"So Linda what brings you back here to Tulsa?" Lisa Randle asked her younger sister from across the dinner table. The 40-year-old woman looked back at her sister with tired blue eyes that showed the wear and tear of the past year. Her once long and shiny brown hair was now pulled into a tight pony-tail instead of allowing it to flow carelessly over her shoulder and wrinkles plagued her delicate skin. 20 years ago she was once considered one of the most beautiful girls in Tulsa but now her age was catching up to her. Beside her sat her youngest child Andrea who played with her napkin awkwardly as she tried to keep from staring at her cousin Steve.

"Robert passed away this past year and things have been very…rough for us. I decided what was best for us all would be to return to Tulsa so we could be with family." Linda replied with a careful tone as she chose her words. She couldn't bear to have her sister's family know that they had to sell their home because they couldn't afford it any longer. Her son Will rolled his eyes knowing better, his older sister Stephanie smirked at her twin brother's actions but didn't say a word.

"I'm so sorry honey. If you ever need a thing we'll do anything we can." Lisa told her with a sympathetic voice. Linda smiled gratefully but shook her head.

"Thank you Lisa but I have a job at the hospital so I think we'll do just fine." Linda replied as she glanced at the clock. It was getting late and she hated to keep her sister. "I think that we should be going now."

"Why not stay a bit longer? Stanley should be home soon and I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you a ride back. I doubt you want to walk back in the dark." Lisa insisted with a smile. "It would give the kids a chance to catch up while we clean up."

"If it wouldn't be a bother…" Linda said slowly.

"I insist!" Lisa pushed. "Steve why don't you take your cousin for a tour of the neighborhood."

"Mom can I stay with you?" Andrea asked looking out the window uneasily. Stephanie looked at her sharply for being so rude but Andrea avoided her eyes. She wasn't surprised that her little sister was so nervous about being out there considering she never had the opportunities to spend time with Steve like Stephanie and Will had. Even though several years have passed she has always valued the memories.

"Of course you can sweetie! Now you kids go run off." Lisa ordered earning an annoyed sigh from Steve but he rose to his feet. Stephanie and Will followed his lead hesitantly looking at their mother for affirmation. Linda nodded at her children and watched as they left the small dining area then began collecting dishes with her sister. A cloud of doubt surrounded her mind for a moment as the sound of the front door opening and closing filled the air. She worried about how the move would affect them but she couldn't exactly keep them in their home forever.

Outside the three teens began walking up the street with smoke floating around like little ghosts in the air. Steve Randle puffed away on his cigarette while his younger cousin Will looked around the neighborhood apprehensively, Stephanie balanced on the street curb like a gymnast with her yellow dress flowing in the wind. The summer air felt crisp on their skin despite the sun setting on the horizon.

"Steve, I hope you know that cigarette's aren't good for your health." Stephanie informed him as she carefully held out her lightly tanned arms for balance. Her thin frame teetered back and forth eventually causing Will to grab her forcefully to keep her from falling.

"Sorry for disappointing you Princess." Steve replied snarkily as he blew a cloud of smoke into her face.

"You always could make a girl feel special." She said sarcastically with a rueful smile that Steve couldn't help but return. Something about the little redhead was contagious.

"Dang it Steph could you walk like a normal person!" Will snapped at her as he once again kept her from falling. She held her hands on her hip then looked at him with a put on her angular face. He was only 4 inches taller than her but that didn't stop her from glaring at him with the same blue eyes he had. Steve watched with amusement as the two siblings glared at each other.

"Excuse me little brother for having a bit of fun. The four-hour drive wasn't exactly what I called exciting." She sneered at him with pursed lips.

"I don't exactly find keeping you out of the hospital exciting either." He shot back.

"Then don't, our mother works at the hospital for a reason." She responded back with a musical laugh as she ruffled her brother's red hair. He rolled his eyes as he quickly began fixing his hair with a look of malice in his eyes.

"Some days I could kill you." He grumbled unhappily. Stephanie gasped then wrapped her thin arm around Steve's muscular one.

"I wouldn't dare try! Steve here will protect me won't you?" She exclaimed as she looked at Steve with false fear.

