A/N: *insert excuse here* Really, there's no excuse for not updating. I'm lazy, I like Supernatural too much, etc. Yes, but this is the conclusion! I hope I've done it justice. The beginning of the chapter takes place a couple months after the previous chapter. The epilogue is a few years later. Thank you for all of your lovely support. I don't know what I would do without it.

School started up again, much to my dismay. But so far it was a decent year. Or at least - it beat the last year by a landslide, and it'd only been a few months.

Soda picked me up from school that day, and then I saw it.

A girl was reading it.

It.

Oh my God, was all I could think. It was all that ran through my head.

"Sodapop!" I cried as we turned the other way, crossing down the curb. "Look what she's reading!" I pointed to the girl on the side of the street.

She was reading the Outsiders.

"Well, I'll be damned," Sodapop replied. "You know that girl, Ponyboy?"

"No," I said, smiling.

That's when the realization started settling in. People were actually reading something I wrote. And that felt good. I could only hope she was liking what she read.

"Now, class," Mr. Syme beamed. "We're going to be starting a new book today."

Many groans erupted from the class. I waited with baited breath; I think I knew where he was going with this.

"Now, now," he tried again. "This book is different from all of the rest of those books out there. You see, this book was written by one of our very own."

I put my head in my hands, sighing.

Everyone turned and looked at me. "Heh, heh…" I tried to laugh, but it came out all shaky and awkward. I slid in my chair and part of me wished I could crawl under the floorboards.

I wanted my message to come out and reach people. I wanted people to know what really happened with Johnny and Dallas. But I didn't want to be here with them when they found out.

"Ponyboy, would you like to start reading?"

Oh, God. Maybe I put something too personal in there and now I didn't know what to do…

"No," I shook my head adamantly. "No, no."

Mr. Syme grinned knowingly at me.

"Wow! It's so good!"

"He's like a hero!"

"It's so great!"

That was all I could hear as I tried to walk through the hall. I tried to ignore the feeling of people watching me. But this watching was different from the last time. This was admiration.

"Who knew a greaser could be so cool?"

I had to bite a laugh back at that one. It was a Soc.

Mostly, the thing I'd been worried about was exposing all of the Socs' names. I almost considered changing them, but then I realized that they needed to be exposed. People needed to know what really happened.

And for the past few weeks I'd been expecting some kind of attack on me by the Socs, but they've been surprisingly neutral about this.

People seemed to like my story. I had people asking me about it; not in a nosy way. Just genuinely curious.

The girl in yellow approached me in the empty hallway.

"Elizabeth," I said. I was trying to make myself sound official and businessy.

"Ponyboy," she said, and I could hear the pleading in her voice. "Ponyboy, gosh, I'm…"

I smiled, genuinely happy. "It's okay."

"This… this reading about what I did in the Outsiders… this has been such a wakeup call. I truly was a horrible person to you."

Now it was my turn to apologize. "Sorry I put that in there… I didn't mean to make you look bad. It was mostly to make a point."

"I'm so sorry." She clutched her books to her chest. "I don't think you're a hood. I don't know why I said it. I guess I meant it at the time…" Her mouth formed a tight white line. "I don't think it anymore. Ponyboy, your book. Golly, if I'd have known what you had been going through…"

"It's okay," I reassured her. "Really. And my life ain't all that bad."

I looked up to the hallway clock. I was going to be late for my next class.

She grinned. She looked real pretty when she smiled. "It was nice talking to you, Ponyboy. Maybe we can do it again some time."

As she turned away, I watched her leave. I smiled to myself. I felt like the king of the world.

"Yeah," I whispered. "I'd like that."

Nothing could stop me.

"Mrs. Almost," I said over the phone. "How are you?"

"Oh, dearie," she scolded. "You know I don't like it when you call me Mrs. Almost. Nancy, honey."

I stammered, "Oh, oh yeah…" It was always hard to remember she got remarried.

Yeah, Mrs. Almost got remarried. To Dick Morrison. Remember him? He was a tuff guy. I liked him.

I got invited to the wedding, which I thought was extremely nice. They liked me, though. That was something I could tell.

Everyone liked hearing about what happened.

Sure, they all knew what happened. I told them a lot, but not everything.

Sodapop looked on the verge of tears throughout it. I swear, the kid never read a book in his life, but he wouldn't put this one down. I guess if your kid brother wrote it you want to read it more.

But I watched him read it. He makes the most interesting facial expressions when he's reading stuff.

Hell, I watched them all read it. They each got their own copies (Two-Bit of course, when he first got his copy, asked me for to sign it, which I grudgingly did).

They all liked it. More than liked it, really. I was surprised Steve wanted to even read it at all. I guessed he wanted to read about himself. But he wasn't mentioned too much, only when I said I didn't like the guy. But now, I have a respect for him. Sure, we've butted heads since the publication of the book, but the guy's tuff. Now I can kind of see why Sodapop likes him.

All is well.

Epilogue:

My life has had its ups and downs.

More downs than ups, but I like to keep positive. Be optimistic, you know?

My book has paid off everything in life.

I've gotten scholarships in creative writing. Full ride to Oklahoma City.

And that's where I am now. Nineteen years old, I've got a full writing career ahead of me. I'm already on the second draft of the new novel I've been writing.

My brothers can both be fully supported. No more panhandling our way through life (pardon the exaggeration).

I have a lot of money in the bank.

And I've used it to help people out.

Like for Two-Bit. When his mom got sick, he actually got a job to help pay for her medicines and hospital visits. Let's just say I … secretly … chipped in on some of the medical bills. Two-Bit needed the help. That was a dark time in his life.

I make sure I help as many people as I possibly can.

You have no idea how great it feels to get mail from people, telling me about how my book changed their life. It makes me feel great, but it's also scary. How have I made such an impact on someone's life? How did my childhood endeavor change someone's outlook on life?

I'm grateful to the people who've made my book what it is today.

Thus, my tale ends. And luckily, on a happy note this time.

So sure. My life has had its ups and downs.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you for all you've done.

P.M. Curtis.

I hope this is a satisfactory ending.

Also, I don't want to be one of those people who promo their own stories, but, uh ... yes, I do, actually. Could you guys check out my story Hard to Explain? It's full of fun, shenanigans, and Hippie!Randy! Thanks! I'll review your story if you want. Oh, wow - I've resorted to bribery. Great.