Disclaimer-Woohooo! I got rights to them! Well…not all of them…maybe only a few…ok none at all. I own Corey though….and a few people you don't recognize…. I don't own "Desert Places" either. Or "Everyday" by Buddy Holly. I don't own that, but I wish I did…sigh

Ekari Turone- I actually don't know if I'm going to put Corey in that. You'll see why if I don't put her in. I've already planned ahead for that part of the story. In a couple more chapters, I'll be able to start where I actually know what I'm going to do. Heheh…I like sugar COOLATTAS! And I don't know who I'm going put her with!

lady rose 05- Yep, thanks! She is going to audition in this chapter, and yeah, it's sad about that…

st. elmo-lover- Thank you, I'm glad you like this so far. Review again please!

random stuff about stuff-Yay, I'm glad so many people like this and are reviewing! Yeah, Corey is cool isn't she…heheh…

Maykwa-OMG I know! They all are SOOO hot! I don't blame Corey for thinking she was dreaming in the first chapter! Hehe I love both the movie and the book…way hot…

babygurl33- Yeah, it is sad that she's bulimic…but she's really insecure. I've read stories about bulimia and it is really sad. I am not sure who she's going to end up with, but she has her eye on somebody, as I hinted in chapter 3 in the bathroom. I'm just going to be mean and let you wonder! Muahahahahacough coughhahaha!

DramaticAngel-No, she's not anorexic. She's bulimic, because my friend Robin said it was too obvious and common to be anorexic….grrrrr…..

nakiaJ- hehe thanks for the review you bitch. Lol, awwwwwww you know I love you (friendship love, of course).

QTpie-Sorry you don't like the idea of the actual story line being in there, it's just I love reading about it, and writing about it. Plus I have some really good ideas for the church scenes and stuff!

Elven Dragon Rider- Thank you, I'm glad you love it! You should really watch the movie, it's great. Now there's the special extended edition, which I have to see. I will really want to read what you write, but I've been reading these for like…months before I started writing. But that may be because I couldn't figure out how to put the story on here… lol! So I'm updating now! Better a little late then never, right?

Ponyboy's Tomboy17-Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the suggestions, I might take them and twist them around a little. And YAY! You think Corey's super cool! But I don't think that's really something Johnny would do, maybe Dally, but not really Johnny…

shadowwolf518- Wow, two people's first Outsiders fic. I'm honored. Lol. What part where you in the play? That must have been awesome! If you stalk one of the actors, and have the pictures pasted on your bedroom wall, maybe you're obsessed. But not yet, I would say. You're getting there! ;P ( That's a failed attempt of a tongue sticking out of a mouth with a winking eye). Thanks, I'm glad you like the Corey/Johnny thing, and so far they're just best friends. Thanks again, Tori!

AN- Thank you all for the review! I LOVE YOU ALL! lol, but if you all have suggestions, please tell me in your reviews. Thank you all who have already done that. NOW ON WITH THE STORY!

Chapter 4:

Corey's P.O.V.

I woke up to a feeling of emptiness. Well, at least my stomach was empty. I remembered going to the bathroom again last night, after trying to eat a second time, and throwing up. I wasn't able to bring myself to keep anything down. Anyways, it wasn't a real problem, was it? I mean, it's not like I was starving myself. I'm not an anorexic like that dumb-ass secretary.

I walked into my dad's room to see if he was home. He wasn't in bed, so I checked the living room. He wasn't there either. I couldn't hear him, so he wasn't anywhere else, probably.

I went back to my room and got dressed. I felt like nothing could go wrong today. My dad wasn't here, and the auditions were today after school. I felt a twinge of guilt for being happy my father wasn't here. I remembered Dally telling me I shouldn't love him, 'cause my dad didn't love me back. I told him even if he hates me, and I disliked him, he was still my father. There's got to be love in there somehow. He told me I was a dumb broad, so I didn't know nothing. I told him he was just afraid to love anything or anyone. He told me to shut my mouth, I didn't know anything about him, or who he loves. Who does he love…I had thought.

