Author's Note: Here we are, back again. I hope everyone likes this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. It's fun, the mystery that is Steve Randle. Uh, that was a joke. Oh, and the whole thing with Alana and Two Bit's mom going out on a date might not make much sense now, but it plays an important part later. And in this chapter we get to see a very sweet Steve, and a slightly mad Two Bit. Enjoy!

"Alana! I have to talk to Alana!" Two Bit burst into the Curtis household, where his sister was hanging out with Beth and Ponyboy.

"What's the matter?" Alana asked, alarmed. "Did Boing Kitty eat another sock?" Her cat was in the bad habit of eating things he shouldn't. A month before, he had eaten one of Two Bit's socks and had to be rushed to the vet, or he might have died.

"No, no, the cat's fine! You're not going to believe this! It's huge! It's huger than huge! It's-!"

"Two Bit!" Alana cut in. "What're you talking about?"

"Guess what Mom's doing tonight?"

"Washing her hair? How should I know?"

Two Bit shook his head. "Uh-uh. She has a date."

Alana nearly fell out the window. "What! What'd you mean, a date?"

"I mean a real, live man comes to the house and takes her out."

Alana gaped. A man was taking their mom out? "Who is it?" She finally managed.

"That's the clincher." Two Bit shook his head. "It's Mr. Donaldson."

"What!" For the second time in five minutes, Alana nearly fell out the window. "Mr. Donaldson? Are you sure?"

"Sure, I'm sure. She just told me about it, asked if we had a teacher named Erik Donaldson. I told her yeah, why? And then she goes, well, he comes down to the bar sometimes and he's been asking me out. We're going tonight."

Mr. Donaldson taught Literature at Walt Whitman High. He was a nice man and Alana liked him, but…well, how would you feel if your mom was dating your teacher? It's kinda gross.

Ponyboy looked from Two Bit to Alana and back again. "Your mom doesn't date much?"

"Try never." Two Bit answered. He shook his head again. "That's not the only reason I came over." He had an odd look on his face. "Uh, Alana? Can I talk to you for a sec? Uh, outside?"

Alana shot Pony and Beth confused looks. They both shrugged. "Sure, Two Bit, I guess." She followed her brother outside. "What's up?"

"Well," He started. He scratched his head, like he always did when he wasn't sure what to say. "It's about Steve, actually…"

"What about Steve?" She asked suspiciously.

"I've, uh, noticed that you two are bein' kinda buddy-buddy and I just wanted to tell you not to, uh…you know…Steve has a reputation and…I don't want you to get hurt…"

"Keith," She only used his real name when she was starting to get mad. "What're you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is that maybe you shouldn't hang around him so much…"

"You can't tell me who to hang around with!" Alana exploded. "How would you like it if I told you not to hang around with Soda? Or Grace? Huh? How would you like that?"

"Alana, I'm just tryin' to protect you!" Two Bit was starting to get mad now.

"I don't need your protection! I'm a big girl! I can take care of myself, thank you very much!"

"Well…" Two Bit wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Just stay away from him." He finally said.

"Aughhh!" Alana threw her hands in the air and marched into the house.

"What's wrong?" Beth asked.

"I hate my brother! He's the biggest, stupidest jerk in the world!"

"I guess the talk didn't go so well." Ponyboy said.

"I can't believe him! Can you believe him? Like he has a right to tell me who I can hang around with! He's such a hypocrite!" Alana paced the length of the living room.

"Alana, what did he say?" Ponyboy asked. He and Beth had been watching the two siblings from the window, but they couldn't hear anything that was being said.

"He said…that he wanted me to stay away from Steve…because he didn't want me to get hurt. Isn't that stupid? Like there's anything going on between me and Steve! Like he'd ever be interested in me!"

Ponyboy looked away. He didn't want to make Steve mad by telling Alana that he was interested. Very interested, from what Pony could see.

Beth caught her boyfriend's gaze. She knew that Steve was into Alana; it was extremely obvious, especially if Two Bit had noticed something. Well, it was obvious to everyone but Alana.

"Well," Alana finally said slowly. "I'm gonna go home."

"Are you okay?" Ponyboy asked. "You don't have to leave."

"I know. I'm just bummed out. I'm probably not very good company right now. Besides, I want to go see about this date my mom's goin on. See you guys tomorrow."

