Ponyboy didn't know when he fell asleep, but the next thing that he knew, it was already morning and he was still in the stolen car with Archer. His eyes fluttered open, squinting as they adjusted to the sunlight. He lifted his head up, quickly finding that something was holding him down. Curiously, Ponyboy looked down and couldn't help but let a small smile curl itself onto his lips. He didn't remember when, but sometime during the night, the two of them had laid down with him on top of the other. The Soc's arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, keeping him close to his body. Ponyboy hummed, laying back down and resting his chin on Archer's firm and warm chest. He reached up, combing his fingers through Archer's hair and smiled even more when he leaned into the touch.

Slowly, Archer opened his eyes and Ponyboy froze, quickly removing his hands from his hair. Archer looked at him, first almost not recognizing him because of his drowsiness, but then he snapped awake. His eyes trailed down to Ponyboy's waist where he was still hugging him.

"Oh," was all he said, keeping his arms around Ponyboy for a few more moments before letting go of him. Reluctantly while keeping in a pout, Pony pushed himself off of Archer. "What time is it?"

Ponyboy shrugged. "I just woke up myself."

Sitting up, Archer fixed his hair in the rearview mirror. "We should probably go then. It looks like it's already lunchtime."

"Probably… They'll be looking for this car as well."

"Do you think that you could start it up again?"

Nodding, Ponyboy bent over to fumble with the wires again. However, no matter what he did, the car wouldn't start back up. Pony groaned. "I think the battery is dead," he announced.

"What?!" Archer exclaimed, shooting forward in his seat. He started to mess with the wires even though he didn't know what he was doing. He soon gave up, throwing his hands up in the air in irritation. "How are we supposed to get back without a car?!"

Pony chewed on his bottom lip, glancing towards the entrance of the parking lot that they were in. If they were in a park, there was probably public transportation nearby. "There might be a bus station nearby. If not, we could find a house and ask to use their phone to call for someone to pick us up. They could drop you off at your place as well." He said this without really thinking about his words. Next to him, Archer's face fell, reminding Ponyboy about the divorce. He quickly corrected himself. "Or not! We can find you a place to stay."

Archer shook his head, sighing. "No, I need to face them one day. I can't keep avoiding them forever," he muttered. Ponyboy gently smiled at him, putting a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"You can do it. Everything's going to be just fine."

"I really hope so."

The two eventually ditched the car, making sure that there were no traces left of them inside of it, and made their way to the bus station. They say down on the bench, waiting for the bus to arrive that would eventually take them closer to their homes. The time there was silent, tension high as Archer's parents were the only thing on the Soc's mind. He didn't want to face them. Facing them meant that he had to face reality. He let out a shuttering breathe, digging his fingers into the back of his neck.

Ponyboy resisted the temptation to grab his hands to calm him down, but, man, was it hard. All he wanted to do was to comfort him.

"It's going to be okay," he murmured. It was the least he could do.

Eventually, the bus arrived, and they soon found themselves standing in front of Archer's house. One of Archer's hands was wrapped around the doorknob, not twisting it open. Sweat was trickling down his temple as he swallowed thickly. "I… I don't want to do," Archer admitted.

"Do you want me to go in with you?" Ponyboy asked.

Archer shook his head. "No… It's something between my family and I. But thanks for coming this far with me."

"I'll be here with you always." And it was true. Ponyboy wanted to always be there for him.

The look that Archer gave him made him look older. He smiled tiredly, early signs of wrinkles showing under his eyes. "I hope that you are too… but for now, I think you should go home. Do you want me to walk you back home before I go in?"

He was avoiding entering his home and Ponyboy knew that. "I can take care of myself," he said, taking a few steps backward. "Don't worry about me. I'll see you in school later, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. See you later, Marian."

"It's Ponyboy!"

With that, Ponyboy was gone. Archer took a deep breath as he pushed open his door. The house was dead silent as if nobody had been in there for days. It felt stale, almost. He closed the door behind him, and, as if that was a calling signal, his mother ran up to him out of nowhere. Her eyes were puffy as if she had been crying all night long.

"You're back," she breathed out in relief. "I thought you that weren't going to come back."