I pulled on my favorite skirt and a normal black t-shirt. The skirt was denim (like all my other skirts, pretty much…) and went a little bit over my knees. Not a really short skirt, like all the greasy girls wear, but more of a my style one of them. Plus the guys said I looked good in it.

Over that I wore Johnny's jean jacket. He had let me borrow it a couple nights ago, and I've been borrowing it ever since. I think he thinks he lost it. I pulled on my socks and shoes, and started walking to school with my books and homework in hand. I stopped at Ponyboy's house like usual and waited for Johnny and Pony on the porch. Sometimes Two-bit gave me a ride, depending on if he intends to be late or not. I was guessing we were walking 'cause he had a huge hangover from last night.

Soda came running out of the house with one shoe on, hopping to get the other on, too. He was kinda cute, I guess. He had dancing brown eyes, and wheat blonde hair. Well, it was kind of gold-ish, but oh well. He was among the most handsome guys I've met. It's not my fault, but I just die for blondes.

Soda tripped over a weed in the sidewalk, and I watched him get up while putting on his shoe. I raised my eyebrow.

"Steve get out here we're gonna be late-Oh hey ya Corey- Steve get out here!" Soda yelled, while Steve came down the steps with Soda's hat. He threw it at Soda, and he jumped into his car waiting expectantly at Soda. Soda got into the passenger seat and waved to me while Steve sped the car away. I don't get how those two are best friends. They're, like, polar opposites.

Ponyboy came down his steps in a hurry, passing me on his porch. I raised yet anther eyebrow. He turned around and waited for me to come. Then he noticed my jacket, or rather Johnny's.

"Hey I thought Johnny lost that?"

I shrugged and smiled at him. Johnny slowly came out of Ponyboy's and waved at me.

"Hey, Core…wait isn't that my jacket?" I smiled and stuck my tongue out.

"You could have just asked for it back, but can I use it today? I want it for the audition! Pleeeaaaaase." I put on my puppy dog face.

"God, you're gonna get Alice for sure, your acting's perfect. Ok, Core, you can use it," Johnny grumbled. Pony told me that since I've been here, Johnny has talked like he used to, before the Socs got him. As in he talks now. But even him being my best friend, he doesn't talk ALL that much.

"Yay! Thank you Johnny!" I hugged him and walked with a bounce in my step to school. I had a good feeling that I was going to get a good part.

………………

In Mr. Baracuse's Chem. Lab, I couldn't stop watching the clock on the wall. Just another 39 minutes until school was over.

"MISS CHRISTENSEN WATCH WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THIS CLASS! DROP THAT CHEMICAL."

I was just about to add a chemical to my project that would have probably blown my lab partners and my and face off. Woops. Ponyboy and Johnny were snickering, and my teacher looked so freaked. It would have been funny if I had been paying attention. Instead I said ok in an off sort off way, and put the tube down. My lab partner, Clarissa Charleston, looked at me in disgust. She was a Soc, and I just had to be stuck with her. She was probably thinking the same thing. I would probably bring her grade down.

37 minutes in counting. I was being real obsessed, but this will be the only thing I had to look forward to. Except going to movies and home work that is. And seeing the guys, and walking around the park, and maybe watching the guys play football. Ok so I have stuff to look forward to… but I don't look forward to home work.

I decided since it was taking so long I would actually take some notes. It would pass the time.

"Miss Charleston, what would happen if you add chemical C to mixture 1?" I saw the confused look on Clarissa's face, so I put my notes under the desk so she could see them. Let's face it, she needed this probably. She looked them over, and considered using them.

"Uhhhh… It would become poisoness?" I shook my head at her.

"Wrong. Miss Christensen?"

"It would become dead. When those two mix the chemicals stop working…I think…" (AN- I don't know if that sounded high school-ish, 'cause I'm only in 8th grade x.x)

"Exactly! Now Mr. Salmon, if you…" I zoned out, and started drawing pictures instead of taking notes. My stomach grumbled, and I felt bile rise up in my throat again. I swallowed it, remembering how lunch went. The same thing happened that happened last night at dinner. I threw my meal up at lunch. No big. I had had my breakfast without a problem. I still felt hungry. I would just eat after school.