"If anyone is getting killed around here it's me by you two." He responded with an eye roll but a smirk filled his features. Stephanie lightly smacked his arm over his eagle tattoo before unraveling herself to run a hand through her curly red hair. Steve could remember when they were children how she always had the same look on her face wearing her pretty little dresses, it seemed like things had barely changed. But he knew better. His cousins had been raised in a completely different life than he was, they had been surrounded by people who spent their weekends driving nice cars to expensive parties. They played tennis and hung out by pools sipping cocktails while the rest of the world worked their asses off for what they had. He hated them and their lifestyle for how easy things were but he also pitied them.

"So what house are you guys moving into?" Steve asked as they continued walking up the street. Will looked at the run down houses with distaste, he didn't like how the lawns were overgrown like jungles or how the paint was peeling on almost every building. He didn't understand how any of these people could live like this. Didn't they have any shame? He would die if any of his friends knew he was living around such trash. Hell his friends would probably make fun of him to being related to someone like Steve Randle. Steve was a great guy and everything but they would tear into Will about Steve's dark, greased back hair, his holed up clothing, tattoo and pretty much every other detail of the guy.

"It's a street or so ahead next to a big lot. I would show it to you but Mom probably wouldn't want us walking over there alone so close to dark." Stephanie explained as she looked around at everything curiously. Further down the street a boy waved at Steve as he took out the trash.

"I know where you're talking about. Is it a big yellow house?" Steve asked as he wave back at the boy and flicked his cigarette onto the street. Stephanie nodded absently as she hummed happily to herself to the annoyance of Will. "My friends and I hang out there sometimes to play football."

"Will played football at our last school. Maybe you could take him sometime." Stephanie coaxed with a smile on her face. She really wanted this place to work out for her family. The past year had taken its toll on them all including her and all she wanted was for them to finally find a break. Sure this wasn't the most ideal neighborhood and they had given up their entire lives but without hope they had nothing.

"Yeah, sure." Steve agreed unenthusiastically. He loved his family but Will wasn't like him and the guys, he was a Soc. Will would probably have more fun at a keg party by the river than playing football with him and the gang. By the look on Will's face it was probably true.

"It'd be nice to at least know a few people before school starts." Stephanie started. "Plus Will is unbearable and I think I'll die if he doesn't get out of the house once in a while." She added with a wink to her brother.

"You haven't changed a bit." Steve commented with a smile on his face. "We should probably be heading back now."

"Why change when I'm already the best I can be?" She asked with a swish of her long hair.

"I don't have any hope for her if that is the best she can be." She heard her brother mumble to Steve behind her back causing them to burst out laughing.

"Careful what you say brother dear you know what they say, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'" She quoted angrily but couldn't help but to laugh.

"I think you would get along with my friend Two-Bit." Steve told her as he put an arm around her shoulders. "You two have a terrible sense of humor." She gently punched him on the ribs with a laugh.

"You must be mistaken because I am hilarious." She exclaimed.

"Yes but only to yourself." Will chirped as he ruffled her hair then walked ahead of them with his head stuck up proudly. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You know what? I think Mom should trade you for Steve since he's nice to me unlike you." She quipped.

"That's because he doesn't live with you!"

"Is that true Steve?" She asked. He looked around awkwardly with a smirk on his lips. "I am insulted!"

"If that insults you then you won't last long here." Steve replied with a laugh. "We greasers can be pretty nasty."

"Greasers? Lordy, lordy is it too late to run for the hills?" She gasped.

"I'm afraid so, we already bought the house." Will told her with a shake of his head in despair.

"You two are too much to handle." Steve laughed as they arrived to his door. Stephanie noticed the truck in the driveway and assumed that Steve's father had arrived. She remembered him being a hard man who rarely spoke unless it involved work around the house. As a child that really hurt Steve and he constantly strived for his father's attention but now Stephanie had a feeling that Steve resented his father. She saw the way his jaw hardened as they entered the saw home and the way he slouched to make himself seem careless. Actions like that reminded Stephanie that their childhood was long gone.

