I woke up refreshed. The nauseous feeling in my stomach from the lasagna was gone, I could breathe out of my nose, my head didn't hurt anymore. I practically felt like I could run a marathon. Thank you so much Steven.

I moved a little and realized that Steve wasn't in the bed with me anymore. What? I thought he loved me!

I smiled to myself and scooted out from Darry's bed, catching a glimpse of the clock and seeing that it was midnight, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and heaved myself up. Once again, my legs felt fine besides that late reaction kind of feeling. I took one step and realized I wasn't wearing anything.

Well, I told Steve to rip my bra and he broke my favorite thong so I guess Mrs. Curtis... please have some good stuff! I picked up Steve's shirt from the ground and threw it on. I didn't care about not having a bra on, I just wanted some underwear so Steve wouldn't get any ideas again.

I opened up Mrs. Curtis first dresser drawer and saw socks and... condoms?! She was still doing at her age?! Ew gross! And slammed that drawer shut. I opened up the next one and saw bras that were a little too big for me so I shut the drawer and thought about the condoms out of my mind. The third small drawer I opened was her underwear. We were the same size, how convenient.

I picked up a pair of granny panties actually and thought about it for a moment-because they're actually beyond comfortable. I shrugged my shoulders and slid them one; I actually looked pretty good in them. They were, like I said, beyond comfortable. I mean, I wasn't going anywhere so why does it matter?

I shut Mrs. Curtis' dresser and walked over to the door, hesitant to go out of not. I took a deep breath and turned the doorknob before opening the door and seeing Steve right on the other side. He had one arm against the doorway and smiling smugly down at me. I jumped a little, but relaxed. "Good evening Miss Mathews, I see you've found my shirt." I just then realized that Steve wasn't wearing a shirt.

I smiled cockily. "Do you want it?" I put my hands at the bottom of the shirt as if I was about to take it off. "Here!" Just as I pulled it up enough to show my stomach, Steve put a hand on my arm.

"No doll please... that won't be necessary. I've got connections." And he shuffled into the bedroom before pushing me out a little and shutting the door, leaving me in the hallway. I was confused and concerned a little. What was he acting so smug about and why?

"Ya know, I don't see why everything is happening in Darry's room!" I said through the door. I was right. Didn't Darry want to go to bed? I sighed and looked to my left and saw the whole gang minus Johnny and Dallas in the living room.

I smiled wide and walked over to my brother and sat down beside him. "Hi..." I said like a four year old.

Two-Bit stared at me. "Well good evening to you too!" He said sarcastically and put an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his chest, smushing me against him.

"Two-Bit, you're hurting me..." I said as nicely as I could. He let me go, but before I could move, get up or speak, he tackled me and started tickling me. "KEITH EMILIO MATHEWS! AHAHA S-S-STOP!" I yelled through my laughs.

"Why should I?!" He said with a smile in his voice. All of a sudden he did stop. I caught my breath and laid down flatly on the ground with Two-Bit staring at me; his face dropped.

"Two-Bit? What's wrong?" I asked pushing myself up and sitting criss-cross in front of him. He put a hand on the back of my neck and forcefully pulled me towards him.

"What are these?" He said sternly. I threw myself out of his grip. I cocked an eyebrow.

"What are what?" I said completely clueless. He pointed to the hickey's all about throughout my neck.

"These! They better not be what I think they are!" He said adult like. I could see him counting them.

"Oh..." I replied. I was feeling pretty embarrassed to be having this kind of conversation in front of everyone. I looked my brother straight in the eyes. "Well Two-Bit, they are." I said, full of adrenaline.

"Okay." And shrugged them off. That was it? All I had to do was tell him the truth? Okay...? I too shrugged it off and leaned against the wall with my brother.

I heard Darry's bedroom door open and footsteps make their way to the living room. I looked to my side and saw a pair of feet standing beside me. I looked up and then saw Steve wearing a shirt, and holding a new dress in his hands. "Get up," He said softly. I pushed myself up and off of the ground. As soon as I regained my balance, Steve handed me the dress. "Get dressed and all dolled up doll."

I was perplexed. "Why?" I said with a small chuckle in my voice.

"Because, I'm taking you somewhere, and you need to look pretty," I could feel everyone watching me. I didn't like it so I took Steve's hand and dragged him into the kitchen where no one could at least hear our conversation.

"Steve, what are you talking about?"

"I'm taking you somewhere nice and I want you to look good okay?!" He smiled and put a hand on mu shoulder. "And don't worry, no one will see us. I have something planned."

