READ CHAPTER 4 BEFORE YOU READ THIS! I FIXED CHAPTER 4!

Chapter Five:

Suze practically skipped home. She had plans for tonight, she had found someone she could relate to…and she had two juvenile delinquent ghosts to worry about. She stopped skipping.

She slammed the door behind her when she got home. "Susannah! How many times have I told you, DON'T SLAM THE DOOR!" Jan screamed from the kitchen.

Suze rolled her eyes and ignored her mother. Charlie came running in and caught hold of Suze's leg. Suze stumbled and almost fell over, grabbing the banister of the stairs just in time.

"Jeez, Charlie! Way to make me trip!" Suze teased him. Charlie giggled and ran back into the kitchen.

Suze ran upstairs, banging into Ryan. She grimaced at him, saying with a bittersweet sarcasm, "So sorry, Ryan." Ryan started to tell her off, but she pushed past him and slammed her bedroom door behind her.

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Ryan thundered into the kitchen with a heavy sigh. Jan rolled her eyes, chopping the carrots on the board rather violently. Charlie attempted to stuff three Oreos into his mouth. "Suze just won't accept me," Ryan lamented.

Jan sighed. "She was very close to Harry," she said softly, referring to Suze's father. "She's just like him. Having her around is just like having him around. And he was very stubborn," Jan added quietly.

"What can we do?" Ryan asked. "We're going to have to get along sometime. I just wish I knew how to get her to like me."

Jan stopped chopping and glared at Ryan. "Ryan!" she scolded. "How many times have I told you? Let her accept you by herself! And while you're at it, don't try to be her buddy, or her father for that matter. Be…authority. Like one of her teachers."

Ryan sat, mulling it over. Would she really listen to him?

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Suze flopped on her bed and covered her face with her hands. What the hell am I supposed to do about Johnny and Dallas? She groaned inwardly.

"Hi," someone said softly in her ear. Suze, not expecting that, panicked, shrieked, and promptly fell off her bed.

She straightened up and narrowed her eyes at the ghost before her. "Alright, what's the big idea?" she demanded.

Johnny shuffled his transparent feet sheepishly. "Just coming by, ya know, to say hi…" he said, feeling embarrassed. He blushed bright transparent red.

Suze shrugged. "Whatever you say, man," she said casually. She swung her straight hair back. It bothered the hell out of her, but she couldn't find an elastic band for the life of her.

Johnny caved. "Alright. Have you got a lead yet?" he asked. Suze shook her head no while saying, "Yes." Johnny gaped at her. "Huh?" he said stupidly.

Suze sighed. Tulsa was a long way from Homer Glen. "It means, I haven't got anything yet, but I might find out more soon. I'm going with him to the Dingo tonight," she explained.

Johnny's eyes widened. "You mean a date?" he exclaimed, half laughing. "Wow. Pony's finally got a date!"

Suze gave him a look. "It's NOT a date. We're going as friends. And some other people might be coming too, like Two-Bit, or what's-his-name…" she protested. Johnny just laughed harder.

Suze clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. Johnny should have recognized the danger signs, but was too busy laughing.

Suze had had enough. She marched up to Johnny and gave him a good hard shove. He stumbled back and fell through the wall, cursing as mildly and politely as only Johnny could.

"Darn you to heck!"

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Suze bothered to comb her hair and change into her good jeans before leaving for the Dingo. She even attempted to flip her hair like all the "nice" girls did around here, but it ended up as straight as ever.

Typical, Suze groused. I hate my hair. She grabbed her keys, a few dollars, her old denim jacket, and slid down the rickety old banister to the front door.

"I'm going out!" she hollered into the kitchen. "I'll be back by eleven!"

Ryan appeared at the kitchen door. "Suze," he said sternly, "I don't think it's a good idea if you go out tonight."

Suze made a face at him. "You're not my father," she snarled. "I don't have to listen to you," she snapped, before slamming the door behind her.

Ryan sighed. So much for authority, he thought glumly.

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Suze ran to the Dingo, cutting it pretty close to eight. She scanned the crowds until she saw the back of Pony's half reddish brown, half bleached blond head.

She ran over and sat down next to him. "Hey," she greeted. He looked over at her and grinned. "Hey," he said, smiling almost shyly.

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Johnny sat, invisible, a row behind them, smiling slightly. It was obvious the Pony liked her, but Suze seemed to be completely oblivious to that.

Dally flopped down next to him. "Hey, Johnnycakes. What's up?"

Johnny pointed to Ponyboy, who was currently debating whether or not he should put his arm around Suze.

Dally laughed. "Wow. That's twisted. Our mediator chick's going with Ponyboy." Johnny grinned. "She denies it," he said. Dally just shook his head amusedly.

Presently he yawned and stretched, knocking Johnny in the head. "Hey, watch it!"

"Why was your head in the way of my arm?" Dally sneered. Johnny shrugged. He was used to Dally, and knew by now not to take it personally.

"I'm going for some popcorn," Dally said. "I'm starved." Johnny stared at him. "But we don't eat!" he exclaimed. Dally shrugged. "So? I still want some popcorn."

He flew over to the popcorn stand and helped himself.

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Ponyboy finally got the courage to put his arm around Suze's shoulders. She smiled slightly.

The moment was ruined by a shrill scream coming from the popcorn stand. Suze and Ponyboy's heads whipped around simultaneously. Ponyboy rubbed his neck, grimacing. He had given himself a crick.

Angela Shepard screamed again, pointing at a bag overflowing with popcorn. It was floating in midair.

"The Dingo is HAUNTED!" she screamed.

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Dallas froze, glancing at the popcorn he was holding. "Whoops."

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People screamed and ran like the scaredy-cats they were. "Oh, no," Suze whispered. She felt someone grab her hand and pull her up.

"Come on!" Ponyboy yelled, dragging her along. Suze went along with him. Glancing back, she saw Johnny sinking down in his seat, embarrassed, before fading.

She also saw a sheepish looking Dallas, who caught her eye and shrugged, fading. The popcorn fell to the ground, but the Dingo was cleared out.

The night was dark and silent, and the wind sighed, slapping Suze's face as she ran along with Ponyboy.

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Three streets down, Suze slowed down. "Why are you still running?" she demanded. Ponyboy stopped, embarrassed.

They walked to Ponyboy's house in silence. "Well," Suze said, breaking the silence. "Sorry the night was ruined." And when I get done with Dally, he'll be sorry too, she thought viciously.

Pony shrugged. "It wasn't so bad, except I didn't get to do what I wanted to," he said shyly. Suze met his steady gaze.

"What was that?" Suze asked softly. Oh, god, what's wrong with me? I'm acting like a, a, a, a girl! Well, duh, I am one.

Suze pushed away her cluttered thoughts and tried to focus. Pony was blushing like a tomato. He leaned over, gave her a quick kiss, said "Goodnight" hurriedly and ducked inside.

Suze stood on his front porch for a couple of minutes, grinning like an idiot. She finally managed to stagger off the front steps and run home with the wind.

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Ponyboy watched her run. Halfway down the street, she leapt up into the air, whooping and a breeze dancing with her hair. He smiled slightly. Then she was gone. Gone with the wind.

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I thought this might be a nice place to end it. The chapter, I mean. Not the story. Review, please.

Don't expect another chapter for a while. I have school, and I'm joining three clubs, and schoolwork, and a bunch of other crap to worry about. Like making friends, since we just moved.