I wrote this back in ninth grade when I was obsessed with the book.

Like before I don't own the outsiders or any of the characters S. E. Hinton does.

Chapter 2

The sky was the same as yesterday, with no chance of sun. Dally was waiting for me and Johnny under the street light at the corner of Pickett and Sutton, and since we got there early, we had time to go over to the drug store in the shopping center and goof around. We bought Cokes and blew straws at the waitress, and walked around eyeing things that were lying out in the open until the manager got wise to us and suggested we leave. He was too late though, Dally walked out with two packages of Kools under his jacket.

We crossed Sutton and out around behind Spencer's Special, the discount house, and chased two junior high kids across a field for a few minutes; by the time it was dark enough to sneak in over the back fence of the Nightly Double drive-in movies. It was the biggest in town, and showed two movies every-night, and weekends four-you could as you were going to the Nightly Double and have time to go all over town.

We had money to get in-it only cost a quarter if you're not in a car-but Dally hated to do things the legal way. He liked to show that he didn't care whether there was a law or not. He went around trying to break laws. We went to the rows of seats in front of the concession stand to sit down. Nobody else was there except two girls who were sitting down front. Dally eyed them coolly, then walked down the isle and sat right behind them. I had a sick feeling that Dally was up to his old tricks and I was right. Dally could talk dirty. Johnny excused himself and went to get some popcorn.

I wouldn't have felt so embarrassed if they had been greasy girls- I might have even joined in. But those two girls weren't our kind. They were tuff looking girls, dressed sharp and really good-looking. They looked about sixteen or seventeen. One had short dark hair, the other had long red hair. The redhead was getting mad, or scared. She sat up straight and she was chewing hard on her gum.

"Take your feet of my chair and shut your trap."

Boy, was she good-looking. I'd seen her before; she was a cheerleader at my school.

Dally merely looked at her and kept his feet where they were. "Who's gonna make me?" His eyes grew darker than night, instead of blue. The other one turned around and watched us. "That's the greaser that jockeys for the Slash J sometimes," she said, as if we couldn't hear her. I heard the same tone a million times: "Greaser... greaser...greaser." Oh, yeah, I had heard that tone before too many times. What are they doing at a drive in without a car? I thought, I kept my eye out for Dallas said, "I know you two. I've seen you around rodeos."

"It's a shame you can't ride bull half as good as you can talk it," the redhead said coolly and turn back around.

That didn't bother Dally in the least. "You two barrel race, huh?"

"You'd better leave us alone," the redhead said in a biting voice, "or I'll call the cops."

"Oh my, my, my-" Dally looked bored, "you've got me scared to death. You ought to see my record sometime, baby." He grinned slyly.

"Please leave us alone," she said. "Why don't you be nice and leave us alone?"

"I'm never nice. Want a Coke?" Dally grinned roguishly. "I wouldn't drink it if I was starving in the desert. Get lost hood!" She was mad by then. Dally merely shrugged and strolled off. The girl looked at me. I was half-scared of her. I'm half-scared of all nice girls, especially Socs. "Are you going to start in on us too?"

I shook my head. "No." Suddenly she smiled, "You don't look the type. What's your name?" I looked at her boy she had cute eyes. "Ponyboy Curtis." The redhead just smiled. "That's an original and lovely name."

"My dad was an original person," I said. "I've got a brother named Sodapop, and it even says so on his birth certificate."

"My names Sherri, but my friends call me Cherry because of my hair."

"I know," I said. "You're a cheerleader. We go to the same school."

"You don't look old enough to be going to high school," the dark haired girl said.

"I'm not. I got put up a year in grade school." Cherry was looking at me. "What's a nice, smart kid like you doing running around with trash like that for?" I felt myself stiffen. "I'm a greaser, same as Dally. He's my buddy."

"I'm sorry Ponyboy," she said softly. Then she said briskly, "You're brother, Sodapop he works at a gas station? A DX, I think?"

"Yeah."

"Man, your brother is one doll. I might have guessed you was brother, you look alike." I grinned with pride. I don't think I look like a thing like Soda, but its not everyday you hear a Soc tell you that your brothers a doll, and you look like him. Johnny came back and sat down beside me. He looked for Dally, then managed a soft "hi" to the girls and tried to watch the movie. He was nervous, though, Johnny was always nervous around strangers. Cherry looked at him, sized him up as she had me. Then she smiled, and I knew she sized him up right.

