AN: Yo, everyone! Thanks so much for reading my first ever story up until this high point and thank-you, my great, golden, tuff friends who are reviewing! It's time for Jazz's riding lessons! How will he do? Good? Bad? Well, let's just see! Ride on! Yehaw! :D

Chapter 43

The dark winter night flew by like it alwayd did. All of the Greasers were remaining fast asleep throughout all of its twinkling stars and soft breeze singing around in the nighttime, whistling through some trees branches. No nightmares at all ran through any of the Greasers heads either, each of them having a peaceful and relaxing sleep.

The next morning the gang woke up earlier than usual. The clock just struck 7:00, and the sun was shining in the clear blue sky with only a few puffy white clouds flowing around. Every where when you just took a simple little gaze outside was remaining as it was with its snow. It just looked like a small amount of baby powder dabbed all around the ground, the trees, the barns roof, the ranch houses roof, and every where else in plain sight, including the gate that entered around the barn. Also, considering that the country wasn't absoluetly freezing during the winter like it actually is in the Greasers home town, the temperature was actually a little warm, so the Greasers could wear short sleeves and short pants if they wanted to.

Beverly had just started fixing up orange eggs, pink waffles, and purple pieces of bacon, along with some cups of coffee and mostly chocolate milk for breakfast for the gang. Beverly always got up way early in the morning. The earliest that she got up ever sense she began her job at the Curtis's family ranch was 5:45 A.M. When you work on a barn, it's hard to keep up with all of the work with feeding the horses, hauling hay stacks, driving the tractor around a bit, and cleaning up around outside afterwards. After that though, it was time for the indoor chores, like doing the dishes, washing the windows, dusting, and straightening up the pillows on the couches, and the rugs on some parts of the floor in different rooms. Beverly certainly had a busy job 24/7, but that's what she truly adored about it. She loved her job at the Curtis's family ranch!

The Greasers all made their beds to make them all look good as new, right before they all got dressed in one of their cowboy/cowgirl outfits that they always dressed in every time they do their weekly long trips to the Curtis's family ranch. Considering that Jazz and Cassidy didn't know about actually dressing up like a cowboy/cowgirl, Cassidy was given some of Kitten's old cowgirl clothes from when she was her age, and Ponyboy loaned Jazz one of his pairs of cowboy clothes. Cowboy/cowgirl boots, cowboy/cowgirl hats, torn up-designed jeans or shorts, cowgirl/cowboy vests, tuff regular T-shirts for the cowboys of the gang, and beautiful lacey shirts for the cowgirls of the gang, which would reveal their stomachs, bellybuttons, and a bit of their backs. Even Jocelyn's cowgirl top was like that, but because she was only seven months, it made her a whole lot even more adorable. Jocelyn had her own cowgirl outfit from Halloween a couple of months back.

Jazz zipped on his loaned over torn-up designed, light blue jeans, then topped on his loaned over dark black T-shirt over his bare stomach, chest, and back, right before he placed on his loaned cowboy brown vest, and slipped on his own black, pointed toe boots. To finish his whole cowboy outfit off, the twelve-year-old boy placed a brown cowboy hat on top of his brunette hair. He certainly did look tuff, just like the whole gang did in their own cowboy/cowgirl uniforms that flashed off different colors and shades.

Everyone dug into their breakfast, enjoying every tasty bite of Beverly's fantasticly made breakfast, right before they all bounced right out the front door, except Johnny, who went back upstairs to fetch his cowboy hat that he had forgotten up by his nightstand, and Darry decided to stay inside to help Beverly clean up the table and take care of the dishes. Beverly told him that he didn't have to, but Darry insisted.

Cassidy had fetched Rosemary out from the stable while Kitten took Angel out to give her a gentle brushing before they rode off with the rest of the gang. Jazz grinned from a distance when looking at his new girlfriend, trying his best to hide his nervousness from actually getting up on and riding Rosemary. In Jazz's opinion, Cassidy looked very pretty in the sunlight with her dark purple, lacey cowgirl top, and long light blue jeans, along with her white cowgirl hat covering up her silky, long, brown hair that would flow beautifully a bit, and her pair of brown cowgirl boots were being worn on her feet.

