I didn't know why I was there. I just knew I didn't belong. No matter where I went, I couldn't find someone who would understand. How could they? I didn't. But there I was. And I didn't know when and if I was going back.

CHAPTER ONE

"Thanks for letting me stay," I told Darry while squeezing my wet brown hair dry with the t-shirt Soda had worn the day before. My hair was usually frizzy and curly; but when it was wet, it was tamer.

"You're welcome," he said as if it were no big deal. But it was. I shouldn't have been there. He had enough to worry about without me, but I had nowhere else to go; so I stayed there.

I went to the room that I was sharing with Sodapop and Ponyboy and laid down on the bed that was supposed to be Pony's, but was mine since he never used it. I only laid down for less than half a minute because I couldn't stand the silence. Silence was weird for this house, there was always some noise. A lot, actually. I liked it like that. Silence drove me freaking nuts. It gave me more time to think. I didn't want time to think.

So anyway, I put a Sinatra record on and listened to "The Way You Look Tonight" while flipping through a teen magazine.

Next thing I knew the door opened. I didn't look up; I figured it was Soda or Pony.

Uh-WRONG!

"Hey baby," said a sexy, but cruel male voice.

"Shit, anyone but him." I thought.

The in-his-own-stupid-ass-way-hot-jerk blonde decided to half-sit, half-lay next to me on the twin bed. I was pushed into the wall and he was half on me.

I made some weird noise and ordered him, "Winston, get the hell off of me."

He ignored my bold comment, which surprised me, and moved on with the "conversation."

"I'm going to Buck's tonight with Tim and one of the guys from his gang. Care to tag along?"

"So I can be felt up?" I asked, "No thanks."

"No to have fun, you don't have to go to Bucks to get felt up." He paused for dramatic effect. "Honey."

When I had first met the gang; Dallas, Soda, Steve and Two-Bit were all hitting on me. The others had pretty much stopped. Sure they said a line now and then, but it was nothing like it used to be; except with Two-Bit a little. But Dallas never stopped, or slowed down. I didn't know why not. I knew he was a tough hood, but Pony had said he hadn't been as bad around Steve's cousin. So why did he keep acting like a f-in dick around me?

Thinking about it drove me out of my f-in mind.