june 1965
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
sodapop curtis

i could hear the cars come from behind, i had to look both ways before turning around into the small alley. it was dark with a tint of blue flashing down, i held my breath as some of the socs who decided to run on foot passed by.

coast was clear as i kept running around until i finally made it to claire's house. the windows showed nothing but darkness except for a bedroom that had its lights on, claire's bedroom.

        i found a few pebbles on the ground before throwing them at her window, one by one. a small figure came up to the window, the blinds went up to reveal a groggy claire anderson who was just trying to go to bed early, she opened the window.

        "soda, why are you here?" she squinted.

        "i don't have a lot of time to explain, you folks home?" i looked up at her.

        "no, is everything alright?" claire leaned into the window frame.

        "yes, could you let me in?" i asked, she nodded.

        claire closed her window and it all went quiet for a moment. claire soon returned by opening her front door, she was in floral shorts and a matching tank top. her robe was over the outfit but i could still get the full glimpse of it.

        i tiptoed up her front porch but she rolled her eyes with a warm smile before dragging me in. claire was all smiles when she saw my face, her jaw dropped with her fingers roaming around my face that felt bruised and scarred.

        "oh dear, what happened?" claire asks while angling my face.

        "your ex, clayton was what happened." i pushed her hand away but she forced me to sit on the couch.

        "sit there, i have a kit somewhere." she demands while running around the house for supplies.

        i sat there staring at the small reflection her shiny lamp was giving me, i could see the big black eye the socs gave me. all i was hoping was that my punches gave them a little something in return. claire came back with a small box that contained a little packet full of ointment, bandaids in all sizes, tweezers, tape, and rubbing alcohol.

        claire kneeled in front of me with her same old worried expression, she had q-tips laying by her side. she gently focused on dipping the q-tip in the rubbing alcohol, then holding my face. her face was in concentration as she gently rubbed the q-tip against a scar on my forehead, it still stung. that made me hiss with a small flinch, claire gave me a sorrowful look.

        "i'm so sorry, soda." she clicked her tongue.

        "don't worry about it, it's my pain anyways." i tried to smile and hide the pain but the pain was a bitch.

        claire finished putting me through that stage of hell, then adding a small bandaid on that scar. she drugged through the kit and found the tape, she saw my hands with a shocked look. i smirked as i thought the bruises on my knuckles made me look tough, it just made my ring finger look really swollen.

        i watched her wrap my ring finger and pinky together, tight but not tight enough to squeeze the circulation out of my finger. claire smiled when she saw that i wasn't bitching about the wrap.

        claire locks away all her stuff but heads to the kitchen, i began whistling another part of the songs that played during two-bit's mickey mouse session. claire came back with an ice pack for my eye, it was a bit too warm in her house and it was nice to have an object in my hand below 30 degrees.

        "clayton got you hard, huh?" claire laughed.

        "oh shut it before i won't hear the end of it." i rolled my eyes.

        "hey, im not two-bit." she put her arms up in defense.

        i shook my head.

        "claire, quick question."

        "what is it?" she sat down next to me on the couch.

        "how are you so good at this doctor stuff?" i looked at her with my one eye.

"well, my mom has been training me to become a nurse since i've always dreamed of being one," she explained, "next month is my 18th birthday and i've already turned in my application to be a nurse for the war."

claire was going to a war zone, the dangerous part of the world you can be in when you're only 18. i was 18 already but had no plans on going to war. i turned 18 months ago but never got a call to go into war, maybe i was one of the lucky ones.

        "randy had gotten a letter to get drafted, that's why he's been acting all weirdly but i wasn't allowed to say." claire frowned, "he had just turn 19 but they still want him. my dad thought it was a great idea over his letter but randy cried the first night, he was giving up so much in tulsa for a war."

        "i understand, i myself am also scared." i said.

        "the reason my dad was coming home next wednesday was so they could all say goodbye to randy." claire told me, "and once randy was gone so was my dad, he waited for randy to go so that him and his soldiers can tag along."

        "but then what about you, you can't forget about yourself."

        "i'm becoming a nurse, soda." she smiled, "my mom will be perfectly fine as she's planning on staying with my grandmother."

        "this is all really happening, huh?" i chuckled, she nodded. "well then, claire anderson?"

        "mhm." she hummed as she the tv remote away from the couch.

        "would you do me a favor and go out with me?" i smirked.

        she gently pushed me with a soft smile, "of course i would love to go out with you."