A/N:

Hey everyone! I love this book so much that I decided to write a fic about it! Honestly it is kind of a Au because of Pony's age...

Anyway, this takes place a week before the story begins. I decide to give the boys a heads up of what's to come..

Ages:

Ponyboy: 12 (Was basically 11 last week, just turned 12)

Everyone is the same as was in the book..

Example;

Darry: 20

Sodapop: (Quote) "Sixteen-going-on-Seventeen" ~Ponyboy

So, this explains why Dally and Johnny-boy are still alive. Also, Pony isn't a fucking time traveller, he really didn't write the book, and he is younger in this AU. He is 12 when everything goes down, including death, shooting, and the rumbles and everything.

Anyway Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am very jealous of the director-Francis Ford Coppola-and the writer-S.E Hinton-, because I don't own the book-nor-movie ;(

I am simply borrowing S.E Hinton's characters for mere entertainment and writing.

The rain was pouring outside as most of the gang was gathered in the living room. Outside, the rain poured down in buckets and occasionally, large bolts of lightning flashed with the echoing sound of thunder following.

Two-bit was sitting on the floor watching Mickey, a plate of chocolate cake and a can of beer sitting beside him. Soda and Dally were playing Poker at the table towards the corner of the room, Soda attempting to cheat like always. Darry sat in his chair reading the newspaper, glancing up at the door occasionally, waiting for Ponyboy to walk through the door. Steve was currently talking with Dally and Soda. Steve trying to mess up Dally-of course to help Soda win.

Darry, Steve, and Soda had all gotten off early that day because of the thunderstorm that had started around the late afternoon and Two-bit well, being Two-bit, decided to skip school for the day. Dally was there because, hey, rain days were hang days. The rain was still going after at least 3 hours, still showing no signs of giving up.

Lightning suddenly flashed outside and a large boom of thunder suddenly echoed through the house. The lights flickered repeatedly and finally went out, along with the TV. Soda and Steve both jumped, Soda's cards dropping from their hands and scattering over the table. Dally looked up, he tried to pass off the slight shake of the chair of him getting up, Soda knew he jumped, he was too prideful to admit it. Darry whipped his head to the side and looked through the window, looking for something that would tell him what happened. He couldn't see anything though through the buckets of rain falling outside. He assumed that lightning had struck their power source, causing the electricity to go out. Darry knew it would eventually be fixed so he decided not to worry about it.

"Well. I'm bored." Two-bit announced loudly after finishing his can of beer. He threw the can onto his empty plate, where his cake had been before he had eaten it. He stood up and stretched, his muscles feeling stiff from sitting, not moving, for that amount of time.

"Why don't you read a book or somethin'? " Soda replied, not looking up from his cards that he had gathered up just the moment before. An ace slipped out of his jacket sleeve, leading Dally to glare at his friend as he noticed. Soda just smiled like a little kid who just got busted for something that they had done.

Two-bit just shrugged and got to his feet to look around. Ponyboy always left books around the house, even though Darry had told him to clean them up, so Two-bit was bound to find one. He searched the living room finding a few books in a few random places, but none of them seemed to interest him. They all just seemed boring to him. Two-bit didn't understand how Pony could read books like that. He was about to give up and just sit in front of the Television and wait for us electricity to turn back on, when a few pieces of notebook paper caught his eye. It was sitting on the windowsill, and Two-bit reached out to grab it.

His eyes scanned the first couple lines and a slight smirk grew across his face. He couldn't believe what he had found.

"Hey guys!" Two-bit called. "Look what I found." He sang it loudly like a kindergartener, and then he waved the paper in front of himself, holding the front facing everyone else. Soda, Steve, and Darry all looked up as Two-bit spoke to them.

Soda was the first to go up to Two-bit and grab the paper from him. He also quickly looked over the first couple lines of paper, a smile growing on his face as he realized what this was.

"Nice find Two-bit." congratulated Soda.

The first line of the paper said, "The Outsiders by Ponyboy Curtis". They were both curious what the book was about. But after reading the first few pages of the stapled paper book, they realized it was about Pony, and they both guessed it was written by Ponyboy too.

Suddenly, another large bolt of lightning struck, almost as loud and bright as the one that knocked out their power. At the same time as the lightning strike, the front door swung open, causing everyone to jump slightly at the loud noise of the following thunder and whip their heads in the direction of the door.

There standing in the doorway, was an agitated and soaking wet ...Ponyboy and Johnny.

