Disclaimer: Still don't own The Outsiders.

A/N: Thank you all so much! That was the quickest I have ever gotten reviews and they were all great! Thanks for taking time to read my story and for being so nice to it. Well, anyway, just so you all know, this is real. She's not imagining it. And I might make a mistake on descriptions because I haven't read the book in like…a month. Which is a long time for me. I'm a fanatic, I know, but whatever. Haha, oh I love exaggerations…Thank you to cutiepiepink angel, steves-girl, krista, clear-sparkle, and hahukum konn!

I woke up in completely different surroundings. I could tell even with my eyes closed that I was in a house and lying down on either a couch or a bed. I hoped it was a couch. I heard someone say, "I think she's coming around," even as my eyes began to flutter open. I saw all the same people standing by the couch I was on that I saw out at the sidewalk. The same very clever actors. Or were they actors? Was I having some kind of nervous breakdown, or could this wild and crazy dream really be true? I didn't have any answers, so I just smiled weakly at them all and tried to sit up.

A gentle hand pushed me back down. "Don't try and sit up yet." I looked over at the owner of the hand and was shocked to be looking into such deep and sweet eyes. It was the guy that would have been Sodapop if this episode that I was having was true. "We think you might have a concussion. You fell pretty hard."

The big guy with the biceps like tennis balls said, "Pony, go get a bag of ice." The second to the smallest one in the group left. The smallest one was the darkest one, with hair that kept falling in his worried and nervous eyes. It was Johnny, I could tell. They were all looking at me strangely, and remembering the things I had said before I passed out, I couldn't really blame them. Right then and there I decided I didn't want to go to the funny farm, even in a dream. I mean, I was in my favorite book - I might as well enjoy it. I would go along with any crazy things these people might say.

"Thanks," I said. "Where am I?"

"You're in my house," said the fake Darrel. He sounded only slightly put off at having to take a stranger into his house. I wondered if it had even been his idea or one of the other boys had had to talk him into it.

"Oh, well sorry to impose. I can leave now if you want, I'm sure I'm fine." I stood up and fought off the dizziness that was blackening my vision. Maybe I really did have a concussion. I took a step forward anyway. Darry put his huge hands on my shoulders and pushed me back to the couch.

"You're not going anywhere. We should be taking you to the hospital, but we don't know anyone here who can pay your bills."

"Well, I'm fine really and if you'll just let me go, I'll be -"

"Here's the ice Darry," said Ponyboy. Darry handed it to me and I put it on the large lump on the side of my head. The pounding seemed to be getting a little better. Before I had felt like a sledgehammer had been banging on the side of my head every other second. "Thank you," I said.

"Is there someone we can take you to?" asked a guy with long, rusty colored sideburns. I supposed he must be Two-Bit.

"Uh…well I'm here because I'm…visiting an aunt." Finally an explanation that seemed to please the gang. They hadn't been satisfied with my story of just being mysteriously transported into a nightmare apparently. "But I can walk, it's really not that far from here. I don't think. What neighborhood am I in?" Not that I knew how to get anywhere. And there obviously wasn't an aunt.

"You're on Sickle Street," said Sodapop.

"Oh. Yeah, she lives just a couple streets down from here."

"Well, I'll be happy to drive you." That was Two-Bit again. And he didn't really look like he would be happy to drive me anywhere. I didn't blame him. I wouldn't want a potential lunatic in my car either.

"Thank you very much, but I think some fresh air might do me good." I stood up again and tried not to sway on my feet. I did anyway and the person that must have been Steve Randall caught me. He was a lot cuter than I had imagined him whenever I read the book.

"Before you go, you might as well stay and have a drink or a bite to eat or something," said Ponyboy. He was being very generous for his shy nature.

"You guys have Pepsi?" A little sugar rush would do well for me, I decided. It might get my head going again. As it was, all of my thoughts were strange and scattered. I needed a Pepsi.

