Ponyboy's POV

I'm in trouble. Do you wanna know why I'm in trouble? No, I didn't kill anybody or anything like that. I'm in love. No, I'm not in trouble because I'm in love either. It's because the person I'm in love with is Sherri "Cherry" Valance. A Soc.

It's not the gang I'm scared of its being rejected. The gang will get over it eventually, shoot they might even congratulate me, but it's her.

Its weird loving someone so much but still being so scared of that person it's not even funny.

Why do I think she'll reject me you ask? Well there are two reasons one of which I have already told you, her being a Soc. If she starts dating me it would ruin her reputation and she made it clear a long time ago that her reputation is more important than me when she told me that if I saw her in school and she didn't speak not to take it personally. That could have changed though.

The other reason is our age difference. Even though I'm about a foot taller than her she is still seventeen and I'm only fourteen. Although, mentally I'm probably years older than her. When you go through your parents being killed and watching three people die, two who were some of your closest friends you have to grow up. It's impossible to hang on to that young innocence after all that.

I have figured out how to tell her how I feel and ask her on a date at the same time though with out even talking to her.

No, I'm not writing her some sappy love note or getting Soda or Two-Bit to ask her. That's dumb.

No, I will give her a record. I just heard the song "Sherry" by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and even though they spell her name differently it still sounds the exact same. Plus it says just what I can't work up enough courage to tell her.

I'm a coward, I know, but hey, it works.

Normal POV

It was Monday and the bell had just rung signaling that school was dismissed for the day.

Pony waited on the steps for Cherry to come out. It took him awhile but he finally saw her coming out of the huge double doors at the front of the school and ran to meet with her before any of her friends caught up to gossip.

"Hey, Cherry," he said coming up to her with the record in hand.

"Uh, hey," she said looking around nervously and picking up her pace.

"Well, I just wanted to give you this," he handed it to her. "Listen to number six before you read the note."

After he said that he walked away without another word not even saying goodbye.

"Ponyboy, wait!" she yelled after him but it was no use, he was already gone.

She quickly flipped the record case over and skimmed down to see what number six was and upon seeing what it was ran off towards her house, ignoring her friends yelling at her to come back.

Cherry's POV

I ran home as fast as I could. I was eager to listen to the song and read what Ponyboy wrote.

I'll admit as cold as I was towards Pony I'm madly in love with him. I don't mean like a schoolgirl crush, either. I love him much more than I've ever loved anyone else ever before, even Bob.

As I got closer to the front door of my house I started running even faster if that was even possible.

I yanked the door open and stormed up the stairs into my room and slammed the door shut quickly.

I heard my mom yell up the stairs asking me what was wrong but I just ignored her. I snatched the record out of its case and put the needle to where I thought number six should be and heard the end of "At the Hop" by Danny and the Juniors going off and "Sherry" coming on. I sat down on my bed and listened , I mean really listened to the words.

I mean there had to be a reason Pony wanted me to listen to this song and not the whole record, right?

Sherry, Sherry Baby

Sherry, Sherry Baby

Sherry baby (Sherry baby)

Sherry can you come out tonight

(Come, come, come out tonight)

Sherry baby (Sherry baby)

Sherry can you come out tonight

(Why don't you come out) To my twist party

(Come out) Where the bright moon shines

(Come out) We'll dance the night away

I'm gonna make you mine

Sherry baby (Sherry baby)

Sherry can you come out tonight

(Come, come, come out tonight)

You better ask your mama (Sherry baby)

Tell her everything is alright

(Why don't you come out) With your red dress on

(Come out) Mmm you look so fine

(Come out) Move it nice and easy

Girl, you make me lose my mind

Sherry, Sherry baby fades while repeating

After the song went off I just sat there for a minute ignoring "Lavender Blue" by Sammy Turner which was the next song.

Remembering that Pony had said something about a note I grabbed the record case and looked inside where I found a folded piece of notebook paper.

I opened it to see Pony's neat handwriting covering about half the page.

Dear Cherry,

How'd you like the song? I picked it out because it told how I felt about you and what I've been wanting to ask you. Okay maybe your name is spelled S-H-E-E-R-Y but it sure does sound the same. The lyrics are perfect to but you don't have to wear a red dress or ask your mama. Look, I know about the Soc and Greaser thing and that you're older than me but if you feel the same as I feel about you which the song told yo, meet me in the park, also the same time the song told you. If you don't come I'll never bother you again.

Well bye,

Pony

I blinked after finishing the letter. 'Does this mean he loves me?' I ask myself slowly barely believing it but after listening to the song and reading his letter three more times I realized that was exactly what he was saying.

I looked at my clock sitting on my desk to see that it had only been an hour since school had been out which meant it was only four-thirty.

I decided I might as well take a bath and on some different clothes, not that he would care, it's not like he's a Soc, which is one reason I fell in love with him so easily. He doesn't care how pretty you or rich you are as long as your kind.

After I got dressed and dried my hair it was six-twenty. I let out a frustrated groan, it wouldn't get dark until seven-thirty and it would only take me fifteen minutes to drive to the north side of town and get to the park.

I paced my room for about ten minutes until I finally decided to put some music on.

I looked through my collection of records and decided to listen to my old Righteous Brothers hit record.

After the whole record was through I heard my mom yell at me to come down for dinner.

"Coming!" I yelled and walked down the stairs into the kitchen.

After I filled my plate with food I sat down.

Daddy said grace tonight. I was glad because mama always says this really long detailed one while daddy just gets to the point.

I ate my food as quickly as possible without having mama and daddy ask me why I was in such a hurry.

When I finished my last bites of chocolate cake I looked at the old grandfather clock that was in viewing distance of our dining room and saw that it was six-forty five.

"May I be excused, Daddy?" I asked politely.

"Yes, go on up and do your homework," he said looking at me.

"Yes sir, and after I finish with that may I go driving?"

"Now why in the world would you want to go driving this late?" mama asked grinning.

"I don't know I just feel like getting away," I said hoping they would say yes.

"Well, okay," daddy said, "just be home by eight thirty."

"Yes sir," I said and walked up the stairs into my room.

When I got done with my homework, which consisted of trigonometry, literature, and French I ran downstairs, yelled bye to my parents and drove off to meet Pony.

Normal POV

By the time Cherry got there Pony was sitting on the swings.

"Hey, Pony," she said softly, startling him.

"Hey," he said standing up and smiling. "So you feel the same way?" he asked still grinning.

"You love me?" she asked.

"Yeah, I love you."

"Well then, yes, I guess so otherwise I wouldn't be here, right?" she said getting closer to him.

"I reckon' but what about your reputation?" he asked his face getting closer to hers.

"Who cares," she said simply.

"The age diff-" he was cut off.

"Pony?" Cherry asked smiling.

"Yeah?"

"Will you just shut-up and kiss me?"

So he did and it was the sweetest, gentlest kiss either of them had ever experienced and when Cherry laid her head on Pony's shoulder she knew that she didn't care about her reputation or the age difference, and you know what? Pony didn't care either, because right there both of them were in pure heaven. Yes, they knew there would be trouble but they also knew they would be there for each other.

THE END

A/N:

Ok, so this is my first one-shot. Is it any good? I took great care to do this so I hope it is.

If I get good response I might just make a sequel. If that's what y'all want.

Read and review! Come on I dare you!

Also check out my website please! http/