I'm updating before going to bed because here it's half past one in the morning… I really should be in bed… hope you all enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.

7 – Snow

"Susan, wake up! You're gonna be late for school!"

My mom was shaking me but I refused to move. "Mom, I don't feel well…" I muttered.

"I don't buy that. Get up, your breakfast's ready!"

I really didn't feel well. I slowly made my way downstairs and almost collapsed on a chair.

Mom was eyeing me warily. "You better eat quick. I'm leaving for work, if you'd got up before I would've given you a ride." She said as she put on her coat.

"Yeah…" I nodded as I put a piece of toast in my mouth. Once she got outside, though, I threw everything away and went upstairs to get changed. Now that I was up, it made no sense to stay in bed, even if I didn't feel alright.

"Great. Just great." I muttered, noticing it was snowing. I didn't have time to look for the umbrella so I just grabbed my rucksack and headed outside. "I hate snow." I seriously did. I was probably the only person who didn't like snow and everyone thought I was weird.

I ended up late for first period at school but the teacher was really nice and she didn't mind when I'd explained the reason I was late, exaggerating a bit.

The day at school never seemed to end. Just like it never stopped snowing. By the time school was over, there had to be several inches of snow outside. I hate, hate, hate snow with a passion. Besides, my idiot ex-boyfriend Joe liked teasing me by asking if I needed a ride knowing I'd never accept.

I started walking home. I had a major headache and I was feeling weak. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I realized I didn't have the key to enter my house and I'd basically locked myself out. And mom wouldn't come home for at least another couple of hours. I cursed and tried to decide what to do when someone from the other side of the street called my name.

I looked up. It was Ponyboy. "Hey, Susie! What are you doing? You need a ride somewhere?"

"No, I…" I sighed. "I was going home but I don't have the keys to get inside."

"Well, come inside my house then!" he offered. "Your mom works till late, right?"

"Yeah…"

I didn't want to accept Pony's offer because for one, I wasn't supposed to hang with the Curtis brothers, and two, what if Darry came home and thought I was being obnoxious? But since the alternative was freezing to death or go to some crowded bar (that I didn't really felt like doing) I followed Ponyboy inside. Each one of the Curtis guys was so damn nice, why had I fallen for the oldest?

"Do you want something hot to drink?"

We chatted for a while until Pony told me he had to go out to see some friends. "Just do like this was your house" he said before leaving.

I sat on the sofa. I was feeling really sleepy and I thought I could just take a nap… then I'd go home and do my homework…

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

I rolled on my left side and noticed a blanket was covering me. How strange. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Wait… I ain't home…

I noticed Darry sitting in the armchair. He was writing something in a notebook and was mumbling to himself. Then he noticed me looking at him. "Hey, Susie. I found you asleep when I came home and I didn't want to wake you up, cause it seems you've got a fever." He explained.

"I do?" I repeated dully.

"Yeah. Are you cold? Do you want another blanket?"

"No, I'm fine… sorry about this, I just forgot my keys this morning because I was in a hurry and when I came home I couldn't get inside... Pony saw me and he-"

"Don't worry. I don't think your mother's home yet, so just rest for a while and then I'll phone to see if she's back." He smiled. He looked really breath-taking when he did that, and even more so at the moment because his hair was all messy. "I'm gonna make some hot chocolate, alright?" he asked before getting up and heading towards the kitchen.

I'm probably dreaming, I thought. There's no way Darry's being this kind to me… it's just too much…

Not that Darrel was a rude person, but there was something so sweet about him that day… I couldn't put my finger on it and in the end I decided I was just thinking incoherent thoughts because of the fever.

"Darry, can I ask you something?" I said when we were drinking the hot chocolate some minutes later.

"Sure." He nodded.

"You think I'm just a kid?"

At least I could blame my question on the fever.

Darry just looked at me for a minute. I thought he was going to ignore what I'd asked, but he replied choosing very carefully what to say, or so it looked like to me. "I think despite the neighborhood we live in and all you've gone through, you're growing up nicely. When your mom talks about you, she always looks very proud, anyone can see that. And you'll be a great woman soon, I'm sure."

"You mean it?"

"Yes. And you're very independent, I like that." He seemed to correct himself: "I believe it's a good thing to try to not depend on anyone too much, even if it's obvious we all need somebody." He looked outside the window: "It's still snowing. I don't think Tulsa's seen this much snow since I was ten or so."

"Why? Did it snow a lot then?"

"Once it did. I remember this one time… Ponyboy was four and he had never seen snow before, he was scared and excited at the same time. Soda would beg mom all day long to let him go outside and play." Darry smiled fondly at the memory and I smiled as well. I loved hearing him talk about his brothers, he was so caring… I thought it was one of his best qualities. The way he had taken care of Pony and Soda after their parents' death was incredible. When he became their legal tutor I was just a little girl and I didn't realize fully what it meant, but I was seventeen now and I started to understand how hard it had to have been for him. And I loved him even more for not giving up.

Darry reminisced for a while and I listened intently. After a while, I started to feel sleepy again, but before dozing off, there was something I wanted to tell him. "You're the most amazing person I know." I said. "And maybe you don't care what I think and maybe I don't know that many people, but you really are special and Pony and Soda are lucky."

I wasn't sure, because I was already asleep a few minutes later, but I thought I felt like I was being kissed on the forehead. Maybe it was just the fever. But that day I was happy.