"Wait, won't your brother be there?" Beth asked.

Alana shook her head. "No. He's going to Grace's. What else is new?"

"Oh."

"Yeah." Alana sighed. "Well, bye."

"Bye."

"Later, Alana."

Alana walked home slowly. Spring was slowly approaching, so it wasn't exactly cold out. She took her sweatshirt (actually, it was Two Bit's, she realized disdainfully) and tied it around her waist. Why did her brother have to such a big jerk? It wasn't any of his business who she hung around with.

Grr.

Meanwhile, back at the Curtis's, Darry, Steve, and Soda had just come home from work to find Beth and Pony looking pretty cozy on the couch.

"Ah-HEM!" Darry cleared his throat loudly and Ponyboy and Beth jumped apart. "No hanky-panky under this roof, Pony, you got it?"

Ponyboy turned bright red. So did Beth. "Yeah, I, uh, got it."

Soda was shaking with silent laughter. He knew it was mean, but it was pretty funny to come home and find his little brother making out on the couch with an actual girl and not a pillow or his arm or something.

"Where's Alana?" Steve asked. Soda rolled his eyes.

"Oh, she went home." Beth said. "Two Bit stopped by and they got into it pretty bad."

"They did?" Darry had never really known of the Matthews siblings to fight. "About what?"

"Er…she didn't say." Pony said, nudging Beth with his elbow. Telling them that Two Bit had warned Alana to stay away from Steve, well, that wouldn't result in anything good. "She just said that she wasn't being good company and that she wanted to go home. Oh, and her mom has a date tonight. With Mr. Donaldson."

Well, after everyone got over the initial shock that someone had asked Mrs. Matthews out and that it was Mr. Donaldson, Soda revealed his brilliance once again.

"Okay," He said loudly. "I have a plan, Steve."

"Oh God, what now?" The last time Soda had said those words, he and Steve had spent a night in jail for disturbing the peace and defacing public property.

"No, it's a good plan!" Soda defended himself. "See, what you do is go over to the Matthews' and pretend to be looking for Two Bit. Then, when she say's, oh he's not here-."

"How'd you know he's not home?" Pony asked curiously.

Sodapop waved his hand impatiently. "He told us earlier. Anyway, Steve, after she say's that he's not home, you just be all 'oh, then I guess I'll have to hang out with you'."

Steve had to admit that was a pretty good idea. "Then what?" He asked.

"Take her to the river." Beth suggested. "She likes to walk in the sand."

"Okay." Steve nodded. "But, what if she doesn't want to hang around with me?"

"Believe me," Darry said. "She does. Now go home and get cleaned up."

"Yeah, and come by tonight and tell me everything." Soda told him. "Go!"

"I'm going, I'm going!"

Alana stretched out on the couch. She was watching 'Meet Me in St. Louis' and still fuming over her brother. Just who did he think he was?

A knock at the door took her out of her reverie. "Who is it?" She called.

"It's Steve." Came the answer. "Hi." He said when she opened the door.

"Hey. What's up?"

"I'm looking for your brother."

"He's not here." Alana felt her heart sink. She was kinda hoping he was there to see her.

"Oh, well, that's okay." Steve was saying. "I'll just hang out with you. Wanna go for a ride?"

"Oh…okay." She grinned. "Sit down, let me run and get my shoes."

Steve sat down on the couch and Boing Kitty jumped up onto his lap. He scratched him between his ears. This was the fattest cat he'd ever seen.

"Okay, I'm ready." Alana had returned. She looked pretty cute, Steve thought, in a pair of ripped blue jeans and a fittedblue t-shirt. She'd pulled her sandy blonde hair back in a headband andslipped on a pair of faded sneakers. "Let's go."

They walked to Steve's car. She glanced at him. He didn't look like he'd just come from work. He had cleaned up and she could smell aftershave. Since when did he shave just to come and see Two Bit?

"Where're we going?" She asked after they'd climbed in.

"To the river." He answered. "Is that okay?"

"Are you kidding? I love the river."

"Good." Steve turned the radio on and sang along softly.

"So…" Alana wasn't sure what to say. She knew she was going strictly against her brother's wishes, but as of right now, she didn't care. They were just hanging out, it's not like they were going to make out or something. Well, maybe if she was lucky…

"Aren't you cold?" Steve asked thirty minutes later. They were walking along the sandy beach of the Arkansas River and Alana had taken her shoes off.

