April

-Pony-

As soon as Ryleigh and I sit down on the plane I buckle my seat-belt. Tightly. I hate flying. I try to avoid it at all costs, I had actually attempted to talk Ryleigh into driving to Oklahoma she hadn't gone for it. Flying doesn't bother Ry she's been flying since she was born, my first flight was a few years back when I flew to Chicago to visit Soda. When I first went to Boston for school Darry had insisted on driving me. "You're going to pass out if you don't breathe." Ryleigh tells me, I let out a breath I hadn't even known I was holding. I pick up her left hand running my thumb over her engagement ring, before bringing it to my lips kissing first the ring then her fingers slowly. Ry reaches over snapping down the window shade as the plane starts to taxi down the runway,

"I'm glad you're coming with me."

"Well someone had to keep an eye out for any bridesmaids that may want to throw themselves at you." She replies grinning at me.

"Seven years and still jealous." I remark. "You've got to know by now I only have eyes for you." I've been in love with Ry since we met, I had fought it and denied it for a while but I did. We met under rather awkward circumstances, she had been dating a friend of mine who broke up with her claiming she's to difficult to be with. One night the two of us ended up talking at a party and that was that, I was hooked. Brad had been right there are somethings about Ry that are difficult but the good definitely outweighs the bad. She's beautiful, ridiculously intelligent, caring the list goes on and on.

"I know that but they don't." Ry replies. "So Marcia is the same Marcia?" I had been upfront with Ry about what happened in Tulsa, it's a part of me and she needed to know. And it actually got me our first kiss.

"Same one." I lean over putting the blind back up, for the most part I'm ok once we are in the air its the landing and taking off that bother me.

"You haven't been home in forever are you ok with this?" Ryleigh asks her face creased with concern. I think about this for a second, I am definitely curious to see what's been going on since I left. Darry isn't really good about keeping up with gossip. And another part is nervous, I am nothing like I was when I left for Massachusetts the August after I graduated high school, but then again Soda and Darry have both changed a lot too. "Pony?" I look up at Ry who is studying me, she's got the bluest eyes I've ever seen, framed with long dark eyelashes it's a pretty striking combination.

"I'm good Ry don't worry about me." I tell her, leaning over kissing the tip of her nose. I flip up the arm rest separating our seats, looping one arm around her waist pulling her as close to me as her seat-belt will allow. She rests her head on my shoulder and I rest my head against hers. "Why don't you take a nap you were up late." She nods and in a few minutes her breathing becomes soft and regular and I know she's asleep. She stays asleep till we are getting ready to land in Tulsa, Darry meets us right outside the gate as soon as he sees us he squeezes us both in a hug.

"Where's Kate?" Ry asks as we amble towards the baggage claim.

"She's at the house cooking dinner, she wanted to make sure it was ready when you guys got there." Our luggage is one of the first down the ramp, we gather it up and head for the car and Darry starts the drive to the house. He moved out of our house not to long after I left the neighborhood was becoming worse by the day, at first he lived in an apartment when him and Kate got married they started building a house which is where they are living now.

"Your house is beautiful." Ryleigh remarks getting out of the backseat,

"Thanks Ry." Darry replies. Kate must have heard the car she comes out the front door wiping her hands on her jeans. She embraces first Ry then me.

"Let me see the ring." She gushes, grabbing Ry's left hand. "It's gorgeous. I'm so happy for you guys." She pauses, "Come in come in." She says ushering us in. After she gives us the tour of the house, and we get our luggage into a spare bedroom we sit down for dinner where Kate promptly loads our plates with food.

-Ryleigh-

I've never been good sleeping in a bed that wasn't my own, even as a kid I tried to avoid sleepovers as much as possible. I used to lay away trying to figure out what every small sound was waiting for someone else to wake up. I roll over squashing my pillow into a ball trying to get comfortable. "Baby are you ok?" Pony asks leaning over me his lips close to my ear.

"I just can't sleep." I reply. He tosses the paper he's grading onto the nightstand and flips off the light,

"Come here." He says into the darkened room, he pulls me into his arms I roll over till my head is on his chest, I lazily run one finger across his stomach. After Brad promptly dumped me over a message on my answering machine for being difficult I had pretty much sworn off relationships. And then Pony came along, and I fell head over heels for him. I'm almost ashamed to admit at first it was really a physical thing, he's insanely good looking and he has no idea. But once we started talking and I got to know him I realized quickly he was much more than just a pretty face. It didn't take long for me to realize I was in love with him. And I think I fall in love with him a little more everyday. "Is this better?"

