Disclaimer/Author's Note:
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
I screwed up, but that's okay because I'm hoping you all love me anyway. See, I forgot that when Pony was jumped Dally had JUST gotten out of jail. But he got out a day early okay? That was so my blind self. I'm a dweebie! And I think someone can read my mind. Drat!
Steve's-girl-13- Wait no longer!
Volleyballlover- Aw, don't worry. I write lots of bibles in reviews. It's my job or something… I really hope you update soon or I'll die!
Lifegoes-unfortunately- I realized that and now I'm acknowledging it. Yay! And you know, you're a mind reader. Hmph.
Blue jean babe- Bwhaha, this is one of the first cliffhangers I've ever written. Now I'm sad. I agree that I could've stuck Soda in there, but I thought Darry got a nice intro. Oh well!
Banana4422- Ha ha, you shall see.
Kate- Blinks and wrinkles nose.You have your update.
TheAngryPrincess13- Mucho thanks, hun.
King of Cups- Aaron I miss you SO much. I want to come back!
HazleSilver- If you want to put it up go ahead. Also, I'd be happy to do any BETA reading for you. Mega-dew-drop a.k.a. Claire- I wuv you!

Chapter Three

I felt any words that I was going to say get caught in my throat. All at once I wanted to cry, laugh, jump for joy, and hit something. I settled for looking away and coughing. I looked back, thinking maybe it had been my imagination running away with me. Nope, they were still there.

Curly and Sylvia were sitting in a booth and they looked more than a little cozy.

It's unfair. I thought. He's MY boyfriend. She had Dally, so why does she need Curly?

"Uh, SR, what are you doing?" Audrey asked when I looked away again. I shrugged and nodded for us to keep walking.

"What's wrong?" Ponyboy asked. I silently cleared my throat.

"Nothing. I thought I saw Tim and Sylvia." I hadn't meant to say that. I should have just told them the truth.

"I wonder if Dal knows." Pony said. I shrugged and kicked at a rock. It bounced off the curb and hit the side of Audrey's shoe. Maybe that was the important news Dally had to tell me.

"Maybe." Audrey answered as we walked up to the DX.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Soda asked, walking away from the girl who he'd been flirting with.

"Not work, that's for sure." Audrey grinned. Soda rolled his eyes and leaned against the gas pump.

"Mind if we get a couple of Pepsis?" Pony asked. Soda pointed inside and nodded.

"Go ahead."

"Where's Steve?" I wondered. I heard a heavy part fall to the ground and a frustrated string of swears from the back. "Never mind, I think I found him."

I made my way to the back of the station where Soda and Steve usually fixed up all the cars. You could find Steve back here more than Soda, who usually filled up tanks.

"Hey Steve-o." I said, leaning against the car. He slammed the hood down and wiped a greasy hand across his head, leaving a black streak. I kept my gaze at my shoes thinking I was going to cry.

"Where's Audrey?" Steve asked suspiciously. He didn't like Audrey due to the fact that she talked so much and just said whatever came to mind. I pointed out once, that Dally did that all the time. I ended up getting a lecture on how I should just listen and stop trying to be a smart ass all the time. Trust me, I'm trying.

"In front with Soda and Pony."

"You pick the weirdest friends."

It wasn't just Audrey he didn't like, but Ponyboy too. I think Steve doesn't really like anyone other than Soda and Evie. Instead of saying that, I shrugged. I wasn't in the mood to smart back anyway. My mind kept playing what I saw in The Dingo over and over.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm going to get my pop." I told him. He was making me mad and if I didn't get away from him I was going to explode.

I walked to the front where Soda was filling up this Soc's car. It was a nice car, a red Corvair. The Socs inside looked nice too, dressed in their madras. I walked over to Soda and waited until he was done to steal his hat.

"That's my hat." Soda reached forward for it but I put it on my head and pulled away.

"Looks better on you anyway." He shook his head and I gave it back.

"Here ya go." Audrey said, thrusting an ice cold Pepsi in my hand. Pony joined her, lighting himself another cigarette. Steve grabbed it out of his hand and stomped it.

"We're at a gas station, Pony." Was all he said and I could see Pony blush a little.

"We'd better get going. Thanks guys." Audrey said politely. She tried her best to control herself around Steve, because she didn't like him much either and didn't want to say something that would get her in trouble.

"Yeah, thanks." I waved.

"I've got some money, anyone want to see a movie?" Pony asked, breaking the silence. It was about noon now.

"I don't have any money." I said solemnly and Audrey nodded.

"Never mind then. I don't want to go anyway."

"I would, it's Paul Neuman." Audrey crooned.

"No way, I love James Dean." I argued.

