SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Since we are getting so close to the end of the story, I want to take all of your ideas right now and not use them. There is a specific reason as to why I am doing this, it's because I want the last three chapters to sound more or less like a "story" and not drabbels or one-shots into a single chapter. And also, I'm sorry guys, I can't wait any longer for "suggestive reviews" because I have a baby coming soon and I'll have to take a hiatus to care for him. So I'll be cranking out chapters like there is no tomorrow.

Don't worry though, I have a plan for the ending of this story and I know you will all come to like it. However, I will always accept reviews :) The more reviews, the better :)

-Kylelover101.

A/N:

Only 3 more chapters to go.

-Kylelover101

I Don't own The Outsiders the brilliant S. E. Hinton does.

Warnings for this chapter:

Language mostly.

Chapter 37

Ponyboy sat in class smiling. Today was the first day of school. As promised, Two-bit and Johnny vowed to keep an eye on Ponyboy if they could. There were a good amount of Greaser and Socs in the class, but Ponyboy didn't bother himself with that.

Rather. . . . he was focused on someone else.

Ponyboy sighed, he missed Curly. He was thinking about him a lot lately. He missed Curly a whole lot, he wondered if this was how Scott felt when they had to break apart. Pony sighed sadly, thinking of Scott hurt his head and his heart.

"Mr. Curtis." Ponyboy looked up seeing his teacher walk to him with a sheet of paper wanting him to go to the principal's office. Ponyboy gulped, it was only the first day of school, why would he be needing to go to the office? During his free period, he was in the office sitting in a chair waiting to be told what he had "done wrong" this time. A lot of times Greasers had been blamed for things Socs did, and (very rarely) as did Socs get blamed for what Greasers did.

"Ah, Ponyboy." Pony turned to smile at the principal. Principal Morris was a nice man unless you did something to make him mad and loose his trust in him thinking you were a good student.

"Um, Principal Morris, why am I here?" Pony asked," Have I done something wrong?"

"Wrong? Oh, No, Ponyboy. In fact, it's the complete opposite. I wanted to tell you that your test scores have excelled past your grade."

Pony smiled, it was because of all the studying Darry made him do.

"Pony, I wanted to ask you something." Principal Morris smiled.

Pony shrugged, "Sure, anything."

"Ponyboy. . . . how would you like to see a Collage Campus? For inspiration we'll call it." Pony's eyes widened. A College Campus? Whatever for? Ponyboy was excited to hear the news, but he was also very confused.

"Why, sir?" He asked.

Principal Morris smiled, taking off his glasses. "Ponyboy, I've seen many kids almost identical to your background. No parents, poor and. . . . Greaser like." Pony cocked his eyebrow, trying to feel as if he should be insulted or not. "Pony, I've never seen anyone from your side of the tracks like this! This is amazing! You should feel honored being in only ninth Grade, skipped a grade already and being asked by local colleges!"

Pony bit his lip, "Sir. . . with all due respect, I don't understand what you mean."

Principal Morris frowned. "What do you mean by, 'my side of the tracks'?"

The older gentleman put his hands together and sighed, "Pony, let's not sugarcoat this, you're from a poor neighborhood, I can imagine you've been through Hell because of the death of your parents, god bless their souls, but to be told this news and only to be concerned about where you came from?"

"It's just, I know I'm poor. . . . but just because I'm poor but I just-so-happen to be smart, I hope that's not the reason they're taking me."

Ponyboy wanted to be seen by how smart and diligent he was, not because of where he was from or what he associated himself with.

Principal Morris nodded, "I understand, Ponyboy. I'm sorry for what I said." Ponyboy shrugged him off and smiled, Just wait till Darry hears about this.

. . . . . .

"Really?!" Darry smiled looking up from the letter Pony's principal sent home. "A College visit? Pony, you're not even in eleventh grade, this, this is wonderful!"

Pony smiled softly, poking at his food. "Thanks, Dare."

"Humpf. Not the way I see it." Soda growled, poking his potatoes. Darry scoffed, still smiling from the news. "Are you kidding me, Soda? This is like, a whole new chapter of Pony's life!"

"Seems like an excuse to take him away from us." Soda sneered, biting a huge bite of food.

"No, he'll be leaving at the right time, he's with us till he's eighteen." Darry reassured Soda, and Soda jolted his head to Darry's direction.

"Uh, more like he's with us till he's forty! Forty is a wonderful age to move out."

"Soda." Pony groaned.

"No, I'm serious, Ponyboy. I read an artical about 'empty nest syndrome' it's deadly believe it or not, causes suicides and self-harm!" Soda waved his fork around.

"Soda, you get that when I leave the bed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night." Pony sighed, ignoring both his brothers as Darry laughed and Soda rolled his eyes. Pony's mind was elsewhere. This college thing, it was his ticket out of here! Away from the fighting, the rumbles, the Socs the Greasers, the class-war. Everything.

He laid in bed thinking about this and all his heart could do was clench and his eyes weep.

. . . . . . .

"My Ponyboy. . . " Pony yawned, his large rubbing his large eyes as he looked up, his vision becoming less blurry the more he blinked. He was given the sight of his mother above him, smiling down at him as she creased hairs away from his forehead.

"Baby. . . are you sick?"

No, he wasn't sick. . . . or was he?

"Hey, Pony." Pony looked over slowly, his father was crouching down to him. "How's my boy doing? Are you okay?"

Pony sucked in his bottom lip as his mother laid him gently down on the pillow bellow him. "My poor boy. Darrel, maybe we shouldn't go."

"He'll be fine, Soda and Darry will take care of him. It'll be just for a few hours." Darrel gently stroked his hand along Pony's back, lulling him to a neer threat of sleep. Stacia Curtis didn't look too sure, but reluctantly she agreed. She had spent her remaining hours next to the sick boy. Pony would cough every once in a while, burning his throat and squeezing his lungs. His mother would dab the washcloth on his forehead and gently crease her cool finger tips along his burning-red cheeks.

He remembered her scent, her soft touch, her glow. . .

"Ponyboy." When had he fallen asleep?

"Pony. . . Daddy and I will be home soon."

No! Pony's eyes widened.

"Mind your brothers."

Pony turned over quickly, ignoring the fever, the headache and the spinning room as he tried to reach out to the shaddows of his mother and father walking out the door.

No! Please, come back!
Stay home!
YOU'LL BE KILLED!

"Ponyboy!" Pony jerked up from his nightmare as Soda patted his back, holding him close. "Pony, it's okay. It was just a dream."

Pony panted and held the urge to cry. He calmed down after a while.

"Yeah, It was just a dream."

Reviews are wonderful and I'd like some! *grins*

-Kylelover101