"My name is Bella and over the past couple of weeks I've been keeping a huge secret from my brothers. Not too long ago I hadn't been feeling to hot so I caught a bus to the hospital and after a bunch of tests they said that I had leukemia. 8 letters and one word that had turned my world upside down. When I was little I was adopted by the cutis' and then two years ago my parents died. My older brother Darry now works two jobs to support myself and my two brother's Sodapop and Ponyboy. I know the only reason why my parents adopted me was because they thought they couldn't have any more kids after Soda. I am 16 just like Soda but he is still a couple months older than me so he acts like he is years older than me. I couldn't tell Darry about my cancer because he would just worry about me more and try to work even more so that he can pay for treatment for me.

"Get the hell up Belle or you're going to be late for school!" Darry down the hall to me. Ever since I was diagnosed I have been getting more tired and I've been eating less. I groaned and rolled out of bed, not wanting my brothers to get suspicious. I had found a place where I could sell my paintings and sketches for cash so I could pay for medication for myself that I had to take throughout the day.

I pulled on some shorts and a top and joined my brothers and the entire gang in the kitchen. Soda had dropped out soon after my parents had died so he could help put Pony and I through school. He was running around the house in only jeans asking if anyone had seen his shirt and hat.

"Hey bozo, try under your pillow." I snapped at Soda finally getting annoyed. I knew that Soda always put things under his pillow at night. Soda took off past me, causing me to spin and fall into someones arms. I looked up to see a smirking Dallas Winston looking straight at me.

"Hey baby, I knew you were falling for me." I rolled my eyes and stood, turning away so no one could see me blushing face. I may have a crush on Dally but he always thought of himself as my brother or best friend rather than a girlfriend. He always favored me over the rest of the gang, except Johnny because after all, had it not been for me, he never would have met the gang.

"Hey broad, how about I show you a real fun time." A voice offered from behind me. I could hear the boy following close behind me. He continued to follow me but after a while the only thing I heard was a car engine behind me. I turned to see a red mustang stopping and four Socs surrounding a fierce looking blond guy who was about my age with ice blue eyes. I knew from the moment I saw him I was in love. The boy tried to fight them all off but they were still closing in. I decided to jump in and I went for the biggest one. I jumped on him and kicked him until he went down and I leaped onto a different one. The blond boy had a smile growing on his face and he went for one. I went for my third one and I began to kick the crap out of him. The boys ran away, but not before I could leave an unfixable dent in the side of the mustang, and left me and the boy all alone.

"Hey I'm Dallas Winston. Please don't tell anyone I had to have a girl save me." He begged after introducing himself.

I laughed. I liked this guy. "My name's Bella Curtis. I wont tell anyone but people are going to find out that one of us was almost jumped and together we fought them off. I'll tell you what, if you bring me home we can tell my brother's that I was almost jumped and you came and helped me fight them off but you will owe me one." He agreed and we walked to my house together, knowing a new friendship had just blossomed between us.

The gang had all, been super worried and Darry and Soda had thanked him. My parents had immediately loved him and soon he became part of the gang.

