I froze on the spot and watched Ponyboy and Johnny head for home. Two-Bit put his arm around me and I didn't even shrug him off. I felt a tear slip down my face and I hurriedly wiped it away, I didn't want Two-Bit to see that I was upset.

"I don't act like my mom do I?" I asked him quietly as we began to walk home.

Two-Bit didn't answer at first. I didn't think he would until he spoke. "You know sometimes you do but it's not in a bad way or nothin' I mean the kid needs a mom its just you're his sister not his mom. I don't think he wants you to be that, that's all."

"Oh," I said softly biting my lip. "I don't mean to either but no one else ever forces him to not do things, I mean Darry tries but you've seen him, he doesn't do it right, he just yells,"

"And what was that then?" Two-Bit snorted.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Oh shut up."

"Fine,"

"Aw I didn't mean literally!" I laughed to him.

Two-Bit grinned down to me. "Good I wasn't gonna, so did ya tell Jason exactly what you thought?"

"I swore at him," I told Two-Bit flushing slightly.

"Pixie you didn't!" he cried out happily. "I didn't know you knew how to swear though,"

"Two-Bit!" I laughed. "Of course I can,"

"Uh huh sure," Two-Bit smirked.

I rolled my eyes and I lost my smile thinking about Ponyboy slightly. "So you reckon he really thinks I'm being like my mom?"

"I dunno," Two-Bit shrugged.

I bit my lip and sighed. I hoped he didn't. My mom was a great person. I could never live up to be even a little like her. I mean I was his sister, sometimes I acted motherly but I felt I had to; he needed some sort of woman in his life that wasn't a girlfriend or something. I hoped none of the others saw me trying to replace my mom, because I wasn't. Oh this was so weird.

"Hey Pixie I'll see you tomorrow," Two-Bit said suddenly, "You'll be fine walking home on your own right?"

I nodded and saw we had just passed the lot, I was only one block away from home, "I'll be fine okay, I'll see you later."

"Bye Pixiedust!" Two-Bit shouted loudly once I'd turned away.

I laughed and gave him a wave. Smiling at the thought of Two-Bit just grinning to himself on the way home made me laugh. Shaking my head I crossed my arms over my chest and I bit my lip again. I hated fighting with people, especially my brothers. I wanted to talk to him but I have a feeling I would be getting the cold shoulder for awhile, well at least for tonight.

Letting out another sigh I pushed open our gate and closed it silently. Walking up our porch I opened our front door and then walked into our lounge room to see Darry still up talking quietly to Sodapop. They both shut up as soon as they saw me. Weird.

"Hi guys," I sighed sitting on the couch next to Sodapop.

They looked at me and then looked to each other, sharing that brother look, you know the one where they don't know whether to talk to me in case it's a 'girl' issue, trust me I've seen many of those looks since I'd turned thirteen. But mom and I found them more funny than anything else.

But apparently whatever they were talking about was dropped for now, well at least while I was sitting there. I didn't mind, if Soda thought it was important I know he'd tell me, otherwise it was guy business, brother business, and if they didn't want me involved I wouldn't ask to be.

"You 'kay Pixie?" Soda asked me curiously trying to meet my eyes.

I bit my lip and looked at them, "Um I kinda had a fight with Ponyboy…" I trailed off, I knew I looked worried. I felt just awful.

"When did you see Ponyboy?" Darry demanded. Oh right I was meant to be at Bucks the whole night.

"Oh we left Bucks. It was way lame there," I told them, I think Darry looked relieved at that. "We went to the movies but when we left that's when I had it." I said pulling a face.

"Over what?" Sodapop asked me. "You never start fights,"

You know he was right there. I didn't. I barely ever did, and when I did it was never with my brothers at that. It was over Dally getting in too much trouble and worrying us. Two-Bit's drinking, Steve when he's sometimes a jerk and I once considered going over to tell Johnny's parents off, but Johnny looked so scared and so did the guys at what they might do. So Soda had to stick me in my room and wouldn't let me out until I calmed down. But anyway like I said he really did have a point.

"It wasn't with Pony at first," I sighed staring at my feet. "I told Two-Bit off,"

Darry smirked slightly; as well it was because Two-Bit I'd always bicker with, over the most stupid things too. "What did he do?"

"He gave Ponyboy a smashed pop bottle," I said simply looking up, "I mean okay there were two soc's there but for Christ's sakes he's only fourteen!"

"Socs." Sodapop repeated staring at me. "They were there why?"

"Oh I don't know!" I said shrugging. "All I saw was the damn bottle and I yelled at Two-Bit for giving it to Pony because he's only a kid and he shouldn't be encouraging him to fight."

"Yeah but Pixie they were socs," Soda told me slowly as if I was some sort of idiot. Apparently they all thought I was one when it came to physical fights. "They could have done something,"

"I doubt it."

