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Ponyboy woke up late in the afternoon on Thursday, now his sixth day at the boy's home. Time seemed to stand still here, the hours going by like days.

Pony occupied himself by throwing the switchblade he took from Eric into a dart board that was hung on his door. He missed his brothers and the rest of the gang, even Steve.

He remembered what Dally told him about jail...the one's who watch the clock have the worst time.

He stared at the blade in his hand for a second before throwing back into the board. He thought about giving it back to Eric, but then remembered that Eric tried to stab him with it and decided not to.

Over the few days he was at the boy's home, Ponyboy and Jake seemed to become genuine friends. Soon after they finished eating dinner, Jake challenged Pony to a game of pool.

After Ponyboy accepted the challenge in his usual modest manner, he and Jake approached the pool table, Jake saying that he was going to kick Pony's ass.

After about twenty minutes, Ponyboy looked up at Jake and smirked.

"So, who's winning?"

"Shut up," Jake said morosely; Pony was beating him hands down.

Jake had been so full of himself about how good a pool player he was, he had stupidly agreed to Ponyboy's proposed wager -10 bucks to the winner.

"Oooookay," Pony said, smirking at Jake's glum face. He moved down to the far end of the table to decide which shot he was going to take next.

So, how's it been?" Jake asked.

"Hmmm."

Jake looked at Pony curiously.

"What does `hmmm' mean?"

"Nothing," Ponyboy replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

Meanwhile, back at her office Mrs. Rhodes stood with two of her good friends, Daniel and Katharine showing them a picture of Ponyboy from her profile.

"Cute kid," Katharine said.

"His parents died in a car accident, a little over six months ago," Mrs. Rhodes explained.

"That's terrible."

"Yes, he's been through a lot."

"Tell me, what was he arrested for?" Daniel asked.

"Fighting," Mrs. Rhodes sighed.

She sat down in front of them.

"His older brother has a hearing in a couple of weeks, and I don't want Ponyboy to be miserable here. You both have done just a great job in helping the community, I was thinking that you might take him in until his brother can get custody of him."

Katharine smiled.

"I guess we have room for one more,"

Daniel shrugged.

"Uh, well. He seems okay, but how has all this affected him?"

"Pony's fine now. He just wants to get on with his life."

"What if his older brother doesn't get custody back?"

"Well, if he doesn't, if thing aren't working out with him, you can always bring him back and we can find him another home."

Jake walked around the pool table getting ready to take another shot when their game was interrupted when somebody called Ponyboy's name.

They turned around and saw Mrs. Rhodes by the door.

"Ponyboy please come to my office," Mrs. Rhodes said.

"I'll be right back," Pony sighed and walked with her back to her office and sat down across from her.

"Alright. I have some good news for you...I have found you a foster home," she said with a smile.

"Foster home?" Ponyboy said.

Mrs. Rhodes nodded.

"No…I ain't going. Nope," he said, crossing his arms.

"It's just temporary..." she said trying to explain to him.

"Maggie, is he ready to go?" Daniel and Katharine asked while walking in.

"Ponyboy, this is Daniel and Katharine Valance."

Valance?

Ponyboy turned his head two look at the couple standing by him and quickly got to his feet.

"You're sticking me in a soc's house?" Pony asked Mrs. Rhodes.

"What's a soc?" Katharine asked, confused. Pony then remembered that for the most part, wealthy people didn't know what a soc was.

"A rich family." He answered.

Daniel and Katharine looked at each other.

"Well…I guess you could say that," Daniel said.

"Pony, Mr. and Mrs. Valance are very good friends of mine, I wouldn't stick you with just anybody. They are being very generous by offering to take you in."

Ponyboy swallowed nervously and nodded.

"I'll go get packed," he said quietly.

Ponyboy went back to his room and started packing his bag. The door then opened and Jake walked in.

"So, I hear you're gettin' out of here,"

Ponyboy looked at his suitcase.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, good luck out there," Jake said, giving Pony a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks."

Pony picked up his bag and moved toward the door,

"Now you look out for yourself you hear?" Jake said opening the door for him.

"Yeah I hear." Ponyboy said while staring down at his own shoes.

Ponyboy walked outside with Mr. and Mrs. Valance and got in the backseat on their mustang.

"You hungry Ponyboy?" Daniel asked while pulling out of the parking lot. "We still have food from breakfast this morning."

"What did you eat while you lived with your brother?" Katharine asked.

"Well, usually I ate chocolate cake for breakfast."

"Chocolate cake?" Daniel laughed. "Well, I'm afraid we don't have any of that."

"It's okay, I'm not really hungry."

"You know, we have daughter not that older than you. You might like her," said Katharine.

"Really?" Pony asked, than sighed. He couldn't imagine how Cherry was going to react when she saw him in her house.

Ponyboy remained quite for the rest of the ride to the west side, soc territory while Daniel and Katharine made small talk.

He started thinking about that night, when he and Dally and Johnny went to the movies and met Cherry and Marcia. He then started daydreaming about walking with her and she really got him talking, which nobody other than Sodapop could do.

"I thought maybe it was money that separated us," Pony said talking about the difference between greasers and socs.

"No," Cherry said slowly when I said this. "It's not just money. Part of it is, but not all. You greasers have a different set of values. You're more emotional. We're sophisticated- cool to the point of not feeling anything. Nothing is real with us. You know, sometimes I'll catch myself talking to a girl-friend, and realize I don't mean half of what I'm saying. I don't really think a beer blast on the river bottom is super-cool, but I'll rave about one to a girl-friend just to be saying something."

Cherry smiled at Ponyboy.

"I never told anyone that. I think you're the first person I've ever really gotten through to."

"Pony?"

Ponyboy snapped out of his daydream state to see Mrs. Valance looking at him.

"Were here."

Ponyboy got out of the car and was led up to the house by the Valance's. The house was pretty big and had a lot of plants surrounding it. Mr. Valance opened the door and they all walked in.

Ponyboy looked around the house, there was a rather large chandelier hanging above his head and an enormous stair case. The floor had white carpeting, and some large vases were on the floor which Pony assumed were very expensive.

He walked over and looked at the pictures on the wall, and smiled when he saw Cherry in some on them.

"You have a fine house, sir." Pony said to Mr. Valance.

"Thank you."

Mrs. Valance then walked over to him.

"Now I know things must seem awkward, but I want you to make yourself at home here."

Ponyboy nodded.

"Your room is down the hallway second door to the left."

"Thank you," Pony said, taking his bag and walking up the stairs.

Katharine and Daniel walked in to the living room and sat down on the sofa.

"What'd you think?" Katharine asked her husband.

Daniel shrugged.

"I'll get use to him. Besides it's only for a couple of weeks. There's just one thing I'm worried about,"

"What's that?

"It's Sherry."

"Oh, I don' think she'll mind. He seems like a very sweat boy."

"No, no. It's well, he is a boy, and he's not that younger than her..."

"Oh, come on, that would never happen," Katharine said playfully slapping Daniel's knee. "Besides, Sherry has a boyfriend."

By this time, Ponyboy had reached his room and walked in.

It was a big room, it had a large bed and a television inside. The window was larger then his window at home...much larger.

"Things are rough all over."

Right.

Pony looked around his room and on a small table by his bed he noticed a telephone there.

He quickly ran over and picked it up, dialing his home phone number.

"Come on, come, pick up," Pony said to himself.

"Hello," said a voice on the other end.

"Soda!" Pony said.

"PONY!" Soda yelled and Ponyboy held the phone away from his ear.

"Soda…you're never gonna believe where I'm at."