I apologize for totally abandoning this fic (And Fan Fiction itself) for a second time. I haven't been on since February, and the other day I was looking at all my old fics and I decided I'd try to continue this one. Enjoy.

"What's up, Pony? Jeez, you look like you ran a marathon," Sodapop greets his brother as he bursts through the door.

After regaining his breath, Ponyboy reaches his hand to the back of his neck and scratches it while figuring out how he's going to tell Soda about Roxanne Japan. How is he to explain her to him? The scent of her breath, the redness of her lips, the seemingly artificial curl to her hair. Her overwhelming perfume and her heavy presence. His tongue seems to knot in his mouth while he's trying to speak.

"Um…you know those girls that sleep with people for money?" Ponyboy's words stumble out of his mouth.

"Prostitutes?" Sodapop concludes, raising a suspicious brow. "Yeah, I know them. What about them?"

"Well," Ponyboy fumbles with his words. "I kind of met one today."

"Gosh, Ponyboy, where on earth were you that you ran into a prostitute?"

"I was just walking home!" Ponyboy is quick to defend himself. "I swear, she was just in the park when I passed it!"

"I thought you were gettin' drives from Two-Bit?"

"Well…"

"Good Lord, Pony," Sodapop mumbles under his breath.

"Don't tell Darry!" Ponyboy pleads.

"Don't worry kid, I aint gonna tell Darry. But tell me more about the prostitute. What was she doing in the park at this time of day?"

And so, Ponyboy tells him every detail. He tells him about the two smoking greasers standing next to the car that Roxanna Japan came out of. He tells him about how she'd smoke her cigarette and how distinct her accent sounded. He tells him about the night before when him and Johnny first discovered her and how she'd asked them if they knew any potential customers.

After he finishes his story, Sodapop takes a moment to speak. "I don't know what to say. And there's nothing you can do, really. If you see her again, just ignore her, I suppose."

And, with that, Ponyboy went on to do his homework.

XxXxXxXx

"I told Soda," Ponyboy tells Johnny that night at the lot.

"About Roxanne Japan?"

"Yeah."

"What'd he say?"

"He was kinda shocked. But he said just to ignore her if I see her a third time."

"A third time?" Johnny becomes baffled.

"I saw her in the park again today on the way home."

Johnny just nods. He's silent for a few moments before he suggests something out of the ordinary.

"You think she's at the park again tonight?"

"I doubt it."

"You wanna check?"

"What? Johnny, I don't want to be anywhere near her. She makes me feel all weird."

"What's so weird about her?"

"She's a prostitute," Ponyboy says in a slight whisper. He cant understand why Johnny is so interested in trying to see Roxanne Japan again.

"I know. That's kind of the point."

"What are you saying?"

"I thought about her last night, Pony. I thought about her a lot. Maybe a little too much." Johnny's cheeks flourish into a shade of pink. Ponyboy realizes what Johnny's trying to say and stands up quickly.

"Gosh, Johnny, I don't need to know that kind of stuff!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Look, man, if Roxanne Japan is what does it for you, then that's cool with me. But if you think I'm gonna go with you to find her again, you got this all wrong."

Johnny nods and gets to his feet. "Sure."

XxXxXxXx

A week passes and neither Ponyboy nor Johnny run into Roxanne Japan. Neither of them speak of it and Sodapop keeps what Ponyboy told him that day after school, to himself. All of that changes, one night at the lot.