Since the rumble, I hadn't felt the same. Something inside of me was off, but I was determined to keep it hidden from everyone else. So I stayed pretty drunk most of the time. It was something I had gotten used to. I guess you could say that I had become a functional alcoholic. I was unsure if anyone in the gang had caught on to it or not, but I wasn't sure if I cared whether they did or not. So after several days of being bored and having nothing to do but work, I decided I was going to do what I do best.
I was wrapping up working on one of the cars that had been dropped off at the DX, when Soda walked in looking pretty pissed. "Hey! You OK?" I yelled, and threw a dirty, grease rag at him. It popped him right in the face, and stopped where he was standing. He shrugged his shoulders, picked up the rag and threw it back. "Dude! What's your deal?" He had been acting pretty weird lately and was a big party pooper or just did some strange things.
"Nothing... I mean... Damn it! I just miss Jelly!" He mumbled as sat on the hood of the car I had just finished working on.
"Hmmm.." Was all I could say, and then I had an idea. "Hey, you wanna go steal some hubcaps?" I laughed, fully expecting him to say no.
He cocked his head to the side, and stared at me. Then a smile crept across his face, and he said, "I need to get a little more drunk for that."
I nodded my head, and told him I could take care of that. I draped my arm over his shoulder, and walked with him to Buck's. Leo was posted at the bar, and I spotted Dal somewhere in the crowd. There were a lot people there for a Wednesday night. I slammed my hand down on the bar, "Yo, Leo! Two longnecks for me and my boy here." I yelled while slapping Soda's back. Leo got right to it, and slid them down the bar to us. Not too long after, he walked down to talk to us.
"What kinda mischief can I 'spect from you two tonight?" He laughed. Leo is a cool guy, and doesn't say too much, but he sure knows how to read people. I just shrugged. Instead, I asked him about the unusual amount of people lingering inside. "It's summer time. People are hot and bored, so they come here thirsty and stir crazy." We sat and talked with him for a little bit longer, and once Soda was nice and buzzed, we set off on a mission. He and I drove down to a nicer part of town in my truck, and stopped at a church. "This one don't have any cameras. We've got bout an hour until they are done. We're not takin' from all of 'em, but just a few. You get the honor of picking the first one!" Soda picked a black Lexus, and we started our work. After the first two cars, a police car pulled up in the lot flashing their lights. Luckily, I had parked the truck in an alley facing the church, and we were hidden behind a car. He got out about two cars down, and we had to squeeze past several cars, and out of the lot to the truck. We threw the hubcaps in the back and bolted. The cop tried to chase after us, but he couldn't get to his car fast enough. "Too many donuts, asshole!" I yelled out the window at him. Soda just sat there in the passenger's seat expressionless.
"You alright man?" I questioned. He just sat there and said nothing. It was so strange to see him act that way when he was usually the happy-go-lucky one. I drove him to his house, and went inside. He walked straight to his room and closed the door. Darry asked what was going on and I started to explain the night to them. Darry didn't seem to like that very much.
"You honestly think that's gonna make him feel better? You're supposed to be his best friend. Are you really that big of an idiot?" He bellowed. He opened the front door, and while he was holding it open, yelled, "GO HOME STEVE!"
"Gaddam! Why does everyone keep saying that to me? Everyone acts like I'm the plague, or a disease! Fuck!" I yelled back, and I did, I went home. Secretly hoping that everyone else was happy now.