"BRRIIIIINNNNNG," I heard the bell go. I started not wanting to go to the audition. Maybe I just wouldn't go. I got my books together, and walked out the door, not waiting for Ponyboy or Johnny. I went out to the front steps, and started counting my money. I had enough for a bottle of coke, and a bag of chips. Or a candy bar. My choice. Wait, I have more. Enough for one coke and a couple of bags of chips.

Ponyboy and Johnny came out of the school with the rest of the herd of people. They spotted me and came over. I put the money in the pocket of my sweatshirt.

"You going to the play thingy? I got track so I can't watch it. But Johnny said he would," Ponyboy said to me. I nodded and watched him go.

I started walking over to the drug store by the school. Johnny walked with me.

"Ain't you gonna go to it?"

I shrugged at him.

"Where're you goin'?"

"I'm gonna get food. You want something?" Johnny shrugged and said sure. He doesn't usually eat that much, and he only had one of my chips at lunch. Maybe that's why he's so skinny. He doesn't starve himself, 'cause when he eats, he EATS. A lot. But that's like, one big meal a day. So in effect, that's about two or three regular meals. I take back what I just said almost completely. Except for him being skinny…and him eating a lot… Just don't listen to me.

I got to the store, and went in. Johnny followed me. It's funny that he was the one following me. He was 16, and I was 13. It's just in his personality, I guess. I got a bottle of coke, and two bags of potato chips. We could share the coke, it's not like we really cared about germs. I gave the clerk 75 cents, and took Johnny's and my food outside. I handed him the bag of chips and he put it in his pocket.

"We goin' to the audition?" he asked, while taking a sip of my coke. I shrugged, while taking the soda back. I started walking towards the school, and he took it as a yes.

"What's wrong?" he asked me, a whole lot of warmth in his black eyes.

"Nothing really…" I told him. I wasn't really telling him a lie. But I did feel lonely, even if I had him, and the gang.

I walked across the field, stopping so the track team could run. I waved to Ponyboy, and he waved back, mouthing good luck. I smiled and kept going once they left.

I walked into the auditorium, while someone was in the middle of an audition. I looked around, feeling glad because it was both greasers and Socs. I only saw about two or three guys. All of them were Socs. Johnny looked around, and sat down in the back. I sat down next to him. I saw two girls sitting back there, also. One had blonde hair, green eyes, and was snapping some gum impatiently. The other had brown hair, and was laughing. Her blue eyes crinkled when she laughed. The blonde looked over at me and Johnny. She was a Soc. She poked her friend and said something. It sounded suspiciously like 'greaser'. Her friend gave her a look that I couldn't see, and turned over to us, moving over a seat.

"Sorry about that, my friend has a phobia of…err…" She was about to say greasers, but looked awkward for a second.

"Greasers?" I said, showing it was ok as long as she wasn't making fun of us. Johnny looked over at us, listening.

"Yeah…hey don't you two hang out with Ponyboy Curtis?" She asked, keeping a straight face.

"Uh-huh, how do you know him?"

"My brother Shane is on his team. I watch the track meets sometimes. Ponyboy's really good at running the long distance races." She flattened her jean skirt without paying attention. Her skirt was shorter then mine.

"What grade are you in, I'm in 9th?" I asked her. I hadn't seen her in any of my classes before, and she looked about my age.

"8th .My name is Nakia. What's yours?"

"I'm Corey, and this is Johnny. What about your friend?" I added, just to be polite. The blonde looked over at me, and sneered. Johnny took the coke from me, and sipped it again. The blonde looked at us like we were animals when he did that. I suddenly felt real bad about being poor. I wonder if Johnny cared or not.

"That's Janie. She's in most of my classes. We've been best friends since about 1st grade," Nakia said, smiling. "Where do you live?"

"East side of town," I said. I think she knew that, but just wanted to be nice or something. "What about you?"

