A/N: Howdy, y'all. I'm sorry this took such a long time to get posted. I just haven't felt like posting and I keep going back and editing some of the chapters I've typed up. I'm sorry it took so long.

Disclaimers: The usual. If you recognize something I most likely don't own it. So I'm not taking credit for it. Pardon typos, please!

It's a surprisingly chilly day outside, which is a nice break from the constant heat that's been blanketing over Tulsa the entire summer.

I'm stacking books when the doorbell rings. I hear Ruby's usual, "Hi, welcome to Lansdowne." and I go back to work.

Suddenly someone's arms are wrapped around my waist and I jump.

"Jumpy today, are we?" a female voice asks me.

I laugh and rub my cast. "Golly, you scared me, Donna."

"I can see that," she says with a smile.

My coworker Joey is beside me, helping me rearrange the books that previous customers have so haphazardly thrown everywhere. He's quiet and almost brooding, pensive. He never talks to me, or anyone really, but we're all used to that now.

He glares at Donna but doesn't say anything. I look at him, and then to Donna, but she seems oblivious to the proverbial daggers he's throwing her way.

Ruby walks to the back of the store where we're at, and I see that Eric is taking over the front check-out desk for her. Joey walks away as soon as he sees her ("He really hates me, and I don't know what I did," Ruby always tells me). He disregards Ruby's hurt look and leaves.

I look at my girlfriend. "You never come to my work, Donna. What's the occasion? To whom do I owe this pleasure?"

She hits me lightly on the arm. "What do you mean, baby?" she asks. "I can't visit you at your work?"

"I never said that," I tell her with a patient smile. "You just never come. What are you doin' here? Ain't you babysittin' your neighbor's kids today?"

"Not until later." She runs a hand through her short, windblown hair. "I was bored. I wanted to see you. We haven't hung out in a while."

She kisses me for a really long time right then and there. "Okay," I say. "Donna, I'm at work. I gotta finish stacking the books."

"What?" Donna's lips form a pout. "Work is more important than me? Is that what you're saying?"

My eyes widen. I feel my breath leave me as Ruby starts laughing. Laughing. At Donna.

Oh, God. You don't laugh at Donna. And Ruby doesn't deserve Donna's wrath. No one really does.

I shake my head at Ruby as Donna's eyes trail over to her. "And who is this, Ponyboy?" she asks, her eyes not leaving Ruby's face.

Ruby scrutinizes her back with the same - if not more - amount of intensity. "I'm Ruby," she says kindly, her soft voice not matching her fierce eyes.

"Ruby," Donna repeats. Her eyes squint. Oh, glory, there's going to be a fight in the middle of Lansdowne books and I'll only have myself to blame.

"I'm one of Ponyboy's coworkers. And you are?"

"I'm his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend, huh?" Ruby turns to me, her one eyebrow quirked up Two-Bit style.

I nod wordlessly, not wanting to intervene on the impending smack down.

"Oh," Ruby says, looking slightly hurt (for reasons why I am not sure). "Oh."

"What?" I can't help but ask her, putting Slaughterhouse 5 on the shelf under authors V.

"Nothing," she states. "You two enjoy each other."

I grimace, running a hand through my greaseless hair. "That was weird," I say.

"You're telling me. "You two enjoy each other"." Donna frowns. "What…what do you think she meant by that?"

"Donna, why did you have to do that?"

She looks incredulous. She gives a shrug as she says, "Do what?"

I go on, ignoring her. "You always do that. Can't you just get along with people for once?"

"Do what? Baby, what did I do?"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "You always scare people that I like away. Are you just jealous or something?"

I feel bad for what I'm saying but it's all true. I've never had a friend that ain't a friend of Donna's. She scares all my female friends away and now I got a reputation, and that ain't fair.

"Jealous?" She scoffs. "Yeah, Pony, I'm jealous. Right."

I breathe through the hurt. This was not how I was planning my day to go. "Don't Worry Baby" is playing over the tinny radio throughout Lansdowne, and I can't help but think that this is the worst song to be playing at this moment.

"Whatever. It's just that…why are you so—so—"

"Oh, come on!" she explodes. "That Ruby girl is so into you!"

