Authors Note: Back again! Whoo! I feel accomplished. Anyhow, please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the outsiders

Chapter 2: Just Needed A Buddy

PONYBOY'S POV

Dally'd gotten himself jailed again. I guess after he left our house he'd got bored, so he keyed all the cop cars outside the station downtown. I thought that was pretty cool, but he'd got caught, so he had a court date set for next month. He called, asking if we could pay bail and get him out till then. Darry told him we didn't have enough for it just now, but he'd see what he could do.

By now it was about seven, and all I wanted to do was go find a corner to bawl my eyes out in. Darry was hunting for stuff for dinner, and Soda was nervously drumming his fingers against the armrest of the couch. I didn't think he could sit there much longer, and turns out I was right. After another five minutes or so, he finally stood up and said, "We should all go out and do something."

"Huh?" Darry said, turning to face him, shocked. I just stared. What was he smoking?

"Y'know, get our minds off it." he said. When we remained silent and staring, he went on. "C'mon, guys! A night out on the town: some pool, a couple fights, some chicks. What could go wrong?"

"Don't you already have a girlfriend?" Darry said, giving him one of those full of meaning looks he loved giving.

"Not anymore." Soda said a little defiantly. "Diana and I broke up yesterday night. I'm a free agent."

"I can't come." Darry said. "I've got some stuff to work out."

"Like what?" Soda looked confused. "Nobody's come to talk to you about anything yet. You don't know enough to figure anything out."

"Just stuff, okay?" Darry snapped. Soda left it alone. He knew better than to push it. He turned to me instead.

"How 'bout you, Pone? You game?"

I bit my lip, trying to force my mouth to form an answer, but my voice seemed to be frozen in my throat for some reason. Finally I managed to choke out the words, "I don't feel like it." My voice sounded thick, and I realized I was going to start crying again. I stood up and headed back to me and Soda's room. I didn't wanna cry in front of them again for some reason. I collapsed onto my bed, curled up into a little ball, grabbed my pillow, and hugged it to my chest. I could hear Soda and Darry through the wall.

"Glory, Darry, I didn't mean to get him all upset." Soda was saying.

"It ain't you." Darry said. "It's what's goin' on. I think he probably woulda gone back there to hide whether you said anything or not. He's the type who curls up in a corner and bawls like a baby when he's sad. Not like Dally, who just gets super angry and does stupid stuff when he's hurting."

"Darry." Soda said slowly, thoughtfully. "You don't think Dal went and keyed all those cars and got himself jailed again 'cause he was upset, do ya?"

"That's actually exactly what I think." Darry answered. "I know that sounds crazy since we're talkin' about Dallas and all, but I think that's exactly it."

It was silent out there for a little while, then Soda said, "I'm gonna go hunt down Two-Bit and Steve, do somethin' with em. I promise I'll be in by three."

And with that, I heard the front door close.

XxXxX

After a while, Darry came to the door and asked if I wanted any dinner. I told him I wasn't hungry and to go away.

I'd started crying again and wasn't sure how to stop. I buried my face in my pillow, just trying to hide from everything and everyone.

A little bit later, I heard the sound of my bedroom door opening and footsteps crossing the room. I thought it was Darry, but the footsteps sounded too light, and when whoever it was sat down on the bed next to me, they didn't weigh nearly enough. I took my head out of my pillow and looked over.

It was Johnny. He was holding a plate with some dinner on it. He set it down on the dresser and held out his arms to me. Of course, I went right into them. I thought I might be hugging him too tight, but if I was, he didn't say anything. He just held me.

"It's gonna be okay, Ponyboy." he whispered. "You're gonna be alright. Darry'll figure out what to do. And don't forget, we're all here for you."

I nodded. I didn't say anything. I was crying, and I knew my voice would come out sounding funny if I did.

Finally, we broke apart. Johnny grabbed the plate off the dresser. "I brought you some dinner." he said, holding it out

"Thanks man, really, but I ain't hungry."

"You can't just quiet eating, Pony." he said. "Have you eaten anything all day?"

I didn't answer. In all honesty, not really. I'd been too worried to eat anything.

Johnny interpreted my silence correctly. "That's what I thought." He shoved the plate in my hands.

I really wasn't all that hungry, but I started eating anyway - for Johnny.

We were silent for a while.

Finally, I whispered, "Why'd they have to go? I tried to warn them." I looked up Johnny, begging him to understand. "I knew something was gonna happen. I could feel it. I tried to get them not to go. Why couldn't I get them to listen to me?"

"Well," Johnny said slowly. "You gotta admit, that probably sounded a little crazy."

I opened my mouth angrily - crazy?! - but Johnny cut me off before I got the chance to talk.

"I mean, looking back on it, we can see it wasn't actually so crazy, but at the time it probably seemed kinda out there. I mean, seriously, be honest with yourself: would you have listened to you?"

My anger faded. He had a point. I'd have called myself crazy too. "I suppose that's fair." I muttered, looking down at the now clean plate.

Johnny took it out of my hands and set it back on the dresser. "Wanna watch the stars for a little bit?"

I nodded, and we headed over to my window. I loved watching stars. They were so beautiful and pure, and they kinda put life in perspective. My problems always seemed smaller and less important. I liked that feeling.

I liked it a lot.

XxXxX

SODAPOP'S POV

I walked in the front door at exactly three in the morning, as promised. Darry was passed out asleep in the armchair, but when I walked in he sat up straight, wide awake.

"There you are." he said. "What time is it?"

"Three, like I said."

"What ya do? Did ya get Two-Bit and Steve to come with you?"

"Yeah. We did everything I mentioned. Some pool, a few fights, some chicks."

"Any girlfriend material?"

"Yeah." I grinned and showed him a piece of paper that she'd written her phone number on, complete with little hearts and lipstick where she'd kissed it.

"Her name's Sandy." I went on. "And she's gotta be the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

"Oh yeah?" Darry said. "Does she beat Diana?"

"Oh, she buries Diana in a second. She's got this real pretty blonde hair - natural too, she didn't dye it - and these insanely blue eyes. Just gorgeous."

"That's great, man." Darry sighed.

I knew he wasn't really interested, he was just pretending because he cared about me. I decided not to make him have to anymore, forced a yawn, and headed back to mine and Pony's room, muttering something about bed.

When I walked in, I did a double take.

Pony was passed out asleep on his bed, and Johnny was sitting on it next to him, reading one of Pony's books.

I paused.

Johnny looked up and saw me standing in the doorway. "Hey Soda." he whispered, then, seeing how confused I was, he went on. "Pony couldn't sleep. He needed somebody here."

I headed over to my bed, stripping off my shoes and shirt as I went. "How long you been here, Johnny?" I asked, sitting down.

"A while." he whispered. "I guess I showed up a little while after you left. I managed to get him to eat dinner, and got him to talk to me. He just needed a buddy."

I nodded. Made sense. I'd gone out 'cause I needed a buddy tonight too, just in a different way.