Author's Note: This is just kinda a filler chapter. I hope you like it. Oh yeah, and the party idea came from too many viewings of the movie 'Dazed and Confused'. If you've never seen it, you should check it out!

"What is all this?" Richard Randle asked his son, gesturing towards the clutter of papers on the kitchen table. He picked one up and began to read it. "Abigail, Adam, Bradley…What's with all the names, son?"

"Er…" Steve looked up from where he was hunched over the table. His father still didn't know what was going on and he and Alana were going to be married in a week. "Pop, you might wanna sit down. I gotta tell you somethin'."

His father's eyes were bleary, but sober nonetheless. "If you're talking about you and the Matthews girl, I already know."

"What?" Steve felt his mouth drop open.

"Close your mouth, Steven, you'll catch a fly."

"How…how do you know?"

"Are you kiddin'? Everyone knows. Were you even plannin' on tellin' me?"

"Er…" Steve nodded. "Yes?"

Mr. Randle shook his head. "I shoulda known that you'd pull something like this, knockin' that little tramp up. I'm not one bit surprised. Not one bit! I woulda never pulled a stunt like this at your age!"

"Bully. For. You." Steve answered. "And you know what? I didn't tell you about me and Alana because I just figured you wouldn't give a care! You don't care about anything else that happens to me, do you?"

Mr. Randle popped him upside the head. "I've taken all of your mouth that I'm gonna handle! I want you out of here! Now!"

Steve rubbed his cheek where he'd been hit. "My pleasure! And this time, don't worry about my comin' back, cause it ain't happening!"

"Just get out, you ungrateful, little-." Steve didn't stick around long enough to hear the rest.

He slammed up to his bedroom, grabbing some clothes and tossing them into an overnight bag. Then he stomped back downstairs, past his old man, who was still rambling on, and out to his car. He tossed his bag in the passenger seat and took off, throwing rocks all over the sidewalk.

He reached the Curtis's house in record time and stomped through the door.

"I hate my dad!" He announced. "When my kid comes, I'm never gonna treat him, or her, like that!"

"Steve, man, calm down!" Soda threw his arm over his friends shoulder, a little alarmed. "What happened?"

Steve rolled his eyes and touched his cheek. "The usual. He started picking on me, I defended myself, he hit me and threw me out. I'm not going back there."

"Well, in less than a week, you and Alana'll be married. Then you won't have to worry about it." Pony spoke up.

"No, I'll just have a wife and child to worry about." Steve snapped.

"Hey," Ponyboy shrugged. "I'm just tryin' to help."

"Well, don't."

"Cool it, you two." Soda interrupted before the fight could go any further. "Now, Steve, I know just what you need to cheer you up."

"Uh, no offense, Soda, we're buddies and all, but I only let Alana do that."

Soda paused, then, catching on, hit Steve upside the head with a pillow. "Shut up, you perv. I meant, that we all need to go to that party tonight."

"What party?"

Soda rolled his eyes. "You're so out of it. That party out by Buck's place. You know."

Steve shrugged. "Who all's going?"

"Well, me. And Beth and Pony. I think Two Bit and Grace said something about checking it out. Oh, and Alana wants to go too. She didn't say anything about it to you?"

"No, but I haven't talked to her since yesterday."

"Oh. Well, so do you wanna go?"

Steve shrugged again. "Sure. Why not?"

Soda shook his head. "I never thought I'd see a day when Steve Randle wasn't all over a party."

Steve sighed. "Well, I been thinking. You know, I'm gonna have a wife and a kid to take care of. I guess it's time to grow up. For me, at least."

Soda shook his head. He was sure glad it wasn't him. But, a year ago, he'd been willing to do the same thing for Sandy. And that wasn't even his kid!

"Whose ready to par-tay!" Two Bit burst into the room, half sloshed, as usual. Alana, Beth, and Grace came in behind him, laughing.

"Hi, hon." Alana sat down on the couch beside Steve and kissed his cheek. "What happened to your cheek?"

"My old man." He answered. "He kicked me out again."

"Ah, forget him!" Two Bit slurred. "Just have fun tonight, Steve-O."

Alana squeezed his hand and smiled reassuringly.

"Now, Alana, you're not drinking tonight." Soda said. "I read in one of Pony's books that can be bad for a baby."

"No, I'm not drinking tonight." Alana told him. "I'm the designated driver."

Soda laughed. "Right."

Well, you don't know what

We can find

Why don't you come with me little girl

On a magic carpet ride

The music was loud and there were about three hundred people around. At least they were outside. Steve placed his hand on the small of Alana's back and Soda was holding onto her sleeve, so they wouldn't be separated. Everyone else had gone their separate ways as soon as they arrived. Grace and Two Bit had headed towards the kegs and Pony and Beth had disappeared somewhere.

"Hey, there's Tim!" Soda yelled over the music. "Hey Shepard! Over here, man!"

Tim Shepard wound his way over to them, a cup of beer in his hand. "Hey. What's up?"

"Hi, Tim." Steve said. Alana just nodded. She didn't know Tim Shepard real well, even though she'd known him for years.

"Hear tell you two are getting' married." Tim said to Alana.

"Yeah." She answered. "Next week."

"Well, thanks for invitin' me." He paused, and then barreled ahead. "When's the kid due?"

"January." Steve answered.

"Well, good luck with that." He said, before wondering away.

"Tim's a good guy." Soda said. "Well, I think I see some chicks checkin' me out over by that keg. See y'all later."

Alana giggled and took Steve's hand. They walked around, talking to people they knew. Alana spotted her brother and Grace dancing drunkenly, and Steve laughed, pointing out Pony and Beth, disappearing into the woods.

"Looks like someone's fixin' to get lucky." He said.

"Yeah, but which one?" Alana joked back. Steve shrugged and stopped to fill his cup back up and to bum a cigarette off of someone he knew.

"Wanna dance?" Alana said over the music.

"Sure."

They danced and danced, till Steve was almost too drunk to move and Alana was almost too tired. "Let's sit down." She suggested.

"Right on, baby." He said, flashing her a thumbs up. Alana giggled. He was so funny when he was drunk.

They sat down on an old lawn chair, Alana on Steve's lap. He was kissing her neck with slobbery kisses. "I love you." He slurred.

"I love you too, Steve." She replied. "I just wish you wouldn't drink so much. It scares me."

"Ah, don't be a-scared." He said. It was hard for Alana to make out what he was saying.

They sat like that for awhile, till Soda found them. "Y'all ready to go?" He asked.

"God, yes." Alana stood up. Steve tried to stand, but fell. "Where's Pony? Maybe you guys can help him to the car."

"Yeah." Ponyboy and Beth had appeared beside them, both smiling oddly at one another.

Pony got on one side of Steve and Soda on the other and somehow, they managed to get him to the car.

"I'll drive." Soda said, sitting Steve in the front seat. "Give me the keys, Steve."

Surprisingly, Steve handed them over willingly, a first for him. Grace and Two Bit were already in the backseat and Pony and Beth climbed in beside them.

Alana sighed and sat back in her seat, watching her boyfriend from the corner of her eye. She hated it when he drank like this. He tried to slip his arm around her and she shrugged it off.

"Baby, don't be like that…" He slurred.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Sober up first, huh?"

The next morning, Steve sat slumped at the table with a cup of coffee. "My head's killin' me." He said.

"Hmm." Alana answered sarcastically. "I wonder why?"

Steve narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what it means. What happened to your gettin' responsible thing, huh? You sure weren't last night."

And with that, she slammed out the door.

"Aughh!" Steve let his head hit the table. "Why can't I do anything right?"