This was originally a school project. It is an alternate ending to the book. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.

We went to the hearing the next morning. I was nervous, but I knew what I would tell the judge: the truth. I had killed Bob. Johnny had nothing to do with it, and he wasn't dead, either.

I was nervous throughout the entire hearing. I seemed like forever before it was my turn to talk. And when it was my turn, they didn't even ask me about Bob. Instead they asked me about living with Darry and Soda, and if I was happy, and what kind of grades I got. I answered honestly, I had nothing to hide. "They can't separate us, they just can't." I thought. We had to stay together.

After I was done speaking, we had a ten minute break before they told us their decision. Soda sat down next to me. "You did good." He said.

"They didn't even ask me about Bob." I said.

"Yeah…well…" he looked uncomfortable. "Don't worry about that, Pony. Cherry and Randy both said what happened."

"They didn't tell the truth, though! I'm telling you, I killed Bob, Johnny ain't the one who's done it, and he's not dead, neither!"

"Ok, ok!" Soda said quickly. "If you say so."

I glared at him. "Yeah, I say so."

Soda sighed and got up to go talk to Darry. Cherry walked over to talk to me.

"Hey, Ponyboy." She said softly.

I looked at her. "Hi Cherry."

"I think it's going well." She said.

"Yeah, I think it is." I didn't feel like talking, and she seemed to understand.

"I'm sorry about Dally." She said quietly so only I could hear. Then she walked away.

A few minutes later, the judge came back out. "After much consideration, I declare Ponyboy Curtis free of all charges."

I felt myself smile. Soda mouthed, "I told you so."

"However," the judge continued, and I felt my smile fade slightly. "Considering the circumstances, Ponyboy and his brother, Sodapop Curtis shall be moved from the care of their oldest brother, Darrel Curtis, and taken to a boy's home sometime next week."

I heard Soda cry out, and Darry looked stony-faced with horror. I just sat there, numb. No, they couldn't do this to us…

The judge dismissed us. We didn't say anything until we were outside. Then Soda burst into tears. I hugged him, and realized I was crying too. Darry hugged us both. "It's gonna be ok." He said. But it just wasn't true. Nothing would be ok. Not if they made us leave.

We didn't say anything more until we got home. Two-Bit and Steve were there waiting for us. There's a shock.

I followed Soda and Darry inside. Two-Bit was in our kitchen, eating some of our chocolate cake. There's another shock.

"Hey!" he said when we walked in. Steve came in from the other room. "How was the hearing?" Two-Bit asked eagerly. Then he saw the looks on our faces. "Oh no. They're not sending Ponyboy the jail, are they?"

"No." I said blankly. "Worse. They're separating us."

"What?" Steve yelled.

"No!" Two-Bit said, shocked, all humor gone from his face.

"Yes." Soda said miserably. "They're shipping me and Pony down to a boy's home next week."

"It's gonna be ok." Darry said again.

"Oh, shut up Darry!" Soda yelled. "It is not going to be ok! They're going to rip us apart! What part of that is ok?"

Darry sighed and shook his head. "You just have to believe it will be ok."

Soda groaned angrily and fell into a chair. Steve looked real sad, too. I suppose that made sense. Soda was his best friend, and he was leaving. And so soon after Johnny and Dally…and that was when I knew I couldn't deny it any longer. Johnny was dead. And he was never coming back. I looked around. Everyone was so miserable.

I sobbed. "It's all my fault." I cried. "If I hadn't run away with Johnny-"

"Ponyboy, it isn't your fault." Soda said, getting up and wrapping his arms around me. "You were scared. It's not your fault."

"Soda's right, Pony." Darry said. "Don't blame this on yourself. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. If I hadn't hit you that night, you wouldn't have run away, Johnny wouldn't have killed that Soc…"

"Stop it!" Soda cried. "It's no one's fault, ok? No one's fault."

"Sodapop's right." Two-Bit told us. "There's nothing you could have done."

I wish I could say that made me feel better, but it didn't.

A week later, I was packing my bags to leave. I kept breaking down crying. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.

