Right after school a week later, I walked home and I decided to take a quick walk around. When I get to the Curtis' house I see Soda sitting on the porch . . . smoking?

"Hey, Soda!" I call cheerfully.

"Hey," He replies.

I sit next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is," Soda replies, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Something is," I protest. "You never smoke unless you're trying to look tuff or something's bothering you. There isn't anyone worth looking tuff for around here, so something's wrong."

"It's Sandy," Soda says simply.

"Oh great!" I exclaim. "What did that evil witch-I mean, lovely lady do this time?"

"We argued," Soda says.

"Oh?" I raise my eyebrows. "What about?"

"You," Soda says.

"What!?" I ask. "Really? Why?"

"She got real jealous over how I treated you. I told her that you're just like my little sister, and she didn't believe me. Then she told me that she's pregnant," Soda explains, putting out the cigarette.

"Oh, that's bad," I say. "It it yours?" Obviously it isn't and I know that!

"No," Soda replies. From somewhere I hear screams and yelling. "What's that?"

My heart starts pounding. "I think someone's getting jumped!" I exclaim, jumping up and start running. Before I know, it Darry's running with us. Turns out - as I already knew - it's Pony who got jumped. Darry grabs him under the armpits and hauls him to his feet.

"Are you alright Ponyboy?" he asks. The guy was shaking him.

"I'm okay," Pony says. "Quit shaking me Darry. I'm okay."

He stops instantly. "I'm sorry."

Pony sits down again, and I sit next to him, Taking his shaking hand into mine and leaning my head on his shoulder. Pony rubs his cheek where a bruise was slowly forming.

Darry jams his fists in his pockets. "They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?"

"I'm okay," Pony repeats. I roll my eyes. I know he wasn't. He just didn't want to tell Darry. I know how he felt, and wrap my arms around him.

Soda drops down next to Pony and examines his head. "You got cut up a little, huh, Ponyboy?"

Pony looks at him blankly. "I did?"

"Yes, you are!" I exclaim. I point to his head. "Soda, you got a handkerchief?"

Soda pulls out a handkerchief, wet the end of it with his tongue, and presses it against Pony's head. "You're bleedin' like a stuck pig."

"I am?" Pony asks.

I shift to face Pony. "Yes! You are!" I exclaim. "Pony look at me!" I take his face in my hands. I stare into his unique grey-green eyes, and force him to look into mine. "You got hurt! You got cut! You are bleeding! And you are not okay!"

Pony takes my face into his hands. "I'm fine,"

"No you aren't!" I protest. "You're shaking! You're bleeding!"

"Look!" Soda shows him the handkerchief, red with Pony's blood. "Did they pull a blade on you?"

"Yeah," Pony replies. Sods peers at him closely and Pony looks away. He's pale and shaking like a magic 8 ball.

Soda puts a hand on his shoulder. "Easy , Ponyboy. They ain't gonna hurt you no more."

"I know," Pony says, hot cheeks running down his cheeks. "I just got spooked, that's all." He took in a quivering breath.

I sigh and kiss his cheek. "Don't worry," I reassure him. "They'll pay. They'll pay."

"I hope so," he whispers to me, brushing the hair out of my face and tucking it behind my ear, kisses my forehead.

Soda rubs his hair. "You're an okay kid, Pony,"

Pony grins. "You're crazy, Soda, out of your mind."

Darry looks as if he's like to knock their heads together. "You're both nuts."

Soda cocks an eyebrow. "It seems to run in this family."

Darry stares at him for a second and cracks a grin.

The gang had chased the Socs and threw rocks at them.

Pony wipes his eyes hurriedly. "Didya catch 'em?"

"Nup. They got away this time, the dirty . . ." Two-Bit goes on cheerfully, calling the Socs every name he could think of or make up.

"The kid's okay?"

"I'm okay," Pony says. "I didn't know you got out of the cooler yet, Dally."

"Good behavior. Got off early." Dally lights a cigarette and hands it to Johnny. I glance at Pony, whose color had returned and had stopped trembling.

"I never knew you to have good behavior, Dallas." I say, trying to smoke the cigarette. I immediately start coughing and hand it to Emily.

"I never knew you to run your mouth," Dally snaps back.

I roll my eyes as Two-Bit cocks an eyebrow.

"Nice-lookin' bruise you got there kid."

Pony touches his cheek gingerly. "Really?"

Two-Bit nods sagely. "Nice cut, too. Makes you look tough."

Steve flicks his ashes at Pony. "What were you doin', walkin' by your lonesome?"

"I was comin' home from the movies. I didn't think . . ."

"You don't ever think," Darry breaks in. "not at home or anywhere it counts. You must think at school, with all those good grades you bring home, and you've always got your nose in a book, but do you ever use your head for common sense? No siree bub. And if you did have to go by yourself, you should have carried a blade."

"Darry," I say. "Lay off him."

Soda glares at him. "Leave my kid brother alone, you hear? It ain't his fault he likes to go to the movies, and it ain't his fault that the Socs like to jump us and if he had been carrying a blade it would have been a good excuse to cut him to ribbons."

I shudder at the thought of that.

Darry says impatiently, "When I want my kid brother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother, I'll ask you - kid brother."

"Next time get one of us to go with you Ponyboy," Two-Bit says. "Any of us will."

"You should of got your girl to come," Steve say, giving me a slight glare.

I raise both my hands up "I didn't even know he was going to the movies so . . ." My voice trails off.

"Don't blame her," Pony says quietly.

"Speakin' of movies" - Dally yawns, flipping away his cigarette butt - "I'm walkin over to the Nightly Double tomorrow night. Anybody want to come and hunt some action?"

Steve shakes his head. "Me and Soda are pickin' up Evie and Sandy for the game."

Darry sighs. "I'm working tomorrow night."

Dally looks at the rest of us. "How about y'all? Two-Bit? Johnnycake, you and Pony wanta come?"

"Me and Johnny'll come," Pony says. "Okay, Darry?"

"Yeah, since it ain't a school night." Darry replies.

"Can Arizona and I come?" Emily asks.

Dally looks at his little sister. "Yeah sure."

"I was plannin' on getting boozed up tomorrow night," Two-Bit says. "If I don't, I'll walk over and find y'all."

"You break up with Sylvia again?" Steve asks, looking at Dally's ring.

"Yeah, and this time it's for good. That little broad was two-timin' me again while I was in jail." Dally says.

Pony wraps an arm around my shoulder, and I lean my head on his. "You won't ever do that to me, would you?" he asks softly.

I sigh. "Never," I whisper back. "Not when I have the best boyfriend in the world."

AN: I don't own Jemily or Emily copyright goes to Moomimad. I also don't own the Outsiders, that goes to S.E. Hinton.