"I think Pony would die if we didn't. I'll go get you some. You boys want anything?" No one said anything, so Soda went into the kitchen.

I was left with a bunch of hostile boys that I didn't know. I was quite frightened, and not in the way that I had been before.

"So you said your name is Sarah?" asked Darry.

"Yes. Sarah Winters. But everyone calls me Sassy." I only hoped that he could sense my gratitude for breaking the tense silence.

"Well, like I said earlier, my name is Darrel Curtis. This is my younger brother Ponyboy, and the one in the kitchen is my other younger brother Sodapop."

"My name is Keith Matthews, but everyone calls me Two-Bit."

"Steven Randall."

Another tense silence. "J-Johnny Cade."

"Dallas Winston."

"Nice to meet y'all." Soda came back with two Pepsis. One for me and one for him. He sat down next to me and gently took away the ice pack.

"Think your aunt can take you to the hospital?" he asked.

"Uh-huh." Lie, lie, lie.

"Good." I drank my Pepsi and the boys kind of looked at each other. There wasn't much to say. Finally, Dallas broke the tension and asked anyone if they wanted to come to the Nightly Double with him. Everyone but Ponyboy and Johnny declined. I knew that was what would happen, but it was so weird actually being in this scene. I mean, I was among the people I had read about fifteen times, and they were having a conversation I had read fifteen times.
"Johnny, got a cancer stick?" That was Dallas, asking a question I had only seen on paper before. It was the weirdest sensation I had ever had and gave me a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Johnny handed each of the boys a cigarette. Timidly he gestured and asked if I wanted one. I smiled and took one. I didn't smoke often, but once in a while me and my friends would have a cigarette. The smoking took place of the talking and the tension slowly vanished from the room. But not completely. Once my Pepsi and cigarette were gone, I stood. I was a lot more steady on my feet now. I handed the ice pack to Darry and said, "Well, I'd better be going. Thanks again, see ya around." And then I left.

It was much, much later, and beginning to get dark outside when I was done exploring the neighborhood where the Curtis boys lived and the one next to it. Neither were very nice, or very welcoming, and I was a bit wary of not even having my pepper spray with me. But my natural curiosity of this world that had only been between the covers of a book for me took over. I finally found the lot that S.E. Hinton had talked about and spread out my jacket and sat down. The stars were beginning to appear, and I looked up at them as I hugged my knees to my chest. They were sparkling and very pretty, strewn about on that black velvet sky.

A little while later, I heard voices and footsteps. Then I remembered the events that would take place this night. I took my jacket and walked away, to a place on the lot where they wouldn't see me. Johnny and Ponyboy sat down and began smoking and talking. Those boys sure did smoke a lot. They would really get cancer if they weren't careful. But this was 1960, and there were still actual cigarette ads on TV.

They lay down on their backs at one point, and I began to get drowsy. Then I woke up. Ponyboy was gone, but Johnny was sitting and staring up at the stars, knees hugged to chest just I had been before they came. Suddenly remembering where I was and what was about to happen if I didn't do something to prevent it, I went over to Johnny and said, "Boo." He looked up in wild surprise and fright.

"Calm down," I said. "It's just me." I sat down beside him. "You know, Ponyboy is going to come back out here and ask you to run away. Say no, okay? Please, just as favor to me, say no."

"Why?" He looked confused, nervous, and a little scared.

"The Socs that saw you guys with their girls are coming to get you. Don't ask me how I know, I just know, okay? Now please, when Ponyboy comes over here, talk some sense into him. And get out of this lot! They'll be able to find you here as good as anywhere else. You're out in the middle of the open for Pete's sake!"

He just kind of stared at me. Finally, he seemed to digest the information and said, "Why aren't you at your aunt's house?"

What could I say? "Is that all you can think about? The Socs are going to get you! Please, listen to me. Get out while you still can. They are totally drunk and very angry. I've got to go." I ran off. Where would I go? Again, I felt fear. There was no where to go. There was no one to help me. I was all alone, in the middle of a book.