Steve and Two-bit were gone at God knows where at the moment, and Ponyboy was taking Jocelyn inside the stable so she could visit her little colt that morning, while Dally was also hanging out God knows where. Johnny then came out of the ranch house, his hands jammed in his dark blue jeans with him also dressed in his dark brown T-shirt, brown pointed toe boots, and his gray cowboy hat was on the top of his jet-black hair.

As Johnny gazed up from looking down at his pointed toe boots, his black eyes met Kitten, her pretty, long, ginger-colored hair flowing long and beautifully in the soft breeze, and she was dressed in her lacey, plaid, orange cowgirl top that cut off at the middle of her ribs, her short, lighter blue, jean shorts, white cowgirl boots, and her silver cowgirl hat. The eldest Cade started feeling his heart pound very hard and rapid in his chest, but it wasn't out of him being scared or worried like his heart would usually do at those moments. For some reason that Johnny didn't understand, he started feeling the warm and fuzzy feeling growing and growing all around his heart, as his face began feeling warm with the fuzzy feelings, too, and a small, cute grin spread across the eldest Cade's face. His black eyes sparked up with happiness, but Johnny was so caught up in feeling so different all the sudden when gazing at Kitten that he didn't realize the two steps that lead off the front porch of the Curtis's family ranch house.

"WHOA!" Johnny hollered, both startled and surprised from his unexpected fall as he hit the back of his head flat on the hard ground. Kitten had jumped a little after hearing his loud, unexpecting outburst, and when she quickly shot her attention to the oldest Cade to see him now laying flat on his back on the ground, her heart dropped.

"JOHNNY!" Kitten gasped as she dropped the brush that she was using to brush Angel with and she quickly bolted as fast as her two legs could go, and when she made it all the way over to Johnny, she fell down on her knees in front of his head. Gently, but quickly a bit at the same time with a worried expression on her face, Cassidy placed Johnny's head on her lap and she gently and caringly stroked his cheek with one of her hands.

"Johnny! Are you okay?!" Kitty asked, nervously, hoping to death that Johnny would open his black eyes again. After five seconds of getting no answer, as more stress and nervousness started building up inside the female Greaser, the fear of stress and nervousness vanished and full relief and this strange fuzzy, warm feeling started taking over Kitten's body. Johnny mumbled a bit as he squinted his eyes open a bit, feeling this painful throb on the back of his head from his rough fall. The sunlight shined from being Kitten, making her look like she was absoluetly dazzling and glowing in the golden light that was so bright that morning that it was as if it could be white.

"...Are you an angel?" Johnny asked, mumbling a bit with his speaking from still trying to get over his sore fall. Since Johnny hit the back of his head on the hard ground, it was obvious that he was going to be saying some stuff that wasn't really clear for at least a couple of minutes. It was just a great thing that the eldest Curtis didn't seriously get himself damaged or injured in any way from his fall. The worst he was going to get was a bruise that wasn't even going to be noticeable on the back of his head.

"Um..no, Johnny," Kitten shrugged her shoulders, right before she caringly went back to gently and smoothingly stroking his cheek. "You see, you fell and banged the back of your head on the ground. You don't understand things clearly at the moment,"

Before Johnny could say another word back to the pretty ginger-haired Greaser girl, Dallas came bolting over to the scene with Kitten and Johnny in his dark red T-shirt, brown cowboy vest, darker brown torn-up designed jeans, black cowboy boots, and his tan cowboy hat.

"Oh, god! Johnny! Johnny-cake! Johnny-cake! You alright, man?!" Dally asked, worriedly, as he got down on his knees to the right side of Johnny and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Johnny-cake! Answer me! Say anything!"

"Is that you, God?" Johnny asked, squinting his eyes open a bit more again with the sun now glimmering off brightly behind Dallas. Johnny was still mumbling a bit with his words, trying his best to get over the sore part of the back of his head from where he got hit. "Shall I pass on into the light, Lord? God?"

"No, Johnny! Snap out of it! That's the sun, not the light to the other side! And I'm not God...wait, that came out wrong...I am a God, just not the one!" Dally exclaimed

The eldest Cade kept his eyes squinted for a few more seconds, until he closed them all the way and drifted off in his own thoughts of actually snapping back into it. About seven seconds later then, Johnny quickly blinked back up and right after Johnny realized his head was resting on Kitten's lap, he didn't take any hesitation to sit up with his cheeks now turning bright, bright pink a bit.

