Hello! First things first, this is my first story for the Outsiders, so please review and tell me what you think(like it/hate it etc). Second, this story will have two maybe three chapters. It depends on how the second chapter turns out, I'm almost done writing it, and hope to have it up tomorrow or sometime later this week. Third, if anything doesn't make since in this chapter, it will be cleared up in the next part. Lastly, please excuse grammar issues. I had typed this chapter bit by bit and didn't have much time to do proof reading, so I am sorry if there is any in this chapter.

Disclamier: I do not own the Outsiders or any of the characters.

Enjoy!

It Was Only A Movie…

Chapter One

I heard voices around me, one I recognized as my brother's but the other I didn't know. I didn't even understand what they were saying, or who the other person was. I didn't even know where I was or how I had gotten there, I just knew that something bad had happened. But not knowing what was killing me.

~~A Few Hours Earlier~~

I sat on the couch hugging my backpack as Soda's arm was thrown over my shoulder. Darry sat in the armchair, and didn't dare to met either mine, or my other brother's gaze. He was too ashamed, and he was filled with guilt. I didn't blame him, if I were him, I would have felt the same way.

The house was too still, and too quiet. Two-Bit and Steve didn't even dare to come over and try to lighten the mood, but then again no one could, not unless they owned a time machine. No one wanted to admit what was happening was real, and that was part of the reason Two-Bit and Steve never visited us that day and never told us goodbye. I wished they had though.

I glanced at the clock on the wall as I heard a car come to a stop outside of the house, and seconds later heard the engine turn off. It was only two fifty, she was ten minutes early! Ten minutes that I could have spent longer in my own home.

Darry stood as the lady knocked on the door, still not daring to look at Soda and I. He opened the door, and Soda and I stood up. I didn't listen to their conversation. After about five minutes, the social worker, gave Soda and I a gentle look.

"You got everything?" she asked the two of us in a soft kind tone of voice. Soda nodded his head speaking for the both of us.

"Very well then, we have a long drive ahead of us. We must get going." She turned towards Darry. "I'll give you a call tomorrow Darrel. C'mon boys!"

I followed Soda out the door as I swung my backpack over my shoulders as the lady gestured us to leave. I would never forget the look planted on Darry's face when I glanced back. It was filled with pain and sorrow, and it broke my heart. I had never seen that look on Darry before that day and I was sure I never wanted to see that look on him again.

I never quite understood why everything bad happens to us. Just because we're greasers doesn't mean we are always tough one hundred percent of the time. We all break at some point. It was proven when Dallas cried for Johnny- the only person he ever cared for died. We aren't as tough as we seem. Deep down inside, we are just an average person trying to make it in the world. What makes us greasers different is that we have to try harder and we never get any breaks, especially my family.

I looked over at Soda, he sat on the other side of the back seat, with nothing but two backpacks separating us. I knew he was trying to stay strong, for my sake, but I could see it in his eyes he was going to burst into tears any second. That's why I didn't say anything to him. We both didn't say a word the whole ride.

I scared me how still Soda had been back at the house, and in the car. I wasn't used to him acting this way. I was just waiting for him to smile at me and tell me everything was going to be okay, but that never came. I had nearly jumped when the social worker turned the ignition off. I didn't realize we were already there. I unbuckled my seatbelt and placed my hand on the door handle and looked at my brother. He still hadn't moved.

"Soda?" He turned his head to look at me after he snapped out of whatever was going on through his head. His eyes were no longer dancing like they usually did, and I was even more concerned.

"Huh?"

"We're here." The seventeen year old grabbed his backpack and pushed the door opened. I felt like he was ignoring me, like Darry was back at the house. I understood Darry's reason, but not Sodapop's. I tried to ignore the fact that I was the only one keeping my cool which was very unusual as I got out of the car myself and then followed the lady into the building that was now the home of my brother and I no matter how much we wanted to deny it.

Following the social worker's path, Soda suddenly stopped in front of me, his eyes still depressed. He placed his hands on my shoulders gentle shaking me.

"Ponyboy, wake up!"

o0o

My eyes fluttered opened to look up into Soda's eyes. I was relieved to see his happy-go-lucky grin as he shook me awake, however, I was not happy to have been woken up.

I gripped the blanket it and pulled it over my head. "It's summer Soda, I want to sleep in."

I knew he wasn't waking me up due to my dream. My dream was scary, but it wasn't frightening enough to make me scream and toss and turn all over the bed, plus it was daylight outside and Soda was dressed in is DX uniform. I was fine right?

"Alright. I'll save you some breakfast then. Darry and I are leaving in about twenty minutes. Two-Bit probably won't be over until he finally decides to roll out of bed."

"Yeah yeah yeah…" I mumbled sleepily. "I'll see you when you get home."

Soda left my room, but I couldn't fall back asleep. Steve, Darry, and him kept talking in the kitchen, and the house wasn't quiet again until the three left for their jobs. And by the time they left, I was wide awake. So I rolled out of bed got dressed, and entered the kitchen to eat.

I was the first day of summer vacation, and once I had exited my room, it came to my mind that this was probably going to be the most boring one of all because Johnny was never going to be around. It was just going to be me a Two-Bit, not that Two-Bit was boring, but he could never replace Johnny Cade. Johnny was my best friend.

It wasn't until I heard a knock on the front door that brought back to reality, but at the same time, it drew me back to my dream when the social worker came to our house. I hesitated to get up. Nobody knocks on our door, nobody besides Two-Bit and Steve ever come to our house, so who could be knocking on the door, especially at eight in the morning?

I was scared, nervous, and curious at the same time, but curiosity seemed to have weighed the scale more, so I stood from my chair and headed to the living room and saw a familiar face through the screen door-Tim Shepard. I didn't understand what could've brought the leader of the Shepards Gang to my house, but that didn't stop me from opening the door.

"Hey Tim."

"Hey kid, is your brother around?"

I shrugged. "Which one?"

"The big one."

"No, you just missed him. He left for work 'bout ten minutes ago."

Tim nodded. "Thanks kid, tell him I stopped by."

I watched the cat-like hoodlum walk down the steps of my stairs and head down the sidewalk towards the street, where he had begun his journey to some other place. I was a bit curious of why Tim Shepard was looking for Darry. I mean it wasn't everyday that something like this ever happened, but that was the least of problems.

o0o

Two-Bit came by at two, and honestly, we were both bored out of our minds. We didn't have Dally or Johnny to hang with like we didn't last summer. It's amazing to actually think that your whole life could change just that quickly, but it does. Even though it had been a just a little over a year since my parents died, and almost a year since Johnny and Dallas died, I still haven't gotten used to it. I don't think I ever actually will. One thing I sure did get used to though was the fact that the gang rivalry between greasers and Socs has calmed down not long after I went to court.

Two-Bit threw his hand in the air and cards were all over the floor, his face filled with frustration. I'm not sure if it was because he had a bad hand, or if he was bored of the game, either way was fine by me, this was the millionth time we play cards today."I quit! Let's go do something fun!"

I hopped to my feet. "I can't get into any trouble Two-Bit and you know it!"

"Geez kid, you know I didn't mean it like that!" Two-Bit headed towards the door, and I knew for a fact he did mean it like that and so did he. "Let's go catch a movie. I bet if we leave right now we can be back before either of your brothers come back for work."

I shrugged. What harm could it have done? It was only a movie. I ran into my room and grabbed some money from the top drawer in my dresser before following Two-Bit out the door.

What could go wrong? It was only a movie.