Ponyboy's POV

"When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I only had two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home…"

I placed my worn out, almost dried out pen on the table and laid back in my chair. As I glanced at the clock on the wall it read, "12:01" I sighed, "Good morning…" I muttered. Luckily it wasn't a school night, or I would have been in bed almost four hours ago. The house was at a mere silence as I lied in the dim lighted kitchen. Darry and Sodapop were in bed like usual, while Steve and Two-Bit were at Buck Merril's place for a party.

I stared at my journal that I been writing in all week that I needed to give to Mr. Syme, my English teacher. I called it, "The Outsiders". It was the whole story about the week when Johnny and I had to run away to Windrixville, when we saved those kids from that fire and…

I couldn't help but burst into tears, I felt stupid doing it but no one was around to see a fourteen year old kid cry harder than a baby. I slammed my fist on the cover on my journal, and probably swore a little to let my anger out.

"Why…?" I muttered, "Why must you do this to me?" I wasn't talking to anyone in particular, probably God or whoever runs this earth. "You took my parents, and now my friends." I was practically crying a waterfall, but I didn't care.

I glanced up at the ceiling, trying to make the tears go away, and "All I want is my friends to be alive! All I want is my parents to be alive! I want things to be normal again! Don't you understand?" I felt pretty stupid, talking to a ceiling, not normal.

I shook my head, grabbed "The Outsiders", and crashed into bed. I could hear Sodapop's light snoring as he was buried under the covers, I looked at the white ceiling of my wall and slowly closed my eyes and gone into a deep sleep.

My eyes fluttered open as I stared at the while ceiling above me.

"Good Morning Soda…." I flinched to realize that 1.) Sodapop wasn't there 2.) The bed was neatly made and 3.) This wasn't even my bed. The bed I was on was softer, cleaner, and much newer than the one I actual known of. I looked at my room and almost screamed; this wasn't even my room. Instead blank walls it was actually painted in a robin's egg blue. The room itself was neat and clean, and there were pictures on the walls with me and my brothers and people I never even met.

"Ponyboy," Sodapop called, "breakfast is ready!"

My knees buckled as I walked out of my room and into the hallway. I was clearly lost because I had no idea where I was going, so I used my instincts and followed the noise of pots and pans as well as the smell of bacon.

"Hey Pony!" Sodapop said cheerfully as he walked up and gave me a bear hug. Clearly Sodapop looked like a Soc, the madras shirt and tan pants, it looked strange on him. I was clearly at that moment of, "Please get me out of here"; the blood on my face was draining out, my knees were about to give out, and I was having this terrible stress sweat.

Sodapop jumped out of his skin when he looked at my face, "Kid you look like you got hit by a bus!"

My mouth went dry, "Whe…where am I?"

Sodapop laughed, "Stop it kid, stop scaring me." He continued to stare at me, "Crap you're serious…"

"Where is Darry…?" I gasped out. Sodapop looked at me worriedly, "Pony, he's at collage."

My eyes grew wide, "Co…collage?" I couldn't believe he would be at collage, we didn't have enough money and Darry had to support us.

Sodapop gulped and told me to sit down. He handed me a glass of water and quickly bolted out of the room. After he left, my mind began to fill with questions, so many it made the head hurt.

"I swear! I think he lost his memory!" I heard Soda as he began to walk closer to the kitchen. I clearly didn't lose my memory; I just suddenly jumped into a strange world.

Soda ran in and quickly put his hand on my forehead, making me jump ten feet in the air. "Is he running a fever, Soda?" My mouth became dry once more and I started to see stars, I knew that voice. Before Soda could say anything, I screamed.

"Ponyboy!" Sodapop gasped.

"Ponyboy honey what's wrong!" It was my mom. She quickly grabbed my shoulders and hugged me, I started to bawl, "You….mom…you're alive?" I gasped.

"Why of course I am, I have always." She said as her blond hair fell over her face. Her voice was filled with sorrow and she almost started to cry. "Honey, what is the problem? Are you ill?"

I wiped my tear and stood up, gripping the chair until my knuckles turned white, "This must be a dream…" I choked out. "You're alive and…" I looked at the dad who was right behind me, "and…same with you. Darry shouldn't in collage and…." I looked at Soda, "What are you wearing?"

Soda tilted his head in confusing, "I wear this every day."

I shook my head wildly, my mom had to grip onto my shoulder so I wouldn't fall to the ground, "We're greasers not Socs…" I said.

Soda's eyes gone wide, "There is something wrong with you, we aren't Greasers! Greasers are poor, dumb kids."

Anger built up inside me, how he dare say that, "Don't say that!" My voice cracked and the waterfall of tears started again.

"Darrel," Mother said as she lead me to a chair, "Call Dr. Phillips, this is bad."

I shook my head, God I was a mess, "I'm fine, this just has to be a dream, it has to be!" For the first time in my life actually got to see my parents again, but what happened to the gang? Is Johnny and Dally alive again? Is Two-Bit and Steve doing alright? Are they Greasers or Socs? My mind started to spin and questions filled up my brain. But the biggest one that came to my mind was:

Is this a dream?