Sodas Cake: A Short Story
As always, Sodas cake had way too cocoa powder and sugar in it. Half the time I'm convinced that's all he puts in his cake. But this time, however, just to mix things up a bit, he decided to cook gummy worms into the cake. I tried to stop him, but all my efforts just ended in me reluctantly choking down the sour, melted gummy worms covered in chocolate.
It was extremely disgusting.
Darry let out a rare laugh when he emerged from his shower and saw the state of his breakfast.
"What did you do to it, little buddy?" He drawled, trying to seem annoyed, but he was still smiling.
"It's like dirt pudding, right?"
"No," I shook my head, which was a bad idea because it just made my head pound harder. "It's not at all."
"Alright, Ponyboy," …show more content…
Darry started as he grabbed his boots, changing the subject away from Soda's latest cooking disaster. "No movies, no leaving the house. Have fun nursing that hangover."
We exchanged goodbyes and Darry left. It was quiet for a moment, but that didn't last long.
"Hello Curtis family!" Two-Bit bellowed excitedly, throwing open our screen door with a loud bang. "Don't worry ladies, Two-Bit is here to rescue you from your crippling and ever-present boredom."
"Hi, Two-Bit," Soda drawled slowly, his voice dripping in indifference.
"Is that any way to great your hero?"
"Would you rather me get down on my knees and bow to you?"
"I think I'd like to see that, Sodapop."
Instead of bowing, Soda swung at him. Two-Bit quickly grabbed him in a choke-hold, but let go immediately when Soda let out a light cough.
"You okay man?"
"I'm fine," Soda huffed, his eyes flashing with an annoyance I knew well. It was the same look I used when I couldn't join the track team, the same look Soda gave dad when dad told him he couldn't join him out in the garage working on cars anymore.
"I'm not glass," he muttered, just loud enough that only I could hear him.
"We know you ain't," I tried to comfort him softly. Two-Bit offered to play us at a few round of poker, sensing the tension.
As the game progressed, Soda perked up a bit, but he was still a little put off. He never let anything bother him for too long, but being treated like he was less than a person because of his asthma was something unique that got under his skin.
Sodapop's POV (December, 1967)
It took a lot of convincing, but I finally convinced Darry to let the gang and I to take Ponyboy to the movies. He needed a night off; he has been swamped with homework and tests lately, plus he had been helping out around the house extra to try and get on Darry's good side. It worked, gladly.
About an hour before we left, it started to rain and thunder. The kind of rain that wasn't gonna let up. Within half an hour, Darry was home and we had convinced him to join us.
"Come on, Two-Bit, lets go," I begged for the umpteenth time. Everyone else was out on the porch getting antsy while I was inside begging Two-Bit to "get your lazy, good-for-nothing-"
"I'm coming!" He hollered at me, grabbing a few beers from the fridge before finally following me out the door. He threw one at Steve once we started walking.
"What movie are we seeing?" Ponyboy asked after a minute. "Got any idea what they're playing?"
I pretended to think for a minute before replying, "I don't know...I think a movie with some guy named John Wayne.
Or is it Jimmy? I can't never remember.." I joked, watching as Ponyboy's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
I laughed. "Of course. You don't joke about John Wayne."
We got to the movie theaters a few minutes early so we got to pick the best seats. We sat Darry, Ponyboy, Two-Bit, Steve, and then me on the end.
I was talking to Steve about some rude Soc that brought in some tuff mustang that he had totally not taken care of when I heard Ponyboy let out a few deep coughs. I turned my head just in time to see a cloud of smoke pass between Ponyboy and Darry's heads, causing Pony to start coughing even harder. He pulled out his inhaler, administering a puff, but it was taking longer to act than I would have liked.
I glowered for a second before I saw Darry lean forward.
"Excuse you, but I think you might like to put out that cigarette. Thanks," Darry challenged unapologetically, sounding completely fake friendly. The guy was some middle class guy, at least 20-something there with some girl with black curly hair. If it was anybody else that guy would have clocked Darry, but he just silently put out the cigarette.
I glanced back to Ponyboy and saw that he was rubbing his chest, but his coughing was less
frequent.
