Disclaimer- Don't own them! Get that through your puny little minds! J/k. Anyways, I don't own the dialogue I'm gonna use for part of it, either. I don't know if I had to put that in there, but I don't wanna get sued. Has anyone ever been sued on this site before anyway? I mean… what lawyer in their right mind goes on this and reads EVERY SINGLE chapter disclaimer… I mean there might be some but… I'm getting off topic here aren't I?

Elven Dragon Rider- Thank you! I liked this review. And you'll see what happened to the…. Whatever shape it was…. In this chapter!

Lorelai Anastasia- Thank you, I'm glad you love it so far. I just hope your feeling for it stay the same over the whole book. I'm glad you think I'm gifted, but even if you didn't I would still enjoy writing. But it's great to her all the compliments! And thank you for the luck with my test! I do hope I passed it: P

lady rose 05- Thank you, and I hope this was updated fast enough!

Dramatic Thrasher- Thank you for the luck, I hope it helped! Heheh, my mind does the same thing to me, you're not alone! Lol, and I hate that waitress too…. Grrrrrrrrr…..

QTpie4-Thank you, I'm glad you think it was good. And thanks for your suggestion.

Sodaschick- Thank you, I hope you didn't wait to long!

HiddenDarkness518-Yes, I wouldn't trust him after that, but she's kind of insecure. I take it you like Dally. But anyways, hope this was some good action for you!

BlueBear13-Hope I updated soon enough!

nakiaJ-I don't know why I'm bothering putting you in, you're just gonna tell me directly anyways. And yes I know that. We've been talking to each other, remember? Ok ttyl.

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ShyLittleKitten- Yea, she isn't fat, it's just the bulimia. Anyways, thanks for the review, I hope I updated soon enough!

Chapter 8

The next 2 weeks or so came with a blur. I was so un-into them that I hadn't even noticed that I had become Chris's official girl friend. Well, I noticed of course, but I just didn't think anything of it. I had had my first kiss, and my second, and my third… but I was really mad about what part I had gotten in the play. Well not really mad, just disappointed. I was in head of the stage crew. The stage crew! At least Nakia got something good. She was Alice. Well, I was the Alice under-study. Pony told me he thinks it was because Miss Dennis just hates greasers. He had her last year or something. I found out she was the one who picked out the parts for the people, Mr. Chase just is helping directing and choreography. Well, my mind wandered back to Chris. I would look down at the ring now and then. We had been going out for 2 weeks, that next day. I smiled.

Dally was stuck in the cooler for 2 and a half weeks. He had served 2 weeks of it already. I kept working on my home work, so I could go out with Johnny and Ponyboy. After school that day Pony left straight for the movies. I told him he shouldn't go alone, but he said he'd call after the movie got out or something. I believed him slightly.

"Done," I said to myself. I looked out my small window, and sighed. I walked out doors past my sleeping not drunk father. He was in his room for once. Last night I had asked him why he won't just send me away, he doesn't like me. He told me that he wouldn't get any money from the government then. He at least didn't lie. I was being used.

I went down to the vacant lot and stood under the shade of the tree. I looked around. I could see Darry out on his front porch, talking to Soda. I looked around, and checked my watch. It was about 4:30. I sighed, and heard the far off noise of a car screeching. I wondered vaguely what would happen if a car just came whizzing through the lot. Weird mind, I know. I had told Ponyboy to meet me at his house, so I started to walk to it. Then I decide to get some exercise and meet him at the movie house. I knew the exact route he took both ways.

I could hear screams for Darry and Soda before I even passed the house after the Curtis's. I recognized the voice. Ponyboy. He was yelling for Soda and Darry as far as I could tell.

"HELP!" I heard another scream.

"SODA, DARRY, ANY-," I started to yell, but the gang had already come out doors. The were starting to run towards the screams. I stood there uncertainly for a second, and Johnny quickly pulled on me without stopping. I ran after them. About two streets down Ponyboy was pinned by a Soc and his posse. Coming from a different street, I saw Dallas coming towards them, two. Steve, Two-bit, Dally, and Johnny all picked up rocks and threw them. They chased the Socs right to their red corvair. Dally picked up a huge stick and heaved it at the retreating car. I looked over at Soda, Darry, and Ponyboy. Soda was standing there, and Darry was shaking Ponyboy awful hard.