"Uh huh." I mumble into his chest, as he slowly plays with my hair. At some point I fall asleep the sound of voices coming from the kitchen the next morning wakes me up. I hear Darry shushing someone, then the backdoor slamming loudly. Pony is still sound asleep, he can pretty much sleep through anything, Paige has told me Soda is the same way. I untangle myself from him, pull on a pair of pajama pants and run a brush through my hair before heading to the kitchen. Kate looks up as I enter.

"Oh I told those two to be quiet. I just knew they were going to wake you up." She says getting up to pour me a cup of coffee, she slides it across the table followed by a plate of banana chocolate chip muffins which she knows are my favorite.

"It's ok I'm usually up by now anyways." I tell her. We both look up as the backdoor opens and Darry comes in.

"Oh Ry you're up."

"I told you two you were being loud enough to wake the dead." Kate tells him, as the door opens again and another guy walks in.

"Ry this is 'Keith" Two-Bit, Two this is Ryleigh Pony's fiancee." His grin gets big as do his eyes,

"Wow. The kid really grew up. It's a pleasure to meet you." Even though I've just met him, there's something about him that makes me instantly like him.

-Pony-

When I wake up for a half a second I have no idea where I am, instinctively I reach out for Ryleigh but her spot is empty and cold. I lay there a minute slowly waking up, I can hear voices coming from I think the kitchen, but then I hear a laugh that I would recognize anywhere, it's barely past the crack of dawn and Two-Bit is already here, it's good to know somethings about home hasn't changed. Stretching I get out of bed pull a t-shirt on, and run my fingers through my hair before going towards the kitchen. Two-Bit is to busy telling Ryleigh and Kate about his triumph over the local law enforcement to notice me. I lean on the back of Ry's chair, "I see you haven't changed." I say. Two-Bit looks up,

"Nah but you surely did. When the hell did that happen?" He says giving me a one arm hug while the other hand pounds me on the back. He doesn't wait for an answer, "I tried to hunt down Steve this morning he must have already gone to work." In a rather not like Steve moment he had enlisted with Soda so he wouldn't have to go alone, Steve hadn't been able to pass the physical something about his knee. Him doing that definitely changed the way I thought about him, by the time I left for Boston we weren't exactly friends but we didn't hate each other anymore.

"I'm sure he'll be here later, I told him when Soda's flight is getting in." Kate remarks.

"Pony you feel like going to the airport with me?" Darry asks.

"Yeah sure I'll go." Even though I am trying to quit something about being here with Two-Bit makes me want to smoke, "Gimme a minute." I go out the kitchen door with Two-Bit on my heels, he's grinning at me like the devil.

"Glad you could make it back."

"Well there's no way I'd miss your wedding." I tell him, "Gimme one." He tosses me the pack of cigarettes followed by the lighter. I pull one out and light it up taking a long drag,

"You're next I hear? Congrats by the way." Two-Bit says leaning against the railing of the stairs.

"Yeah. Thanks." Two-Bit lights his own cigarette and inhales before he starts talking again,

"I didn't want to say this in front of your girl but Cherry has been asking about you." I look up at him. I know he's marrying Cherry's best-friend so I had guessed they'd have spent some time together. I figure the urge to roll my eyes,

"Yeah what about?" I ask lighting up my second cigarette.

"Just if you were coming back, and what you've been up too. And if you were seeing anyone." He pauses, "I think she feels bad for being such a bitch to you back then. Her and Randy are going through a rough patch, she found out he's been screwing his way through half of Tulsa." Two-Bit pauses and looks at me, "He's probably gonna be at the wedding, you ok with that?"

"Yeah I could careless." I reply than think for a minute, "Wait Cherry and Randy are together?"

"Married, they got together right after he got home from college." He laughs, "It's pretty freaking weird."

"No shit. Marcia didn't care?" I ask.

"Nah. She had me." Darry sticks his head through the door,

"Hey we need to get going." I stand up,
"I'll be back later." Two-Bit says, "With Steve." I go in the house, take a quick shower and get dressed before we leave for the airport.