Alright, kill me–I haven't updated in...1 month and 14 days!!! Wow, I am really sorry! Well, I think the events in this chapter will make up for all that terrible, terrrible, waiting.

TheAngryPrincess13: heh, heh, heh, I am evil, aren't I? ;) Your wish is granted...

Karen: Phew! I'm glad some people liked the last chapter. I'm hardly ever sure I do things realistically...especially since I didn't live back then.

Rachel: I can dig it, you can dig it, she can dig it, he dig it, baby can you dig it? Okay, just had to add that one in...Glad you approve!

Streetpanther1: Ah, the infamous Mr. Winston reviewing MY story! I'm so excited! Okay, but anyways, glad you liked so far...PS, Lords of Flatbush rules!!!

Catherine: Finally! I was waiting for someone to actually say something about the movie! "Speech"? Well, I'm glad you view it as a speech. I suddenly feel rather authoritative...No more weird names for new characters! Okay, maybe that wasn't quite as good....

Ponyboys-girl3: Well, Soda is always there for some good advice, but with this one, he can't really say too much...see below!

HazleSilver: lol, me sneaky too! I'm happy you finally let me...

Chapter 6: The Other Side Of Town

"Soda", I asked, already running out of breath, "where we going?"

He just remained silent and pulled up the collar on our dad's old worn leather jacket. I had never really seen him so determined to get to one place; the whole time, he stared straight ahead and walked briskly in a constant rhythm. I, on the other hand, probably looked like an escaped convict, looking all around me and what not.

"...Though you treat me badly, I love you madly, you've really got a hold on me..." I whispered quietly to myself and lighting a cigarette at the same time.

Lately, I had started singing to myself when I was nervous–an unknown talent, I guess.

After a few minutes, we reached the Dingo.

"Eh, Soda, whatta we doing here? Aren't they closed?"

I was a little–okay, extremely nervous about being out this late at night. Normally, Soda would be the one nervous for me, but I guess whatever he was going to show was real important.

"Will ya stop asking so many questions, Pone? Just wait 'till we get there."

So I waited...and waited....and waited...and by the time I was done waiting, we were probably about three or four miles from home, outside of what looked like a night club called "The Underground".

I didn't want to bother Soda anymore, so I just kept my mouth shut as we went inside.

Well, I found that to be quite difficult, considering that for the first time in my life, I (besides my brother of course) was the only white person in the room...and now that I thought about it, probably the whole neighborhood we had just finished walking through. Every person in the room turned and stared at our figures moving across the floor. Soda to my surprise, didn't seem to be noticing any of this, which I found to be the hardest thing to believe.

"Soda!" I heard from somewhere around me.

Soda turned and waved at some person I couldn't see and began heading through the crowd of people towards some tables in the corner.

A girl probably in her early twenties sat alone at a round table, smoking a cigarette. As was everyone else in there, she was black and looked rather excited–to see Soda I guess. I knew Soda was a big ladies man or whatever, but I never knew girls liked him this much.

"Hey, Soda, what are you doing here!" she exclaimed as he leaned down to give her a quick peck on the cheek.

Still gazing at my surroundings, I planted myself next my brother.

"I gotta ask you something," Soda began, glancing at me.

"What," the girl asked straightening her dress out, "You know you can ask me anything."

"Could you...You got a smoke, Pony?"

Obviously, this was really bothering him to ask me for a cigarette. I knew the whole thing was kinda controversial and everything, but it's gotta be pretty big to bug Soda. I gave him my next to last one and lit for him.

After a long drag, he continued, "Could you tell him the story...'bout...you and...you know."

The girl looked a little taken back for a second at the suggestion.

"Why?"

"God, I–" he ran his hand through his blondish hair and sighed heavily, "I don't even know why I came here...I mean at the middle of the night and everything...If I had just thought for a second..."

"Soda, just calm down, alright?" The girl paused for a second and looked at me, then stuck out her hand, "Gina Wright," she said putting on a small smile, "You his brother?"

I nodded and shook her hand after a moment's hesitation, "Yeah. 'Name's Ponyboy."

"You guys want somethin' to drink?"

"Pepsi," I stated, lighting another cigarette. Soda just shook his head.

She cleared her throat and waved over a nearby waiter and ordered my Pepsi and a Scotch for herself.

"You drink Scotch," I asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it. It was just that she looked younger than twenty-one (A/N: was that the age back then??), "I mean, aren't you too young?"

She laughed slightly and shook her head. "Hell, they don't give a damn. It's just business, ya know?"

