Note: In this chapter we will meet one new character, Kat. She's based off of my best friend in both real life and on this website, so stick around for that.

I'm sorry this chapter took so long to update... But I've made it long, so hopefully that makes up for it.

Into Chapter Three! Please leave a review!

CHAPTER THREE:

I'm standing outside my small house, smoking a cigarette when Steve approaches me from inside.

"You know I didn't mean those words I said, right?"

I nod at his question in understanding, yet don't say a word.

"You know that I regret it, right?"

I nod again, and just like before I don't say a word.

He sighs in what seems to be relief. "Well, that's good I guess." I can feel his gaze on my cigarette, as if he wants to ask for one yet can't find the right words. "Um... You got more of those, Soda?"

I reach into the front pocket of my jeans and pull out the box, flip it open, and offer one to him. He takes it with shaking hands yet I know he is grateful. I reach into my back pocket, pull out a match, strike it against the metal rail of the stairs leading up to our house, light it for him and then blow it out and toss it to the ground, squishing it beneath the heel of my shoe.

Steve scoffs suddenly, and I steal him a side glance only to find him looking the other way into the distance. "Heard they took another one today." He says.

This time I find the urge to speak. "Who was it?"

Steve looks at me then, his eyes -much like his mother's, a light hazel- boring into my dark brown. "Angela Shepard."

Steve:

This time it's Soda's eyes that narrow. "Are you sure?"

I snort in response to his words. "I watched them take her, Soda. She's in my English class, remember?"

It takes him a moment to ponder this, but after about a minute his eyes grow wide. "Tim Shepard's sister?"

"Who in the hell else would it be?" I say, rolling my eyes.

Soda merely shrugs at this, then lifts the cigarette to his lips and takes a long drag. I'm surprised to see him smoking; he never does unless something big is on his mind, and after what I said to him I'm guessing that's what it is.

"I just can't believe they'd take her," Soda says absentmindedly, as if he's talking to himself. "how the hell is Two-Bit gonna take this?"

Two-Bit Mathews just happens to be Angela's boyfriend of seven months, plus one of our gang. "I dunno, man." I say, leaning on my heels so I can sit on one of the porch steps. "But I can assure you he ain't gonna be happy about it."

"What're you two sayin' about my girl?"

Soda and I whip around, trying to stay calm at the sight of the person leaning in the doorway with his arms across his chest.

It's Two-Bit, and he looks pissed.

Soda:

"You've got five minutes to explain why the hell you were talking about Angela behind my back." Two-Bit practically snarls the words, his eyes narrowed and seething with a fire I've never seen in them before.

I send Steve a glare from the corner of my eye, one that gets my point across: You didn't even tell him about it?

I wanted to wait, Steve mentally answers, as of we're telepathically speaking to one another. I thought now wouldn't be a good time.

Well, you thought too late, I send him one last glare before turning to Two-Bit, who looks about ready to murder both of us if we don't get to our explanation.

"You see, Steve and I were-" Inside the house, the phone rings, and Steve and I sigh silently in relief; saved by the phone. Two-Bit shoots us both a glare and stomped off to the phone. Steve and I follow, and stop in our tracks when we see Two-bit start to cry.

We share a look that clearly says: He found out.

"She... she... are you... my God..." He mutters into the phone, fighting back sobs.

"Okay, thanks... And Tim? I'm sorry." He hangs up, then leans against the wall, eyes distant.

Everyone knows Two-Bit was planning to marry Angela. He never says anything about it, neither does she, but you could just tell when Two-Bit saw a ring. The way his eyes got bright and he smiled, seeing something wonderful in his mind.

And it was crushed now.

Steve's eyes get distant too. He was thinking something; being his best friend for his whole life I can tell when he's thinking long and hard about something. "We should try to see her. Soda, don't you know someone who knows about the project?"

I nodded. Kat. They never ask how she knows, they just assume.

They also assume we're just friends.

Steve walks up to Two-Bit and places a hand on his shoulder, sending me a glance from the corner of his eye. "Come on, Two-Bit, let's leave Soda alone for a bit." With a distraught nod, Two-Bit allows Steve to led him away from the kitchen, leaving me alone standing the middle of my own house, staring at the phone.

In one quick movement I'm by the receiver, dialing Kat's number frantically.

Much to my relief she picks up almost immediately. "Hello, this is Katherine White."

"Hey Kat." I say, a smile spreading across my face at the sound of her voice.

"Sodapop!" She loves to say my name like that. When we first met, she didn't believe that was my real name.

"So what's up?" She asks, her voice oddly warm through the phone.

"Do you know how we can see Angela Shepard? They took her to the..." I freeze and trail off. I can't say it... I can't say The Project without cringing.

Pause. "Give me a minute to bring up the layout of the building."

"AHA!" Kat yells after several moments of rustling and grumbling under her breath through the phone, almost bursting my eardrum. In most cases, Two-Bit would have laughed his ass off.

