The Outsiders, Rewritten.
Because when it's 2am and you're bored, you do these things.

Chapter One

When I trotted out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only three things on my mind: Paul Newman, a ride home and chap stick. I needed one real bad. I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman - he looks tough and I don't - but I guess my own looks aren't so bad. I have light-brown, almost-red hair and greenish-gray eyes. I wish they were more gray, because I love it when zebra's have gray eyes. But I have to be content with what I have. My hair is prettier than a lot of boys have theirs, long down to my shoulders and parts have been dyed blonde. But I am a greaser and most of my neighborhood rarely bothers to get a haircut. Besides, I look beautiful with long hair.

I had a long trot home, and the only company was a stray cat that was missing clumps of hair and was singing 'I Kissed a Girl'. Man, I hate that song. I usually lone it anyway, for no reason except that I like to watch movies undisturbed so I can do my knitting in peace. I can't do it at home since there's no privacy. Besides when I see a movie with someone it's kind of uncomfortable, like having someone watch you knitting over your shoulder. I'm different that way. I mean, my second-oldest brother, Soda, who is sixteen-going-on-seventeen, never knits or sews, and my oldest brother, Darrel, who we call Darry, works too long and hard to even think of all the things he could possibly knit, so I'm not like them. And nobody in our gang digs knitting and sewing the way I do. For a while there, I thought I was the only person in the world that did. So I loned it.

Soda tries to understand, at least, which is more than Darry does. But then, Soda is different from anybody; he understands everything, almost. Like he's never laughing at me all the time the way Darry is, or treating me as if I was six instead of fourteen. I love Soda more than I've ever loved anyone, even mom and dad. He's always got a boy friend and clean socks, while Darry's hard and firm and always forgets to wash his socks. But then Darry's gone through a lot in his twenty years, grown up too fast. Sodapop will never grow up. I don't know which way's best. I'll find out one of these days.

Anyway, I went on trotting home, thinking about the scarf I was knitting, and then suddenly wishing I had some company. Greasers can't walk alone too much or we'll get jumped or someone will come by and steal my knitting from my pocket. And that doesn't make me feel too hot if you know what I mean. We get jumped by the Socs. I know how to spell it, 'cause I'm smart and got moved up a grade. Anyway it's the abbreviation for the Socials, the West-side rich kids. It's like the term greaser which is used to class all us boys on the East-side.

We're poorer than the Socs and middle class. We're prettier and wilder too. Not like the Socs who jump greasers and steal my knitting just for kicks. Greasers are almost like hoods. Actually, we are hoods. We steal things, drive old souped-up cars, hold up gas stations and have a gang fight every once in a while. I don't do things like this. Knitting and sewing takes up a lot of my time. Darry would kill me if I did anyway. Since mom and dad were killed in a hot-air balloon accident, we get to stay together as long as we behave. Soda and I stay out of trouble as much as we can. Anyway, I'm not saying either Socs or greasers are better. That's just the way things are.

I could have waited until Darry or Soda got off work. They could have come with me, but that would've been embarrassing. But Soda can't sit still long enough to enjoy a movie and they bore Darry to death. Plus Darry doesn't like knitting so he can't knit to waste time. I could've gotten one of the gang to come along. One of the four guys Darry and Soda and I have grown up with and I say they're family. Really, I could've called Darry to come get me or asked Two-Bit to come get me. But I just don't use my head. Darry hates it 'cause I'm supposed to be the smart one. Besides, I like trotting.

I decided I didn't like it so much when I saw a big red car following me. I started trotting faster since I was only two blocks from home. I had never been jumped. But Johnny had and he looked awful after the Socs got hold of him. His cuts didn't clear up for a month and you couldn't see his beautiful face. Johnny was sixteen then. And he still is.

I knew trotting faster wasn't going to work though. The big red car pulled up beside me and four guys got out. I was being silly and I let them surround me. They didn't say anything, but pushed me to the ground. I could hear the singing cat running away. Bastard, I thought, ditching me like this. I went crazy and began calling for Darry and Soda.

"Darry, Soda!" I yelled. They took my knitting out of my pocket and put it in my mouth so I couldn't yell. Oh shit, I thought, I'm going to ruin my beautiful knitting! I tried not to get it wet with my saliva but I did! I almost started crying as they cut my neck and I heard running. The four guys got up, jumped in their car and drove away. Then I saw six guys surrounding me. Then they started laughing. Except Darry and Soda. I figured it was because I had my knitting in my mouth.

"Are you alright Pony?" Darry asked. He pulled me up and kept shaking me, violently. I felt like throwing up. But I couldn't 'cause I hadn't taken my knitting from my mouth. So I did. But I didn't vomit.

"I'm okay, quit shaking me," I said. Darry let go and I fell back to the ground. Going out into a peaceful darkness.

I woke up again and I was on our couch in the living room. I felt much better. I felt like going out and trotting again. I've got a secret to tell you. Our couch is magic! Anyone who sleeps on it, they're wounds get healed right away. And they don't feel sick anymore. Nobody knows except me, Darry and Soda.

Darry was in the kitchen. I could hear him singing. Soda, Two-Bit, Johnny, Dally and Steve were all staring at me. I smiled and Two-Bit held up my knitting. It was ruined! It was all torn and wet! They all started laughing, besides Soda. I started crying and I ran to my room. Dally came in asking if I wanted to go the movies tomorrow with him. I said yes. And he said I can bring my knitting if I want. He started laughing and then left. Then I fell asleep and when I woke up Soda was in there, telling me to get up. It was still dark and I was confused.

"You got to do your homework," he said. Then he left. I began doing my homework. I had to read one of the Two of a Kind books from the Mary-Kate and Ashley TV show. Then I had to write a report of it. One word, awesome. I got into bed and then Soda came in, getting in to my bed.

"Soda, what the hell are you doing!" I yelled at him.

"What, I thought you might be lonely!" he yelled. Then Darry came running in.

"What's wrong!?"

"Soda wanted to get in my bed!" I yelled. Darry put his hands on his hips.

"Soda, if you don't want to sleep alone, you can sleep with me," Soda smiled and skipped off to Darry's room. Then Darry left and I went to sleep. Dreaming of singing cats that knit scarves for kids named Ponyboy. By the way, I'm Ponyboy.

I know it's kind of pointless, but I have no idea what else to write. And since I'm on holidays I've got nothing better to do.