Summarry:
Lying. The very thing your parents tell you never to do.
Sometimes you lie so much that, even if it was just a
simple lie, it can grow into a much bigger one. And it
can land you in the worst of situations.

Disclaimer:
Of course, I own nothing. No matter how much I
wish I did. kthnx.

Liar, Liar
One

It was Ponyboy's first time returning to school after the deaths of Dally and Johnny. They'd both died merely two weeks ago, and Pony was still just getting over it. But he would never completely be 'over it.' It would always bother him, and he knew it. And it didn't help that so many things reminded him of the two of them. The locker next to his had belonged to Johnny, for example. He couldn't even bring himself to look at it as he pulled his textbooks and other school books from his locker.

Once he slammed it shut, he was suprised to find Curly Shepard standing behind him, a frown now replacing his usual smirk. He knew what he was gonna say even before he said it. He was going to bring up their deaths. But all Ponyboy really wanted was for everyone to stop talking about it. Maybe if they did he'd be able to forget. Maybe he'd be able to forget how Dallas had died beneath that street light, and Johnny in that hospital bed. He just wanted to forget it all.

"Hey Curtis," Curly said, biting his lip. "I heard about what happened."

Ponyboy said nothing, just stared wordlessly at him, his expression blank. He felt irritated with Curly for bringing it up. He was irritated with every sympathetic glance he got from other greasers and even some of the middle class-ers.

"I think you need to forget about them. For awhile, at least."

"Right," Ponyboy said, his voice rising with each word. "Like it's that easy."

But Curly's grin had returned now, and he reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a bag.

"Is that-?"

"Yeah. Ecstasy."

The bag had at least four pills in it. They all looked the same, and Ponyboy knew exactly what it was. He also knew that Darry would kill him if he knew that he took even one of those pills. They were drugs. Said to be the worst drugs ever, actually. The drugs Ponyboy had never planned on doing. He hadn't planned on doing any drugs. Now he wasn't so sure. Could these pills really help him forget? Even if it was only temporary?

"If you want some, I'm havin' a party tonight. We're all gonna take them. Me and Tim have got lots of drugs at home, all stashed away in a loose floorboard. And there's no use in wastin' them. Tim robbed most of them off different socs." He paused. "You up for it, Curtis?"

Ponyboy remembered how much trouble he'd gotten in just for playing chicken with Curly a few months back. Imagine how much trouble he'd be in if Darry found out he was doing drugs. He didn't know what exactly to say, so he said the first thing he could think of.

"I'll think about it, okay?"

Curly sighed. "Forget it. I knew you didn't have it in you. Besides, it's only one pill. Maybe a bit of alcohol, too. No big deal. But you're too much of a goody good, Curtis. You never take risks."

Peer pressure was something that Ponyboy was never good at ignoring, and Curly knew this. So finally, Ponyboy agreed. He knew he could't just say yes and not show up. He'd be pinned as a wuss. It'd make it seem like he was afraid of drugs, and he didn't want that, even if he was. But just a little. Okay, maybe he was really afraid of them. He was afraid of what they would do to him. He was just afraid.

"Fine," he said in a defeated tone. "Fine. I'll go. I'll take your drugs and your alcohol, but Darry better not find out!"

Curly's smirk widened. "Geez Pony, relax. He ain't gonna find out. How could he?"

Ponyboy considered this, and found that Curly actually had a point. No one at the party would tell Darry. Hell, no one at the party would even know Darry. The problem was finding an excuse to make to stay out all night. It was a friday night, so if Ponyboy wanted to stay at a friends house or something, he'd probably let him. The problem was, which friend's house? All of his friends always stayed at his house. And then it hit him. He could make up a new friend, and at the same time, make Darry proud. He could make Darry proud, make him think he was fine. He could make him think he was okay without Johnny and Dally.

And so, he convinced himself, this wasn't such a bad thing if it was going to make Darry happy. Even if it was just lies that were doing so. He'd be happy, proud, etc. Best of all, he wouldn't suspect a thing. He wouldn't worry, and he would never find out what Ponyboy was going to do. Besides, it's not like he was planning to do it anymore after Curly's party. He'd just stop doing them once he'd made Curly happy.

After school, Ponyboy walked straight home to tell Darry he was going to 'Ben Jude's' house. Ben Jude was his new best friend. Or at least, that would be what he'd tell Darry. He'd say he wanted to get to know him more. That they were becoming great friends.

"Darry," Ponyboy hollered through the door. "Is it alright if I stay at a friend's house tonight?"

Darrel Curtis, the eldest Curtis brother, stepped out of the kitchen, a shocked expression on his face. "A friend's house? Pony, all our friends are staying here tonight."

'All our remaining friends,' Ponyboy though bitterly. But then he cleared his throat, fighting back the tears. Greasers didn't cry. Dallas had never cried. He had to be strong. Like Dally.

"No, I made another friend. His name's Ben. Ben Jude. He's a real good guy Darry, I promise. We're becoming real good friends, and I wanna get to know him more."

Darry looked as if he was going to say no, but then he sighed and shook his head. "Why not? As long as he makes you happy, and he ain't into drugs or nothin', you can go sleep at his house every weekend if you want to."

Ponyboy felt a pang of guilt. Darry wanted him to be happy, and he was far from it. He wasn't sure if he would ever be completely happy again, actually. It still hurt not to have Johnny to watch sunsets with, to merely not have both him and Dally around. It was... different. Two-Bit was even cracking less jokes lately, and looking a little glum. Pony could tell he was trying to stay strong for the remaining members of the gang.

"Alright," Ponyboy said, nodding. "I'll bring my homework along and see if I can get it done. If not, there's always Saturday and Sunday."

But before he could leave, Darry stopped him.

"When will you be back?"

Ponyboy bit his lip.

"I don't know. I'll try to be back as early as I can."

Darry shot him a glance before speaking again.

"You can stay until Sunday, if you really want to."

Great. Now Ponyboy felt like he was taking advantage of his brother, and he certainly didn't want to do that. At that moment, he deicded that was pushing it. So he shook his head, feeling more than a little bit guilty. Way more than a little bit, actually.

"Nah, I'll be home Sunday. Bright and early."

And that was how it all started. One little party. One little ecstasy pill. One little sip of alcohol. One little white lie that started it all.

---

Ecstasy pills and alcohol aren't supposed to be mixed, if you didn't know that.
It can seriously fuck you up. Badly.