Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. Alexa Vega owns "The Way It's Gonna Be."

No one said it would be easy

You once could call this place your own

It took a single day

It seems like your whole life has changed around

February 25, 1966

Dallas woke to the feeling of someone shifting around beside him. Lifting his head from the pillow, he blinked a few times to adjust his vision until he was able to see clearly. A head of mahogany hair falling in knotted curls was in his view, cascading down a slim and very naked back. The blond smirked a bit, remembering his night with Cherie Peters, the broad who had been chasing him down for the last few weeks.

Cherie was a real ditzy girl, but he didn't mind. She was good looking, had a decent personality, and put out like there was no tomorrow. And the best thing about her was that she could fuck real good, and she didn't mind when or where it was, either. She was wild like that. Dallas remembered meeting her for the first time a few months ago when she'd left her purse inside by the bar. Glory, if he had known what kind of broad she was then he wouldn't have given her such a rough time.

Cherie turned back to face him, impish blue eyes bright. "Glory, you oughtta cut that hair or something, sugar. It's as wild as an untamed field of weeds."

And that was the worst thing about her―she didn't know when or how to keep her fucking mouth shut, and that pissed the hood off.

Tossing the covers off of himself, he reached for his clothes, shoving a cigarette between his lips with a scowl. "Yeah? Anybody ever tell you what the fuck you look like in the morning, or are they already gone by the time yer ass wakes up?"

Cherie frowned. "Don't go gettin' like that, all sour an' all." She started pulling her clothes on as he walked into the bathroom, the cigarette now firmly secured behind his ear. "Your hair looks fine."

The blond shook his head. Cherie was alright, but she was a pain in the ass, and she whined a lot, too, which annoyed him to no end. Still, she could be good company . . . when she wasn't busy getting high or so drunk that she couldn't stand straight. Cherie took things to a different level when it came to getting high, though―she did the hard stuff, the shit Dallas wouldn't even touch with a ten foot pole. Oh, he'd had his fair share of seeing what that garbage could do to guys back in New York, and he wasn't going to end up like that, like . . . like his old man.

He didn't care what Cherie did. She was nineteen, a high school dropout, and a drug-addict who made her dough by dealing. He had to hand it to her, though―she was a tough one, but what she had in strength and looks, she lacked in smarts.

"You leavin'?" she asked with a pout, watching as he shrugged on his jean jacket.

He glanced at her, a brooding look in his eyes. "Yeah, and so are you."

Cherie looked bummed at that, but followed him out the door. "Dally?" She bit her lip, kicking her boot up against the wall. "You ever gonna ask me to be yer girl?"

The towheaded teen froze, face turning grim. "What the fuck?"

"Well?" she pressed. "Come on, Dally. I like you, you like me, right? We've spent almost every night together this week, don't you want me to be yer girl?"

Dallas rolled his eyes. Jesus Christ, but she was dense. "Listen here, girl. I ain't lookin' for any sort of commitment, alright? Look, you're . . . good-looking an' all, but just because I fuck you whenever you offer it up don't mean I want to go steady, savvy?"

The girl looked hurt at the crude remark and the hardness in his voice. "So, that's it? Yer just gonna go and ditch me like that?"

"I got places to be," he called back, already halfway down the stairs, not caring to divulge that Will Rogers High School was the place he was headed to. He could hear Cherie screeching out his name from behind, and with a look that would make the devil cringe, he jerked around, one second away from telling her off.

"Wait," she said, before he could open his mouth. "If you don't want to be with me like that, can we still get together?" Another pout. "Tonight?"

Eyeing her coolly for a second, he turned and climbed into the T-Bird. "Whatever you say." The engine roared to life as he turned the key. "Find me at the bowling alley downtown tonight around eight."

And with that, he sped out of the parking lot, not caring if she bothered to show up that night or not.

"You did what?" Darry's tone was sharp, his eyes fixed on his younger brother. "Are you out of your mind, Soda?"

The golden-haired teen merely stared at his shoes. "I had to, Darry. Don't you get it? I―"

His hand came down hard on the kitchen counter as he turned to face the window. "Yeah, I get it, Soda, but that doesn't mean you can just get hired at another job without telling me about it. Really, what on God's green earth were you thinking?"

