Here's the next chapter. Sorry it pretty uneventful, but the next-next chapter will be better. Promise.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS OR THE OUTSIDERS.

A New Life Chapter 7

Dinner With the Curtis's


Johnny took another bite of macaroni. He felt oddly relieved. So far dinner had been going smoothly, which was unusual, especially at the Curtis household. He checked the time. It was already 6:30, the sun would be setting in about 3 and a half hours. He absentmindedly decided to spend the night in the lot, or maybe crash on the Curtis's couch. His dad had been in a bad mood lately.

He looked around at the rest of the gang. Ponyboy was talking to Darry and Soda about the upcoming track season. Two-Bit was being Two-Bit and Steve was looking generally annoyed.

Dally had left in the middle of dinner. He said something about heading over to Buck's to get the kid's stuff. Dally had told the kid that he would be staying with the Curtis's instead of Bucks. Ryoma had brushed it off nonchalantly, but Soda and Ponyboy had looked curiously at the emerald haired kid, probably wondering what it would be like to live with him.

Johnny let his eyes wander over to Ryoma, who was picking at his bowl of macaroni. Throughout dinner the kid had barely said a word, unless it was to make a smart ass comment. Two-Bit had stated that the Ponyboy now had some competition for who was the biggest smart-ass of the house.

Johnny found Ryoma strange. The kid acted cocky, arrogant and rude, but he seemed to also be hurting inside. His eyes didn't project the cocky appearance the rest of him did. They showed deep pain and longing; they showed a loss of something important in his life.

His thoughts were interrupted when Ryoma lifted his head and their eyes met. Johnny froze, knowing he had been caught staring. For some reason though, Ryoma didn't look mad. He looked …..curious.


Ryoma had spent most of dinner poking at the macaroni. Even though he had told himself to get over it, he just didn't feel hungry. All he wanted to do at the moment was sleep. He had been told he would be staying with the Curtis's and he didn't mind. Anywhere was good so long as he didn't have to listen to the racket that constantly filled the downstairs of Buck's.

Throughout dinner everyone chatted with everyone, like one big family. The only difference- he was there. He wasn't part of their big, happy family and he didn't want to be. His family was in Japan. His parents were dead, buried beneath the earth and the regulars, whom he considered family, were probably still getting over his move to America. They were his family.

He looked up from his bowl of food and found himself staring into the eyes of the person across from him. Ryoma remembered the guy's name was Johnny. For some reason he had a feeling that Johnny had been staring at him for a while.

Instead of turning away Ryoma stared right back at him. He was curious about Johnny. He remembered the guy called Steve had mention Johnny was supposedly one of the only things his cousin loved. He didn't know much about his cousin, but he knew Dallas rarely let people penetrate the hard shell he wore and weasel their way into his heart. Johnny must be something special to do that. Ryoma himself had never been able to. He watched as Johnny's eyes widened ever so slightly at being caught staring.

Yep, He decided. Johnny was definitely something special.


"Hey Johnny. Two-Bit and I are going to show Ryoma around town tomorrow, you wanna come?" Ponyboy asked looking over at his friend.

Johnny quickly looked away from Ryoma and instead focused his attention on his best friend. "Why not?" He murmured.

Ponyboy looked curiously between Ryoma and Johnny, before shrugging. He could have sworn the two had been staring heatedly at each other, but then decided it was probably just his imagination. Lord knows he had a big one.

After dinner everyone settled into the living room. Darry sat down in his recliner, reading the newspaper. Ponyboy and Johnny sat on the couch. Steve, Two-Bit and Soda sat around the coffee table, playing a game of poker and Ryoma sat down in the arm chair.

Dally returned around 8. He carried with him two large garbage bags filled with stuff and a cat carrier. The minute Ryoma saw the cat carrier he took it away from Dallas, opening it immediately.

Everyone's eyes widened curiously as a white Himalayan spotted cat jumped out and into Ryoma lap, purring loudly.

"What's its name?" Ponyboy asked, eyes wide with interest.

"It's a her, not an it," Ryoma scowled. "And her name is Karupin."

Darry eyed the cat with a frown. "You didn't tell me I was responsible for a cat too," Darry looked towards Dally, who was humming nonchalantly.

"C'mon Darry, I'll make sure to pay for the thing's food every week. Bedside's the menace isn't that bad," Dally tried to persuade Darry.

Ryoma's glare was directed towards Dally this time and Darry sighed. "Fine, but it better be house trained."

Ryoma's scowl deepened, but he smiled inside. He didn't know what he would do if he wasn't allowed to keep Karupin. She was part of his family. He let his lips quark up into a barely noticeable smile. Unbeknownst to him Ponyboy and Johnny were both looking at him with a hint of shock. This was the first time they had seen him shown any affection towards something, much yet smile.

Ryoma's happiness quickly dissipated as Karupin left his lap. He looked up in shock to find her now sitting in Sodapop's. Traitor He thought venomously and frowned (Cough, Pouted, Cough).

