Yay, people like my story! (Hey, I'm actually gonna get it right and sneak in the stupid site that I've been trying to get people to see for years: the doo wop jukebox . com –no spaces, of course! Now that that's all over with, let's get it on with!!!

Disclaimer: (I forgot it in the first chapter!) I don't own anyone except for anyone that you guys don't recognize...

Chapter 2: The Guys

Around 6 PM on a Saturday afternoon, my doorbell rang. I was supposed to be meeting "the rest of the gang" at their home, which was a few houses down from mine. They hadn't said anything about picking me up though, so I continued perfecting my hair as my mother answered the door.

I just about knocked my whole desk over when I heard my mom yell to me, "Jackie, people are here, so make sure you're dressed!"

Oh god! I thought in embarrasment frantically picking up all of my things off of the carpet.

Just then, Sodapop and another dark-haired, sort of mean-looking boy almost kicked my door in, running to my bed and bouncing on it like hyper little...monkeys. My room was still pretty empty, containing only my bed and my desk (which currently looked like an out of sync library). When the guys had finally settled down, they were both out of breath and my mother was standing in the doorway, looking as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Umm...Are these the people that are going to show you around the neighborhood, Jacklyn?"

I nodded, giving her an I-really-had-no-idea-that-they-were-like-this look. The dark-haired boy rolled off of the bed and shook my hand, introducing himself as Steve. Soda was now examining all of the books on my desk.

"Hey, Steve, look at this," he exclaimed, holding up an extremely old copy The Great Gatsby, "Just like Pony, ain't she?"

Steve nodded, and said (a little impatiently), "How about we go ahead and get out of here?"

Soda nodded and motioned for me to follow the two of them. I informed my mother that I was just going across the street and that I would be back by ten-thirty (at which Soda and Steve rolled their eyes) and we left.

Apparently Sodapop was always quite the hyper one. As we walked over to his house, he was doing all types of strange movements and dances that would probably be described as...dangerously deadly to the normal-jointed person. (A/N: "Normal-jointed"...hmm)

In a matter of about two minutes–including every time we had to pause in order to obey Sodapop's constant order, "Hey, look at this!"–we arrived at a dingy little house, not much different from my new quarters.

"Ah, the palace," Soda announced, accidently tripping on one of the steps. He blushed and I couldn't help but smile at how adorable it looked.

You could practically feel the blaring music from outside of the door, which Soda swung open (much like how he'd opened my door) and waited for me to enter.

"Thank you," I muttered as I stepped into the living room.

Steve lowered the music considerably, causing everybody present, and even some that had been in the kitchen, to look around curiously. By then, I think they had all noticed me standing there, because their rowdiness had come to a complete stop and five guys were staring all staring at me with various expressions.

My eyes searched the room, desperate for someone to say anything–no one did. I knew this was a bad idea coming here, I thought regretfully, Maybe I could just say that I forgot something at home and just not come back...no, that would be kind of awkward...

I just kind of stared at the wall, trying not to look quite as embarrassed as I obviously was.

"Hey, Jackie, right?" I heard a voice say finally. I looked up, right into the grayish-green eyes of the one and only Ponyboy. I'd only met him once, not even saying more than two words to him, but once again, I was smitten.

I knew I was probably blushing furiously which made become suddenly thankful for my dark skin. I didn't even know why I was so hung up over a...white boy. I mean, I can't say I was too great with any certain type of guy, but there was some...unsaid law that white guys were completely, unarguably OFF LIMITS. And my mother–what would she think if she knew I was getting a crush on him? I mean, she's not racist or anything, but she's been done a lot of wrong in her life by these people...the exact reason I was brought into this world.

(A/N: Okay, remember in the previous chapter, she said her mom had been raped on her seventeenth birthday? Well, it was by a white boy. I REALLY REALLY don't want to offend anyone out there. I am completely against any type of racism, but I have to be realistic, right???)

I nodded, still aware of the silence in the room. Ponyboy was smiling at me and motioned for me to sit down. As I placed my self down on the floor next to that Two-Bit guy, Ponyboy sitting down beside me, everyone seemed to kind of snap back to reality.

