Disclaimer: All of the characters are the property of Susie Hinton, I only claim the story as mine

Chapter Three

"Showing her the neighborhood"

She finally turned on her side and looked at me with that sleepy-eyed look. "Morning," she said with an equally sleepy-eyed voice. "How did you sleep?"

I had to smile, "wonderful since I woke up next to you."

I went to reach for my pack of kools that was where I left them the night before in between us only her hand beat me to them. Without asking she took one out and put it in her beautiful lips and then took another and put it between mine. With a smile I heard her ask.

"So what does a girl have to do, to get a light."

"Oh shit," I said realizing I was totally lost and had been staring at her. "Here you go, ladies first."

I struck a match and she leaned into it like the night before. "Thanks," she said and leaned back to exhale the first drag. "But a lady I am not, a woman I may never."

I didn't realize I was hooked on the words she had just said till the flame touched my fingers. "Oh shit," I said and dropped the match, luckily though it had burned out.

I saw Cherry look at me then with a weird look and she shook her finger at me while saying. "No more smoking in bed for you young man, you might burn the house down."

I busted out laughing then and fell to the floor, it was that funny. I finally recovered and came up off the floor wiping my eyes of the tears the laughter had brought to them. After setting back down on the with my back to the head board I finally lit up a cigarette and she asked.

"So what do we do about breakfast?" I almost busted out laughing again before saying.

"Around here, nothing," and then I started to get off the bed. "But at the Curtis house there is always breakfast.

"Cool," she said without hesitation and got up off the bed in less then a second. "I'm game, lets go."

As we walked out of Buck's place I spied the cigarette machine and made a beeline for it. "I'm almost out," I said when she asked what I was doing.

We walked over to the house and with just a brief knock on the screen I opened it and we walked in before anyone could answer. "I want you to meet someone," I said instantly and before I could continue heard voices say.

"We heard," and saw it was Soda, Steve, and Johnny.

"That figures," I said as Two-Bit came into the room then carrying a chocolate cake.

"Damn," he said upon seeing us. "So she didn't go home after all."

"Maybe she did, and wanted to come back." I said just a bit irritated and added. "Also if I find out you didn't take her friend home."

He was holding up his hands then. "Relax Dally, you know me I am a man of my word."

I smiled, "I know," I said and added. "Sorry about that," and then I turned to the others.

"Everyone," I began. "This is," that is all I got out cause Ponyboy came into the room then saying.

"Cherry, Cherry Valance." I turned and saw the look on her face as he added. "We go to school together, I go to Will Rogers also."

"Oh," she said with a smile and turned to me. "Can I have one Dally?"

At first I was in the dark and then it dawned on me so I took out the new pack saying. "It's yours," and saw the others as they watched her open it and take one out. "You act like you never seen a girl smoke before." I said a minute later after lighting up her smoke, and heard Steve say.

"Not a soc," and before I could say anything Cherry smiled.

"Looks can be deceiving then, can't they." She looked at me then. "Now where is this breakfast you promised me."

"Coming up," I heard Darry yell then, he was in the kitchen the whole time.

After breakfast Darry headed off to work, and took Steve along with Soda with him. "You look awful young to be going to high school." Cherry said to Pony, and I saw him get like a turtle crawling up in his shell before saying

"Yeah, well I am fourteen going to be fifteen soon."

"Oh," Cherry said then and turned to Two-Bit. "Is that what you have for breakfast every morning?"

"Yep," he answered and grinned. "Chocolate cake along with a beer and Mickey, makes for a nice day for me."

She let out a laugh then and I knew more then ever this was going to be okay. After hanging out around the house while Pony and Johnny cleaned it up, the five of us took off for the DX. I raided the cooler while they were outside, Two-Bit was clowning around as usual. Cherry didn't even know I walked up to them till I placed a cold bottle of RC cola on the back of her neck.

"Thanks," she said not making a move to take it from my hand so I continued to roll it across her muscles.

"You were planning on paying for that right." Steve said and I looked at him.

"Don't I always," was all I said, and then we were off again.

"I would take us in my car," Two-Bit was saying a block or so from the DX. "But wouldn't you know it, a block from my house my brakes went out on me after taking Marcia home last night."

My arm was around Cherry's neck as we walked and soon we were at the Dingo. I bought some fries and we shared then in a booth across from each other while Pony and Johnny played pinball trying to ring up the score, Two-Bit found a girl to talk to. After the fries she lit up a smoke at the same time I did and smiled.

Two-Bit came around then saying that he was splitting and Pony along with Johnny left with him. "So what now," I asked and heard her say.

"Well we could go to my house," and I looked to see she had a sly look in her eyes, with a grin I just couldn't trust.

"To do what?" I asked and she replied.

"Well get my car for one, aren't you tired of walking?"

"You ain't shitting," I said and that ended the discussion.

We hopped a bus with a little change I had and got off still a good distance from her place. She let herself inside and tugged my hand to follow along. The phone was ringing off the hook and I saw her go grab it as I stood in the kitchen and heard her say.

"Hello… Oh yes mom…" she was twirling her fingers and looking at the ceiling then I guess her mom was talking a spell and then she grinned at me while saying into the phone. "I spent the night over at Marcia's… Okay, sorry I didn't tell you before hand, it was spur of the moment."

She hung up the phone then after the normal good-byes were exchanged. "You lied to her so easy," I said after she came to where I was and I saw her smile.

"I do it all the time," she said and once again took my hand leading the way to what was obviously her room. "Have a seat and I'll be right back."

I saw the chair at her desk and pulled it out, after turning it around backwards and doing as she said, she came back in with a big smile. "Care for a drink," and I saw her hold out a bottle. "I mean a real drink," It was bourbon.

"Well alright!" I said with a grin and then asked. "Where are the glasses."

"Forget glasses, when you can drink straight from the bottle." I watched then as she took off the top and did just that.

'Damn, she is tough,' I thought to myself and saw her smile while passing me the bottle.

"Any other girls you know can drink like that?" She asked with a gleam in her eye and I found myself shaking my head no after taking a light swig from the bottle.

"Damn that shit is smooth," I said and heard her laugh.

"It should be, it's. . ." I saw her hold the bottle up then and look at it. "Twice as old as I am."

"Old enough to be your parents." I said then and she got silent then for a second before throwing her head back and yelling.

"Maybe so but my mom will never be this smooth."

I watched then as she opened a drawer on her desk and then pulled out an ashtray and box of matches. The phone rang in the distance as she lit up and she took her sweet time answering it. I stayed where I was sitting, and could hear as she said.

"Hello. . .Oh hi Marcia what do you need…Okay thanks for the call…What?.. Yes that is all I have to say on that…No I don't think so" A minute later she was walking back in the room and once again taking a seat in my lap.

"That was Marcia," she said and tipped the bottle up before adding. "She wanted to tell me that the asshole that left me at the drive-in last night was in the hospital, he got beat up pretty bad and they are not sure if he's going to live. She found out from Randy his best-friend."

"Any idea where it happened?" I asked.

"Didn't ask," was her response and then she took another draw from her cigarette and swallow from the bottle. "I told him last night we were through," She turned to me then.

"All he cared about was himself, and they way his image looked with the guys. He never once cared about me."

The phone was ringing again and she went to answer it. "It's for you," she called out and I walked to the hall only to see she met me at the door. "Sounds like Ponyboy."

A/N: Please review I would love to see what you think. Is it worth me going on.