"Are you okay, Johnny-cake?" Kitten asked, her beautiful, sweet, innocent smile now plastered on her face when her emerald green eyes met Johnny's kind, puppy-dog, black eyes.

Johnny placed one of his hands over the part of the back of his head from where it struck the ground hard, and he let out a few soft, sore moans from his lips.

"I'm fine..just had a little rough fall," Johnny spoke with his usual soft, shy tone. He gently removed his hand from over the sore part of the back of his head and sighed. "Guess I'm a klutz, huh?"

Kitten continued grinning as she released some chuckles from her lips, right before she placed one of her hands on one of Johnny's shoulders. The warm, fuzzy feelings that Johnny questioned was about started overfilling his entire body, getting even more and more intense. He couldn't help himself to shyly grin himself at Kitten.

"No, Johnny-cake. You're not a klutz. You just tripped. Anybody can do such a thing. Seriously, Two-bit's done it enough times since we were all in the play area in kindergarten many years ago and up till this very day, he still trips and falls at least once a day," Kitten explained to the eldest Cade, who couldn't help his small, innocent laughs to come out from his mouth.

"Yeah, he tripped over his own feet this morning when he was trying to quickly get his pants on, 'member, Johnny, man?" Dallas snickered as he stood up from the ground and dusted himself off. Starting to chuckle a bit again, Johnny nodded his head. Kitten then stood up from the ground, too, and she did what Dally did by dusting herself off. When Johnny gazed up at her after she said his name gently and caringly, she was now holding her hand down towards him, and Johnny knew that she was offering to help him up. With his handsome smile remaining plastered on his face, Johnny took a gentle hold of Kitten's hand and she helped him up from the ground, right before she fixed his collar around his neck a bit better.

"Feel better?" Kitty asked, giving her buddy a couple pats on his shoulder after she finished adjusting his collar around his neck.

"...Yeah, I'm good...the worse I'll get is just a bruise...I've been through worse," Johnny assured her, and Kitten nodded her head with full agreement, but she was desperatly wishing that she wasn't. Everyone knew that Mr and Mrs. Cade were nothing but heartless and cold devils from the evil and painful pits of fire that's way underground...Johnny, Jocelyn, and Cassidy on the other hand though...they're angels sent from Heaven, and they share first as the gangs pets, Jazz being in the second part.

A confused expression formed on Dally's face as he began looking left to right, side to side, all over the place by gazing over his shoulders and twisting and turning his body around. With nothing but the pure quietness, Johnny gently placed his hand on Kitten's cheek and gazed into her sorrow filled eyes. Kitty gazed back into his black eyes, which were surprisingly filled with happiness after he got a chance to look into hers once again. Johnny was only trying to cheer Kitten up and keep her feeling good, and he grew proud of himself as he watched Kitten spark a smile across her face again, and the sorrow drained completely away from her eyes. The dead silence was still going on, and before Kitten and Johnny knew it, the two of them started leaning in slowly to each other, Johnny's hand still gently and caringly remaining on Kitten's cheek with their grins still on their faces, and their eyes now shut in dreaming ways.

"Hey, guys," Dally's voice finally spoke up, breaking the silence, as he still continued looking all around the ranch from where he was standing. Quickly, Kitten and Johnny both opened their eyes and they were both now boiling heavily, as they backed out from being so close to each other. Johnny took his hand away from Kitty's face and scratched the back of his head with his usual shy expression back on his face. Neither him or Kitten knew what just happened or what was about to happen between of them. All they knew at that moment was that they were both feeling red-hot all the sudden, and shy looks were now on their faces.

"Yeah, Dal?" Johnny asked, his voice now quiet since he usually always talked in a soft tone.

"I can't believe I'm asking this, but," Dally began as he turned his attention back to Johnny and Kitten. He realized that their faces were now bright red, and not to mention completely shy looking. Even more confusion started filling up Dally's mind, but all he did was cock an eyebrow, just like Two-bit would usually do at a time like that, and the fighter of the gang didn't bother to speak a single word about that. Dallas shrugged his shoulders before going on with his actual question, and then he finally spoke up with the question, "Where's Two-bit and Steve?"

