Hey peoples, sorry i haven't updated in forever. I feel like I need to explain as quickly as possible so that you can read this next chappy. First, my comp died, twice :flashback: "Work you piece of f&king s! I swear to #&! god i'll break you!" I scream while bashing my hands onto the screen and shaking the computer screen becuase it suddenly crashed.: But now the comp os fixed. Second, I am only two weeks away from my 18th birthday so I figured it was time to get a job. So I went a huntin' for one. And I found one in my mall, the same mall I hate to the point of dreaming of blowing it up, but if I did that i'd have no where to go when i'm bored and i'd have nothing that I want to blow up. So I work there now . And it is very tireing cuz i'm broke and have to ride a bike there at the ass crack of dawn. But I promise to start making updates a little more frequently, not every week, I can't promise that. But whenever I have a day off from work, and school, I will write.

Now, have a nice time, and enjoy chapter two, please review .

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE OUTSIDERS OR ANYTHING FROM IT, I DO HOWEVER OWN THIS STORY, THE PLOT TO IT, AND ALICE.

CHAPTER #2

A TURN, A TWIST, A SHOCK

MR. C'S POV

I had just gone out to take out the trash and there she was. Waiting by the fence like she had been doing for the past month now. It was now a habit for Alice to come by around trash time for a quick talk and some dinner. I still wished she would stay with us, but she wouldn't do it.

"So how was your day?" I asked while handing her a paper plate full with food from dinner tonight.

My wife had now made it her special thing to prepare Alice a plate of food.

"Fine. You?" She asked.

These were the length of the converstaions. She mainly kept her answers short but polite. I kinda liked having someone to listen though.

"Well, I finally get a short little vacation coming up soon. The boy's are good. I suspect Darry's gonna be off to a college soon with a full scholarship with his football talent. And just between me and you, it look's like my boy Soda found himself a first love." I smiled.

"Thats good to hear." She answered.

Even though her tone would sound cold and uncareing to most, I could hear the small differance of warmth in it.

"Where you going for your vacation?" She asked.

"Hmm...no sure. Maybe a trip out to the country with just my wife. I love my boy's, but me and the wife need some us time." I smiled.

"Sounds really nice and quite." She responded.

"Yep, just what I like in very small doses." I laughed.

Alice had finished her plate and once again the question was going to come up from me.

"Hey Alice, I got an idea real quick." I said.

"Whats that?" She asked.

"How's about tonight, instead of going through the same run around routine, you just finally give up and come inside to sleep." I smiled.

She was quiet and looked me straight in the eye.

"I told ya before, I can't." Alice said.

"Why not? You got nowhere else to go. I feel worried all night knowing your on the streets, same with my wife. You may not know it, but we're suckers for strays. I think me and the wife have more kids that call us thier parents then an old woman has cats. So your included, we wanna treat you like one of our own. My wife thinks of you like a daughter she never had." I said.

"I'm sorry. I can't." She slowly said.

"Alright then, how's about you tell me why you can't. And i'll leave you alone about it." I said.

She thought about this for another minute before nodding her head.

"If i'm not there when she gets back...then i'll never see her again. I have to wait for her. And she is never coming back, then I can't let it happen again. The next time I go with someone, they won't ever come back either." She said with little to no emotion.

This answer shocked me and made perfect sense at the same time.

"Alice...I can promise you. That me and my wife won't leave like your mother did. You'll always have a place to stay here." I said.

She nodded her head then walked off into the night.

"She still won't come inside?" My wife said more then asked.

"Yeah. Poor kid. She's afraid that the same thing that happened with her mom will happen again. Can't say I blame her though." I sighed.

"I guess we should just let her come around on her own then. Lets get to bed." My wife smiled.

GENERAL POV

Later on that night it began storming really bad. It was so bad that Mr. and Mrs. Curtis woke up.

"I don't care, she has to come here, she'll get hurt out there tonight." Mrs.Curtis said panicked.

