XXXXXX

Monday morning breakfast at the Curtis house was usually very quiet, and today was no different as they all gathered in the kitchen to eat. Dad was having his coffee as usual, apparently he felt a lot better today and Mom was standing by the stove, finishing cooking. Ponyboy was extremely tired because his history project was due today and he had to work on it late last night when the movie ended, because Cherry called and told him she didn't time to finish up her part over the weekend.

Ponyboy plopped down at the table as his Mom sat down a big plate of pancakes. Sodapop sat across from him, and immediately started piling as much food onto his plate as he could. Pony couldn't help but let out a small chuckle after his Mom said something about Soda being a pig.

After a few minutes of eating, Soda finished up, said goodbye to everyone and headed out the door, most likely to catch a ride to school with Steve.

Pony finished up drinking a glass of orange juice before getting together his things, threw on his jacket and left the house, beginning to walk down the sidewalk.

Beep!

He jumped when heard a car's horn and spun around in surprise to see Two-Bit's car behind him.

"Hey Pony!" He called out. "Get in!"

Finally able to get his legs moving again after just standing there for a few seconds, Pony went over to the window of the passenger door.

"Two-Bit? What are you doing?"

"I figured I'd give you a ride to school. Just like the good ol' days."

He nodded and smiled a little as he opened the door, getting inside as Two-Bit pulled away from the curb and began driving to the destination of Will Rogers High School. Pony stared nervously at his feet for a minute before looking over at his buddy. As Two-Bit stopped when the light turned red, he spoke up.

"Hey…you and I, we're cool right?"

Two-Bit turned his head to look at him, seeming surprised Pony just asked that.

"Yeah."

Pony smiled again, this time of relief.

"How's Karen doing?" He asked.

"She's fine."

"I still feel a little guilty about breaking up with her."

"Don't be." Two-Bit sighed. "You can't help it if you start to like somebody else. The good thing is that you broke things off with Karen first before you started foolin' around with this other girl. If you hadn't, you would have been in serious trouble."

"Thanks for your help."

"Don't mention it. Sorry I hit you the other day." Two-Bit said as he turned his head and saw that Ponyboy still had a faint bruise on his lower jaw.

"It's okay. I guess I kinda deserved it."

"No you didn't."

Two-Bit hadn't noticed the light had turned green until the car behind them had beeped. He stepped on the gas and drove straight for a moment before turning left, the school then came into view.

"So, how's your job going?" Pony asked.

"It's not that bad. You get use to everything pretty quick."

Nodding, Pony smiled a little. That was the same thing he told Karen about high school on her first day. He kept listening as Two-Bit continued.

"You know, as much as I hate to admit it, I think my Mom was right. I was scared at first, about gettin' a job."

Ponyboy looked over at his friend with his eye brows raised, surprised that he had just admitted that.

"What was there to be scared about?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I guess it's cause I started to realize that I wasn't a kid anymore. It wasn't that long ago when I use to wake up everyday to come here, now I'm twenty and I wake up everyday to go to work."

While Ponyboy didn't respond, he understood what he was saying. Two-Bit was now working, Darry had graduated and was now going to college, Karen was in high school now, and Sodapop and him were in the eleventh grade and would be seniors next year. It all goes by so fast.

He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed that Two-Bit had stopped the car in front of the school.

"Okay kiddo. Have a nice day at school." Two-Bit then reached over and messed up Ponyboy's hair, but unlike all the other times, Pony didn't mind it.

"Thanks for the ride." He said as he got out of the car.

"Don't mention it. See you later."

Ponyboy watched for a few seconds as Two-Bit drove off before throwing his backpack over his shoulder and walked through the doors, ready for another day of school.

XXXXXXX

Going from class to class as the hours went by, it was now time for history and Ponyboy knew that he had to present his project in front of the whole class. He always hated doing oral presentations, it always made him nervous but he felt a little better this time around knowing that Cherry would be right up there with him, having to do her share of the talking as well.

When Mrs. Varone announced the first pair to present first, he tried his best to pay attention but couldn't focus on what either of his fellow classmates were saying. Pony knew he couldn't shake the nervousness off until he went up there and got it over with.

After three more groups went, Ponyboy's heart rate quickened when the teacher said the next two names;

"Ponyboy Curtis and Sherri Valance. It's your turn to present next."

He slowly got up from his seat as he and Cherry walked to the front of the classroom and now everyone's eyes were now on them. Pony handed her the project and she began speaking.

"We did our project on the droping of the Atomic Bomb." Cherry said in a clear and loud voice. Pony looked over at her, surprised that she didn't look or sound nervous at all. He kept listening to her until her part was done and it was now time for him to speak.

"Americans estimated that 4.7 square miles of Hiroshima was destoryed." Pony began after clearing his throat. "Anywere between 70,000 and 80,000 people were killed immediately, and another 70,000 were injured. Most had been in the downtown area which received the greatest damage."

After they finally got done, the class appluded and Pony sighed in relief that it was over with. They walked over to the teacher as Ponyboy placed the assignment in a folder and handed it to her.

"That was a terrific presentation you two. Very well done." Mrs. Varone said.

"Thank you Mrs. Varone." Cherry smiled. "We worked really hard on it."

Ponyboy slowly turned to his head and looked at her, a little bemused by her statement. He felt like he did a lot more work on this project then she had done.

After the bell rang, Ponyboy stood at his locker getting ready to go down to the cafeteria for lunch but his mind was still on Cherry. Now that the project was over with they weren't going to be spending anymore time together, and history was the only class he had with her. If he wanted to ask her out he needed to do it today before she forgot all about him.

Suddenly, he felt himself being tapped on the shoulder and he turned around, and to his surprise, it was Cherry standing behind him.

"Hey."

"Ponyboy, could you do something for me please?" She asked.

He looked into her emerald green eyes and couldn't help but want to help her, with whatever it was she asked.

"What is it?"

Cherry then pointed to a boy down the end of the hall, leaning against another row of lockers, holding a black book in his hand. She explained to him that he had taken it out of her locker and refused to give it back to her. Ponyboy wasn't sure about this but he walked up to him. The boy was a lot bigger than him and Pony didn't know if he could take him on his own. Plus he didn't want to get into trouble either.

He slouched down, and hooked his thumbs in his pockets, trying to look as tough as he could as the other boy noticed him.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Give that back to her."

His demand was met by a smirk as the taller boy looked him up and down.

"Who's going to make me? You?"

"What if I am?" Ponyboy responded.

Ponyboy felt his stomach tighten after that as the boy narrowed his eyes. Before he could do anything the boy grabbed him by the throat and slammed him hard against the lockers, hard.

The wind was then knocked out of him when he was punched in the stomach and fell to his knees, gasping for air.

"Alright Jake, that's enough."

Pony glanced up while trying to get his wind back to see Cherry walked closer to the boy she called Jake, and she had a smile on her face.

"Fine." Jake said and looked down at him. "From now on, you stay away from my girl. Or next time I'll put you in the hospital."

Jake then walked up to Cherry and threw his arm around her shoulders and they began to walk away, both laughing as Ponyboy sat on the floor in shock.