Archer shook his head. "I'm not going to abandon you like what that jerk did to you," he stated, talking about his father. Just the thought of him made his blood curl. "Where even is he?"

"He's in the guest bedroom with…" His mother cut herself off as her eyes glazed over in pain.

His mouth dropped. "You're letting him stay here?!"

"He needed a place to stay for the night. I couldn't not help him!" she defended.

"He could have checked himself into a hotel or something."

"Well…" She looked down at her feet, hair falling in front of her eyes. Archer sighed.

"You know what? Let's just get this over with. The faster that he's gone, the better."

His mother looked back up at him. "I thought that you didn't want him to go."

"I don't, but I can't forgive the fact that he had been lying and cheating this entire time. He's the reason why our family is breaking apart... why you're in pain. I don't want you to be hurt."

"You're the best son that a mother could ask for. What did I do to deserve you?" she sobbed, starting her walk to the guest bedroom. Archer followed right behind her, feeling more nervous with each step that he took. His mother knocked on the door extremely gently. But even though it was so gentle, it sounded like she had been pounding her fists against the wood.

"Come in," a deep grumble was heard inside. The mother and son shared one more look at each other before they both entered the guest bedroom. There his father and the woman that he had been in an affair with were casually sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for them. When his father saw Archer, he stood up instantly, looking relieved. "You're here. We were all convinced that you were just going to take off for good."

"Yeah, that thought crossed my mind, but I have to face this head-on," Archer replied, taking a deep breath. He stuck his clammy hands into his pockets, shifting his weight to his other leg. "Listen, Dad, I'm not happy."

"I didn't expect you to be happy with this at all."

"I'm really angry at you… but I don't want to feel this forever. But I have to wonder, what did Mom and I do for you to do this?"

"You two didn't do anything," his father declared. "I still love you two although not the same way as it used to be. It's just… not the same anymore. I don't want to fake love."

Archer's jaw tightened, feeling that familiar pressure behind his eyes that told him that he was going to cry soon. "But you felt that way for her?" He gestured to father's girlfriend.

"I do." His father nodded. "I love her very much and I hope that you would accept that. She makes me happier and one day you would understand too."

"What? To cheat on someone that I would have a family with to be with another person who probably was just a better fuck?"

"Archer!" his mother exclaimed in horror, but his father just held up his hand to silently tell her that it was okay.

"Archer, that had nothing to do with it. I know that you probably haven't felt this type of love yet, but you will one day…" He froze, noticing the twitch on his son's face. "Unless… you know what I'm talking about."

Ponyboy appeared in Archer's brain and he couldn't figure out why. But no matter how much he tried not to think about him, he kept appearing.

"So, who's the lucky girl?" his father asked, and Archer felt a pit in his stomach. That's right. He was supposed to like females; not males like Ponyboy Curtis.

"It's nobody," Archer muttered.

"Is it really nobody?"

Throwing his hands up into the air, Archer growled, frustration building up. "Stop getting off-topic!"

"But it's not getting off-topic. Mort—Archer, I'm really sorry that it didn't work out between your mother and I, but I don't want to fake a relationship."

He knew what that was like. Archer pressed his lips tightly together. That's what it was like between Ponyboy and him. He hated to admit it, but he saw himself in his father. He clenched his hands into fists, knowing that what he said was justifiable. He took a deep breath. He just had to accept it. "I understand where you're coming from."

"Thank you, son." His father smiled in relief.

There was still one question that he had to ask. "So, what now? What happens after this?"

"Well, what do you want to happen now?" his mother asked.

"Well, I want everything to go back to normal."

"Archer…"

"I know, it's not going to happen, but I could still dream." He sighed. "I want to stay here. None of that switching between parents stuff. I don't think I would be able to handle it."

His father looked pained at his words. He still loved his son. It hurt to know that he didn't want anything to do with him after the finalization of the divorce. "You don't want to stay with me?" he asked.

Archer's eyes narrowed. "Dad, I can hardly look at you without exploding. I don't think that I'll ever forgive you for this betrayal. I've accepted why you did it, but I don't think that I could go further than that. I still love you, don't get me wrong. You're my dad, but that doesn't change the fact that you turned your back on Mom and I. She always stayed and you always went. So, therefore, I think that you should leave here as soon as possible."

