Hey everyone. Thanks for all of your reviews. I want to thank you all now and answer your questions. So remember for this time around. If you've got a question, ask, i'll answer it in the next chapy .

THANKS TO:

Mab - I'm glad you like it. And I will keep updating until this story is complete

Ashelly - Yes I did move things a tiny bit fast, but if you've ever read the original things moved ten times faster then that . I will try to slow it down a bit

Iloveponyboy - :Gasp: Please don't hate me, I've just never done a really good cliffy before. I needed to. But here it is per your request The next chapter. I hope you'll like it.

alex - I'm sorry. I never meant to kill anyone...wow, never thought i'd ever say that ...here's the next chapy, please don't die.

Rikki K - thank you so much. I know, no offense taken, I know the old version was very quick, blunt, and well, boring. Not entirely, just not detailed. I'm glad you like this version as much s I do.

CraszyAlchemistgrl1017 - Well now you can stop crying, sorry I made you cry, because here's the next chapter. I hope you like it

Rice - Lol, I love your review. It's reviews like yours that let me know you really like it . I think you may just get your wish. Well, not Jhonny, but I may let Dally live, you'll just have to read to find out :wink:

Okay, that's everyone. You all are such great reviewers. So here is the next chapter. I tried my best to update as soon as possible, I hope it was quick enough .

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE OUTSIDERS, S.E.HINTON HAS THAT GREAT HONOR. I DO HOWEVER OWN EDEN, THIS STORY, AND THE PLOT TO THIS STORY.

CHAPTER #3

ASK ME NO QUESTIONS AND I'LL TELL YOU NO LIES

EDEN'S POV

I dropped the dish that I was currently washing and heard it shatter into a million pieces in the sink, but the deathly quite that had taken over the house was much louder. How could I slip up like that? I can't tell them the truth, they'll kick me out for sure. I don't wanna live on the streets again. I panicked as I tried to think of something to say. I didn't want to lie. But telling the truth was out of the question.

"Ask me no questions and i'll tell you no lies." I repeated my infamous line.

It was always the best way to avoid answering someone, yet not lie to them. Apparently Darry didn't find that answer good enough though.

"Eden I want a real answer." Darry said.

I feel kinda bad, he looks scared at what my answer may be. How could he be though? He doesn't even know me.

"Look just forget I said anything okay? It's better that way. Now, does anybody want anything from the store since i'm going?" I smiled.

Soda stood up in front of me.

"Eden, please answer the question." Soda said looking on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry." Was all I said before rushing out the front door and down the street.

I had no idea where I was headed, but I knew I couldn't stay in that house right now. They had questions they wanted answers to, but I couldn't answer them, and godamn it I can't lie. I mean I can. But for some reason I really didn't want to lie to these guys. Thier the only people so far who were nice to me, just for the sake of being nice, decent, human beings.

BACK AT THE CURTIS HOUSE

PONYBOY'S POV

I can't beleive it. It's a simple question. But she can't answer it. I mean, she just rushed out of here like a bat out of hell. What was she trying to hide.

"Maybe she didn't mean to say that. Maybe she slipped up." I said aloud on accident.

"You mean, maybe she's hiding something?" Soda asked.

"Of coarse she's hiding something. If she wasn't she would have answered us, not run out of here at eight at night!" Darry yelled in frustration.

"It's eight o'clock?" I asked.

"Yeah. And it's colder then hell frozen over out there. I don't know what she's thinking just running out of ehre without a jacket at least." Darry sighed.

Before anyone could say anything else I ran to my room, grabbed two coats, and ran out of the house. I needed to find Eden.

EDEN'S POV

I shivered as I walked up the street towards the market. I needed a pack of smokes anyways. So it's not like this walk was entirely pointless. But damn was it cold. Why the hell did I have to slip up like that?

"I don't wanna go back." I said to myself.

I knew if I went back they'd badger me to answer thier questions, and I just couldn't. And eventually, it would end up just like all the other times...I really didn't want that for these guys.

"Hey, can I get a pack of the cheapest menthol one hundreds you got?" I asked the store clerk.

She reached up and grabbed a pack and put it on the counter.

"Okay, that'll be eighty cents. And I need to see your I.D." The clerk smiled.

"Sure, just a sec." I smiled back.

I patted my pant pockets and started digging in them. There was a bit of a line behind me.

"I'm sorry, Let them ahead of me will ya? I need to find my I.D. and some change." I smiled.

The lady did as I said. I looked at the people in line, and finally everyone was too busy looking through thier purchases, I looked back at the store clerk, she was busy rining something up on the register. I grabbed the pack and slipped it into my pocket.

"Damn, Never mind then." I said and walked away and out of the store.

I was walking away, hoping Id gotten off, when someone came up behind me and took hold of my shoulder.

"Hey!"

I wiped around ready to either punch or try to explain myself in an 'innocent' way. But then I realized it was just Ponyboy.