"I live kind of in the middle. More towards the West side of-"

"We live on the West side." Jane said, as if that was the end of the conversation. Jane dressed like a total Soc, with her white blouse and red ankle skirt. I sunk back into my chair as Nakia moved back over to her original seat. I took the coke from Johnny, and sipped at it. He tried to pry it from my fingers, but I wouldn't let him have it. He finally gave up, probably not wanting to spill it all. I laughed at him quietly. I watched as person after person was called up. They weren't being called up alphabetically, so I didn't know when I was going up. My stomach felt really horrible. Johnny settled on eating his potato chips and looking at my homework books.

"Nakia Jackson," called a teacher from up front. I couldn't see them from the back. Nakia said something to Janie, and started walking towards the front. She turned and smiled at me and walked to the stage. The teacher said something to her and she walked the stairs up to the stage. The teacher said another thing, and she started singing a song I've heard before, but I couldn't put my finger on it. She was real loud and clear, and you could hear her from the back. I started getting worried, 'cause all these people were really good, and looked like they knew what they were doing. She finished the song, and started saying a poem. I started getting that feeling again. We were supposed to memorize something…oh fuck…

She walked back to us after finishing, and she sat down next to Janie. Janie started to get up, but Nakia tugged her back down. Another person was called up to the stage and they did their bit.

"Corey Christensen," The teacher called. I looked at Johnny and he smiled at me. I set my unopened bag of chips down in my seat. I got up and squeezed past Janie and Nakia. Nakia whispered good luck, and I smiled at her. But when I passed Janie, she whispered something, too.

"You can see your underwear in that skirt." I looked down at her, and her eyes where smiling wickedly. I walked away and saw Nakia talking to Janie.

I walked down the side isle as I heard the back door open and shut. I didn't look back, but I heard a few more voices. Some one had come in. I got to the front and saw the teachers. It was Mr. Chase, my literature teacher, and Miss Dennis, one of the junior high teachers. Mr. Chase smiled at me, and told me to go up on the stage. I did so, and straightened my skirt nervously, pulling it down self-consciously.

"Do you have a song and excerpt prepared for us, Corey?" Mr. Chase asked me.

"Umm, well I really only memorized a song…" I said nervously.

"Well that's ok, just do the song-"

"No, she must do both if she wants to be in this production!" Miss Dennis said dramatically.

"Well, Corey, we just did poems in our class, and I had you memorize one each. Do you remember the one you presented?" He asked nicely. I remembered mine. I remembered Ponyboy's, too. We both did a Robert Frost one.

I smiled at him. "Yeah, but I'm going to get the song out of the way first. Ok? It's 'Everyday' by Buddy Holly."

They nodded, Miss Dennis looking surly. I decided I had to get it done, so I started singing without hesitating. Once I started, nothing could stop me.

"Everyday, it's a gettin' closer,

Goin' faster then a roller coaster,

Love like yours will surely come my way,

Everyday, it's a gettin' faster,

Everyone says go ahead and ask her,

Love like yours will surely come my way,

Everyday seems a little longer,

Everyway, love's a little stronger,

Come what may, do you ever long for

True love from me?

Everyday, it's a gettin' closer,

Goin' faster then a roller coaster,

Love like yours will surely come my way,

Everyday, it's a gettin' faster,

Everyone says go ahead and ask her,

Love like yours will surely come my way,

Everyday seems a little longer,

Everyway, love's a little stronger,

Come what may, do you ever long for

True love from me?

Everyday, it's a gettin' closer,

Goin' faster then a roller coaster,

Love like yours will surely come my way…"

I smiled as I finished my song, and Mr. Chase and Miss Dennis made some notes. I looked to the back of the room, and I saw someone's back as they stomped out of the auditorium, slamming the slow moving door closed. It barely made a sound. I looked over at Nakia, and she was sitting alone, crossing her arms. Then I looked over at Johnny, and saw Dally sitting in my seat, chomping away on my chips. My stomach grumbled.

"Wonderful, Corey. You really have a beautiful and natural ability for singing. Now please recite the poem," Mr. Chase said to me. I took a breath, remembering the exact words.

