Authors Notes:: Sorry about this, folks, but I feel really bad about the way I wrote Soda in this chapter. xD If any of you guys are good with writing Sodapop and want to give me a few tips on how to improve the way I wrote him in this chapter, PLEASE give them to me! This chapter was tons of fun to write but I was so nervous about introducing my O.C's. I tried to make them make sense, and they speak fancy-talk on purposeer, fancy talk being really normal, but it sounds a little smarter than the book dialouge and less country-ish oO They're not from around here. Oh, by the way, I realize that Blanc is a french name and he's Mexican, but I do what I want. Sodapop is a sexy bitch, I'm sorry if I've written him wrong... Don't hold back in your comments if I have. Opening lyrics are from the song Little Sister by Rufus Wainwright.

Ave, ave, history is on my side
So complain have no shame
And remember that your brother is a boy
Though it seems the stakes contain some integrity.

The breakfast had been mediocre. The food had been cold in the middle, much like a hot pocket. The bacon had tasted like rubber cement. The cheese had been like nail polish, oily and smelly, disgusting. Blanc hadn't been able to touch much after the first few bites. He remembered thinking this food was good. He remembered coming here. He remembered being young, and being able to stomach anything. Now he couldn't stand the way the eggs smelled. He felt his stomach turn at the thought of swallowing what these people had called "breakfast". "Are you almost done?" He asked, looking over the rims of his glasses at his older brother. Adrian opened his mouth wide to reveal huge half-chewed peices of egg and Blanc made a face. "You're twenty-seven years old," The younger of the pair reminded him, scrunching his nose in disgust at the immature act. Adrian just smiled and continued with his meal.
In truth, Addy delighted in the sights and sounds of this place. There was always something going on - Gunshots rang out downtown, masking the sounds of birds calling out for lovers. The gunshots were covered by the sounds of the choir on the 'nice' side of town, and there was the constant noise of rumbling from traveling cars. It was nothing like he had remembered it and bore no resemblence to Oklahoma City, but then again Adrian had only barely recollected this town. He had been seventeen when he first saw this town, sixteen when his family had moved and he had not followed immediatly. He had remained in Mexico with his beloved Grandmother. He had stayed by her bedisde month after month, because his Abuela had been sick and he couldn't leave her sick. They had been so close, his mothers mother and he - And before the disease shut down her heart, she had cupped his face in her hands. "Harás grandes cosas, Adrian," She had promised, her eyes drifting shut. "Confiarlo en, la manera que tengo, porque él te dirigirá."

And then she had died. The words liked to haunt him sometimes, in the dark cloak of night. He had never lived up to them. Why had she made such a careless remark? Adrian hadn't done anything great in his life. He wasn't very successful at all, he hadn't done anything with his life. She had all these plans for her grandsons, so many ideas for when they reached America. The Land of Opportunity, wasn't it?
He felt like he was betraying her, because he had never lived up to those words. Johnny had been far to young to remember the wonderful woman who had deserved so much more, and Blanc only remembered a scary old woman who liked to pinch his cheeks and giggle in the dirty home they used to share. These thoughts depressed him. Nobody really got why he had cared about her so much, and nobody ever would.
"I'm done," Adrian announced, his thoughts stopping immediatly once he realized his plate was clean and he'd been poking at nothing with his fork for nearly two minutes. He reached for the napkin, wiping his mouth before getting to his feet. Blanc sighed. "Finally." He gestured in the air for the nearest waitress to attend to them, and just as quickly as it had come to peace of the early morning was gone.

--

The girl looked excited.

