Chapter 2

I had just put the buttermilk biscuits in the oven when I heard a bedroom door open and Darry's heavy footsteps in the hallway followed by the bathroom door closing. Besides the obvious fact that it was rare that Soda or Pony would wake up before Darry, I knew it was Darry just by the sound of his footsteps. Pony tended to drag his feet and stumble clumsily when he first awakes; Soda's steps were always softened by the socks he loves to wear, but Darry's feet never dragged- no matter how tired. His footsteps carried him for one point to the next with purpose- Darry never half-assed anything; it just wasn't in his nature. I reached over and turned on the small radio on top of the counter; "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher. It was rare for me to not be listening to music. Just as Pony always had his nose in a book, I always had my ears occupied by the sounds of the radio. Music was my addiction and had been since I was a young girl. Singing, dancing, playing the piano- I loved it all. When I cooked, I always had the radio playing but in the mornings, but I waited for Darry to wake first. I kept the volume low until the others awoke but Pony and Soda slept like logs so they never noticed anyway. Johnny had fallen asleep in my room about a half an hour ago but he slept just as hard as Ponyboy so I didn't worry about him either.

I started frying the bacon in one pan while keeping an eye on the other two pans I had already started- cheesy hash browns and French toast. Dean wasn't going to be able to come over for dinner tonight because he already had plans with his dad so I figured a nice birthday breakfast could compensate for a birthday dinner. Not to mention, feeding a houseful of boys and our friends was no small task.

As if on cue, a loud "Morning Curtises!" resounded for the direction of the living room and a familiar slam of the door followed quickly behind. I leaned in the doorway and found my wise-cracking, side-burned, reddish brown hair friend walking towards me with a goofy smile on his face.

"You're going to break that door one day Two-Bit."

He laughed good-naturedly. "Shoot kid, if it ain't broken yet, I think it's good to go." He grabbed a slice of bacon and jumped up to sit on a counter top. "It smells delicious in here."

I smirked. "What are you doing here so early? There's no school today, remember? Shouldn't you be sleeping off a hangover?"

He guffawed. "Holiday, you know me so well!" Two-Bit has his own nick-names for me- Holiday and his personal favorite, William. I have known Two-Bit, or Keith as it states on his birth certificate, since I was six years old and he was about eight or nine. He kept teasing me on the playground and pulling my braid so I didn't like him much. Then one day he tried to kiss me and I pushed him. He fell and hit his head on the monkey bars frame and began crying which instantly made me cry (much harder than he had been might I add) because I didn't meant to hurt him. I think I startled him when I bawled for he then hiccupped one last cry and came over to comfort me as I apologized through my tears. I felt so bad about the forming bump on his head I invited him to play a game of football with me and my brothers in the lot and we've been best friends ever since. "Now normally, yes you would be correct!" He began with a mouthful of bacon. "I would still be licking my wounds from last night but I had to babysit the holy terror that is my sister since my mom had to work late. And she had some sleepover thing so no fun for Two-Bit." He dramatically sighed before trying to reach for another bacon slice.

"Hey!" I smacked his hand away and he chuckled. "It'll all be done in few minutes."

"Fine, fine," he relented, "but I get first grabs!"

"Seeing as you're the only one here," I gestured around the kitchen with the spatula "I don't think there will be too many complaints."

"Yeah, where's 'erybody at? The knuckleheads still sleepin'?" He asked as he hopped down, walked over to the ice box and grabbed a beer. Two-Bit loved beer; he could drink it with his breakfast, lunch, and dinner and often did so. He had developed such a high tolerance for it that he had to drink an awful lot to get buzzed, let alone drunk.

I snorted and flipped the last batch of French toast. "Do you expect anything less? And Darry's in the shower I think. Johnny crashed here last night too." Without even having to turn around, I knew Two-Bit stiffened slightly.

"Anything too bad?" He wearily asked.

I shrugged unhappily. "He has a pretty big bruise on his side. Gave him an ice pack and a pill for the pain, he's sleeping it off in my bed."

Two-Bit cursed under his breath and took a swig from his beer. We all hated Johnny's parents, except for Johnny. He kept hoping they would change for the better, and he kept getting disappointed. Our thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Two-Bit leaned over from his spot on the counter-top to peer though the doorway frame.

"Well if ain't the birthday boy himself!" Two-Bit shouted with a wide grin on his face. Two-Bit and Dean are really good friends and have a different relationship with each other than the rest of the gang. Two-Bit's mom and Dean's dad have been dating each other on and off for going on five years. They keep trying to make a relationship work but it never will; they're both still in love with the exes that ran out on them and each had their own demons to conquer. Despite their parents' rocky relationship, Two-Bit, Two-Bit's little sister, and Dean have become like siblings.

