"I admired them the way I admired no one else."

By the time the last bell rang for school to let out, I was exhausted. I just wanted to get home and sleep. Sleep and forget everything.

But that boy, Sodapop, said my car would be done by that afternoon. It was a fifteen minute walk from school to the DX, so by the time I got there it would be 3:00. I was hoping it would be done by then, so I began my walk.

How I hated this town. This God awful town, with Socs and greasers at each other's throats. Where parents didn't know the score. Where kids got beat up because they didn't have money. Where kids beat each other up because they had more wealth.

I wanted to get out of Tulsa. I wanted to get as far away as I could get, where I could grow up and raise a family so that they didn't have to fight for their lives on the streets. So they didn't have to worry about money or what others would think of them. Tulsa was just one of the many cities in America where kids and teenagers were divided.

More than anything, I wanted by dad back. When my parents divorced two years prior, my mother had gotten custody of me. My father had left, off to explore America. He took his old van, packed with all his belongings, and drove off into the unknown. Now I wanted my own unknown, far away from the streets of Tulsa.

The DX was far from full when I arrived, which I was surprised about. But seeing as how many cars were parked in the open garage, I knew they were still busy as could be.

I walked inside the small shop behind the gas pumps. Along the far wall was a counter and cash register, racks of candy and chips surrounding it. I walked up to the counter, putting on a light smile.

"Hi Sodapop." The boy behind the counter turned to me. When our eyes me, he smiled brightly.

"Hey Penny. You coming for your car?" He asked, walking out from behind the counter.

I nodded. "Yeah. What was wrong with it?" I followed him as Soda led the way back outside and around to the garage.

"Basically, something was up with the engine." He must of noticed the worried look on my face. The last thing I needed was to pay for a new engine. That type of money didn't grow on trees. "But don't worry. A few tweeks was all it took to fix it up. It should be ready to go." He lead me into the garage, over to another boy who looked to be around his age.

"Penny, this is my buddy Steve." Sodapop slapped the guy, Steve, on the back. He turned to look at me.

Grease was smeared on his hands and a few marks on his face and shirt. He had heavily greased hair, like Soda's, that was combed into complicated swirls. He smiled good naturedly, flashing his crooked teeth. "Hiya, sweetheart. Nice to meet you." He wiped his hand on a piece of cloth before shaking my hand.

"And you," I responded politely.

"You're cars in the back." Soda said, taking a step away from us. "Give me a second and I'll go bring it around." He left without waiting for a response from Steve or I. We were left in a semi-awkward silence.

"I think I've seen you around school." Steve broke the silence, making me look up at him. "You go to the high school, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded my head. "And you're the boy who's with Evie? You work here part time?"

He smiled proudly. "Sure am and sure do."

His attitude made me smile a bit. I found it nice to see a boy stick up proudly for his girl like Steve had. Angelo had never done anything like that for me.

Already my mind was circling back to Angelo. I felt a pang in my chest, cursing him with every fiber in my body.

There was a familiar honk and I turned to see Sodapop pull my car up to the pumps. I sighed with relief at the sight of it. My mother would be ecstatic to have it back.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around Steve. Thanks for the help with my car."

He nodded with a broad smile. "You bet! It was no trouble." He waved goodbye and I briskly made my way over to my car.

As Soda got out of the driver's seat, I began to flip through some bills to pay him. "Thank you so much Sodapop. For everything." I handed him the correct amount of money which he took with his usual smile.

"It was nothing." He moved out of the way to let me get into the driver's seat, but I didn't. Instead I gave him a hard look.

"Don't you go being modest, Sodapop," I said, more sternly then I'd meant. "You towed my car, fixed it up, and even drove me home. I'm really grateful."

He shook his head. "Penny, it really wasn't a big deal. You seemed like you needed a bit of help and I was happy to give it."

I nodded my head knowingly. "Well thank you again anyway." I extended my hand for a shake.

He took it in a firm grip and flashed his white teeth. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call the DX. I'll be around somewhere."

"Noted." I returned his smile before hoping into my car. I gave him one last wave before pulling out from the pumps and making my way back to my house. The engine purred nicely. I was happy to have the car back.

The guys at the DX were real nice, was my thought as I drove. Steve seemed like a funny, quirky, type of guy and Sodapop had a good heart. I liked the way they smiled. Both liked their jobs, that much was clear, and they seemed pretty content with their lives. It was refreshing to see. In a city like Tulsa, true happiness was hard to come by.

Their lives weren't perfect. I knew that. No one's was. But they made an effort to be happy, and put their best selves forward. I admired them in a way I admired no one else. They were the type of people you looked up to.

I found myself wishing I could be like them, not burdened by my own thoughts. Not brought down by the people around me, or actions taken by people who surrounded me. Not suffocating in my own despair, like a record on repeat. Sodapop and Steve were the type of people who were untouched by the dark side of humanity, where I on the other hand, had been drowned in it.

My ocean was too wide. My land was crumbling. And soon enough, I would fall, tumbling into the sea where sharks were already waiting for me.