly, wishing that I could go on a date, but I knew I couldn't live with myself if I did. Besides, I wasn't that into John. "Sorry John," I said back. "I'm just not that interested." John nodded his head and looked down. "I guess I'll be on my way then," he replied and walked off. I meant what I had said too. I wasn't really interested, although I knew I had a crush on SOMEONE because I hadn't slept all night, and I only can't sleep when I have a crush on someone. I just didn't know WHO I had a crush on yet. I closed the door behind John and walked back into the kitchen when I got a call on our home phone. "Hello?" I answered picking it up gently. "Hey Mack. It's Steve." I could hear that he was crying which was a very unusual encounter. "Steve, what's wrong?" I asked in a concerned but kind tone. "I'm at the DX, and I'm not hurt or nothing...." He trailed off and I could still hear his sniffles in the background. "I just really need someone right now," he finally said. "Okay," I replied. "I'm on my way." I hurried out the front yard and found that the Stingray was still there. I took the keys, hoping Kat wouldn't need it later today and jumped in. Poor Steve. I wondered what had gotten him so upset. I thought about it for a second and it didn't take too long for me to realize what was wrong. Everything in the DX must have reminded him of Soda. He must have gone in the part where he works for the first time since Soda left, and he must be hurt. He's probably having to hide his tears too because he hates for anyone to see him cry. I rushed the whole way there, and I rushed so much that I got pulled over. The officer stopped me and then came up to my window. I immediately tried to think of something Dallas would do to get out of this. "Hello mam'," the officer said. "Do you know why I pulled you over?" I broke down crying. "Officer I know that I was speeding and everything," I sobbed. "But, my sister is in the hospital having a baby and they called me saying she might die from it. I'm trying to get there as quickly as possible, sir. I know that doesn't make it right though, so I guess I should go ahead and take my ticket." I looked up at the officer with big puppy dog eyes secretly pleading that he wouldn't give me a ticket. The officer sighed as if he was fighting the decision to give me a ticket. "I guess I can let you go this time sweetheart," the man said. "Just go a little slower okay?" I nodded in gratitude. "Thank you so much officer!" He walked off and drove away in his cop car as I smiled in mischief. I drove away slowly at first until the cop was out of sight and then drove fast again. I finally made it to the DX and ran in. I ran in the back without even asking permission, where I knew Steve and Soda used to work. I saw Steve on the garage floor, tears rolling down his cheeks. I ran to his side and put my arm around him in a half hug. "Oh my god Steve!" I yelled. "Are you okay?!" Steve looked over at me. "I just can't take it Mack!" he weeped. "There's a bunch of pictures of us in here and the dream cars we would always talk about. We've had so many memories in here, and I just couldn't take it. I needed someone here with me." He started to get up. I got up too saying, "I'm sorry Steve. I'm here if you need me." "Could you just stay the rest of the day til' I get off?" he asked. I was shocked that he actually wanted my company the rest of the day especially after our dispute yesterday. "Of course," I agreed. I stayed the whole day just talking to Steve about Soda. Eventually, though, while he was fixing up a pickup truck, the topic of Ponyboy came up. "I miss that little squirt too," Steve said. "As much as I pretended to not like having him around, I always secretly liked having him to pick on." I smiled and thought about how I used to think that they hated each other. The real truth was that they secretly liked having each other around to hate, as weird as it sounds. The more we talked the closer we got, and by the end of the day we were sitting close together on a pickup truck. I looked into Steve's big green eyes. "Ya know," I said. "I don't understand why Pony always hated green eyes. I actually kind of like them." "You do?" Steve asked kind of in a daze. "Yeah," I said softly. He started to look into my eyes too and we leaned really close. We kissed in the heat of the moment, and it was the nicest thing I had felt in a while. After long moments I pulled back. "This was a mistake," I said. "I need to go." I got up and started walking out the door when Steve stopped me. "Mack no!" he shouted. "There's something I've been hiding from you that I need to tell you." "What could you possibly say that would stop me from leaving right now?!" I shouted. "You guys got a letter in the mail the other day, but I took it before you could see it." "Steve, are my boys coming back?" I said suspicously. "No," he said. "The exact opposite actually." I walked up to him and yanked the letter out of his hand. This is what it said, "To whomever it may concern, Sodapop Curtis and Ponyboy Curtis have been labeled after two days in war as missing in action."