"Are you all right, Ponyboy?" He asked still shaking him.

"I'm ok. Quit shaking me, Darry, I'm ok," Ponyboy said irritated. Darry stopped right away.

"I'm sorry," He said quickly. "They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?" I saw Ponyboy's lip quiver for a second, but I realized I must have imagined it.

"I'm ok." I watched as Soda said some stuff to Ponyboy, holding up a handkerchief to the side of his head, which got soaked red instantly. I stepped closer. I watched the ground as their conversation went on. I wasn't paying attention to them. I didn't want to disturb them, or be a nuisance. Ponyboy said I grew quiet over the last few weeks. He told me that both Johnny and I were silent. He said that Johnny was back to normal then. I was confused, but didn't press the matter.

"I didn't know you were out of the cooler yet, Dally," I heard Ponyboy say.

"Good behavior. Got off early," He answered bluntly. He lit a cigarette and gave it to Johnny, then lit one for himself. They all sat down for a smoke, and I must have blended in with the shadows. I felt unwanted there, so I left while Darry was yelling at Ponyboy. Well, not technically yelling, but being very firm. Something about a blade. I walked to the next street over and sat down on the curb. A minute or so later I heard them coming around the corner.

Johnny came up behind me and touched my shoulder. I looked up at him, and stood. I always felt really short compared to them. Even Ponyboy was taller then me, and everyone says he's small for his age. But then again, I'm a girl and built differently.

I stood quietly next to Johnny, so we could be un-noticed together. Dallas came up on the other side of me.

"Speakin' of movies," Dallas said while yawning and flicking his cigarette butt, "I'm walking over to the Nightly Double tomorrow night. Anybody want to come and hunt some action?"

"Me and Soda are picking up Evie and Sandy for the game," Steve said glaring at Ponyboy. I vaguely wondered why.

"I'm working tomorrow night," Darry sighed at him. Dally looked over at Johnny, Ponyboy, Two-bit, and me.

"How about y'all? Two-bit? Johnny-cake, you, Pony, and Corey wanna come?"

"Me and Johnny will come," Ponyboy said. "Ok, Darry?"

"Yea, since it ain't a school night."

"I was plannin' on getting boozed up tomorrow night," Two-bit said. "If I don't, I'll walk over and find y'all." Dally looked at me.

"You wanna come? Or are you going out with Chris?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm not. I'd be glad to come," I said sourly.

"She speaks!" Two-bit told everyone. I rolled my eyes.

"You break up with Sylvia again?" Steve asked eyeing Dally's hand.

"Yea, and this time it's for good. That little broad was two-timing me again while I was in jail." Dally said looking over at me. I stood close to Johnny. He didn't smell as strong of cigarettes as Dallas did. I laughed for a second about Sylvia, and looking back at that I wish I sort of hadn't. It's not that Dally cared, though.

Johnny and I walked to the lot later that night. Dally came with us. Johnny wanted to kick the football around, and Dally said that he wanted to, too. I told them I'd hold down the ball for them. I think I may have had that evil glare in my eyes, 'cause Dallas said he didn't trust me. I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed the ball out of his hands.

"Johnny, you can kick first. Here," I said, putting the tip on the ground. It was pretty dark out, so I hoped he wouldn't kick my hand or anything. He ran up and the ball went flying. Dallas ran after it, and threw a perfect spiral, which Johnny caught. He handed it to me. I set it back down on the ground, and motioned for Dallas to come and kick it.

"I don't trust you," He said walking up.

"Oh, come on, what am I gonna do?" I asked, keeping it in the same place. He sighed and ran up to the ball quickly.

It was obvious I was going to pull it away. I mean, you could tell by the amusement on Johnny's face, before and after, that it was going to happen. Dally's face was worth it all. He went flying onto is back, with his leg in the air. I sat there laughing, holding the ball. He stood up and walked backwards for a second, holding his head. Johnny was still unsuccessfully holding back laughter.

Dally lunged towards me. I turned over so all he could get on was my back. If I was standing up he would be riding me like a piggy back ride. He was trying to get the foot ball from me.

"DALLAS GET OFF ME NOW!" I yelled, laughing.

"Not until you say you're sorry. And give me the football."

"No!"

"Well there's your answer." Johnny just stood there.

"Johnny, don't just stand there! HELP ME! NOW." I yelled at Johnny.

"Why?"

