Darry's POV

I woke up, and started getting dressed for work. Soda and Pony would be asleep right now, unless Ponyboy miraculously got up early again. I brushed my hair back and put only a little grease in it this time. I put on a black T-shirt and blue jeans.

When I reached the kitchen, I took out a bowl and poured cereal into it. As I sit down at the table, I noticed a piece of paper, with some very familiar handwriting on it. I pick the white sheet up, and begin to read what was written in pencil, on the page.

Darry and Sodapop,

I'm leaving Tulsa. I'm sorry to do this to you guys.

I know you'll be okay, though. I just need to leave for awhile.

I need to get away from all the bad memories. I just feel all

mixed up, ya dig? Please don't worry about me, I know

where I'm going. Make sure Two-Bit doesn't drink too much,

and tell Steve to be there for Soda when I'm not. Darry, please

don't work too hard. You need to relax sometimes. Soda, don't

do anything stupid. I know you guys will try to find me, but by

the time you read this, I'll be long gone. I'll come back when

I'm ready, so don't go anywhere! I love you guys, more than

you'll ever know.

Love, Ponyboy Curtis

My brain stopped working. I probably read the note five or six times before I understood what it meant. I slowly and very carefully placed the note back down on the table. I didn't know what to think or do. So I just sat there and stared into space, my breakfast and work forgotten. I must've sat there for along time, because the next thing I knew Soda was waving his hand in my face.

"Darry? What's wrong? You look kind of pale." And I sure felt it too. Oh, no. How am I going to tell Soda? He'll be crushed. I was still in a daze when I handed him the note. I watched him very closely while he reads it. I watch him pale, as well. I watch him set the note down just as I had. I look in his eyes, and see shock, hurt, and, most of all, sadness. I pull him into a hug as his eyes fill with tears. He sobs into my shoulder.

I don't understand. Why didn't he just ask for help? Why did he have to leave? Where is he going?… when is he coming back?… I thought all these thoughts while trying to fight off the feeling of devastation. While Soda cried into my shoulder, I let a few tears of my own escape.

"Soda…" I tried to calm my younger brother down, but ended up a lost for words. After what seemed like an eternity of crying, Soda finally sniffed his last sniffle.

"Is he really gone, Darry?" He asked in the smallest voice I've ever heard from him. I wanted to say no. I wanted to believe this was just a prank or I was just having a nightmare. But Pony doesn't do pranks, and this was all too real to be a dream. Something told me Ponyboy was gone. I knew it, and I knew Ponyboy was serious in that note.

I slowly nod my head. "It looks like it." I felt miserable. "He said he'd be back." I try to comfort him.

"But why! When will he come back?" He cried. I didn't answer. I wanted to know the same thing.

Ponyboy's POV

The bus arrived at New York city, the next day, late in the afternoon. I was starving. I ate all the food I had, and although there was plenty of pit stops, I didn't want to use any of my money until I arrived in New York.

As soon as I got off the bus, I went to find someplace to eat. I rounded the corner and caught sight of a McDonalds. After buying a burger and a Pepsi, I started walking nowhere in particular. I munched on my burger and sipped my Pepsi, until I found myself wandering around a dirty looking neighborhood, on the outskirts of the city. Okay. Where should I go? Idiot! I haven't really thought this all through… I guess I just fend for myself. Just live on the streets like some bum. Not for long. I'll find someplace to stay. I'm not gonna let myself bum around the streets of New York.

I was walking down the street, getting lost in my thoughts, when four guys blocked my path. They were greasers by the looks of it.

"Hey guys, look what we have here." The one in front said. He was probably a year older than me, with dirty blonde hair that was heavily greased, and dark green eyes. He was only about an inch taller than me, but he looked stronger.

"It looks like he ain't from here, Ricky." one of the other boys stated. 'Ricky' must be the boy in front. Ricky gave me a evil smile.

"We don't like outsiders nowhere near our turf." Ricky drawled. There was something about this greaser that I didn't like. I could tell he was thinking the same thing about me.

Ricky eyed me carefully, noticing the backpack strapped to my shoulders. "What? You a runaway? There's a lot of those in this city." He told me. "it's a shame you walked into our territory. Now your in for a whoopin'." He pulled out a blade from his back pocket.

The other boys stayed in the background, but looked ready to jump in at any time. I know I should've felt scared, but to tell you the truth, I felt angry. There was something about Ricky that made me just want to kick that smug look off his face. He was too cocky. Cocky in the bad way. He looked like a seriously bad hood, but also like a trouble maker. I didn't like that.

