The sun was starting to fade away, and I quickly made my way to the park, and sat on top of the monkey bars. I liked watching sunsets, it seemed to be the only thing beautiful in this world to me, and I could never guess why. I grew up with an alcoholic dad, and he enjoyed beating us. Jerry always told Russ and me as soon as he had money he'd come get us out of what we called hell. It wasn't until after Russ had moved away that mom started getting hit along with me. It was my sixteenth birthday that Russ came to visit, and he had been gone for about a year. I also found out that Jerry had gotten killed somewhere in Oklahoma City. Russ had never seen me cry until that day. So much for sweet sixteen, huh?

"Do you care if I sit with you up there?"

I was bounced from my thoughts when I looked at the ground below my feet to see a boy with dark hair.

"Not at all, kid, it's a free country."

He climbed his way up and sat next to me, "you watch sunsets too?"

I nodded his way, pulling out a smoke and lighting it up, "it seems to be the only beautiful thing this world has to offer."

"There's more beauty in this world, you just have to look for it."

He lit up a smoke too, and we both looked as the sky had fallen to dark, and the sun was no longer visible. I jumped down from where I was sitting, and noticed two guys walking our way.

They started screaming things at the boy, and they grabbed him by his feet and made him land on the ground hard. If there was one thing my brothers taught me, it's to fight fair. It gets messy when you don't and seeing how these two boys were gonna gang up on one, I thought it not fair at all.

I looked when I noticed them both towering over the boy, and saying obscene thing's like 'can you get this message across to Dally?'

The one with darker hair immediately punched sunset boy in the face, and he fell back onto the ground. They were both over him kicking him, and I started to walk towards them. I punched one guy in the side of his head really hard, I know where all the tender spots are, and the other guy came towards me, but I punched him in the side of the head too. They were both sprawled out, and I reached down and took a ring of one of their fingers, and put it on mine, then I put my hand out for the boy to take.

"Thanks, I thought they were gonna finish me, never seen a girl fight like that."

"I'm not just any girl, you try growing up with cold as ice older brothers."

He held his hand over his nose, which I noticed was bleeding, "I'm Ponyboy Curtis, by the way."

"Lynn Rhodes."

We started to walk away, and I found myself following him into a house, which I assumed was his. The older guy sitting in the chair looked up, and yelled, "what the hell happened, Pony?"

"Lee and Jessie came to the park, I woulda been done in if it wasn't for Lynn here," he said finding some cloth to put under his nose.

"Who is Lynn?"

I stepped forward, I guess he expected some huge guy, but when he saw me, a small girl, he looked quite confused.

"I'm Lynn," I said barely above a whisper.

He put his hand out for a shake, "I'm Darry, Ponyboy's older brother. Do you mind telling me how the hell you stood up to those two idiots?"

"I grew up in Dallas, so I guess that helps?" I asked not too convinced.

Darry immediately went to help Ponyboy out, and I stood in the living room by myself, in an awkward state. Ponyboy returned a few minutes later and told me to sit on the couch, which I did, and he sat next to me.

"So, Lynn, how old are you?"

"I just turned 17, you?"

"14, I'm the baby of the gang, although Johnny is the kid."

I looked at him funny, then heard the screen door open, and looked to my right. There stood a boy, who looked like he could be a movie star.

"Hey Pony, who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Lynn. Lynn this is my other brother Sodapop."

I had to seem that they were nicknames, but then again, some people were original. Soda, which is his nickname, talked to us for a bit, then left for a date. I sat on the couch with Pony, until we heard the screen door again. I looked up to see the guy that walked me home earlier that day.

"Hey Pone, is Johnny here?"

"Nah, I haven't seen him since earlier, he should be coming around anytime."

The guy looked my way, "who is your friend Pone?"

"This is Lynn, Lynn this is Dally."

I looked up and he looked at me like he hated me. That's fine when people hate you, things get really messy if you have emotions, I should know. He trailed across the room, and asked where Darry was. Pony said he had already gone to sleep, and he had homework to do. He left me in the room alone with Dally.

"So, where you from kid?"

"Dallas," I seemed to find my hands quite interesting.

"No shit? My names Dallas, never been there, but I heard some things."

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"I used to know this kid, I don't even remember his name now, but he told me all about the gangs you got there. No wonder you fight like a grown man."

"The stories are nothing compared to living there."

He seemed to soften at this, "neither is New York."

I snorted a bit, "New York was just some fun to me."

"You been there? When?"

"I went there a few years back with my brothers. We stayed with some guy named Felix, and his broad Lisa. She was an idiot in my opinion, kept telling me I'd never whoop her ass. I proved it to her, proved to her Dallas was harder on you, then people think."

He seemed at a daze for a minute, "you know Felix Ponce? What's your brothers names, I bet I heard about 'em."

"Jerry and Russell Rhodes."

"No shit? I knew Jerry, he was a great guy, kept me out of trouble a few good times. How is he now?"

I started to look away, you don't tear up in front of a guy, or anyone. That makes you a softie, and that is what I am not.

"Jerry got killed a year ago."

The silence was immediately welcomed and I felt like I could finally talk about him without losing it. I had never cried about a beating or anything else. When Jerry died, it was different. Jerry was the oldest, nicest, best big brother ever. He got me out of so much shit, I was surprised he never went in for someone else committing murder. That someone else being Russ. Russ was nothing like Jerry, he was tough, he loved to fight, brag about fighting, winning, and anything that went along with being a hood. He was feared by everyone, yet respected by them too. Russ was someone you didn't mess with, and you didn't mess with anyone close to him. He wasn't always angry about something, when it came to me, he had a little soft spot for me. I was the baby, and his baby sister. He listened when I talked, and made everyone else in the room shut their traps. I learned quick growing up, if I wanted to survive, I had to follow him. He was the first one to teach me how to fight. Jerry taught me to fight too, said I'd need it one day. Jerry was content, unless someone messed with him, then he did what he knew he had to do, he'd lay them out. Jerry wasn't always nice or sweet, sometimes he'd get so angry he'd leave the house hours at a time, and beat people for stress relief. I knew it was only because he had a bad temper, and didn't want Russ and I to see him fly off the handle.