"Don't worry. I'll go and look for her now." Mr. Curtis said putting his shoes on.

"I'll go with you." Mrs. Curtis said throwing on a bathrobe.

Both ran to the living room and were just about to open the door to leave when a flash of lightning lit up the room revealing a figure on the couch.

"Who could that be?" Mrs. Curtis whispered.

"Dunno, the only person it could be is Jhonny, it's to small to be anyone else." Mr. Curtis said looking for his keys now.

He was about to tell his wife to hurry up when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He looked up and she was shaking her head.

"Jhonny's in Ponyboy's room." She whispered.

The couple went and slowly walked to the couch. Mr.Curtis lit a match to see the persons face. As the light flickered over the face they both smiled and grabbed thier chests.

"I don't beleive it." Ms.Curtis whispered happily.

"She finally came." Mr.Curtis finished for her.

Sure enough the person on the couch was Alice. She was soaked to the bone and shivering. Mrs.Curtis warmed some blankets by the heater and covered her in them. She stopped shivering and looked peaceful. Mr.Curtis couldn't help but smile when he saw what she was using as a pillow. The blanket he had given her the first night he met her. It was quite dirty and worn, but it looked like to her it didn't matter one bit.

The next morning they woke to shouts. Mr. Curtis rushed out into the living room to find Steve standing over a silent but awake Alice.

"You think just 'cuz they take pity on you that you can barge into thier home in the middle of the night? They don't care ya'know? It's just pity for poor little crazy corners cuz your mama left you. Hell...I would have done the same thing!" Steve shouted.

"Steve!" Mr.Curtis yelled.

Steve spun around and looked so angry. He didnt even say anything to them. He just stormed out of the house.

"I'm so sorry about that. Are you okay? Did you sleep well?" Mrs.Curtis asked sitting next to Alice.

She looked up towards the door Steve had left through.

"I'm fine. He has his reasons to be angry with me if I remember correctly. I did something horrible to him. I'll leave now." Alice said in her far off voice.

"You don't have to leave." Mrs.Curtis said.

But Alice was alreay at the door. She turned around and looked at them both.

"Thank you. I think...when your back from vacation, i'll stop by again." Alice said with a small smile.

That was all it took to send Mrs.Curtis into tears of joy. She knew they'd just saved another kid from a life of never knowing love. But no one could have known. No one could have guessed, that just days from then...just days. Everything would stop. Everything would turn upside down...everything would look bleak and hopeless. No one could have known that on thier way home...a train would hit thier car, instantly killing them. Mr and Mrs. Curtis were gone forever. With only a memory left behind. There would never be anyone else like them ever again.

AT THE FUNERAL

DALLY'S POV

I sat and watched as the only two people to ever give a damn about me were put into the ground and covered in dirt. I looked around to see Ponyboy crying with his borthers Sodapop and Darry. Standing next to them Two-Bit was quietly losing it himself. Steve was more or so calm with his sadness. Later tonight he'd most likely bawl like a baby. And me, I was still in too much shock to even have any emotion right about now. It was a sudden middle of the night knock on the door, A cop, I thought maybe i'd done something when I was plastered. But then they said that the Curtis' had been in a horrible accident. I sobered up pretty quick right about then.

Suddeny there was the sound of a small branch snapping behind me and I was thrown out of my thoughts. I looked behind me. Standing behind a tree with an arm on it as if for support, there was a girl. She was staring somberly at the gravesights. She had long bright dark red hair, but she was so pale. She was wearing a tattered looking black dress that seemed to fit her pretty well, but it looked as if she were the walking dead herself.

She looked up slowly at me, stared at me a few moments then pointed to the graves. I knew what she meant. She was silently asking me, "are you here for them as well?" I nodded my head yes then jerked it towards her, as if to ask if she was too. She nodded her head. I stared at her for another minute before walking over.

