Here comes chapter six! Hope you all like it… let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders.

6 – January 5th

My mom had a long talk with me that made me feel like crawling under my bed and die. I understood she was concerned for me, but it was so embarrassing to listen to her telling me I shouldn't have treated Darry the way I had and that I was way too young to realize what love truly was.

"Mom…" I managed to interrupt her. "I've always been mature for my age, right? 'Cause I grew up around lots of older people and I'm not like every other seventeen year old-"

"That doesn't mean you can go around crushing on a thirty year old!"

"Darry's twenty seven! And I…"

"I know what you're gonna say, you're in love, well you aren't! And you better stop going over at the Curtis' so much."

"But mom!"

"I mean it! I don't wanna see you around Darrel or his brothers and I hope you realize this childish infatuation has gotta go!"

She got up, meaning our conversation was over. I had rarely seen my mother this mad and I knew she meant business: if I disobeyed her, she'd punish me or something. Not that I cared, she couldn't do anything really bad since she worked all the time and she was only home in the evening… even if she decided I couldn't go out at night, it wouldn't be so bad. I'd have more time to myself.

"I have to go to work now, but we'll talk again later."

I groaned. "Wasn't this enough?"

"If you get any mouthier…"

"I know, I know. I'll clean my room while you're at work."

I didn't see Darrel for over a week and in the meantime school started. I thought a lot about me and him, and the general situation. Everything came down to one single solution.

On some Thursday afternoon I picked up the phone and dialed the Curtis' number. Ponyboy answered and I asked him if Darry was home. He said he was busy at the moment but he'd call me back as soon as he could. I thanked him and hung up, sure that Darry would never call back.

But I still kept answering the phone every time it rang that day: it was always for my mother and once for me, my friend Jenny.

I wasn't even thinking about Darry's possible call anymore when the phone rang again and I lazily answered: "Hello…" It was him. "Hi. I'm sorry about what I told you last week…" I muttered. "I just wanted to let you know that… I'm not gonna bother you anymore. My mom will skin me if I so much as walk in front of your house, so…" Darry told me he was sorry my mother had gone berserk on me, that it wasn't right since nothing had happened. "She knows, but she also thinks I shouldn't see you anymore… so…" I paused. "Bye, Darry."

As I put down the receiver, I felt a tear sliding down my cheek. I had decided I was going to try and forget him. I truly had. After all, I had been annoying him for a long time and he was probably tired of me and my mother would never approve an eventual relationship. My brother would never approve (well, he wouldn't care that much anyway). No one would approve because of the age gap.

I had to be the one who was wrong, since everybody else seemed to agree.

-------------------------------------------------------

Some months slowly went by. I rarely saw Darry, and when it happened, it was usually because we'd bump into each other while walking around the neighborhood. My mom was happy I had listened to her advice, or so she thought. Despite my efforts, I couldn't ignore the fact that forgetting Darrel wasn't easy at all. I had forced myself to try, because life would be much more simple then, but I couldn't go out with some dumb guy like all my friends did to feel less alone and I couldn't tell anyone what was wrong with me, so I just pretended I was happy, while inside I was feeling miserable.

I had made a resolution though and I intended to keep it. Even if January arrived and the New Year didn't seem much promising for me... I was absolutely sure it was going to suck. But it would be Darry's birthday on the 5th and, although in the beginning I wanted to get him something, I just had no idea what to buy and barely any money: I couldn't ask my mom for more because she'd want to know what I needed it for and I didn't want to lie to her. So, I was left baking a cake and making some cookies.

I liked cooking if it was for someone else. If I had to cook for myself, I despised it. Since I did it rarely, I was afraid the results would suck, but the cookies were actually good when I tasted one and the cake… well, I'd have to cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I sneaked out of the house hoping mom wouldn't come home early from work for some mysterious reason and walked to the Curtis' house.

Darry looked surprised when I showed up on his porch but tried to hide it. He was probably wondering why all of a sudden I'd decided to ignore what I'd told him months before. Truth was, I just couldn't ignore his birthday. Even if I couldn't see him because I liked him… he was still an old friend. He still meant a lot.

"Come on in…" Darry invited me. "It's freezing outside. I just got home from work myself."

"I'm lucky then. Well… happy birthday, Darry!" I handed him the cake and the cookies. I was feeling nervous because I hadn't really made anything for him before, or for anyone else for that matter. "I made them for you but if you don't like them you can throw 'em away, I mean, I'm not sure they taste good so you don't have to eat 'em and get a stomachache afterwards…"

Darry almost laughed. "I don't think I could get a stomachache… these look pretty good. Have a seat." He pointed to the kitchen and I sat, while he got a knife and some dishes. "Thank you, Susie." He said while he was cutting the cake. "You didn't have to do this."

"I just wanted to do something. It's not your birthday anyday… and when it's the birthday of someone special, it should be celebrated better with more than just a cake and some cookies, but unfortunately I… didn't know what else to do." I reluctantly admitted.

"This is more than enough." He smiled. His blue eyes seemed to smile as well. He finally tasted the cake.

"How is it?" I asked, worried. He had an unfathomable look on his handsome face.

"It's delicious. Here, you eat some as well." He cut a piece for me. "I really like it." He reassured me, seeing the doubtful look on my face.

"I'm glad you do. So, hum… did Pony and Soda get you anything?"

"Yes and no. Pony woke me up at midnight shouting 'Happy Birthday Darry!' and he told me he and Soda had gotten something really tuff for me, but that I'd only receive it when we would be having dinner later… that is, in a couple of hours…" he glanced at the clock. "I wasn't really awake and I told Pony to let me sleep, but for some reason he kept talking until one in the morning when I got up from bed and locked him outside of my room."

I laughed. "Never a dull moment, huh?"

Darry shook his head. "Never. What about you, is everything fine at home?"

I knew he was not only asking out of politeness but also because he was still thinking about the fight I'd had with my mother. "Yeah, life's great." I lied. Sure things were good at home… but with mom's prohibition of seeing him, life wasn't definitely on the bright side. "You know… Two-Bit even got himself a stable job, or at least looks like it."

Darry and I chatted for a while. I loved spending time with him, even just talking about nonsense. Maybe it won't be that hard to let him go, I kept repeating to myself. But I knew it wasn't true.