AN: please review and tell me if ya like this. I had some inspiration from some other outsiders fanfics. Thanx!

Disclaimer: I do not own the outsiders, or the characters in that book. Thanks.

Ponyboy's POV

I'm running late to class! It was only second period and I was already getting lost in my thought! Thinking about Johnny and Dally… There I go again! Always thinking about them and what could've been or what I was gonna do now. And of course, my mind always wanders back to the letter Johnny left behind for me. Stay gold? How can I do that? Nothing gold can stay, but I guess I'll try. As for Dally… he was supposed to stay behind so I can show him the sunset! All well. I should just move on like everyone keeps telling me, but its pretty hard. Oh, Yeah! Have to get to class!

I pushed open the door to my history class. I was two frickin minutes late! get yer head out of the clouds! I mentally kicked myself. Mrs. Lorance gave me a glare once I walked in her class room.

"Late again, I see, Mr. Curtis." she growls.

I drop my head down, and take my seat. But not without noticing that the desk next to mine, that is usually empty, is occupied with a new student.

I look up to see a boy that looks my age! I am a grade up, so this is a rare moment especially since this kid is obviously a greaser. He has rusty colored hair that is heavily greased, almost the same color as mine, but his is slightly a darker shade. His hair is also shorter than mine, since my hair lost its blonde touch and has grew back to its full size. His skin is pale, like mine, but not as much. His eyes were a bluish-gray. If you looked at him from behind, you could easily mistake him as me. But from the front, his looks are his own.

"Hi. I'm Ponyboy." I introduce myself, and waited for the remarks that . usually follow my name, but none came.

He looks up at me now. "I'm Aaron. But ya can call me stray."

Stray? Why is he called that? Well I guess my names no better. "Nice to meet ya, stray." I smiled at him.

He smiled back.

Later that day, while walking home from school, I was getting lost up in the clouds as usual. Stray ended up being in three of my class's. He's in my history class, science class, and geometry class. I like him a lot. He's pretty friendly, and real nice. He's not like most greasers. He's hyper, like Sodapop is, but in a more quiet way. We actually have a lot in common. We both daydream too much, we both got boosted up a grade, and we both like Paul Newman. I've never met another greaser who was smart enough to skip a grade.

I was so lost in my thought, that I didn't even notice the red mustang trailing behind me, until they stopped at the curb beside me.

I stopped and backed up a little when three socs climbed out. I recognized the socs as some of my class mates that pick on me the most.

"Well, look what we got here boys. Looks like a filthy piece of trash to me." Eric drawled. The three socs smirked.

I was getting tired of all the crap they give me. I don't feel scared of socs anymore. Its still kind of a weird feeling for me though. Since I went through hell with Johnny, socs felt like a minor threat. And I was really getting tired of putting up with Eric, but I knew he would keep it up no matter what.

I glared at them, but didn't respond.

"Aw. What? Ya gone mute now? Well I think we can fix that. Get im boys!" Eric commanded.

The two socs tackled me on the ground and pinned me down, before I could even comprehend what Eric was saying. I struggled in their grip, but they were stronger than me and held me down tight. One of them slugged me in the face a couple times, and made me dizzy. Eric came over and sat on my chest, making it a little hard to breath.

He flipped open his switchblade and held it up to my throat. "Ya think we should start the trip here? Or maybe here." he lifted up the blade and pressed it down on my cheek, making a small cut. I felt my blood run down the side of my face, and started feeling the sting from the cut. I screamed and started to struggle even more, but they just tightened their grip.

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" Eric yelled at me then punched me so hard I saw stars. That shut me up.

All of the sudden, Eric got pulled up off me and I wasn't pinned down any more. I scrambled up to see stray fending off two of the socs. The third one must've ran off, because I didn't see him any where. I jumped on one of the socs back and started to strangle him. He reached behind and threw me over his head. But some how, I managed to land on my feet without even feeling the impact. I punched him in the face and he ran off.

I turned, ready to fight Eric but he was already running like his ass was on fire. I walked over to stray and smiled.

"What are ya doin over here?" I asked.

"I was walking home, when I heard ya screamin and one thing led to another." he said with a grin. "Looks like ya got a slash from that soc."

I reached up to touch my aching cheek. I pulled back and my eyes widened when I saw my hand covered in blood. "Uh-oh."

Stray laughed. "Yeah. We better get ya home so ya can fix up yer face. I'll walk with ya. I was headed this way anyhow."

I smiled. "Sure. Lets go."

We started the walk to my house. I was still a little dizzy, and the gash on my cheek wouldn't stop bleeding. Then I got a sudden thought from earlier.

"Why are ya called stray?"

He looked up, surprised from my sudden randomness. "Because one time, I went on a walk. My uncle told me to be back in an hour, but I didn't pay attention to what time it was, and I ended up staying out for three hours! I wandered out to some where I didn't know. Luke found me in his cycle, and drove me home. He started crackin jokes about how I was looked like a stray dog. And ever since then, everybody started callin me stray. Even some people I didn't know!" he laughed and shook his head. "The world is crazy, Ponyboy. Just crazy."

I smiled. Stray was something else, alright. But I liked him. "So, is Luke yer uncle?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I live with him, cuz my mom died when I was ten, and my dad left my mom while she was pregnant with me. So, its only me and my uncle now."

"Oh. My parents died a year back, so I live with my brothers. Darry is the oldest and the one in charge and Sodapop is my other older brother." I explained to him.

He nodded, and we both stayed silent until we reached my house. "Come on in." I said.

We walked in and I noticed Darry sitting in his recliner with his nose in the paper.

"Hey dar. Yer home early." I greeted.

"Yeah. We got done fixin the roof early today, so-" he looked up from his paper and his eyes widened with shock and concern. He rushed over to me quickly. "What happened? Ya get jumped?" he asked while examining my face.

I was confused at first. Then I remembered my cut, and how it was bleeding a lot on the way over. "Yeah. Some socs from school jumped me, and they had a blade. Stray saved my butt." I motioned over to stray.

Darry noticed stray for the first time. "I'm Darry. Ponyboy's older brother." he introduced himself.

"I'm stray. Ponyboy's new friend. I just moved to Tulsa." stray said.

"Nice to meet ya stray. Thanks for makin sure Pony got home safe." Darry said.

"Yer welcome. Well, I better get home. I'm sure Luke's bout ready to skin me now." stray winked at me. "See ya at school, Ponyboy."

I smiled. "Yeah, see ya." and then he left.

"You sit down, Ponyboy. I'll get the first aid kit." Darry told me.

I sat down, and waited for my brother to come back with the kit. wow. Slowly my life is getting back in order. I was thinking. Little did I know, that this was only the beginning of the crazy new life I was about to endure.

AN: So? What do ya think? Should I continue this? Please review! J