"I like to feel the sand beneath my feet." She told him. "You should try it."

"I think I'll pass." Steve said.

"Oh, come on. No one's gonna see you walking in your bare feet. Your reputation will stay intact, I promise."

"No, I-."

"Please? It'll be fun." Alana smiled. "For me?"

How could he resist that?

"Oh, all right." Steve quickly untied his sneakers and pulled them off, then his socks. He rolled them into a ball and tucked them into his left shoe. "Burr. This sand is cold."

"Oh, don't be a wuss. It's not that cold. Come on," She took his hand and swung it back and forth. "Let's walk."

They walked down the beach. Steve felt like James Dean or something, walking bare foot down the beach with a pretty girl. It was kinda cool, just as long as no one ever found out about it.

Alana couldn't believe daring. She was holding Steve's hand on the beach. It was amazing. His hand was warm and kinda rough. It was so big it enveloped hers. She smiled up at him. God, he was cute.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. "So, what did you and Two Bit fight about earlier?" He asked.

"How'd you know about that?"

Busted! "Uh…Pony told me."

"Oh. Well, actually…we fought about…you."

"Me?" Steve was surprised. "Why'd you guys fight about me for?"

"Uh…well, Two Bit thinks that there's something going on between us."

Steve chewed his lip. "And what did you tell him?" he asked finally.

"I told him no, there wasn't."

"So you lied to him?"

"Huh?" Alana looked up. "Steve, what'd you mean?"

"Well…" He could practically hear Sodapop coaching him. 'Okay, this is it, buddy. Now or never!' "Look, Alana, I like you."

"I like you too, Steve."

"No, I mean, I really like you. Like, as more than my friend's kid sister. You know?" Steve felt like he was babbling. Was he even making any sense?

"Yeah, I think I do." She turned to face him.

Steve had never actually been this close to her before. Their faces were only a few inches apart. He'd never realized how much taller than Alana he was. She barely came up to his chin. But now she was on her tiptoes, leaning towards him with her eyes closed. Steve closed his eyes too and their lips met.

It was Alana's first kiss and she thought it was wonderful. Okay, so it wasn't all fireworks and violins, but she had expected that. She felt funny, like she was lowering herself into a warm bath. Alana could feel Steve's tongue, it was brushing against her lips, and she opened her mouth. Well, now this wasn't so bad. He tasted like peppermint.

They walked slowly back to Steve's car, his arm around her. There was a Soc beer blast going on somewhere down the beach; the sounds of their music floated back up to Steve and Alana.

"Put your head on my shoulder

Hold me in your arms, baby

Squeeze me oh so tight

Show me that you love me, too"

Steve tightened his arm around her. "So…" He said. "Are we going together now?"

She smiled. "I guess we are. I mean, if you want too."

"I want too. Do you want too?"

"Do you even have to ask that?" She smiled up at him.

"I guess not." He paused. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Wanna get a burger or something?"

"Sure."

They drove to Jay's and Steve held her hand across the seat. "Can you drive?" He asked after he ordered their food.

Alana shrugged. "Sort of. I need to learn, so I can get my licenses when I turn sixteen in July."

"I could teach you." Steve said. "I mean, if you want me too. I can drive pretty well."

Alana snorted. That was the understatement of the decade.

"Okay!" Soda demanded as soon as Steve walked through the door. "You're smiling! What happened?"

"Well…I did it. I kissed her, and she didn't slap me or anything."

"Yes!" Soda punched the air and then started dancing around like maniac. "I knew you could do it! So, are y'all goin' together now?"

"I guess."

"You guess?"

"We are." Steve smiled.

"What about Two Bit?" Pony asked from the doorway.

"Why are you eavesdropping, little man?" Steve asked.

"It's my house." Pony shrugged. "So, what are you gonna tell Two Bit? He isn't gonna be happy."

"I know." Steve shrugged. "Alana said to leave that to her. She'll figure that out. In the meantime, you guys," He looked directly at Sodapop. "Can't say anything to anyone. You dig?"

"Why are you looking at me for?" Soda asked.

Pony shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I won't say nothin'. Promise."

"Yeah, same here." Soda nodded solemnly, but his smile broke out again. "So, does she kiss good?"

Steve grinned. "It was great."

And, for a few days at least, all was good.