Disclaimer: Same as other chapters

Authors Note: Alright, so the reason I haven't gotten any stories out in a while is because we had this really big storm that was almost a tornado, and the power has been out in my house until now. I'm really sorry. Thanx to everyone that reviewed, I love you guys!

Chapter Twelve: Somehow We'll Stay

Somehow, all three of us slept in the same bed that night. When I woke up in the morning, Soda's head was on my stomach, and my legs were across Ponyboy's chest.

"Pony, Soda," I called softly.

"Come on you guys, we have to get up, Ponyboy you have to go to school and Soda has to go to work,"

"Mmm… how 'bout no, sis," Soda said.

"No Soda, get up."

So, they got up, and I got into the bathroom first to have a shower and get dressed. Next was Ponyboy, then Soda. When we walked out to the living room, Darry was already sitting on the couch.

"When we get home from work and school, Ponyboy and Soda, you are going to start packing your rooms, and Sunny, you can help me start on my room."

Darry's room used to be Mom and Dad's. Before they died, all four of us slept in the same room. There used to be three beds, one for Darry, one for Soda and Ponyboy, and one for me. But, after Mom and Dad died, we had to sell one of the beds for money.

We all just nodded at Darry and looked down sadly.

"Sorry, guys, I really am, I don't want to leave either, but we need the money," Darry explained.

"Sure," Ponyboy said and walked away, grabbing a piece of toast and his bag, and heading out the door. I looked after him sorrowfully. He was such a tough boy, he'd been through so much, and he didn't need this.

"Soda, let's go," Darry called, heading to the door. Soda kissed me on the cheek and walked over to Darry.

"We'll seeya after, kiddo," Darry said and they left.

Everyone was gone and I flopped down on the couch, pissed off at the world. I sighed. I wondered if Dally would come by soon. He'd probably have partied last night, so he'd be sleeping in again today. He'd probably be here this afternoon.

I got up and turned on the TV. Mickey Mouse came on and I smiled as I thought about Two-Bit and his jokes. Good old Two-Bit.

I wondered where we were moving to. Darry hadn't told us yet. All he said was that we were staying in town.

I was starting to get bored. Everyone was doing something except me. I decided to take a walk. I got up, put on my shoes and leather jacket, and headed out the door.

As I walked down the street, I realized how cold I was when my breath came out in clouds. I walked by the school. Nobody was outside for recess or anything yet. I ran my fingers along the chain link fence and then stopped to look in. I hooked my fingers around the fence and peered in. I remembered times I'd gone to this school.

I had a lot of classes with Soda. We would get sent out of class a lot for fooling around or talking. We didn't mind, we never liked school.

At lunch and recesses, Ponyboy, Soda, Two-Bit and I would hang out together, and Steve too, when he was still in school. Soda beat up a guy one time for asking me out after he'd already asked me out a million times and I kept saying no.

I'd slapped a girl across the face one time too, for almost stalking Soda, and then he'd finally asked her out and she'd flipped him off. I had no idea what her problem was, but it kinda hurt Soda's feelings. And his ego.

I was brought back to reality by the bell ringing. That meant it was lunch. I moved away from the school and continued down the road. I walked over to the Dingo for lunch.

I was wearing a pair of Ponyboy's pants, which was the second day in a row that I wasn't wearing my own pants, and I found a little money in the pocket of the pants. I figured I'd pay Pony back sometime and walked into the Dingo.

It was a rough place, but I liked it there. People respected me because of Soda and Darry. They knew they'd get their ass kicked if they touched me. Not just by Soda and Darry, but they knew the whole gang. Two-Bit, Dally and Steve would be on them, too. I ordered a Western sandwich for lunch and paid them with Pony's money.

I looked around as I sat at the bar, eating. There was a fight going on in the corner, people were drinking and swearing, and a guy and a girl were making out a couple seats down from me.

When I was done I walked out of the Dingo. When I got home, I wrote a note that said "I. O. U. a dollar for lunch, signed Sunshine Curtis." And put it in the pocket of Ponyboy's jeans in place of the money. I passed the time by watching a movie, and I don't even remember what movie it was, but I fell asleep during it. I slept for a long time, well, at least three hours I reckon, because I was woken by the door slamming.

I looked up and saw Johnny, Two-Bit and Ponyboy entering.

"Hey, guys, back from school?" I greeted.

"Yup," Johnny said.

