Yay! Lady rose 05 and ivy45663 are my new favorite people! I dedicate this chapter to them… although, for you other 31 people who read my story and did nothing, I curse you. Not too bad, but leave a message, please? Arigatou!

IMPORTANT: Hopefully I have your attention. If you see the name 'Tyler' in here, that means Mira. Tyler was going to be her name, but I changed it halfway through.

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Mira sighed She was not feeling too hot at the moment. Not just because of the Socs razzing her again, she could take that okay, and not because her uncle was drinking like all get-out, because that was every day for her since last year. No, what was really bugging her was the thought that she had lost both her cousin and boyfriend, all in less than two weeks. The anniversary was approaching, bringing up memories.

Dallas, or Bronco as she called him, was her favorite family member. Probably the only one she considered true family. His gang was like the group of over-protective brothers she never had… except Johnny. He was different in a way that could not be explained; But Mira had been in love from the moment she saw him.

Flashback

She walked down a street, not knowing which one. Something told her it was not the one she was supposed to be on, though. Maybe it was the death glares being sent her way, or the constant hisses of 'Greaser' as she passed. Nobody was dressed like her, all of them were a bunch of fancy-pants. Walking faster, Mira finally got to a part of town that looked a lot like her old home of New York. 'No wonder Bronco loves it here… it's so similar!'

That soon lead to her daydreaming. Were her friends okay? Who was getting beat up by the fuzz? Who was getting beat up by a rival gang? The two fighting scenarios were a guarantee in her part of town. All of this daydreaming was distracting her sight ability… which then caused her to run into someone who had his head turned towards a very familiar face. The impact knocked her out of her thoughts. Just when she was about to cuss out the idiotic jerk who had knocked her down, Mira caught sight of his face. Those eyes… the most beautiful dark brown she had ever seen. Tanned skin, slightly scarred with a shiner that made him look like a total hood. Mira always scoffed whenever somebody mentioned love in her old street-gang. Now she had to swallow her words. This boy was gorgeous!

"S-sorry 'bout that. I wasn't payin' attention." He stood up. 'Not too tall,' Mira thought. 'but not half bad. Looks kinda young, though. Damn.' His voice was deeper than she thought it would be… gravelly, too. 'So he's a smoker. Interesting.' The boy reached his hand down to her, muttering a quiet apology the whole time.

"S'okay. I wasn't paying attention either." He looked kinda panicky, his eyes all shifty like they were. Mira looked at his buddy, and nearly squealed from happiness. But a kid on the bad side of New York didn't squeal. So she settled for something a little more reserved. "Dallas Winston, didn't think I would see you again." Dallas looked confused and suspicious.

"Who are you?" he asked roughly. Mira realized that her hood was up on her sweatshirt. Taking it off, she replied, "Jeez, Bronco, you really don't recognize me after a few years away?" The towheaded hood grinned in realization.

"What did you do to your hair, Shay?" Mira grinned.

"I chopped it. Needed a change, and my damn hair was hindering my fighting ability. Always getting caught on my eyes in the worst situations." Dallas seemed to realize that he had forgotten his (drop-dead gorgeous) buddy for a minute.

"Oh, Johnnycakes, this is my cousin Shamira Rourke from New York. Shay, this is my buddy Johnny Cade." Shamira just raised her eyebrow and nodded politely in greeting. 'Johnny Cade, huh? Sweet.' Johnny nodded back in reply. "Shamira, huh? What's that, Hebrew?" It took Mira a few seconds to sort out what Johnny had asked.

"Yeah, actually. It means guardian or protector. So what does Johnny mean, anyway? Lord of the Leprechauns?" She grinned, showing that she was just teasing.

Johnny shook his head and muttered, "Yep, definitely related to Dally. And Johnny is traced back to the Hebrew name Yochanan, which means 'Yahweh is gracious.' It's a common name in the Bible." Shamira shared a look with Dallas, who looked just as surprised as the 16 year-old felt. When the two looked back at him, he sheepishly explained, "I had to look it up for school a few years back."

