I'm revamping this story because I felt bad leaving it despite need for editing and the fact that I forgot a few things involving plot. And it's been nominated for an award at Wrong Side of the Track Awards for best addition (aka oc) so I felt like it should be a better example of writing.
Don't own the Outsiders or any characters therein. Don't sue me, I only have a fat beagle…
This story will eventually contain slash, boy hearts boy type material, not yet but it does in later chapters. Please don't hate or flame me, okay? I'll give you cookies if you're nice…
Ponyboy didn't walk to the movies anymore. He didn't hang out with the gang as much either. He rode to the movies and spent time with a new friend. Ponyboy watched him as he stayed silent throughout the movie. Ponyboy liked going to the movies with him. It didn't bother him to have Justin with him because Justin was quiet and Ponyboy couldn't put himself in movies anymore. He wondered why he even went. Then he remembered watching the emerald green eyes turn to his as the credits rolled and knew.
Ponyboy was nervous about Justin meeting his brothers and the gang. Justin wasn't a typical Greaser or a typical anything. The only thing he knew for sure about Justin was that he was beautiful. Ponyboy cursed using that word but his vocabulary couldn't define what exactly caused his stomach to flutter at the sight of the black haired, emerald-eyed boy that spent so much time listening to Ponyboy.
But he didn't feel that way about Justin. No. He just felt a real connection to someone for the first time since Johnny and Dally died. And he wanted the gang to feel it or at least understand it too.
He felt bad about not knowing much about Justin but Justin reassured him that he didn't have much to tell. Ponyboy felt there was something, just as dark, tainted and painful as Johnny and Dally, lurking in Justin's past. He didn't ask often.
(la la la break in text here)
Justin let Ponyboy drive his truck and Ponyboy drove to his house. Darry was home and sitting on the porch with Soda. Two Bit and Steve were probably inside. Ponyboy sighed.
"Are you okay Pony?" Justin blinked.
"Yeah. Let's go." Ponyboy got out as Justin slid from his truck, tossing him the keys and stealing glances at him as odd rays of evening sun caught his eyes, making him blink. He was real nervous about Darry meeting Justin because Justin was a little edgy around bigger guys. Not scared, but he wouldn't let anyone mess with him. Pony knew from firsthand experience, seeing Justin shove a guy with a good forty pounds on him against a locker.
"Pony, aren't you young to be driving?" Darry asked, standing up and barely registering the new face. Ponyboy lead the way and Justin kept the same calm, stoic expression he reserved for strangers.
"It's all right Darry." Pony said. Darry blinked and leaned on the porch railing.
"Be careful, especially in some one else's car. Who is this?" Darry turned his icy eyes to Justin and Justin returned his gaze. Pony wondered if they'd get along since they both had that icy glare, emerald and sapphire gazes interlocking.
"This is Justin. This are my brothers Darry and Sodapop."
"Hey Justin." Soda nodded and called for Steve and Two Bit. Darry offered his hand and Justin took it, ignoring the grip implemented to make him flinch.
"Hey guys, this is Justin. Justin, this is Steve and Two Bit." Steve and Two Bit made some sort of acknowledgement and a moment was spent with the gang sizing Justin up. Ponyboy didn't want to know what they were thinking.
Soda and Steve exchanged glances and Steve rolled his eyes. Justin wasn't much of a Greaser. He was thin, high cheekbones that made him look like one of those magazine models, no hair grease and his eyes were almost feminine for the depth of their hue. Steve didn't even know why Pony bothered to bring him over here. Maybe he was tougher than he looked. Little guys were usually scrappy.
Soda couldn't help stare at Justin's bottle green eyes. He seemed dormant. Waiting for something to spark his life again. His eyes were the only things that struck Soda as truly alive.
Two Bit yawned as the other gang members sized Justin up. He'd seen Justin with Pony before. They seemed to get along well and Pony needed someone who could be quiet and listen. Two Bit lacked that skill but he watched Justin and admired his stillness as he turned to watch the sun set.
Darry wondered why Pony had such strange friends now. He didn't hang out at home as much or with the gang and was gone a lot. This was the only new friend they'd met. He wondered who else would follow the thin black haired boy with cold eyes. He wondered what this boy would mean for their gang. They didn't need a green-eyed boy if he was going to cause trouble.
"Are you ready to work on that story for English Pony?" Justin asked. He seemed a little less calm now that the stand and stare period had extended into a few minutes of silence.
"Yeah. We're going to work in my room, give us a holler if you guys need anything." Pony said.
"Work out in the living room with us. We'll watch Mickey Mouse." Two Bit said, chugging a soda he took from Soda's hand.
"Yeah, come on, we barely see you anymore kid." Steve said.
"Come on Pony." Soda said, smiling.
"Is that all right with you Justin?" Pony asked.
"Sure." Justin said, noting the still palpable stares from the gang members.
"Just make sure you're working." Darry said, blinking at the green-eyed boy.
They settled in the living room, Steve and Soda playing cards and Two Bit stretched on the couch while Pony and Justin leaned against the couch on the floor, looking over a pile of papers. Darry sat in the armchair and read the paper.
"You should number your pages on the final draft Pony. Your teacher is real particular." Justin said, sorting through the random papers.
"Yeah, I have the first few numbered. Here." Pony said. Justin took them and started reading.
"Last time I checked you didn't need help in English Pony." Darry said, blinking at Justin as he eased onto his stomach on the carpet.
