"Pixie!" Sodapop screamed out at me. "Pixie Elizabeth you ain't skipping are you? You little rebel!" he shouted out roaring with laughter.

"Never knew she had a rebellious streak in her!" Steve Randle cried out cracking up himself.

I spun around and stormed across the street to the DX and crossed my arms across my chest.

"Do you have any idea what those bastards tried doing on Friday night?" I demanded my face blazing.

Steve and Sodapop glanced at each other warily and I saw my twin gulp lightly. "Um what Pixie?" Sodapop asked me.

"They were trying to drown Ponyboy!" I cried out angrily. "Can you believe that! They were provoked! I mean its not like they ever would kill one on purpose anyway but they goddamn gave me proof by telling me! But can you believe it?" I said ranting. "Trying to drown a fourteen year old! What sort of people are they? They are sick bastards they should've died with their friend! Then they said we don't even deserve the air to breathe! Can you believe it?"

Sodapop place his hands on both my shoulders and stared me in the eye. "Pixie number one take a breath," I scowled at him. "Number two you make no sense, what do you mean they told you?" I sighed impatiently. "And number three are you seriously skipping? Miss Goody-Two-Shoes?" I rolled my eyes.

"Number one I am breathing," Sodapop snorted at me. "Number two I make perfect sense, if you'll let me explain." Sodapop and Steve shared a look as if to say 'Sense? She has sense?' I've seen that look before trust me. "And number three I'm not a goody goody!"

Steve burst out laughing. "Now that's a lie."

"Okay I am a little,"

"A little?" Steve smirked. "Try a whole lot!"

"Shut up Randle I wanna know why she's talking like a crazy person!" Sodapop said hushing his best friend.

"She is crazy," Steve said trying to cover it with a cough but I hit his arm and he at least had the decency to not retort.

"Anyway spill it Pixie, we ain't got all day,"

"Fine." I said bitterly sitting down on the curb. "One of those socs, that Randy guy, do you know him Steve?"

"Mmm." He mumbled impatiently.

"Well he found me on the way to my locker,"

"He didn't touch you did he?" Sodapop demanded.

I glared at him. "Do you wanna know or what?" He scowled at me but said nothing. "He found me and began talking to me, I was trying to ignore him 'cause why should I talk to him? Only there was 'bout five of them and one of me,"

"Those -" Steve began but Sodapop slammed him hard in the ribs before he could finish.

"He said," I whispered. "He said he was killed in cold blood. But they, J-Johnnycakes and P-Ponyboy, were provoked," I said my eyes big as I looked up at them. "Told me they were gonna drown Pon, Johnny you know after that."

"Serious?" Sodapop asked in a soft voice.

I nodded weakly. "I slapped him one when those cheerleaders Sherri and Marcia came along."

"What'd they say?"

"Told 'em to back off," I said sighing slightly. "She looked bad I guess, seeing as her boyfriend was dead, good of her to be a spy then again. They left after that, the girls I mean, the boys left too. But I called back to Randy."

"Why?" Steve asked his face screwed up in confusion and disgust. "Why would you wanna talk to that slime?"

"I punched him." I admitted with a slight smile. "Then I left. You should've heard 'em Sodapop," I said frowning sadly. "Oh they were just awful, I've never felt so dirty and so bad about who I am in my whole life. The things they said," I said holding back my tears. "It was as if we should all be dead, like we don't belong. And it seemed so convincing," I whispered as Sodapop squeezed my hand.

"Aw Pixie don't listen to any of that crap," Steve told me. "We all know it ain't the truth, what they say means nothing at all."

" I know,"

"See I knew you shouldn't have gotten involved," Sodapop sighed loudly getting off the curb and helping me up, "You get too upset Pixie, y'know you do so next time just don't."

"I didn't think they'd be that bad though!" I wailed as Sodapop rolled his eyes slightly. "Oh come off it Sodapop you don't go to our school you can't possibly imagine what I went through." I told him my eyes blazing slightly.

"Yeah well I'm sure there just the same as they are out here Pixie, and that ain't the point," Sodapop said sounding kinda angry. And well he doesn't exactly get angry either so you can bet I was listening. "I told you not to go get involved Pix and you get involved!" My face turned a shade or two darker than I would've wanted and Steve was eyeing us. "Seriously Pix I just want you to stay safe, please just stay out o it," Soda said looking pleading at me.

