Maggie dressed slowly the next night. They were planning on going to Jay's to eat a birthday dinner and then come home and have chocolate cake. She didn't know how to act. Being 14 felt like being 13, there just wasn't anything different about her then what it was when she was 13.

She smoothed her wife beater down and covered it up with Darry's old football jacket that he had given her to wear during the winter. It had CURTIS on the back in big white letter along with all the patches he had gotten from all the sports he'd played in high school. She pulled her jeans up a little bit and looked at herself in the mirror. She sure didn't look any different either. She sighed and grabbed her eye liner off of the counter next to her. She applied it slowly making sure it was as perfect as she could get it. Not to dark but not to light. After that she applied a little bit of eyeshadow and she was done.

She put all her makeup back in the bag and put it back in the cabinet over the toilet where it belonged. She opened the door and turned off the light before walking out. She smiled at all the guys as she walked into the living room.

"If Dallas doesn't get here soon we're gonna leave without him!" Darry growled as he sat in his over sized chair. Maggie smirked, typical Dallas, always late when he was needed. She sat down on the couch and leaned on Steve who winked at her and wrapped and arm around her. She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

About 5 minutes later she opened them again when the door slammed. She looked up to see Dallas making his way towards her. She smiled up at him and straightened up. He just nodded but didn't return the smile.

"Let's go." he said, without even taking a seat. Maggie made a move to get up but Steve pushed her back down. And then Darry began to speak.

"Hang on. We all have something to give Maggie." he said before he got up and disappeared within his room. Her emerged with a small velvet box in his hands. Maggie gave Darry a quizzical look. Anything in a velvet box had to be expensive. How could they all afford it?

Darry walked over to her and handed her the box. She sighed and looked angrily at all of them.

"Why'd y'all go and do a thing like this? Whatever's in this box had to have cost a fortune!" but deep down inside she was happy that they actually cared about her enough to give her something like this.

"Who said we paid for it?" Two Bit asked with a goofy grin on his face. Darry looked at Two Bit and if looks could kill Two Bit would be really really dead!

Darry turned back to Maggie and shook his head. "Pony, Steve, Soda, and me paid for it. Two Bit didn't help out at all." he told her, giving Two Bit another sharp look. Maggie laughed softly before turning her gaze back to the box.

"Well here it goes." she said more to herself then anyone else. She took hold of the box with both hands and lifted the lid slowly.

She gasped at what was inside. It was a shiny, new, heart shaped locket. She ran her fingers over her engraved named, a smile spreading across her face. It reminded her of her old one that her parents had given her for her 6 birthday. She rested the box on her lap and opened the locket with her fingers. Inside was a picture of her mother and father on each side of the heart. She gasped again this time her eyes filling with tears. They were the same exact pictures that had been in her other locket. The one she had lost at Buck's when her and her sister moved there

"How.." she trailed off as she looked at all of them

"Dally found the other one at Buck's in one of the rooms. So we all decided to buy you a new locket but keep the pictures." Darry told her softly. She smiled up at Dally and whipped the tears away from her eyes quickly.

"Well, now." she said, sniffling a little and covering it up with a smile. "This has to be one of the best birthdays I've had for a long time." she told them all. She looked down at the locket again and slowly pulled it out of the box. She took it in her hands and unclasped it and held it up for all of them to see.

"Which one of you wants to do the honers?" she asked, still smiling. They all chuckled and Soda took the locket from her gently and slide it over her shoulders and behind her neck. Steve reached over and pulled her hair up so Soda could close it back up. When it was all done Steve dropped her hair and it spilled into her face.

"Let's get a move on." she told them all she got up swiftly and headed towards the door. The guys let out a series of whoops and hollers and followed her out the door. They all pilled into cars and 10 minutes later they were all at Jay's sitting at a big table drinking soda's or beers and waiting for their food.

"Hey, Pony." Two Bit yelled at Pony from across the table, clearly drunk, "I dare you to kiss Maggie." he slurred as he took another huge gulp from his beer. Pony started to turn beat red and all the older boys turned to glare at him. Two Bit hickuped up and followed it with a fit of laughter.

"Just as a birthday kiss." he slurred a few more minutes later.

"No way." Darry said sternly but was still laughing.

"Two Bit your drunk as hell!" Maggie said while trying not to fall out of her chair.

Darry turned on her sharply and gave her a stern look. "Just because your 14 does not mean you can cuss, young lady." Maggie pulled a face at him and stuck her tounge out.

"How do you like them apples?" Maggie laughed as she opened her mouth with chewed food in it. All the guys just chuckled.

"We like um' just fine, Mags." Soda answered as he took a bite of his own cheeseburger.

2 hours later the gang was back at the Curtis house hanging around and watching t.v. Two Bit was passed out on the couch and Soda and Steve were yet again playing poker but cheating. Pony and Johnny were back in Soda and Pony's room doing god knows what. Which left Darry, Maggie, and Dally the living room.

"Well, I gotta go. I told Buck I'd come to the party tonight." Dally said as he removed his arm from Maggie's shoulders and got to his feet. Maggie followed him to the door and stood by the door. Her feet cold on the porch.

"Thanks for finding those pictures, Dal." she said as she smiled up at him. He nodded down at her but didn't bother to smile.

"Happy birthday Mags." he said before bending down and kissing her lightly on the cheek. Maggie flushed and waved goodbye to him before shutting the door.

That was the best birthday she had ever had.