Soda looked down in surprise at the cat in his lap. He began petting it's head and received a small purr in response. Steve frowned. Now he had a cat distracting his best friend from their poker game instead of a pony.

"It's about time we had a girl in the house," Two-Bit joked. "Too bad she doesn't cook and clean though…"

Ponyboy, Johnny, Soda and Darry chuckled at Two-Bit's attempt at humour.

"You forgot one thing Two-Bit," Soda stated.

"I did?" Two asked. What he had forgotten.

"Yeah, she aint blonde either." Soda laughed at Two-Bit's face, the rest of the gang joinging in, even Two-Bit.

Ryoma didn't know why the gang laughed at that statement and he didn't care. All he cared about was that his cat was not sitting in his lap and had left him for a stranger.

Two-Bit suddenly stood up. "Well I better be getting home. Ma's working the night shift and wants me to watch my sis." Everyone said a quick good-bye and Two-Bit left with the promise to be back in the morning.

About 5 minutes later both Steve and Dally also left. Steve decided it was time to get some sleep, considering both he and Soda had to work in the morning and Dally deciding it was time to hunt some action at Buck's.

"Johnny are you going to stay the night here?" Ponyboy asked.

Johnny shook his head. "Nah, it's pretty nice out tonight, I'll probably just stay in the lot, look at some stars."

"You sure?" Pony pressed.

Johnny nodded and quietly left after bidding everyone goodnight.

The house was plunged into an awkward silence. Ryoma sat on the floor, trying to ignore the tense atmosphere. He finally stood up, not being able to stand the quiet any longer. He turned to Ponyboy an idea forming in his head.

"Got any paper?" He asked, not specifying what he needed it for.

Ponyboy looked surprised, but nodded. "Yeah, just give me a sec' and I'll grab some." Ponyboy left the room and returned a minute later. He was holding five, clear sheets of lined paper. Ponyboy handed the sheets to Ryoma, who instantly left the room, heading upstairs to his bedroom. Karupin followed him.

The three brother continued to watch T.V. Darry and Soda retired to bed around 10. Pony decided since it was a Friday, and he didn't have school in the morning, it was okay to stay up for a bit. By 11 he decided to retire for the night. As he quietly shut off the T.V and headed upstairs he paused in front of his old room, now Ryoma's.

The door was open a crack. Ponyboy inched forward, trying to make as little noise as possible. He got as close to the door as he could without moving it and looked through the crack. He was surprised to see Ryoma sitting at his old desk, furiously staring down at the blank piece of paper in front of him. Ponyboy nearly jumped in fright as Karupin let out a loud mewl.

He pressed his back against the strip of wall between Ryoma's door and the one he shared with Sodapop. He forced his breathing to slow down.

"I know, I'll go to bed soon Karupin. I just have to finish the letter," Ryoma's voice drifted out from the room. Ponyboy quickly inched towards his bedroom door. As he lay down in bed he couldn't help but think of Ryoma's words.

Who was he writing a letter too? Why? He remembered what Darry had told him after Ryoma had gone upstairs.

(Flashback)

The brothers watched as Ryoma headed up the stairs towards his room. Darry let out a long sigh, causing Ponyboy and Soda to look at him with worry.

"What's wrong Dar?" Soda asked and Pony waited curiously for his brother's answer.

Darry shook his head. "It's nothing important, just thinking of the kid."

"Watcha thinking?" Pony asked, wondering why his brother sounded so troubled.

"Well it's just that the kid's only 12. Dally said his parents died. It just doesn't seem fair that the kid's being shipped off to live with someone he barely knows," Darry explained. Truthfully told that was only half of what Darry was worrying about. The kid was so young and seemed so vulnerable. He didn't belong with the rest of them. Greasers.

Soda nodded in understanding. "Well there aint much we can do about it except watch out for the kid."

Pony smiled at Soda's words. He was right, all they could do was watch out for the kid.

Darry turned to Pony. "When you're with him make sure to watch out for him. Make sure he stays out of trouble k?"

Pony nodded and the brothers settled back into a comfortable silence. No one really paying much attention to the T.V.

(Flashback End)

Darry was right. It wasn't fair. The kid's parents had died not too long ago and now he was being shipped off to live with a cousin he barely knew, in a town he had probably never even heard of.

Pony wondered what the kid thought of this. Did he have friends back where had used to live? Friend's he that he was missing? What was his life like before now? Thoughts of the strange boy filled Ponyboy's mind as he eventually drifted off to sleep.


Ryoma sat the desk in his room, the only light coming from a small lamp. He had suddenly remembered Tezuka had given him a note with his postal code on it so Ryoma could send the team letters. He was currently debating on how to start his letter. Should he write to each team-member individually or just write one letter to the whole team.

After about five minute of debating over it he decided to go with one letter. Grabbing the pencil he began writing for the first time since he had sat down at the desk an hour and half ago.

Dear Sempai-tachi.


A/N

So how was it? Next chapter Two-Bit, Ponyboy and Johnny give Ryoma a tour of Tulsa! Maybe I'll even throw in Curly.

Please Review!