Well I was meant to upload this last nigh but Fanfiction wouldn't let me sign in so I had to wait until the morning (for me) to upload it. Lucky people in America, you're all asleep. Okay well first ly things you mus know:

Linger's name is pronounced Lyngur, yeah I know. Also Ponyboy is 16 and Linger's 17. Johnny and Dally (sob sob) aren't alive it take place (if you couldn't guess, two years following the book. Thus we can begin (finally)

Linger Christoph sat wordlessly on the edge of his bed. His mother was in tears just looking at her son, Linger's father just looked cold and hard. He held the blood stained knife gingerly by the handle. He needn't say anything, his expression said it all. Linger sat with his hands clasped thinking up a way he could get out of it. But it was a false effort, there was no way he was going to get out the fact that what he had done was wrong. No, worse, it was sick.

"Dad, I'm..." Linger's voice failed him

"We raised you better than that Linger, why?" his dad asked

"I...I don't know." Linger said quietly

Disgusted at his sons failure at explanations he dropped the knife to the floor. It fell with a clank against the ground. Linger stared at it, what had he been thinking. He hadn't been thinking, that was it. Not before nor after. In between was a haze. What drove him to it, self mutilation, the harsh way of putting it.

"Why Lingy, what made you do this?" His mother asked through her tears

"I...don't know. I...can't tell you." Linger said

"You're sick in the head son. You need help." his dad said

"No, I'm not sick, I'm confused. I need to be alone." Linger said walking over to the window

"Alone, the last time we left you alone you did...this." his dad said gesturing to the knife

That was the truth. The ruined kitchen knife. The bloodstained bathroom tiles. The wrapping of his wrists. Maybe he was sick. Sick in the head...no, that wasn't right. Linger Christoph did not need help. He had got by on his own before. He would do it again.

"Get out, please leave me alone." Linger said

"Fine, but we're taking...this. With us." his dad said

That was fine with Linger, he wanted nothing more to do with it for a long time. When his parents left the room, Linger sat on the floor pulling his knees up to his chest and letting the tears drip down his face. He liked his aloneness.

~* The Next Day *~

The bright sun sure didn't reflect the mood of one individual that stood under it. Linger's life hadn't got any better since the night before. He was now a virtual prisoner in his bedroom except to go to school. Even then he wasn't allowed to walk by himself. His parents had lost all trust in him. At least he still had his friends to confide in. Walking through the doors of the school, Linger was greeted with the noise and movement of the school rush. Normal people with normal problems, normal parents and normal lives. Linger wasn't a greaser nor a Soc but did hang about with the greasers. One of them being Ponyboy Curtis.

They had met on the first day of school when they were freshmen and had stayed friends throughout the year. Linger was one of the people who was scared for Ponyboy's life when he went missing in the autumn of their freshman year. But that was two years ago and the pair, all though still friends, didn't talk much. Lunch break was the only time that Linger was able to catch up with Ponyboy.

"Ponyboy can I ask you something?" Linger asked

"Yeah sure Linger." Ponyboy replied

Linger took a deep breath and began.

"Say you did something really terrible. Your parents stopped trusting you and you felt all alienated and unloved. How would you regain your parents trust?" Linger asked

"I don't know, that really depends on what you did in the first place." Ponyboy replied

"Say it was self-harm." Linger said trying to make it sound not too obvious

"Self-harm... that's something mental. No wonder people would lose trust if you were self-harming," Ponyboy replied "but it's just a question. Right?"

"Yeah, I mean only idiots and depressed people self harm." Linger said jokingly even though he knew the truth

Ponyboy walked home with an odd thought on his mind after school, Linger never asked questions, their conversations were usually rather odd. Odd being the operative word. But something was nagging at Ponyboy's mind, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was something in Linger's voice when he was asking Ponyboy the question, but it wasn't something recognisable...

Issues touched in this story are sensitive topics for me. I warn you now, later on this story is going to contain bouts of self-harm, suicide, isolation and Autophobia (fear of being alone)

For these reasons this story is rated M, but please don't be put off. There is no sex, drugs or murder.

Please review my first chapter. It would be very much appreciated :)