Chapter One

"Friends don't let friends fry naked."

Darryl Curtis had done it again, and was currently staring at the phone with his head in his hands wondering what he could do to fix this. Because of his inability to shut his mouth, Ponyboy had been gone for close to twenty-four hours, and he couldn't ring the cops if he wanted to remain the guardian of his youngest brother. When the phone rings, he and the middle child Sodapop run for the phone. Darry, who's closer, makes it there first, answering it in a mad rush to see whose calling.

'Hello?'

'Darry?' The youngest brother's voice was faint, sounding all most shy

'Just tell me where you are.'

XXX

He was pacing the kitchen now, wondering how either him or Soda was going to get down to Texas to get Ponyboy.

'You know you could call-' Soda started but was cut off

'I'm not calling her Soda' Darry sighed,

'She'd do it you know.' Soda smiled at his brother. 'In a heart beat.'

'I know, that's the problem.' he shook his head, leaning against the wall before sliding down it to land with a 'flop' on the floor.

'I don't get it.' Soda slid down the wall opposite his brother.

'I don't deserve her.'

XXX

The people of Holiday had gotten used to Mary Harvey's eccentric granddaughter that had moved into the little house on the edge of town to look after her Nan. So her dancing down the main street had become a sight they saw on a daily basis. But for Ponyboy, who had only known Laurie Harvey as a tough Greaser girl who had a pretty impressive reputation back in Oklahoma, did a double take when he spotted the familiar brown ringlets and leather jacket sported by all the Harvey kids.

'Ponyboy Curtis?' she stopped in front of the park bench Pony was sitting on. 'Really? Pony I aint seen you in years.' her eyes travelled up and down his body, he blushed under her gaze.

'Hey Laurie.' he mumbled, trying to force a smile

'You here with your… er' she trailed off, her cheeks getting a pink stain

'Darry aint here.' he said frankly.

'Oh, you're here with Soda?' her eyebrows disappeared under her thick brown hair

'all on my lonesome.'

'really?' a smirk formed on her face, and the calculated, scheming young lady he'd known years ago in Tulsa flashed in her blue eyes. 'time to go kid'

XXX

Darryl Curtis had been pacing the kitchen for the past half an hour, Soda was sleeping at the table, and he had yet to come up with a plan to get Pony home. When the phone rang, he jumped a foot in the air and the sudden break in the silence.

'Hello?' he answered in his man-of-the-house voice.

'See you're still trying to put on that tough guy act Curtis, but I know you better than that.' Darry let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding at the sound of her voice.

'How you doing down there Harvey?' he answered

'Well now I have this very handsome young man shacked up with me-' he heard a snort then his little brother call out

'Don't listen to her Dar, she'd full of it.' Darry laughed, he braced himself for what was coming.

'who do you think you are letting the kid run away like that' she hissed down the phone

'uh' he began but got cut off

'We'll be in Tulsa in like, two days.' Darry shook his head, this was just like her, tidying his mistakes for him

'You don't have to Laur-'

'Bull shit Dar, you and Soda cant afford to come get him, and we both know it.' she snapped. Darry let out a sigh, rubbing his temples with the hand not holding the phone

'I'll see you in two days then.'

XXX

Authors Note: Oh the things I went through to get this finished. I had written it all out, and then my laptop decided that it had had enough and died on me, so then I had to re-do this whole thing. I hope you guys get it, 'cause I had really positive feed back from the first bit, so more of that would be nice. Pony running away then calling home was based on 'Saving Francesca' by Marlina Marchetta. Aussie Girls, trust me, it is one of the greatest Australian novels ever written. Any who, that's my bit, read and review and give any requests if ya have any.

X Ash