Reluctantly, his father nodded his head, looking down at his feet. "I understand… I'll pack up my things right now."

"Good." Turning around, Archer marched out of the room. He just wanted to be alone right now. "I want to be alone. You know where to find me if you need me."

The door closed behind him. He wouldn't see his father for a long time after that.

o-o-o

It had been rough for Archer at school. He almost didn't want to go back. His father and his girlfriend had left the house soon after the conversation. There were many moments where he regretted telling his dad to leave but he knew that it was for the best.

He was tiredly leafing through his backpack under the staircase when Ponyboy plopped down beside him.

"How are you holding up?" Ponyboy asked, wrapping his arms around his legs.

Archer shrugged. "Lonely," he replied, "but I know that it'll get better eventually. It just hurts right now."

"I understand… You'll feel better soon." Ponyboy leaned his body against Archer to comfort him with a bit of physical contact and the other teen let out a deep sigh, leaning against him as well. "Remember, I'm here for you."

Humming, Archer gave him a weak smile as he remembered something. "You know… It's funny… My dad talked about fake relationships and I just couldn't help but think about us, you know?"

At that, Ponyboy's breath hitched in his throat. What was he trying to say? "Yeah? What did he say about them?"

"That he didn't want to continue faking a relationship."

Oh, man… Is he… Was he going to do what Ponyboy thought he was going to do? His heart hammered against his chest just thinking about the possibility. He turned his head and the two of them stared at each other with intense expressions. He noticed how close their faces were at that moment and almost recoiled back. But he stayed in place, letting Archer's breath brush past his face as it was being caressed. His breath smelled like a fresh brew of coffee. Archer noticed how close they were as well before his eyes flickered to Pony's lips which were slightly parted. A part of him wanted to close the distance and he probably would have if there was more time. However, the bell suddenly rang, snapping both of them out of it. They jumped away from each other, faces redder than tomatoes.

"I… I… um… I better get to class," Ponyboy stuttered, standing up and swinging his bag over his shoulder. He looked away from the Soc, unable to bring himself to look at him due to how embarrassed he was.

"Yeah, me too," Archer agreed, fumbling with his stuff.

The two awkwardly walked away from each other, faces hot.

'That was a close one,' Archer thought. He had to get it together. He wasn't supposed to like Ponyboy. But… he couldn't lie to himself. He really did like him… but that didn't matter anyway. Not in his situation.

o-o-o

It took another week, but eventually, Archer started to act like himself again. He still had some depressed moments though. But, with each second that passed, Ponyboy grew even more anxious. He knew that their deal was going to be coming to an end soon since they had been together slightly longer than a normal high school relationship. It was a great time to "break up" without seeming suspicious. But Ponyboy didn't want to break up. He didn't want them to end… but instead, he wanted it to become real. It was only a matter of time and he knew that Archer was probably thinking about it too.

They were walking in the hallway with Archer's friends one day, his heart clenching painfully as he continued to think about the possibility of them "breaking up". He looked down at his feet, watching them kick out with each step. A long sigh left his mouth.

"What's up?" Archer asked, nudging him.

He should tell him.

No, he shouldn't.

Yes, he should.

But he was going to get hurt if he did.

His mind was having an inner war with itself, trying to figure out what he should do and how he should advance from here forward. Should he tell him or should he not? If he told him, he would have to confess his feelings as well, and he didn't know how Archer would react to that. He didn't know if he liked him back or not. Should he take the risk?

He was going to get hurt if he didn't tell him. If he didn't tell him, Archer would eventually leave him altogether. So, he might as well just go for it to have a tiny bit of chance of things turning out well.

He was so scared. That was apparent. But he had to regardless of his anxiety.

He turned to Archer, holding his own hand to hide the fact that they were shaking. "Archer, I need to talk to you about something," he said, instantly regretting it right after it had left his mouth. Golly. Why did he do that? He was such an idiot!

"Sure, what is it?" Archer asked with a grin.

There was no turning back now. He looked around at Archer's friends who were staring at him, making him feel even more nervous. He looked at Archer sternly. It was now or never. "Alone."