"Jesus kid! Don't ever scare me like that!" I yelled.

"Sorry. It's just, I was running after you." Ponyboy smiled.

I just looked at him for a minute.

"You came after me? Why?" I asked really confussed.

"Well for one, it's colder then hell out here. So put this on will ya'?" Ponyboy smiled handing me a coat.

I put it on feeling much warmer then before. It made me kinda glad that he followed. But now I was a little paranoid that he might start asking about my slip up.

"I also came to tell you, that if you don't wanna answer our questions just yet then it's cool. I mean, you still don't really know us just yet. So, it'd be wierd for you to tell your life's story to a bunch of strangers." Ponyboy said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. I mean, I kinda hope that eventually you'll feel comfortable to tell us more about yourself. But, when your ready." Ponyboy said.

"Your brothers feel the same way?" I asked.

Ponyboy nodded his head.

"They won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable okay?" Ponyboy asked.

I nodded my head with a smile.

"Alright then, lets get you back home. It's freezing out here." Ponyboy laughed.

On the walk back to the house I kept thinking about that. Home. I've never had a home before. I didn't really think of this as my home. Just anther pit stop on the way. I'd stay here just long enough to get some money together to go out and find who I was looking for. I needed him more then anything else in the world right now.

BAKCAT THE HOUSE

PONYBOY'S POV

"Look who I found?" I called.

Darry and Soda came out of the kitchen looking from me to Eden. Darry opened his mouth to say something, and I knew it would be to ask her the same question. So I shook my head no, and he took the hint.

"So what did you go to the store for?" Darry asked instead.

"Just a pack of smokes. Sorry for running out like that. It's just...ya know. I really don't like to talk about my past. Ever." Eden said.

"It's cool." Soda smiled.

"For now." Darry added on.

Eden went back to doing the dishes, after cleaning out the broken plate from the sink. Then there was tension in the room. Even though the television was on and Darry was reading the paper. It was deadly quite again.

"So, can we at least ask where your parents are?" Soda asked.

Eden looked at him for a minute.

"I guess so. Thier dead. We did live around here before it happened. But like I said. I didn't want to end up in a home, so I just left." Eden answered.

"So your from around here? I've never seen you in school before." I said.

"Well, I don't really go to school per say." Eden smiled.

"Well then, looks like we'll have to get you signed up for it then." Darry said.

"You can try. But I don't really want to go." Eden said.

"Well if your gonna live here, you gotta go to school." Darry said sternly.

Eden fought him on the subject for a little bit, but when Darry asked why she was putting up a fight she just shrugged and went to bed.

I guess feeling wierd about her staying here was normal. But, that wasn't it. It wasn't just becuase she was some stranger we found and took in. There was something else. Something mysterious about her. That, and I felt that if she did leave, I'd feel real bad about it. But I don't know why. It was just the curiosity I guess. I needed to know more about her. She was so secretive, but in a sneaky way. I knew my brothers felt the same way. But I knew they wouldn't admit it either.

THE NEXT MORNING

"Hey Eden, I thought you said you didn't have any money." Darry asked at the breakfast table suddenly.

"Yeah. I don't. Why?" Eden asked.

"How'd you buy smokes, and food for the house?" Darry asked.

"Easy. I didn't." Eden simply said.

I heard Darry's fork clatter and Soda's chair slide back away from the table a little bit.

"What?" Eden asked seeing Darry glaring at her.

"How'd you get those things?" Darry asked trying to hide his anger, but failing.

"Ask me no questions and i'll tell you no lies." Eden said.

"Eden. Answer my question." Darry said sternly.

"I stole it alright? It's no big deal. I wasn't caught or nothin'." Eden raised her voice.

"You stole it! How the hell did you steal all that?" Darry yelled.

"Hmm, let me think. I went into the store, put the stuff in my bag, and walked out. What do you think I did?" Eden asked.

Darry got up and stormed around his room for a few minutes before coming back into the kitchen and pointing his finger in her face.

"No more stealing!" Darry yelled.

"Fine. Now get your hand out of my face." Eden spat out.

"Promise me!" Darry yelled ignoring her.

Eden slapped his hand with so much force that it bounced off the table.

"Fine! Don't ever stick your finger in my face again got it?" Eden yelled back getting up and going to her 'room'.

We all looked at each other for a minute.

"What was that all about?" Soda asked.

"If you ask me the girl is PMSing." Two-Bit laughed as he walked into the kitchen.

SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPPY. BUT IT'S ALL I GOT FOR NOW. DON'T WORRY, NEXT CHAPTER WILL HAVE MORE DRAMA, AND AN EXPLAINTION FOR EDEN'S PAST, SLIGHTLY. WE'LL FIND OUT WHY SHE'S USED TO SMALL SPACES. AND THE CHAPPY AFTER THAT WE FIND OUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO HER PARENTS, AND WHO IT IS SHE'S LOOKING FOR. PLEASE REVIEW.