Where Have You Been All My Life?

AN: Hey everybody! I'm finally updating! I think I will be updating alot in the next 2 weeks, or at least I hope. I have thought of 3 more Harry Potter stories I'm going to write, so I would like to get this Outsiders story done and then go into Harry Potter mode. So I'm going to try to get this story done soon. It probably will be done before the end of September, maybe even before that. Well, here's the 5th chapter of my story. It will be showing some of the people of Ann's past. So Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Old Friends And A Road Trip

Ann's PoV

It had been a few days since the inccedent in the park had happened. Everybody was worried sick about Johnny and Ponyboy. Dally had been taken into the police office for questioning, since he is oh so notorious for making trouble. He gave the cops a big load of crap. Something about Johnny and Pony going to Texas. Two-Bit was set on going to Texas to find the boys. I'm terrified that the fuzz will find them and Johnny will be put in the cooler, even though he killed the Soc on self defense. Like anyone would believe Johnny's side anyway. The Socs get away with everything, I mean EVERYTHING, and why? Because they have all the money in the god damed world. And what will happen to Ponyboy if he's caught? He will probably be thrown in a boy's home. They don't desirve any of this. This was all caused by those good for nothing Socs. Fucking rich bastards! Nothing is sacred anymore. Nothing. Society has been thrown down the drain, as will Ponyboy and Johnny's innocent lives if they are caught.

Everyday it gets harder and harder for me to pretend as if I know nothing of Johnny and Pony's where-abouts. When I'm at work at the DX, I can see how sad and worrisome and lonely Sodapop is, and it kills me to see him like that. He's the happy-go-lucky type of guy, not the lonesome kind. I want to tell Soda everything I know, but Dallas says he's gunna butcher me if I do. So that's a negative on plan Tell Soda. I just wish there was something I could do for him... Oh! That letter! Sodapop had written a letter to Ponyboy, and asked Dally to make sure Pony got it. Dallas said that he didn't know where Ponyboy or Johnny were, so Soda just left the note on the end table in the livingroom. I'll go over there, pocket the note, and make Dally give it to Pony, or else. Well, I don't think threatening Dally will do anything other than give him a laugh, but I'll try to make him give Ponyboy the letter from Sodapop.

Regular PoV

Ann went over to the Curtis's house a half hour later, to leave for work with Sodapop and Steve. Ann waited in the livingroom for the boys to finish getting ready. Soda was looking for his DX hat and Steve was looking for a way to swipe some of Darry's baccon. Nobody was looking, so Ann took the letter and put it in the pocket of her fading jeans. Steve and Soda finally were ready to leave and Ann left with them to the DX.

After a grease-filled work day, Ann went over to the Curtis's home to see if Dallas was there. He wasn't. Ann went over to Bucks and knocked on the door Dallas slept in, but he wasn't there either. Ann walked to the Dingo and didn't see Dally anywhere, so she took a break and got a Coke. After Ann finished her drink, she decided just to walk back to Bucks and rest for a few. On the way, Ann saw Dallas talking with a very familiar guy. She walked over and tapped the boy she used to know on the back. He turned around and when he saw Ann, he looked surprised.

He smiled and said, "Well, well, well. If it isn't little Ann Mele. Not so little anymore, are you? I haven't seen you around since Todd ran off to New York. How you been?"

Ann smiled back at him, "I'm doing okay. I've been hanging around with Dallas here, and the Curtis's and those guys since the fire at my house. My parents were in it. They didn't make it out."

"Sorry about that Ann. I heard about it and I kept wondering if you ran of to live with Todd or if you got thrown in a girls home. But I guess you decided to stick around old Tulsa, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Dally, who had been standing around looking confused, finally got in the conversation, "Wait. Shepard, you know Ann? How?"

Tim smirked and said, "Her brother used to hang with my gang, and Ann was basically attatched to Todd by the hip. She was always hanging around with us, but the last time I saw you, Ann, I think you were 13 or somethin', right?"