Archer's smile fell as he saw how serious Ponyboy was. He nodded and waved his friends away who looked less than pleased. They whispered to each other as they walked away. When Ponyboy thought that they were gone, he turned back to Archer who was waiting patiently for him to talk. "I.." he swallowed thickly, finding it hard to form words. His heart hammered at his chest in fear, stomach turning in a nauseating manner. It felt like he was going to throw up. Why do movies and books make this seem so easy? It was so hard.

He couldn't do it. Back out. Back out. Back out!

"What is it?" Archer asked again, noticing the panic in the greaser's eyes. "You can tell me."

"I don't know what you'll think about this," Ponyboy muttered.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's about us with the whole fake relationship thing."

Archer's mouth turned into an 'O'. His eyebrows turned downwards in worry, something that didn't go unnoticed. It gave Ponyboy a bit of hope. What if he was worried that Pony was going to be the one to end things? Maybe he liked him after all. "Do you want to end this? I mean it's been a while, so it makes sense… but… I honestly didn't think that you wanted it to end."

Here it goes. "Archer… I want to end the fake relationship." The Soc looked devastated. Quickly, before Archer could respond, Pony continued. "Because I don't want it to be fake."

That took Archer by surprise as his mouth dropped. "What do you mean?"

Golly, Archer. Did he have to spell it out for him? Ponyboy shut his eyes tightly so that he wouldn't have to look at Archer. "I like you, Archer," he finally admitted. "I want us to have a real relationship and not a fake one."

At first, there was silence. It felt like time was running in slow motion. But then laughter boomed around them. Ponyboy snapped open his eyes in shock, looking around him. He saw Archer's friends popping out of their hiding places, laughing at him and pointing their fingers at him. Ponyboy felt small at that moment—like he was staring up at terrifying giants.

"Did you hear that? He actually likes him! What a fag!" one of them bellowed.

What? Ponyboy didn't know how to react. He was confused. What was happening?

"I told you that he was gay! You owe me five bucks!" another chuckled.

Did they know about the fake relationship even though Archer and him and promised to tell no one? No way…

"He actually thought that Archer liked him back!" another Soc joked.

Ponyboy whipped his head towards Archer who wasn't looking at him. "Archer…" he started, voice wavering. He hoped… No, he yearned that it wasn't true.

Archer didn't look at him for a long time. When he finally did, his eyes were blank and cold. He chuckled, sounding stale. A twisted smile was forged onto his lips that didn't fit him at all. And it was then that Ponyboy wanted to be swallowed up alive.

"I could never like you," Archer spat. At that moment, Ponyboy felt everything shatter. "I've only been using you."

There was no way… Ponyboy's heart hurt so badly as if someone was repeatedly stabbing it with a knife. His blood ran cold as his eyes grew impossibly wide. It felt like he had been punched in the gut; beaten to a pulp. Tears started to form, threatening to spill out at the slightest push.

The fake relationship was a joke from the start. He was only a game for them. Archer didn't actually like him. Those moments that they had together were all fake.

No… That can't be right…

"Tell me that this isn't true…" Ponyboy pleaded, voice shaking so much that it was almost incomprehensible. Please, don't do this… This had to be just a nightmare.

Archer's nose scrunched together in anger. "What don't you get, grease! I don't actually like you! I don't want to look at you! I don't even want to hear your voice. You make me sick!" Archer snapped.

"Archer…"

"Get lost, faggot!"

Ponyboy couldn't take it anymore. He spun around, feeling his tears fall. Everyone was looking at him, caving him in. He had to escape. His feet felt heavy as he ran towards the door, vision blurred by his tears.

"Look at that greaser cry!" he heard one of the Soc's laugh out.

"Go die in a ditch!" another yelled at him.

"There's no room for faggots like you!" came another voice.

The door to the school slammed behind him as he ran towards his house. It was the only place that he could think to go to. Why did he trust his feelings? Everything was ruined. He was ruined.

However, if Ponyboy were to have looked back while he was running out of the school, he would have noticed the pained look that was on Archer's face.

Both of them regretted what they did that day.

o-o-o

You all hate me now. I just pulled the rug from under you all. But you'll be reading different POV's for this soon. Just another drama plot for you.

Review your anguish or thoughts about this chapter. I honestly would love to hear it! xD