Her green eyes were wide and unfocused, painted onto the dark wood that was her skin. Her outfit was made up of a rainbow, painted onto fabric that fell in loose waves down her small body. Her small feet were plunged inside black dancing shoes. She certainly appeared like the kind of girl who would tango the evening away under the hot Mexican sun, as was the makers intention. A sombrero of purple and gold sat atop her black hair, which was tied back in complicated braids. Her cheeks were painted rose red, on the edges of her thick black smile, and pins joining her limbs to the torse completed her. This girl of wood and glass was beautiful, and she belonged to Johnny now. He sat beside Dally on the Curtis couch, sniffling to fight the cold. God, it was below zero out. What had they been thinking? Dallas was sitting next to him, his eyes wet and red, full of regret for their earlier act. It certainly hadn't taken long for the sickness to set in, had it?

It was seven now, and they were wrapped up in blankets on the couch, Johnny pouring over his loot and Dally watching and thinking he'd better be damn greatful because look at them now. He sniffled, feeling the beginning of a sneeze coming over his nose. Ugh.

He had to look after Johnny, though, because he was his to look after. The kid didn't have anyone else, and neither did Dallas, and that was just find with him. In a way, he realized, the gang was some kind of dysfunctional family. Darry would be the mother, being that he was the most responsible and took care of everyone when they were sick and taking up couch space. Dally could be the father, because he was so feircly protective of everyone else. Pony could be the kid, since he was the youngest of the gang. Soda could always play the part of the Uncle that brought bags of candy whenever he visited, because everybody liked him, while Steve could be the cousin since he was more distant than the rest but always there. Two-Bit was perfect in the role of the over-affectionate but distant relative that nobody knew their real relation to(perhaps the second cousin twice removed), and Johnny? Well, it was only natural that he would be the puppy. Every dysfunctional family needed a pet.

He looked a lot like a dog right now, Dally mused, the way he looked so defeated and sick and excited at the same time. His fingertips were tracing over the wood of the doll. "Hermoso," He said under his breath, and Dally regarded him with curiosity. Johnny caught the glance and smiled wider, if that was at all possible. "Beautiful. And it is, isn't it?" He held out the doll, in an attempt to share it with his friend.

Dallas regarded the object that Johnny had salvaged with mild interest, wondering how in the heck something wooden had escaped burning in the fire. "It's a doll," Dally reasoned, and Johnny shook his head in a semi-dissapointed 'you-just-don't-get-it' kind of way. He felt a sneeze coming on and dropped the doll into his lap, reaching wildly for the tissue paper. Dallas passed the box, although not before grabbing himself three or four. Johnny sneezed and then groaned a sick sort of groan and Dally wondered if it had been worth it. All of this sickness for barely anything...

Ponyboy was just on his way out for school, but had made sure to bring the medicine out with him. He stopped to drop the bottle on the table. "Only one cap full an hour," He warned, looking to Dallas in a way that seemed almost parent-like. "Any more than that and you might start seeing spots."

Dallas returned the strange look with one that basically said, 'What the fuck are you looking at me like that for? I do what I want.' Johnny had to keep himself from laughing at the contorted and confused expression, but could not repress a snicker. Pony looked to him, a little confused himself.

Johnny only smiled gratefully, not one to fuel a possible fued between the two by pointing out the humorous expression and the stupidity of the warning(pfft, as if they couldn't read labels!). "Thanks. We'll keep that in mind." He sniffled. He must've looked god-awful because Pony spared him a sympathetic glance before turning to begin his walk to school.

Dally reached for the bottle, staring disgusted at the label. It was cherry flavored medication - Why not just say it tasted like ass on the label? No way he would be putting that into his mouth. No way in Hell. It didn't even taste like cherries, that was false advertising! How Dallas had the attention span to focus so long on a label the boy beside him did not know. In fact, at the moment, Johnny was studying Dallas with a look in his eyes a mix of admiration and adoration.