While Kitten and Johnny exchanged looks, then confessed to Dallas that they didn't know, Two-bit and Steve were actually spending time in the hayloft of the stable with Ponyboy still having Jocelyn with him so she could see her colt.

Steve was kicking back on one of the hay stacks, scraping a small piece of wood with his switch-blade, while Two-bit was working on his lassoing as he swung back and forth on the rope swing, one of his cowboy, black, pointed toe boots-wearing feet standing in the loop of the rope swing, his right arm resting around the long, looped rope, and his left arm swinging around the lasso as he cheered his goofy laughter.

"Keep it down, would ya?! We don't need the whole country area to hear you goin' off!" Steve exclaimed over Two-bit's laughter.

"Don't you ever dare to have fun, Stevie?" Two-bit snickered, cocking an eyebrow as he continued swinging back and forth on the rope swing, while he also spun the lasso he made in the air.

Steve gave him a death-mock stare. "Don't call me that, Two-bit! And no, I only attempt to have actual fun with jokes and whatnot with Soda, considering he's my best buddy,"

Two-bit continued grinning as he rolled his eyes after taking in Steve's response, but Two-bit didn't bother to say any other word to Steve, who was still chipping the small piece of wood that he had in his left hand with his switch-blade, which was being clenched in his right hand. After taking a couple more swings back and forth, Two-bit hopped off from the rope swing and just continued on with watching his lassoing. Steve took a couple peaks once in a while to see how Two-bit was doing with this lassoing that he's never done before, and even though Two-bit was surprisingly actually good, Steve only rolled his eyes, then continued his buisness with chipping the small piece of wood with his switch-blade.

"Yehaw! This is one heck of a rockin' talent of lassoing for me!" Two-bit howled with absolute cheer and joy.

"Yeah," Steve slurred with his voice now filled with sarcasm. "Maybe you can use it to ship yourself off to the circus like those dancing monkeys or clowns on bicycles," Steve added, rolling his eyes in an uncaring way.

"Maybe I can try snaggin' somethin' with this," Two-bit said, as if he didn't bother to listen to what Steve just said to him.

"Yeah, whatever," Steve mumbled, uncaringly, still remaining with his eyes and full concertration on his blade as it chipped the piece of wood that he was holding.

Two-bit continued swinging the rope that he tied into a lasso around and around in a circle, feeling absoluetly tuff with himself, and after seven or so extra seconds of just twirling the lasso around in a circle in the air, Two-bit tossed it by its tied noose and watched it fly without him pulling back on it or anything. But then, Two-bit seriously wished that he had better aim, or at least he had threw the lasso somewhere else to tie it around a hook or one of the wooden beams of the stable or somewhere else, because before the wisecracker could see it coming, the lasso fly around Steve's head, and when Two-bit quickly attempted to pull it back, the rope tightened around Steve's head, making it look like Steve had the lasso as a crown.

Steve's eyes were now narrowed in a half angry/half annoyed manner, and his teeth were now clenched behind his closed lips that were slightly starting to peak up. Two-bit's eyes grew big from nervousness as he opened his mouth to apologize, but he was so nervous to even say sorry, so the word that came out was, "Oops..."

"Don't just stand that like the dim-wit that you are and say oops! Get this thing off from me!" Steve ordered, his voice now bitter and angry. Quickly, but gently at the same time, Two-bit tugged and unknotted the lasso from around Steve's head until it finally fell to the hay-straw-covered floor, it now being nothing more then just an ordinary rope.

Two-bit then slowly backed away as Steve glared another one of his death-mock stares at him.

"You got five seconds to live! One, two..." Steve began counting through his angrily clenched teeth, but before he even counted to the rest of the numbers, he leaped up from the hay stack that he was sitting on, flipped his switch-blade shut and slipped it into his boot, drooping the piece of wood from his other hand afterwards, and he bolted at Two-bit, who quickly started running away as fast as his two legs could go.

"What happened to three, four, and five?!" Two-bit gasped as he jumped down from the latter that climbed from the hayloft to the bottom floor of the stable, while Steve just quickly climbed down it, and chased Two-bit out of the stable, just as Ponyboy was walking out with Jocelyn in his arms. Ponyboy cocked an eyebrow when watching Two-bit getting chased by Steve as Jocelyn just nibbled and drooled on her fingers. Pony then shrugged his shoulders and just leaned there in the doorway that entered the stable, continuing to hold Jocelyn close to his chest as he watched Cassidy working on getting Rosemary ready a bit more from Jazz to ride in the distance.