"No, she isn't! We're just friends! She's not into me like that!"

Donna stares at me. My eyebrows knit together. "She was totally undressing you with her eyes!"

"What?" I shout, because that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

Eric comes back and shushes us. "Ponyboy, you're going to scare the customers away."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, Eric." I turn back to Donna. "You're gonna get me fired!"

She folds her arms across her chest and huffs. Her glares are caustic. "You're picking me up to take me the strip tonight, right?"

"I thought you were babysitting," I say defiantly.

"You're picking me up to take me to the strip tonight, right?"

My teeth grind together so hard I might chip one. "Yeah, sure, whatever." I shrug dismissively.

But I don't want to.

I go to the checkout desk to talk to Ruby. There are so many things I would like to say to her…so many things I could possibly ask. Because that outburst was not normal. Especially for someone like Ruby.

"So…what was that about?"

"What was what about?" Ruby says innocently as she braids her long hair. She's being extremely absentminded today.

"The whole "You two enjoy each other". Are you mad at me or something?"

She bites her lip sheepishly. "No, I'm not mad…I don't know," she mumbles. "I feel pretty bad about that. Does she hate me?"

"Donna hates everyone."

"Well, Pony, if you don't mind me asking, why are you going out with her then? Hate can have a very negative impact on everyone."

"That's a good question." One I don't even know the answer to anymore. "It seems like all we do is fight nowadays."

She puts her hand on my shoulder, her long fingers wrapping tightly around. "I'm sorry," she says.

"It ain't your fault." I sigh. "I don't want to break up with her. I like her. I just…she is so difficult sometimes."

Ruby is someone I can confide to. She's like my Johnny, my Sodapop. Someone Donna should be.

"It'll get better," she comforts. "I know it will. My momma always said that it'll always turn out okay in the end."

I smile.

The doorbell gives its clang, telling us someone has walked in. "Hi, welcome to Lansdowne," we say simultaneously.

And like that, we're friends again.

I'm sitting at home, watching Dragnet, waiting for Darry to pick me up to get me a car.

He finally does, albeit filled with regret, I'm sure. And now we're driving to the used car dealership that Two-Bit works at.

"I'm so excited," I tell my oldest brother. Wiping my hands on my jeans in anticipation, I grin.

"Well, good." The way he says shows that he's obviously not as excited about this as I am.

"What's the matter?"

It seems as though Darry has been very unusually…distant. He hasn't been his usual I'm like a parent so I'll pry into your life Darry.

"Nothin's botherin' me, Pone," he says. His grip on the steering wheel is like a vice; his knuckles are turning white.

I bite my lip and look at his face. "You sure about that?"

He looks at me strangely. "'Course I'm sure. What gives you the impression of anything different?"

"I don't know, Dar. You're just…quieter."

"Quieter?"

"For, um, lack of a better word."

My oldest brother throws a crooked grin in my direction, his eyes averting back to the road, which he so vigilantly pays attention to.

"Am I usually not quiet?"

"No," I say.

It seems as though my brother is the eye of the hurricane. Like he's waiting for me to do something wrong but I haven't yet, so he's calm for now. But then I'll mess that up and the storm will move and bam! We'll have a hurricane to deal with.

"I mean…you can't blame me for being nervous."

My face screws up in thought. "What are you nervous about, Dar?"

"Ponyboy, it's just that…this is a big step to take. I mean, you're right. You need a car. You're growin' up, you got yourself a girlfriend. I just can't believe how much you've grown. I remember when you were a baby, kiddo."

I try to cover the shock of Darry's outburst. He's not usually one to broadcast his feelings so openly like that, so it's somewhat surprising. "Glory," I breathe. "And that concludes deep thoughts with Darry Curtis."

Darry rolls his eyes at me and I assume that this is the end of the conversation.

A huge, toothy grin breaks out on Two-Bit's face when me and Darry enter. "You little son of a gun."

I can't help but smile back. He has that effect on people. Two-Bit's laughs are naturally contagious.

"Soooo…" he says dramatically. "What are you looking for, Ponyman?"

"Aw, knock it off, Two-Bit. It don't matter, I just want something with four wheels and that I can drive."