"I just want this one to be real good Darry. And Justin isn't just here to help me with school, we hang out a lot." Pony said.
"Does this mean you'll be here all night working on schoolwork and talking about girls? Sounds down right fun." Steve said, rolling his eyes.
"Laugh all you want, Justin is smarter than you and gets better grades." Pony said.
"You even bother keeping track of your grades?" Two Bit laughed.
"He's got all As. It wouldn't take him all night to help me with school." Pony said, trying to grin.
"Hey, don't bring up that time Two Bit tried to teach you how to make excuses for not doing homework." Soda said. Justin chuckled as he read. He could imagine Two Bit's excuses could be very convincing.
"So do you live with your folks Justin?" Darry asked.
"No."
"Who do you live with then?" Two Bit asked. He seemed surprised. In Tulsa, no matter what your parents did, you usually couldn't just leave them. Even if you could, most gang members, tuffness aside, couldn't.
"I rent a room in some guys house. I need to move out soon though." Soda handed him a soda and stepped over him to continue a game of poker.
"Why? Seems like a good deal to me. Hell I'm tempted to have you sign me up." Steve said.
"If it'd get you outta my house a little more often I wouldn't mind either." Darry said. Steve rolled his eyes. He knew Darry didn't really mind.
"It's not a living arrangement I would recommend." Justin stretched and Two Bit sat on the floor beside him, sitting and leaning on Justin as Justin remained on his stomach.
"Why'd you leave your parents' house then?" Darry asked. Justin didn't meet his eyes but continued shuffling papers.
"That is a loaded question. Is this your second draft Pony?" Justin asked.
"First." Pony said.
"Looks good so far." Justin smiled.
"What all happened?" Soda asked, blinking at Justin as he stretched. He asked so Darry wouldn't get a chance to mutter something about being rebuffed.
"My parents split and so did I." Justin said.
"Didn't wanna live with either of them?" Two Bit asked.
"Hell no." Justin said, still reading.
"Problems at home?" Darry asked, even though it was more of a question as to the seriousness of said problems since they obviously existed.
"He's the type to have problems with his folks, aren't you? Staying out late with girls?" Two Bit prodded Justin and Justin smiled.
"I had a problems with my parents and I solved it the only way I could." Justin said.
"Running from a problem doesn't usually solve it." Darry said. Justin shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't say I ran from it. And it's only measurably better now." Justin said.
"How so?" Steve asked.
"I rent the guy's spare bedroom and he watches videos from the adult only section late at night. At a very inappropriate volume level." Justin shuddered. Darry peered at Justin from the top of his paper.
"Are you serious?" Soda asked.
"Yes." Two Bit broke out into laughter.
"Hey, you aren't paying for them-"
"Two Bit!" Soda smacked Two Bit and he kept laughing.
"Sounds like a good quality home. Much better than your parents?" Darry said.
"Much. And they aren't the type I would pay for Two Bit." Justin chuckled.
"This one is a keeper. Who is making dinner in this joint?" Two Bit asked.
"Darry and I made it last night. It's your turn. Pony, will you go help him and make sure he doesn't start a fire?" Soda asked.
"All right." Pony said as Two Bit pulled him up.
Darry took his reading glasses off and turned the lamp off. He moved to the couch, watching the slight boy move from his path.
"Hey, take a break and sit on the couch." Darry said. His gruff commands didn't register as a threat to Justin but he was wary of the built man. Justin got up, stretching before sitting a safe distance from Darry.
"Hey, I didn't mean to offend you." Justin said.
"What did you say that would've offended me?" Darry met his eyes and noted a glitter of something strange in his eyes at direct eye contact.
"A lot of people would do anything to have their parents back. It seems assine that I ran from them, especially if I don't tell you why. So, I probably seem like an ass." Justin said, smiling to keep a tremor of terror from griping him. Darry had one hell of a stare.
"I knew people would give anything to ditch their parents too. You haven't said anything that would offend a priest. Want me to look over whatever you're doing?" Darry asked.
"I'm done with Pony's. You can look at my math homework if you want. I don't mind the help." Justin rolled his eyes and bent to his backpack, his shirttail sliding higher and exposing a tattoo on the boy's back. Darry's stomach clenched. He refocused his thoughts on math.
"Not fond of math?" Darry asked.
"Not especially." Justin handed him two sheets of paper, the problems and his hand written solutions.
"You have nice hand writing. It's a lot like my mom's." Justin chuckled.
"I get that a lot." Darry looked over the numbers and saw a step missing in nearly every problem.
"You're missing a step. Here, let me show you." Justin handed him a pencil and came closer.
"Damn. I did that wrong in every problem." Justin said.
"Better I tell you than your teacher, right?" Darry said.
"Yeah." Justin said. Soda settled down beside Justin and looked at the math.
"Whoa. That's way beyond me." Soda said.
"It's beyond me too, I just bull shit my way through classes." Justin said, rolling his eyes.
"Don't knock it, it's a valuable skill." Soda said.
"You have no idea."
Author: I just edited most of this, some grammar and word issues resolved, the plotline is almost exactly the same and I added some stuff I neglected in the first version…
If you kinda like the style but despise ocs, go read my other fic, it's a Darry Dally pairing, called Dreams and Promises, two chapters, short, sweet and lemony… Click on my profile… Go… Please?