Author's Note: I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys rock! Oh, and Steve is three years older than Alana. I know someone asked that, I just can't remember who. I'm a nerd, what can I say? Anyway, I know that Steve is supposed to be kind of bitter, but I got the feeling it he was only bitter towards Soc's and there haven't been many in my story yet. But don't worry! You'll get to see some Soc's, a mad Two Bit,and a very bitter Steve soon!

Two Weeks Later-

"That is so foul." Two Bit looked at his sister's lunch. She was eating a grapefruit, but she kept pulling the pulpy, white stuff out of her mouth and sitting it on her plate. "Can't you eat a…a sandwich or something, like a normal person?"

"What's wrong with grapefruit?" Alana asked. "It's very refreshing."

"Watching you eat it like that isn't. It's disgusting." He stuffed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth and licked some mustard off his finger.

"So don't watch." Alana retorted, taking another bit of pulp out of her mouth. "Is there a reason that you're eating lunch with me? Shouldn't you be out terrorizing old people or whatever it is we greasers are supposed to do?"

"Nah." Two Bit shrugged, and pushed his sister's spoiled rotten cat, Boing Kitty, off his lap. "Soda told me that you and Beth hung out at his house yesterday."

Alana shrugged. "Yeah, Ponyboy invited us. I think he likes Beth."

Two Bit grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah, and I know that she likes him. She told me she did."

"I thought she liked me!"

Alana barely refrained from rolling her eyes. "She does, but I think she likes Ponyboy like a boyfriend. She likes you as a…a…cute, older guy. I guess."

"Hmm…maybe I should tell Pony. Then he might ask her to go steady or something."

Alana shrugged. She wished Steve-…uh; someone would ask to take her out. But she knew that was never going to happen. Her brother was way too protective of her to let her go with him. Since their mom worked such late shifts, Two Bit took care of Alana the best he could. He never cleaned and he couldn't cook to save his life, but he made up for it by watching out for his baby sister. It used to be a relief knowing that if she needed him, Two Bit would be right there. Now it was kinda annoying. Alana was glad he was getting serious with Grace Roberts, that meant she could hang around with Steve…or, uh, whoever…without him getting all huffy.

"So…we're all going to the movies tonight. You and Beth wanna go?"

"Whose 'we all'?"

"Oh," Two Bit shrugged. "You know, Me, Grace, Soda, Pony, Steve…the usual. Oh, and Soda's new girl. What's her name? Denise? So, you up for it?"

Alana nodded. "Sure. I mean, I'll have to check with Beth, but I know she'll wanna go. Especially if Pony's going. What're we seeing?"

" 'The Body Snatchers'." Two Bit nodded appreciatively. "Grace's little sister, you know, Natalie Jo, went to see it with her friends and she said it's hilarious."

"Uh, Two Bit, I don't think it's supposed to be funny." Alana told him.

Two Bit shrugged. "No? Well, it should be a laugh. Tell Beth, all right? Oh," He paused. "And tell her Ponyboy asked if she would come."

Alana threw a piece of pulp at him jokingly. "Get out of here!"

Two Bit ran out, laughing.

"Body Snatchers, Body Snatchers, knockin' at your door! Body Snatchers, Body Snatchers, knockin' at your door!" Soda sang that night, as they walked to The Nightly Double.

"Uh, Soda, sorry to rain on your little concert," Alana said. "But wouldn't it sound better to say 'Body Snatchers, snatching at your door?'"

Soda stopped singing. "Hmm. Maybe it would."

"Yeah, but then it wouldn't make any sense." Ponyboy pointed out. "Snatching at your door? What, are they stealing doors now?"

"That's true." Alana nodded.

"I was thinking-." Two Bit said loudly.

"Stop, before you hurt yourself." Alana interrupted teased.

"Haha, you're a real laugh right, O Mighty Queen of the Grapefruit." Two Bit gave her a withering look. "ANYWAY, I was thinking that y'all think too much."

Alana rolled her eyes. Miracle of miracles, she'd ended up walking next to Steve. She had started out between Sodapop and Beth, but some how, she was suddenly next to Steve. They weren't saying much, not really, but it was nice just walking next to him. She could faintly smell what she had come to call 'the Steve scent' in her mind. Alana really wanted to steal on of his shirts and wrap it around her pillow, like a pillowcase. Then she could smell him as she went to sleep. As sappy as that was, Alana couldn't help it. She felt like she was in one of those teen romance novels that Beth was always reading. You know, with the pretty girls and the good-looking guys that never look like real people, on the covers?

As they paid to get in, Alana watched Ponyboy and Beth. They were walking very close together, his hand occasionally brushing hers. It was so sweet, Alana practically puked.

"Kinda gross, huh?" Steve's voice made her jump. Why was he always sneaking up on her?

"Yeah, but it's cute at the same time."

"Maybe I should just tell them to go ahead and make out and get it over with." Steve smiled. "You think they'd do it?"

"I doubt it." Alana laughed a little. She sat down in one of the seats in the front row and Steve sat next to her. She noticed that their little group had sort of spread out. She and Steve were in the front and Ponyboy and Beth were right behind them. But Soda and Denise and Two Bit and Grace were all sitting in the very last row, the make out row. She had a feeling the four of them weren't going to be watching the movie.

Grace's sister had been right; the movie was incredibly funny, even though it wasn't supposed to be. Alana laughed her head off and Steve laughed at her laughing. Alana and Beth went to buy some popcorn and some candy, then spent most of the movie trying to flick it at Two Bit and Grace. The Raisonette's wouldn't go far enough and the popcorn kept sailing over their heads. Grace or Two Bit never even noticed.

"How do they breathe like that?" Beth asked and Steve bit his lip to keep from laughing.

