This chapter was awfully fun to write so i hope you enjoy it! For all those Carmen-Pony supporters...this one is dedicated to you.

Dallas strutted through the door like he owned the place. He sauntered over to the bar, ordered a drink, and flirted with the girls next to him.

I searched the crowd, looking for a certain greaser. I had not thought very long about my wardrobe. I was far too excited. Dallas had waited twenty minutes before yelling at me. I was wearing my black jeans and a red V-neck shirt. And red Converse. No makeup, either. Gosh, that was a mistake.

Dally left the girl at the bar and grabbed my wrist, pulling me to a different group of girls. "Dallas, I really don't need to watch you flirt with the entire state of Oklahoma."

He turned and grinned. "Hey girls!"

"Hi, Dally!" they sang in unison. There were three of them. One had long blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail. Her China-blue eyes lit up as we joined them.

"I'm Sandy," she stuck her hand out and I shook it.

"Carmen, it's nice to meet you," I smiled lightly.

The second one appraised me and decided I wasn't that bad. She also had blonde hair, but hers' was a short curly mop, framing her green eyes. "I'm Kathy."

The third cringed at me as if I were a bug. She had long, gorgeous, black hair and piercing blue eyes. "I'm Sylvia."

I nodded politely and said hello. "This is the girl I was telling you 'bout," Dally said. Sandy looked slightly confused. "The girl who likes Ponyboy…"

"Oh, that girl!" Sandy grinned at me.

"She ain't getting anyone's attention in that," Sylvia commented. They were all wearing black tiny skirts and plunging shirts and high-heels. The total greaser gal look, complete with a mask of makeup.

"Sorry to disappoint," I muttered.

"Well, I'm just saying. You need some serious help!" Sylvia sneered.

"Sylvia!" Kathy reprimanded.

I glared. "Did I ask for your opinion?"

Sandy snickered. "We can help," she offered.

"By..?"

"Giving you a makeover!" Kathy squealed. Oh, lovely. Sylvia raised a perfect dark eyebrow.

"I haven't done that in a while. Oh, what the hell! Let's turn you into a heart-stopping greaser!" Sylvia cracked a grin.

We ended up in an upstairs bedroom. Sylvia stayed at Shepard's (who I still don't know) place often; so often she had her own room here. Kathy rifled through the closet and Sandy fussed over my hair until it hung the right way. "Perfect! A mixture of mysterious and seductive!"

"Just what any thirteen-year-old wants," I muttered.

"Wait a minute. You're only thirteen?" Kathy asked. I nodded.

"Damn girl, you sure don't look it!"

I was practically shoved into a sparkly red skirt and a black shirt that hug off both of my shoulders. Thank god they let me keep my Converse on. Sylvia put me into a swivel chair and knelt in front of me. She held liquid eye lined and red lipstick. Ew. She swiped the little brush under and over my eyes and smirked. When I was finally allowed to look in the mirror, I didn't recognize who was staring back.

My eyes were more cat-like and my eyelashes almost touched my eyebrows. I had a light layer of blush and all the freckles on my nose (left over from summers at the beach) had magically disappeared. My lips looked fuller and a heck-of-a-lot darker.

"Go get 'um girly!" Sandy exclaimed. I was nervous and tripped over my own feet as I tried to get down the stairs.

"Never make direct eye contact, look at the guy out of the corner of your eye."

"Sway your hips when you walk."

"Keep your hair in your eyes."

"Never bat your eyelashes."

"Lick your lips."

"No! Not like that!"

"And remember, when you dance, dance like you two are all alone," Sylvia said with a suggestive wink.

"Got it," I replied while blushing.

"Now, make sure you don't spend more than one song with the same guy, mix it up!"

The girls were giving me pointers all at the same time. I followed their lead to Dallas who I realized was talking to Two-Bit, Sodapop, and Steve. Steve, who was the only one facing me, stopped talking and starred. Sodapop nudged him with his elbow and turned to see what was goin on. His jaw dropped. "Hi?" I squeaked.

Dallas whistled approvingly. "Nice."

"Nice and dirty," Two-Bit smirked.

"You girls should go into business, make good money." Dallas said.

"You did this to her?" Two-Bit cracked up.

"Shut it."

"Where's lover boy?" Steve asked Soda.

"Outside with Johnny."

I turned on my heel to leave but Kathy caught my wrist. "Oh, no you don't."

