Chapter 1

I managed to strain a yawn. I had worked a full shift with Soda at the station, and I was absoulutly exausted. I WAS only going to work part time with Steve, but Soda insisted that I work untill eleven with him. Maybe because it's my birthday ( Or at least it will be for another hour or so) and he just wanted to spend some time alone with me. It's very rare that you'll find me and Soda together, just us. I'm normally just hanging out at the local dairy queen with Two-Bit, Steve, or Poney. And even when I'm with Soda, the rest of the gang is usually there too.

I slowly turned the door knob, hearing Soda's cheerful giggling coming from behind me. As the door opened, I finally understood the reason for Soda's snickering. "AHHHHHH!" I heard the gang joyfully roar, then Steve locked me into one of his famous bear hugs. "Happy birthday baby girl!" He exlaimed, "We got you one of them birthday cakes too. Chocolate with fudge icin'. Yer' faveorite!"

" Awwe guys, you didn't have to do all of this for me!" I said, trying hard for my voice not to squeak.

" We didn't." Two-Bit remarked humerously, "It was Mr. Party Planner Randle's idea." He said with a slight chuckle, then he pointed his thumb at steve. He was slightly blushing. Steve elbowed Two-Bit in the stomach, who then gasped for air.

"I don't know what your talkin' bout'. I distictly remember Mr. Winston mentioning a surprise party." He said, then stuck his tounge out at Dally, who rolled hid eyes and gave him a dirty look.

"Alright, Alright. Nuff' arguin' over Madi. Cake time." I heard Darry interrupt from the kitchen.

"Mmmm. Chocolate cake and beer. What a commmmbonation." Two-Bit said, crossing his eyes.

"Alright, Alright. Ya'll know the rules. Birthday girl get's the first piece of cake." Steve said, a little protectivley, then put his arm around me.

"Of course Loverboy'd say that." Johnnycake mocked then made kissing noises. Steve rolled his eyes at the gesture he made next. I started to blush.

" Awe look it' Johnny. you made Madi blush." Two-Bit teased. Darry slowly waltzed in with a plate placed carefully in his hands. It was the most delicious cake I had ever seen in my entire life. Devil's chocolate witg with dark double chocolate smeared smoothly across the top. Ingraved in white icing were the words, " Happy birthday Madi,m we love ya! (Especially Steve. The cake made me chuckle a little bit, but it made steve furious. Two- Bit and Pony were rolling on the floor with laughter. " What the hell pony? Was this your damned idea?" Pony didn't respond. He just kept on laughing with Two-Bit.

"It's alight Sprite," That was my nickname for Steve since grade school,"It's pretty funny if I do say so myself." I said happily, then flashed him a grin. I'm pretty sure that cooled him down a bit. He gave me a little smile, then kissed me on the cheek.

" That's one of the reasons why I love you baby. Can always take a joke." He said, then swayed me with the arm he held me with.

" Well would you look at that. Two ginuine love birds." Two- Bit joked. Almost everyone in the room chuckled. Well, everyone besides Steve. He just rolled his eyes as started to cut the cake. Almost as if on cue, sodas mouth began to water. Chocolate cake was his faveorite.

"Well you sure look excited, Soda." Johnny said, sounding quite amused.

"Your one to talk lil' bro." I said with mock superiority. He just stuck his tounge out at me like a 3 year old.

"I think it's time to open presents before the birthday girl falls asleep." Dally chuckled. I laughed a little, but it was true. I hadn't gotten any sleep for the past few days, (Due to some pretty lethal nightmares.) and working a ten hour shift didn't help much.

" Open mine first!" Soda hollered gleefully, then handed me a box with blue, tinsil looking wrapping. I started to peel the wrapping off slowly, slightly afraid of what I might find underneath. Once all the wrapping was off, I found a whittish- eggshell colored box.

"A box. Hooow fancy. Wish I could afford one." Two-Bit said. This time Steve hartily laughed. Soda chuckled a bit, then flipped some of his wheat gold hair out of his eyes.