Johnny, Dally, and Kitten were now sitting on the wooden porch of the Curtis's family ranch house, talking like they usually would, as they watched Cassidy continue to prepare Rosemary for Jazz's ride, too. Darry was still inside the ranch house, helping Beverly clean everything up as the two of them laughed and chatted about what has been going on in each others lives ever sense the last time the gang had actually visited the Curtis's family ranch, which was a year ago. Still, Darry peaked out the window once in awhile to see what was all going on, and when he saw Johnny, Kitten, and Dallas just sitting out on the porch with Steve racing after Two-bit, Ponyboy just relaxing with leaning in the stables enterance with Jocelyn in his arms, Soda cart-wheeling out into view from God knows where he was, and Cassidy fixing the black leather sattle onto Rosemary's back for Jazz to ride, Darry thought everything was going its usual ordinary way that the gang usually spent on the first actual day when visiting the Curtis's family ranch. So, Darry just went back to helping, talking, and chuckling with Beverly, the two of them getting lost in their own world while the rest of the Greasers remained outside.

"Say, Jazz," Soda cheered, cart-wheeling all the way over to the twelve-year-old brunette-haired boy, until he was directly standing by his side.

"Where'd you come from, Soda? Where'd you even go?" Jazz asked, battering his china-blue eyes with complete confusion and concern, but all he got in response was Soda flashing him a grin and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Don't ask. I was just hangin' out somewhere. Anyway, are you ready to get on Rosemary?" Sodapop asked

Jazz opened his mouth to nervously reply to Soda's question the best he could without stuttering, but before he could get a single word to come out from his lips, Two-bit hollered out in a scared, panicking tone, "SOMEBODY HELP ME! STEVE'S GOING TO KILL ME!", while he continued bolting as fast as he could go away from Steve, who was still running right on his tail.

Dallas smirked after hearing Two-bit's outburst for help. "YOU SAID THE SAME THING THREE WEEKS AGO WHEN YOU SMASHED HIS DADS WINDSHIELD WITH YOUR FOOTBALL, BUT LOOK! YOU'RE ALIVE AS EVER!"

"That was you who broke my dads windshield, Matthews?!" Steve gasped, angrily. "I should've known!"

Two-bit took down a lump in his throat as he attempted picking up his paste a lot more, but he couldn't help to keep the usual speed that he was using to run at that time. "I HATE YOU, DALLAS!"

"LOVE YOU, TOO, MAN!" Dally laughed to death, and his face turned bright, bright red from laughing so much and so hard. Johnny cracked one of his handsome grins and couldn't help himself to chuckle along a bit, and Kitten crossed her arms over her chest and playfully rolled her eyes at their behavior. It was obvious when one of the Greasers said that they loved each other, it meant it was out of friendship. The Greasers were all as tight as siblings, so when they said that they loved each other, it was out of their such tight friendship, but Dally only said that he loved Johnny, Cassidy, and Jocelyn. He does it a bit to Jazz now, too, but the only time he does it with the other Greasers is when he's just pulling a joke that he wants to get a good laugh out of himself.

Cassidy just rolled her eyes at Steve's and Two-bit's behavior as she tightened and strapped the black leather sattle around Rosemary a bit more until it was fully done, and then she gave her beautiful horse a couple pats on the neck, adding a little stroke with her dazzling mane while she was at it, and then she turned her pretty smile around at Jazz, who still had Soda by his side.

The second Curtis placed his hand on Jazz's shoulder and gave it a couple of gentle pats. Jazz's face heated up from nervousness a bit, but Soda's friendly pats on his shoulder and Cassidy's beautiful grin helped him calm down and relax a little. Jazz knew that it was time for him to start his riding lessons. By the end of that week, Jazz would know how to ride a horse.

"Hey! Steve! Two-bit! Stop chasing each other around like a dog and cat from a cartoon already, please!" Cassidy exclaimed, but her tone wasn't harsh or commanding at all, considering that the Greasers were all her best friends. She just really wanted Steve and Two-bit to stop running after each other. Without any hesitation, after hearing and digesting Cassidy's words, Two-bit and Steve stopped their chasing, and Steve gave Two-bit an annoyed glare, meaning that he was telling him that he got lucky that time.

