Author's note: This is the first thing I've written for the Outsiders. I thought it was kind of cute, so I decided to post it as my first piece on this site. Concrit is welcomed.

"Oh, god damn it, Two-Bit," I muttered, searching through the crowds of the party. I was looking for my idiot, drunken my brother, Keith, who everyone called Two-Bit. Even though he was nineteen, if he didn't come home around the same time I did, Mom freaked out. I was the responsible one, despite being five years younger.

"Hey baby," Some drunk hood slurred. "Wanna come hang out?"

I scoffed and kept moving. I don't mind greasers, not in the slightest, since Two-Bit's one, and so are most of my friends. Hell, I'm a grease too. Hoods, though, I don't like. Those boys like Tim Shepard who are tough and mean and no better than Socs. I hate those guys.

Speaking of Tim Shepard, the JD himself was walking towards me. He was a little drunk as well, but I thought he wasn't that bad. "Hey, Little Bit." All of my brother's friends call me that, since Two-Bit does. "What's got you so freaked?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Can't find Two-Bit. Know where he is?"

He shrugged. "Last time I saw ole Two-Bit, he was with Ponyboy." Ponyboy Curtis was my age, and a good friend of my brother's. I didn't mind him, since he was real nice, but we didn't hang out.

"Thanks," I said to Tim, already looking for the sort of coppery hair that belonged to Ponyboy. I didn't think he normally came out to parties, since he lives with his strict older brother, Darry. I didn't spot him of Two-Bit, though. "Oh, that sonofabitch," I grumbled. I was so distracted and irritated, that I didn't look where I was going, so I ran right smack into Ponyboy.

"I'm sorry," He apologized quickly. "Are you okay, Gracie?" Pony was the only one of Two-Bit's buddies who ever called me by my real name. Maybe its because I'm not all that little compared to him, all though I am smaller.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told him. "Do you know where my brother is?"

"Took off with Curly Shepard an' some of his gang," Ponyboy replied, a little angry himself. "Do have his keys?"

I nodded, pulling them out of my pocket. "Wanna come with me?"

He nodded himself, and led me out of the crowded party. I quickly found my brother's car, and got in. (I'm not old enough to drive, but that doesn't stop anyone in this neighborhood.)

"Where was the Shepards headed?" I asked, starting the old thing.

"Buck Merril's, I think," Ponyboy replied.

I nodded, and started off towards the cowboy's house. Ponyboy and I were silent, and I couldn't help but think about how handsome he was. He really was a nice boy, and I wondered if he thought I was pretty.

Stay on track, Grace, I told myself, trying to force my mind off the good-looking boy in the passenger's seat.

We got to Buck's pretty quick, and there was a party going on there too. I cursed under my breath again. I wasn't a real big fan of parties.

Ponyboy and I just walked on in, since the party was going full swing. I searched for a sign of my brother, but there wasn't any. Then again though, I did see a bunch of blondes, so I knew he had to be in there somewhere.

"Buck!" I yelled, catching sight of the hick who's house I was in. "Where's Two-Bit?"

"Well, who wants to know?" Buck asked. He was drunker than hell.

"His sister," Ponyboy replied, his voice not much more than a growl. I wondered where on Earth that side of him had come from.

"He's in one of the bedrooms, the last one," Buck told us.

I cursed again. If he was getting off with some broad, there was no way I'd get him home. I decided to go check anyway, and Ponyboy followed me, still real quiet. We got to the last bedroom fast, though, and it was empty. "Damn it!" I cried. "That little..."

"Gracie," Ponyboy said softly, putting a hand on my arm. "He'll be up here soon enough, and you know it."

I chuckled dryly. I did know it. Two-Bit was real smooth with girls. "Yeah, you're right. Might as well wait it out."

Pony and I both sat on the bed, and yet again, thoughts about him flooded my head. I thought about kissing him, but I didn't know what he would do. Then, I felt his hand on my knee, and any thought just... stopped. I'm not usually one of those girls who gets real moony about a boy, but I was kind of tipsy and Ponyboy was handsome and I hadn't been with a nice boy in ages.

I turned to look at him at the same time he went to look at me. He had real pretty green eyes.

That was about all it took before his lips were on top of mine, kissing me real fiercely. I was surprised, and accidentally fell back onto the bed, but Ponyboy pulled me up and kept his arms around my waist. I f liked it, along with everything else that was going on. He was a real good kisser, his tongue twisting around with mine. It was the type of thing I would never do normally, and it was fantastic.

"Grace Matthews!" Two-Bit yelped. Ponyboy let go of me me, and I saw my brother standing in the doorway, mouth wide open. I don't know who he was more surprised at, me or Ponyboy.

"Hi, Two-Bit," I said weakly. "I been looking everywhere for you."

"I'm sure you have," He grumbled. "C'mon, you two, let's get you home."

Ponyboy and I both followed my brother, and we all got into the car in silence, me and Pony in the backseat. His hand went on my knee, and stayed there until we got to our neighborhood.

"Grace," He whispered real softly in my ear. "I know this is sorta sudden, but do you want to go out with me sometime?"

I grinned at him. I knew I had been sort of reckless and stupid to kiss him, and I knew Two-Bit was probably going to chew me out once we all got home. I also knew that it sure felt nice to be irresponsible, at least for a little while.

With that in mind, I said, "Absolutely."