I wake up slowly; stretching and yawning. It's still dark outside, to my surprise. Immediately I feel a strange sense. Something like I'm at peace for the moment, but I know it's only a distraction from my true feelings. The memories of last night are fresh in my mind, and I try not to let myself care. Ponyboy should be out of the picture by now. No, not him. I should be out of the picture. I blew up on him, and subsequently outed myself, and then forced Dally to kiss me. Well, the first kiss was forced. The rest were his idea, and they were long, slow, and passionate. But it was weird. It didn't feel passionate as in romantic, more so just comforting. I turn to look at Dallas, only to find him already awake, and staring at me. "When'd you wake up?" I ask.

He turns over on his back and shruggs. "Not that long ago. Phone kept ringing, woke me up. Probably what woke you up too." His voice is deep and rough, obviously filled with sleep. He stares at the ceiling for a little bit longer before speaking. "God I wish I had a weed. Left them all in the car. Meant to bring them in, but-"

"I can get it," I sit up. "just tell me where at in the car and I'll get them."

"You're okay walking outside by yourself?" He asks, but his tone of voice implies that he doesn't really care. It's more like he's making fun of me. "I know you jump at your own shadow." He mocks me again. Im confused and unsure why he's acting like this towards me, but I try to brush it off.

"Yeah I'll be fine." I nod and turn, walking out the door. I guess it's around midnight, but that doesn't stop people from being inside the bar, doing stuff like drinking and gambling. It was quieter than normal, but this is about as quiet as Buck's place got. It was rarely empty. There was always someone here.

I slip outside, shivering at the cold air, and open up Dally's car. Well, it was one of Buck's, but Dally drove it, and he didn't like anybody else driving it. I look around, not able to find the pack of cigarettes. I check the glove box, dash board, and the sun visor. When I pull down the visor, something fluttered down to my lap. I pick it up and see that it's a picture. I would have thought it was a picture that was in here even before Dally started driving the car, except it was a photo of me and Dally. I remember when it had been taken, way back when the Curtis parents were still alive. I guess I was around six or seven.

It was Halloween, and my parents hadn't cared enough to get me a costume. I was pretty upset about it, especially when I had went over to their house and seen that everyone else had a costume. I guess that Dally had noticed, because he talked to Mrs. Curtis for a few minutes in the kitchen and then came out with a white sheet, a marker, and scissors. "C'mere Johnny, I'll make you a costume." My face broke out into a grin as he threw the sheet on top of me. "Where are your eyes.." he mumbled. "Oh here they are." He drew a circle around them.

I flipped up the sheet to where you could see my face, but it was still resting on top of my head. "Gee thanks Dal. This'll be the best Halloween ever." I never talked back then, so a sentence that long was real good for me.

Mrs. Curtis walked over with a camera. "Johnny, Dally, smile." I gave a shy grin and Dally just gave his New York stare. Even when he was seven, he was still cold and mean. That was one of the last times I had seen Dally before he moved back to New York for a little bit.

I miss that day. Things were simpler back then. I sigh and put the photograph back where I found it, continuing to look for the pack of Kools. I spot it in the floorboard, grab them, and hurry back inside. When I walk back in the room, Dally frowns at me. "What the hell took you so long?"

"I found that old picture of us in the car." I smile and hand him the pack.

"Why were you snooping around?" He sits up and glares. "I meant to throw that away long time ago. Guess I just got lazy. You don't take that as anything, because it didn't mean nothing."

"I-I wasn't snooping..I was looking for the cigarettes Dal. You didn't tell me where at in the car they were."

"Whatever. Just get out." He lights one a takes a few puffs. "Aren't you listening?" He scowls. "Get out! Go! Bother someone else for a change."

My mouth parted a bit in shock. I never meant to bother anybody, but of course that's what I ended up doing. I shouldn't even be surprised. I mumble a soft, 'I'm sorry.' and leave Buck's house. Somehow it felt even colder outside, and I dreaded that I would have to sleep in the lot. It was a long walk back there too. I guess I'll just have to grit my teeth and bare it. It's not like I've got that many options, seeing as I can't possibly go back to the Curtis' after what I had done.

I sit down on the ground after making a small fire. The heat it provided wasn't nearly enough to keep me warm, but it was still better than nothing. I tuck my knees up to my chin and try to take my mind off things. This proves to be an extremely hard task, though, since I've screwed up a lot of things tonight. Just forget about it for now. I tell myself, and desperately try to do so.

"Johnny?" Pony's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. I turn around and see him hunched over and rubbing his arms, attempting to keep warm as well. "I've been looking for you all night." He sits next to me. "I looked in the lot and the park. I even called Buck's place to see if you were there, but no one answered. I had given up already but I saw the light from a fire, and figured that had to be you."

I laugh lightly. "You were the one calling..Dally mentioned that the phone ringing is what woke him up."

"So you were at Buck's.." he sighs, and touches his cheek carefully.

It takes me a second to see the dark shade of purple that is developing on the top of his cheekbone. "What happened there?"

"I uh.." his eyes flicker to my own and then back to the fire. "I checked by your house.."

My mouth drops open. "My dad did that to you?" I turn his face towards me so I can get a good look at it. It's not too big, but it does look kinda gross. "Geez Pony. I'm sorry." I groan and hide my face in my hands.

"It's fine." He shrugs and then shivers. "Look I wanted to apologize to you. I shouldn't have invited Nanette over. She asked and..I guess I couldn't say no. She's controlling and I need to learn to stand up for myself." I look up at him, having almost forgotten about our little fight. "And," he continues. "I shouldn't have been so ignorant about you liking me. I'm sorry for that, I really am."

"I shouldn't have blamed you for that." I sigh. "There's no way you could have known."

Pony focuses on the ground for a few minutes before looking back up at me. "I don't want you to have to sleep in thec lot, come over to my house." Before I can protest, he extinguishes my fire and we walk to his house.