Okay, bad news. I'll be out of town for a while. When I say a while, I mean a while. I'm going to be gone for a week. I'll be back Saturday or Sunday so bear with me please. I'll update as I get back. Alright. Here we go.

Chapter 8: First Girls

A few days later……

Sodapop and Steve walked into the school. Two-Bit and Johnny were right behind them. Johnny was the same age as Soda and Steve, unlike Two-Bit, who was a good two years ahead. Darry had an extra four years ahead of everyone. Making him the big man of the group. Darry hung out with his brothers a couple of times, but he was a jock in high school, so you know who else he hangs out with.

All four of the young greasers posted against the wall that was near Soda and Steve's classroom.

"What are you all doing tonight?" asked Steve feeling around his pockets. He was checking to see if he forgot his cigarettes again, he was unsuccessful.

"I did have a date," said Two-Bit stretching.

"A date?" asked Soda interested.

"Yeah. But I was late last time so she dumped me. You guys gone out before?"

Sodapop was about to answer but Steve cut him off by saying,

"Yeah. Loads of times."

The school bell rang so Two-Bit and Johnny had to depart to class. Soda caught his best friend before they entered the room.

"What do you mean we've gone out with girls plenty of times?"

"I had to say something. It's a lie that can be fixed."

"By telling the truth?"

"No. We just have to get dates for tonight."

All through class, Sodapop couldn't listen to the teacher. He was thinking about what Steve said. Saying they had to find girls for a date. Soda has barely talked to girls. He used to think it was nasty when he saw people kissing. He grew out of it after his parents kept doing it constantly. The entire time, he thought he would have to do that to a girl if he had gone out with them. This is why he kind of tried to avoid them.

At lunch, Steve was telling Steve his plan.

"All we need to do is find some pretty looking girls to go out with."

"Okay. But what if we don't find any?"

"We will. Have you seen an ugly girl in our town?"

"Mrs. Lisa down the street."

"That's different. She's like fifty years old."

"But she has daughters. Imagine what they look like."

Steve shuddered at the thought and they both laughed. When they were younger, they used to think that the house was haunted. But they figured out that it was only haunted by hairless cats.

They saw Johnny at the doorway of the school. They called out his name.

"Johnny! Johnny!"

Johnny turned around.

"Hey guys."

Johnny was a little quiet, but he spoke to the gang. They were pretty much his only family. Steve once came up with idea that they should all rush Johnny's house and beat up his dad. But Johnny didn't want to. It didn't matter, Steve and Two-Bit were the only ones that wanted to do it. Soda partly, Pony and Darry didn't want to at all. Ponyboy was actually a little afraid of Mr. Cade.

"I was meeting Two-Bit outside. Someone's giving us a ride to the Dingo for lunch."

"Wanna go?" asked Soda to Steve and he nodded. They had never eaten off of campus before, so this was a new adventure for them.

The greaser that drove them was a guy named Buck Merril. They really didn't want to get know him. He looked like a shady cowboy. He seemed a lot older than them though. They didn't think he was in school at all.

At the Dingo, Steve noticed some girls outside. He nudged his best friend and whispered,

"Here's our chance."

Soda and Steve ran over to the chicks. Steve reached one of them first.

"Hey. How about we treat you girls to a burger."

One of them looked at him.

"You paying for it?"

Soda was confused.

"Of course we are."

One of the girls smiled. She had something stuck on her teeth.

"You've got a cute voice," she said. "I like that."

"And you," said the other one. "You've got some nice hair. I think we'll take that burger."

Steve and Soda grinned. They got dates that quick. They walked into the Dingo.

…………

"Now that was stupid!" yelled Steve.

They were outside waiting on Two-Bit and the others.

"I know," said Soda. For once, he was complaining. "They just wanted food. They weren't interested in us."

"And they were just plain stupid."

"They didn't even ask for our names!"

"They made us look stupid."

That was the truth. Those chicks weren't asking for a relationship, just free food. Soda then reached a conclusion.

"From now on. We check our girls before we ask them out."

"Agreed," said Steve.

The two shook hands.