AN: I've seen tons of sister fics on this website in my two or three days of being on this site, but I've never seen one with another brother.

I'm new here, so please go easy on me. :D Read and review.

XXXXX

"Help me with the groceries, would ya?"

Sighing, I set down my guitar and go to help Darry. My shoulders slump. I'm terrible at guitar. "Where's Ponyboy?" I ask, scratching the side of my head and yawning.

"At a movie. Come on, guys," He waves his hands to motion my older brother, Sodapop, and my other closest friends that are basically like my brothers - we're that close, to get up and come help him get the groceries out of the car.

Two-Bit belches. "I don't feel like it."

I feel like groaning. You just don't not do what Darry says. Darry's no longer just my brother, but my guardian now. You do what he says. You just do. Ponyboy could tell you all about that. They bump heads more than anyone I know, ever since Mom and Dad died.

Ponyboy's my identical twin. However, I'm about twelve minutes older than him, and Pony's hair is a reddish brown and mine is a darker auburn. That's the only way you could tell us apart, I reckon. I tend to hold the fact that I'm older than him against him. I don't know why Ponyboy and Sodapop got such weird names when me and Darry didn't, but hey, you don't see me over here complaining. Mom always said Dad named Sodapop and Ponyboy and Mom named Darry and me. Dad was… original, you could say.

I definitely like Ponyboy the most, not to pick favorites. But I wouldn't deny it if anyone asked. He's just the one I want to be most like in life - even if he is "younger." He's smarter than me, even if he is spacey and distant a lot of the time. He skipped a grade. I wish I was smart enough to do that.

I think Ponyboy likes Sodapop the most and vice versa. They've always been close; closer than close, even before Mom and Dad died. Sodapop's sixteen, and I think he's the nicest person you'll ever meet, so it's understandable why Pony likes him so much. Sodapop dropped out of school to get a job. Hey, it's not like he liked school any anyhow. I can't make a deep, detailed description like Ponyboy could. I'm not good with words like he is. I think my brain might be a little messed up. Ponyboy would say something detailed, or something full of adjectives (or nouns, I ain't never been good at English) when all I can say is "he's the nicest person you'll ever know.

We pile out the door, and I carelessly throw my arm around Johnny Cade's shoulder. I don't talk to Johnny very much, well, not as much as Ponyboy does, but we're a gang and we stick together. I think he's scared of me anyway. But we have each other's backs. Johnny's home life ain't too good, but hey, whose is?

If there's someone in the gang that I like the least - it's gotta be Steve Randle. He likes me just fine I guess but I'm not too big a fan of his, even if he is Soda's best friend. Steve is cocky; like he always has a satisfied little smirk that just makes me want to drive my fist through a wall. Or in to his face.

Dallas Winston swaggers over, and I smirk a little too widely at his figure. I assumed he was gonna be in the cooler for good this time. Dally is like one of those people your parents warn you about. He's bad - likes to jump people for no reason and is rough and as tough as nails. I really don't talk to him either, but I like him okay. I stick to myself, mostly, and some friends from school and Ponyboy and that's about it. I like Two-Bit too.

Two-Bit Mathews is just a funny guy. He's real funny, and he's always seeming to say stuff at the wrong time, and it's always hilarious. You can't keep his trap shut. He even mouths off to cops some times, and that's something I'm not brave enough to try. Cops scare me enough as it is.

Darry hands me a paper bag and I nearly drop it as I hear a scream coming from down the street. "What was that?" I ask as Sodapop snaps his head up.

"Soda! Jimmy!"

"Shit!" I exclaim and with a jolt of panic I realize the one yelling for my name is none other than my twin, Ponyboy. Darry smacks me on the back of the head and tells me to watch the language. I set down the bag I was holding, and attempt to not roll my eyes at his overprotectiveness.

Everyone runs in a flurry of movement and everything is a blur. One of the Socs - rich kids - kicks Ponyboy in the stomach and I feel a surge of protectiveness. I'm livid. The Socs are rich kids that live on the West side. It ain't our fault we're poor, or at least that's how I see it. I've never been jumped before and Ponyboy hasn't either, before today, of course, but I know they're not fair. They like to wear Madras shirts and drive expensive cars and it makes me so sad to know that I'll never be able to afford a cherry red corvette that you see in the magazines. And I want one so bad.

The Socs see my friends and run, and I just end up standing there like an idiot. While Dally, Two-Bit, Steve and Sodapop are throwing things at their fancy car, Johnny, Darry and me go to Ponyboy.

Darry shakes Ponyboy roughly. He's not intending to be rough, but then again, Darry's always too rough without meaning to be.

Pony's crying, and I really just wish he would just fucking knock it off because that makes me upset when he's upset. He wipes his eyes and I say, "You got cut up a little, huh, Ponyboy?" I eye the blood dripping down his neck. Sodapop comes walking back to us. I assume the rest of the boys went to go track down their car. All I want to do is go with them, but me and Ponyboy are smaller than them, so it's not like I'd be any help anyway. We're just the youngest. We're just kids.

In a low, choked voice, Ponyboy asks, "I did?"

Sodapop licks a handkerchief and puts it against Ponyboy's neck. Gross, I think, there's spit on that. He says, "You're bleedin' like a stuck pig."

"I am?"

I almost laugh, but I'm too angry to do so. You don't mess with my brothers, or any of the boys, especially Ponyboy. Soda shows Pony the handkerchief and Ponyboy seems mystified by the blood staining it. "Did they pull a blade on you?" I ask.

"Yeah."

Ponyboy is shaking and is as white as a sheet. Sodapop reassures him by putting a hand on his shoulder. It's times like this I'm jealous of Soda. They have a connection - something I really yearn for with my twin. Aren't twins supposed to have, like, telekinesis with each other or something?

Ponyboy wraps his arm around my shoulder and we just walk like that, in peaceful silence. Soda walks next to us. "You're an okay kid, Pony," Ponyboy sniffles and smiles. Sodapop turns to me. "You both are."

I beam in pride. "You're crazy, Soda. Out of your mind." Ponyboy says as he chuckles and we all laugh.

Serious, and totally impassive by our antics, Darry turns to us and says, "You're all nuts." I think he's going to back hand us all. He looks angry.

"It seems to run in the family." Ponyboy and I exchange wide-eyed glances, both of us wondering where Soda got the balls to say that. That's like talking to a hungry man-eating lion. Darry smiles, and I wonder why the hell Darry doesn't mind Sodapop or me that much, but always seems so dang mad at Ponyboy. Not like I'd ever say anything about it to him. I'm too much of a pansy. But I know how much it bugs Pony.

Sodapop and I tend to stay out of it. Soda always says just to let them go at it. To get it out of their systems, but I'm not sure if that's really the right thing to do.

XXXXX