"Hey Ponyboy! Hey Johnny-Cakes!" Soda exclaimed, a smirk hidden on his face with a smile. "Where you been?" When he had saw that it was Ponyboy that had opened the door, he had hidden the paper behind his back.

"Oh just walking home from school." Ponyboy paused, throwing his book bag onto the floor beside him so that if leaned against the wall. "In the rain." He turned to face Steve, a slight glare on his face. "When someone was supposed to pick us up."

Steve tried to hold back a smirk unsuccessfully as he looked at Pony from the table. He covered his mouth with his hand, resting an elbow on the table. He dropped his hand so that his entire lower arm rested on the table.

"Oops." Steve lied, not even bothering to hide his smirk anymore. "I guess I forgot."

Water was practically dripping off of Ponyboy's clothes, causing his clothes to cling to his skin. Steve was supposed to pick Pony and Johnny up today from school and drive him to his house, but when he didn't show up, Pony was forced to walk home in the pouring rain. He was not happy.

"I'm gonna kill you Randle!" Pony said with a glare. Johnny, never one to talk, but still dangerous, gave a rare chilling glare.

Steve didn't even get a chance to respond before Ponyboy had tackled him to the ground, taking him by surprise. Pony grabbed his arms and pulled them behind him, pinning both of them to his back. He sat on Steve's back, glaring at him.

"Say 'Uncle!'" Ponyboy commanded, holding Steve's arms behind him.

"No." Steve refused. He yanked back on his arms, struggling to free them from Ponyboy's grip. "Damn. Since when were you strong Ponyboy?"

This remark only made Ponyboy pull Steve's arms farther up his back, causing Steve to slightly grimace.

"This is hilarious!" Two-bit exclaimed. "If only I had a camera!"

"Shit! Steve this is just pathetic. An 11 year old pinned ya. Come on." Dally agreed.

"Shut it both of you, and he's 12." Steve said agitatedly. "You shouldn't be attacking me!" Steve spoke, talking to Ponyboy. "Soda was going to read your theme essay!"

Ponyboy immediately turned his head to look at Soda, seeing the papers in his hand. Soda had forgotten about them during Pony's outburst and let his hands- which held the theme- rest at his side.

"Damn you Steve." Soda muttered just loud enough that everyone could hear.

Ponyboy immediately let go of Steve, allowing him to stand up and rub his aching arms. Pony looked confused.

"I didn't write a theme.." But Soda thought he was bluffing, trying to get him to drop his guard, or think it was trash and just forget about it.

"Hmm, let's see here." Soda teased, beginning to read the paper by holding it above his head. "When I stepped ou-"

"Soda. That's enough." Everyone turned to face Darry as he spoke, for they forgot he was there. Darry had stayed quiet before then, watching them all with interest until he had decided to speak up. Everyone must have forgotten that he was sitting there watching.

Darry stood up and walked over to Soda and Ponyboy and snatched the paper from Soda's grip.

"Hey!" Soda yelled at his older brother, not bothering to move. "Give it back."

Darry just ignored his younger brother and went back to his chair and sat down, holding the paper out a reading distance in front of himself.

"Come on everyone!" Darry said as if he were talking to a bunch of children. He turned to face everyone else. "Story time."

Steve's arms no longer hurt and his smirk returned to his face as he realized Darry was about to read Ponyboy's theme essay. Soda crossed his arms and frowned. He had wanted to tease his baby brother with it, but he didn't bother arguing with Darry, Soda knew he wouldn't win.

"Guys I really didn't write that.."

"Maybe you should listen to Ponyboy, I-I would think I knew what he wrote.." Johnny trailed off shyly.

"That's what Pone wants you to think Johnny." Soda said, scanning over the first few lines real quick, leaning over Darry's shoulder.

Not bothering to look over at Pony. "You shouldn't have left it out."

Ponyboy let out an agitated groan sat down on the floor; he wanted to hear it too, though he felt a feeling in his gut, saying they shouldn't be reading this.

Meanwhile, everyone had gathered around Darry. Soda and Steve were sitting on the couch with Two-bit sitting on the floor in front of Darry's chair. Dally was sitting on a chair he brought from the kitchen. Johnny was sandwiched between Soda and Steve.

"I really have a bad feeling about this." Ponyboy told them from his spot on the floor, leaning on Soda's legs. Though he was extremely aggravated, you could tell in his voice he really meant it.

"We love you too." Soda said smirking; he really still thought his brother was trying to pull his leg.

It was silent after that.

"Here we go." Darry said, ignoring his younger brothers' quick conversation. He returned his focus to the top of the page and began reading. "Chapter 1.."