Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed, the individual thanks are at the bottom of the page. Hope you enjoy chapter 2, and have a great weekend!

Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders.

Ponyboy's POV

I tapped my pen on the dining room table and read the paragraph again. It was getting late, and I was reading the same things over and over with no forward progress. When I get to that point I grab a notebook and start writing things down, taking notes from the book; doesn't keep me going for too much longer, but every little bit counts when there are only twenty-four hours in a day. I pulled my notebook over and summarized the first paragraph in one sentence before moving on to the next. I was halfway through the chapter when the front door creaked open.

"Hi Soda," I said, not taking my eyes off the book.

"Hey. You're up late."

"Mmm…"

"Did Janice call?" Soda poured himself a glass of milk and came into the dining room to sit across from me.

"Yeah. I told her you were working late tonight. She said she'll talk to you tomorrow. Did you catch any bad guys?"

Soda laughed. "Yeah. Mr. D and D."

I looked up. "Who?"

"This old geezer, gets hauled in at least once a week for being drunk and disorderly. Sleeps it off in a cell overnight, probably the best sleep he gets all week. The guys figure that's why he causes problems."

"What does he do?"

Soda shrugged. "Nothing serious. Makes noise, throws things at walls, follows some of the well-dressed crowd when they leave the theatre. He never hurts anybody, just makes people nervous." Soda finished off his milk. "Is Darry home?"

"Yeah, he went to bed already." I stared down at my book and took a breath. "Soda, I need to tell you something."

"What's wrong?" He sounded concerned.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I started my work study program today. They have me working in one of the offices, the registration office."

"Oh yeah? How's that going?"

"It's okay. The thing is, the woman I'm working for…it's Sandy."

It took Soda an instant to make the connection. "You mean, Sandy? From here?"

"Yeah." I watched my brother, not sure what his reaction would be.

"Huh. So how did she look?" Other than surprise and interest, I didn't see any signs of anger or bitterness in Soda's eyes.

"She looked good. Her hair is shorter now."

"When did she come back?"

"Last year. She got an Associate's degree while she was in Florida. She…she lost the baby. It was born too early."

"Wow, that's too bad," he said, shaking his head. "Must have been hard for her, what with being away from home, and not having the father around. At least, I assume the father wasn't around."

"I don't know, I didn't ask. She's not married now, though."

"Well, tell her I said hi when you see her again." Soda stood up and picked his glass off the table.

"So is that it? It really doesn't bother you anymore?" I looked up at my brother as he walked by.

He looked down at me and grinned. "No, it don't bother me anymore. It was a long time ago, Pony. We were kids. People change. Maybe we loved each other back then, or at least we thought we did, but it's been over for a long time. Like I said, tell her I said hi." He patted me on the shoulder, put his glass into the sink, and headed off to his bedroom.

I glanced down at my notebook. The words went in and out of focus a few times. "Guess it's bedtime now," I muttered to myself, and stacked the books and papers in the middle of the table before going off to bed.

>>>>

"Ponyboy, can you hand me Ron?"

I looked down at Sandy from the stack of papers I was sorting through. "Ron?"

She looked up at me from her spot on the floor. "Ron. The rubber band ball."

"Rubber band ball? You named a rubber band ball 'Ron'?"

She grinned and pointed to the table beside me, where I found a three-inch diameter ball made up solely of rubber bands. I picked it up and tossed it over, making sure it bounced once between me and her. "For a ball made out of rubber, it sure doesn't bounce too good," I observed.

"Hey, watch what you say about Ron. You might end up on Penny's bad side."

I raised my eyebrows. "Penny? Do I want to know?"

"Penny, the paper-clip chain," Sandy elaborated. "She's sitting right on the edge of the table." Sandy lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "And she doesn't look happy. I think she's got a thing for Ron."

I stared at the young woman across the room from me. "You need help. Really. Have you considered getting a pet?"

"Oh, but I have a pet! I've got a cat." Peeling off a layer of Ron's very being, Sandy turned back to the folders she was binding together.

"I don't suppose you actually gave your cat a name?"

"Oh, sure, she has a name. It's MC. Stands for 'My Cat'."