"You would." Audrey said, winking at me. She didn't even need me to tell her I liked Soda. I didn't think I was obvious, but sometimes Audrey sees things that others don't. That's what I like about her.

"We should be getting back to my house if you're staying the night Audrey. Pony, are you going to be okay walking home by yourself?" I asked.

Ever since those Socs had jumped Johnny I worried constantly about whether everyone was going to be okay. They had gotten really mean and I didn't want to see anyone else the way Johnny had been that night.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me, I'm tough enough." Pony said, starting to walk back towards his house.

"Never said you weren't." I whispered. We waved at him as he walked back towards his house.

"Okay, now that he's gone, what's wrong?" Audrey demanded. She always knows.

"I don't want to talk about it." I lied. I really wanted to tell her, but she would probably do something drastic about it. Like accidentally say something around Steve.

"Right," she snorted. "Come on and tell me. I promise I won't tell anybody. You know I won't tell anybody." Audrey begged. I looked up to tell her when I saw Curly walking down the street behind her.

"I really think you're about to find out." I said angrily.

"Hey baby." Curly grinned.

"Don't baby me." I crossed my arms and turned away from him.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I wanted to kick him, but managed to control that urge.

"Like you don't know." I said stiffly. The grin faded from his face and for a minute he looked almost thoughtful. Then it dawned on him and his expression changed again. I didn't recognize it and I didn't like it either. He looked wild.

"Oh, you saw at The Dingo?"

"Wouldn't you think so?"

"Aw, c'mon Scarlet Rose, Sylvia and I were just foolin' around. We didn't mean anything by it."

Audrey stared at us, no longer confused. I wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment.

"You know Curly, you do an awful lot of "foolin' around"."

He shrugged and lit a cigarette. He was so calm that it made me even more frustrated. This was not going as well as I'd planned.

"Curly, it's over."

"Fine."

I turned on my heel and stormed off, not making a peep. How could he just stand there and act like that? He didn't really care about me. All he wanted was some action.

"I'm so stupid!" I yelled, slamming the door behind me.

"I could have told you that." Steve said from the bathroom. Audrey followed behind me on the way to my room where I could cry my eyes out. No way I was going to give Steve the pleasure of knowing he'd been right all along. Not for now anyway.

"Thanks Steve." I muttered, closing the door and moving my nightstand in front of the door. It was a makeshift lock since Dad broke the other one.

"I had no idea…" Audrey said right before I burst into tears. We both sat on my bed; my head buried in my pillow while she rubbed my back and tried talking to me.

"I'm going to Soda's. Wanna go?" Steve asked, knocking on the door.

"Why are you being so nice?" I shot back. There was a long pause before he answered.

"Good question. I'm leaving."

"Good. Go!"

"Scarlet Rose, what is your problem?"

I knew there would be a confrontation now. The only time I got called by my full name around here was when I was in trouble, someone needed to talk to me and I wasn't answering, or when I had done something that really pleased somebody.

"Shit." I whispered to Audrey. She gave me that look that said I had gotten myself into this one. "I'm sorry Steve. Look, you go over to Soda's and have fun. Audrey and I are just going to stay here. Are you comin' home tonight?"

"Yeah. Dad's working all night, remember? Don't get into trouble." He warned.

"Yes Stevie." I joked, feeling a little better. All I needed now was a cigarette to calm my nerves, but I had to wait until Steve was gone. He would beat the tar out of me if he caught me smoking.

Audrey and I held our breath until the front door closed. I stuck my head out of my window and watched him walk up the street. When I was sure he was gone I opened the top drawer of my nightstand and took out the beat up pack of cigarettes.

"It's so nice to be home alone. Where's your mom?" Audrey asked.

"Probably with Christopher." I said, lighting the weed with the Zippo that Johnny and Pony had given me last Christmas.

"Is that his name this week?" Audrey wondered and we both giggled.

"I can't believe that bastard." I opened the window and sat in it so my room wouldn't smell later.

"He's a loser. Honestly, I don't know why you dated him."

"He just seemed so… I dunno, but I assure you it wasn't a good reason." I said, taking a long drag.

I hadn't dated Curly because I found something about him that made me fall in love with him. He wasn't charming at all and he was always getting hauled into the station, and then thrown into the cooler. I had wanted to make Soda jealous, which hadn't worked at all. Now that I looked back at it, it was a stupid idea.

"I didn't think it was." Audrey agreed.

"Nope. There's nothing to do tonight either."

"We should've gone with Steve."

"You're kidding right?"

"Pshaw. Of course."

I grabbed my pillow, stomped out the cigarette, and hit her with the pillow. She laughed and hit me back, which led to a pillow fight. Maybe things weren't so bad after all.