Author's Note: A very big thank you to all the reviews I've gotten so far! Especially to Yehhhok, who left me what was possibly the longest and nicest review anyone has ever given me! You rock!

When you're fifteen feeling like

There's nothing to figure out

Well count to ten, take it in,

This is life before you know who you're gonna be

At fifteen

-Taylor Swift

AJ smoothed her skirt and sighed, glancing at her watch. Steve was late.

"Where is he?" Amy asked, looking up and down the street again. "I've got to meet with Mr. Simpson before homeroom!"

"He'll be here, Amy. Calm down." Ponyboy said.

It was Monday morning and Steve was supposed to be picking them up for school. He was supposed to be there at 7:15 and it was now nearing 7:30. Pony and AJ weren't overly concerned about it, but Amy was having spasms at the thought of being late.

"Here he comes." Pony said, standing up from the step. He brushed the seat of his jeans off as Steve's '54 Oldsmobile roared up to the curb. It would be a nice car once he got finished with it…if he ever got finished with it.

"You're late!" Amy told him as Johnny climbed out of the passenger seat to let Pony and AJ in the backseat. AJ squeezed herself between Two-Bit and Ponyboy as Amy sat between Steve and Johnny in the front. "I'm supposed to meet Mr. Simpson, Steve!"

"I can get you to the middle school in less than five minutes." Steve told her. She glared at him and he punched the gas.

In the backseat AJ rested her head against the seat and slipped a peppermint in her mouth. She got carsick very easily and Steve's driving didn't help anything.

"Lookin' a little green there, AJ." Two-Bit cracked. She glared at him.

"Shut it, Matthews, or I'll puke on you."

"Hey now," Steve looked at her in the rearview mirror. "There ain't gonna be any ralphing in my car!"

AJ shot him a thumbs up.

True to his word, Steve got Amy to John Jenks Middle School in record time. She bustled out of the car, shouting her thanks over her shoulder as she ran off and Johnny climbed back in.

Steve had driving them all to school ever since he had bought himself a car back at the beginning of the school year. He continued to drive them, even after Sodapop had dropped out.

He screeched into the Will Rogers student lot with minutes to spare and the five of them headed off to their various classes.

"I'm headin' down to the Handee-Mart for lunch!" Steve said to them before they split up. "Who ever wants to ride with me, can."

AJ nodded and hurried up to the second floor for her homeroom. She skidded through the door and into her seat just as the final bell rang.

"Ah, Abigail," Mr. Moyer, her homeroom teacher, looked over the top of his glasses at her. "Glad you could join us."

"Always a pleasure, sir." She intoned and heard titters behind her. She had been telling her teachers all year that she preferred AJ over her given name of Abigail Jane, but only two of them actually called her that.

She lay her head down on her desk, her head still reeling from Steve's wild driving, and half-ass listened to the morning announcements. It mostly Soc stuff anyway.

Once homeroom was over, she headed out into the crowded hallway towards her locker.

"Adare!"

She heard her name being called and she looked over her shoulder to see Jesse Danvers heading towards her. He squeezed past two Socy looking chicks, who gave him dirty looks.

"Hey, Jesse, what's up?" AJ asked him, pulling her American History book from her locker.

"Nothing much." He replied. Jesse was a member of Tim Shepard's gang, a gang that AJ had gotten to know pretty well, since her sister was married to Tim's right hand man.

"Where you headed?" He asked, falling in step beside her as she began to walk.

"American History with Mr. Clutts" She replied. He nodded.

"Oh, I've got Foote next hour," He said. "I'll walk with you."

She nodded. "Okay."

"So, I was at Brandon and Alice's yesterday." He told her, referring to her sister and brother-in-law. "Man, she's about to pop, huh? Not much longer now."

"Yep."

"It's weird; Brandon's the first guy in our gang to have a kid." Jesse shrugged, and ran his hand over his oiled, brown hair.

"Yeah," AJ agreed. She wondered, briefly, why Jesse had sought her out. He was cute enough, she supposed, with his brown hair and freckles, but she had never given him much thought before. "Well, this is my class, so I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah," He said. He started to walk away and then turned back. "Hey, what're you doing for lunch?"

"Um…well, I usually ride down to the Handee-Mart with the guys. Why?"

He shrugged and grinned. "I was just wondering. Later, AJ."

"Bye." She stared after him for a few seconds, before going to her desk. That was weird.

The morning went by fairly quickly and before she knew, it was time for lunch. AJ met Ponyboy and Johnny by the front doors they made their way over to Steve's car. AJ tried not to make a face when she saw Evie, Steve's girlfriend, leaning against it.

"Where's Two-Bit?" Pony asked. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Oh, he got in trouble during science, made a big mess or some damn thing. Adams is making him spend his lunch hour cleaning it up."

AJ, Pony, and Johnny climbed in the back of the Olds and Evie sat in the front. As soon as she was in, she flipped the visor down and was fixing her make-up in the little mirror.

Evie was a very pretty girl, no one would argue that. She wore her black hair in long curls that hung half way down her back and her blue eyes were always lined in kohl. She had pale skin and always wore red lipstick. Although AJ would never admit this to anyone, Evie reminded her of a Greaser version of Snow White.

"Can we at least have some radio in here?" Evie asked as Steve started the engine.

"Whatever you want, babe." Steve told her and AJ had to work to keep from gagging in disgust.

When they got to the Handee-Mart, they all piled out. It was a popular lunch-time hangout spot for Greasers, and the place was packed.

AJ wandered the aisles of the little convenience store, looking for something to eat. She finally settled on a turkey sandwich and a Pepsi. She got in line and was only standing there maybe twenty seconds when she felt someone tug her ponytail. She turned around to find Jesse Danvers and Curly Shepard, Tim's little brother, behind her.

"Hey, AJ." Jesse said, grinning at her. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Hey, Jesse." She said, smiling back. "Hi, Curly."

"Hey." Curly said to her.

"What're you guys doing here?" She asked as the line moved up.

"Buying lunch." Jesse replied. "What else would we be doing?"

Outside, Steve was sitting on the hood of his car with Evie. Pony and Johnny had just joined them when he looked inside and saw AJ talking with Curly and Jesse.

"What's she doing talking to them hoods?" He asked. Pony shrugged.

"I dunno."

Steve narrowed his eyes as AJ laughed and touched Jesse's arm. She was too good for the likes of a thug like Jesse Danvers and he intended to tell her about as soon as he got a chance.

He didn't like this one little bit.

Oho...is Stevie feeling a little jealous? We shall see...