I smiled. We'd been working together for a little over a month, and it was anything but what I had expected. When Soda was dating Sandy, when I was fourteen, I really only came in contact with her when they stopped by the house on their way to something, or if we all went to a football game together. Mostly I didn't go along, though, with the way Steve acted. Anyway, I had always just seen a quiet, friendly, reserved girl. Working with her, though, I'd found that she was smart and funny, with a quick sense of humor and a relaxed way of looking at things.

"You know, they're having a thing over at the student center tomorrow night," I said. "Some kind of mixer. If you feel like going, a few of my buddies and I are heading over."

I noticed Sandy got a little tense. "I'm not sure. I mean, it's for students, isn't it?"

"Yeah. So, you're a student, aren't you? You're taking a class, I think that qualifies you in case you're worried about being chased away by security for crashing the party."

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am a student. How are you getting there?"

"Darry gets off early tomorrow, so I'm taking the truck. I can give you a ride if you need it."

That seemed to relax her a little. Slowly, she nodded. "Sure. Okay, sure, I'll go. Will there be food?"

"The all-important question, right? I think so. The flyer didn't say what they would have, other than refreshments."

"Hmmm…I'll eat something before I go anyway, just in case. Can you pick me up at seven?"

I nodded and tossed over a pen. "Seven sounds good. I'm picking up another friend at ten-of, so don't worry if I'm a few minutes late. He's not real punctual. Just write down the directions."

Ten minutes later Sandy had sketched out an intricate map that a blind man could have followed. In the spot where she had put her apartment she'd drawn a little cartoon cat. I shook my head, smiling. "You're nuts. Did Soda ever catch on to that?"

She smiled back. "Are you kidding? Compared to him, I was a wallflower. I guess that isn't such a bad description of me back then, though."

The thunder outside rumbled, and we sat for the next hour working as the rain beat heavily against the window.

>>>>

Sandy's POV

I checked my hair and makeup in the bathroom one last time before going back out to the living room to sit and wait. I hate waiting to be picked up. I'm one of those people who is ready at least ten minutes ahead of time because I hate making others late, but it means I usually have to sit around waiting. And waiting means boredom. And boredom means thinking.

I picked up my Woman's Day magazine and flipped through the pages halfheartedly. Hmm, didn't know you could make something like that with yarn…But would anyone really wear it?

I glanced up at the clock – four minutes after seven. I was glad I'd eaten already; I get a headache if it's been too long since I've eaten. Someone once told me it has something to do with low blood sugar.

Lost in my thoughts about yarn vests and blood sugar, I almost jumped off the sofa a few minutes later when there was a knock on the door. Poor MC wasn't expecting it, either; she shot off the couch and halfway across the room, looking back at the door like she expected a wolf to come charging through.

I went over to the door and opened it after checking through the peephole that it was Ponyboy. "Hi, Pony. Just give me a minute to get my sweater on."

"Sure, go ahead. I left the truck down near the entrance with the engine running. Is that alright?"

"That'll be fine, it's only for a few minutes. A lot of people park there to unload their groceries. Okay, I'm ready."

We stepped into the hallway, I locked the door behind me, and Ponyboy followed me to the staircase. When we got to the truck, which I was surprised was still working, but figured Steve was at least partially to thank for that, I slid in on the passenger side next to a large black man.

"Sandy, this is Jerome," Ponyboy introduced. "Jerome, this is my friend Sandy."

Jerome smiled and held out his hand to me, which I shook. "Nice to meet you, Sandy," he said. "You're the one who puts up with this guy all day long?"

"Thanks, man," Pony commented as he pulled away.

Smiling, I went along with Jerome's joke. "Well, really it's only twenty hours a week, so I can't complain."

Ponyboy glanced over and smiled at us. "Ganging up, eh? Just remember where your ride home is coming from, you two."

The parking lot for the student center was around the back of the building. The common room was already filled with students wearing name tags, eating cheese and crackers off of little plates and balancing cups of soda while they milled around talking.