"You smoke?" I asked quitely so as not to get the other's attention.

She nodded her head so I handed her one and lit it for her.

"Thanks." She said in a small far off voice.

"You knew the Curtis's?" I asked.

"Yeah...I did. They...used to feed me. And...they let me sleep...on thier couch when...whenever it stromed bad." She said very slowly.

"You must be Alice. I'm Dally." I introduced myself.

"I think I should leave now. It's not my place...to be here." She said.

I was about to ask her what she meant when I heard the guys walking over, I looked to them and then back to Alice, but she was already gone. All's I saw was her long red hair whip behind a set of trees and she was gone.

We all went back to the house to see off the rest of the family that had come for the funeral, and I was bushed. Helping with this sort of thing isn't my usual style, but for Mr and Mrs.C I didn't care.

"Did anyone else see that bitch at the funeral?" Steve asked angrily.

"Who?" Darry asked.

"That girl your mom started cooking for." He spat out.

"Alice was there? I didn't see her." Sodapop suddenly looked up.

"Yeah crazy corners was there. If I wasn't so upset at the time I would have-" Steve was suddenly cut short.

"You shut up! My mom and dad took you in and your a thief and a liar, you trying to say them taking care of her was a mistake?" Darry yelled.

"Can we not fight right now?" Ponyboy yelled above everyone.

Poor kid. His eyes are all bloodshit and puffy. He's been crying like a baby all day, I ain't gonna hold it against him though. I know as soon as the shock finally wears off and the realization sets in, i'll be doing the same.

"All's i'm saying is i'm glad she won't have a reason to coem round here no more." Steve mumbled.

Darry was about to either yell or hit, I couldn't tell which, but there was a sudden knock on the door. We all looked at each other before Darry got it.

"I just thought...it was his...he said he'd take it back...i'm sorry." Alice said slowly handing Darry a dirty blanket.

Darry took it and stared at her for a moment.

"It was my dad's?" He asked quietly.

She nodded her head.

"How'd you get this?" He calmly asked her.

"He gave it to me...the first time I met him...it was cold...I didn't wanna take it...but he said she'd throw it away...and he wanted me to keep it safe...I just thought...Maybe you'd want it now." She said calmly.

"Thank you...this means alot to me." Darry said, he looked about to cry again.

Alice nodded her head then turned and walked away.

"Good, now we can wash the filth of her from it and put it somewhere-" Once again Steve stopped short.

Darry had just began walking very fast after Alice.

"Hey! Alice wait!" Darry called.

She stopped and waited.

"Look, my parents talked about you all the time. And I know they;d want you to be somehwere safe. So, will you stay with us? Please? Thats what my parents wanted more then anything before they died. They were even planning on brining up adopting you to you." Darry pleaded.

"I can't. It's my fault...it's just like-" Alice was suddenly cut off.

"COme on kid, we've got a room for you already. Ma set it up herself. Now you have to put good use to it or that'll be disrespectful." Sodapop smiled through tears as he stood next to Darry.

"We won't take no for an answer. It's either you come on your own or we'll just have to tie you down on a leash. We're all good guys here, 'sides, ma and dad saw you as the daughter they always wanted, so your like oursister now. So we can't let you on the streets." Ponyboy joined Soda.

She started to shake her head no but was brought inside anyways.

Alice has lived her for a month now. The courts let Darry take custody of Sodapop and Ponyboy. But they never found out about Alice. Which is nice. We got her smiling and all now, acting just like one of the guys. Only problem is Steve won't go nowhwere near her, and we still can't get her to talk much about her past, but the problem is this.

"Alice...what the hell did you do?" I gasped in shock.

TBC...

I know that was kinda short, and fast, but I'm trying to think of the best way to do what i'm thinking of next. I rushed this part mainly becuase there isn't much more to it. You'll have to trust me when I say the title of the story does in fact match the story, Sorry. Please review kk?