But not today.

"There's an entrance underground, a secret evacuation route. However..." She draws out the word, only making my fear increase more as seconds tick by.

"However?"

"The entryway is in the sewers." She states simply. A long pause of silence draws in between us, and then Kat speaks again. "You're quiet... You and sewers aren't a good match or something?"

"No, it's not that," I say, looking around the room to make sure no one is overhearing our conversation. "It's just that..." I trail off, unable to muster up any words to finish the sentence.

"That...? Come on, Soda, don't be a smartass and not tell me." Kat says, a hint of laughter coming through the phone line.

I sigh and then continue. "I... I miss us, Kat. I miss you."

"Sodapop, I'm sorry. As soon as I get free time from work I'll come see you. I promise. I've got a lot of paperwork lately, but they're training more office people, so I should be off by next week at the latest." She says sweetly, and the wide smile is back on my face.

She gasps suddenly and quickly says, "I have to call you back in a second, Soda. Check your plans for tomorrow."

And she hangs up without giving me the chance to tell her I love her.

I remove the dead phone from my ear and stare at it in wonder. Where'd she go? Was she okay? Was she being hurt by her father again?

At the thought of her father I narrow my eyes on the phone and scream, throwing it across the room at such a high speed it smashes the glass window just above our countertop. I clench my fists, opening and closing them over and over, trying to calm down.

I can almost hear her soft voice in my ear, as if she's beside me: Calm down, it's fine... You're fine, I'm fine... It's all fine...

"You're not fine as long as you're with that monster you call a father." I snarl, saying the common response to that statement whenever Kat would say that to me.

I jump as the phone rings again, and I quickly grab it, afraid I'll hear Kat's fathers voice instead of her own.

I sigh in relief as I hear Kat's voice, this time it's happier than usual. "Sodapop, guess what." She says, squealing like a little girl into the phone.

"Are you okay? I swear I'll beat the bastard if he touched you." I ramble through question after question, all of my fear flowing out of my body and into the phone line.

I can practically hear Kat's smile through the phone. "Soda, I just got promoted. And I get the rest of the week off."

I lean against the wall, a wide smile appearing on my face. I grow serious and fearful yet again as I ask her the same questions, this time with more intensity and protection. "Kat, tell me what the hell he did to you. Did he touch you again? Are you sure you're okay? You want me to come over there and kick his ass for you?"

"Soda, I'm fine." She draws out the word fine, trying to get me to believe it. "I can probably stay at your place, if it makes you feel any better. Okay?"

I chuckle at her words. "Sneak through the window."

"Which one?" She asks. "Leave one open." She's taking it literally.

"Always." I reply, a smile behind my words.

I hear her stuffing things inside a bag, then the words: "Love you. I'll be over in a bit."

She leaves me standing there with a huge smile on my face.

Kat:

I hang up and get up from my desk, take my flashdrive out of the computer and drop it into my purse. I tidy up my desk real quick and leave the office, heading to my truck.

Yes, a truck. I picked it- a cherry-red, humongous pickup truck.

Being on the West Side of Tulsa, Oklahoma Socs like myself could quit school and get a job in The Project. I chose the job.

Luckily my boyfriend doesn't know I do this.

I drive home, planning to slip into my room, pack the rest of my things and slip back out.

Well, when I got home, let's just say my amazing plan didn't happen.

Gregory was there. My father. No, I remind myself, my other father, who doesn't approve of my hertiage of being a Social while he used to be a Greaser, one of the many hoodlums who live on the East Side of Tulsa.

I shouldn't be saying that... My boyfriend, Sodapop Patrick Curtis, happens to be one of them himself.

"Where are you going?" Gregory asks coldly, narrowing his eyes upon my sudden burst into the house.

"To a friend's. I got promoted and she thinks we should celebrate by relaxing a bit. Move out of my way, please." I say, moving slightly forward so I can squeeze past him.

A sudden pain is blooming into my shoulder, making bone scrape against bone in a viper-like grip. It'll leave a bruise, but not one I can't hide with some makeup. Gregory's blue eyes watch me skeptically. I know he doesn't believe me by the cold look in his eyes; a look I've gotten used too living with the bastard since I was adopted by him six years ago.

He lets out a blood-curdling laugh, one that rattles my bones and the floor beneath us. "A promotion? You? What did you do, bribe your boss?"

I got red. I always got angry whenever he implied I was a... I won't even say it. I pushed past him, walked up the stairs to my room, grabbed a few things and shoved them into a duffel bag, stormed outside and walked to my truck, slamming the door behind me.

I wasn't going to deal with him. I was too happy right now.

I drive off, nearly hitting Greg, who was running after my car rather idiotically. I laugh at the sight of him and head in the direction of Soda's house with a rather joyous scream as I allow my adopted father's image get farther and farther away until he's out of my sight.