Soda shrugged, moving to sit at the table, his countenance lethargic. This wasn't exactly how he wanted to spend his afternoon―arguing with Darry. He had a feeling his older brother would have a cow once he realized that he had gone to that interview at Giberson's Auto and had gotten hired right after. He'd come home before lunch, since he wasn't working that afternoon, only to run into Darry, whose shift at the repair store didn't start until one.

The two were momentarily stunned to see each other at the house, since it was usually vacant until Ponyboy got home from school. Well, both Soda and Darry knew of one other occupant who had been sneaking in every other week to do his laundry―Dallas Winston. Darry had been the one to figure it out, though, going on about how somebody was messing with the settings on the washer, and how the detergent was miraculously disappearing in small increments.

Darry was always on board with things like that, and everyone knew that Two-Bit was too lazy to even find a clean shirt half the time, never mind actually wash his clothes, and Steve, well, Steve would ask to use the washer if he needed to, so that only left one person. Funny, Soda would expect Dally to cover his tracks. Who the hell knew that forgetting to switch the settings on a washing machine would ever give him away?

Soda folded his hands together on the table. "Well, I can't keep accepting Steve's paycheck, Darry. He works to make that money, he earns it, man, and we can't keep letting him give it to us."

Darry sighed, turning back around to face his brother. "I told you to quit taking it, Soda!" Running a hand through his dark hair, the older boy gazed at the floor. "Look, I don't know what we're gonna do, but I can't have you busting your ass, too. Not like this."

"Dammit, Darry!" the teen barked, jumping to his feet. "When are you gonna get it through your head, huh?" His brown eyes were blazing with fury. "I ain't gonna let you work yourself gray before you turn thirty!" Out of frustration, he swatted a bowl off the table, hearing the sound of it landing in the living room a second later. "You're always going on that you gotta do this and that, and well, I'm sick of it. I know I've got a full-time job at the DX, but with you only working two part-time jobs and making less income, we're gonna end up on the street if I don't take this opportunity." A brief silence fell across the room before he continued. "I'm already hired."

"It's on the other side of town, though, Soda," Darry pointed out, at loss for an argument. "Is that really such a good idea?"

"It's the only chance I've got, and I'm taking it."

Darry eyed his brother for a moment longer, knowing that the discussion was over. Soda was seventeen years old, he wasn't a child anymore, hadn't been in a while. He was going to do whatever he wanted to, and it wasn't Darry's place to intervene.

A sigh. "And when do you start?"

"Tomorrow. I'll be working weekends part-time, and Benny is keeping me on full-time at the DX," he answered in a calmer voice, sitting back down.

Darry nodded, moving away from the counter and reaching for his jacket and keys. "I suggest you wait until later tonight or this weekend to tell Ponyboy about this."

"Yeah," Soda agreed, resting his chin in his hand. "Are you coming with us to the bowling alley tonight?"

The older boy shook his head. "I'm gonna swing by the gym for a while."

A grin. "What, thinking that you're losing some muscle or something?"

Darry chuckled at the remark. "Keep that talk up and you'll see just how much I haven't lost, kid brother."

As Soda watched him walk out the door, he contemplated what he would say to Ponyboy later that night, knowing fully well that Darry wasn't going to the gym just to work on gaining his muscle back.

Sometimes, Soda wished he had an outlet, too.

"Well?" Ella asked, raising a curious brow.

Ponyboy shrugged a little. "He said that he would run it by the company, but he wasn't sure they would approve it or not. He said he'll try his best, though."

"That's good news," the girl replied as the two headed out of the building.

The younger teen merely sighed, neither happy or unhappy with the situation. He liked Dale Franklin enough, trusted him, too. He seemed very eager to help him in any way that he could, and to top it off, he was a huge fan of his upcoming book―even told him that it was going through the editing process at the present moment. There was still a lot that they would need to do, but Ponyboy was ready for whatever was going to come, and he couldn't wait to tell his brothers once everything was completed.