"Okay…. Bronc, do you think I could stay here for a while?" The abrupt change in conversation threw Dallas off for a minute.

"Why, something happen back home?"

"Yeah. My dad got a new girl who is not that much older than me… maybe 19 or so. Anyway, she doesn't like me because I pulled a few pranks on her. Dad finally just threw me out when she said he had to choose." Dallas rolled his eyes in a way that said clearly 'How typical.' But he just said, "Alright. I guess. How long though? And what about school, you plan on going?"

"Yeah, as soon as term starts. I'm not sure how long, maybe till I find someplace of my own. Thanks, Bronco."

"Bronco?" Johnny piped up. "Where'd that come from?" Dallas got him into a headlock. "Never you mind, Johnnycake."

End Flashback

Shamira remembered it. That was before the Socs had gotten to him, which would happen two months afterwards. Two weeks after he had asked Mira out. Laughing, the 17 year-old remembered the nicknames they had given each other. He was her Datenshi; fallen angel. He laughed at her when she started calling him that. In turn, Shamira was known as Pranay; love. Remembering turned her laughter to tears. Curling up with Johnny's slightly burned jacket, and a towheaded hoodlum on her mind, she fell asleep.

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Jillian became impatient. "Americus! Ame, c'mon. I really need your help. Ponyboy needs your help. I know you're listening, you bitch!" If insulting her best friend was the only way to get her down, then to hell with manners. A faint wind could be heard, and suddenly Americus was sitting on the arm of Dr. Caudill's favorite armchair.

"You sure do have a colorful vocabulary, friend. As a would-be angel, you should know better." Americus looked more like a goth than an angel, but she was an angel of death. Her job was to lead lost souls to their destined place; Back to their bodies, to hell, or to Heaven. Ame's hair was silky black, her eyes a bright blue that matched her pale skin. All she wore was the color black, no white, no colors. Jill was a colorful person with dark skin and hair. Her eyes were a deep blue that always seemed to calm those who were agitated and show understanding. Jillian's job was to direct the living in the ways of life.

Jillian huffed. "Well, I'm not an angel, I'm a guardian. And if you would listen better, I wouldn't be so agitated." Americus chuckled, a low musical sound. "Friend Guardian, it seems as though you can sort out everybody's feelings but your own. I have watched this boy of whom you speak, and I know what needs to be done. But there is another you need to help as well."

"Who? How?"

"Shamira Pranay Rourke. Johnathon Kenneth Cade is her life mate. She is in mourning for him, so long after his passing. His soul wanders in a sort of limbo, he doesn't want to let go. Johnathon is still on earth. Yet to the living, he is not visible. And another is with him. He cannot let go, his spirit is bitter. His Earthly problems have yet to be resolved. Both have plausible causes for their return. Your request has been granted. I have to go, now. Duty calls." Before Jillian could get her cry of "No, wait!" into the open, Americus had gone.

Said angel was smirking at a 15-year-old boy at the Dingo who was glaring down his Pepsi. This would be one hell of an assignment. Especially if a guardian angel did nothing for their Charge but piss him off. She got herself a coke and waited for two others she knew would come soon. Not that anyone would see them.

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Sheesh! This chapter was longer than I thought it would be. Hope ya'll like it. Anyway, two more people, lulu belle and Sirius-Black-Sfan, need to be thanked. Although, it would be nice if you could review… I write better and at a much faster pace with encouragement. By the way, lady rose 05, I'll check your story out soon, but time on the computer is divided between my four siblings and me. Lulu belle, thank you for your feedback on Jillian. Her name is from a friend of mine I recently went to Australia with. Her dream interpretations are real, too.

By the way, Maykwa is another author on here (I went to Oz with her too) and we would both love it if you read her stories. Tell her that I told ya to if you do, so she'll love me! Haha.