-1A big thank you to the faithful few who have replied! You are wonderful!

"Hey."

I looked up to see Heather standing in front of me. She looked a lot more tired than she did yesterday, with dark shadows like bruises under her green-gold eyes. She had a little brown sack clutched at her side. It was lunch, the day after the dream.

"D'you mind if I sit here?" She asked a little timidly.

"No, go right ahead." I motioned to the empty chair across from me. There was no one else near by. (Who wants to sit next to a greaser who's friend killed a Soc?)

She smiled, only slightly, and sat down. I went back to my turkey (or was it baloney?) sandwich that I had barely touched. Out of the corner of my eye I watched her pull out a peanut butter and jelly roll and start nibbling. We sat in silence for a while. I guess our past experiences with each other offered few comfortable conversations.

Eventually she, being the adventurous one, asked, "So, um, you have brothers?"

I remembered last night when Darry came home, banging on my door like the devil was after him. "Ponyboy! You let me in right now! Soda's rippin' his hair out over here, he's so worried!"

"I don't care! Leave me alone!"

"Yeah." I said. "Sodapop and Darry."

She nodded. "Older?"

"Yup. You?"

She smiled sadly. "I used to have a little brother."

That caught me off guard. Used to…? But I didn't press the subject. I figured it was a bad memory.

I asked instead, "Favorite subject?"

"English."

"Same here."

We went on like that all through lunch, just small talk questions. I actually learned a lot about her. Her favorite color was blue, favorite food was apple pie, and she couldn't decide what her favorite book was because she had so many. She even loved sunsets.

Over the next week or so Heather and I became real good friends. She helped me every day in science, and in English. I kept telling her that she didn't have to, that she should be doing her own work, but she would just shake her head and say "I've got all the time in the world at home. I don't mind, really." She was practically immune to anything the Socs said to us, too. Whenever I forgot something or messed something up in my work, she would just smile and help me however she could

Then there was one day when Heather offered to tutor me. "I can come over tonight, if you want, and we can work on our homework from other classes."

I looked at my hands.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's just…" I paused. "I don't have the nicest house. It's pretty run down. And most of the gang hangs out there, so it gets real rowdy."

"Do they bother you when you're doing homework?"

"Nah -- Darry won't let them."

"Then there's nothing to worry about." She smiled encouragingly.

I sighed. "You sure? Won't your old man get worried?"

She shook her head and her smile stayed, but her eyes were suddenly very sad. "Sure I'm sure. Dad won't mind, since it's a school thing."

I looked at her warily. "Alright, fine." I said, defeated.

She brightened a little. "You have yet to win an argument with me."

"I know. You always get your way. It's not fair."

So I met Heather by the water fountain after school and we headed to my house together. I told her not to expect much from the guys. She laughed. "I'll take them as they are."

We didn't say much on the way, but soon enough we came to my house. "Here we are," I said, opening the gate for her. She stayed quiet, scanning over the house with her green-gold eyes.

"I'm home!" I shouted as we entered. Heather and I put our backpacks down on the kitchen table. "You hungry?" I asked. She shook her head. I shrugged.

"Ponyboy!"

We turned to see Two-Bit getting up from his seat on the couch. "Don't be so impolite, kid." he said, "Introduce me to your friend here."

"Oh, right." I stood between them. "Two-Bit, this is Heather Reed. Heather, this is Two-Bit Mathews."

"How ya doin'?" Two-Bit stuck out his hand.

Heather turned a little pink, but she shook his hand. "Fine. It's nice to meet you."

He turned to me. "Does Darry know she's here?"

"He'll find out soon enough, won't he?" I retorted, "He won't mind. She's helping me with my homework."

A smile cracked across his face. "Cool. Did you want to go straight to work, or did you want to wait?"

I looked at Heather. "Well?"

She shrugged. "Whatever you want."

Turning back to Two-Bit, I asked, "What did you have in mind?"

He walked over to the door and picked up his sneakers. "I was gonna get me a coke down at the DX. You have nothing good to drink in your fridge."

I laughed, and Heather and I followed him out the door to his pickup.

Soon enough we were pulling up to the DX. Two-Bit parked and we followed him inside. A flock of giggling girls filled the garage.

"Why are there so many girls here?" Heather asked.

"Sodapop." I said bluntly.

Realization flashed across her face, but she stayed quiet.

"Hey, Soda!" Two-Bit shouted over the sea of girls, "Where's the coke?"

Soda's voice came back to us from beneath the hood of a Volks Wagon. "Next to the register in the shop."

"A'ight!" He turned to us. "Do either of you want one?"

"Sure," I said. Heather shook her head. Then Two-Bit melted away in the crowd.

Soda grunted and stood up, rubbing the oil off his hands with a rag in his back pocket. "That should do it," he murmured, then shoot the hood. He came over to Heather and I. "How you doin' Pony?" He ruffled my hair.

I punched him playfully. "Cut it out, Soda, you're embarrassing me!"

He laughed, turning his gaze to Heather. "And who's this?"

"Oh, this is --"

"Heather Reed?!"

We all turned to see a thing blonde in skimpy clothes looking at my friend incredulously.

Heather looked down at her canvas shoes. "Hi Amy."

"Well, well!" The blonde, Amy, exclaimed. "I'm shocked to see your nose out of your books for once! Did you get yourself another A to feel better about your whore of a mother?"

I was too stunned to say anything.

Heather's shoulders drooped. "Take it back," She whispered.

"Why should I? You know it's true. Too bad all the men she slept with couldn't keep the bitch from shoving a gun barrel down her throat."

"Whoa." Two-Bit was back, wide-eyed. "Harsh."

"How's your father doing, Sweetheart?" Amy mocked.

"Stop." Heather said, hardly audible. A single tear slid down her cheek.

Amy grinned maliciously. "IS he still too drunk to remember your name?"

"That's enough," I finally came to my senses and stepped between the two of them. "Don't talk to my friend like that."

She faked surprise, placing a hand on her mostly-revealed chest. "I'm just saying it like it is! Didn't your girlfriend tell you all this, pretty boy?"

"Get out."

Now she really was surprised. So was I when I turned to Soda. His face had changed to one I didn't recognize, all the laughter and playfulness contorted with anger, the joking twinkle in his eyes now blazing with cold fury. It scared me.

Tears welled in Amy's eyes. "B-but, Sodie! I --"

"Just shut up and leave."

She let out a small sob and raced out of the garage. A few of her friends followed.

Soda watched them go, shaking his head. "Chicks can be so bitter." he muttered.

Two-Bit pushed his way through the silent crowd and handed me a coke. My mouth was dry but I didn't want it anymore.

"How much longer 'till the end of you shift, Soda?"

My brother checked the clock on the far wall. "Three minutes ago. C'mon, let's go home."

The two older boys turned to go. I gently took heathers hand and guided her to the car.

Before we got in, she squeezed my hand and I turned to look back. Her eyes were watery, reminding me of and oak tree in the rain. She tried to smile, but her lips trembled. "Thanks. Back there." Her voice broke.

"Hey," I pulled her into my arms. "What are friends for?"

Yeah, sorry, it's a little long… please continue to review! Those little messages make me feel better about myself!!