(AN: I do not own The Outsiders. S. E. Hinton does.

This story is following the book, Johnny and Dally do not die. This is also my first story so please don't hate me if its something you don't like. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had two things on my mind: why the gang never came out in the sun and a ride home. I never took the time to wonder why they weren't out in the sun, it wasn't just them, it was the same with the Socs. Today was cloudy, with not a break in the clouds for a chance of sun. I have light-brown hair, almost red hair and greenish gray eyes. I wish they were more gray. The only reason I watch movies is cause I never have anything to do at the house, and my brothers Darry and Sodapop are at work. Since Mom and Dad died eight months ago, Darry hasn't been the same. We stay with Darry cause if hadn't been for him, we be in a boys home. So Soda and I stay out of trouble.

Soda and I had four other guys who we considered family: Steve, Two-bit, Dally and Johnny.

Steve, he's tall and lean, his hair was thick and greasy he kept combed back in complicated swirls. He was cocky, smart, and Soda's best buddy. Steve liked cars. He can lift a hubcap quicker than anyone else. Him and Soda worked at a gas station called the DX. Him and Soda draw women their more than honey draws flies. I liked Steve only cause him and Soda are best buddys, he doesn't like me. He thought I was a tag along and a kid. It wasn't my fault Soda always asked me, I never asked to go. Soda doesn't think I'm a kid.

Two-bit Matthews, the oldest out of everybody. But I don't believe it. He was about six feet tall, stocky in build, and very proud of his sideburns. He had gray eyes and a wide grin, and he wouldn't stop making funny jokes to save his soul. Life was one big joke to Two-bit, but you couldn't help but laugh at the guy, what he says is irresistibly funny. I liked him real well because he kept us laughing at ourselves as well as other things.

Dallas Winston or Dally, used to live in New York and been arrested at the age of ten. He had an elfish face, high cheek bones and a pointed chin. His hair was blonde, and kicked out in the back in tufts and curled behind his ears and along his neck. His eyes were ice cold blue. He hated the world and found ways to fight the law. He has a police record in the local department, he got caught for: drinking, riding in rodeos, lying, stole, cheated, and jumped kids for fun. I didn't like him but he was smart and you had to respect him.

Johnny Cade, was at least a year older than me, but he looked younger than he did. He had black eyes, dark tanned skin, and his hair was jet black, shaggy bangs fell across his forehead. He was the gangs pet, everyone's kid brother. His father was always hitting him and his mother ignored him. I think he hated that worse than his father hitting him. He would have ran away if he didn't have us to keep him here. If it wasn't for the gang, Johnny wouldn't have discovered love.

I figured out none of the gang never looked different in youth. Two-bit said it was the beer keeping him young, but you never believe anything he says. I went on walking when I saw a red Corvair trailing me.

Greasers can't walk around alone or other wise they would get jumped. We get jumped by the Socs, the west side rich kids. Its like the term we use for us boys on the east side. I was two blocks from home, deciding I went faster. Didn't do me much good though cause the five Socs were in front of me. 'How did they get there so fast,' was not so sure. They walked around me smiling.

"Hey, grease," one said. "We're gonna do you favor greaser. We're gonna cut all that long greaser hair."

He had on a madras shirt. One of them laughed, then cussed me out in a low voice. I couldn't think of anything to say. There just isn't a lot you can say while waiting to get mugged. So I kept my mouth shut.

"Need a haircut greaser?" The blonde said. He pulled out his blade. I finally thought of something, "No." I was backing up away from that knife. I bumped against the fence, and they pinned me their. The blonde held a fist full of my hair and shoved my head against the fence. A blade was held against my throat.

"How'd you like your haircut to begin below the chin?"

It occurred to me I could die. I went wild. I started to scream for Soda, Darry, anyone. One of them shoved a handkerchief in my mouth, the one holding the knife said, "Shut him up, for Pete's sake, shut him up!"

Then their were shouts a pounding of feet. I slide down, not knowing what made them leave. I was too dazed to figure it out. Darry was beside me, a hand on my shoulder. Where he come from?

"Are you all right, Ponyboy?"

To tell you the truth I didn't know. I looked at the crazed look in his eyes, lust. I felt something warm running down the side of my face. "Did they pull a blade on you ?" A familiar voice said. Soda? How did he get here so fast? Our gang chased them for three blocks, how come I didn't hear him? He saw my cut, the same look that Darry had. Lust and need.

Soda grabbed a handkerchief and put it against my head, the look in their eyes was gone. I felt a hand wipe hot tears from my face, I didn't even know I was crying. "They ain't gonna to hurt you anymore." Soda said in a soft, hushed voice. I never noticed how my brothers were so handsome.

That was when I saw the gang come back. "The kid okay?" Two-bit asked, anger in his stormy... red eyes? "I'm okay. Two-bit did you get contacts?" They all stopped when I asked the question. I looked back they were gray. "Huh, never mind." I saw Two-bit visibly relaxed. Steve glared at me. " What are you doin', walkin' around by yourself?" Leave it to good old Steve to bring that up.

"Next time get one of us to come with you, okay Pony?" Johnny sent me a cute smile. Did I just say cute? Dally spoke for the first time. "Speakin' of movies, I'm walkin' over to the Nightly Double anybody want to come?" Darry said something about work and Steve and Soda are going to the game. "Me and Johnny will come." I said. Johnny gave me a smile as I turn to Darry. "Okay, Darry?" He said, "Yeah since it ain't a school night." Dally turned to Two-bit who spoke as if reading his mind. "I was planning on getting drunk tomorrow night," Two-bit said. "If I don't, I'll come find you guys."

That night I was doing my homework, reading Great Expectations for English class. That was when Soda came in and told me to got to bed. I finished the chapter I was on. Then I crawled into bed beside Soda. "Soda can I ask you something?" He turned over to me fully awake, with worry in his eyes. "What is it, baby?" I blushed. He laughed. Two-bit said it to me one day, because I was freaking out over a stupid bee. "Don't worry, I'll save you baby!" He got a slap from me and a punch in the jaw by Darry. But that didn't stop him or the others calling me that. So after two weeks of it I would blush, which would cause a riot.

"How come Two-bit's eye's were red?" He never answered me. "He had stolen color eye contacts the other day and he wore them so he could get the ladies." Soda said. "That's what he told me."

"Yeah, but when I looked back they were gray again." Soda flipped over. "Go to sleep, Pony." He told me, so I flipped over to face the wall. I still couldn't get it out of my mind. Eye contacts? Two-bit would be bragging to everybody about his new toy, but his eyes changed on his own. He never said anything to me about it or at least let me have a clear look at them. I needed an answer and I wasn't getting one from Soda anytime soon. I didn't even want to ask Darry, he would ell me to forget all about it. No, I wanted an answer, on his eye's and the Socs new speed, and the lust filled look in Darry and Soda's eyes when I got cut. I felt Soda move and put one cold arm around my neck. It weird, it wasn't cold in the room, in fact I snuggled closer just to get cooled off. I started to make a plan. I will confront Two-bit tomorrow, if he showed up, and ask him about the contacts.

Soda laughed in his sleep, but right now I was getting sleepy. Before I fell asleep, I felt Soda get up and heard him leave the room.