Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders.

A/N: I am SO happy with all the feedback I got for the last chapter. So far I've received eighteen reviews from even some new readers, which is awesome. For any of you who were upset with the last chapter (none of you really said that, but you definitely were a little beside yourselves), I promise you that all confusion WILL be cleared up in this chapter, and you will definitely be happier with this chapter than the last.

Okay, on with the regular shtuff…

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The new pen name is an experiment. I just needed something fresh and new. I used to be likealovestoryxx and aae chase the sunset.

NEW MINI POLL THAT IS VITAL TO UPCOMING CHAPTERS:

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Chapter Fourteen: Co-Starring on Crime Scene Investigation Part Three

Soda supposed rap music was not the best thing to listen to when your best friend's life was at stake, but right now, he could just not give a flying fuck what kind of music they were listening to. All that mattered at that moment was Steven Randle.

And that's why these next moments would be the hardest of his life.

It all happened in quite a blur. Darry shut up with his horrible rapping and stopped the car short.

Dallas, also rapping, glanced at Darry, his light eyebrows bunched together with confusion. Darry opened his car door and ran out, Dallas and Sodapop in tow.

Soda didn't know what they were doing at first, but the minute he saw the body, he knew. "Steve!" he screamed, sprinting towards his best friend. "Steve," he cried, on the verge of a breakdown it seemed, as he fell on his knees next to the greaser's body on the cold sidewalk. "C'mon, buddy, don't die on me now. You can't die on me now!"

Dallas knelt down next to Sodapop. "Soda, he's already dead."

Soda shook his blonde head back and forth, refusing to believe that his best friend was killed tonight. This was not happening. This could not happen. Nobody could ever feel this horrible.

"Y'know what? We're gonna find who did this. We're gonna get even with those Socs," Dally continued. "We'll do it for Steve, man, we'll do it for Steve!"

Darry hugged Sodapop close, cradling the bawling boy in his arms. "It's okay, Soda. Everything's gonna be alright, buddy," Darry assured, looking around the nighttime scene for some evidence.

X

"Man, I wonder if Steve's alright," Johnny murmured, tapping his foot repeatedly. Dally, Soda, and Darry had been gone for about thirty minutes now, and there was still no word on Steve's location.

Ponyboy nodded in agreement. "Don't worry 'bout it too much, Johnny. Knowin' Steve, he's probably getting all boozed up or somethin'."

"Lucky bastard," Two-Bit muttered, "Soda don't even let me go out and get drunk anymore."

Suddenly, Ponyboy's Voyager started ringing. "'Cause I'm burnin' up, burnin' up, for you baby," sang Nick Jonas in Ponyboy's ringtone, "Burnin' Up" by the Jonas Brothers.

As Ponyboy scrambled to find his phone, Two-Bit shook his head. "Man, I can't believe that kid still listens to our competition."

Pony clicked the green phone button, accepting the call from Sodapop, and held the cell phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Ponyboy?"

"Dar? Why are you callin' from Soda's phone?"

Darry ignored Pony's question and continued speaking. "Ponyboy, listen to me. I've got bad news. Steve is dead. He was stabbed by someone, and we don't know who. Soda's sobbing, and Dallas is on the phone with the police department right now. I need you to tell Two-Bit and Johnnycake to meet us at the McDonald's by the place where we performed last night. Do you understand me, Pone?"

"Darry, I can't believe this is happening!" Ponyboy cried. He felt his knees buckle, and it wasn't long before he fainted on the hardwood floor.

X

"Soda . . . Is somebody sick?" Ponyboy croaked, gray-green eyes blinking open to a bright white hospital room.

Sodapop sniffled. "Yeah, Pone. Somebody's sick."

"Soda . . . Am I sick?"

"No, you tard. Steve's dead, you fainted, and then they found the idiots who killed Steve. They're from that band, you know, the Stuntin' Socs'?" Dallas informed him.

Ponyboy gasped. "Oh, yeah! It's all coming back to me now!"

Dallas rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man."

"CUT!" the director, Jack, screamed.

Dallas groaned loudly and turned to him. "What did I do now?"

Jack crossed his arms and sighed dramatically. "It needs more 'oomph!' It needs more flavor."

Steve rolled his eyes from his special customized chair. "You got me killed on the fuckin' show. Ain't that enough flavor for one episode?"

"Someone dies in every episode, dip-shit," Dallas reminded him.

"Dally," Jack began, "one of your good friends just died. You need to be upset, hysterical, and reassure Ponyboy that everything will be alright."

"Whatever, man," Dallas repeated.

"And . . . ACTION!"

"Ponyboy! I am so upset that I'm hysterical about Steve's death. I just wanted to reassure you that everything will be alright!" Dallas exclaimed, practically laughing.

"Oh, Dallas, I know! Thank you so much for showing me your softer side! I thought you only did that with girls with really freaky names!"

"CUT!"

"Shoot, I really hate this guy," Steve muttered.

X

Ooh, Steve's alive? Please read, review, and enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to answer my dog question!