As Ponyboy walked into the house, he was immediately greeted by his best friends. Dally and Johnny.
"Hey man, what took so long?" Johnny asked, with a small smile.
"Track meeting." Pony said and set his bag by the couch. "Coach wants to make sure we're in tip top shape for the competition."
"Hey, why don't ya just stop thinking bout that stupid competition of yours, alright?" Dally asked and put his arms around Johnny and Ponyboy's shoulders. "I say, we hit the town, go cause some trouble. Like old times." He said the last part with a glance at Ponyboy.
Johnny smiled hopefully as he too looked at Ponyboy. Ponyboy only sighed and brushed Dally's arm off him and walked towards the bathroom, where he found clean clothes.
"I don't know…" He said and took off his shirt to put on a cleaner one. "We got a meeting in the morning…I can't stay out too late."
"Oh come on." Dally rolled his eyes then sighed. "Fine, we won't stay out too late, you'll be back in time to sleep and go to your freakin meeting. Deal?" Pony looked at his friends then sighed to himself.
"Fine but not too late." Ponyboy warned.
The gang set off, goofing off and laughing at inside jokes, whistled as soc girls walked by, and scared the neighborhood kids. Ponyboy smiled as he forgot how awesome hanging out with his friends was and how much he missed them. When they got the lot, it was starting to get dark, so they built a small fire and laid in the grass. Johnny eventually fell asleep and wrapped his arms around Ponyboy's arm, what could they all say? He was a sleep cuddler.
Ponyboy didn't mind though, he just stared up at the sky with Dally on the other side of Johnny, in comfortable silence.
"So, why are you so into track anyway?" Dally finally asked, breaking the silence.
"I'm just good at it, I guess." Ponyboy said, not taking his eyes off the sky. "It makes me good. As if I'm a leader and that I can accomplish anything."
"Don't ya feel like that in the gang?" Dally asked, propping himself on his elbows.
"Don't get it the wrong way but.." Pony shrugged a little. "I just feel like I'm just there. Like if I left, no one would notice, ya know?"
"What ya talkin bout kid?" Dally asked. "We all care for ya, you're like everyone's little brother."
"But I don't wanna be seen as that, Dal." Pony said. "I want to be seen as more…" He then sat up a little. "What time is it?" Dally looked at the small watch he stole.
"8: 34." He said.
"Crap!" Pony said and slithered his arm carefully from Johnny's grip and jumped up. "I'll see ya later Dal, gotta get home."
"Hey kid." Dally said and sat up. "Just skip it, not like there's other people running."
"Easy for you to say." Ponyboy muttered and ran home.
The next day, Dally walked through Tulsa, causing trouble and whatever Dally felt like doing. He was on his way to Buck's when he thought he heard Two-Bit. Dally looked around and finally caught Two-Bit on the bleachers outside his and Ponyboy's school. Dally stopped and looked through the fence as he saw Two-Bit cheer as Ponyboy was racing against some Soc and one by a few feet.
"Golly that kid's fast…" Dally muttered to himself and kept watching even when the little race was over and Ponyboy made his way over to Two-Bit who smiled and handed him a bottle of water and ruffled his hair. Dally started to glare when Pony and Two-Bit laughed and would playfully push one another as if they were the great friends in the world. Dally was not amused, He and Ponyboy have hung out way more than they have and know more about eachother then the gang. Was Dally jealous? Yes. Even though he hated to admit anything, he had feelings for the young teen, he never paid much attention to them but he couldn't stand wanting something then not getting it like Dally liked.
He kept walking as he saw Two-Bit and Ponyboy walk away from the track and back to the direction of the Curtis house. Dally glared at them. He then swore he was going to make sure that he got what he wanted and not let Two-Bit interfere anymore.