"They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars--on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places."

"That was short, but it will do, I suppose," Miss Dennis said to me. Mr. Chase told me to wait for the end, because he had an announcement. I gave Miss Dennis an evil look, and started down the stage as they called the next person up. He was a Soc. He pushed me a little, so the teachers didn't notice.

"Uhhh, Miss Dennis? I don't have my poem memorized. I'm sorry, it's just I had so little notice! Maybe I could read it off of a piece of paper?" He tried.

"Why that's ok, Charles. Just sing and I ill put you in as a part best for you," She said back smiling. I could hear the creak of the chair as Mr. Chase looked over at her.

………………

I walked back up the isle, passing people on the way. Nobody looked at me, because nobody knew me. These were all people who have been here before. I was not supposed to be here. I didn't really belong.

I got to the back row, and went over to my seat, smiling at Nakia on the way. When I got to my seat, Dally was still sitting there, with my empty chip bag on the ground. I started to sit down next to him, but my home work was there. I wasn't about to put my stuff onto that ground either. God only knows what's there. I looked over at the seat next to Johnny, and it was full with my books Johnny had looked at, too. I started over to next to those books, but Dally grabbed me.

"Just sit down here," he said pulling me down onto his lap. I stared at him evilly, and told Johnny I had to wait for the end for an announcement. He nodded and handed me the rest of the bottle of coke he had hidden from Dally, I was guessing. I reached out for it, but another hand shot out and grabbed it. Dally drank it in one gulp.

"Dallas," I whined at him. He smirked. "Did you eat my chips?" I asked him.

"Yeah, but now I think I should have left them for you. You're so goddamn light," he teased.

"No, I'm not, Dally. I'm fat. I don't know how you can stand me sitting on you," I said truthfully. I wasn't a model or anything.

"God, what is it with all women thinking they're fat, Johnny?" he asked him. Johnny shrugged, and looked at me with black eyes, like he was trying to figure something out. I looked away. I turned towards my home work, and saw a couple cartoons drawn on it. It was only with pencil, but still.

"Which one of you drew a picture of me with devil horns and a pitchfork on my homework?" I asked, even though I knew who it was. Dally smiled at me, and snickered. Well, as much as a snicker that Dallas Winston could have given. I gave him a half laugh back, and started erasing the picture. I was concentrating so hard on looking for more drawings hidden along the note book paper, I missed what the teachers said.

"Dammit, thank you very much Dallas Winston. I hope you are very pleased with yourself," I said while getting off his lap. I walked over to Nakia, while she was getting her things.

"Hey, uhh, did you hear what the teachers said?" I asked her. She nodded.

"It was nothing important enough to keep us here, but they said call backs are on Friday for any one that didn't get to go today, and that they would post the parts on Monday. I doubt anyone missed anything today, barely anybody comes," She laughed. I thanked her and went back to my seat to get my junk. I picked up the empty chip bag that Dally dropped, and put my books in my arms. Dally jumped over the back of the seats, and I followed Johnny around them.

We met Ponyboy outside the doors, while saying good bye to Dally. He had something to do with Tim Shepard he said. Ponyboy, Johnny, and I decided to go to the diner.

"Wait a second," I told them, as I spotted Nakia coming out of the auditorium. I went over to her. "Hey, Nakia, want to come to the diner with me and Pony and Johnny?" She checked the time on her watch, and it was 3:45. (AN- I know it doesn't really matter, but school gets out at 2:15 for them… just saying…)

"Umm… sure," she said, glancing over at the guys. I smiled and brought her over. I introduced her to Ponyboy.

"Pony this is Nakia, I don't know if ya know her," I said to him.

"I do," he said quickly. We walked over to the diner, and it only took about 15 minutes. We sat ourselves down, so I was next to Nakia, and Johnny was next to Ponyboy. Nakia and I ordered the cheeseburger, and Ponyboy ordered the bacon cheeseburger for Johnny and himself. We all had cokes.

