You look cute.

Johnny looked over the black lettering on the wrinkled paper that was thrown at him not long ago. He was sitting at the very front of the class minding his own business when suddenly that ball of paper hit him in the head. Annoyed, he looked back in the classroom where the paper ball came from. He was hoping it wasn't some girl trying to go out with him. He wasn't really into girls that much. He scanned over his fellow classmates in search of the jerk who was messing with him, but he couldn't trace the person. Everybody else was chattering with each other, waiting for the teacher to arrive. Everything was normal until he focused on Two-bit staring back at him, grinning like a cheesy cat.

"What the hell is this crap?" Johnny asked him, annoyed, while he held up the paper ball.

Two-bit pointed his finger at Ponyboy who was sitting at the back, his eyes fixed on the window.

Confuse, Johnny turned around in his seat and looked over the waded up paper. Two-bit is probably just fucking with me. .he thought.

He suddenly felt someone looking over his shoulder. It was none other than Two-bit who began to poke him to get his attention.

"What do you want Two-bit?" He asked without turning around.

"What does it say?"

"Haha Two-bit, very funny. Stop acting dumb cause I know you wrote this."

"Uhhh, no I didn't, is it a love note?"

The teacher finally entered the class room just as the bell ranged. Johnny shoved the note in his pocket.

"I think Ponyboy wants you to write back" Two-bit whispered. Johnny ignored him and focused all his attention to the teacher. His trying to focus on the teacher was interrupted when another paper ball hit him on the head and landed on his foot. He picked it up and unfolded it.

Are you planning to write back or are you gonna ignore me?

Turning around ready to accuse Two-bit of fucking with him again, he notice Ponyboy glance at him then back to the window.

Why are you doing this? Johnny wrote then crumbled the paper to its original form and tossed it back to the direction of Ponyboy, smacking him dead in the face. Two-bit burst into laughter making the teacher turn around.

"Two-bit Matthews, do you have any interest in learning at all?" the teacher asked. Two-bit nodded his head as an answer as the bell rang, the students rushed out of the classroom.

Johnny stood up; taking his time and the paper was shoved into his hands by Ponyboy who almost ran out of the classroom, his face all red.

000

Walking around the hallways, Johnny wondered if the young boy was really interested in him or what. Looking at the crumbled paper that was still in his hands, he was deciding if he wanted to know what Ponyboy had written back or not. Finally making his decision, he headed outside, not wanting to go to class and looking over the note. As he headed out the door he saw his best friend Dallas Winston. With that he put the note in his pocket.

To him, Dallas was his hero. How he worshiped and wanted to be him. How he just wished that he can have some of Dally's strength to actually stand up to his parents.

"Hey Johnny, men, you skipping?" Dally asked as Johnny exited out of the school.

"Yeah, I'm not getting anything out of it anyway." Johnny answered.

"Alright then how about we go get something to eat?"Dally lit up two cigarettes and offered Johnny one.

"Sure." Johnny gladly took the cigarette.

000

Johnny and Dally walked to a Dairy Queen. They ordered 2 hot dogs, which Dally paid for both. Then they walked over to the lot and sat down on the grass ready to dig in to the hotdogs.

"You won't believe what happened in class today..." Johnny started as he took a bite of the hot dog.



"What happened?" Dally asked, tuning in.

"Well, first, do you know Ponyboy Curtis?"

"Yeah I know that kid. He's too young to already be in your class. I mean, your 16 and I think he's only 14. Why did he pick on you or something? I can easily beat him up for you." Dally said cracking his knuckles.

"No no, he didn't do anything. Well he did but nothing like that. He threw a paper ball at me. At first I thought it was just Two-bit fucking with me but, no, it was Ponyboy," Johnny paused putting down his hot dog, "I opened up the paper ball and it's said that I look cute."

Dally looked thoughtful, "hmm, maybe he tried to aim it on some girl and he missed."

"No, I don't think so cause afterwards another paper ball came from him asking if I was gonna ignore him or write back. So I did write back asking why he was doing this. I threw the paper ball back at him smacking him dead on the face making Two-bit burst into laughter." Johnny grabbed his hot dog again and took a bite.

"Ha-ha I would have probably laugh my ass off too. That Ponyboy kid is really quiet. I heard that his parents had died and he's living with his two older brothers. I think he's a pussy."

"Hey don't say that! You don't even know him." Johnny shot back.

"Whoa whoa, you standing up for him? Aww, maybe you like him back…did he write back to you?

"Yeah, when class was over he shoved the note back into my hands. And NO I don't like him like that."

"What did he write back?"

"I don't know, I haven't looked at it yet." Johnny pulled out the note that was in his pocket.

Dally snatched the note out of Johnny's hands.

"Oh come on Dallas give it back!" Johnny glared at the taller boy.

Dally snickered slowly opening the note. "Don't worry I just want to know what he wrote back…" he opened it and started reading. His smile suddenly turned into a frown.

Noticing the sudden change on the other boy's expression, Johnny asked, "Hey Dal, what does it say?"

"Oh, he defiantly likes you Johnny, he likes you a lot…" he handed the note to Johnny.

I like you. We should hang out, get to know each other. Don't ya think?

Johnny read the lines again. Omg, a BOY likes me…He thought. He felt awkward but yet happy for some reason.

"Hey Dal I thi-" Johnny started but found his friend gone.