"Thank you," Cassidy sighed, relieved. "Now, can you two please help me get Jazz on the horse?"

Jazz just gulped at picturing how high he could possibly get, or at least feel when being on the back of a horse.

"Steve, cuff your hands with mine so we can pry Jazz up, and Two-bit, just stand on the other side of Rosemary to help Jazz balance, okay?" Cassidy kindly instructed

"Aye, aye, captain!" Two-bit understood as he flew his hand to his forehead like an actual captain would do, and he flashed his big, goofy smile off all over again, as if his fear from Steve running after him never exsisted. Steve only shrugged his shoulders and walked over to Cassidy, as Two-bit took his place on the opposite side of Rosemary, and Soda stepped back only one step. Jazz was scared. He was extremely nervous. But he was trying to not show any of it to his new girlfriend or his best and only friends. Everyone had their eyes on Jazz now, including Kitten, Dally, and Johnny, who were still sitting on the front porch of the Curtis's family ranch house, and Ponyboy, who was still remaining leaning in the stables enterance with Jocelyn in his arms.

Cassidy and Steve cuffed their hands and locked their fingers around each others, getting ready to lift Jazz up to the top of Rosemary's back.

"Okay, Jazz, get up on Rosemary and try to ride," Cassidy kindly instructed as she grinned her beautiful smile again at her new boyfriend, considering that she remembered how scared and nervous she was to actually climb up on a horse and ride it all by herself at the age of five. But hey, she learned, and was quite a star at riding. She knew what feelings Jazz was going through, but she was just glad to get a small, handsome grin out of him, as he shyly walked up to her and Steve, then gently and carefully stepped up into their cuffed hands with one of his feet, while his other leg attempted stretching up and over the other side of Rosemary, who just remained standing still, chomping at some of the lightly snow-powdered grass with her ears twitching a bit, and beautifully big eyes sparkling with love.

Just as Jazz was finally pushed up all the way onto the horse by Cassidy and Steve, Two-bit reached up his arms a little to make sure that Jazz had his balance as he slid on the best he could, but the exact second Jazz got pushed up onto Rosemary, he fell and slipped off to her opposite side, landing straight on Two-bit, and sending them both to the ground with loud, "Oomps!"

Everybody gasped as Steve, Soda, and Cassidy quickly trotted around to the other side of Rosemary and gazed down at how Jazz was know laying flat on his back, over Two-bit's body. Two-bit was now resting on his left side after he was dragged down to the ground from Jazz falling, but of course, Two-bit didn't blame him. It's very tough at first to get your balance when riding a horse, just like riding a bike or a skateboard.

"Jazz, are you okay?!" Cassidy asked

"Yeah...never been better..." Jazz mumbled as he pushed himself up from his fall on Two-bit. "Sorry, Two-bit," Jazz then embarassedly sighed, but he was certainly surprised to watch as Two-bit smiled his big, goofy smile and actually have his eyes light up with laughter, which sooner came straight out from his mouth, as if the wisecracker never fell down at all.

"Kid, don't you be woofin' over one little slip of a fall. You just need to find your balance as you hop up onto the horses back, ya dig?" Two-bit asked, as he pushed himself up from the ground and stood back up on his feet.

"So..you're not mad at me?" Jazz asked, surprised

Once again, Two-bit laughed, as he placed his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"It takes a lot to tick me off when you're a Greaser, too, kiddo," Two-bit explained "but if you're a Soc, then I'll flatten you in a split second. Trust me, I've been through way worse then just falling down to the ground,"

Jazz cracked his handsome grin a bit when he watched Two-bit smile his goofy smile down at him, and then Cassidy offered Jazz her hand to help him up from the ground.

"Let's give it another try, Jazz. You'll get the hang of it sooner or later," Cassidy promised as she pulled Jazz up from the ground, and gave him a little kiss on his lips to help him cheer up. All of the Greasers smiled at the scene, each of them absoluetly adoring how Cassidy and Jazz were now officially boyfriend and girlfriend after all this time of blushing and sharing their precious 'friendship kisses' pretty much every night after they got to know each other.