I shot my straw wrapper at Johnny's head, but I missed. I watched in horror as it hit some guy in the back of the head. I grabbed the dessert menu, and started looking at it, trying not to laugh hysterically. The guy looked over with an angry face, looking at all of us. Ponyboy and Johnny all looked confused, and Nakia was helping me "pick out" a dessert. The guy decided that we didn't do it, and went back to his conversation. I sighed, and Nakia and I giggled. Johnny and Ponyboy gave up on asking what was funny after a few minutes.

Our food came with our cokes quickly, and we all scarfed (is scarfed even a real word?  Lol…)our meal down fast. I gulped down my coke, and told them I had to go to the bathroom.

I walked into the bathroom, and saw that nobody was in there. I went into a stall, and I stopped for a second. Was I really going to do this? Was I really going to force the food out of my self? Fat…Next thing I knew, I was down on my knees, sticking my finger down my throat again. I don't know what possessed me to do it. Everything came up bubbly from the coke I just had, like it had last night. At lunch I had water, but it made me feel sick after words. I heard the bathroom door open and shut, and footsteps across the floor, so I hurriedly tried to finish. The footsteps stopped outside my stall.

"Corey?" I heard Nakia's voice say. I stood up, hoping she hadn't heard me vomiting, and flushed the toilet. I opened the door, and saw Nakia's face staring back at me. "What are you doing to yourself?" She asked worriedly, and hugged me a little. She knew, or just felt like hugging some one. I don't really think she just wanted a hug.

"I'm not doing anything, Nakia. Nothing's wrong." I said while I pulled away from her. I looked at her in the eyes, and she knew everything was wrong.

I looked down, and washed my hands and mouth out. I walked out the door, not waiting for Nakia. I slid down into her side off the booth, since she wasn't back yet.

"Where's Nakia? She went in to check on you," Ponyboy said.

"She just needed to go to the bathroom," I lied. Johnny looked at me again, with those big black eyes. I think he knows when I lie. He probably has some weird power of it.

Nakia came back out, and sat down in my old spot. She didn't look at me. The check came, and Nakia and I looked expectantly at Johnny and Ponyboy. We batted our eye lashes at the two boys. Ponyboy sighed and put his money on the table. Johnny pulled out his money, but it wasn't much. They almost covered the bill. I pulled out my money, which I still had from earlier. I looked in my, or Johnny's, coat pocket and found a couple dollars. I smiled at him, and he groaned. It was probably his money. Nakia turned away as she went through her purse for some money. I could still see inside it though. She had a lot of dollars in there. She didn't turn away because she was afraid of us, but probably because she didn't want to show off her money. She pulled out a couple of dollars, enough for the tip, and we left.

I went ahead with Ponyboy, telling him how I had to use the poem for the audition. He told me that he knows that it went well. Nakia had had to go back to get her purse, so we all waited for her. She was quiet while she came out, and looked over at me. I looked down.

"Hey Corey, can I have your number? I can call you sometime."

"Uhh, sure, let me write it down. Hold on." I pulled out my notebook and ripped off a piece after I finished writing down the digits. She thanked me and left to go use a pay phone to call her brother to pick her up before I could ask her for hers.

I walked home to my house to do my home work after we got back from the early dinner. I didn't want any questions from Johnny, because it looked like he was gonna ask some when he got the chance.

………………

AN- YAY finally done with that chapter. I'm sorry if it sucked badly people, because I had to write something. Robin told me it wasn't bad, but she might be saying that because I finally put Nakia in it. Anyways, review please! I want to know what you think! Good day…… I said good day! (Walks away and slams door behind me. Comes back) Hey does anyone out there other then me think that Johnny would kind of look like Fez from That's 70's Show? Well maybe not that much, plus Fez is annoying, and too talkative to be a Johnny like person. So never mind, he is nothing like a Johnny person thing, and he doesn't look like him either. But….yea…. don't listen to me I'm just rambling on. Ok review!  I just wrote this thing, and I forget what I wrote about, so if it's bad don't blame me…blame Robin:P ( Sticking tongue out face… I think).