Two-Bit's dad left his mom just before she moved to Tulsa with an eight year old Two-Bit and three year old Lydia. He hasn't heard from him since and never talks about him. Two Bit's mom, Maggie, soon took a job as a bar maid and has been working there ever since, many times finding herself getting closely acquainted with the very drink she serves. Lydia grew up to be a lot like her brother- a bit of a rule breaker, always looking for a good time, and full of wise cracks but she was also quite rebellious. She likes to sneak out, drink, smoke, and dress far too revealing for a thirteen going on fourteen year old. Two-Bit sure had his hands full with her and she doesn't along too well with Dean, although he does try.

I remember a few months after my parents died and Dean and I had been dating for a while (we had begun dating about two weeks before my parents accident). Two-Bit came bursting into the house, went straight to the icebox ignoring the greetings from the boys, and downed an entire beer in one breath. When Darry asked him what he was so wound up about, Two-Bit spat with rage and disgust, "I just found Lydia in bed with Curly Shepard!" Jaws dropped, Lydia was only twelve at the time and Curly, fourteen. Needless to say, that night a red-faced Darry and Soda gave me the sex talk, even though I already had one with my mom. More embarrassingly, Darry felt compelled to have a sex talk with Dean as well.

Dean's mom left his dad not long after their youngest son, Henry, drowned. The family had taken a trip to the lake for Henry's sixth birthday. Dean and his older brother Charlie decided to race to the other side. They had told Henry to stay behind because he was too small. When they got back to the picnic their parents had set up, Henry was gone. The cops spent hours looking for him before they found him at the bottom of the lake. Coming home with two boys instead of three caused an irreparable strife between Dean's parents and when the grief became too hard to bear, Grace Rivers packed up her and her eldest son and set off to live with family in upstate New York. The ten year old Dean stayed behind with his dad. He told me later that he just couldn't leave him all by himself. For the longest time, no one knew the whole story. All that was known was that the young boy drowned, no details. It hit close to our family; Grace and Everett got along well with my parents, Dean was my best friend and also hung out with Soda, Charlie and Darry were in the same grade and played football together, and Henry, Pony and Johnny would always play together as well. It wasn't until a few years later when Dean and I were in the awkward stage of not quite friends but not quite boyfriend and girlfriend that he cracked and spilled the entire story to me. Seven years after the accident, he still has nightmares of his brother drowning which is why he understands my nightmares and my unrelenting love for my brothers. He's been there. He knows. Harry Rivers fell deep into depression after the death of his son Henry and then the absence of Grace and Charlie. He managed to keep his job at an auto part factory but when he doesn't work, he's attached to the bottle- which is how he ended up meeting Maggie Mathews.

"So tell me Dean-o, how's it feel to be sixteen?" Two-Bit inquired while holding his hands up in a grand gesture.

"No different than being fifteen 'cept now I can drive." Dean laughed as his voice came closer while he walked through the living room and the dining room to the kitchen. "Legally at least," he chuckled, coming into the doorway of the kitchen and smiling my favorite smile. "Hey beautiful."

Two Bit answered, "Oh please, you're making me blush."

I laughed and leaned over from the stove to kiss my boyfriend as he rolled his eyes at Two-Bit. "Hey handsome," I smiled, ignoring Two-Bit's gagging noises form behind us. "Happy birthday, you're just in time."

"Finally!" Two-Bit jumped off the counter and pulled back his arms in a triumphant motion. "I'm starving here!"

"What's new?" Dean teasingly mumbled.

"What was that pretty boy?" Two-Bit cackled and swiftly hit Dean on the back of his head. Dean quickly grabbed Two-Bit in a headlock as Two-Bit then started jabbing his ribs before both bumping into me.

"Hey hey, you know the rules, no wrestling in the kitchen. You're gonna make me burn myself." I sniggered and shook my head smiling. Dean laughed and let go of Two-Bit before running towards the living room.

"Now you're gonna get it Rivers!" Two-Bit goaded cheerfully and ran after Dean, almost running over Darry in the process.

"Whoa, slow down there Two-Bit." Darry shook his head with a humored smirk. He was wearing a gray tank top which showed off his bulging muscles and his pair of blue work jeans.

"Sorry Dare!" He called back before tackling Dean to the floor.

"Happy Birthday!" Darry called to Dean over the noise.

"Thanks Dare!" Dean shouted back between hits. Darry snorted and joined me in the kitchen.

"Already a wrestling match?" Darry joked while opening the icebox and grabbing the carton of orange juice.

I had to laugh, "Why do you sound so surprised?" The timer for the oven dinged and I grabbed the oven mitts.

Darry issued a small grin and poured himself a glass. "Nothing around here surprises me anymore." I chuckled. "It smells great in here, Love." He praised before kissing me good morning on my forehead.

"Oh, 'twas nothing!" I adopted an English accent, winked and waved him away.