"Sex?!" I said shockingly and widened my eyes. Steve laughed.

"Unless you're asking for it," He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and pushed me into Darry's room for like the billionth time. "Now go get ready! You need to look prettier than you already are!"

X

I slid on the dress my boyfriend had chosen for me and it took my breath away. How does Mrs. Curtis have all these beautiful dresses?! I thought. This dress was yet again another knee length dress. { shop/dresses/soda-fountain-dress-in-ginger } It was a cute mustard kind of color with a couple buttons between the chest and an adorable little bow around the waist. The sleeves complimented the dress nicely as did the collar. I spotted a pair of flats the same color as the dress with a small bow on the tip of it in the closet. I slid them on and couldn't help but smile with pride. I put on a pearl necklace with some round diamond earrings and a sliver wedding band.

I re-curled some parts of my hair and applied some makeup before putting on some lotion and opening the door. "Steve?" I called out.

"Ya ready hon?" I heard him yell from the living room.

"Wait," I said and closed the door before pulling out a gray cardigan out of the closet and slipping it on. I cracked the door open. "Now I am..."

"Well then come on doll." I stepped out from the door and turned around to shut it. When I faced the remaining greasers in the living room-Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry, Steve and my brother-I saw them all looking at me.

"He picked it out!" I said pointing to Steve. Steve strolled over to me and took my hand.

"Are ya ready?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I don't even know where you're taking me babe..." He lead me towards the front door.

"Hey Randle," I heard a familiar voice say. It was my brother who had stood up and walked beside us. I thought for sure he was gonna start yelling, but when he smiled and said, "Have her back here soon." I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

As Steve opened the door for me and we stepped onto the porch, he grabbed my hand and led me down the sidewalk. "All that matters right now is you look beautiful and that's all I asked of you."

I didn't say another word and just let Steve lead me to his desired destination with the silent night air doing all the talking for us. Steve stopped me. "What?" I asked.

He pulled out a blindfold from his back pocket. "Now, I need you to put this on..."

I scoffed. "You want me to smear my makeup and mess up my hair for an occasion I don't even know? I don't know babe..." I shifted all my weight onto my right leg.

Steve started putting it on. "Just relax. It'll all be worth it in the end..." I complied and let Steve tie the blindfold on me. "Now just let me lead you, okay?"

"You have been the whole time." I answered sarcastically, earning a smack on my ass.

X

The walk felt like years before Steve finally stopped me and said we were here. "Now can you take this off?" I asked desperately.

I felt Steve's fingers at the back of my head, undoing the blindfold. Faintly, as he was untieing the blindfold, I faintly heard the sound of the song The Wanderer by Dion and the Belmonts. One of my favorite songs. "Steve, are you playing music?"

"Maybe, why?" He said slyly.

"Cause I hear it..."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Steve said with a smile.

When he removed the blindfold I had to blink a couple of times before regaining and clearing my vision. When I could finally see again, I gasped. It was adorable.

Steve had set out a checkered red blanket and had one of those cliche picnic baskets laying beside it. I saw lights hanging in the trees, shining just enough to see the scene going down. I could barely see rose petals scattered across the ground, starting at my feet and leading a path to the blanket. A record player was playing music near a big tree, where the lights were hanging from. There were two camping chairs sitting in front of a campfire and the flames illuminated the night sky, showing off all of the stars and constellations.

It may sound like little, but it was breathtaking when I saw it. Nobody's really ever done anything romantic for me and the only thing I could think to do was twirl around and kiss Steve. Which is what I did. "Steve!" I said excitingly after we pulled away. He was holding my hips and smiling down at me.

"You like it?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" I exclaimed.

Steve shrugged and brought me over to the blanket as Come and Go With Me by The Dell Vikings came on. "Because it's not that much."

I sat down beside Steve as he pulled the basket towards him and began taking out strawberries, cut up apples and watermelon along with two Cokes for each other. "Steve, it's better than anything I could've ever done." I said sweetly as Steve took out some blueberries and grapes too.

He poured them into one big bowl and mixed them around. "I'm glad that you like it." He said as he bit into a strawberry.

I thew a blueberry into the air and caught it, causing Steve to laugh in between a bite of his strawberry. "I'm glad you did this." I replied.

Me and Steve munched on the provided fruits he brought as we made small talk and listened to the sweet songs the record player played. "Come here," I said as I got up and threw my shoes off to the side.

"What?" Steve asked surprised. "I thought I was the leader here!" He said as I took his hand and tried to haul him off the ground, but he was too heavy.