"Oh." Two-Bit's eyebrows waggle in that way that shows he's trying real hard not to bust up laughing. "I think I got somethin' that'll interest ya."

I want to knock my friend out as he shows me a Volkswagen Beetle.

He throws his head back and cackles, wildly and so Two-Bit like I realize my friend really hasn't changed at all.

I groan.

"Come on, Two-Bit. Where are the real cars?"

"Aw, lighten up, kid," Two-Bit says. "Soon you'll end up like ol' Muscles here."

Darry smacks Two-Bit upside the head. "Ow!" exclaims Two-Bit. "Come on, Darry! Not at my work!"

"So, how do you like it here, Two-Bit?" I ask to keep the peace.

Two-Bit slings his arm around my shoulders and says, "Well, you know, Pony, I didn't think I'd really dig the whole workin' thing."

"But?"

"But…it actually ain't so bad. I mean, I miss the days where I was a single, school-bound kid."

"You mean an eighteen year old junior."

"Tomato, tomato." He shrugs. "Whatever you want to say. But I'm glad I finally got a job."

"Took you long enough," Darry grunts.

"That's true, Darry, that is true." Two-Bit tightens his grip and wraps his arms around my neck. "If it weren't for the kid here I'd probably still be goin' nowhere."

I sigh. He gives me too much credit.

A used (but still very nice) 1963 Studebaker Avanti.

It's cheap, it's used, but it runs and the brakes work. It's black, it's awesome, it's like my own Batmobile.

It's cheap mostly because of the amount of money Two-Bit took off for us. "The family discount," he said even though Darry and I were protesting.

But I don't care; I'm euphoric.

"You be careful with this, kiddo. You treat it how you treat that girl o' yours." Two-Bit ruffles my hair with exaggerated force. But then, more quietly he says, "Seriously, man. Be careful. We can't handle anything happening to anyone else."

I frown at Two-Bit's cryptic choice of words.

He pats me on the arm and then Darry and I are leaving. "Darry," I call from my car (my! My car!), "I'm gonna go out to the strip with Donna tonight, okay?"

"Sure, Pony. Soda and Steve may be goin' out there later tonight. Just make sure you're all back at eleven."

"Sure thing."

Donna's surprisingly mellow after her outburst at Lansdowne. She even kisses me on the cheek.

"Whose car is this? I didn't recognize it."

"It's mine," I say with a grin I can't hold back.

"Yours? Oh, Pony," she says, "that's great."

She's holding something underneath her arm, and she hands it to me.

"Revolver?"

"I want you to listen to this record start to finish because it changed my life. I feel like it will change your life too. Which is why you have to listen to it."

She can be so bossy. "But, Donna…I don't think I have a record player." And I don't want to listen to this Socy music.

"Well, you need to find one."

I raise my eyebrows.

She goes on. "Or…well, maybe you could come back to my house one day and we can listen to it together."

I pull up to an abandoned parking lot which is a few minutes away from the strip. "I'd like that," I say with a grin.

I'm pretty sure Darry didn't want me to get a car just so I could kiss my girlfriend in it but so far that's the only thing exciting that I've done with it.

It's easier to kiss her than it is to talk to her. And I admit, that's a horrible thing to say. But I can't help but know that it's true.

"I need to get home," Donna suddenly says mid-kiss, her hair disheveled and lipstick smeared.

"What? Why?"

"I have to babysit my neighbor's kids."

"I thought you said you didn't have to do that tonight," I say.

"I said no such thing."

"But, we didn't even go to the strip or anything…we were only hear for about twenty minutes."

"I just wanted to spend some time with you. We've been fighting a lot lately, I just wanted to get in some time for you. I need you to drive me back."

"Okay," I agree, though I'm internally seething. Why would she make me take her out here just for me to drive her back?

"Hey, Pone," Soda greets me at the door. "I thought you were hangin' out with Donna tonight."

"That was the original plan," I say.

"Well…me and Steve and Two-Bit are goin' out to the strip tonight. Maybe meet some people. Go on an adventure. Wanna come?"

"Sure. Though I don't really like to think of Two-Bit goin' on an "adventure"."

He laughs, his teeth white and straight. "We're leavin' in a few minutes, so be ready."

