No flames please! Review and Message! :) I DO NOT OWN THE OUTSIDERS! wish I did but I dont!

CHAPTER TWO

.::.Drag Race Disaster.::.

Two Bit's POV

I took a swig of my beer, laughing and grinning. But on the inside I was still worried for the kid. Steve was walking up with me up front and Soda was behind us with him, still trying to get him to squawk and talk. Since only those four words he spit out this morning he had kept his trap shut, even when Steve made a bright remark about him or to him.

The poor kid was still traumatized and everyone knew that. Since Dally and Johnny's deaths from last year some things in the Curtis house started changing. Soda was starting to lose that happy-go-lucky attitude. I was drinking more and becoming a bit, emotional, and Steve was turning into a bit of a smart ass. And Darry had become a workaholic lately but toned down on the yelling on Ponyboy. Things were changing right in front of Ponyboy's eyes and yet he didn't realize it. For once I wish the kid would say something. We all did.

"Yo Two bit! Check this out!" Steve shouted to me his fingers weaving through the fence of where the Drag race was being held. I grinned and trotted over to him, peering through the fence.

"What am I lookin' at Randle? A hot rod car or a pretty lady?" I asked my eyes scanning the crowd and the track back and forth.

"Look who's drivin'!" he exclaimed and pointed. I followed his finger and my eyes widened a bit before I cracked up laughing.

"Tim Sheppard? He can't drive in a drag race worth shit." I said wiping away a fake tear. Steve snickered.

"I got money on him that he might win, though. Even if I am racing against, him." I looked at Steve before rolling my eyes.

"You're such a suck up, Randle."

PONYBOY'S POV

Soda and I were in the concession stand line waiting to get our turn. Smells of Nacho and cheese, hot dogs and hamburgers wafted into my nostrils, making my mouth water. My stomach was grumbling a bit but I did my best and ignored it.

"What do you want to eat Pone?" Soda asked me while looking over at the small menu they offered at the stand. There were only a few people ahead of us so I had a few minutes to decide what I wanted. I looked over the menu and shrugged making Soda give me a frustrated look.

"You gotta talk sometime today, Pony. Your silent treatment is driving me nuts!" he huffed. I only looked at him as we shifted forward in the line. My silent treatment had been going on for a few months, now and it was bothering and worrying my brothers more than it was Steve and Two bit, now that I thought about it. No matter how much I wanted to open my mouth even when Steve made some smart-alec remark, I kept my mouth shut.

We got up to the little counter of the stand and Soda ordered a coke for me since he didn't feel like eating no more and was going to race with someone probably. But he ordered me a coke when I pointed it out on the menu. Soda sighed and handed me my coke. I gave a nod in thanks and we headed back to where Steve and Two bit were but only saw Two bit.

"Where's Stevie?" Soda asked looking around for him. Two bit jerked his head toward the track.

"He's racing Sheppard." He said and his grey eyes looked back down where Steve was. Soda nodded.

"I'm going to race with him. Stay here and watch Pone." Soda said before skipping down to the race track and to Steve's old pickup truck. I gave Soda a scowl at the back of his head but he didn't see it.

"ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET…" someone from below at the track shouted. I looked down and saw Soda in the truck with Steve and they were grinning their faces off.

"GOOO!" I watched as Steve's pickup started and picked up dirt, causing it to fly everywhere, and sped off down the road, anxious to win.

STEVE'S POV

Soda and I were screaming like maniacs. We were speeding down the road with the adrenaline and anxiety to win this race. There was in hell no way I was going to lose against Sheppard!

"WOO-HOO!" Soda shouted and laughed, his head poking out his passenger side window. I grinned and stepped on the gas, going past Tim's old black pickup truck. I laughed and we were one hundred yards from the finish line.

"We're gonna win!" I shouted and laughed when suddenly there was a big POP! Making the truck swerve a bit. Soda let out a startled yelp.

"Steve what the hell?" he said, looking at me his eyes confused and a hidden alert of panic. "Is there a hole in your tire?" he asked. I struggled keeping the truck on the road but couldn't.

"I-I think so-" POP! POP! POP!

Choruses of laughter echoed behind us and Soda poked his head out the window, as did I. A red mustang was no less than five feet behind us, fire crackers in their car and fireworks.

"Jesus Christ they have fireworks!" I said, trying to speed up.

"GREASERS!" a soc yelled, throwing a firecracker making an explosion and a POP followed. Soda jumped and looked at me.

"Their trying to run us off the road!" he said, anger flashing in his eyes. I gritted my teeth as we were getting close, but I smelt something burning and sizzling. And that meant it was a firework, waiting to set off.

"Soda get out!" I shouted.

"Wha-?" he said looking at me and I shouted again,

"SODA! GET OUT OF THE TRUCK! NOW!" he obeyed and jerked the door open, doing a side tumble out of the truck and rolling on the cement. I screeched the truck to a stop and struggled to get my seatbelt off. I did just in time just to hear an explosion and black out.