WHAT IF

~at the empty lot, Pony just woke up~

"Pony! Hey you need to get goin home… or Darry'll skin ya." Johnny mumbled to a sleeping figure on the grass. He looked over and into the house that always had a clock inside. "It three in the morning." He poked him in the side a few times, until the figure finally gave in and stood up. "Yeah I better…you know Darry hates my guts and thinks I'm just a hassle." A boy with light brownish-red hair and grayish-green eyes said in a hurtful voice. "Awe you know that's not right." Johnny tried to say…but Pony had already started out of the empty lot. "Bye Pony!" he said while laying back down into the grass, falling asleep instantly. He later would learn that his sleepiness was going to cost the group a bunch of trouble.

Pony staggered towards his house, but only because he was still half asleep. He was about half way there when a dark colored car pulled up next to him. Pony stiffened, thinking he was going to get jumped for a second time. It was only yesterday when he got jumped by a group of Socs. He figured this was probably the same group. Maybe I should run to the house. He thought franticly. Right before he got the chance to run though… something was shoved over his mouth, an awful, wet smelling cloth that instantly knocked him out. The last thing that was known to Ponyboy Michael Curtis that night was the smell of Chloroform. (If that is what it's called…thanks Kiki)

~The Curtis House~

Darry sat in his arm chair reading the paper. Well, he wasn't reading it, just glancing at it. He…was watching the door. It was 3 in the morning, and Pony wasn't home. He was worried about his kid brother, but he was also angry. He knew that Pony knew that he was supposed to be home at midnight…it was his curfew after all. Darry didn't want to, but he was going to have to shorten his curfew, and ground him.

He watched as his brother, Sodapop, slept on the couch. He couldn't help but notice that his brother was about to fall of the couch. He was about to get up to push him back, but as he stood, he heard the screech of a vehicles tires. He ran over to the window to look out, but just watched as a dark colored vehicle burned out into the night. He shrugged, and heard a 'thump.' "Oww." Soda moaned softly from the ground. He looked up to see Darry looking out the front window.

"Hey Darry, watcha doin?" he asked quietly. Darry looked down and said, "I heard some jerk burn out down the road." Soda looked around and found the clock. It read 3:27am. "Hey Darry?" "Hmm?" "Where is Pony, asleep?" He asked. "No Soda, Pony never came home." Darry said with worry in his voice. Soda glanced out the window and then said, "Hey Darry, I'm gonna go down to the open lot, maybe he fell asleep there talking to Jo-oh-ohnny, you know?" He said while trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. Darry shook his head, indicating that it was ok to do so. So Soda stood up, dusted himself off, though he didn't had a speck of dust on him, and walked down the street to the open lot.

On his way to the lot…he noticed a wet cloth lying next to some burn marks on the street. Now normally Soda doesn't pick up stuff from the road, but he did for some unknown reason. He brought it up to his face, and sniffed it slowly. The smell made him dizzy, so he threw it down to the ground.

As he walked closer to the lot, he noticed a figure laying in the dirt/grass. It was Johnny. "Hey Johnnycake, have you seen Ponyboy?" He smiled. Johnny was asleep, so he poked him. "Wha?" Johnny mumbled. He looked up and noticed Sodapop standing over him. "Whad'ya want?" he mumbled. "Have you seen Ponyboy, I know you two went to the movies earlier, and he never came home." Soda explained. Johnny just starred at him for a second, then said, "But, Pony just went home about 20 minutes ago. I think, what time is it?" Soda stared at him before saying, "about 3:30." They just stared at each other before Johnny scrambled to get up, and started running toward the Curtis's home with Soda right next to him.

Darry sat in his chair waiting for Soda, but was shocked to find him and Johnny busting through the front door, panting and both trying to say something. "Hey calm down guys, what's the matter?" Darry asked. "Darry, Johnny sent Pony home from the lot 20 minutes ago." "Yeah, see we fell asleep after watching the movie, and when I woke up it was three, and I know it doesn't take 20 minutes to walk here." Johnny said, while panting. Darry just starred at them and said "I'm calling the police." He ran over to the phone in the kitchen and dialed the number to the police department.

Johnny and Soda were just standing there by the door. Soda looked over to Johnny, and said, "Hey I'm gonna tell Darry that we're going to go get Dally and Two-bit. I won't mess with Steve because he's probably asleep." Soda explained. Johnny agreed and Soda went to tell Darry. Darry agreed, but told them to hurry up. Soda jumped into the truck and Johnny got in on the passenger seat. Soda dropped Johnny off at Two-Bit's house to wake him up, know that he was asleep. He drove off to Buck Merril's place, knowing that Dally was over there.

Soda parked the truck in Buck's front yard, grabbed the keys, and walked up to the door. He knocked on the door until Buck answered it. "What'd ya want Curtis?" He said, holding a can of beer in one hand. Soda looked at it and then back at him. "I wanna talk to Dally, now let me see him or I'll roll you down the street." " You can't, He's asleep, and I'm not about to wake him up." Soda was getting angry, he didn't have time for this. He pushed Buck out of the way and walked right past him.

Soda stopped at Bucks bedroom door and opened it. There, asleep on the bed, was Dallas Winston. Soda didn't care if he got slugged, so he walked right up to Dally and rolled him off the bed. That'll wake him up. Soda just watched as Dally Cussed and stood up, getting ready to hit the first guy he came across. He looked at Soda for a second and yelled, "What the hell was that for? You know that…" He stopped as he spotted Soda's serious expression. "What's wrong?" He asked. Soda looked him strait in the eyes, and said "Pony's missing."