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The last thing Steve remembered was that Two Bit was a dumbass. He recalled screaming at him to brake, and Two Bit yelling right back at him as he panicked. The Curtis brothers were all hugging each other and screaming, and Steve was in the passenger seat. More screaming, and the unholy screeching of either the failing brakes or a failing Two Bit.
Steve thought his head was gonna explode. He felt weightless. It was a scary feeling, but it was so exciting at the same time. He went cold as he realized what was happening. He screamed for Soda, eyes shut tight, reaching back. A firm hand grabbed his own and he could feel the panicked sped up pulse. Soda.
“I love you, man!” Tears flew out of his eyes, the wind ripped at his hair. “I love you too!!” His voice sounded above the ripping of metal and beeping, and then it all went quiet.
Steve felt like he was on fire. Everything hurt and he just lay there for a few minutes, gasping. The pain dissipated as he sat up, which confused him. He'd been in his fair share of rumbles, and he knew that broken bones and bruises never faded that quick.
His heart ached when he realized he was alone in a seemingly endless white landscape. “Sodapop? Sodapop!” Steve shivered as he wandered around the hopeless looking landscape.
He took off into a run, not getting tired, but with every step he took he grew more and more hopeless. In spite of himself, tears started to slip down his face. He drew a sharp, raking breath when a fist caught him in the back. He stumbled and fell to the ground.
“Hey genius! Quit running, stupid, it's me!” Steve froze. He hadn't heard that rough voice in years. He turned around, shaking. His heart pounded out of his chest as he saw a smiling, tall, lean boy with wispy blonde hair.
“D-Dally?” Dally grinned.
“Hey, Steve. About time.” Steve's eyes went wide, and before he could think twice he took off sprinting toward him. They collided and Steve hugged him with all his strength.
Dally was taken aback. No one had ever hugged him before. Johnny had snuggled up to him as he slept, but even his parents hadn't truly held him before. Dally’s eyes turned huge, and he decided not to beat Steve up for even trying to be compassionate. Instead, he awkwardly hugged back, enjoying the embrace.
Steve and Dally jumped away at the same time as they heard a quiet cough. A shy looking Johnny stood behind a T Bird.
“H-hey Steve…” Steve smiled, trying not to scare him. He felt bad for being such a menace to the kids of the gang, even if he was just a year younger. He walked over and hugged him.
Johnny flinched a little bit. He always had been skittish. Steve’s heart softened a little. “I missed you, man.” Suddenly, Steve realized what was happening. All those people he loved and lost were here…he was dead. Dead at 22.
“Stupid Two Bit, he got us into this mess…he…he-he didn’t mean to… not his fault…” Dally put a hand on his shoulder, sensing his upset.
“Hey, looking for the others? Get in.” He gestured to the T bird. Steve gave him a funny look and stepped up, his eyes widening as he saw Darry, Soda, Two Bit and Ponyboy In the back seats. The T bird was bigger than normal, and there were some extra seats in the back. “Soda! Darry, Two, Pony!! Where have you been? You all just crash a car and leave me??” He grinned and stepped in. Soda was sitting in the very backseat, a chair next to him.
“Hey Steve! I could say the same to you, brother!” He smiled as Steve sat down beside him. “Hey, don’t feel too bad about…well…” “Dying?”
Soda grinned stupidly, nodding. “Yeah, don’t let uh…don’t let that get ya down!” Steve stared at him for a while, then started to chuckle in spite of himself. “Right, no sweat!”
Soda and Steve laughed for a while, joking around and being stupid until Dally and Johnny piled into the car. They all settled down when Steve finally asked the question everyone was wondering.
“Where are we? And where the hell are we driving?” Dally leaned back in his chair. “Some town I guess. Dead People Land, I don’t know what it’s called. You Curtis boys’re gonna get to see your parents!” Darry, Soda and Pony’s faces all lit up at the same time. “Really?”
“Yeah, I-Glory! Two Bit, what’s gotten into ya, are you alright, man!?” Steve’s heart jumped a little when he saw a puffy eyed Two Bit with tears streaming down his face. He hiccuped. “I…I g-got you b-b-boys into this…this mess…my ma is gonna be all alone with Susie, and-and Susie and Ma’ll find out and-and-and-” He started to bawl. “It’s all my fault, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry…” Soda leaned over to hug Two Bit, who was sitting next to him and Steve.
“Hey, hey, it ain’t your fault, Two, it ain’t your fault…You had no idea those brakes would…they…” Soda wiped away a tear furiously. He would miss Ms. Mathews too, and they’d all felt horrible hurting her like that.
Two Bit sniffed a little. “Th-thanks, man.” They were all sort of quiet for the rest of the ride. Finally, they arrived, and Steve had to do a double take. The town was downright pretty, nothing like East Tulsa. It almost looked like the Soc side of town, with its perfectly cut grass and sparkling fountains…
They all piled out of the car, and Darry immediately started looking for his parents, his little brothers following closely behind. He shyly knocked on a door, tensing up before it swung open. His eyes widened to saucers as he saw Darrel Curtis Sr. standing in the door.
“Dad?” Steve just sort of stood to the side, smiling sadly. He tried to be happy, but he didn’t have parents. They weren’t dead, he’d have found them. They just didn’t give a lick about him. It was sort of eye opening to see Darry break down in tears though. Tears were a rare thing, especially for him.
Two Bit tapped him on the shoulder, and he flinched, jerking his head around. “Woah, geez. Cool down, will ya? Me and Dal wanted to see ya. We ain’t got no family here either, so we can be the orphan triplets!”
Steve laughed grimly. “The three depressketeers.”
Dally grumbled a little, grinning softly. “And Johnny, you idiots.” Steve turned around, seeing a red faced Johnny Cade. “Oh, I’m sorry man! The Four Orphansmen of the Apocalypse, then! Two Bit, you’ll be seein’ your ma sooner or later, right? I guess then it’ll just be us.”
Two Bit groaned and rolled his eyes. “What, you want me to be an eternal orphan?”
“Muahahhahahahaaa!”
Steve cackled as Two flipped him off, giggling a little too.