Disc. I don't own any of the characters, ok? Sheesh, do I have to do this every time? Sorry guys, I'm a little moody today.

As I approached the Curtis home I could tell that most of the gang had already arrived. Through the windows I saw the silhouettes of people moving back and forth around the house. The front steps were covered with dirt and when I stepped on them it all went up to my face. I started coughing and I guess that even with the loud music they heard me, cuz Pony answered the door.

"Hey, Mel. You ok?" still coughing, I nodded.

"Come on in" I went in and sat next to Soda.

" Hi Mel." They all said almost together.

" Hi guys." Soda scooched closer

"Glad you could make it. I mean, glad it was ok with pops." I smiled and laughed nevously. He could tell I wasn't ok or atleast not supposed to be here cuz he gave me a look. Then he shook his head.

Just with the look he gave me and the wasy I stared back, I'd told him everything. He understood and I felt a little better.

Darry came out of the kitchen jingling his keys.

"Everybody here?" he asked looking around.

"Steve." we all said. Just then Steve came in flying through the door. "Hey y'all!"

"Ok." Darry said, "lets go." We split up into two groups or two vehicles that is. Two-Bit and Ponyboy went with Darry and Soda and I went with Steve. Everything seemed so empty. It was times like these that I missed Johnny and Dally the most. These poeple, the whole gang, are like my second family. No, my first family. Now threre's a feeling of emptiness. Everyone else notices, but we try not to talk about it.

Although Darry pulled out first, we beat them there. Steve was more of a crazy driver. We'd decided to go to PENNIES. They do pizza and other desserts too, but we were only there for their ice cream. We chose a table at the corner away from the crowd, and sat before ordering.

"I'm buying." said Darry standing up. He got out a piece of paper and took our orders as if he was the waiter.

"Hey Darry, talk about a crazy idea, but uh, why didn't we just all go order like normal people, eh?"

"Shut up Two-Bit." he mumbled not looking up from his paper. After changing the orderes a couple of times ( Soda couldn't make up his mind) Darry was off to order.

"That's wierd."

"Ponyboy, your brother's wierd." Two-Bit cracked up as if this was the funniest thing he's ever said. He laughed so much the rest of us had to join him. I'd so much rather be here than staring at my cieling waiting to fall asleep. These are the kind of people I want to be around - always.

"Gosh, Darry sure is taking his time." I said.

"That's because Steve ordered so much." Steve smacked Two-Bit in the back of the head.

"It's true." Two-Bit remarked.

"Hey Soda, why so quiet?"

"I've been thinking. You guys think I should've ordered M&Ms instead of sprinkles?"

"Of coarse." said Steve very seriously as if this was the most interesting conversation he'd had in a while.

"What if the sprinkles were chocolate flavored though?"

"Isn't your ice cream chocolate flavored already?"

"Yeah."

"Then what's the point of getting M&Ms if that's just more chocolate too?"

" I dunno. Now you just confused me."

Soda smiled as if his mission had been to confuse Steve all along. He got up and ran towards Darry. I watched closely to see if he was seriously gonna change his order. Instead, I saw his hand go into his pocket and pull out a ten. He placed it Darry's hand who was busy... still ordering, I guess. He ruffled Soda's hair and Soda didn't bother to fix it. As if he had broken Darry's ordering trance, they both came back with handfuls of cones and cups.

"Strawberry for Mel, butter pecan for Two-bit, vanilla with cookie dough for Steve, double scooped chocolate with colorful sprinkles for Soda, vanilla with nuts for me, plain vanilla for Pony, and mint for Steve."

At this, Two-Bit turned to Steve and laughed again.

"Something funny I missed?" asked Darry.

"Yeah, you missed a lot considering it took ya so long."

"Sorry, there were a couple of orders before us. Plus, we ordered a lot. Two-Bit cracked up once again. Ponyboy looked around.

"There ain't that many people." Darry just sighed and didn't answer.

"I toldya he's wierd, Pony." For a while we were quiet and only concentrated on out ice cream. Especially Steve who was eating both of his at once. Darry broke the silence.

"Anybody need napkins?" Everybody shook their heads and I pointed to a stack of them in the middle. He got up anyway.

"I gotta get -." I couldn't hear that last word.

"Wad he say?" I asked.

"He had to get somethin'."

"What?" Everyone shrugged and I looked his way. He was talking to the person behind the counter. I leaned back to get a better look. The person behind the counter was a girl. That explained quite a lot.

"Hey guys." I said. " I think Darry found himself a friend."

"Well ain't that obvious." said Pony with a smirk. All at once we turned towards Darry and 'mystery woman'. Suddenly we were interrupted by a flying chunk of green ice cream. Before I knew it we were having an ice cream fight. Silent, clean, yet fun. We picked up forks and spoons as weapons and shields. Nobody seemed to be noticing until Two-Bit accidentally flung the spoon along with the ice cream. It hit a bottle of syrup which eventually knocked down my ice cream. Instantaniously, everybody turned to us as if we had done something terribly wrong. Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit waved at them. They stared for a second longer, this time confused, then went back to minding their own business.

"I aint cleanin'" I quickly remarked and turned to Two-Bit.

"Naw, but do I have t-, nevermind hand me the napkins will ya?" Soda carefully carried his cone to me. I licked the top scoop.

"Hmm... not bad."

"I got better" Soda said said. I felt his lips brush against mine and then...

"Ehem, Mel, the napkins?"

"Oh, right, sorry."

We stared in awe. Two-Bit Matthews was cleaning. Even Pony and Steve who had been engaged in another conversation, stopped.

"I wish I had my camera." Steve mumbled.

"Ah, don't get used to it."

I looked up from Two-Bit and saw Darry and 'mystery woman' approaching. She was holding a strawberry cone. Smiling, she handed it to me.

"Thanks Darry."

"It wasn't me."

"Thanks..." I squinted to get a better look of her nametag."Thanks Jessica"

"Jess" she said. "No problem, on the house." She seemed real nice and she was real pretty.

"Well, my shift ends here. Y'all have a nice day."

"I'll walk you out." added Darry and caught up with her. It took him a while to come back - I mean, the parking lot wasn't that far. Steve watched Darry walk back to our table.

"Nice catch."

"Yeah, I know, ain't she great?"

We talked for a while longer since everyone had finished their ice cream. I was having such a good time I was afraid to look at the clock. When I did, I guess Soda noticed cuz he turned to me.

"Better get you home, Mel." I must've made a face because then he asked " You will be ok, right?"

"Yeah, I'm climbing up the tree." He looked down at his hands and half laughed.

"Sorry 'bout all this."

"Oh, no, no, I uh, like trees." He knew what I meant.

There you have it, chapter three. Have a nice day folks. The rest of this is directed towards my friend Sami, but you guys can read for entertainment and gaze upon our strangeness. So Sami, how you feelin'? I hate everything. do you hate everything? Bob is such a toad. Now I don't even want an eggplant. I don't want cheese either. I'm so eggcited 4 the tournament even though I shouldn't be. Not like nething's gonna happen. I've lost all hope. Oh, I probably shouldn't be writing all this here. Sorry. K- see ya'll next week! Neah! What have you done to your cone?