Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own with The Outsiders nor do I make a profit from S.E. Hinton's work fabulous work. (I wish I could write like she does!) S.E. Hinton is the true owner of The Outsiders.

Third person POV:

Darry stared at the pink piece of paper. It was a drop out form that Soda had already signed. Sodapop is Dropping out of school?

Not if I can help it, Darry thought. His brother wasn't going to be a dumb hooded drop out.

"Do you know what you've done to us, Soda? The state won't let you be a drop out." Darry yelled a bit too loud because Ponyboy heard them arguing and walked into the room.

"You can't drop out Soda! We'll be in the same school now! You can't leave!" Ponyboy shouted. He looked at Darry.

"Make him stay Darry!" Ponyboy commanded.

"It's too late." Soda said. Ponyboy started to tear up.

"Whatever Soda, just give up and leave me, see if I care." He ran out of the house and left Soda just standing there in shock at Ponyboy's outburst.

"We will continue this later, Sodapop Curtis, but you need to go get him and talk to him." Darry told Soda. Soda nodded and left the house.

(Switch to Ponyboy) (Still 3rd person POV)

I was so happy to have Soda in the same school, and now he's just going to drop out, Ponyboy thought. He wasn't just a dumb hoodlum, he was my happy-go-lucky brother who was too good for this. I couldn't take it, I ran.

He knew he was being unreasonable, but right now he didn't care.

Ponyboy ran to the lot and found Johnny sleeping. He woke up and smiled when he saw Pony.

"Hey Ponyboy. What's wrong?" Johnny asked quietly.

"Soda dropped out. I was so excited, Johnny. The school wants to move me up a grade, I wanted to be with Soda. Now I won't." Johnny wasn't suprised on both accounts. Ponyboy tutored him and for him to pass with a low C. And that was 9th grade stuff!

"That's why you don't understand, Ponyboy. You are smart and love school, but Soda isn't like you and Darry. He has a good reason to, he's not just giving up, I'm sure of it." Johnny told Pony. Ponyboy nodded, still angry but ready to try to understand.

Sodapop's POV

Ponyboy walked in the house looking a bit cooled off, I would have to thank Johnnycakes for that one.

"I dropped out to get a job, Ponyboy." I tried.

"Then I can get a job too, after school." Ponyboy said, a bit of guilt tracing his tone.

"No way, kiddo. You are concentrating on school. Soda's a big boy, I can't tell him what to do." Darry said sternly.

Ponyboy stalked off to his room.

"Hey Ponyboy, why don't you sleep in my room, it might help your nightmares." I said, trying to get him to talk to me.

"Maybe." He answered shortly. I sighed, today wasn't my day. I got in my first big fight with Darry and now I'm in my first big fight with Ponyboy. I thought fighting was Darry and Ponyboy's thing. What is the world coming to? All I knew was tonight would be very lonely in my room alone, knowing that Ponyboy would never come in there begging me for comfort from the demons that plagued his dreams.

Darry's POV

I woke up and saw Ponyboy standing in my doorway, shaking. Tears were rolling down his scared and innocent face.

"Did you have a nightmare, Ponyboy?" I asked quietly, he nodded. I motioned for him to lay with me and be complied happily.

I knew full well why he wasn't in Soda's room, begging for his favorite brother's warm arm.

That knowledge didn't mean I was going to turn him away.

A/N: Today, I was watching The Outsiders and reliving all my favorite parts. My al time favorite part is where Dallas is like, "I'm sorry… I mean I didn't… I didn't know you had this problem of… yelling in my face." Anybody else got a favorite quote?