"Yeah, sure." He chirped back sarcastically. "Do you need any help with anything?"He looked around before getting distracted by a loud thud coming from the living room. "You guys break anything in there and I'll skin ya both, ya hear?" He called out to the wrestling twosome. We both heard Dean's muffled reply and Two-Bit's "yeah yeah" before hearing their boisterous laughter. Darry just rolled his eyes.

Chuckling at the dynamic duo, I answered Darry, "No, just go wake the guys. I don't want it to get cold. I got it from here." He turned towards the hallway. "Oh, and I set Johnny up in my room, make sure you wake him too." Darry nodded and walked to wake the slumbering boys. Darry showed no surprise of the mention of Johnny. With our open-door policy,it wasn't uncommon to wake and find someone on our couch. Usually, they were guys from the gang but on occasion we would find a guy from Tim Shepard's outfit, and even more rare, someone from The Brumley Boys crew. Even from different gangs, they all had a respect for the Curtis house; I don't know if it was because Darry was so intimidating or what but it worked. And they weren't stupid enough to try something with me because of my overprotective brothers, biological and adopted, so there's never been a problem.

"Say uncle!" I heard Two-Bit's lively voice call out then Dean's stifled laughter. Two-Bit must have Dean pinned because I could barely hear his reply. "Say uncle!" Two-Bit prodded once again, amidst his own laughter.

"Alright alright, uncle!" Dean howled with laugher and finally accepted defeat.

"Damn straight." Two-Bit gave Dean once final shove before letting him go and standing up. "Just 'cause your sixteen and all doesn't mean you can come 'round here tryin' to beat good ol' Two-Bit. Respect your elders Rivers." He laughed and held his hand out to help Dean up from the floor.

"Whatever Keith." Dean countered amusingly as he reached his hand to meet Two-Bits. Two-Bit quickly drew his hand back and jumped on Dean again. I chuckled, Two-Bit hated being called Keith. I put the plate of French toast and the plate of bacon on the table and turned to get the other two plates only to find Darry walking out of the kitchen with them in his hands.

"Thanks Darry." I smiled graciously.

He nodded in reciprocation and placed the plates of hash browns and biscuits on the table. "It looks great Billie. Guys, c'mon- time to eat!" He called out to the household before going back into the kitchen. "Two-Bit, help me get the plates."

Two-Bit grumbled as his match with Dean abruptly ended. "You're lucky Dean-o." He released Dean from his grip and followed Darry to the kitchen. "Sorry I had to beat your boyfriend there, Holiday," he teased while hooking a thumb over his shoulder to Dean still lying on the floor. "Mornin' Pone!" Two-Bit exclaimed and clapped Ponyboy on his back while passing him.

Ponyboy grimaced a tad at the loud greeting, obviously still sleepy. "Morning Two-Bit."

"Hey Pone," I smiled at him before walking over to Dean.

"Morning Billie." Ponyboy yawned and ran his hand through his already messy hair. "Soda's in the bathroom and Johnny said he'll be out in a sec."

"Pony!" Darry bellowed from the kitchen. "Come and help with the drinks!"

"Happy Birthday Dean," Pony half-smiled before going to help out.

"Thanks Pone!" Dean called back from his sitting position on the floor. I laughed and he pulled me down onto his lap. I yelped from the surprise and Dean pulled me in for a deep kiss. I may be biased but to call Dean good-looking would be an understatement. He has short brown hair a few shades darker than mine and even though he was a greaser, he rarely greased his hair. It has a permanent messy, slept-in, carefree look and it is nearly impossible to not get lost in his light gray eyes. His face is lean, with high, chiseled cheekbones, thin yet full, soft lips, and a dimple on each side of his perfect smile. He's in great shape with sculpted arms, legs, chest and stomach- mostly because he works at a gym and can often be found boxing with a punching bag. Soda is movie-star handsome but Dean is model handsome- it was almost intimidating. The guys around the neighborhood jokingly tease him by calling him Pretty Boy Rivers and the girls swoon when he glances there way. But as nice as he is to look at, he's also incredibly kind-hearted, funny, intelligent, and supportive. As much as I try to be a rock for my brothers, Dean is my rock. My best girl friend, Melissa, says I like Dean because he has my favorite qualities of the three most important men in my life; he has the thoughtfulness, sensitivity and intelligence of Ponyboy, humor, charm, and recklessness of Sodapop, and the trustfulness, dependability and work-ethic of Darry.

"Mmm," Dean hummed mid-kiss and sheepishly pulled away, a pinkish blush spreading across his cheeks.

I bit my bottom lip, "Well, that was unexpected."'

"Happy Birthday to me," He chuckled and kissed my cheek then my neck. Just then the front door opened and in walked in a brown eyed, greasy black-haired young man.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Steve Randle ribbed with a mischievous grin.

"Shut up Steve." I bashfully mumbled as Dean smirked and muttered, "Shut up Randle."

