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"Hey, Two-Bit!" I called out, greeting him with a quick hug before sitting down on the hood of the car next to him, waiting for Steve and Pony. "How was school so far?"

"It was okay. We have Mrs. Drill after lunch." He reminded me, ducking from the soft punch Steve had thrown him. "Stevie's lookin' for a fight!"

"Hell yeah!" Steve called out, but they were only messing as they pretended to circle each other like hawks. "Aw, too weak?" teased Steve.

Two-Bit stopped circling him and grinned, he draped his arm around my shoulder casually. "I ain't weak, but I have this girl I gotta look good for now,"

I rolled my eyes as Pony approached us, a smirk on his face. "Pretty boy, huh?"

I burst out laughing and Steve started to chuckle, but Two-Bit just gave him a look. He was joking of course as it only made Pony grin wider and me laugh harder. But with the four of us at Two-Bit's car, Steve must've walked today, we all piled in, the guys all laughing at something as To-bit drove us wildly to the DX station. I was quite thankful to touch ground after that.

As I walked into the station, the boys not so far behind me, I was shocked to see not one familiar face behind the counter but two. Soda's lean frame was rested against the back wall, his eyes full of sympathy for the girl sitting on the floor cross-legged, staring at her feet.

"Why aren't you at school, Em?" I asked instantly. "Is everything OK?"

Emily glanced up at me but I saw her eyes divert, looking to the other three. "Of course everything is okay, why are you all her? The more of you there are it makes it even more obvious that you're skipping." She informed us wisely.

"How do you know that?" asked Ponyboy, looking really curious. "Your own experience or somethin'?"

"As if I'd ever skip." Emily said serenely as she stood up slowly, brushing off her jeans. "Are y'all here for lunch?"

"Pretty much, but its only 'cause we thought Soda would be lonely." Ponyboy answered, I was giving Emily too much of a strange look to have heard what she asked.

"So sweet," Sodapop ginned, reaching and ruffling Pony's hair. "Steve, man, ya gotta see the car that came in today!"

Steve's eyes lit up in this weird sort of absurd fascination he had with cars as he eagerly followed his best buddy out into the garage to have a look at it. Two-Bit saw me roll my eyes and grinned widely, and muttered, only so I could hear, 'Boys,' in his take of a feminine voice. I threw him a look before settling myself on the floor next to Emily and the counter.

"Why aren't you skipping with Ashley at the very least, I'm sure she's a lot more interested in girlie chit chat than Soda is." I told her with a knowing smile. "Or are you just trying to get away from talking to people for a bit?"

"Maybe," Emily said with a shrug as she groaned at Ponyboy, "Don't give me that look, Pony! I am doing my best to harass, interrogate and not leave them alone, and you're giving me a look. It's entirely not welcome either," she sniffed in annoyance before turning to face me. "Your brother has problems."

"Genetics, can't change them," I said breezily as Two-Bit stuffed a Pepsi into my hand before slumping against the counter, whispering something to Pony that neither of us could hear but only caused us to share an obvious look of whatever it is can't be anything good for humanity.

"Uh huh, did Two-Bit say Dad came over last night?" Emily asked me, turning to me and entirely blocking both boys out. "Because he did, and Mom was scary calm. Like, you know the calm parents get before they blow their top off? Yeah well, she was that sorta calm."

I raised my brows and frowned slightly. "Hmm, Two-Bit didn't delve much into it," I lied, he did. Just not anything involving much of anyone beside himself.

"Oh, well once he left she hell slammed the door and said nothing to us and just lurked off to her room," Emily whispered tome, her blue eyes rather wide and fearful. "I was really scared she might shout at us or something, I mean I know we didn't do anything but she just looked like she was gonna. I think she might've been more worried that he's gonna come back, he will." Said Emily instantly, very knowingly. "I know he will, he won't bugger off until he gets what he wants. I reckon it must be a divorce, I mean, we haven't got any money."

I nodded and chewed on my bottom lip out of pure nerves. "Yeah, I suppose he just must want that. I mean, your mom made it pretty clear all those years ago to never return. I suppose you were just a little too young to remember," I sighed, too bad she wasn't a little too young to remember the rest though. "My dad even got involved a bit, pretty much it was down that if he came back they'd be trouble, but he didn't look like he wanted to…I mean, from what Dad told me he didn't seem to care much." But my heart burned as I said that and I saw her face crumble, so slightly at that news.

Emily managed to let out an airy laugh before turning away from me slightly and nodding. "Yeah well, he don't got a heart so what more do you expect really? Nah, he must have a lady friend or somethin'. He'll bugger off soon enough I suppose," she said confidently, after just informing me he'll come back. "He'll come back until Ma gives him it I guess, but she'll be best off without him anyways. She'll divorce him I'm sure, then he'll hafta start paying welfare, won't he?"

I didn't reply but sculled down the most of my Pepsi. Emily was staring at her feet, lost in thought. I don't reckon her and Sodapop talked at all, I think he knew she needed time to think and she couldn't do it elsewhere. Besides, Sodapop is a brother, he knows what we teenage girls are like, and I suppose he saw it as he'd rather her here thinking than wondering the streets and get by a car thinking.

For the rest of our short lunch break I remained entirely speechless. Well, until Steve thought it'd be funny to empty what was rest of my drink over my head. He could a mighty hard slap on the arm for that and some annoyed verbal abuse. But as Ponyboy chuckled, he earned that for sure. But I found that by the time we had returned to Two-Bit's car that really I hadn't achieved much more from hearing Emily's thoughts. I think the problem with Emily is she doesn't know what she's thinking herself so she's about as aware of this situation as a rusty old nail.

But I am personally keen on agreeing he probably does want a divorce. The only real problem is I doubt either have much money to go through with something like that and really, I do find it hard to believe that's all he wants. Its Mr. Matthews, he's around the twist in my mind's eye and I can tell you for a fact he's as greedy and selfish as all hell. He'll want something else, whether he actually ants it or to spite the ones he used to call family I don't know but I know he does want something. I think Two-Bit agrees because he keeps throwing me hasty looks, hinting in his eyes he wants to know what Emily thought.