"Dally?" Johnny leaned over, a little concerned over Dally's strange expression. He didn't realize how close he was leaning until Dallas glanced over at him, and he could swear he felt his breath. He fought back turning away - No, that was the old Johnny's habits - He had to grow out of them. He wasn't going to move until Dallas answered and that was that, but how embarassed he felt under his friends surveying gaze. Dallas realized how close they were as well, and felt uncomfortable - This was far to close to be simply friendly - but found those black eyes of Johnny's absolutely hypnotizing. He couldn't seem to break contact, but Johnny coughed and woke him up. He managed to lean away a little bit and Johnny slipped the bottle away from Dallas' grip, tightening it in his own. He unscrewed the cap, because he could deal with some nasty flavored medicine if it meant well results.

Meanwhile, Dallas looked down to the doll in his hands. Her cheeks were red and round, her mouth twisted into a wide grin. He wondered what she had to be so damn happy about, when everything in life sucked. People were being opressed and ignored left and right, kids were getting killed in parks and vacant lots, small business' closing down to make room for the corporations... And yet here this doll was, expression painted as if nothing was wrong at all. Maybe her world wasn't as fucked up as the one Johnny and he shared. This made him feel better, at least, and for the first time he marveled at her eyes, her hair, and her dress.

"It's nice," He said slowly. Johnny looked up, his eyes black moons over the small pink lake of cold medicine, half ready to be swallowed and tipped up to his lips. He paused now, not quite understanding Dally's point. "The doll," The older boy said quickly. "You know...it's nice." He moved to place it down beside them. Johnny smiled, although Dallas couldn't see it behind the medicine. He swallowed a big gulp and hoped for the best as it slithered down his throat.

---

"So, where do you think he would be?" Adrian asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He looked up at his brother curiously, awaiting a response. He seemed to be thinking about it, but it was only ten in the morning - They had plenty of time to find him while enjoying the scenery, didn't they?

Blanc had spent more time here than Adrian. A lot more, actually. Blanc had actually lived here for a good few years, and despite it's problems, he recalled it being a fairly nice neighborhood. His memorise didn't even come close to living up to what this place had become - The streets seemed dirtier, the people meaner... He wondered if his little brother had become bitter here, how he had changed. He had seen it happen before on these streets - Sweet kids had turned into sour ones after only a few years.

"He wrote me a few letters," Adrian said quietly. It was a sudden statement, but an interesting one all the more. "I mean, he was looking for you, but I got them... Long time ago. Years. I think he was nine." Blanc regarded his older sibling with lingering curiosity. Adrian seemed suddenly nervous, and Blanc guessed he was simply worried about whether Johnny would or would not like him. He was strange that way - He always got so strange when he met someone new. Blanc, on the other hand, was very sociable. His ego was a little... overblown, maybe, but he knew he was good with people. He knew that. People usually liked him, with his subtle but frequent compliments and apparent simplicity. He didn't come off as too smart(although he probably knew to much than was good for him), and flattery won nearly everyone over. At least, it had worked on most of the girls. Success was important to him, important enough for him to ditch his accent. It was hard enough coming to the country with skin as tan as his and not get hassaled, but he didn't need to confirm suspicions by speaking with a Mexican accent - America was still adjusting to the attitude of being equal with everyone of all skin colors, nationalities, ethnicities, and religions. That didn't make the occasional discrimination right, but he knew how to avoid issues with intolerant assholes - So, with that in mind, he eventually, adapted to the American way of speaking. This was something Adrian hadn't taken to - While his accent was definately diluted by this point, it was still obvious to anyone with ears he came from somewhere else.

Adrian wastaller than Blanc, and had, in fact, been taller than almost all his friends growing up. Adrian could feel people looking down at him for his ethnicity, and it was one of the few things that had made him feel, well, so small.

"They were sweet. He just wanted you to come home."Adrian shook his head. Blanc shook his head, sighing. "You have them with you?" Adrian nodded quickly, reaching into his pocket as if to reassure. The chill of the Winter air caused him to shiver suddenly, and Blanc smiled. "Shouldn't you be wearing a coat?" He said, tilting his head to the side curiously. Adrian nodded. "Well, I thought a jacket would be good enough. I didn't know it would be so cold here."