The waiter came back with our drinks then and gave Soda and I a look...much like a Soc would. There was a moment of silence during which Gina just stared at Soda and Soda just stared back and I just stared at the two of them. I was still trying to sort all this out: Soda knows a black girl, There's some story behind the whole thing, Soda's probably been here before...

"Ey, Ponyboy, how old are you?" she asked suddenly, as if it depended on her next breath.

"Fourteen."

She nodded approvingly, "I have cousin that age...She just moved down here."

Jackie! Cousin! Gina! Wow, this is too much–

Before I even had the chance to say anything, Soda spoke up, "Gina, c'mon, tell him."

I guess she had been trying to avoid the subject, because when he said that, she just blew out a tuft of smoke and crossed her legs.

"Tell me what?" I was beginning to get frustrated with the whole thing, not to mention, tired.

"What you're getting yourself into, Ponyboy," Soda started, his voice beginning to rise, "Me and Darry tried to tell you, but you just won't listen–"

I stood up, almost knocking over my chair. "Just leave me alone, Soda. I thought you understood." Gina looked embarrassed at what she had played a part in causing. I guess I felt that I couldn't leave her feeling guilty or that I didn't like her or anything, so I added, "'Night, Gina. It was nice meeting you."

I don't know what had ever gotten into me. Her house was just...calling my name. I went around the back and peered into the windows, looking for her bedroom. I tapped on her window just lightly enough for her to wake up, but hopefully not loudly enough to be heard in any of the other rooms in the house. She turned over awful fast suggesting that she probably wasn't asleep in the first place. She motioned for me to turn around and I did as I was told. For a second, I pondered whether to just run back to my house while I could or to stay, but she opened the window, fully dressed before I could make up my mind.

"Pony, what the hell are you doin' here?"

I couldn't even answer the question, just kept staring at her. Her hair was braided into loose pigtails which were pinned together at the back of her head. Her eyes were narrowed at me, but she didn't look quite angry, just thoughtful. She was wearing a black t-shirt with the sleeves cut off that read "MC5: the Motor City Five" on the front in big white letters and some ripped jeans.

"Can't I come in?" I asked, sounding a little too needy. She thought about it for a minute, then stepped out of my way as I hauled myself up and into her window.

"You still didn't answer my question," she said, sitting on her bed.

I shrugged and began looking through her record collection. She sighed and flopped down on her back with her arms spread out at her sides.

Jackie's POV

Surprised as I was, I was glad he was here. I watched him as he flipped through the collection of albums I had acquired over the years. There was only a light trace of grease in his hair which made him look a lot different...but in a good way. I mean, he just looked more like a little kid or something. I had never had a boy in my room before at this time of night and certainly not when my mother wasn't here. She had to work from seven-thirty p.m. all the way until six in the morning, leaving me here alone every night.

"Hey, Jackie," he said suddenly and I felt the weight of him sitting down beside me. That got me kind of nervous, so I sat up and faced him, "You got any cousins living down here?"

I was a little caught off gaurd by his question, but nodded anyway.

My closest cousin, Gina Wright, lived just on the other side of Tulsa. She was seventeen, three years older than me, but she also did things I dare not repeat–nothing dirty though, just wild.

"And let me guess, her name's Gina, right?"

I nodded, kind of confused about how he could possibly know that. He stood back up and headed over to my records again, pulling one out.

"Iggy and the Stooges," he read aloud, turning it over to the back, "They any good?"

"Yeah," I muttered, deciding to drop the subject of my cousin, "they're pretty cool, but you should hear these guys."

I picked up my MC5 album and handed it to him proudly.

"The Motor City Five, huh?" he read from my shirt with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, they're amazing."

He nodded and head over to my window.

"Well I'm gettin' tired...you mind if I borrow this?"

I shook my head and smiled at him...Lord, he sure was good looking. I could see it in his eyes that he was real tired, so I didn't protest when he lifted up the window and hopped out.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

I nodded and sat on the window sill. I wondered what he would do if I just leaned down and kissed him square on lips...well I guess he probably would have been quite happy about the whole thing, considering he did it before I could. It wasn't anything big, just a quick peck, but it was a kiss all the same. We stared at each other for a few moments and I felt my face grow hot under his gaze.

"Bye Jackie," he finally muttered. Then he turned and jogged towards his house.

Okay, I had no idea how to end this...oh yeah and this will be last chapter for at least a week 'cause I just found out I'm going to New York City on Wednesday. Hopefully, by the time I get back, I'll have a bunch of ideas in my head and I'll get the next chapter up immediately....what am I telling you this for? You guys are used to waiting super long times anyway, so a week'll probably be nothing. Anywho, in the mean time, review!