The unpleasant heat of the Tulsa, Oklahoma summer early morning caused me to throw of my sheets from my cot next to Darry's. I sat up, crossing my legs. It was an instinct for me to wake up first, but it was almost an instinct that I forgot to make breakfast even if I woke up way before everybody else.

Just so I looked like a lady when I woke up in the morning, I slid on my lace socks from my shoe box under my box containing all my favorite knee socks. Darry's grey shirt that was almost 10 times too big for me corresponded perfectly with my lace socks I bought for a quarter that I begged Darry for two weeks ago.

I shuffled tiredly into the kitchen, opening the fridge and opening a bottle of Pepsi as I pushed it closed with my buttock. I hopped on top of the counter even if it annoyed Darry as hell, taking a refreshing sip of my morning Pepsi that always made me as hyper as I am.

I smirked from my view on top of the counter out of the doorway, Tim Shepard sleeping on the couch almost peacefully, while Dally obviously passed out from all the beer with Two-Bit. Tim probably wandered over in the middle of the night just for a couch to sleep on.

The sun started peeking out from the horizon, and I took another sip of my Pepsi, eager for the unusual silence that was only at our house this early in the morning to cease. I hopped off the counter, doing a plie just for random practice before tip-toeing to Soda and Ponyboy's room.

I perched down onto the floor, crossing my legs Indian style and whispering to my twin, "Soda, I'm bored."

And of course, he didn't hear me. He slept like a baby.

I shoved him slightly, "Soda, dummy, can you hear me?"

"What?" He mumbled tiredly, which sounded more like, "Mmha?"

I rolled my eyes, putting my chin on the edge of the mattress, "I'm bored. Really bored."

He managed to open his eyes very slightly, "Did you make breakfast?"

"What breakfast?" I tried innocently.

"Want Darry to holler at you again?" He mumbled lastly, falling into a deep sleep again.

I rolled my eyes and walked to the kitchen again. I opened the cabinet, scouring the contents of the middle shelf for my glass jar of English Breakfast tea packets. Finally finding them, I put water to boil in one of the pots, since I could never find a kettle in the kitchen.

The screeching of the boiling water caused Dally to wake up, rubbing his eyes and asking stubbornly, "What the hell is that noise?"

"Boiling water," I shrugged, shutting off the stove and trying to find 8 cups so everyone could have some tea.

Giving up, I simply poured one for myself. "Oh, and good morning," I added to Dally, dipping the packet of tea leaves into the ceramic cup.

"Whatever," Dally mumbled, sitting up and stretching. "How's about I pick you up from school and we go eat?"

It was funny, my relationship with Dally. We did practically everything with each other except kiss or anything more, we were best friends. I found the irony from that I was the only girl that he didn't flirt with. Sometimes I questioned if that was because I was ugly or just because he had brotherly respect for me.

"Sure," I said, adding 3 sugar cubes into my tea. "Just don't piss off the nuns."

Dally smirked, "No promises."

I went to a Catholic girl's school almost flat in the middle between the East and the West End with a whole bunch of Soc girls on scholarship. I was pretty smart, I guess, that's why they gave me a scholarship along with the fact that my mom graduated from there and was valedictorian. Darry always made sure that I followed the rules like a goody good because if I got my scholarship dropped because I wore the wrong color stockings too many times, he wasn't going to pay for it himself. So I followed his rules, because I hated public school. I had pretty expensive taste, coming from a family like mine.

Just after Dally finished his statement, Superman himself came shuffling out of his room with his muscular build and icy blue green eyes not even half open. "Nicole, get ready for school," He mumbled in his deep voice as he rubbed his eyes, almost sounding like the rumble of thunder.

"Fine, but I made you tea, darling big brother," I smirked, handing him a cup of tea and hugging him from the side.

Darry asked, "Did you make the eggs this time?"

"No," I shrugged, and skipped off to my room again.

I went down on my knees, looking under my bed at the numerous shoe boxes with all my clothes. Dressers were so usual...so I let Darry put his clothes there. I took out one of the boxes, looking to see if it had the right label for my uniform.

BEWARE OF HIDEOUS said the box in huge red letters. Perfect.

I closed the door, changing into my uniform. I wonder what it's like for Dally or Tim or Soda not to go to school...I could imagine dropping out or anything. I probably couldn't live with the guilt. But then again, the guys called me a goody. I didn't have a problem...it's not like I wanted to be like the rest of greaser girls. The ones in short bright dresses who wear loads of shit on their eyes make me shiver.

"Darry, have you seen my pink ribbon?" I called as I knotted my hair into a French braid, examining the floor carefully for the pink ribbon I never left home without. It didn't have to be in my hair sometimes, I just needed it. Maybe it's because it was the ribbon my mom used to tie in my hair since I was a little girl...yeah, that's what it was. She liked that I was the only girl, it's like we could tell each other everything. Yeah, people think it's weird being best friends with your mom. But I loved it.

Soda knocked on the door and I opened it. He held it up, "This is yours? You left it in my room again."

"Thank you," I reached for it, but he dangled it at top height above my height. I went on barely the tip of my toes to reach it. I thought it was freaky being 5"8 going on 5"9, but it had it's advantages.

"Gaint." Soda laughed his laugh, his laugh that stayed with him, ever since he was a baby.

I rolled my eyes and groaned, "Soooooda, I get enough of that."

Soda shrugged and smirked, leaving for the kitchen again. I grabbed my beaten-up leather messenger bag and tackled Soda from behind, giving him a nuggie. "Take it back!"

I felt a strong force behind me pick me up and put me down. "Lay off, Nicole," said Darry's voice. "We gotta go or we'll be late."

I shrugged and fingered a little bit of grape jelly from the jar onto my pointer finger, and we were off.