I have officially decided that this story shall have twenty chapters. And if it doesn't... well, that just goes to show how indecisive I am.

I'm going ona trip for a week or so, so alas- no updates till... next Thursday. How will I survive? I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Now, for the chapter... which is in Sandy's POV. Enjoy :-P I'm sorry it's short.

"I talked to little Miss Priss." I said, throwing my purse in the chair beside Ponyboy. He looked up.

"You're calling her Miss Priss?"

"Oh, ha ha, you're funny."

"I try."

"Yeah, well, get this- she'd be willing to do anything for your brother. Isn't that sweet? Shame they'll never happen, I think they could be a really cute couple."

Pony closed his book, and looked at me suspicously.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

"You're about to have a nervous breakdown."

"I am not. Just because she's trying to make me feel inferior because I got pregnant when I was sixteen doesn't mean I'm gonna just freak out like some immature teenager!"

"You are an immature teenager."

"Hun, once you've raised a baby, you're pretty much mature."

"Not always."

"What?"

"You haven't raised a baby. She's not even four months yet!"

"I've gone through labour. That's more than you can say."

"What about parents that abuse their kids? Do you consider that mature?"

"Well, if the kid did something to bring it on themself!"

"What if they didn't do anything?"

"Well, then, maybe the parents shouldn't have kids. If you can't take care of them, don't have them."

"So, you're telling me that Marie was planned?"

"No, of course not!"

"So why can't other parents have kids unexpectedly?"

"They... what are you trying to prove?"

"Well, for one,I'm just trying to prove you wrong, because it's the only way to put you in your place these days, and two, I'm also starting to realize that you aren't half as smart as Naomi."

"Smart? I'm the one with the husband, not her!"

"What are you saying?" He shot up out of his chair, "Do you have some strange plan going on that you're keeping Sodapop from Naomi?"When I was silent, he got the same facial expression that Naomi'd gotten when she'd found out, "Oh Lord. You don't even care about him, do you?"

"Well, of course I care about him-"

"You're keeping him for your own selfish reasons!"

I pushed him backwards before I could stop myself,but he was back on his feet again.

"I'm not letting you do this to my brother!"

"Oh, well look at this! Superman, are we? Are you going to stop me from doing everything?"

"Stay away from him!" I could tell he wasn't thinking rationally.

"Listen to me!"

"No!"

"Listen!"

"I'm not listening to you!"

I went to push him against the wall and force my explanations on him, but for once, he pushed back. It would have looked strange to anyone who came in, the two of us with our hands on each other's shoulders, each pushing the other backwards.

"Just listen to me, dammit!"

"Why won't you just go back to Florida?"

"This is just as much my house as it is yours!"

"No way." He stepped away suddenly, and I fell face first onto the couch, "You're not welcome here."

He was gone for the rest of the afternoon, and he came home later with Sodapop. I was scared of what he might have told him, but Soda just looked at me the way he always did. Not hate, or comtempt, but an unrequited sadness. Probably for the loss of the person that I used to be when he knew me. I wondered how he looked at Naomi when they were alone... they weren't, anymore, but when they used to be... I could remember seeing it once, and I was jealous. He looked at her as though she were the world.

I'd laughed at how Naomi would do anything for Sodapop. Now I was starting to worry, because I was thinking that Sodapop might just do anything for Naomi.