"I just want to sit in the chairs and talk!" I said as I strained to stand him up.

"Okay! Go sit down! I'm coming!" I smiled in satisfaction and went to go sit down as I heard Steve get up. He sat down in the chair beside me and as I looked at the fire I heard chewing. I looked over and saw Steve holding the bowl of fruits in his lap and eating.

"Really Steve?" I asked. He looked at the bowl than at me with a mouthful of watermelon and apple.

"Wha?" I leaned over and grabbed a handful of fruits and positioned myself in my chair again.

"Steve," I asked as I ate a couple grapes. Steve looked over at me. "Who was your first?"

Steve choked on his apple and spit it out onto the ground, regaining his breath and looking at me. "What?"

"Who was your first?' I repeated as I nonchalantly continued to eat my food.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Because you were my first and since we're a thing, I think I deserve to know who your first was." I said honestly.

"Like... the first person I had sex with?" I nodded. Steve leaned heavily against the back of his chair as I lifted my legs over the side and leaned back against the arm rest to stare at him.

"Come on Steve, I won't be mad. Are you mad that you're my first?" Steve looked at me. "I mean, I had a boyfriend back in Cali and he wanted to do it but I didn't let him. Don't you feel honored?"

"Why did you do it with me and not him?" I sighed.

"Because it was mutual. I knew it wouldn't feel right if I had sex with him. I knew I wasn't going to be in California my whole life because he started getting kinky a couple weeks ever after we broke up and I was planning on heading here."

Steve had a sympathetic look on his face. "Oh."

"Now tell me goddamn it!" I yelled with a smile on my face. "And pass me the bowl will ya?" I said while laughing. Steve giggled a little too as he gave me the bowl.

As I started in on the food Steve spoke up. "It was with this girl named Evie. She's my ex and now I can't stand her. She was always so needy and I couldn't stand it anymore. "I want this, I need that, give me this, give me that," was practically the only words she spoke to me."

I plopped a grape and blueberry into my mouth, creating a unique and sensational new tasting flavor. "Then why'd you do it?"

"I don't know... it was during that time in your life when you really wanna know what sex feels like and if it's as great as people say it is. Also, you wanna go around and tell everyone that you're not a virgin anymore and just rub that kind of shit in their faces."

"So you were curious?"

Steve nodded. "Curiosity killed the cat."

I snorted. "Or your virginity..."

Steve ignored me with a funny smile across his face. "Anyways she's history now. Moved to Florida with Sodapop's ex Sandy."

"What? What happened between those two?"

"Sandy got pregnant but it wasn't Soda's... so she sent him one letter explaining everything and headed down with Evie by her side. She never looked back once, either of them."

"Well... did you and Evie breakup before she moved or did she also surprise you?"

"I broke up with her in the worst way possible. Over the phone a week or so before everything happened."

I nodded and continued to eat the fruits when I felt Steve's hands on my feet. "But like I said, that's history... and you're not."

"Thanks babe," I bit into a strawberry. "Did you love her?"

Steve's shoulders fell. "I thought I did. She was also a pretty big whore; but she also came in handy at some times."

"How?"

"She taught me how to do your surprise." He said with a little bit of attitude in his voice. A good kind of attitude.

Now I choked on my apple and struggled to not laugh out loud. When I caught my breath, Steve was looking at me. "How long have we been out here?" I said, trying not to die.

Steve glanced at his watch. "About an hour, why? You wanna start heading back to your brother?"

I shook my head. "Not really," I stood up from my chair and laid down on the blanket, staring at the beautiful night sky and stars. "Come on babe, join the party!"

Steve laid down beside me with an arm around my shoulders as I set down the bowl in between us. I spoke up after I swallowed my last piece of fruit for the night. "Do you love me?"

"We I have for you is more than love. It's unexplainable."

"Is it just because of the sex we have all the time?"

Steve looked at me. "No! It's because I trust you, and I can talk to you about this kind of stuff to you; not just because you're my girlfriend, but because you asked and I answered. And like I said, I trust you."

"Is that what makes a good relationship in your book Steve? Trust?" I asked curiously.

"And the fact that you're gorgeous." He said. Those words made my mind go blank. I didn't even bother to ask Steve why he always said that.

"Well than I love you more than love too babe." I said as Steve's pulled me close to him and we watched the night sky move around until Steve said we should be heading back before my brother bashed his brains in.

Steve was right. Trust was one of the main components to a great relationship. Some people just don't put anymore effort into their relationship and that can also mean it's going downhill. And what Steve said really made me think. What we had was a little more than just love. It was truly unexplainable.