"Because I said so." I told him. He laughed and sat down on the ground, watching me and Dally fight. We started to wrestle around.

"Dally, get off! I'm sorry! Here's the ball! OK?" I told him, whining.

"Ok, then." He said casually. He stood up, throwing the ball in the air and catching it. I looked at Johnny.

"You're mean you know that?" I asked him. He shrugged. "Oh, that's it." I said to him, lunging. His eyes became wide as I pulled my arms around him, pushing him backwards. I sat on his chest.

"Damn, Corey. How heavy are you?" He wheezed.

"Fine! I'm fat! But it's partly you smoking so much. You know that?" I huffed at him.

"I was only kidding. You're definitely not fat. You know, you've gotten skinnier then you were when you first moved here. I'm not saying you were fat then, but you know, you weren't like…" He trailed off. I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Is this why you're so bad with girls?" I asked, and Dally laughed. I sighed and stood up. It was pretty late. I had school the next morning, too. But I decided I didn't want to go. I hadn't been sick yet so I decided that I would come down with "the flu." It was easy that way.

Dally left us about a half hour later. Johnny and I decided we would stay out in the lot. I kept hold of Johnny's jacket.

"Just think, only another week and you get your jacket back. Think of that," I told Johnny. He smiled. The sky was really dark, and we lied back. I used the jacket as a blanket, and Johnny just huddled to him self. We were about 2 feet away from each other. My eyelids grew heavy all of a sudden, and I wandered into a place called sleep.

……………

It must have been about 11 o'clock by the time I woke up in the morning. I looked around and Johnny was still asleep. What is it with teenagers and sleeping really late anyways?

"Wake up, Johnny," I said to him, shaking him awake. "Let's go to my house and get some food or something."

"Ok," He yawned.

We walked to my house in silence. When we got there, I checked to see if anyone was home. I figured my father must be in the bed room. I thought back and my shoulder still hurt, it even being 2 weeks before. So if anyone would grab at it, it would hurt badly.

"Here's a piece of bread, you want some butter or anything? I got some juice, too," I said bending over to the fridge, and grabbing the bread. I looked up at Johnny and he shook his head no, nibbling at the slice.

"Well, ok. I'm gonna take a shower and change, you can stay in the kitchen. I'll check if my dad is home," I told him, walking into my father's bedroom. The bed was empty, and he doesn't come home again for a while, so I figured we had time. I made Johnny sit down at the table, and grabbed my clothes out of my bedroom. I brought them into the bathroom and took a 10 minute shower. I felt kind of bad about leaving Johnny alone for that amount of time. But when I got back out f the shower he was still sitting there. There wasn't any bread in his hands, so I figured he had eaten it. I smiled, and we went out for a walk.

……………

Johnny, Ponyboy, and me all met Dally under the street light of Pickett and Sutton. We had gotten there early.

"Hey, y'all," Dally said to us. He was a tower compared to us. We all decided to go to a shopping center, and I hung back while the guys goofed around. I watched them blowing straws, smoking in ladies faces, anything to make a little trouble. I just watched from the sidelines. After leaving a drug store, I think I noticed Dallas's pockets bulging a little bit more then usual.

We all left for The Dingo after that. I sat down on the hood of a "friend" of mines at school and talked briefly to her and her boy friend. I noticed her eyeing Dallas a little, who was watching a fight.

"Don't be starin' at him like that," I said quickly. She looked at me and blew smoke in my direction.

"What? You jealous? A little after thought about Chris, huh? Well Dallas Winston is one fine lookin' guy. I got me a better one right here, but I say you dump the dirty blonde and go for the white gold," She said, winking at me. I crossed my arms and sighed at her. She handed me her cigarette to hold while she looked for some money to by a coke with. I think that was cue for her boy friend to get up and buy a round. He didn't. He was busy starin' at the ass of another chick.

"Come on, Core, before the fuzz show," Dally said to me, grabbing my arm. I didn't even have the chance to give the cigarette back to Marie. We passed a field on our way to the Nightly Double, which had two kids about my age in it. I had to beg Dally not to chase them. He caved in, and we went on our way.

"Since when do you smoke?" Dally asked me. I still had the lit cigarette in my hand, but it wasn't even done yet. I looked down at it and shrugged.

"I don't. I was holding it for a friend and she never got it back."

