Change can be good

Summary: Ponyboy goes off to college with a scholarship but what happens in College?

Disclaimer: I don't own the outsiders. I only own Malvina(Mally), Jason, Jamie, and Maddie. I also own Katie, Kayla, Sam, and Nancy.

Chapter 3:

Ponyboy POV:

Two months later and Jamie and I were still going strong, Jason and Maddie were really hitting it off, and I was really starting to miss the gang, especially since the Christmas holidays were coming up in a few weeks and I wasn't going home to spend them with the gang.

I was taking Jamie out that night, and Jason and Maddie were going out too. I was taking her to a fancy restaurant so I had to wear dress pants and a decent shirt, and I couldn't wear my normal amount of hair grease. I had just finished getting ready when there was a knock on the door I answered it and sure enough, Jamie was standing right if front of me. She was wearing a halter top red dress that went down to her knees.

At the restaurant:

The night hadn't even really started and Jamie was already nervous, not that she had anything to be nervous about. She was always fidgeting or looking around. She reminded me a lot of Sodapop, someone who couldn't sit still for longer than 15 minutes at a time.

"you ok? You seem a little nervous." I asked her.

"ummm… not really. Look, Ponyboy we really need to talk." She said.

"ok."

"I'm going back home to L.A." she blurted out.

"what? Why?" I asked.

"I'm just not sure that this is right for me. I mean don't get me wrong these last two months have been great, but… I'm really getting home sick and I'm confused about a lot of things right now. And I think I just have to go home." She said. And as if she had said enough she stood up, and left me all alone at the restaurant.

Jason and Maddie came back to the dorm around 11:00 laughing and smiling, and seeing as I wasn't in the mood for any fun I left for a walk. That was probably one of the stupidest things I'd ever done, taking a walk in Central Park at 11:00 at night. I was walking and I wasn't even that far into the Park when a gang decided to jump me.

"where's your cash punk?" one asked. I was scared at that point but having all those years of practice with the gang and the socs I was good at hiding that fact.

"don't have none with me." I said. I was thankful that I had been having a cig while walking cause it help me calm down my nerves a bit, and it made me look tougher.

"oh ya? Well then I guess we'll just have to BEAT it outta ya." Another spoke up.

"what a minute guys, there's something about this guy." Another spoke, and I'm guessing he was the leader seeing as no one argued. "where you from?" he asked.

"East Tulsa." I told him.

"You know Dallas Winston or Tim Shepard?" he asked again.

"I should. I grew up with Dally and Tim both." I told them.

"ya?"

"ya."

"how do we know that you ain't lying?" one asked.

" would I lie to a gang of guys that know Dallas Winston and Tim Shepard?" I asked. I wasn't so nervous anymore, seeing as they knew Dally and Tim, unless of course… they had, had a bad experience with them.

"he's right. So what's your name kid?" the leader asked.

"Ponyboy Curtis." I told him.

"alright, well next time you talk to Dallas or Tim, you tell them that you had a nice little run in with the Tigers, k?" the leader told me and they all walked away.

I was a little dazed as I continued my walk, I couldn't stop thinking about what would have happened if those guys hadn't known about Dally, and Tim, and Jamie. Before I knew it I was at the dorms again, I opened the door and Jason and Maddie were sitting on Jason's bunk still talking, smiling, and laughing. I groaned and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I came out, and Maddie was still there, I got into bed and fell asleep. I'm not sure if they even knew I was there, but it didn't matter, I was happy that I didn't have to act like everything was ok, or that I didn't have to tell them everything that had happened.

The next few weeks were hard, the gang had called to say Merry Christmas, and I got to talk to everyone privately, which was good cause I got to talk to Johnny about my problem with Jamie. After Windrixville Johnny and I got really close, things that I couldn't tell to Soda even, I found a way to tell Johnny. I pretty much forgotten about Jamie, and the summer was coming up. I couldn't wait for the summer, I could get out of the dorms and have a real vacation, somehow Darry and Sodapop had gotten enough money to pay for plane tickets so that I could visit during the summer.

Sorry that it took me so long to update, but I've been really busy. I'm also sorry for the short chapters, but they will get longer soon enough don't worry! And I'll have a gang pov next chapter. Anyways please R&R in the meantime.:)