Hi, Outsiders fandom! I'm new here, so this is my first Outsiders fanfic. I decided to start out with a oneshot. I hope you enjoy.

Cartwheels and Hand Flips

Ponyboy's POV

Acrobatics, man. That's the stuff. I basically grew up learning how to flip and cart wheel and walk on my hands. I quickly developed calluses and blisters on my palms, but I never minded much given my growing up in fights and rumbles. Generally, rough housing was a part of my life from early on and a few stings on my hand wasn't gonna make much of a difference.

One day my brother Soda told me a funny story involving him and a buddy Two-Bit. I guess it shouldn'ta been too funny, but I couldn't help bursting out in tears of laughter.

My brother sat down next to me one winter evening while I was in bed absorbed in a book. Earnestly, he told me he had a story he wanted to share with me.
"I'm not the best story-teller to ever live, but I'ma try."
So I closed my book and listened intently as Soda cleared his throat to begin talking.

"It all started on a beautiful July morning in our town of Tulsa. The weather was a perfect excuse for me and Two-Bit to goof off in the sun. Usually we woulda liked to involve ourselves in some sorta fight, but that day was just too peaceful. We woulda thought we were disturbing some sort of sacredness. So instead of roughin' it up a bit with some Socs, we spent the day cartwheelin' and rollin' down the roads, laughin' until our stomachs cramped and all we could do was sit on the concrete and hold our bouncin' bellies." He paused a moment to clear his throat and take in the smile I radiated his way.

"But mind you," he continued, "We didn't stop there. Two-Bit and me continued to roll down the road, flippin' in midair without usin' our hands, makin' complicated twists and turns, flyin' without a care."

Up to this point of this story I had no clue what Soda was trying to tell me. I was smiling brightly at the way he managed to tell the story, but I thought it was just a description of a glorious day he had once experienced, but apparently it took some sort of unexpected turn. He insisted I continue listening while a grin spread over his face.

So I patiently waited for the ending, anticipating this twist.
"So, Two-Bit and me just kept laughin' and cartwheelin' through town, no problem..."
Soda then told me how one by one folks peeked their heads out of their windows and started cussing the boys out. Some old women were apparently disturbed by their laughter and having fun.

"You're killing the peace! I'm trying to take my nap."

"You boys are gonna break your necks if you keep hopping around like that!"

Some others just shook their heads disapproving through the blinds and muttered about how mental they must be.
Still, complaints of neighbors wasn't about to stop them. After all, they didn't stop to obey the Socs, why would they obey a few killjoys?

Unfortunately for them, their ignorance had some consequences and within a few more minutes the fuzz made an appearance. Two-Bit nearly barrel-rolled into one of the cops as he came to a slow.

"Boys, you're under arrest for public disturbance. Some folks around here have been complaining."

That's when my true laughing fit started up. First of all, I had an amusing time picturing Two-Bit barrel into a cop and I couldn't stop chuckling at the fact that flipping and cartwheeling could be such a crime.

"Here's the lesson you should take from this Pony: Having fun is illegal," Soda looked at me with a deadly serious expression.

I paused for a moment to take in what he had said.
Then I just continued on laughing, knowing full well how crazy I must'a looked.