"We're back Mom." Will announced as they entered the home to see their family sitting in the living room. Steve's father sat in an overused love seat in front of the TV, little puffs of smoke surrounded him as he smoked a cigar. Linda did what she could to keep herself from looking uncomfortable around the man but the look of relief quickly filled her face at the sight of her two kids. Andrea quickly got up from beside her mother on the couch and bolted to the twins.

"This has been very pleasant Lisa, thank you for having us." Linda told her sister politely as they hugged goodbye.

"Thank you for coming! Are you sure that you don't want Stanley to give you guys a ride?" Lisa asked.

"Don't worry about us, the fresh air will do these kids some good." Linda replied affectionately before leaving the small home with her family. Steve waved at them with a small smile before closing the door after them. The James family walked down the street that they would soon be very familiar with. The sun had finally set leaving the group in the dark except for the street lights that lined the road.

"What do you guys think about this place so far?" Linda asked as they made their way home. The streets were deserted except for the rare sight of a lone man or two walking home from a day at work. In the distance they could hear music and laughter from some of the houses but the family was in their own world.

"I hate it." Andrea answered immediately with a swish of her blonde hair. She looked at all the houses with judgmental eyes and her nose turned up. "I don't understand why we have to live here out of all places." By places she meant out of all of the middle class homes.

"This neighborhood isn't as bad as you think it is sweetie." Linda told her gently.

"But, still. We looked at so many other places that were way nicer." Andrea argued stubbornly. Stephanie rolled her eyes at her sister for being so stupid.

"Honey."

"We live here because we're poor." Stephanie told Andrea bluntly. She could see the changes that Andrea was going through now. She had noticed the feminine sway that had worked its way into her walk and she had also seen the curves that were beginning to form. Andrea was 13 and beginning to enter womanhood, she didn't need to be coddled like a child anymore. They needed to be strong if they were going to make it through this change. They couldn't afford weak links.

"Stephanie!"

"Mom it's true. Look Andrea you need to understand that things are different now and we have to make some changes." Stephanie told her strictly.

"Well I hate changes." Andrea sniffed sensitively.

"Do you think that we do? We left friends too but that doesn't mean that we just give up. You'll make friends here too." Stephanie replied.

"Always the positive Polly." Will commented with a snicker.

"Shut up Will."

"You two stop it!" Linda scolded with a laugh. "I love you but you're giving me a headache."

"Welcome to my world." Andrea said with a small smile as they passed by a small house with a chain link fence. A group of teenage boys sat on the steps facing the road while smoking cigarettes but barely took notice to the family of four as they walked by.

"Look Andrea you'll have plenty of men to court you." Stephanie teased with a wink. Even in the darkness she could see her little sister's face flush.

"I would never date a greaser."Andrea said disgustingly.

"That's what you say now but just you wait, in a couple of years you'll date anyone Mom would disapprove of."

"I don't even want to think about that!" Linda exclaimed with a shake of her head. Her oldest daughter had barely begun dating and here she was encouraging her youngest.

"At least I would date!" Andrea replied.

"My own blood is insulting me, what is this world coming to?"

"Can't you take anything seriously?" Will asked.

"Nope, everything is just a big joke to me." Stephanie answered as they arrived at their front porch. Their mother unlocked the door and turned on the lights for their home. As they walked inside Stephanie saw a figure laying at the edge of the lot with their hands behind their head. 'We need to make sure to lock the doors.' Stephanie thought to herself as she closed the door. But, before she could think of the figure too long she walked up the stairs and went to her room. Andrea was already in bed by the time Stephanie had changed into her nightgown and lay in her own bed across the room from her sister. Stephanie closed her tired eyes and was nearly asleep but a small voice entered her ears.

"Stephanie?"

"Mm?" Stephanie asked tiredly.

"Can I sleep with you? This place gives me the creeps." Andrea asked sheepishly. She was afraid that someone would break into their home.

"You're across the room, I don't understand why-"

"Please." Andrea begged causing Stephanie to sigh as she pulled up the comforter and made room for her sister. Andrea climbed next to her and settled down peacefully. "Good night Stephanie." As Stephanie drifted into darkness she could vaguely remember saying good night back. There was peace throughout the home as the family drifted off to sleep.