"Keep opinin'. I think you'll like it." He said, then smiled his glimmering white smile. I picked off the tape that was concealing Soda's gift, then gradually pulled the lid off. As the box opened, the gift started to reveal it's self. Once the box opened, I saw two pieces of paper, atop of pink tissue paper. I took a closer look at them, then saw the words, "Elvis Pressly, 1952 written on them. I gasped.

"Like it?" Soda asked smugly, " I got two so you can take a...well... special someone." He snickered, then elbowed Steve in the arm. Steve grinned his cheeky grin.

"Thanks Soda. You really didn't have to-"

"Don't mention it." He cut me off before I could actually "Mention it".

"Mine next! Johnny exlaimed, then set down a present with a white cover on it. " Sorry bout' the paper, but mom nd' dad were to busy arguein' and throwin things at each other and I ain't got enough money to go nd' buy wrapping paper."

"S'ok, Johnnycake. Wrapping paper Schmrapping paper." I said brightly. I began to tear off the the paper cautiously, so I wouldn't get a paper cut. The box opened quite easier than I thought it would. The top slipped off, and underneath I found a bunch of packing peanuts. I scavaged throughout the box, and felt a chain run on the tips of my fingers. I carefully placed it in my palm and pulled it out of the box. It was a 15 Karrot gold locket with a heart connected to the chain.

"Johnny it's beautiful!" I exlaimed, my face was , most likely glowing with excitement.

"Wasn't a problem. Getting it that is. Found it in the street. Having it ingraved, now that was pretty pricey." He said, nonchalontly. I turned the heart to its back, seaching for its ingraving. It read, " To my beautiful older sister."

"Oh my god Johnny, thank you so much!" I said filled with happiness.

" Alright. Ma' turn." Two-Bit said, then winked at me. That made me giggle. I felt something impact my face. I couldn't see, because the object that hit me was pitch black. I pulled the black thing off my face, then I automaticly realised what it was.

It was Two-Bits leather jacket.

"I hear ya needed a jacket. Mine was gettin old any way nd' thought it would be a good time to get a new one." Two-Bit shrugged.

"Awe Two-Bit, not yer' jacket!" I whined.

"No really, it ain't a big deal. S'really ok." He replied softly.

"Alright, nuff' with the love fest man. It's my turn." Dallas retorted. " Tim says he's sorry he can't be here, then he told me ta' give you this." He said, then he handed me a small container of english leather. I dabbed a little bit on my neck, then rubbed it in untill the musky scent filled my nose. " My gift's a little more sentimental though." He snorted a laugh, and handed me another bottle. I twisted the cap, then bent my head doen to sniff the liquid inside. It was hair grease.

"Thanks, Dally. I've been needing some new grease." I said with a grin.

"Like I said, real sentamental." Dallas chuckled. "I think its Pony's turn. Unless he forgot ya' birthday. Then, its Loverboy's turn." He said fighting a smile. Steve, as usual, just rolled his eyes.

"Alright, I think your gonna like this one." Pony said excitedly. Fromm beside him, he pulled a pice of paper into his then handed it to me. "Read it." He said gently, with a smile, so I then started to skim through the lines of extremly neat handwriting. It said,

" Natures first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold,

Her early leaf's a flower,

But only so an hour,

Then leaf subsides to leaf,

So Eden sank to greif,

So dawn goes down to day,

Nothing gold can stay."

Compared to Ponyboy's handwriting, mine looked like chicken scratch.

"Its that one poem you like so much. I figured that you could carry it around with you, like when yer' sad...er' somethin'." He said bashfully. Leave it to Pony to be the creative one.

"Aww thanks Pony, that's real' sweet of ya'." Now that was sentimental.

"I think yer' really gonna like Steve's gift." Soda said, trying not to laugh. What was so funny? Steve and Soda went back into the kitchen whispering. Steve's sounded panicked.

"You can do it!" I heard Soda quietly encourage Steve. Steve strolled in into the room with Soda following behind. He was taking deep, heavy breaths. He was quivering like a chihuahua and sweating rivers. Then he got down on one knee.

"Madi...we've...uh...been together for...uh...a real long time and...uhhhhh...I love you a whole lot and... " then he pulled out a small beige colored box out of his back pocket. "What I'm really trying to say is," He opened the box, "Will you marry me?"