Someone from Social Services was going to be there any minute. I closed my bag and took one last look around my room. It seemed so empty, now that most of my stuff was gone. I turned at left, closing the door behind me.

Soda was waiting for me in the hallway, carrying his own bag. "The car's out front, but they said they would wait so we could say goodbye to everyone."

"Everyone? Not just Darry?"

"Yeah." Soda's eyes were full of tears. "Some other people came to say good bye."

I walked outside and found Steve. He hugged Soda and everything, and then he looked at me. He shuffled his feet. "So…this is goodbye then, huh, Ponyboy?"

"Yeah, I guess." I replied.

"Well…for what it's worth and all…you're a great kid." That was all he said. But it was enough.

Next was Two-Bit. "Bye, Ponyboy." He said. "I'll sure miss you. It's just gonna be me, Steve, and Darry in our gang now."

"Yeah." I said. He hugged me, which sort of surprised me, but not completely. Two-Bit had never been like Dally had been.

The next person surprised me. It was Randy. "Why are you here?" I asked.

"I felt bad. I was one of the people who got you into this mess. I feel partly responsible." He truly did look sorry.

"It's ok. Really," I added quickly as he opened his mouth again. "It's fine."

He grinned. "Good. So…see you."

"Yeah." I agreed. "See ya."

I kept walking through the yard and found…Cherry. She was crying. I think I was, too. "Ponyboy," she whispered. "I'm so sorry you have to leave. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you're being separated from your brothers, I'm sorry about Dally, I'm sorry about Johnny, I'm sorry about everything."

I dropped my bag and hugged her tightly. "I'll be fine. Just remember, you can see the sunset from everywhere. The same sunset."

She nodded. "I will. I promise." She pulled away and picked up my bag and handed it to me. "Goodbye, Ponyboy."

I took my bag. "Goodbye, Cherry." I moved on.

And then there was Darry.

I just looked at him for a moment. I remembered the way he used to be, before Mom and Dad died, when he seemed so much more happy, so less worried.

He spoke first. "Ponyboy, I know we didn't always get along, but…you should know I always loved you. I always will love you. And I'll miss you more than I can describe."

"I'll miss you too." I said, and then I burst into tears. "I don't want to leave, Darry, I want to stay here, with you and everyone else!" I ran into his arms, like I did that night at the hospital.

"Pony, I want you to stay, but you can't. I wish both you and Soda could stay. But just remember that things can always get better. They can always get better."

"Pony?" Soda was standing by the car, waiting for me. He was still wiping tears out of his eyes. "We've got to go."

"Right." I pulled away from Darry. "Bye."

"Bye, kid. I'll write to you. Both of you."

"I'll write too." I got in the car next to Soda. Everybody was standing with Darry now. Steve, Two-Bit, Randy, and Cherry. God, I would miss them all. Soda and I both waved. They all waved back. Then the car lurched forward. I didn't stop waving until I couldn't see them anymore.

Soda and I were going to different places. I would be with kids my age, and him with kids his age. This meant that we had to say goodbye, too.

"I'm not good at goodbyes, Pony." He said.

"Me neither." I said.

"Ponyboy, whatever you do, just don't give up on life, ok? Keep trying. You're smart, and you're going to be great someday, I can tell."

"Thanks, Soda. You too."

"Naw." He shook his head. "Not me. It's like I told you before, the reason I dropped out of school. I'm dumb."

"No you're not! You are not dumb, Sodapop, and don't you forget it."

He managed to grin at me. "If you say so. I'll sure miss you." He hugged me one last time. "Write to me. Promise me you'll write to me."

"I'll write to you. But you have to write back."

"Will do, Pony." He pulled away. "I'll see you, Ponyboy. That's a promise."

"I'll see you." I replied. "You and everyone else." I turned and got into the car that was waiting for me. I waved, and he waved back.

I sighed and wiped my eyes as the car started to move. I wasn't going to cry anymore. I thought about Johnny. Stay gold, he had said. And I would. I would do just that. No, I wouldn't cry anymore. Maybe Darry was right. Things could get better. And they would.

The End