wildflowers

Chapter 10

"Now you get you some sleep, alright?" Two-Bit hollered out the window at Stephanie.

"Night, Two." She smiled sadly and went inside. A tall figure stood up from the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hand. He smiled and set his coffee down. "Daddy!"

"Hey, munchkin!" Stephanie's dad, Richard, held his arms out for Stephanie to hug him.

"I didn't know you were coming." She smiled.

"That's the point of a surprise." He chuckled. "You came in looking a little distraught, what's your problem?"

Stephanie sat down with her dad and vented about everything that had happened since she came down. The only thing she didn't mention was that Sodapop was a greaser. Richard nodded his head along with Stephanie's tale.

"And now, he's probably with that huzzy." Stephanie sighed.

"Well, he wasn't worth it, then." Richard rubbed his daughter's arm. A knock on the door interrupted their talk. "Who the hell comes over at two in the morning?"

Richard opened to door to see Sodapop standing there. A bruise covered his eye and his cheek was swelled. Tears mixed with rain stained his cheeks.

Stephanie went to the door to see who it was. "Sodapop!" She grabbed his arm to pull him inside out of the rain.

"Don't." Sodapop frowned. "I just came to explain my side of the whole deal."

"Well, explain." Stephanie crossed her arms.

"I was courtin' Sandy in September and she cheated on me." Sodapop stared at the shrub beside the door. "I didn't know she was gonna come over and I apologize for what she said and did."

"Now tell me why you look like you got attacked." Stephanie shifted her feet.

"It was the Socs." Sodapop gulped.

"Daddy, did you by any chance bring my bag?" Stephanie asked.

"I thought you'd never ask." Richard smiled and went to the room he stayed in.

Stephanie brought Sodapop in and sat him in the kitchen floor. She made him stay there while she grabbed him a towel. She stopped at the hallway to listen to Sodapop and Richard talking.

"What's your intentions with my daughter?" Richard asked.

"Well, sir, I feel strongly about Steph." Sodapop shook from the cold. "And one day I plan on marryin' her."

"I'd hate to break it to you, Mr. Curtis, but there's a young man back home with the same wishes." Richard said.

Stephanie bit her lip, her mind raking through the potential boys who would want to marry her. Only one boy came to mind, but he was in med school. His name is David. He lives next to Stephanie. She didn't think he'd have feelings for her.

"Well, sir, I hope she chooses me." Sodapop smiled dreamily.

"I doubt that." Richard said. "Look at you. You're beat up and bruised. You're crying like a baby and you don't have money like the other guy."

Stephanie decided to interrupt them before her dad said something to really piss Sodapop off. She wrapped the towel around Sodapop and grabbed her bag.

"You didn't tell me you're a doctor." Sodapop smiled up at Stephanie.

"You didn't ask." Stephanie playfully smiled back. "There's not much I can do for you, so get a rag and put ice on your eye."

"Wow, so you got the bag for nothing?" Sodapop chuckled.

"It was a precaution." Stephanie giggled.
_

"'How perverse of Rhett to say that it had done nothing for her!'" Sodapop closed the book and hopped off of the tool cart.

"That part was amazing, Soda!" Stephanie stuck her tongue between her teeth, wiping the excess grease from the car she was working on, on a dew rag. "Brakes are brand new."

"Amazing." Sodapop drove the car out of the garage.

"We fixed the brakes and I left a little surprise in the glovebox for your daughter." Stephanie smiled at the car's owner. "I think she'll like it real nice."

"Thank you." The owner said. "I really like you. Soda and Steve struck greatness when you got hired. How long have you been working here?"

"Well, I officially started after the fourth, so about two weeks." Stephanie said. "Soda and Steve are the best as well."

"She's a keeper." The owner patted Sodapop on the shoulder.

A wide grin spread across his face. "She is, isn't she?" Sodapop looked straight into Stephanie's eyes.

Stephanie blushed and looked at the ground. She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. The car's owner left and Sodapop followed Stephanie inside.

"I better get going." Stephanie grabbed her things. "Momma's at the house. I don't know why she didn't come when daddy did."

"I'd love to go as well, but I still have four more hours." Sodapop smiled sadly. "But, tell Mrs. Tyson I said hi."

"Will do." Stephanie acted like she was tipping her hat at Sodapop and skipped out to her car.

When she got to Brady's, her mom was on the porch with him. They looked like they were deep in conversation, so Stephanie quietly walked up.

"Stephanie, it's so good to see you!" Stephanie's mom, Darla, smiled.

"Hey, momma." Stephanie hugged her mother.

"Where have you been all day?" Darla asked.

"I've been working down at the DX."

"Oh, that homely little gas station downtown?" Darla raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Stephanie nodded. "I love it there."

Stephanie told Darla all about the new friends she's made since she got there. Darla worried for her daughter. She wasn't really happy that her daughter was hanging out with a group of teenage boys.