------------------------------------C h a p t e r F i v e ------------------------------------

"Thank God she's fine," Darry exclaimed loudly as soon as he spotted me following Sodapop in. He gave me a hug, examined me to see that I was fine and once satisfied left me alone and went back to making dinner.

Thoroughly relieved that I hadn't been yelled at for running off I looked around the room quickly to make sure he wasn't there. I, well, okay, I like him. I'll admit that, I held deep feelings, weird, feelings for Two-Bit Matthews but I was still extremely peeved at the moment.

"He's not here, don't worry," Ponyboy said, knowing exactly what I was thinking, from he couch. "Emily called to say that he's extremely angry and wanted to know what you'd done because he's moping around the house and she thinks he might do something idiotic."

"It would serve him right," I responded huffily ignoring the look from Sodapop.

Ponyboy stared at me oddly. "Are you trying to tell me you wouldn't care?"

"I don't." I said snippily.

Steve snorted slightly. "You care about him more than you care about yourself, Pixie,"

"I do not!" I cried out indignantly sitting down in Darry's armchair.

Steve smirked at me. "Yes you damn well do, whether or not you like to think otherwise."

"Well I don't," I replied haughtily my eyes narrowed at him. "I don't know whatever gave you that impression but I'm sure you're the only one,"

Ponyboy, Sodapop and Darry all suddenly coughed loudly to my amazement. Darry had poked his head in through the kitchen shook his head at me before going away again and Ponyboy was almost studying me.

"I get that impression to." Ponyboy said lightly.

I glared at my little brother. "From what?"

"You fussing over him." He said coolly, as if I wasn't giving him a total death glare. "I mean you constantly arguing with him over the amount he drinks every weekend would be alarming to most who don't know you. You'd think you were dating or something if we didn't know any better,"

Steve coughed extremely loudly and my head spun around and my gaze was fixated on him as he looked at me innocently.

"Well Pony does have a point, doesn't he?" announced Steve with a grin. "I mean you argue like an old married couple, how much do you care for him then, Pixie? Any unfounded feelings hidden in there?"

"Steve!" I hissed my eyes wide. Of course I would be denying this, I did have hopes to at least live 'til Christmas before I attempted to admit it. "I do not care for Keith Matthews!" I cried out shrilly.

"You just called him Keith," Pony and Sodapop sang out teasingly.

I groaned loudly and leaned back in the chair scowling deeply. "I do not care for him. I just wish he wouldn't act so stupidly," I said my voice suddenly oddly high. "Because he'll just kill himself one day. And he's got to think of the way Emily sees him. That's all," all three were sharing a look and my eyes widened annoyingly. "I swear that is all!"

Of course Sodapop knew I was indeed lying but by the looks of it so did the two others and from the muffled chuckles coming from the kitchen I just got that feeling that those three had cracked this secret on their own devices. I'd just have to lie harder. Why did I have to be such a crap liar!

"Pixie, Pixie, Pixie," Steve said shaking his head, a smirk across his face.

I scowled. "Steve, Steve, Steve."

"Ponyboy, Ponyboy, Ponyboy," Sodapop said with a grin and Ponyboy laughed.

"You are so annoying!" I exclaimed loudly throwing up my hands. "I do not like him! It's not my fault I always end up fighting him!"

"Denial," Ponyboy muttered under his breath but I picked it up.

"So who is it that you like then, Ponyboy?" I demanded folding my arms across my chest. "Come on I wanna hear this."

Ponyboy looked at me blankly. "Don't have a clue what you're taking about."

Now it was my turn to snort. "Does Emily know?"

"No," Ponyboy answered a little too quickly his face flushing.

Sodapop looked at me and we shared identical grins. "Oh really now," I said coolly standing up, "So you ah, won't say, mind me an Sodapop going over to ask her anyway?"

"Two-Bit will be there," Ponyboy said happily. "So you won't go."

I just glared at him, I couldn't even think of a response.

Darry walked into the lounge then and stood in between me possibly killing the other three. Glaring irritably at them and Ponyboy was flushing weirdly from the couch the other two just sort of had those knowing smirks that made me want to murder them.

"Look, Pixie doesn't like Two-Bit. End of story. Who Pony likes is his business, and his only," said Darry, throwing looks at the both of us. "End of discussion, period. If you all, including you too Steve," he added who was sort of smirking at the three of us, "Start one more argument then I will lock you outside for the rest of the night."

Sodapop's brows furrowed. "But it's raining," he said slowly.

Darry grinned and nodded. "I know,"

As soon as Darry turned his back and headed back into the kitchen I poked my tongue out to my two brothers and flounced off upstairs before they could even think about teasing me anymore. Closing my door behind me I pulled my curtains shut to glimpse Two-Bit's car still parked outside. My half smile faltered slightly but I snapped the curtains shut without a second thought to the dimwit whom,and as much asI hate to say it, I really like a lot more than a friend does. Glancing at my picture of Two-Bit and I with the rest of the gang, I groaned loudly to myself and threw myself down on my bed and covered my face with a pillow.