It felt weird, like everything was reversed. It was usually him up there with a girl and Two Bit down in the front row, throwing popcorn, eating Junior Mints, and making fun of the movie.

"Oh no, the Pod People are coming!" Alana yelled. "HIDE!"

Ponyboy acted like he was going to crawl under the seat. "Maybe they won't find me here!" He suggested. "I don't wanna be a mindless pod person! They might make me cut my hair!"

"That'd be a real tragedy." Steve said sarcastically.

"Hey, you better be careful, man." Pony nodded knowingly. "They might make you wash out some of that pomade."

Steve thought about joining in on the fun, maybe clutching his head in horror, but he decided that wouldn't be very cool. Besides, Pony might die of shock. So he just went with a simple. "Funny." And turned back to the movie, in which alien pod people were now running wild in the streets.

Steve thought that might be kinda cool if that happened in Tulsa. Maybe they could take all the Soc's far away, like Canada. And they could make it rain cheese pizza. Steve loved cheese pizza. Oh, and cigarette's. It could rain cheese pizza and cigarettes. And maybe the aliens could take over Two Bit for a little while, just long enough for Steve to ask Alana to a movie.

Yeah right, like that's ever gonna happen.

It wasn't long before the movie was over. Alana noticed that her brother had lipstick smeared along his chin and the side of his neck. Can you say EW?

"So, how was the movie?" Soda asked, brushing popcorn in his hair. "And how did all this popcorn get in my hair?"

Steve shrugged, even though he was the one who threw it there. "The movie was funny. Stupid, but funny. See, there were all these Pod People, and then Pony tried to hide under his seat and they stole my pomade…"

"Huh?" Soda was completely confused.

Steve grinned, wondering if he missed all kinds of fun stuff when he was making out at the drive-in. "Never mind."

The eight of them walked to The Dingo to get some food. They knew almost everyone there and spent the better part of two hours eating fries and going from car to car, talking to different people.

Steve stuck with Alana the whole time. Thankfully, no one seemed to think this was odd. Of course, they were surrounded by people, namely her brother, so why would anyone think it was odd?

Someone was listening to Hank Williams and Alana had started to hum along.

"I know that Hank is kinda hokey," She told Steve. "But I love him anyway." She paused. "Don't tell anyone, 'kay?"

Steve nodded. "Okay." I he thought that Hank Williams was hokey, too, but if Alana liked him, maybe he should give the guy a second listen to.

"-promise?" Alana was asking.

"Huh?"

"I said, do you promise?"

"Oh, yeah, I promise I won't tell anyone that you're in love with a dead cowboy." Steve grinned evilly.

"Drop dead."

"Aw, now that's not very nice." Steve started to drape his arm over her shoulder, but before he could get it, Two Bit came up, his hand intertwined tightly with Grace's.

"Hey, we're getting' ready to go. Ponyboy has to be home in ten minutes."

"Great." Steve muttered darkly. Why couldn't things ever go his way?

"He kissed me!" Beth squealed as soon as Alana shut her bedroom door.

"What!" Alana couldn't believe it. "Ponyboy kissed you! Oh my God!"

"I know, I know!" Beth was practically ready to burst. Boing Kitty hissed and ran to hide under the bed. He wasn't much for excitement.

"What kind of kiss? Like just a peck…or…"

"Okay, it was on the mouth, no tongue." Beth flopped back on the bed. "It was the best kiss I ever had."

"Uh, Beth, it was the only kiss you ever had." Alana pointed out.

Beth waved her hand dreamily. "Minor detail."

Alana had to admit she was a little jealous. She'd never been kissed before, and by someone as cute and sweet as Ponyboy? Well, she would probably just die.

"So…" Soda thumped Steve on the back.

"So….what?"

"You and Alana looked pretty chummy tonight."

"And?"

"Did anything happen?"

"Well," Steve stalled. "I flicked about fifteen pieces of popcorn in your hair and you never noticed."

"I mean, did anything happen with Alana, stupid!"

"Hey, it's not nice to call people names, retard!" Steve was still stalling, because the truth was, nothing had happened with Alana. Sure, they'd had fun and talked about really stupid things, like how come you never saw squirrels going to the bathroom? Have you ever met a person who's stepped in squirrel crap? I didn't think so. But other than that, nothing. No kiss, just a quick 'good night'.

Soda looked deadly. "Are you telling me that you spent the whole evening with her and you didn't make one single move?"

"Uh…I threw a lot of popcorn?" Steve suggested vaguely.

"Popcorn? Who cares about the stinking popcorn?!" Soda said loudly. "You should've just kissed her!"

"Her brother was there the whole time!"

"So!"

"So!"

"Hey!" The door flew open and Darry marched in, followed by Pony. "What in God's green earth is going on in here?"

"Steve's being a wimp!" Soda said. "He won't ask Alana out!"

"You like Alana?" Ponyboy howled.

"Sodapop! You weren't supposed to tell!" Steve exploded.

Soda shrugged. "Whoops."

"Whoops? All you can say is whoops?"

Darry looked confused. "What exactly is going on?"

Sodapop sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay, Steve likes Alana, but he's he doesn't want to do anything about it, because we all know that Two Bit turns into this insane head case whenever his sister is involved. So, I'm trying to help him out, but he won't make any moves at all…what's wrong with you, man?"

"Uh…dementia?"

Soda rolled his eyes.

"Well, maybe you could ask her out and then keep it a secret?" Darry suggested.

Steve glared at Sodapop. "Right."

"Hey, what're you looking at me for?" Soda grinned sheepishly.

"Because you have a big mouth!" Steve flopped back on the bed and covered his head with a pillow.

His life sucked.