Ann smiled at the old memories, "Yeah. I was around that age. That was a little while after you taught me and Angela how to fight. Boy, was that a mistake. Every time we started to argue, we would try to beat each other up. I bet I could still beat Angie's ass. Is she around? What about Curly? Is he here?"

"Curly's inside, but Angela's out. You should go say hi to Curly. I bet he misses you. You guys were almost as inseperable and you and Todd."

Ann smiled, "Yeah, I'll go say hi to him. Dally, come get me before you leave. I have to talk to you about something."

Dallas nodded.

"It was real cool seeing you again. I'll see you around," Tim told Ann.

She nodded and said, "You can count on it Shep."

Ann walked into the Shepard's house and went to Curly's door. She knocked on it, but got no answer. After knocking once more, Ann decided to just walk in. She opened the door and saw Curly Shepard sleeping in his bed. His room was messy and littered with bottles of booze and soda. Ann could not at all believe that Curly was still sleeping when it was 2:00 in the afternoon. She tipp-toed over to the side on the bed that Curly was facing and carefully got into that side of the bed.

Ann shook the sleeping teen and said, "Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Time to wake up."

Curly stirred and when he opened his eyes and saw Ann laying in bed next to him, he jumped out of bed and fell on the floor.

Ann laughed, sat up in the bed, and said, "You look like you saw a ghost."

Curly rubbed his eyes, looked at Ann, and then got on his feet, "Ann? What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I know. It's almost been three years. I was looking for Dally. When I saw that he was talking to Tim, I just had to come and see you guys. How ya been doin'?"

"I'm fine, but what about you? I heard about your parents and everything. Where are you staying? How you holding up?" Curly asked as he sat down next to Ann on the bed.

"I've been doing okay, I guess. I've been hanging around with Dally's gang. I'm workin' as a mechanic at the DX and I'm staying in one of Buck's rooms. I'm holdin' up pretty good."

"That's good. You were always strong like that. It was like you could take on anything. Especially Angela," Curly said, chuckling at the last part.

Ann laughed, "Yeah, I kinda miss kicking her ass. I missed you so much Curly. You were my best friend. And you look so different too. you're taller and more muscular and..." Ann was looking Curly up and down. That's when she realized that he was only wearing a pair of black boxer-breifs. She blushed and forced herself to look at Curly's face, and Curly's face only.

Curly smirked and said, "Oh come on Ann. We've seen each other COMPLETELY naked before. We even went skinny-dipping at night together."

Ann looked slightly appauled, "You are making it seem as if that actually meant something! We were 7 when we saw each other naked and it was because we were soaked from playing with the hose and that was the only room to change in. And we went skinny-dipping when we were 9. We both had nothing to look at then. We were too young and didn't even care about that stuff."

Then Curly muttered, "And I still have nothing to look at."

Ann playfully punched him on the arm, "Hey! I look so much more different than I used to. I'm almost as tall as you are now."

"Yeah, but I bet you're still as ticklish as you used to be," Curly said with a mischeivious grin on his face.

"Curly, if you even try to tickle me I will--" Ann was cut off Curly tickling her stomach. Ann was laughing uncontrollably. She and Curly were rolling around in bed, and tickling each other, like old times.

Then a voice spoke, "Well, if you two are done messin' around, I'm leaving, so Ann should come with me."

Ann looked at Dallas and blushed. Only God knew what he thought when he saw Curly and Ann in that situation. Ann hugged Curly and said good bye.

Once Ann and Dally were outside Dallas said, "Get in the car." He was talking about the car that was parked in the Shepard's driveway. Tim's car.

"Why are we taking Tim's car? Where are we going?" Ann asked.

"I convinced Shepard to let me borrow it, while you were hittin' it off with Curly," Dally answered, with a smug look on his face.

"It wasn't like that. We were just playing around," Ann told him.

"Yeah, whatever. Well, get in. We're goin' on a... road trip."

AN: So, that was Chapter 5. What did you think of it? Did you like it? Well, REVIEW! NO FLAMES!