I hate emotions.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been four whole days since my outburst with Two-Bit and we hadn't spoken nor come anywhere near each other since the happening. When I'd woken up the next day his car was gone and Darry said he'd come by and picked it up. None of my brothers particularly had a problem with Two-Bit nor with me actually having the fight, they were quite used to our screaming matches but none had been as worse or as hurtful as this one. Nor had one actually lasted as long as this had.

The longest I'd never spoken to him was that half day back in September when he'd called me those names after I'd fallen down the stairs. I hate to say it but I'd rather have him here calling me those names and denying I liked him than not having him here, knowing I like him and have Sodapop pointing it out in an undertone everytime we came in contact. It sucked more than you can imagine.

What sort of made it worse was all the guys were skirting the actual issue of what we'd yelled about under the couch. After I screamed he'd kissed me I sort of had expected at least some reaction, I mean after all my past experiences with boyfriends I found it quite hard to believe they weren't going to say anything, even if it was hardly anything well you know, it was slightly unexpected. They never mentioned it once and in fact went on about everything like it was normal.

I have no idea how, since without him it wasn't at all normal for me. Then again I was too peeved to really notice in the first day or two but I sort of picked up how quiet it was without his Mickey Mouse cartoonyesterday, and even I turned the stupid cartoon on because it reminded me of him. You know the only person who actually mentioned Two-Bit at all to me was Emily, but when I asked her why she mentioned him she sort of clamped her hand over her mouth eyes wide and cried out she was sorry before hurrying off looking entirely worried. I'm not even sure why, I was just curious to know why she hadn't skirted over it.

And here I was now at Friday sitting in class waiting for that damn bell to ring so I could get out of here. It was last period English with guess who, yup, Mr. Matthews himself. It was funny that some of the socs even noticed the tension between us but some greasers barely even saw it at all despite the fact we would purposely avoid the others gaze and the whole fact we were ignoring the other completely.

"Miss. Curtis!" Mrs. Drill shrieked suddenly and I snapped out of my thoughts and stared at her blankly.

"Yes, Mrs. Drill?" I asked her in what I thought was a polite voice.

Mrs. Drill narrowed her beady brown eyes and stared at me, how much she reminded me of a bird at this point. "Anything you wish to share with the class, Miss. Curtis?"

"Well," I said thinking I could say she resembled a bird as her huge nose was rather like a beak, and her lips pursed like she was sucking on something sour. I had thought the better of it when she spoke again.

"Well, Miss Curtis, we haven't got all day even if you might be a bit dim!" she snapped irritably not expecting a reply as she began to walk back to the blackboard.

Some people in the class tittered but I saw quite a few of the girls gasped and looked rather shocked. I might be a greaser but well, a lot of these girls sort of saw past that with me for some reason, that and the fact my brother was the 'spunk' of town as I'd heard a fair few whisper in the halls.

My eyes narrowed suddenly and I sat up taller as she turned around and opened her mouth to speak to the class. "I am not dim," I replied staring at her harshly. "And I was only thinking of how much you remind me of an ugly old hag of a bird." I told her slamming my notebook shut and looking at her coolly. "Uncanny resemblance, Mrs. Drill."

This time the gasps of shock soon turned to giggles and chuckles from my classmates but I ignored them, my focus on my fuming teacher who was staring down at me coldly. I'd never talked back to a teacher. I'll admit I was absolutely petrified inside but I stood my ground, she called me dim she deserved the truth.

"Y-you," she spluttered pointing at me before regaining her posture. "Go to the principals office right now!" She shrieked pointing at the door. "Now!"

I stood up, my mouth frowning bitterly. "I'm leaving but I am not going to the office."

"Miss Curtis you will do as I say!"

I rolled my eyes and walked up the narrow aisle ignoring the whispers that followed me. I shook my head at my teacher and walked out of class. She called out at me that if I leave I'll get a detention but I ignored her. I felt oddly weird as I opened the front doors to the high school. I almost expected a whole herd of teachers to call me back and say something. But no one did. I'd broken a school rule I suddenly began to realize and I slowly started to feel scared.

A/N: Yay another chapter: ) Ah the teenage angst, gotta love it, lol. Well I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, like usual I hope. : P Anywho I have a big question I would like answered, not to sound rude/sarcastic (as I normally am, sarcastic bit I mean) but is there any particular reason to why my number of reviews is slowly diminishing with each chapter? Are they getting worse or can't anyone get online? Do I just suck or is everyone just lazy? Because my hopes for this story are kinda dying on me... : ( Soo it would be appreciated if someone can at least tell me that...and again, reviews are of course most welcomed.

Rachel