Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders.

Again, I apologize for the length of time it took me to post. However, please enjoy this update. :]

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The five days that followed Friday's "incident" with Lisa and Evie were mostly eventless. Monday morning, Friday was located at the DX, which seemed to have become some kind of tradition. She met Soda very briefly due to his busyness, but she hadn't had a decent conversation with him at all. Since the handsome greaser arrived back at the gas station, there were many more customers than there had originally been with only Steve. Steve was a bit insulted by this, but he tolerated it because Friday was usually there, and it would've been rude to act that way—considering they had a date coming up soon.

Thursday afternoon was when, not just one of Steve's ex's sauntered into the DX, but both. Though they entered together, their expressions were entirely different. Evie was as seductive as usual, but held some kind of guilt in her appearance. Lisa, on the other hand, was looking smug but very indifferent toward whatever it was Evie was troubled by.

They had brought along Lisa's car to the DX to have its tank filled. Despite their expressions, they seemed to have become something of best friends since they'd teamed up against Friday.

"Hey, greaser boy!" called Lisa smugly to Steve, and Evie bit down on her lip in response to that. She muttered some inaudible words to Lisa, but Lisa simply shooed away whatever she'd spoken. "Yeah, Steve, c'mere. I need my car filled!"

Steve cursed beneath his breath and glanced instantly to Friday, who had been here all morning and appeared terrified by the arrival of Steve's ex's. Steve noticed this and murmured, "C'mon, Friday, I'll talk to 'em," while rolling his eyes and grinning weakly. In response to his easiness, Friday relaxed a little and returned his smile.

"Greaser boy!" cried Lisa, now noticeably impatient. Steve almost hoped that Soda would fill Lisa's car rather than himself, but what other opportunity would he have to talk to her and Evie? Besides, Soda was already occupied with someone in the convenience store.

"Yeah, I'm comin', Lisa," snapped Steve, and he trudged over to the two girls, who were looking toward him expectantly. Friday trailed slowly behind him, as though she wanted to view whatever Steve was going to say while also hiding from the girls. As soon as she and Steve reached them, Friday's fingers carefully touched the scratch marks written down her cheek.

"Oh, not you," hissed Lisa, noticing Friday instantly. "I thought Evie and me told ya to stay away from Steve."
Evie's eyes looked briefly to the cuts that her friends' nails had created on Friday's cheek, but spoke nothing.

"Evie, say something. Gosh, you've been quiet since we got here," said Lisa bitterly.

Evie sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Before she spoke, she inhaled heavily, "Yeah, Friday, what the hell are ya doin' here?"

"Shut up," snapped Steve, as Friday's face reddened behind him. "Dammit, how dare ya two gang up on—what the hell were you—?—if you—" Steve cut himself off, for his anger was beginning to get the best of his speech. "Just—if you ever, ever gang up on Friday again, I swear—"

"What? You gonna hurt us, Steve?" asked Lisa scornfully, fluttering her long eyelashes in an obviously sarcastic manner.

"What the hell, Lisa?" hissed Steve. "Remember: you cheated on me, why're you—?"

"Are you gonna fill my car or not?" interrupted Lisa, her cheeks suddenly tinted pink.

Instead of advance toward Lisa's car, Steve kind of shoved her. Not as hard as he would have a guy, but hard enough where both Lisa and Evie were stunned.

"You stupid greaser—"

"C'mon, Lisa," said a low voice from beside Lisa, and Steve was shocked to notice that it was Evie who had spoken. "He didn't shove you real hard. And I'm a greaser girl, so—"

"Evie, shut up," intervened Lisa, who looked furious.

"What? No, I won't—"

"That's it," hissed Lisa, opening the passengers door of her car, "Evie, wait in the car. And Steve—" she turned to face the greaser—"fill the tank."

Steve gritted his teeth and snarled, "No."

"What d'you mean, no?" demanded Lisa, arching her eyebrows. "It's your job, greaser boy."

"I don't care. Leave," snapped Steve, and Lisa recognized his acidic tone and entered her car.

"Fine, but don't think I'm just gonna forget this whole incident…" she said threateningly, and said nothing more—or had nothing more to say—as she hurried to drive away from the DX. The instant Lisa's car skidded around the corner and vanished, Friday faced Steve.

"You can get fired for, uh, 'refusing a customer'," she said warningly, though she was smiling.

Steve grinned and reentered the DX, where Soda was serving customers from behind the countertop. "I know," he said, noticing the time the clock on the wall read. "Hey, it's almost four; you gotta go, dont'cha?"

"Yeah, um, I guess so," mumbled Friday, rubbing the back of her neck and looking like she wanted nothing more but to stay. "Oh, and, um, I'm not gonna be here tomorrow mornin'. So I'll see ya at the, er, movies…." The corners of Friday's mouth lifted, and she caught a glimpse of Soda from the very corner of her pupil. "Is Soda gonna double or…?"

"Yeah, Soda, you gonna double?" said Steve, smiling teasingly toward his best friend. Soda sighed, though he was grinning as well, and muttered, "Steve, I gotta make up my work…"
Steve's eyes swayed in the direction of Soda and rolled in exasperation. "Don't worry," he said softly, "he'll be there."