A/N There's a story behind this story. Some people wrote into my school, telling them to ask eighth graders not to trick-or-treat this year. They said that fourteen-year-olds will automatically do drugs, not wear costumes, be greedy for candy, harass little kids, and vandalize stuff. We had a class debate about that, and one girl said that it was kind of like 'The Outsiders', with 'stay gold'. "We're still kids, and this is our way of staying that way." So, I've taken her words to heart, (and slightly too literally)and sent our favorite greasers trick-or-treating.
Set just before the book.
Italics flashbacks
Disclaimer: As much as I may deserve it, I don't own the Outsiders.
A horde of seven monsters trouped up the stairs. The tallest, a werewolf, knocked on the door, while the others gathered around behind him. "Trick or treat!" shouted five of them.
But an alien, who was on the left of the werewolf, shouted "Treat or treat!"
And avampire, who was on the right of the werewolf, shouted "Trick or trick!"
Both paused, and then turned to each other, squabbling. "It's treat us or we'll trick you, Soda!" cried the vampire.
"No," retorted the alien. "It's trick us or treat us, Two-Bit!"
"Stop fighting, you two," the werewolf said wearily. "It's… open to interpretation."
"It's stupid, that's what it is," snapped a reluctant-looking ghost. "Can we just go home?"
"No!" exclaimed a pirate. "I want to finish!"
"Going home would be nice," suggested the Grim Reaper. "I'm cold."
"You should have chosen a warmer costume, then," retorted the vampire. "I mean, look at Darry. He's warm."
"Stifling," commented the werewolf. Nobody listened to him.
"Let's just go," whined the ghost.
"Come on, Dal, one more block?" asked a skeleton.
"Oh, all right," groaned the ghost. "But then we go home!"
Of course, everyone knew that they wouldn't.
Several Years Later
Ponyboy Curtis stared absently out the window. It was autumn, and the trees were being colorful and stuff. The looked like a very leafy sunset. Wow, he sounded obsessed...
A loud 'thump' preceded the entrance of his oldest brother Darry, who was carrying a box down the stairs. At least, that was the idea. He ended up chasing it down the stairs, but it's the thought that counts.
"Hey, Pony, want to help me decorate the house for Halloween?" Darry asked, catching up with the box at the foot of the stairs.
Ponyboy turned to face him. "Dar, I've been thinking," he said.
"Uh-oh," joked their brother Sodapop, coming in from the kitchen with some chocolate cake in hand. "What now?"
"Use a plate," Darry ordered before turning back to Ponyboy. "What is it?"
"I've been thinking," repeated Ponyboy. "Maybe this year, we should do something… different."
Darry sighed. He was used to Pony taking forever to get to the point, but he was tired and this was annoying. "Yes?" he asked exasperatedly.
"Maybe we should go trick-or-treating," suggested Ponyboy.
"I'm game," said Soda instantly. "This'll be fun! We haven't gone trick-or-treating in years! Maybe you can wear my old costume. Man, this'll be great! Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy!" and he bounded out of the room.
"Well that was… odd," commented their friend Steve Randle, entering just in time to hear the 'oh, boy' bit. "What's up?"
"Ponyboy wants to go trick-or treating," explained Darry.
"Ohh, cool!" exclaimed another boy, wiggling in from behind Steve. Looking closer, Ponyboy realized that the whole gang was there. "I'll go help Soda," cried Two-Bit Matthews, charging out of the room and following his friend.
"Great," muttered Steve unenthusiastically pursuing the other two.
Johnny shrugged silently, and came in behind them. "Wanna go help?" he asked Ponyboy.
"Sure," answered the youngest Curtis brother.
"I'd thought those years of misery were behind me," Dally muttered as they left. "I guess not."
"You're not going to argue?" asked Darry, surprised and more than a little relieved.
Dally gave him a disgusted look. "I've been stuck with you bozos on Halloween for years. By now, I've learned that it's futile."
Darry shrugged and went to help the others dig out costumes.