I tilted my head as if to say 'why the hell not?'

"Let's dance first!"

I've never danced in a public place. I'm so clumsy that I trip over my own feet so I can't be that good. I was wrong. You didn't have to know how to do a routine or be able to do the splits…you just had to find a partner (like Sylvia did) or just a group of friends (like Kathy and I did.)

We swayed our hips and hopped on the toes of our shoes. It was a lot of fun! Sylvia was like a jungle cat, stalking her prey. She would watch a guy for a song or two, and then pounce. Sylvia would saunter over, put her hand on his shoulder and drag him onto the floor. After that I would not watch, it was far too dirty for my taste.

A few guys asked me to dance. All of which looked at me like I was a piece of candy. I declined.

The first headliner of the evening? When Dallas pulled me into the center of the dance floor. "Dance," he commanded. I hopped on my feet and he chuckled. "Not like that."

I was suddenly aware of where his hands were. One on my waist, the other in between my shoulder blades. My heart thudded hard in my chest and sweat beaded on the back of my neck. Another thing I was aware of? Johnny and Ponyboy had just walked into the room.

A song blasted through the speakers that my mother would kill me for listening to, but I knew all the words. It was weird at first, dancing with Dally. But I soon realized everyone else was doing it too. He laughed at my facial expressions and I giggled when he started to sing along with the band. When the song was over, my face was beet-red and sweat was making my skin sticky.

"Nice moves Carmmy," Dallas smirked and let go of me. I stumbled over to where Kathy had been standing. She was trying so hard not to laugh.

"Go on, let it all out."

She doubled over and was in tears she was laughing so hard.

Sodapop and Ponyboy were standing by the door talking. I made my way over there, Kathy right on my heels. "Hey you guys," I said. I let my voice drop like Sylvia showed me. Sodapop raised an eyebrow and grinned.

"Hey, Carmen. Saw you dancing with Dally."

"Wait. Carmen?" Ponyboy gawked at me.

"Yes?" I replied innocently.

"Holy crap…" he muttered.

"Hey, Kathy, I need to show you something!" Sodapop exclaimed suddenly.

"What, now? This is the best part!" Kathy complained.

I leaned against the porch railing, waiting for Pony to say something, anything. I turned so my back was against the railing and I was facing him. He was leaning against the wall of the house. He looked me up and down slowly, as if he couldn't process what I was wearing.

"Hey, you," I said softly. "I heard about you and Cherry…sorry."

"Yeah right," he snorted.

"No seriously, you really seemed to like her, she made you happy."

Ponyboy's eyes met mine then looked away suddenly. "I was never truly happy with her."

"Oh?" It was quiet for a moment. "Why not?" I pushed.

He sighed and didn't answer; instead he moved to stand beside me. "I haven't been happy in months."

I opened my mouth to question this but he continued.

"Whenever I was with her it was always so secretive. So 'I'm a Soc, we shouldn't be together in public.' So 'never talk to me at school.' I was happy…when I was with you."

I wondered if he heard my heart rate pick up. "You didn't care what class I was. You just cared that I stayed who I was. That I never tried to be someone I wasn't. And when I was with you I was happy, until the guilt set in."

It was the longest, most heartfelt speech he had ever given. I put my hand on his arm, just above his elbow. Ponyboy looked at me again.

"Do you like me?"

"Yes."

I bit my lip to keep from grinning. Ponyboy had just admitted out-loud that he liked me!

"Do you like me?"

"More than you can ever imagine," I replied. I had gone over this exact moment a thousand times in my head, and not once did I say no.

He grabbed my hand and pulled into the house again. "That's all we need to know for the moment."

"30…29…28…27…" The count down began. Everyone was watching the ball drop in Times Square on T.V. Sandy and Sodapop were going to kiss at midnight, so were Sylvia and Dallas, and Kathy and Two-Bit. Ponyboy wrapped his arms around me and we turned to face each other. "10…9…8…7…" Here we go. "5…4…3…2…1! Happy New Year!" I cried. Ponyboy's lips brushed against mine.

"Welcome to 1963!" Johnny said.

"What was the best part of 1962?" Steve asked me.

I thought for a moment before leaning my head against Ponyboy's chest. "The very end."

Well? Review! Like, right now. Two chapters in one day, how lucky are you to have an author who types fast? =)