A/N: Yes, I finally updated. Sorry it took so long, I've been extremely busy with school….and I've been grounded.

Autumn's POV

The next morning I had a good sized bruise on my cheek. Makeup simply would not cover it up and I was going over to Sodapop's house. He would be so pissed off. When I went downstairs however, my parents were acting as if the whole thing had never happened.

I pulled up in front of the Curtis house around 11:00 a.m. The whole gang was in the living room except for Soda who was in his room getting dressed. I noticed Ponyboy glaring at me the moment I walked in. Dally was the first one to notice my bruise.

"Holy shit," he said. Then Steve yelled

"Soda, get out here, now!" Darry was carefully looking me over to be sure that there were no other bruises. Two-Bit and Johnny looked very concerned. When Sodapop saw me he immediately yelled

"Who the hell did this to you!" I felt tears coming on and I struggled to restrain them.

"My dad, after he called me a slut," I choked out.

"I will kill him. That's just a fact," said Soda with complete seriousness in his voice.

"Soda please don't get too worked up," I pleaded. Then Darry jumped in

"Soda, Autumn's right. There's nothing you can do," he said. Soda still looked angry. Then the guys gave us some privacy. Soda and I decided to go to the movies, but I could tell he was still thinking about my bruise.

Soda's POV

I was so mad! I hoped I was never around Autumn's father again because if I was I would kill him. After our date I hated to watch Autumn go home. The whole day had been pretty bleak because at the movies there were a bunch of greasers and Soc gawking at us like they had it in mind to jump us. Why couldn't they just mind their own business?

At home Darry kept asking questions about Autumn. Was she seriously hurt? Did her dad always abuse her? Blah. Blah. Blah. Finally I had had enough.

"Darry, its been a long day. Leave me alone."

"You best watch your mouth little buddy," Darry replied. I just rolled my eyes. Darry could be such a mother hen. Then I climbed into bed with Pony.

"So Pony, I know I haven't had much time for you lately but that's gonna change. Tomorrow after school meet me at the DX," I said. Pony, who sounded irritable asked

"Will Autumn be there?"

"Nope. Neither will Steve. He's going out on a hot date with Evie,"I answered. Even in the darkness of the night I could tell that Pony was smiling his feeble smile. He hadn't been doing much of that lately. I drifted off to sleep before I could say anything more.

The next day I devoted myself to Ponyboy. I took him some new Paul Newman movie. Normally I can't sit still through a whole movie but that day a forced myself too

After that Pony and I had dinner at a little diner on 10th Street. There were a couple of girls, about fifteen years of age smiling at us. One seemed particularly taken with Pony. He got tired of her giggling so we left.

Suddenly I realized I had never spent a day like that with Ponyboy. I got a sick feeling inside that maybe I wasn't a very good brother.

"Hey Pony, be honest, am I….a bad brother?" I asked.

"No Soda. You're the best. I want to be just like you," He said almost immediately. I couldn't help but grin.

Not too long after that we went home. The boys were all there but Pony and I went straight to bed. But then I got the urge to call Autumn. Sadly I couldn't. If her folks found out she was still seeing me they'd beat her. Plus, Pony looked so young and peaceful I just couldn't wake him by talking or jiggling the bed by standing up.

I thought about what Pony had said to me earlier that night about wanting to be just like me. The truth is I didn't want him to be anything like me. Pony was a smart kid with a good head on his shoulders. He could rise above being a greaser, I never would. I would always work at the gas station and I would always be a dropout.

Autumn's POV

On Monday after school I went to Soda's house. My parents thought I was at my friend Cheyenne's house. I just prayed they wouldn't call there to check up on me. That was pretty much my routine for the rest of the week, go to Soda's house, hang out with the gang, eat, makeout, and watch television. Little did I know soon everything would change.

Pony's POV

I must admit that I was a little bit concerned about Autumn when I saw her bruise. No one deserves that, even if they are an ungrateful, brother stealing Soc.

a/n: I'm sorry it's so short, the next chapter will be extra long. I know this chapter was mostly about Soda and Pony but I felt the story needed to have some family in it.