Jazz dusted himself off from his fall, his handsome grin now brighter and even more handsome on his face after he felt Cassidy's lips gently press against his for a moment, right before he watched Steve and Cassidy cuff and lock their fingers around each others again. Two-bit quickly trotted over to the other side of the horse, and Sodapop took one step back, just like they all did before.

Still remaining absoluetly gentle and careful, Jazz stepped up onto Steve's and Cassidy's cuffed hands and locked fingers with everyone's eyes resting on him as he swung his other leg around Rosemary, and the twelve-year-old boy clenched his eyes shut as he nervously began breathing in and out rapidly, but softly to himself, repeating what Two-bit had said to him about keeping his balance in his mind. And so, that's what was done. Jazz climbed high up in that sattle and caught his balence before gravity could dare take another go at him. With his eyes remaining shut, Jazz held on tight to what felt like a leather rope with both of his hands, and both of his legs were separated, one going down the right of this hard surface that it was gently up against, and his left going down the opposite side.

All of the Greasers smiled brightly and widely from where they were each watching the view of Jazz actually on a horse for the first time ever. Cassidy, Two-bit, Steve, and Sodapop exchanged their big, proud smiles as they took only a couple, little steps back so they could see Jazz on horseback for the first time in his entire life a bit better.

"...Am I on?" Jazz nervously asked with his hands still clenching this leather rope tightly and his china-blue eyes remaining closed tightly from so much nervousness. His heart was seriously beating hard in his chest with such a rapid speed from such nervous and scared feelings.

"Open your eyes and find out," Cassidy sighed, happily

Sort of hesitantly, Jazz squinted his eyes open, his heart remaining to take big leaps in his chest, and finally, he nervously opened his eyes fully. He seriously couldn't believe the view. It was certainly amazing. He could see the ranch from a new level that wasn't like what he witnessed from the rooftop of the Curtis's family ranch house with Cassidy the night before, but it was a whole lot better then him just standing on his feet on the ground. Not only that, but how high he was up didn't scare him as much he thought it would, but it still sort of left him with some nervousness.

A shy, but very excited smile flashed across Jazz's face as his eyes sparked up with happiness and thrilling joy.

"I'm on a horse! I'm on a horse! I'm actually on a horse!" Jazz cheered as he gently patted the top of Rosemary's head with one of his hands, while his other hand stayed clenching the leather belt.

Cassidy, Steve, Two-bit, and Sodapop chuckled as Ponyboy, Johnny, Kitten, and even 'ol Dally just smiled at the scene from where they all were remaining.

"Alright, Jazz. You got the balence part down, but now, it's time to ride," Cassidy told her boyfriend with her proud, pretty grin remaining straight on her face.

Jazz nervously grew his eyes big a bit again as he wiped his excited look off from his face, and he tightly clenched both of his hands onto the leather rope again. Jazz gulped down a nervous lump in his throat as he tried his best to keep his fear and nervousness from showing, but his friends could tell by the sorrow that was shining off in his eyes and his face starting to turn bright, bright red.

"Don't worry, Jazz. You're going to do fine," Soda assured, giving the twelve-year-old boy two thumbs up. That helped Jazz out a little, but not completely. You couldn't blame him though, considering that it was his first time ever on horseback.

"Soda's right, kiddo. Don't worry," Two-bit consoled, and Steve nodded his head with absolutely full agreement, along with his smile plastered on his face.

"...Thanks, guys," Jazz started feeling even more better and safe when taking in Soda's, Two-bit's, and Steve's compliments, and the twelve-year-old boy watched as his girlfriend walked around to the front of Rosemary. Then, Cassidy grabbed a gentle hold of the strap from around Rosemary's neck, and started taking some few steps around, having Rosemary soothingly follow her, and Jazz held in his nervous yelps as he clenched the leather rope tightly and nervously.

The rest of the Greasers kept their eyes on Cassidy and Jazz as Rosemary followed the second oldest Cade with Jazz remaining balenced on her back. Smiles were perfectly straight and remaining on each of their faces as Rosemary skipped around on her hoofs while being led by Cassidy, and Jazz riding on her back.

Jazz took a few moments to take in the new movement that was actually really soothing and alive, just like how the gang described riding a horse from the day before. The twelve-year-old boy battered his china-blue eyes that were no longer shining off nervousness and fear, but now filled with happiness and joy. His tightening grip started loosing up on the leather rope and his handsome smile started sparking back on his face.