"Oooh, Ponyboy, look at this," cried Soda, pulling out a green mask and placing in on his brother's head. "Look, my alien costume fits you!"
"Cool," answered Pony, his voice slightly muffled by the mask. "Now what?"
"Now we find the rest of the costume!"
"Hey, Dal, the ghost costume still fits you!" exclaimed Two-Bit. "I wonder why…"
"Look, Dally, just let me cut some eyeholes."
"Two-Bit Matthews, get that knife away from my face! Oh, let me do it!"
"No, its mine!"
"Hey, let… Ow!" the knife sliced Dally's cheek. "You little…"
"Yeep!" Two-Bit turned and ran, ignoring his costume's attraction to blood.
Dally began to chase after him, but tripped over the end of the ghost costume, which was almost a foot too long.
"Yeah, I wonder," he commented sarcastically.
"Darry, look!" exclaimed Soda. "The alien costume fits Ponyboy!"
"And I bet my werewolf costume'll fit you or Steve," agreed his brother, equally excited.
"It fits me!" cried Steve happily. "And look," he gestured at Johnny, who was wearing Two-Bit's old vampire costume, and Two-Bit, who was wearing Steve's old Grim Reaper costume. "They fit, too!"
"So I guess it's just you guys," commented Dally. Everyone nodded, noticing that the older Curtis brothers were the only ones without costumes.
"Umm, Soda?" asked Darry suddenly, realizing that his brother's head and shoulders had disappeared into a box.
"Darry, look!" he exclaimed, pulling out a costume. "It's that wizard costume from… Uhh…"
"A long time ago," finished Darry.
"I don't remember that," commented Pony, looking at the costume. "When was this?"
"Do I have to?" whined Darry. Their mother put Ponyboy in his crib and turned back to her eldest son.
"Well," she said, "It's a school play. You already agreed to it. What's the problem?"
Darry pointed at his wizard's robe. "It's Dad's
"So?"
"Mom, I'm seven," he pointed out practically. "I may be big for my age, but I am not the same size as Dad!"
"Well," his mother squinted at him. "It's actually slightly large for him, too."
"Like I said, a long time ago."
"So now it's just Darry without a costume," said Steve, returning to the topic at hand.
"I have an idea!" exclaimed Two-Bit.
Several Hours Later
A horde of seven monsters trouped up the stairs. A werewolf knocked on the door, while the others gathered around behind him. "Trick or treat!" shouted five of them.
But an alien, who was on the left of the werewolf, shouted "Treat or treat!"
And avampire, who was on the right of the werewolf, shouted "Trick or trick!"
Both paused, and then turned to each other, squabbling. "It's treat us or we'll trick you, Pony!" cried the vampire.
"No," retorted the alien. "It's trick us or treat us, Johnny!"
"Stop fighting, you two," the werewolf said wearily. "It's… open to interpretation."
"It's stupid, that's what it is," snapped a reluctant-looking ghost. "Can we just go home?"
"No!" exclaimed a wizard. "I want to finish!"
"Going home would be nice," suggested the Grim Reaper. "I'm cold."
"You should have chosen a warmer costume, then," retorted the vampire. "I mean, look at Darry. He's warm."
"And I can't move," retorted a box. "Really, Two-Bit, this has to be along the lines of the stupidest thing you've ever done."
"What about the time he pushed me off the roof because he thought I could fly?" asked the wizard.
"Or when he ate his beer bottle instead of his cake?" put in the alien.
The vampire nodded, his argument with his friend forgotten.
"So, what exactly have we decided here?" asked the ghost.
"Two-Bit's stupid and Darry's got a bad costume," explained the werewolf.
"It's not my fault," whined the box.
"Look," said the person who was handing out candy impatiently. "Do you want your candy or not?"
"Candy," said all of the monsters in unison.
"Then stop arguing!" she exclaimed.
"She has a point," commented the box.
"Trick or treat?" asked the alien, holding out his candy bag.
"That's better," said the random person.