HEY sorry it took so long. My parents thought it was funny to ground me, even over my birthday! So I spent the day writing.

More Than Skin Deep

Cassie woke up to the beams of sunlight coming in through the window, she opened her eyes to meet the green eyes of Ponyboy's. She jerked her head back and gasped out of shock. He did the same.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Its fine," she responded.

"So feelin better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said getting up slowly from the couch, which Steve was still sleeping on.

"Want something to eat?" he asked again.

"No, I'm fine," she said stretching her arms and yawning.

He turned and walked into the kitchen where he could be heard opening cupboards and cracking eggs. She smiled to herself and walked out onto the front porch to look at the neighborhood. It was early so it was very quiet. Most people here didn't have good jobs so a lot of them worked midnights and slept through the day. She sometimes, at times like this, wondered what it would be like if she were raised in the better part of town. Would her father be more loving? Would she be better looking? Most importantly would Steve and her be close? And would she ever have met the gang? She didn't know the answers to these questions, but often wonder about them, letting her thought dwell to them and linger all around them, as if trying to imagine every aspect of what they meant to her. She silently watched the sunrise, she knew Ponyboy like to watch them, but somehow she doubted even he would understand and see what she saw. Pony saw beauty and gave credit where credit was due, but did he see that eve the most beautiful things in life were ugly and imperfect? She doubted. Even she sometimes saw that behind every tragedy there is a glimmer of hope, in every occurrence, there is meaning. "Where there is peace, GOD is," that was a famous quote she loved. She saw that even God made mistakes and sometimes his mistakes proved to be a miracle. Life in itself is a blessing and death is a blessing as well. She often thought of that because her cousin died a while back, her only women figure in her life. She thought it was a blessing because God had thought of her cousin, Rebecca, worthy enough to be in his presence. She sighed contently at the thought of Life After Death, she didn't even realize that she was crying. She quickly brushed away the tears.

"Cassie," a voice called.

"Coming," she choked out.

Two-Bit pushed the gate open in the front yard and walked up the steps grabbing Cassie from behind.

"Hey Cassie!" he exclaimed picking her up and dropping her, his way of giving a hug.

"Morning Two-Bit," she said quietly.

She went in and sat down at the table, everyone was done eating so Two-Bit grabbed a beer from the fridge and some chocolate cake from the table and started eating.

"Cassie, aren't you hungry?" Darry asked looking up form the paper.

"Nope," she said looking at him.

"You should really eat," he drilled.

"Yeah, well, I ain't hungry," she said again in a tone she hadn't meant.

"Okay," Darry said giving up.

Steve came up behind her and kissed her cheek, "See ya kid,"

"Bye Steve," she said waving her hand behind her head.

"Come on Soda!" Steve yelled.

Soda came running in and smacked a high five to Cassie's outstretched hand.

"Nice one," she commented.

"Bye," he yelled running out the door.

"I gotta go too," Darry said getting up and following them.

"Bye Darry," Cassie and Ponyboy said in unison.

Johnny came in just as Darry went out "hey,"

"Hey Johnny," she said getting up and giving him a hug.

"Hey," Ponyboy said from the other end of the table.

"You guys seen Dally?" he asked.

"No, why?" I asked.

"Oh no reason," he lied.

She smiled and let it go she decided that she should clean up the house a little while Johnny and Ponyboy hang out and Two-Bit watches Mickey Mouse. As she started washing the dishes she looked out the window to see Dally walking toward the house holding his arm. It looked like it was bleeding. She dropped the dish on the floor with a crash and ran to the door.

When I wrote this the big chapter at the top I felt like I was in the 700 club or somethin. R&R!1