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Once I entered the school I felt quite overwhelmed with the silence that filled me. Very rarely was I ever at the school early or late when such silence was around so as I'm sure you can imagine it wasn't something I was used to. As I chewed on my lip nervously I folded my arms and hugged them close to me, I felt nervous for some strange reason. To me I honestly felt like I wasn't meant to be there and I was jumping at every noise as I made my way to my locker, which coincidentally was near my homeroom, a very lucky break if you ask me.

I rounded the corner on my way to my locker and a very annoying squeaking noise seemed to be following me. My thoughts slowly disappearing from Emily, Two-Bit and Mr. Matthews I frowned deeply, curious to know where on earth this stupid noise was coming from. It wasn't until I was meters away from my locker did I realize it was my shoes. I guess I'd never picked up on it before, but every touch they made with the linoleum floor they'd squeak. Suddenly preoccupied with giving my shoes dirty looks I almost fell over when a girl's voice called out my name.

I had few girlfriends, with the main ones I had making rare appearances at high school let alone this early in the morning.

"Pixie!" the girl called out again, and I could hear heals clicking on the floor as her footsteps seemed to be running, "Pixie Curtis!"

I turned around and found myself surprised to be faced with a red haired girl that I'd never have expected to talk to me again. My brows raised and my mouth gaping open slightly I couldn't string together a sentence so she just stood there looking very awkward before speaking again.

"You do remember me, don't you, Pixie?" she asked nervously, holding a bag similar to mine close to her. "Its Cherry Valance, you know, Sherri. Of course you know, you're just surprised." Cherry said, looking worried as she played with the strap of her bag.

"Sherri, of course I know." I said softly, my green eyes examining her. "Slightly shocked, but I'm sure you must be to why you're talking to me, right?"

"Kind of," Cherry said, giving me a faint smile. "I wasn't going to but I saw you and I knew, well, I knew I shouldn't be shy because I know you're a very lovely person and it's just a shame that all that happened. I'm sure we could've got along, been friends even."

"Friends. I'm a greaser, Cherry, as if." I replied to her, I couldn't help but frown at that. "I'm sorry to be blunt but you know as well as I do it'd have never happened. Even if we were alike, we're from opposite worlds."

"I know," she admitted, looking distressed at tat as she hugged her bag closer to her. "Look its got around what Mrs. Drill said, well, I think everyone does now. It got around fast, you're in Marcia's class." Cherry admitted, looking slightly pink but I smiled. "I want to say I'm real sorry she said that to you, I think we were all pretty shocked about that. I know a lot of the guys might not like you because of Ponyboy, but I know the girls are real sorry, they reckon it's an awful shame because we all reckon you seem really lovely."

I couldn't help but be suspicious. "Why?"

"Pixie, when we were all younger and we didn't know about greasers and socs we all got along quite good, we know you're nice. We know you're decent." Cherry said, she didn't seem to think there was no more need for explanation because she didn't continue.

With Cherry silent and me rather creeped out almost it was silent again. The squeaking of my shoes even had departed us as we were just standing there. I looked at her, she was staring at her heeled shoes, and I guess I realized that maybe she was sorry. She was one of the only socs that had ever spoken to me throughout the whole of high school, and I'm a junior too. I guess as much as I wanted to hate her, as much as I wanted to blame her for going out with a jealous boyfriend I just couldn't. Because she didn't hurt Johnny or my brother, she just knew who did. I didn't like her, and this wasn't helping any ideas on how to rid Tulsa of Mr. Matthews but well, you've gotta make these ties sometimes, right?

"Thanks," I said. "You seem decent too, for a soc."

Cherry's smile made her face look even prettier as she turned to me. "I am sorry about Mrs. Drill, but I don't think she likes kids in general. She's really rude to all of us, Marcia was saying we should get a petition to fire her or something, but I think she's just being silly."

"Yeah, it's only a teacher. They don't count." I told her with a tiny smile. "But thanks Cherry, I don't like socs, you guys get things we don't and its all unfair but you're not like the rest. You don't call us names, I guess you look at people as people. Like my brother, like Pony. That's the sort of person that I reckon Tulsa needs more."

"I heard Pony thought you were like that," said Cherry, walking alongside me to my locker, stopping as I did. "He told me that night you see things differently. Not so much like that but you do, he thinks a lot of you, out know. Its not just Sodapop he admires, he just doesn't want you to know."

I gave her a strange look as I opened my locker, I couldn't meet her eyes but I felt my face burn with this pride overcoming me. "You're just having me on,"

"Really, he admires you. I can tell all your brothers do, and that Two-Bit Matthews, that boy likes you a lot too." Cherry told me with a smile as she stepped back. "He was worried that day you left, even asked me if I knew about it. You look out for him, Pixie Curtis, he's looking out for you."

She stepped back again, gave me that smile of hers and turned and walked down the corridor. Her clicking heels following after her. Staring as she disappeared around a corridor I furrowed my brows and then laughed to myself as I grabbed a few things out of my locker and closed it shut. Laughing again I grinned, well she was certainly right. I do reckon he's looking out for me. I guess she's not all looks then, she's got some brains underneath all that red hair.

A/N: Bit shorter than usual but I'm sure you'll get over it. I've finished the story, almost. I've written what could be the last chapter but I think I'll add another because it only ends the story in one aspect but not in every. Not that this will make sense until I put it out. Sorry this took longer than I thought to update, kept forgetting and lack of reviews is, again, disheartening me. I have an idea for a third story but I'm thinking if no ones gonna read it then screw it. : )

But I hope you liked, I liked putting Cherry back into the picture. Even though I really don't like her.