To this day we are still the only one's who know what really happened that day and when my parents had died, Dally had been there for me. I still hadn't cashed in my favor either and I planed to save it for something important in the future. But I did always love to tease him about telling the gang the truth. "You're right Dal, I can still remember the first time we met. Maybe I should tell the story to bring back old memories." Every time I said something like this he shuts up . I grabbed my book bag and took my pills before following Johnny Pony and Two bit to school. I don't pay attention to any of the lessons, only to the clock so I know when to take more pills. I also work on some sketches that I can sell. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"At lunch, Dally came to pick us up for lunch because Two bit had detention. I always tried to spend as much time as possible with Dally but I had a doctor's appointment and I had to get to the hospital. "Hop in Bella." The boys coaxed me. "Sorry boys but you're going to have to eat without me, I have other plans." I walked to the closest bus station and waited for my bus. I knew the boys would never follow me but I was nervous that someone I know might see me. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"I arrived at the hospital just before my appointment. "Hello Bella, how are you today?" Dr Francis asked me. "Fine. Let's just cut to the chase, I have to get back to class soon. Yes I have been taking my pills regularly, no I haven't told anybody and I don't think I want to yet. I still don't want to have chemo." I always did this when I talked to my doctor but he still insisted that I come in for blood tests regularly. "My only concern is that one of the boys are going to see my pills and think that I'm on drugs. And even worse, that they're going to try some of my pills." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""There's nothing to worry about, I'm sure you're capable of keeping your pills secret and away from your friends. Some other things I need you to do for me. No more smoking, less drinking, try to go to bed earlier and get more rest. Think about telling someone about your cancer and consider chemo again." I didn't know how I could possibly survive no smoking because I was the biggest smoker in the gang. I drank but not as often as the others. While we had been talking my doctor had taken my blood and gotten the results. "Your results are good. Your leukemia isn't spreading very much due to the pills. I wanted to tell you that I'm coming to Tulsa for a little while to visit my parents and I wanted to have lunch with you. Maybe you could show me around." Dr Francis' real name is Tristan and he let me call her that. She was only 23 or something so she was still young. I agreed to show her around because she's also a greaser. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""Deal. I got to run. I have barely enough time to get to school before lunch is over." Before she could protest I told her I'd call and I sprinted out the door. I had gotten significantly slower at running since I had gotten cancer but I was still pretty fast, but not as fast as any of the gang. I got to class just as the bell rang and I was in my seat before the teacher noticed my slight lateness. The rest of school was uneventful. "So Bella baby, where did you go at lunch?" Pony asked as i walked with him and Johnny to the DX. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""No where. Sometimes I just like to go eat one of the fields by the school." Pony may get good grades but he was completely oblivious to the fact that I had lied and told him a story about me doing something so uncharacteristically unlike me. When we walked into the DX, Soda was at the counter playing cards with Steve. Pony went off to watch some Paul Newman movie and Johnny went off to the lot. I sat at the counter tapping my fingers on the counter at a fast pace. I had called dibs on playing in the next game and I looked at the clock to see how long they had been playing. "Shit!" I swore. I was supposed to take my pills like 20 minutes ago. I reached into my bag and when the boys had both been turned away, I popped the pills into my mouth. Someone cleared their throat behind me. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"An angry Dally was standing behind me. "What did you just put in your mouth." He said loudly enough so both my brother and his friend had heard. "None of your damn business what I eat!" "It is my damn business because you're my friend. You shouldn't be doing drugs." Dally shouted. I was glaring at him and I felt Soda grab my wrist. I whipped my head around so I could face him head on. "Do those pills Dally saw you taking have anything to do with your recent loss of weight over the last few days? Are you using drugs to help you lose weight?" I just stared at him. This would have been the perfect spit take moment. I blushed bright red. He had just embarrassed me in front of our friends. "No I'm not trying to lose weight and it's just a mint." I got up, grabbed my bag and stormed out the door. On my way out I was grabbed some mints from the counter in the DX. I popped one in my mouth just before Soda and the others came after me. "Let me smell your breath." Soda demanded. I leaned in and breathed my minty breath in his face. He turned away and muttered to the boys that I was right and that he was sorry he didn't believe me./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"I pretended to put it behind me and I asked if I could use the phone behind the counter. I frantically dialed the number I had recently memorized. /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"Hello, Dr francis here. /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""Hey, I think you might be right. I need to see you." /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"Of course Bella but I don't get off until late. We can't meet until at least 11 tonight. /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""That's perfect. I'm sure I can convince Darry to let me come. See you tonight at 11. Where do you want to meet?" /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"We can meet at the Dingo, it probably won't be too crowded because I heard Buck's having a crazy cool party tonight. /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""Yeah I heard about Buck's party and that's perfect. Gotta go now. Bye T." I hung up the phone and I realized the boys were all staring at me. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""Who was the dude you /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;"need /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"to see?" Steve asked in a teasing voice. He just happened to say this when the biggest loudmouth ever, Two bit, walked in. "Oh my god! Does little Bella have a date." I snorted at the false accusations and I sorted through my phone conversation and I realized how they would get to that conclusion if they had only heard my side of the conversation. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""I'm not going on a date. I just need to go talk to a friend." They continued to interrogate me until steve and Soda got off of work and we walked home together. When we got home a I persuaded Darry to let me go to the diner to go meet Tristan, even when Soda and Dally told him not to let me go. We were watching TV when we heard Ponyboy scream for help. When we found him Socs were holding him to the ground. I ran towards them with my blade drawn and my lucky lighter out. "Get back or I'll burn all your hair off. The Socs didn't back off and I almost killed them with my blade but instead I went for no weapons and I began punching them like crazy. We beat the socs away and everyone was making sure Ponyboy was okay. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""Look Pony, I'm glad you're okay but I have plans. I'm going to meet someone. Got to go." I ran off in the direction of the Dingo./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"Dally's point of view/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"I was so busy watching Bella run off to meet her mystery man that I forgot to invite the gang to the movies. Oh well, I'd just hang at Buck's tomorrow night./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"Bella's point of view/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"I sat at a booth waiting for Tristan. While I waited I played with my lucky lighter, watching the flames flitter and flop. The lighter was a shiny black lighter with white angel wings attached to a heart on the side. Tristan came in the door and he looked very different without the work clothes on. Now he had his hair combed back with hair grease and he looked so familiar but I just shrugged it off. When he sat down across from me his eyes were on the lighter. Finally, he spoke. "That's my lighter." That was all he said before going back to staring at it. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"Tristan's point of view/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"Bella was playing with a lighter and the more I looked at it the more I recognised it. It was the lighter I gave to the little two year old at my foster home that was adopted. "That's my lighter." That was all I managed before a name came to my head. "Bella Boo!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"Bella's point of view/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;""Bella Boo!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""What the hell do you mean this is your lighter? This is my lighter, I've always had it." I argued with him./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;""That's my lighter. I bet it even had my initials in the bottom of it." Sure enough I looked at the bottom and a small /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;"TF /spanspan style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"was carved in the bottom. "Why did you call me Bella Boo and how did I get your lighter?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"Tristan took a deep breath. "I called you Bella Boo because that was my nickname for you back at the orphanage. And you got the lighter because I gave it to you the day you were adopted." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"br /span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"All of a sudden I remembered a name, "Trissie Poo." Tristan smiled and scowled at the same time, if that was even possible. /span/p