"Hows it feel on that horse, Jazz?" Johnny called out from the front porch of the Curtis's family ranch house.

"Amazing! This is actually very fun and thrilling!" Jazz answered, cheerfully and thrillingly. "You guys were all right! Riding is very awesome!"

"Well, we're certainly glad you're adoring it, Jazz, but you know that you're going to have to learn how to direct the horse where to go on your own, right?" Cassidy asked

"...Please don't bring that up to me now, sweetheart," Jazz gulped down his pride and continued trying to have his relaxing fun with being guided by his girlfriend.

"Sorry, hun," Cassidy apologized with a single shrug of her shoulders, while she kept on walking around with Rosemary remaining following her.

Jazz bowed his head at Cassidy's apology, meaning that he accepted it, and he smiled as he stroked Rosemary's mane with one of his hands, while his other remained holding onto the leather rope.

Rosemary enjoyed having Jazz pat the top of her head and stroke her mane as she continued following Cassidy. Rosemary was one of those horses who were gentle and sweet with everyone who wanted to ride her, except if she could tell that she was being threatened, but the bad thing about Rosemary was that...well...she gets scared over the smallest things...

With Jazz still enjoying the ride with the rest of the gang smiling at him, including Cassidy while she continued guiding her horse, Rosemary witnessed the sound of a bird chrip loudly in the air, and without any hesitation, the horses eyes shot big and she started bucking and kicking all over the place.

"Whoa!" Cassidy yelped as she shot her attention back around to see her horse, who was now wildly kicking like there was no tomorrow, as she went on with her loud horse sounds that echoed throughout the air. "Easy, Rosemary! Calm down! Girl! What's gotten into you?!"

At that moment, Rosemary then yanked herself free from Cassidy's gentle grip, and she started wildly bashing all over the Curtis's ranch with Jazz now screaming and holding on so tight to the leather rope that his knuckles were now starting to turn bright red since he was squeezing the rope so hard.

The Greasers all gasped as their eyes shot big. Their hearts dropped. They seriously couldn't believe what their eyes were meeting all the sudden.

"OH, CRAP!" Dallas hollered as he quickly stood up from where he was sitting with Kitten following his example without and hesitation, and the two of them started bashing side by side after the horse to save Jazz from falling off or anything like that.

"JAZZ! WE'RE COMING!" Steve hollered with his voice full of fear.

"HANG ON, KIDDO!" Two-bit screetched, nervously, and he and Steve both started running after the horse with Dallas and Kitten.

Cassidy just stood still with she was with her eyes now huge and full of shock, and her hands were both locked over her mouth because she felt like what was happening to Jazz at that moment was all her fault because Rosemary was her horse, and Jazz was scared to death for his whole life now as he rode on her back. Cassidy wanted to bolt after her horse, too, but she was overwhelmed with too much shock and fear to even move a muscule at that moment. Even Ponyboy had started running after Rosemary while he continued holding Jocelyn close to his chest.

Johnny quickly got up on his feet and ran through the front door that entered the Curtis's family ranch house, where he saw Darry and Beverly now both sharing with drying and putting away the dishes, but right after the two of them heard the front door slam shut out of no where, they turned their full, undivided attention to the eldest Cade.

"Johnny-cake, what's wrong?!" Darry asked

"It's Jazz!" Johnny panicked "he's on Rosemary, and she's on a runaway panic throughout the whole ranch right now!"

"What?!" Darry gasped as he quickly dropped what he was doing and looked out the window of the ranch house that was over the sink to see everybody else in the gang, except Cassidy, now racing as fast as each of them could after Rosemary, who was still having Jazz holding on for his life with steaming hot tears now coming out from his eyes. "Oh my god!"

Darry didn't take any hesiation to quickly bolt out the front door with Johnny bashing out after him, and Beverly gazed out the window, too, and gasped at the terrible sight, before she dropped what she was doing and ran out the main door to catch up with the rest of the gang. It was now up to the Greasers...to save Jazz's life...

AN: Cliffhanger! I'm evil! I know! Well, I'll read yawl in the next chapter, which I feel will be short and it'll wrap up Tuesday in the Curtis's family ranch! Well, not much less to say now, unless it's read yawl in the next chapter! :D :D :D :D