This is my second story. It's quite an accomplishment for me.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone but Margaret and the plot.

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Chapter one

Ponyboy's POV:

AsI was walking home from school, I swore I felt as if someone was following me. Sure enough, as I turned around, I saw a shy girl walking a little ways behind me. She was looking down at her feet with a light blush tinting her cheeks. I could tell she was a greaser by the clothes she was wearing and the fact that she had a little smudge of dirt under one of her cheek bones. Socs never walked around with dirt on their person.

She had probably been following me for a while, and I couldn't tell why. I looked back every few minutes to see if she was still following me, and every time, I saw that she was. She would even look up at me when I looked back, but she would look back down really quick.

"Are you following me?" I asked her. I might as well get right to the point if that's what I want to know right?

"Oh, no I wasn't. It's just that my house is at the end of the block here." she said as she came up next to me and pointed.

"Oh, okay. So what's your name then?" I asked her. She seemed nice enough.

"I'm Margaret," she replied quietly, " but why would you want to know my name?"

When she said that I felt so sorry for her. It didn't seem like she had many friends, and she looked like she was about to cry out of self pity when I asked her name.

"I think you're very nice. We should be friends." I told her as I put a hand on her shoulder. She was an okay looking girl I guess. She had copper colored, straight hair that went to the small of her back, and olive eyes. She was reasonably tall, but was still a few inches shorter than me.

She looked up at me and gave me a weak smile. I could tell that she would like that. We got to her house and she told me good bye with a real smile. I walked home knowing I had made a new friend.

I walked home with a small smile on my face.

"What's got you so happy Pony?" Soda asked me when I walked in. He looked curious.

"Nothing," I told him as I walked up the stairs to our room to do my homework, "I'll tell you later."

I did my homework and went down to dinner when Darry called. I put my books away and went down stairs.

"So Pony," Soda asked me when I sat down at the table, "why were you so happy this afternoon?"

I told him about Margaret. He seemed pretty interested, and when I finished, he got a sly smile on his face.

"Oooh! Pony's got a girlfriend!" He taunted.

"No I don't. You're so immature." I told him. I didn't even blush because I really didn't think of her that way.

"Yeah Soda, leave the kid alone. He only likes her as a friend, and you should respect that." Darry told Soda as he waggled his fork at him in mock severity. They both started laughing.

"Oh shut up. I'm kind of tired, I think I'll goto bed." I said as I cleaned off my plate and put it away.

I walked upstairs and undressed so that I was only in my boxers and undershirt and went laid down. I fell asleep in a matter of minutes thinking about sunsets and Margaret.

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I hope you like this first chapter. I will try to keep a steady flow of updates. Review please!