"Wait! Ponyboy!" startled Ponyboy as he struggled to fit the last of his books into his locker. He turned around. April Sullivan stood only a couple of feet away with her ever-present grin, holding a book across her chest.

April Sullivan was the newest girl in Ponyboy's history class, having just moved from California. Ponyboy hadn't heard much about California, but when it came up, all he thought of were movie stars and hippies. He wasn't exactly sure what a hippie was but he knew enough to guess that April was one of them. She was cheerful and friendly and wore her long brown hair down, unlike most of the girls at school. She seemed to care less for sweaters and skirts and instead often sported suede jackets and flowery headbands. April was certainly different, but Pony liked her.

"Hey April." He smiled, shutting his locker and facing her.

"Where ya live, Pony?" She asked. "I was thinking we could walk home together, you know?"

"Over on North Saint Louis, it's not so far." He answered, gesturing behind him.

"I'm around there! Do you mind?" She asked courteously.

"'Course not."

"What's it like in California?" Ponyboy inquired as they approached his house.

"Oh, it's real nice. Warm, I guess. My school wasn't so divided, like this, you know?"

"Whaddya mean?" He wondered, confused.

"Like that whole "greaser-Soc" thing. We had some of that, but not as much. I wish it wasn't like that; it really doesn't have to be. Why can't we all just get along?"

Pony shrugged. He didn't really wish to admit it, but he understood exactly. "Yeah, sometimes I feel like that, too. But that's just the way it is and I doubt it'll ever change."

April sighed.

"Well, this is it." Ponyboy stopped at the gate.

"Pony!" Sodapop came running down the steps, wiping his hands on a rag.

"Hey Soda, you off early?"

Soda leaned against the fence. "Yep, came out here to great ya, ain't that nice?" He gave Pony a friendly punch to the arm.

Just then, Dallas appeared from on the porch, an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"Ain't you gonna introduce me to your friend, Pony?" Sodapop smirked.

"Oh, yeah." Pony suddenly remembered. "This is April, she just moved from California. April, this is my big brother Sodapop."

April smiled and waved at Soda. "Nice to meet you. You sure have some nice names in your family." She giggled. "Well I gotta go, nice to meet you. See you tomorrow, Pony."

As soon as she was out of hearing, Soda raised an eyebrow at Ponyboy, smiling smugly.

"Ah, cut it out, Soda." Pony griped as he opened the tattered gate and passed through. "She's just a friend."

"Always just a friend, Ponyboy." Soda rolled his eyes as they walked up to the porch side by side.

Dallas was standing there, his now-lit cigarette pressed between his lips, staring down at Pony. "Who the fuck was that?"

Ponyboy almost rolled his eyes, but knew better. Dallas always had something to say about who Pony hung around, as it were just as much his business as Pony's. "Just a friend from school, Dal."

"Friend?" Dallas scowled. "Man, why you hanging around those fuckin' hippies?"

"So what? Why does it matter? At least she ain't a Soc."

"Fuckin' hippies, man. They been invading this side of town for the past year now. Bunch of junkies, man. Bunch of smart-ass junkies."

Ponyboy walked right past Dallas and opened the front door, sighing as he did so. "April ain't like that. She's real nice."

"C'mon Dal, if Pony wants to hang out with a girl let him hang out with a girl." Soda defended his younger brother, following him into the house.

"Just watch. Next thing you know, the kid'll be living in one of 'em abandoned houses with a bunch a' long-haired fuckers." Dallas flicked his cigarette past the porch and jumped off it.

"Where ya goin' Dal?" Soda paused in the doorway and faced Dallas.

"Headin' out. Find some broad at Buck's, maybe." Dallas yelled from the front lawn, before he hopped the front gate and sauntered down the block.