"Well, we just came to drop off the kid, now I'm gonna drop Johnny off and go home. I'll probably go get drunk. See you guys later," Two-Bit said as him and Johnny left.

Ponyboy came and sat down beside me. He didn't even notice I was wearing his pants.

"Hey Pony, how you doin'?" I asked him.

"I'm okay, I guess. But I can't believe we have to do this," He said.

"I know, Ponyboy. I know how you feel, I really do. I remember when me and Soda were 2 years old and Darry was 6, and Mom and Dad brought you home from the hospital. It was in this same house. When Soda and I came home from the hospital, it was in this house. Darry was 4. Even when Darry came home form the hospital 20 years ago, it was in this house…" I trailed off. Ponyboy was looking at me.

"But, Pony, we need the money. We might have lost the house anyway if we didn't move to get money." I said.

"Aww, jeez, I know that Sunny, I just wish it wasn't true."

"I know."

A little while later, the phone rang. When I answered it, it was Dally calling from Tim Shepard's place.

"I'm just hanging here for a while, and I'll be there tonight in time for dinner, okay babe?" He had said.

"Okay," I said. He asked what I'd been up to today. I told him about Darry telling us we had to move. Dally got really pissed, but not as much as he would have been if we were leaving town.

When we got off the phone, Ponyboy and I went outside to have a smoke.

It was a long while later when Darry and Soda came home. He made Soda and Ponyboy go straight to packing up our room, and brought me into his room.

"Okay, you start over there and I'll start over here," Darry said. I nodded somberly and walked over to a closet. In the closet was a box labeled "Mom and Dad's stuff" In Soda's writing. I opened it just to see what was inside. In it, buried under some clothes, was little white box.

I frowned in confusion, wondering what it was. There was a black ribbon wrapped neatly around it, something Mom had done. Clearly, Soda hadn't come across this box before.

I undid the ribbon and took off the lid. Inside the box was a note on a pink piece of paper and four more little boxes.

I unfolded the letter and read it.

Our dearest Darrel, Sodapop, Sunshine and Ponyboy,

We'd hoped you would read this in much later years, after our passing.

They must have written this for us to read when we were like, 50, I thought.

We miss you, and we love you. No matter what you do, you make us proud. One thing we hope you do, though, is do all you can to keep the house. Daddy built this house before you were born, and we hope that you can keep it. Please do everything in your power to keep it. In these little boxes are pendants on chains of the holy cross that Jesus Christ died on. Two of them, the ones in the black boxes, are ones that were worn by your great grandfathers in World War I. The other two, in the purple boxes, were worn in World War II by your grandfathers. We want you four to wear them always, and also in hopes of never leaving this house. We love you so much.

Love,

Mom and Dad. Xoxoxox

Tears were running down my face as I finished the letter. Darry had noticed I wasn't doing anything.

"Sunny, what are you doing?" He asked. I was afraid of bawling if I spoke, so I turned to him and flashed him the letter. He walked over, saw my tears, the letter and the four boxes, and read the letter. Tears were even in Darry's eyes by the time he finished.

"Open them," He said quietly. I nodded and opened the boxes. The first one was a silver cross, with a black cord weaved throughout the cross and a gold stud at the top. The next one was black with silver outlines all around it. The third one was wooden, with pure gold designs all over it. The last one was sterling silver with fiery green gems all down the front of it.

Darry and I stared at them in awe.

"Soda, Pony, come here," Darry called, not taking his eyes off of the crosses.

Soda and Ponyboy entered the room, and stared at the pendants with us.

"Where did—" Ponyboy started but got cut off. Darry handed him the note. Soda and Ponboy read it together and tears formed in their eyes too.

"So... who gets which one?" I asked. We thought about it for a while and ended up with me getting the first one, Darry getting the second one, Soda getting the third one, and Pony getting the last one.

We all sat around the bedroom with our crosses hanging from our necks.

It was silent until I looked up at Darry, who was sitting on the bed.

"Darry…" I uttered. He looked at me.

"We can't leave now," I said. Pony and Soda looked at me quickly, then at Darry.

He sighed.

"I know, Sunny, I know." He said quietly. The three of us younger siblings looked at him expectantly.

"Okay," He said after a moment of silent thinking. "We'll find a way to keep the house. No matter what it takes, we'll find a way."

Hmm, what will they do to stay in the house? You'll just have to review and wait for the next chapter to come out! Hahaha!