Two-Bit and I are sitting on the hood of his car. He's on his fourth beer, Soda and Steve on their first. They offered me some to drink from their spot on the curb, but I reclined.

"Do you ever feel like you're being watched?" Two-Bit asks between belches.

Steve and Sodapop look at each other; they seem to be pondering the question.

"Like "Big Brother's always watching"?" I say as an attempt to humor him. Soda cracks his knuckles against the concrete.

"No, no. I don't know."

"What, do you feel like you're bein' watched now?" Steve wonders aloud.

"No, I was just wonderin' if you've ever felt that way."

"You're drunk already, Two-Bit," I tell him. "You'd think your alcohol tolerance would be higher by now, you lightweight."

"Have you ever felt like you were bein' watched, Two-Bit?" questions Sodapop.

"Not that I know of."

He belches.

"Gross, man." Steve wrinkles his nose and grimaces. "That's disgustin'."

We walk in a long, horizontal line down the strip, stopping many times along the line to talk to people we know.

I see Terry Jones. He's sitting in a pile of crumpled beer cans, talking to Lou, one of Curly Shepard's buddies.

The air smells like sweat, beer, and weed. It's gotten hotter; early this morning there was a chill in the air, but now there's a lingering, sticky heat. We can't go two minutes without hearing Steve flap his mouth about it.

Terry gives a very dramatic, conspicuous wave. I wave back slightly, noticing how my t-shirt is sticking to my back from the heat.

I walk up to him and I see that Sodapop is chatting up a pretty blonde girl. I can see his smile in my peripheral vision. Steve and Two-Bit are talking to some other hoods. I try not to watch Soda but I hope that this is a relationship this time. He needs a girl; hasn't had a real relationship since Sandy. And I hope this is different.

"How you doin', Curtis?" Terry laughs like a loon. "You want some of this?" He hands a smoke in my direction.

"What is it?"

"It's hookah."

"What's that? It ain't drugs, is it?"

"Nah. It's only flavored tobacco."

I smile, relieved that he's not doing drugs out in the open like that. He can be stupid. And I wouldn't be surprised if he did that.

"No thanks."

He waves again and I walk towards Two-Bit and Steve.

There's a hippie girl sitting on a blanket, strumming her guitar and singing a tune I can barely recognize. "Didn't I make you feel, like you were the only man? Didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can?" She has a nice voice. If I had money on me I'd give her some.

Me and Two-Bit and Steve are standing next to each other, in between the hustle and bustle that is the strip.

"Who is that?" I ask them, pointing to the blonde Soda's talking to.

"I don't know," Steve says. "She always comes up to the DX. Susie something…"

Sodapop sidles up to us, his face happy and content.

We ask him about this "Susie". We look out for Soda. Especially in the relationship sense. We all remember how he was devastated after Sandy...even though we'd all like to forget.

"Who's that?"

"Oh, her?" He grins. "She's just a girl who comes up to my work sometimes. Melissa Collins."

"You weren't even close, Steve." I grin and Steve snickers.

"I thought her name was Susie."

Sodapop laughs at this. "I like her a lot, man. She's real nice and funny."

"Well, you should go out with her," I suggest lightly.

"Oh, I am," Soda replies, grinning ear to ear.

"That's good." Steve claps him on the shoulder.

I'm about to give him a pat on the back myself when I see her. Possibly the worst person I could possibly see. Someone I've made sure I've avoided at all costs...usually.

Angela Shepard.

And she's walking right toward me.

Read this, if you want! :-)

-Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is the book Ponyboy is stacking on the shelf.

-"Don't Worry, Baby" is a song by the Beach Boys.

-Dragnet is a TV show, obviously. It was on for a very long time.

-Revolver is a Beatles album. It was released in 1966. I love it. One of my favorites.

-"Big Brother is always watching" is a reference to 1984 by George Orwell.

-The song that hippie girl is singing is "Piece of My Heart" by Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin's band. Though the song is on a lot of her solo "greatest hits" albums). Off the album Cheap Thrills. Though the song was originally by Erma Franklin, it became hugely popular when Janis's band did it. So it's most likely she is singing that version.

As always, thanks for reading!