Blanc did the one thing any good brother would do. He threw an arm around the taller man's shoulder, in a weak attempt to share body heat. "Let's just hurry up then, e..." His sentence trailed off into nothingness, because he had caught sight of a familiar boy.

He was amazingly attractive - Blanc was quite sure if he didn't like girls he would go for this boys type. He knew this young man, but he couldn't place the name. There was something giving him Deja Vu about the teenager working at the gas station across the street. Adrian caught his gaze and followed it, right to the DX and the shitty red car there. Once he realized it wasn't the car Blanc found fascinating, he retraced his steps and this time, they lead him right to Sodapop Curtis.

"Something wrong with him?" Adrian asked, watching the scene with interest. His younger brother didn't answer, already halfway across the street. Adrian bit his bottom lip, considering staying on his side of the street, but suddenly Blanc had turned and was gesturing wildly for his brother to come and join him.

'If he's trying to make a good impression on this guy and inviting me along...' Adrian thought with a sigh. It was a fact he was not good with people - He was plain awful. He tended to be uncomfortable around people he didn't know and didn't say much, which in turn made them uncomfortable. Surely, his brother knew this. Ignoring the little voice in his head that told him to stay, he made his way across the street as well.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, and Blanc worked his magic.

"Excuse me," The other said, and the boy pulled away from his work for a moment to greet the company. "Yeah, hi. We're looking for someone, and are wondering if you could help us out?"

Adrian rolled his eyes. Blanc was far to self-confident for his own good - He often proclaimed he could make friends with anyone because he just had that natural charm. Suddenly, snapped out of his thoughts, he was able to get a good look at this boy. His hair was a strange mix of reddish gold, his eyes bright and alive and enchanting. Adrian was quick to look away, mumbling to himself.

"Lookin' for someone, huh?" Sodapop repeated, studying the two carefully. There was something awfully familiar about the black waves of their hair, the darkness of their eyes. He decided not to push it and ask because these guys were new around here, and he wouldn't want to make a newcomer feel unwelcome around here. No, He thought, amused, That's Dal's job. He wiped his hand off on a nearby rag, and reached it out to Blanc. "I'm Sodapop. You two new around here?" Blanc looked down at his hand as though it were something filthy(though, in defense, he had just been sticking it inside a car with the oil and other nasty junk that leaks from it), but accepted it graciously. "Blanc. Sodapop...Wow. That's one you don't hear everyday." The two shared a lighthearted laugh and released one anothers hands. "So, you say you're lookin' for someone? I reckon I know most of the kids in this town, so, you're askin' the right guy. What's his name?" Adrian stepped forward a bit, surveying Soda with black eyes. He was trying to make a good judgement of him - Adrian liked to think he was a good judge of character, and what he liked even more was putting that skill to good use. "Johnathan Cade," He said quietly, each letter pronounced so he could make no mistake. "I take it you know him, then?"

Soda's eyes widened just slightly, indicating his suprise. He grinned. "I might, depends on what business you have with 'im." There was an expectant silence, and Blanc would have spoken to answer if Adrian had not stepped in. How strange, for someone usually so quiet around strangers - There was just something oddly warm and inviting about Sodapop Curtis, he could make anyone talk.

"We're his brothers," Adrian said simply. "Now, I'd appreciate it if you could give me a location, a general idea of where he might be, anything."

Sodapop looked confused. He even scratched his head. Here comes these two boys out of nowhere claiming to be the kids brothers, and Sodapop couldn't say he remembered his friend saying anything about siblings. The hair, the tint of the skin and especially those dark eyes were telltale signs that they had some sort of blood relation with Johnny. He resolved that he would get to the bottom of this. "He's at my place," Soda finally answered, a smile once again brightening his features. "I'll take you there, if you wanna go, after my shift." The siblings exchanged a glance that said everything. Blanc faced Sodapop and nodded his head. "Yeah," He started, smiling back. "That would be good, thanks."