Dally never came back. Maybe he was stunned on how a girl, even a Soc, could back talk him. Johnny was looking at the dark hair girl- whose name I found out was Marcia- not just her, but her neck. I was getting antsy, Johnny's stomach rumbled. "Are you hungry, Johnny?" He took his eyes off Marcia, but said a plain, old "no." His eyes were dark, but it had lust and hunger written in his eyes. That was when a cold hand was placed on my shoulder, and a deep voice said, "Okay, greasers you had it."

I looked up to see, Two-bit. He was laughing so loud, Marcia and Cherry turned around.

"Glory, Two-bit, scare us to death!" He was real good at voice imitations. I looked at Johnny. His eyes were coming in smoothed gasps. Two-bit knew better than to scare Johnny like that. I guess he'd forgotten. He's kind of scatterbrained. Johnny opened his eyes weakly. "Hey, Two-bit."

Two-bit messed up his hair. "Sorry kid," he said. "I forgot."

He climbed over the chair and plopped down behind Marcia. "Who's this, your great-aunts?"

"Great grandmothers, twice removed," Cherry said smoothly. I couldn't tell if Two-bit was drunk or not. If he was their went my plan on how he got his contacts-or eye color- at? It's kinda hard to tell with him- he acts boozed sometimes even when he's sober. He cocked one eyebrow up and the other down, which he always does when something puzzels him, or bothers him, or when he feels like saying something smart.

"Shoot, you're ninety-six if you're a day."

"I'm a night." Marcia said brightly.

Two-bit stared at her admiringly. "Brother, you're a sharp one. Where'd you two ever get to be with Pony or Johnny?" All of us shrugged.

"We're really Arabian slave traders and we're thinking about shanghaiing them. They're worth ten camels apiece at least."

"Five," Two-bit disagreed. "They don't talk Arabian, I don't think. Say something in Arabian, Johnny."

"Aw, cut it out!" Johnny broke in. I was planning on confronting him later when he asked. "Where is ol' Dally?"

"He went hunting some action, booze or dames or a fight. I hope he don't get jailed again. He just got out."

"He'll probably find the fight." Two-bit stated cheerfully. "That's why I came over. Mr. Timothy Shepard and Co. are looking for whoever so kindly slashed their car's tires, and since Curly Shepard spotted Dally doing it... well... does Dally have a blade?" He said The Shepard gang like it was apiece of bad fruit. I'd say, we don't get along with them good enough but Curly Shepard was my best buddy. So the gang accepted that, but Steve looked like he would bust my head open.

"Not that I know of," I said, picking up on the conversation. "I think he's got apiece of pipe, but he busted his blade this morning."

"Good. Tim will fight fair, if Dally don't pull a blade on him. Dally shouldn't have any trouble."

Cherry and Marcia were staring at us. "You don't believe in playing rough or anything, do you?"

"A fair fight ain't rough." Two-bit said. I looked at his eyes. They were gray instead of his contact red- if he had any- eyes. He stared at me, I couldn't help but feel so small when he or the rest look at me. I felt dizzy when I saw his pupils dilate in front of me. What was I gonna ask him?

"Yeah, boy," Cherry said sarcastically, "real simple."

"Sure," Marcia said, unconcerned." If he gets killed or something, you just bury him. No sweat."

"You dig okay, baby." Two-bit grinned and lit a cigarette. "Anyone want a weed?"

I looked at Two-bit admirly. He sure put things into words good. Cherry and Marcia shook their heads at his offering but Johnny and I reached for one, our hands touched and his hand went out so fast I thought his weed was on the ground. It wasn't. Him and Two-bit had a look on their faces, and what creeped me out, was they both looked hungry. Johnny was eyeing me like I was a fresh, cut, chicken.

"Ponyboy, will you come with me to get some popcorn?" Cherry asked. I silently thanked her, Johnny came back from his trance. I jumped up. "Sure. Y'all want some?"

