Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders. S.E. Hinton does. I only own Charlie Donalds.

Authors Note: Hey guys, I'm a new writer on here, and this is my first story, so sorry if it sucks! Please review!

Chapter One; They Ran Away

"Dally! Dallas Winston, you tell me where Ponyboy and Johnny are right now!" I almost screamed at Dally. Sorry, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Charlyennah Donalds. Don't ask how I got that name. Everyone just calls me Charlie for short. I live with Dallas Winston. I'm practically his kid sister. I've lived with him as long as I can remember. My parents died when I was three years old, and I guess it was about then that I came to live with Dally. His parents were close friends with my parents. That's how it all happened. Anyway, My best friend Johnny and my other close friend Ponyboy had disappeared after being out all night, and I found Dally at Buck's place. He told me he didn't know anything, but I wasn't stupid. He was lying through his teeth.

"For the last time Charlie, I don't know where they went!" Dally yelled right back.

"Don't give me that, Something happened to them and you know what it is and where they went and you're going to tell me!" I said.

He knew there was no use arguing with me. If I was anyone else, Dally would've beaten the tar out of me, but he wouldn't hurt his kid sister; In fact, me and Johnny were pretty much the only ones he ever sometimes listened to.

He let out a groan.

"Fine! Fine Charlie I'll tell you but you have to promise me you will tell NO ONE, and you won't freak out about it because it's all under control," He finally gave in.

"Good," I said calmly, sitting on the bed in a bedroom of Buck's place, where little did I know, Johnny and Ponyboy had been about an hour ago. Dally sat beside me.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Okay, here's the truth. Ponyboy and Johnny went for a walk in the park, and these Socs tried to jump them. One of them tried drowning Pony, so Johnny took out his switchblade and killed one of them. The rest ran away after the guy was killed."

I was shocked. Sweet, almost innocent little Johnny killed someone? No way. I just kept staring at Dally for him to finish his story.

"So, I gave them money and a heater and sent 'em to hide in this abandoned church in Windrixville. Just until everything settles down." Dally finished. I stared at him blankly, trying to process the fact that my best friend killed someone and now him and my other best friend were hiding in a abandoned church, wanted for murder.

Finally something clicked. Johnny was going to be put in the cooler, and for a long time too.

"Oh, Dally!" I was close to tears. "Why did you do it? Why did you help them run away! You should have taken them down to the police station, it was self defense!" I cried.

Dally put an arm around my shoulders.

"Aw come on there Blondie," He said, using the nickname he made up for me because of my hair, and that him and sometimes the gang (on occasion) used for me. I sometimes only liked Dally using it.

"You know they'd of had it in for Pony and Johnny, they're greasers, just like us, and nobody cares about greasers."

Dally was just stating what I already knew. I let a tear fall from one of my strangely coloured amber eyes.

"Don't cry Charlie, you're a tough girl, don't cry," Dally said softly. I sniffed and tried to suck it up.

Just then, Ponyboy's older brother Sodapop burst through the door. Dally jumped up to face him.

"Dally, do you know where Johnny and Ponyboy are?" He asked worriedly.

"No," Dally plainly said. Then Soda seemed to see something over Dally's shoulder on the ground. I turned to see what he was looking at. It was the shirt Ponyboy had been wearing that night. It was really one of Soda's old sweatshirts with the sleeves cut off. Soda walked over and picked it up.

"So, you really don't know huh?" Soda said to Dally, waving the sweater in his face.

"Dally, where is my kid brother?" Soda asked with a really serious tone.

"I told you man I don't know!" Dally defended.

"You're lying! I know you know where he is, and if you don't wanna tell me, fine, but please, Dal, tell me why they're gone." Soda had a pleading look in his eye, almost desperate. He was worried sick about his brother. I was the only one who saw it.

"Tell him, Dal," I said, not taking my eyes away from Soda's.

"Fine, Johnny killed a Soc." Dally said quickly. Soda stared at him, as if willing himself not to believe it.

"Little Johnnycake killed someone?" He asked.

"Yeah. Sorry Soda." I said and hugged him. He hugged me back.

"Okay, if you're not gonna tell me where he is, you have to give him a note for me, okay?" Soda asked.

"Sure," Dally said. Soda found a pen and a piece of paper on a dresser and wrote a note to Ponyboy. Then he folded it and handed it to Dally.

"Give this to Pony, when you see him."

"Yeah, okay," Dally said and put the note in the back pocket of his black jeans.

Soda left, looking really worried.

I was worried too. I felt bad for Sodapop and Darry, Pony's other older brother. I felt bad for Dally. I felt really bad for Ponyboy. I felt the worst for Johnny. I cared about Johnny in more ways than one.

Johnny was a good boy, even before he got jumped by the Socs and got beat up real bad. He had it real bad at home. His dad would beat him and his mom would yell at him. I was there one of the times. Me, Ponyboy, and Two-Bit, another one of the gang, (and the funniest!) were waiting outside Johnny's house. We were going to the Nightly Double with him. We all stood outside talking when we heard this loud noise; glass breaking. Then his mother screaming at him. Our full attention was turned to the house. We heard the sound of flesh hitting more flesh. Johnny's father had belted him.

"GET OUT!" We heard his dad's voice yell as he pushed Johnny out the door. Johnny fell down as the door slammed. We all ran up to him. I sat on the ground beside him, helped him up and hugged him.

"Oh, Johnnycake, you gotta stop comin' back here!" I sobbed as he hugged me back.

He had stayed at the Curtis's that night. The Curtis's as in, Ponyboy, Sodapop and Darrel Curtis.

Dally and I stayed at Buck's place that night, in that same bedroom, Dally slept on the floor and let me have the bed. Dally didn't want to go home, and he didn't want to go to the Curtis's for fear of an angry Darry. I could barelt sleep for all the worry in me. When I finally did fall asleep, my dreams were not at all pleasant. For some reason, I kept having a dream about a fire.

(A/N:) Oooh, wonder why! You'll just have to review and read the next chapter!