"What did Ponyboy tell you Pixie?" Darry asked me.

I sighed slightly and pulled a face. "Told me he wasn't a kid and he could fight. Then I said something and he told me to shut up," I couldn't meet their faces then. "He told me to stop being like mom." They said nothing and I wiped at my face then. "But I'm not being like her. Honestly."

"We know Pixie." Darry said quietly. "But he's not that much of a kid. I don't want him fighting either but its not like we can stop him like our parents. We can try but if someone told me that at fourteen I would have ignored them too."

I sighed slightly. "I guess. But it's more the mom thing…"

"Your not being like her Pixie," Soda told me wrapping his arm around me. "She'd have murdered him, you only shouted a little."

I managed a slight smile then. "I guess. Oh you won't believe what jerk I saw tonight," I said rolling my eyes.

"Jason?" Darry demanded glancing to me after looking at the clock.

"Yup,"

"What did he want?" they both demanded looking rather angry.

I giggled slightly. "Don't worry. I only blackmailed him. And I kinda swore," I blushed but I was smiling happily.

Soda burst out laughing. "Trust you to be like that!"

"You know," Darry began.

"I'm fine Dar." I interrupted him throwing him a look. "If I need help I'll get back to you."

Darry glared at me slightly. "Do you know where Ponyboy went? It's almost curfew,"

I glanced at the clock then to Darry and shrugged. "No clue. I'm going to bed. If he's not here in an hour let me know, otherwise wake me if you all wish to die a horrible and miserable death."

"We love you too!" Soda called out grinning as I walked to the stairs.

I laughed and looked back. "I hate you too Sodapop Curtis!"

Soda grinned and I grinned back. Darry didn't find it remotely amusing, only the two of us ever did. The first time we did that my parents honestly thought I hated him but we both laughed and have used that ever since.

Looking at the clock once I shrugged and walked up the stairs and into my room. I saw my homework still sitting there completed. I pulled a face. It might be done but I did not like seeing it, not on a weekend at least, so I shoved it under my bed.

I considered actually going to bed but I knew my brothers would still tell me when he got home. So I just changed into a comfier t-shirt and put on a thicker jacket, I think it used to be Soda's, I'm not too sure. I had nearly all of their old jackets, even one of Ponyboy's amazingly. Since as Steve only so kindly points out to me, I'm a twig with a chest, you can bet Soda hit him awfully hard over the head for saying that. And I'm telling you I'm slightly amazed he didn't do the same to Dally or Two-Bit because they laughed and agreed. Instead he called them perverted and threatened to tell Darry and they shut up funnily enough.

I pulled my blankets over me and began reading. It was a pretty rubbish story actually, but I had to read it for English so I thought I'd get it over and done with. Apparently it was even more boring than I first thought because I soon fell asleep fully clothed and all. I was a pretty light sleeper so when I heard yelling downstairs I immediately woke up. What on earth was going on? Rubbing my eyes I put the book on my bed just in time to hear one of them shout out to Ponyboy. Okay this was way weird.

"What happened?" I demanded tying up my hair loosely as I came downstairs.

They both turned and stared at me. Neither of them said anything. Darry's mouth was wide open…that was rather odd. And Sodapop looked in shock anyway; I think he was figuring out if I'd seen anything or not.

"Helloo what happened here?" I asked them again my hands on my hips, "And was that Ponyboy?"

"He…he erm," Soda began looking red and frustrated. "Ponyboy just ran out,"

I nodded slightly, "Why?"

"Did I really do that?" Darry said barely louder than a whisper and sat down on the couch, his head in his hands.

I raised my brows. What on earth was going on here? I looked between the two of them and Pony had run out. I slowly formed a guess and felt tears sting my eyes, my mouth open slightly.

"Oh you didn't did you?" I whispered.

Darry glanced up. "Yeah."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As I opened them again I took another deep breath. Okay we had to act now. Get a plan…oh how could I be serious what the hell was going on!

"So he just ran then?"

"Yeah," Soda muttered staring at his feet.

"Look Pony's already pretty pissed with me, and I imagine he is with you too Darry, Soda you gotta find him," I demanded more than asked him.

Sodapop just stared at me. "What do you mean 'find him'?"

"He's out there on his own. If he does something stupid who knows what'll happen," I told him biting my lip nervously. "Someone has to find him."

"I think he should cool off," Sodapop told me rather than Darry who was just staring at the ground. "He might run off even if he sees me Pixie."

I looked devastated at the thought of him off on the streets alone but I really couldn't do much about it without totally proving to Ponyboy that I was acting like our mom. Sighing I sat down on the couch and Sodapop sat in between Darry and me.

I began to cry. I don't know why I just did. It was all just happening. What did any of us do to deserve this life? It wasn't fair. I wanted to voice those thoughts but Soda just put his arm around me and I curled up against him and cried myself to sleep.