I pulled out my own blade. He looked surprised at first but then slowly smirked. "Ha. Lets have some fun." he said, before throwing the first punch. I dodged and punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He quickly recovered, and lashed out with his switchblade, but missed. We tackled each other to the ground. I punched him in the eye, which would leave him a pretty nice shiner. He pinned me down and called the rest of his gang over to hold my arms and legs down.

"Lets see… where should I cut first?" He pondered, hovering his blade above my face. I wanted to scream, but I wasn't sure if anyone would come help. He smirked as I struggled in his grip. "How about right here." He concluded, tracing a line with his blade on my right cheek.

"Fuck you." I spat. This seemed to amuse him. He shook his head disapprovingly. "Swearing ain't getting you nowhere." He said. Then he dug his blade in my cheek, dragging it across. I couldn't help myself anymore, I screamed. I ached all over, and my right cheek was on fire. Then I heard footsteps running towards me. Ricky and his friends fled the seen quickly. I felt real dizzy, so I stayed on the ground.

Two people jumped over me and chased after them, while the other two helped me get to my feet. I looked at them. One was a boy about my age and the other boy looked a little older. The boy my age gave me a concerned look and gave a quick glance to the older boy.

"Are you okay?" The older boy asked.

"Ya, I think so." I respond. He eyes the cut on my cheek. "I think we should take him to Michael, to get that cut looked at. Its bleeding a lot." He says to the younger one. He nods, and indicates me to follow them.

"I'm 's your name?" The one my age, Chris, asks. The older boy swats Chris's arm playfully, and Chris flashes a smile. "Oh, yeah, this is Snatcher." Chris says, in monotone. Snatcher gives me a look that says, can you believe this guy? I smile.

"I'm Ponyboy." I say, and wait for the remarks I usually hear.

They look at me like I grew two heads. "Are you sure your okay?"

"I'm serious. It even says so on my birth certificate." I say, trying hard not to loose my temper, which has been a lot harder lately. I pick up my backpack off the ground, where I threw it before I was tackled. I sling it over my shoulders and follow them down the street.

While walking down the street, I get a closer look at the both of them. Chris looked to be my age, with dark gray eyes and blonde hair. His hair was heavily greased, and he had a small scar on the side of his forehead. He looked like a nice kid. We were about the same height, but Chris was a lot skinnier than me.

Snatcher looked to be around sixteen. He also had blonde hair, but his was a lot lighter. He had light blue eyes, that had an over-active look to them. Like he just drank a lot of coffee, and was now real hyper. Who knows? Maybe he has. He wasn't that tall for his age, maybe a few inches taller than me, and he was about as skinny as Chris. Don't these guys ever eat? He didn't ware a lot of grease in his hair, which I thought he probably looked better with out any at all. But who am I to judge?

We hear footsteps running up behind us, and we turn around to see the other two boys who chased off Ricky and his friends.

"We chased 'em till we saw them no more." The taller one explained. They looked me up and down. "Damn, they sure gave you one helluva slash there. Ya gonna have a scar." The smaller one says.

"Yeah. Were takin' him to Mike." Snatcher says. "Ponyboy, this is Tony and Jay. Guys this is Ponyboy."

Tony looked confusingly at me while Jay burst out in laughter, "Ponyboy! What kind of a nickname is that?"

I glared at him with death in my eyes, that shut him up pretty fast. "Its not a nickname. Its my real name." I dared him to say more, but he got the message and kept his mouth closed. I looked Tony and Jay up and down, like they did with me earlier.

Tony was tall. He had dark hair, and gray eyes filled with what I could only describe as bitterness. He also looked kind of distant. He was older than me. Sixteen or seventeen maybe. He was well-built, as well all the other boys. He was real skinny. Probably more than his friends.

Jay was a little taller than me, and bigger, so I guessed he must be fifteen. He had dark brown hair, and although it was greased, his bangs fell over his forehead. He had a reckless look in his hazel eyes. He reminded me of Soda. No. Don't think of my past. He looked friendly, but also like he could turn against you at any second. I didn't blame him. It was probably just the fact that they lived in New York, that made these boy's who they are today.

"Come on. We should get to the warehouse before it gets dark." Tony said. What? Warehouse? I decided to ask questions later. What a crazy day… I thought as I followed them.

AN: wow! That was a lot of writing! This story is only gonna get better! REVIEW! P.s. sorry for spelling. I cant do everything right.