I zoned out for most of the movie, my leg tapping. I got up to get drinks and popcorn twice and once I got up just to stand. By the end of the movie I was itching to get up, but the look on Ponyboy's face was worth it.
It was extremely disgusting.
Darry let out a rare laugh when he emerged from his shower and saw the state of his breakfast.
"What did you do to it, little buddy?" He drawled, trying to seem annoyed, but he was still smiling.
"It's like dirt pudding, right?"
"No," I shook my head, which was a bad idea because it just made my head pound harder. "It's not at all."
"Alright, Ponyboy," …show more content…
Darry started as he grabbed his boots, changing the subject away from Soda's latest cooking disaster. "No movies, no leaving the house. Have fun nursing that hangover."
We exchanged goodbyes and Darry left. It was quiet for a moment, but that didn't last long.
"Hello Curtis family!" Two-Bit bellowed excitedly, throwing open our screen door with a loud bang. "Don't worry ladies, Two-Bit is here to rescue you from your crippling and ever-present boredom."
"Hi, Two-Bit," Soda drawled slowly, his voice dripping in indifference.
"Is that any way to great your hero?"
"Would you rather me get down on my knees and bow to you?"
"I think I'd like to see that, Sodapop."
Instead of bowing, Soda swung at him. Two-Bit quickly grabbed him in a choke-hold, but let go immediately when Soda let out a light cough.
"You okay man?"
"I'm fine," Soda huffed, his eyes flashing with an annoyance I knew well. It was the same look I used when I couldn't join the track team, the same look Soda gave dad when dad told him he couldn't join him out in the garage working on cars anymore.
"I'm not glass," he muttered, just loud enough that only I could hear him.
"We know you ain't," I tried to comfort him softly. Two-Bit offered to play us at a few round of poker, sensing the tension.
As the game progressed, Soda perked up a bit, but he was still a little put off. He never let anything bother him for too long, but being treated like he was less than a person because of his asthma was something unique that got under his skin.
Sodapop's POV (December, 1967)
It took a lot of convincing, but I finally convinced Darry to let the gang and I to take Ponyboy to the movies. He needed a night off; he has been swamped with homework and tests lately, plus he had been helping out around the house extra to try and get on Darry's good side. It worked, gladly.
About an hour before we left, it started to rain and thunder. The kind of rain that wasn't gonna let up. Within half an hour, Darry was home and we had convinced him to join us.
"Come on, Two-Bit, lets go," I begged for the umpteenth time. Everyone else was out on the porch getting antsy while I was inside begging Two-Bit to "get your lazy, good-for-nothing-"
"I'm coming!" He hollered at me, grabbing a few beers from the fridge before finally following me out the door. He threw one at Steve once we started walking.
"What movie are we seeing?" Ponyboy asked after a minute. "Got any idea what they're playing?"
I pretended to think for a minute before replying, "I don't know...I think a movie with some guy named John Wayne.
Or is it Jimmy? I can't never remember.." I joked, watching as Ponyboy's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
I laughed. "Of course. You don't joke about John Wayne."
We got to the movie theaters a few minutes early so we got to pick the best seats. We sat Darry, Ponyboy, Two-Bit, Steve, and then me on the end.
I was talking to Steve about some rude Soc that brought in some tuff mustang that he had totally not taken care of when I heard Ponyboy let out a few deep coughs. I turned my head just in time to see a cloud of smoke pass between Ponyboy and Darry's heads, causing Pony to start coughing even harder. He pulled out his inhaler, administering a puff, but it was taking longer to act than I would have liked.
I glowered for a second before I saw Darry lean forward.
"Excuse you, but I think you might like to put out that cigarette. Thanks," Darry challenged unapologetically, sounding completely fake friendly. The guy was some middle class guy, at least 20-something there with some girl with black curly hair. If it was anybody else that guy would have clocked Darry, but he just silently put out the cigarette.
I glanced back to Ponyboy and saw that he was rubbing his chest, but his coughing was less
frequent.
I zoned out for most of the movie, my leg tapping. I got up to get drinks and popcorn twice and once I got up just to stand. By the end of the movie I was itching to get up, but the look on Ponyboy's face was worth it.