"Oh. I knew you were to wuss to start smoking." I stopped.

"I'm what?" I asked him, staring him straight in the eye. He flicked his ashes at me.

"You heard me. Too scared to smoke." He was trying to get me to smoke it, I knew it even then. I just caved into peer pressure. I put the cigarette up to my lips and breathed in. I blew a perfect smoke ring in Dallas's face, and started to stride off.

"Where'd you learn that? I thought you said you don't smoke? You said we would die." Ponyboy was telling me.

"Yes, I did say you'd die, Pony. I'm gonna die, you're gonna die, Dally's gonna die and Johnny's gonna die. It happens. It's really not a big deal. We all die." I really had no idea what I was talking about then. Life matters, because you can't buy it back, or trade it back. I really wasn't thinking then. "And I said I don't smoke, but I never said I had never smoked. Before I came here, I used to. Years of perfection. It's more common from where I was from to smoke so early, I guess."

They kept on puffing, though.

We snuck into the theater, and sat behind two Socy girls. I could see Dally eyeing them, so I said I would go get myself some food. I had a feeling Ponyboy and Johnny knew what he was up to, but I was clueless.

I walked up to the concession stand and got in line. There was a mix of greasers and Socs, mostly greasers and guys. I was in line behind a short greaser. I grabbed a popcorn and a coke, and went up to pay for it. I looked who was up paying at that second, the person in front of the person in front of me, and guess who it was. Chris, so I was automatically happy to see him.

"Chris," I said to him, and he turned around. He shifted on his feet.

"Oh hey… what are you doing here?" He asked, and let the guy in front of me pay. Something about him was making me feel nervous.

"I'm at a movie with friends… you?" I asked, this time slower. I think he knew I was trying to think this through.

"Me too… uhhh.. I have to go now..." He said looking over in the crowd. I stopped him

"Chris what's wrong? Hello, you can tell me," I said, waving his ring necklace in front of him. A girl walked up behind him, and held onto his shoulder. She had china blue eyes, and real blonde hair, not dyed. I recognized her, but couldn't put my finger on it.

"Hey baby, who's this?" she asked. I thought over the words in my head for a second and got it. A fire must have burned in my eyes, because I could swear I could see the reflection of one in his. Or maybe it was just the red haired girl walking into the stand. I thought it was fire then.

"Ohh, I get it, Chris. So how long? And don't you dare lie to me. I know when you're lieing."

"A week," He told me. I straightened up.

"And when the hell were you planning on telling me?" I asked.

"Look, Corey-"

"Don't try anything with me right now," I said, throwing the coke in his face. On top of that I turned the pop corn upside down on his head. I broke off the necklace, and tossed it at the girl. "It's on him," I told the cashier, and started to walk away. Chris grabbed at my shoulder, and it stung like a fire in hell. I kept walking after breaking away from his grip. I didn't turn back.

I started walking back to the seats, but stopped when I saw Dally. His face was wet, but I didn't ask him about it.

"What happened, Corey?" He asked, looking into my eyes, with his piercing blue ones. For the first time I told myself the truth. I liked Dallas Winston. A lot. I burst into the story about Chris and all he did was stare at me.

"Well, Corey. What can I tell you? Shit happens. That's all there is to it." I sighed and started to walk away.

"Hey, Corey, since you're not dating Chris, something I just wanted to tell you…" he broke off. He grabbed my arm gently and brought me closer to him. It all happened so slowly. His face was getting closer to mine, but I didn't move away. My stomach felt light, not like it had when Chris had kissed me. But I didn't kiss Dallas back. I just stood there, and he stopped. He looked at me again, and walked away.

I walked back to the seats, and found Johnny, Ponyboy, and the girls all sitting next to each other. I sat down a couple rows in back, because I didn't want to have to talk right then. I watched as Two-bit scared Johnny, Ponyboy and the red haired girl talked, and Two-bit and the dark haired girl got along fine. I was wishing I was part of that group slightly. They always seemed to have fun. And Ponyboy looked absolutely happy with this Soc. To me, she was just another one of them. But I didn't know her. Why do we all judge a book by its cover?

……………

AN- Ok, there's that chapter. I think that may be the only one that I'm going to stick that true to the dialogue to. It was fun to write this one though, but I don't think I did that well with the kissing scene or the break up. I'm not sure. If I was awful, tell me! REVIEW!

x.X O.o