"Jerome!" someone called before we had even finished getting our nametags. I looked up to see three students coming toward us – a boy and two girls. "Hey, Pony, haven't seen you in a while!" the boy said, grinning at Ponyboy. "We had a class together a couple of hours ago," he explained to the rest of us.

Ponyboy stepped forward. "Everyone, this is my friend Sandy. Sandy, this is Meg, Vicky, and Brian. We all met last year – Vicky in work study, and Brian and Meg in classes."

"Hi, nice to meet you all," I said, shaking their hands. They all seemed nice enough, and my fears about the evening dissolved as we chatted and munched on finger foods.

"Sandy, would you like some more punch?" Brian asked after we'd been talking for almost two hours.

"Yes, thank you."

He smiled at me as I handed him my used plate and cup, the kind of smile where you make eye contact and hold it for a little too long, and something inside of me tightened up. For the rest of the evening I had trouble interacting with Brian, despite the fact that we had been talking comfortably for so long. I had seen the interest, and hated that I didn't know what to do with it. Ten-o'clock couldn't come fast enough.

"Ready to go?" Pony asked me.

"Yes, I'm ready."

"I'll get your sweater," he offered, disappearing before I could reply.

Brian stepped over as everyone moved toward the entryway to find their coats and sweaters. "Hey, um, Sandy. It was really nice talking to you."

"Yes, it was nice talking to you, too," I agreed, glancing desperately toward the doorway for Ponyboy.

"If you're interested, there's a dance over at the rec center next weekend. I mean, if you'd like to go with…"

"Oh, I'm busy next weekend," I quickly lied.

"Oh. Well, okay. Maybe some other time, then."

"Sure, maybe some other time." He knew as well as I did that I wasn't busy next weekend, I could see it in his face. He was confused at my reaction, I knew, but I couldn't explain it to him. I really liked him, too. He was friendly and polite and funny, one of the nicest guys I had met in a long time next to Ponyboy. He was studying to be a lawyer. His father was a lawyer. He lived in an apartment, but usually ate dinner with his parents and two younger sisters. His older brother was in law school already. He was perfect, and I really liked him. But I was far from perfect, and I wasn't sure I could get past my flaws quickly enough for him to see me as someone worth getting serious with. Even I didn't know if I was someone worth getting serious with.

Pony dropped Jerome off first. We sat in the truck for a minute after getting back to my building. "You know, Brian likes you," he ventured.

"I know," I admitted.

"So what's wrong? Maybe it isn't my place to say anything, but I thought you were being kind of rude to him after a while. I mean, if you don't like the guy…"

"No, no, it isn't that. I just…I'm not sure I'm ready to have a serious relationship with anyone right now."

"Serious?" Ponyboy wasn't looking at me, but I could hear the confusion in his voice. "He just wanted to take you to a dance, Sandy. He's a nice guy." He glanced over at me, getting annoyed. "If it's Soda you're thinking about, I think it's time to move on. He's already in a serious…"

"Ponyboy!" I snapped. "I do not want to go back to your brother! I used to love him, but I have moved on with my life, so don't you dare make comments about something you do not understand!"

He looked back to the steering wheel, and even in the dim light from the building I could see that he was turning red. "I'm sorry. You're right, it's none of my business." He glanced over at me, ashamed of his outburst, and I felt bad that I had snapped at him. "It's just, I see you at work every day, and you don't seem to have any friends. You don't go anywhere. You don't do anything. I thought, maybe if you met some people…" He ran his hand around the steering wheel.

"I know. I'm sorry I got upset. You're right. You're right, and I did have a good time tonight. It's been a long time since I went out and had a good time. Not since Florida. Since I've been back, it has mostly been work, school, and…well, and nothing else. Just a couple of volunteer things." I reached over and put my hand on Pony's arm. "Look, I thought Brian was really nice. I just…I can't right now. Can you tell him for me that it wasn't him? I don't want him to think he did anything wrong."

Pony looked over at me again. "Sure, I'll tell him. You'll probably see him again, if you want to come out with us any more, so I'll tell him. He's a good guy. He won't bug you if you're not interested."

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Ponyboy. I appreciate it. And thanks again for inviting me along tonight. Your friends are real nice. I'd like to go out with you all again, if it's okay."