"I do." Marcia said. I looked over at the others, Johnny and Two-bit looked like they were having a conversation. Two-bit had an angry look, and Johnny was pleading. If looks could kill Johnny would be ashes. Two-bit looked at me- a kind protective look- in his eyes. Protective? Against what, two Socy girls who might have a blade. Fat chance.

"Me too." said Two-bit. He flipped me a fifty-cent piece, and looked at Johnny without missing a beat. "Get Johnny some too. I'm buying." he added and sat down by my seat, away from Johnny. I was about to say something when Johnny had the same look as Two-bit.

I followed Cherry to the concession stand but, as usual, there was a lone a mile long, so we had to wait. Quite a few kids turned to look at us- you didn't see a kid greaser and a Socy cheerleader together often. Cherry didn't seem to notice.

"You're friend- the one with the sideburns- he's okay?"

"He ain't dangerous like Dallas if that's what you mean. He's okay."

She smiled and her eyes showed that her mind was on something. "Johnny... he's been hurt bad sometime, hadn't he?" It was more of a statement than a question. "Hurt and scared."

"It was the Socs," I said nervously, because there were plenty of Socs milling around and some of them were giving me funny looks as if I shouldn't be with Cherry or something. And I don't talk about it either- cause Johnny was different since that day. But I started in, talking a little faster than I normally do because I don't like to think about either.

It was almost four months ago. I had walked down to the DX station to get a bottle of pop and to see Steve and Soda, because they'll always buy me a couple of bottles and let me help work on the cars. I don't like to go on weekends because that's when their busy, with all kinds of girls down their flirting with Soda and Steve. Soda says I'll grow out of it. I did.

It was a warm spring day with the clouds covering the sky, but it was getting cold and dark by the time we started for home. We left Steve's care at the station. At the corner of our block is a wide open area, where we play football and hang out, and often a site for rumbles and fights. Steve then picked up a jacket, "Looks like Johnny forgot his jacket." He looked at it more and saw a stain the color of rust across the collar. He looked up and across the field with a stricken face. I think we all heard the low moan and saw the motionless lump on the other side of the lot.

We were used to seeing Johnny banged up- his father clobbered him around a lot. But those beatings had been nothing like this. His face was cut and bruised and swollen, and there was a wide gash from his temple to his cheekbone. His white t-shirt was splattered with blood. I just stood their, trembling with sudden cold. Steve closed his eyes for a second and muffled a groan as he dropped on his knees beside Soda.

Somehow the gang sensed what had happened. Two-bit was suddenly there beside me, and for once his comical grin was gone and his dancing eyes were stormy. Darry had seen us from the porch and ran over to us, skidding to a halt. Dally was there too, swearing under his breath, and turning away with a sick expression on his face. Dally seen people killed on the streets of New York. Why did he look sick now?

"Johnny?" Soda lifted him up and held him against his shoulder. He gave the limp body a shake.

"Soda?" came the soft reply.

"Yeah, its me," Soda said. "Don't talk. You're gonna be okay."

Johnny, between sobs, managed to tell us what happened. He been looking for out football to practice a few kicks, when a blue Mustang pulled up. Their was four Socs. They caught him and one of them had a lot of rings on his hand- that's what had cut Johnny up so badly. They had scared him. Johnny was high strung anyway a nervous wreck from getting belted every time he turned around. He had never been a coward. He stuck up for the gang and kept his mouth shut good around cops. But after that night, Johnny was jumpier than ever. Johnny who was the most law-abiding of us, now carried a six-inch switchblade in his back pocket. They had scared him that much. He would kill the next person who'd jump him. Nobody was gonna to beat him like that again. Not over his dead body... then I heard Johnny scream.

I had nearly forgot that Cherry was listening. But when I came back to reality and looked at her, I was startled to find her as white as a sheet.

"All Socs aren't like that," she said." You have to believe me, Ponyboy. Not all of us are like that."

"Sure."

"I'll bet you think the Socs have it made. The rich kids, West-side Socs, I'll tell you something Ponyboy, and it may as a surprise to you but things are rough all over." We went back to sit down, I sat down between Two-bit and Johnny. Johnny yawned and stretched and his arm was laying across the back of my chair.

(AN: sorry for this and any chapters that might be word for word. I was young and reckless... okay maybe not the second one. Please review!)