Speaking of which, Ponyboy's eyes shifted in the direction of his accompanier. He'd asked Ella during lunch Wednesday if she would like to go with him to visit Mr. Franklin Friday afternoon, even though it involved missing their afternoon classes. He wasn't sure why he'd asked at first, but he and Ella had gotten rather friendly over the past few weeks, and she was the only one who knew about his upcoming book. Surprisingly, she had agreed to come along, even suggesting that she drive him there so they didn't have to take the bus.

"I guess so," he agreed after a moment, lighting up a cigarette. "Thanks for taking me."

Ella offered him a small smile. "Of course."

The two climbed inside Mrs. Mitchell's car, Ella rolling the windows down as she pulled her pack of cigarettes out of her bag, casually lighting up and leaning back in the seat. Ponyboy was silent beside her, wondering if he ought to ask her to come bowling with him and the guys that night. He was sure that Soda would be looking for a pretty girl to get together with, and Steve and Evie were coming together, which left Dallas and Two-Bit as his only potential company.

Pony sighed, wishing that Johnny was around―they always buddied around together, sometimes being so quiet that the others forgot they were even there. The teen missed those days, wished more than anything that he could just live one more moment of them, but like Darry told him a while back, you can't keep dwelling in the past.

As Ella pulled onto the highway, he decided to break the ice. "You busy tonight?"

She shook her head. "No, why?"

"Well," he said, looking down at his shoes, "would you want to come to the bowling alley around eight or so? Some of the guys are going, and―"

"Will Dallas be there?" came the immediate inquiry, and he didn't miss the frown that crossed her lips.

"I'm not sure," he lied, knowing fully well that Dallas had agreed to go. He knew that something had happened between them, but when he'd asked both of them―at separate times―they'd both given him a look that told him never to bring it up again. Whatever it was, though, he knew that Ella wanted nothing to do with Dallas, and Dallas . . . well, he couldn't even contain the scowl that would form on his face whenever the girl's name was mentioned.

Ella pursed her lips. "I suppose I'll join y'all, but if I see that white-haired devil―"

"You can leave," Ponyboy finished, and gave her a slight grin. "If he does show up and it makes you uncomfortable, well―"

"Thanks," she responded, and sighed. "I know he's your friend, Ponyboy, and I really don't want to be in the middle of a conflict."

He nodded a bit. "Don't worry about it none."

Ella chuckled, pushing her hair out of her face as she drove. "Well, I can't say that I'll be much fun, but I'll be there."

"Tuff enough," he replied, and silently hoped for a decent night for once.

Dallas hadn't stepped foot inside the Curtis's house with everyone there all at once in ages. It felt weird to him, off somehow, and a cold sensation crept up his spine, causing him to cringe. He knew the reason why he was feeling like this―Johnny. He was missing. The blond could hear the laughter of Two-Bit and Soda coming from the living room, could hear Ponyboy calling them clowns and telling them to shut their traps so he could finish his English essay.

The hood frowned, picturing a small, dark-haired boy with eyes that were too big for his face sitting quietly on the couch, those dark and wild orbs darting around the room as he watched the commotion taking place around himself. Dally scowled deeply, wishing that Johnny Cade would stop popping up in his mind like that, and mentally cursed the little punk.

He licked his lips once, jamming his fists inside his pockets as he headed to the porch, almost deciding to change his mind and tell the boys that he'd meet them downtown later. Still, even though he was internally arguing with himself, he didn't bother to stop his feet from bringing him to the front door, lips curved down. Swinging the screen back on its hinges, the towheaded teen pushed the front door open and swaggered inside, taking in the sight before himself.

Two-Bit and Soda were wrestling on the floor, the older teen's arms holding the other boy in a loose headlock, using his free hand to rub his knuckles over his greasy hair.

"Say uncle!" he laughed, messing his golden hair up further.

Soda gritted his teeth, maneuvering the lower half of his body to squirm away from the older teen, lips curled back, eyes squeezed into slits. "Hell no!"

Dallas shook his head, eyes raising to find the youngest Curtis seated at the kitchen table, a literature book opened in front of him along with a notebook, which he was using to scribble some words down on a half written piece of paper. He looked around the room for the oldest brother, craning his neck a little as he listened for the sound of the shower.

Soda and Two-Bit continued to wrestle each other like immature children on the floor while Dallas casually stepped over them, shaking his head at the scene. He stood at the entrance of the kitchen for a moment, watching the kid work on his homework―he appeared so focused on it that Dally was unsure if he'd even heard him enter the house.

