A/N: thanks for the reviews! Here is a long chapter, as promised. [I'll give you the number of pages in the A/N below, 'cause I don't know how long it will be.]

Once again, I'm using DarryHasAFutureAndI'mInIt's idea; I may throw in some of my own though, too. And if I use your idea and don't credit you, let me know and I'll make sure to do so. I have so many idea suggestions and, it's hard to keep track of them all.

Chapter Eleven: [Third person]

"See ya, Dal," Steve said, walking out of the Dingo. Dallas only nodded in response; he was kissing a girl that Steve knew wasn't Sylvia. She was gonna be pretty angry if she found out what Dally was up to.

Where should he go now?

Today was one of the days Steve had off of work at the DX. He would go there and see Sodapop, his long-time best friend, but he didn't really want to. Who wants to go to work on a day off?

He stopped. Maybe I'll go to the Curtis house and see if Pony or Johnny is there, he thought. Even if only Ponyboy was there, at least he was better then nobody, even if he was just a tag-along kid.

Steve headed to the Curtis'. On the way, he stopped by the lot. If Johnny was there, at least he wouldn't have to hang out with the tag-along alone, Johnny would be there, too. Steve and Johnny got along alright.

But Johnny wasn't at the lot. Maybe he's at the Curtis'.

Soon Steve rounded the corner that led up to the brothers' house. He started walking faster. Damn cold.

He continued trudging through the snow. It was only about an inch; but Steve hated snow. He didn't like the cold.

Soon he was at the front door. He didn't bother knocking; everyone was like family there. He opened the door and the next thing he saw surprised him.

At first he thought they were wrestling; at first all he saw was Ponyboy on top of Johnny.

He was very, very wrong.

They're…kissing, he realized with horror.

Ponyboy looked at Steve. All of his emotions showed on his face—he was scared, guilty, and…well just plain scared.

Johnny looked like an innocent puppy that did nothing wrong.

"Steve…" Ponyboy started, but Steve had high-tailed it out of there, wide-eyed.

Holy shit, he thought. That was just…disgusting.

He never thought Johnny was a fag. Sure, he had never shown much interest in girls, but Steve just thought it was because he had given him that lecture on girls when Sylvia had come onto him.

He would have never guessed it was because the kid was…queer.

He would have never thought Ponyboy was either. That kid sure was into the girl in yellow, and it was a little more then obvious that he likes Cherry Valance.

Steve must have been wrong about that, too.

He stood on the Curtis porch, not knowing what to do. He looked around, and saw nobody in sight. I guess I should tell the kid's brothers. They got a right to know.

He headed off to the DX, and saw Dally talking to Sodapop. Dallas must have left that broad at the Dingo; she was nowhere to be found.

He walked up to the counter.

"Guys, I gotta tell ya somethin'," he started.

"What is it, Steve-o?" Dally asked, leaning against the counter by the register.

"Um, I saw your brother…kissing someone," he said to Sodapop. For some reason Steve felt a little bit bad about telling their secret, but it had to be told. Plus, it was disgusting. They needed to do something about it, and soon.

"Well, good for him!" Soda said proudly. He grinned.

"It was somebody…you wouldn't guess." Steve realized he was stalling. He didn't know why though.

They both looked at him. "Jus' spit it out, man," Dallas told him.

"It was Johnny."

Dallas and Sodapop burst out laughing.

"I ain't jokin'," Steve told them. They saw the seriousness in his face.

"What?" Sodapop said, shocked. He was trying to put the pieces together in his head; it didn't make sense to him. Sodapop had always known his brother liked girls. Right?

Dallas was bewildered. He was disgusted, too, you could see it on his face. He had never expected this, especially from Johnny. Johnny was the gang's pet! He wasn't a queer! Or so Dally thought…

He glared at Sodapop. "Your kid brother turned Johnny queer?"

"No! We don't even know if Steve is right. It's not like he saw them doing anything…right Steve?"

Steve looked nervous with both boys turned to him, expecting an answer.

"Well, the other day, I was goin' 'round back of the house, to tell them to come in fer some hot chocolate, and I saw 'em…kissin'. Then, a few minutes ago, I went to yer house, Soda, and saw 'em on the couch kissin'. So, I'm pretty sure they're fags for eachother. Ain't no doubt 'bout it." Steve had seen them the other day, but decided to keep it a secret. He had thought it was an accident or something. He was wrong, once again.

During Steve's long speech, Dallas looked more disgusted by the minute, and Sodapop looked stressed and worried.

Sodapop was secretly wondering why Ponyboy hadn't told him. The brothers were as close as…well, brothers. He felt a little insulted that Ponyboy didn't tell him this.

On the other hand, Soda was angry and sickened by all of this. Why did his brother decide to be gay? Why couldn't he just be normal and like girls?

Dallas was mad at both of them. He didn't understand why they had to be gay. Johnny? A fuckin' queer? He thought it was a little hard to believe. It was sick, too.

Steve felt guilty for telling, and at the same time he thought it was wrong, so it was good that he told.

There was an awkward silence while the three thought about this.

"Let's try to act normal around them," Sodapop suggested. "Let's watch them, and see if it's really somethin' to be worried about. Maybe…maybe it's just a phase." Yeah, that's it, just a phase, Sodapop told himself.

Steve agreed. They both looked at Dallas. Dallas Winston, the one who hates homosexuals. They wondered if he could keep the secret, or if he would make it obvious he knows.

Soda hoped Dally wouldn't hurt his younger brother. If Ponyboy was gay, that didn't mean they weren't still brothers.

Dallas stared back at them. "What?"

"So, ya ain't gonna tell nobody, right?" Soda asked. "And don't let them know that you know, alright? We're just gonna have to watch 'em and see just how serious they are 'bout all this."

Dallas just shrugged. "Yeah, whatever." It seemed like he didn't care, but deep down he was secretly wishing and hoping that Johnny wasn't queer. The gang's pet couldn't be a queer. He just couldn't. It was sick, wrong, gross...the list could go on and on in Dally's opinion.

So, it was agreed, the three boys would pretend they knew nothing. Steve would pretend he saw nothing, and that none of this had ever happened.

"Wait, what about Darry and Two-Bit?" Steve asked.

"I'll tell Darry later. I know he won't tell. You can tell Two-Bit, but make sure he doesn't tell. Tell him not to crack jokes 'bout it either; they'll be onto our plan. Got it?" Soda looked at them.

Steve nodded, and Dally shrugged.

I hope this turns out well, Sodapop thought. He didn't want his little brother hated, or worse, shunned.

But before he skipped to conclusions, he had to get his own evidence first.

A/N: Hoo-rah. That was, let me check…four pages!

Once again, I wanna thank DHF for the idea, and if I unconsiously used your idea and didn't credit you, lemme know.

Review! ;)

Reviews are like...water to the thirsty. Or something.

~JCG