He smiled back. "Sure it's okay. I'll see you on Monday afternoon."

"Yep, Monday. Back to the grindstone." I climbed out of the truck and went through the door, hearing the familiar vroom as the old Ford pickup pulled away.

To my reviewers:

Tsuppi: Hi, glad you thought it was interesting! No, I didn't do a connection to Ten Years Later on this one. Thanks for the review, hope you enjoyed.

krista: Thanks, glad you enjoyed!

Lynn: I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you there. I find the worst line ever to be, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Hehe. Anyway, yes, I was serious with that line. As the author, I know the past, present, and future of this story, so it was completely unsappy from my point of view. Now, if I were to go off in the direction you may be thinking I was going with this, then I could see it being a pretty dumb line. But in all seriousness, it was a completely valid thing for Sandy to be wondering about herself. Thanks for taking time to read and review!

Locket the Lookout: Glad you enjoyed. Good luck on your story!

Incumix1: Thanks for the review and the pointers. I actually haven't read any of the Sandy stories, so I don't know what people do with her. I'm basing my idea on nothing other than things that I've learned and indirectly experienced in my own life. There was practically an empty slate left about her in the book, so this is one possibility that I could see out of many. As far as the age of my readers, it makes no difference to me, as I don't change my writing style or content based on who I think will be interested. I write when I have an idea that I want to share. Anyone who doesn't like it will tell me, I'm sure, regardless how old they are!

Fairlane: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying. I actually wasn't sure about the Soda being a cop thing at first either, but after I thought about it for a while it seemed to fit pretty well (at least as I interpret him – good with people, likes action, people like him, etc.). Some of the kids I graduated high school with are doing some things that I would never have believed, including one who is a State Trooper. Plus, I was tired of picturing Soda as an auto mechanic, especially since I've used that one before, and really it is specifically Steve who is supposed to be the automotive genius. And the dress – yeah, all that orange, green, yellow, etc. It's the 70's alright! Thanks for the review!

virgil-t-stone: Glad you kept reading and weren't disappointed. Hope you enjoyed chapter 2!

Amber: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

lillya: Well, as I told another reviewer, I haven't read any of the Sandy stories, so I don't really know what anyone else has done with her. As far as any of it being cliché, again, I'm just writing a story in the style that I normally use. I tend to not enjoy sappy or cliché, so hopefully those don't inadvertently end up in this one. I have a great deal of respect for the book, the author, and women in general, especially those who moved forward in spite of adversity. In fact, this is probably the story of mine that pans out as most true-to-life in the end. If you read any more, hope you enjoy, and thanks for the review and the input!

NeonProdigy: Thanks for taking the time to read and review, even though you won't be reading any more. I appreciate it! Your perception of Soda being a cop is interesting; I could see it going that way, with people going against him, but what I was able to picture more clearly was a lot of his friends and acquaintances realizing that they now had a friend on the "inside". Rather than seeing him as a traitor, I think they would have seen him as the ball in their court, so to speak. Some of the most well-loved and accepted cops are the ones from "the neighborhood" (speaking from personal experience). As far as Sandy, I had nothing more than a passing interest in her (as in, I read the part about her in the book and passed by without much thought), but for some reason I started thinking more about her a while back. Not much to go by in the book, which opens a lot of possibilities. Again, thanks for the review!

kimmerkay: Thanks, I'm so glad you enjoyed! This will probably be a shorter story, but I've got it completely planned out, hence the quick update. Hope you liked chapter 2!

Hahukum Konn: Thanks! That's so funny, the old IBM. Somehow it didn't seem to make anything happen any faster…I've got this set in the fall of 1971, assuming that the book happened in about September 1966 when Ponyboy was a freshman, and he graduated high school in 1970. Thanks for the review, I'm glad you enjoyed!

Mrs. Soda Curtis: Thanks, glad you enjoyed!

volleyballlover: Thanks, I'm glad you read and enjoyed! Hope you liked chapter 2, though the next update won't happen quite as fast (I've got another Ten Years Later chapter half done and waiting for me!).

Ale Curtis-Carter: Thanks, I'm so glad you liked it!