Before My Time Shorts: The Outsiders

Midnight Thunder Storms

Narrator's POV
March 1966
Timeline B

Despite living in Tulsa for seven years, Bri never got used to the powerful thunderstorms that constantly take over the Tulsa area. The boys have grown up with them and were used to them as part of their norm, and Dally is too tough to get stunned by a little electricity and a little noise.

Bri trembled in the bed she stole from Soda, praying that the powerful storm would pass quickly. She would hear the powerful clap fill the still air, followed by the shock of white that lit the night sky with a flash of light. The blinding light filled the house, casting shadows in the room that made the usual fearless Bri jump. When thunderstorms rolled into Tulsa, it turned Bri into a little girl.

Bri ripped the sheets off her shaking body and she walked to the kitchen quietly, trying not to wake anyone up. The cold sweat she was covered in had dried quickly, but Bri couldn't wait until morning so she could shower. She didn't understand how everyone could sleep through this. On her way to the kitchen, a lightning strike zapped right by the window, making her heart jump. She got annoyed with herself, wondering if there was some sort of deep childhood trauma that caused her to be so afraid of something as simple as thunderstorms.

She got to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of water, hoping it would calm her down enough to help her to go sleep.

Soda groggily yawned from the living room and heard the sound of the cold tap water running softly. It was almost enough to lull him back to sleep, but he wanted to know who was up in the middle of the night.

He stretched his arms above his head and sat up from the couch and cracked his back. He yawned and stood up, walking to the kitchen and saw that Bri was the one awake. He was surprised, he thought it was going to be Pony.

"Hey, Bri, what are you doing up?" Soda asked, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Shit, did I wake you?" She asked.

"No," Soda lied. "Why are you awake?"

"I couldn't sleep," she said, sipping the water from the glass cup.

"You ain't slept at all?"

"Not tonight," she answered.

"Is it the storm?" Soda asked, scratching his bare chest.

Bri didn't want to sound like a wimp in front of Soda, so she tried to doge the question by answering, "it's just loud. That's all."

"Maybe I'm just used to it." He chuckled, "youse get any thunderstorms in California?"

The thunder clapped right outside the window, shaking the little house. The lightning bolt came down a second later, making Bri jump just a little.

"Not like these," Bri said, finishing her water and setting the cup in the sink.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to bed." Soda yawned, extending his arm out. He could see how nervous she was, and he didn't like seeing her that way. And he knew that she didn't want to be seen that way either.

"Are you sure?" Bri asked, walking past him slowly.

He put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her and said that he didn't mind. He was too tired anyway to think cognitively. Someone could tell him to jump and he would, no questions asked. He body would just do whatever an outside source would say.

They got to the dark room, and Bri carefully climbed into bed and tried not make too much noise. She crawled under the covers and laid down on her stomach. There was another clap of thunder than made her instinctively jump, and seeing her so scared made Soda want to laugh and poke fun, but he was too tired. He decided to be nice instead.

He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully brushed his fingertips up and down her back.

"What are you doing?" Bri asked.

"This is what my mama did to help us sleep when we was young." Soda yawned and let his heavy eyes drift closed. "Just thought it would help you too."

She nudged to one side of the bed so Soda could lay next to her more comfortably.

He laid down next to her, over the covers, and ran his fingertips up and down her back, and sometimes along the back of her neck and arms. Slow, light fingernail scratching was on the list, and he did little tracings and swirly patterns to entertain himself and to keep himself from falling asleep.

"Thank you," Bri mumbled out of the corner of her lips as she got drowsy.

"Mm-hmm," Soda hummed.

He almost wished her back was bare so his fingers didn't keep getting caught on her sleep shirt, but was quick to revert his thoughts because he realized that it would be inappropriate. Soda isn't one to think things through very quickly.

Bri found these back tracing very relaxing, much better than a back rubbing. In the beginning she almost felt uncomfortable, because she is not used to being touched, especially when she's about to sleep.

Bri knew that Soda always has good intentions, must it's the generational gap but this was not a normal thing to do. Bri thinks of Soda as an adorable dope who cares about the wellbeing of others, almost like a golden retriever, and she looked up to him greatly. She soon relaxed from Soda's considerate gesture and found that she already felt safer and the continuous thunder and lightning seemed far away.

Soda pried his tired eyes open and noticed that Bri had fallen asleep. Mr. Sandman had been begging Soda to slip, and he finally did. He woke up in the morning, his hand resting on Bri's back and he could hear bluebirds singing outside the window.

Bri never knew that a Soda had spent the night in her room that night, and the boys would never find out. He knew that he would get judged, either by not sleeping with her or the thought that he did sleep with her. His heart was full as he crept out of the room, and passed out on the couch.