"How's it goin', Sleeping Beauty," Two-Bit began slinging an arm over me, which I just let hang there. I guess I didn't really know what to do...I mean, I've never really been in that predicament before or anything. And well, I figured he was just kind of playing around. I shrugged, avoiding his eyes.

Ponyboy snorted and removed Two-Bit's arm from around me as if it was the most grotesque thing in the world.

"C'mon, Two-Bit, lay off 'er. You'll scare her to death fore she even has a chance to meet everyone."

Two-Bit just rolled his eyes and I sighed, smiling gratefully at Ponyboy. He smiled back politely and asked if I wanted to play "Eternity", holding up a deck of playing cards.

"Eternity?" I asked. I didn't really play cards, but I don't think there's a such thing.

"Yeah, it's something me and Johnny made up."

He shuffled the cards skillfully, then split it into three stacks, handing one to me and one to Johnny.

"Just put a card down," he explained, demonstrating, "and then somebody else puts a card down" (Johnny put his down) "and if just keep doing that until someone gets the same number."

We did that for a while until my eight matched Johnny's.

"Now, you take all the cards and we just keep playing until someone has all of the cards."

I nodded, still a little confused.

"Well, why is it called Eternity?"

Ponyboy grinned at Johnny, who looked rather disappointed with what the fifteen cards to twenty cards he was holding in his hand, "because nobody wins."

I was still confused, but after about an hour of playing, I completely understood.

Ponyboy's P. O. V.

I knew Jackie would like Eternity, though it was probably the most childish game on the planet–even Darry did. I was glad that I had thought of it right when she came–something to take everyone's mind of of that burning question: I know Soda's a ladies' man, but a black girl...? There weren't a lot of black people around our neighborhood, just one or two. I don't think Dally really cared about that kind of stuff. I think maybe Soda was just being nice, along with Darry

I remember, once, I'd read this book Native Son by Richard Wright and it had really got me thinking about all this stuff between races and all. I'd asked Darry what he thought about the subject, but he just said that I was probably a little too young to really understand fully. I don't what he meant by "too young". It's not like it wasn't all over the news and everything–sit-ins and marches and a whole bunch of stuff for civil rights and all that. I didn't really like hearing about stuff like that, so I didn't watch the news, therefore I'd only overheard Darry and Soda talking about it once...I don't really know what I thought about it, though.

I couldn't really see what harm it could do to just associate with a black girl... I mean, she was nice and all, so I don't think it made too much of a difference, but then again...

I could just see it now: "Ponyboy, you never use your head do you?"...but Darry wouldn't have a problem with me having a black friend, would he?

I was kind of confused, and my thoughts were really jumbled up because the three of us were so consumed in the card game, so I just decided to let it go.

Jackie was laughing extremely hard at Johnny's frustration with his bad luck and I couldn't help but think: You know, she's kind of pretty too...

I could have almost laughed at myself then..I mean, this was a black girl–well, not that there's anything wrong with black girls it's just...well, it's like some unwritten law that they were all OFF-LIMITS.

Sure, I could have her as a friend, but–c'mon now, I ain't dumb.

(A/N: Sure, Pony! You're just being really naive right now...)

Well, I think maybe that's all for today. I don't know if Pony's POV even made since, but it's kind of hard to pull that off without making TONS of mistakes. I think he'll just get some refreshments on his thought in the next chapter....He he, it's time for a Darry Lecture! Umm...I hope I didn't make that part too bad. Maybe I can just blame it on him being a little too naive sometimes and not using his head and all that... Please Review (and don't be too harsh! EEEEK!) Oh yeah, and here's some thanks:

Jorjor and Angry Princess13 and PoetTears: Yeah, I always love my first reviewers!!!

ponyisgoldxxx: don't worry it's all comin' up soon!

Ponygurl09: I'm glad you like the idea! I actually got kind of discouraged about it yesterday, thinking about whether I should continue or not, but the show must go on!

Now, I have to leave you wonderful fanfiction-ers and start on a new chapter for my other fic!