Hi! SO we had to read The Outsiders in Language Arts class, and I loved the book, so I went ahead and watched the movie...and guess what? Sodapop, that's what. :) SO, here's my fanfiction. There's one OC, whose perspective is what this fanfic is mostly written through. Now, this may be a lengthy fanfic, so if you're not into those, it'd be best to leave if you're not hoping to read possibly more than 6 chapters.

Oi, and here's the disclaimer (Do I have to put one in before every chapter?!) : I don't own The Outsiders, or Soda, unfortunately. All credits go to S.E. Hinton, the wonderful woman who created them all. But, alas, I do own Lorraine.

Prolouge

Lorraine paced around her hotel room nervously, not stopping for a second but constantly flicking her eyes to the telephone connected to the wall. A dark, navy blue phone connected to the wall. A simple phone. But something was not simple right now. Something felt wrong, very wrong. And when the phone suddenly rang, Lorraine didn't hesitate to pick it up - she practically lunged at it.

"Hello?" she asked, nonchalant.

"Lorraine." a deep voice replied from the other end.

"Dal." Lorraine said flatly, recognizing the voice right away.

There was no talking for a bit, just the sound of Dallas Winston's heavy breathing. Then Lorraine spoke.

"What did you do this time, Dal?"

Dallas chuckled, and Lorraine knew whatever was coming wasn't going to be pretty. Finally, Dallas stopped laughing, and when he spoke, his voice was tinged with melancholy and pricked with bitterness.

"Remember Johnny? Johnny Cade?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he's dead. He just died in the hospital tonight." Dallas said flatly, his voice turning cold; and Lorraine could picture Dallas brimming with fury, fists clenched tight, in whatever dark and isolated street he was at right now.

"Dally-"

"No, there's nothing you can do for me, Lorraine. I just needed to tell you that. And that I'm dying."

Lorraine took in a sharp inhale, and her heart skipped a beat before it began pounding ferociously.

"Dallas Winston, you shut up right now and listen to me-"

"No, I mean it, Lorraine. Tonight's it. I'm gonna go soon, and you can't help me, even if you were here in Tulsa and not in New York. Not even if you were standing right next to me right this minute, so you shut up and listen to me."

Lorraine choked back a sob and punched the wall angrily, making the pink flakes fall off and drift to the ground like papery snow.

"I'm real sorry- well, actually, I'm not. We both knew this was coming. But I just wanted to tell you...thanks, 'kay, kid?"

"For what?!" Lorraine yelled, punching the wall again.

"Everything. Now, you stay strong kid, 'kay?"

"Dal, please don't do this." Lorraine said, though she knew it was useless. When Dally had made a decision, he was set. Nothing could sway him.

"And one more thing, kiddo. Don't be like me."

There was a click as the call disconnected, and Lorraine looked at the phone in her hands numbly. She placed it back on the wall gingerly, then slid down onto the floor. She was numb. Then, it was gone in a flash, and she was punching the wall so hard that blood seeped out from her knuckles. But she didn't care. Dal was dying, and she didn't even know why - but the fact that he was dying and there was nothing she could do about it, nothing anyone could do about it - that killed her inside, too.

This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us

it's time to make our move, I'm shakin' off the rust

I've got my heart set on anywhere but here

I'm staring down myself, counting up the years...

Stop and stare

you start to wonder why you're here not there

and you'd give anything to get what's fair

but fair ain't really what you need

oh, can you see what I see?

-Stop and Stare, by One Republic

~5 months later~

Lorraine quickly ran out of the kitchen and grabbed her bag on the couch - her go-to bag, filled with everything she needed. Money, switchblades, cigarettes, clothes, and a picture. Lorraine tore out of the room, making sure to give the clerk at the sign-in table in the lobby her fee for tonight, and fled. It was dark in New York, too, but Lorraine knew the streets like the back of her hand. In no time, she was in a cable on a small train that would be stopping in Tulsa, Oklahoma tomorrow morning at 2 a.m.

Darry got off the phone, and sighed heavily. That had been one unexpected and long call. Sodapop and Ponyboy, who were sitting in the couch had the T.V. on, but were peering intently at him in the kitchen.

"Who was that?" Ponyboy asked, curiously.

"It was unexpected. A policeman was calling about... Dally." Darry said, trying not to make his voice sound strained.

There was silence for a moment, as the three brothers took a moment to absorb all that happened in the last few weeks with the deaths of their two close friends.

"What did they want with Dal-" Ponyboy began, but Sodapop nudged him lightly with his elbow and spoke up.

"Is everything all right?" Soda asked Darry, looking a bit concerned.

"Yeah, we worked it all out. It was his will. Dally left a will."

Soda and Pony stared at Darry, faces blank. Dally had only been 17...was it possible to leave wills at 17? And Dally of all people to leave wills... The two younger Curtis brothers both wondered what Dallas Winston possibly could have wanted to be done after he'd passed on.

Darry looked at his brothers and sighed again, "I'll tell you guys more about it in the next few days. But as of now, not a word to the others, okay? I've got a lot of stuff to do at work this week. And it's worked out, so everything's fine."

His two siblings nodded slowly, and Darry left he kitchen for his room, closing the door behind him.