For a minute, he felt invisible, as if no one even recognized his very presence. The thought caused him to sneer, nostrils flaring as his fists clenched inside his pockets. Glory, but things sure felt different, and the blond suddenly wished he'd stopped himself before waltzing in like nothing had changed at all, like everything would be the same as it had been last year.

"Dally?" Ponyboy's voice pulled him back to reality, and he glanced up, a cool expression on his face to conceal his previous thoughts.

"What's going on, kid?" he asked, forcing himself to walk further inside the kitchen. It smelled of chicken and something else, as if the family had eaten dinner not too long ago. Dallas's eyes shifted around the room, noticing how different it looked compared to daytime.

Ponyboy shrugged, watching the older teen with caution. "Nothing, really. Just finishing up my English homework."

'Course you are, he wanted to say, but thought better of it, reaching for a beer in the fridge. "Where's the big man?"

The sound of his books closing echoed about the small kitchen as the younger boy stood up, sliding his chair in. "Went to the gym earlier this evening."

At that precise moment, Two-Bit and Soda came lopping inside, the former merely stepping around the blond as he, too, grabbed a beer. Soda, on the other hand, looked once at Dallas and nodded, a small smile on his lips.

"So, when are we gettin' the hell outta here?" Two-Bit asked, chugging his beverage down like he was a man dying from dehydration.

Soda eyed the clock above the stove. "I'm ready when y'all are." His eyes met his younger brother's as he cocked an eyebrow. "You finish your homework, yet?"

"Yeah."

Two-Bit tossed his empty bottle in the trash. "Then I'd say we're about ready to go."

Dally agreed, finishing off the rest of the beer in his hand. He couldn't be more thrilled to get out of that house, the reminder of everything that happened several months ago beginning to suffocate him as it dragged him down below the surface, like he was back in another one of those fucking nightmares.

Ella recognized Ponyboy immediately. He was sitting in one of the chairs beside the various racks of bowling balls, a Pepsi in one hand. With a small smile, she made her way over to him, feeling slightly out of place. She had debated on not showing up several times, but she figured it might do her some good to get out of the house for a while. Besides, it wasn't like she was really doing anything that night.

"Hey," the younger teen greeted, noticing her standing there. "You came."

The girl cracked a grin, taking a seat beside him. "Yeah."

She realized how relieved he appeared right then, and her eyes immediately began scanning the area to see who was there. She recognized Soda easily enough―he was standing off to the side with Two-Bit Mathews, sweet-talking two girls. Steve Randle was taking his turn bowling, letting out a loud and enthusiastic cackle as he made a third strike. His girlfriend, Evie, casually munched on a fry coated with ketchup, looking like she would rather be elsewhere.

"You wanna bowl with us?"

Ella shook her head. "I think I'll just hangout for now."

Ponyboy nodded. "Well, I'm glad you came."

The two sat in silence for a while, and Ella figured out why the younger teen had looked so relieved at her company. Everyone else was doing something, or had somebody to hangout with, except for him, even though he was doing his own thing. Soda and Two-Bit had wandered around, coming back here and there to take their turns, and Soda tossed his kid brother a grin when he saw that he wasn't just sitting there like a bump on a log by his lonesome.

Ella began to relax. She and Ponyboy had engaged in a conversation of their own, and after a half hour, she decided to bowl, too. She spoke a little to Evie, too, before the two of them walked outside to have a smoke. They didn't chat too much, but neither girl seemed to mind the company. Ella thought Evie was a decent girl, a little tough for what she was used to, but she was alright.

It was only when Ella heard that familiar voice did she tense up, lips thinning out like a cartoon character, eyes narrowing. She kept her body firmly planted in the seat next to Ponyboy, who was busy chatting with a boy from his science class. Ella suddenly felt very exposed and vulnerable, silently debating on leaving or not. If she did, it would mean that Dallas Winston had the upper hand, and there was no way in hell that she was going to cower to the likes of him.

"Where the hell did you go?" Steve asked, taking a sip of Evie's drink.