I bit my lip. Did I really have to? But his eyes were on me, they were pleading, damn him! He knows how to make me give in! "I'll try," I whispered slightly peeved.

"Good, looks like Matthews stalked ya down," Sodapop said pointing to Two-Bit's car which skidded to a stop outside the DX and he hopped out grinning slightly.

"Did you seriously punch him?" He demanded grinning toothily. "Or is Cherry making up lies to our class?"

I smiled slightly. "Perhaps,"

"Aw no way Pixie! Serious?"

I avoided his eyes but couldn't wipe the smile off of my face and Two-Bit roared with laughter.

"Didn't know your sister had it in her!"

Steve laughed. "Neither did I 'til she punched me once,"

"When?" Sodapop and I both demanded.

Steve shrugged. "Awhile back, you sure were mad that day, but it didn't help that Dally egged you on to hit me."

"Did it hurt?" Two-Bit asked with a smirk.

"No she's a chick!"

"No I'm a man," I said rolling my eyes and Sodapop stared at me weirdly and I giggled. "It was a joke guys! A joke! Don't you think mom would've mentioned it?" I laughed.

"I'm beginning to suspect things," Sodapop said cautiously staring at me.

I laughed and hit him softly. "Soda!"

"I'm joking! Jesus Christ woman!"

I giggled. "You damn well better be," I threatened and Sodapop laughed with me. "Anyway I think I'm gonna head home with the maniac, I'll see you later I suppose,"

"Bye Pixie!" Sodapop hollered as I stepped into Two-Bit's car. "Now you two behave yourselves!" He apparently thought he was funny as he as laughing loudly and even Steve had a bit of a smile on him before he disappeared into the garage.

I rolled my eyes and quickly did up the seat belt as Two-Bit has a lead foot and I was instantly thrown back against the seat at the pure speed he was going. I couldn't even turn my head to glare at him and I was too lazy to bother with shouting at him. Probably should have but as he stopped at our house I'd made it alive no point in shouting now…I'd save it for next time instead, I thought grinning wickedly to myself. He'd never know what hit him.

"You're awful quiet today y'know," Two-Bit said breaking through my thoughts as we walked up to my house. "School really that bad Pixiedust?"

"Well it was hardly good now was it?" I said with a slight shrug. "No quieter than normal Matthews, you just ain't paying much attention, go back to Mickey," I told him flicking on the TV as I walked past it.

"Aw just wanna get rid of me now?" Two-Bit cried out sitting down on the ground in front of the TV.

Rolling my eyes I sauntered into the kitchen. "Pretty much," I called back to see Dallas sitting at our kitchen table his eyes on me. I raised my brows. "What do you want Dally?"

"You." He smirked as I slipped into a seat and pulled a disgusted face.

"Stop being gross," I told him straight out. "You're a brother. And I know you're full of shit too."

"How do you know?" Dally asked me his eyes sparkling.

"I don't. I guessed. And I'm right." I said with a self-satisfied smirk.

Dally smiled coldly. "Yeah you always apparently are."

"Duh." I said resting my head in my palms. "Get to the point now please. Until you tell me where Johnny and Pony are I'm not gonna be nice to you."

"Well ya better start being nice to me then Curtis 'cause I'm taking you to them tomorrow, got it?" He demanded in a low voice. My mouth dropped open and I stared at him. "That'll be a yes you'll come then I take it. Tell no one about it okay, just say you've gone to see Two-Bit's sister or something for the day."

I was slightly puzzled. "Why am I gonna go see 'em? And you do know," I said happily.

"'Course I did. And you'll never leave me alone 'til you do see them, and you're the only one that'll keep your trap shut." He said scraping his chair as he stood up. "Be ready by eight okay?"

"'Kay," I said softly looking him in the eye. "Thanks Dal, you're not all that bad when you wanna be." I smiled and Dally shook his head with a smirk. "Honest. But learn that I'm always right,"

"Sure you're always right," Dally laughed walking to our back door. "Just keep quiet, okay?"

"Uh huh," I said with a happy grin.

I watched Dally Winston disappear from our house and as soon as he left and I knew he'd be out of earshot I began shrieking and crying out like a crazy person. I was so delighted. They were both alright and I was gonna get to see them! I was ecstatic about it all but of course everyone else thought I was crazy. I wasn't. But I was going to get to see Ponyboy! I only wish I could've told Sodapop, he looks more and more broken as each day passes. He'd see Ponyboy soon enough…I mean how long could you hide out for?