"Lucky it was me and not one of your brothers Billie." He grinned and held his hand out to help me off Dean's lap. My brothers liked Dean just fine but there was a strict minimal PDA rule while at home- I didn't mind it much; Dean didn't mind it at all. He felt that anything more than cuddling and kissing in front of my brothers would be bit disrespectful towards them.

Steve Randle has been Soda's best friend since grade school and they were essentially a package deal. They were always together and even worked together at the DX gas station a few blocks over- Steve part-time and Soda full-time ever since he dropped out of school. Soda hated school and did poorly so he dropped out not long after our parents died to help Darry with the bills. He was happier working on cars then he ever was sitting in a classroom. Steve was a car buff- he could fix a car faster and drive a better than anyone in town. He was also tough to get along with and didn't stray too far from his friends in the gang; he and Ponyboy didn't get along too hotly. Steve always felt that Pony was tagging along with him and Soda, but Soda just likes hanging out his best friend and little brother at the same time. It wasn't Pony's fault but Steve sure saw it that way. Steve and I get along most of the time but we also bicker like a couple, so Two-Bit says.

"Happy Birthday man." Steve stated as he helped Dean to his feet too.

"Thanks Steve, didn't know you cared." Dean grinned and clapped Steve on his back.

"Shut up Rivers, I don't" Steve countered and playfully shoved Dean. Dean just laughed and took a seat at the table next to Johnny.

"Hey there Stevie! How nice of you to finally join the party!" Two-Bit announced as he, Darry, and Pony placed the plates, forks, and cups on the table along with a carton of orange juice and chocolate milk.

"Sorry Two-Bit," Steve rolled his eye as he answered sarcastically and smirked. "I had a late night last night with Evie." Pony blushed as he took a seat on the other side of Johnny. "Jeez kid, grow a pair, would ya?" Steve pestered. Pony sneered at him as he grabbed a piece of French toast. Two-Bit laughed as I backhanded Steve's arm and took a seat next to Dean. Darry opened his mouth to say something to Steve but was cut off.

"Ah Steve, lay off Pony." Soda chastised teasingly as he walked into the dining room with blue jeans, a white t-shirt and his hair still wet from his shower. "It ain't his fault he ain't met a good girl yet," Soda defended and sent a wink towards Pony. Pony smiled back appreciatively before taking a bit of his biscuit. "Thanks for breakfast Billie," Soda said before placing a kiss on the top of my head and reaching over me for a plate.

"Yeah, Holiday- thanks!" Two-Bit mumbled with a mouthful of food, spraying bits of food in the process, the rest of the gang voicing their thanks as well.

"Two- Bit, chew with your mouth closed." Darry reprimanded. Two-Bit smiled guiltily and shoveled another forkful into his mouth.

"Happy Birthday." Johnny said quietly towards Dean.

"Thanks Johnnycake." Dean smiled.

"Oh, that's right! Sixteen today! Happy birthday man!" Soda excitedly remembered. "We're still going to the races tonight, right?" Soda, Steve, Dean and his best buddy, Benny, love to drag race.

"Yeah, my dad's taking me to get my license when I get back to the house." He informed us eagerly.

"Tuff enough." Soda declared and Steve nodded in agreement.

Two-Bit groaned, "Holiday, I love when you cook. It is so good."

"Yeah babe, this is delicious." Dean agreed wholeheartedly.

"I aim to please," I smiled before giving way to the separate conversations arising- Steve and Soda animatedly telling Two-Bit about some girls that came by the DX yesterday, Darry telling Pony that he'd be home from work around three or four and that Pony and I need to pick up the house, and Dean telling me that his brother Charlie called this morning to wish him a happy birthday and talk about Charlie's college life- he was nearing the end of his freshman year.

The rest of the morning went by uneventfully- Darry dropped off Soda at the DX on his way to work, Two-Bit and Steve high-tailed it out not shortly after to do God knows what, and Dean stayed to help with the dishes before having to get back home saying he'd be back to take me out for lunch. Johnny, Pony, and I picked up the house then Johnny and Pony left to take a walk. With the house clean and empty, I decided it might be a good idea to take a nap. I flopped down on my bed and didn't even have time to wish for a dreamless sleep before I passed out.


Sorry for the abrupt ending, just figured it was getting too long and I wasn't sure where to end with.

If you think its slow, it will pick up in the next couple chapters, I swear- just trying to show Billie's relationships with the boys.

What do you think so far? Please review, constructive criticism is always welcome. What do you like? What don't you like? What do you want to see more of? Less of?

And no worries, the infamous Dallas Winston will be making his appearance next chapter. :)

Once again, it goes without saying that I do not own The Outsiders; therefore I do not own the characters or the core storyline. All that jazz belongs to the wonderful mind S.E. Hinton.

And sorry for typos!