"Met up with Cherie," Dallas answered, and the sound of light giggling reached Ella's ears. "Yeah, we was thinkin' of ridin' down the strip later. Y'all wanna come?"

Two-Bit hopped over the chairs, flopping down on the other side of Ponyboy. "I'm down. 'Sides, a few of the guys over there were talking about heading down there anyway."

Soda winked at the older teen, giving him a light nudge on the shoulder. "Why don't you ask Valerie Childs if she wants to tag along. She's been eyeing you all night."

Two-Bit was quick to jerk his head in the direction of said girl. "Yeah, maybe I'll do that."

"You bringing the kid along?"

Ponyboy scowled at Steve. Even though the two of them had been getting along a lot better than what they used to, it was still clear that Steve wasn't a fan of his. Sure, they would have each others back if anything happened, but they would never dig one another. Steve would always see him as an annoying kid, and Ponyboy would always see Steve as a jerk.

"I think I'll head home."

Soda's brows pulled together, a concerned look in his brown eyes. "You ain't walking, Ponyboy."

Ella glanced up, heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to keep quiet, but she could practically feel the emotions radiating from the teen beside her, and she was quick to step in. "I can drive him back to your house. It's not a problem."

"Gee, you don't gotta do that―"

Ponyboy interrupted his brother, though, glaring slightly at Steve. "Thanks."

"Who the hell invited her?"

Ella felt her scowl deepening at the tone of the hood's voice, and she stood up in one fluid motion, arms crossed over her chest. "Ponyboy asked me to come."

Dallas eyed her coolly, upper lip curled back in disgust. "What a shame, but I figured as much. Ain't nobody else who'd want you around."

The girl beside him snorted, sucking on her lips as she gave Ella a once over, raising one brow with a sneer. "Can't imagine why anyone would. She don't look any fun."

"Hey, now," Soda said, shaking his head. "Come on, y'all. She's Ponyboy's friend, alright?" He gave the bushy-haired girl an apologetic look as the others cleared out. "Don't pay attention to Dally―"

Ella waved him off. "It's fine."

Soda nodded once, but dropped the subject, turning his attention to Ponyboy. "You gonna be okay?"

The younger teen shrugged. "I'll be fine. I'll let Darry know you're staying out late."

"You're an okay, kid, little brother," he replied, playfully messing up his hair and taking off after the others.

Ella hadn't missed the annoyed expression on Evie's face, and she felt bad for the other girl. Still, the thought was forgotten as she and Ponyboy started walking toward the doors a few minutes later.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Sure."

The older teen forced the lump down in her throat, telling herself over and over again that she wasn't going to let Dallas's words get under skin. He was just an ignorant and nasty hoodlum, and she didn't want anything to do with him. She suddenly didn't regret ever hitting him, instead telling herself that he deserved it, along with everything else he ever got.

She repeated the mantra to herself as she and Ponyboy walked out into the night air, the coolness grazing at her facial skin and causing her to cringe, her hands immediately weaving themselves securely inside her jacket pockets. Hearing that obnoxious giggle again, the girl jerked around, only to see a sight that only further revolted her.

There stood Dallas and that girl he had his arm draped around earlier. They were pressed up against the side of somebody's vehicle, the blond's face buried in her neck as his hands roamed across her body and groped places that Ella had never been touched before, not even by Craig. She felt her face heating up, her stomach knotting in pure anger as another feeling entirely became ever so present. But it couldn't be, could it? No, Ella was certainly not jealous of any of Winston's sleazy girls.

"Who is she?"

Ponyboy followed her gaze, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw a flash of disgust cross his face. "Cherie Peters."

"Dallas's girlfriend?"

The way she had asked sounded bitter, and Ponyboy glanced at her with skepticism. "I don't think they are together officially, but they've been seeing each other for a while now. How come?"

Grounding her teeth, Ella turned away from the inappropriate scene with a scowl on her face. "Thought that I recognized her from school, but I suppose I was wrong."

The younger teen watched the girl walk away, and his brows rose as his green eyes widened a little, an uncomfortable realization settling in the very pit of his stomach.

Try to see the world getting bigger

We both have our roads and much farther to go

But it won't have to feel so hard when you're not alone

As always, thank you so much for all of the positive feedback! It keeps me going! :3