Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders, S.E Hinton does.

-----x-----

"I mean it, Evie. We need to talk," Sandy lowered her voice to a more serious tone. She shifted her books to one arm to open her locker.

"Why can't you just tell me outside? I'm going out with Steve tonight, I told you." Evie tapped her foot, and let out a frustrated groan. "Just pick another night to talk to me. Don't we have plans this weekend, anyway? Tell me then."

Sandy grabbed the books she needed to take home, and closed her locker quietly. She looked down at the ground as Evie and she made their way through the hallway, Evie continuing on about why Sandy could talk to her another day. They walked down the parking lot, and headed for the road. Sandy still hadn't uttered another word. Evie stopped talking and grabbed her friend's elbow.

"Okay. What's wrong?"

Sandy raised her head, and Evie took note of the dark bags under her eyes. She bit her lip and averted her eyes from Evie's gaze. "I, um…" She looked down and took a deep breath. "I'm in trouble, Evie. I, um, well, remember that week when I was really mad at Soda a couple months ago?"

Evie nodded.

"Well, I met this boy, John, who seemed really nice, and was really respectful to me," Sandy cleared her throat. "He was all gentlemanly with how he talked, and he comforted me when I told him that Soda and I were having problems…"

"Wait- you talked to another man, other than Soda, about your relationship?" Evie asked with her eyes wide. Sandy nodded.

"Well, he's in a few of my classes, and he's always so kind to me, so we started talking…I mean, really talking. I felt special with him. I don't really get that from Soda, you know?"

Evie nodded. Soda and Steve were often preoccupied talking about work, and didn't pay much attention when her or Sandy got to talk.

"Anyways, I talked to him about it, and he lent me a shoulder to cry on. So I see Soda this one day, and we get into a fight about his flirting with girls at the station, and I get really riled up over it. Then, I head over to Buck's house for a few drinks to help distract my thoughts, and I bump into John."

Evie squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples. "Sandy, you didn't…"

"I don't know what to do, Evie. He led me upstairs with his shoulders back, and he looked so sure of himself…I can't…I can't believe I went through with it. I just wanted to show Soda how I felt when he's always turning on the charm for the DX girls, and because of that little streak of jealously I felt, I've ruined my life."

Sandy slowed her words as she finished talking, and felt tears well up in her eyes. Evie opened her eyes and put her hand over Sandy's sympathetically.

"I went to the doctor yesterday," Sandy added. Evie looked away.

"You keeping it?" Evie asked quietly. Sandy answered yes, and breathed in a slow and deep pattern.

"That's not all... it might be Soda's. I saw him the night after and we made up, and things led to other things…"

Evie patted her hand. "Okay, Sandy, I gotta go meet up with Steve. I forgot to tell him that I was with you when we left school, and he'll probably think I'm off with another guy. You'll be okay," she reassured.

Sandy nodded and tugged nervously at her yellow blouse. Evie started off back to the school, and Sandy watched as she spotted Steve leaning against the wall of the school, his eyes staring hard off into the distance. Evie squealed and he turned to her and his eyes lit up, and then he greeted her with a kiss in a passionate embrace.

Moving her hand to her lower abdomen, Sandy closed her eyes and pictured her and Soda curled up on his bed, their fingers entwined as they looked deeply into each others' eyes. She rubbed her fingers lightly over the ever so slight bump, and opened her eyes.

She couldn't put him through that. Darrel and he had gone through so much trouble to make life bearable for their broken family, and here she was contemplating on whether or not to bind him to her for the rest of their lives.

A tear slipped out the corner of her eye as she made her decision, and she began her walk home to talk to her mother.

-----x-----

"Sandra, you don't always have to express love in a physical form," her mother lectured.

"Things went a bit too far, Mom…I'm sorry. It wasn't his fault, it was mine. Please don't do anything rash." Sandy pleaded.

Her mother leaned forward on the sofa and put her hands over Sandy's.

"We'll move to Florida with your grandmother, and nobody will have to know what you did. Besides, she's quite lonely, and could use the company." She said slowly, and then smiled when she finished stating her plan. She rubbed Sandy's hands and reached to embrace her when she saw her daughter's eyes filling with tears. "Oh, honey, don't cry… You can just tell Sodapop that you need to start over. And that you're not going to get into any trouble with him ever again."

Sandy burst into tears, and hugged her mom tightly. She'd told her mom that it was Soda's. Her mother and she had a good relationship, most of the time, since her father had passed away in Vietnam recently, and they'd needed to comfort each other. No good would be done in telling her the whole truth, and having her mother think her a whore. A white lie would do.

She sniffled, and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "When do we leave?" She asked quietly.

"I'll have to call your grandmother tonight, and make plans for you to leave as soon as possible. I'll have to stay behind for awhile to sell the house and talk to the welfare agencies…"

She'd have to start a new life. Sixteen years old…Now she'd have someone else to take care of, when she was still only learning to take care of herself.

"Mom, I have to go see Soda. I'll be back later…" Her mom nodded.

Almost at Soda's house, Sandy fidgeted with her hands nervously. Her feet seemed to become heavier as she approached the Curtis household, and she stopped at the gate. "He'll be okay," she reassured herself quietly, and entered the house.