Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders

Sorry for the long wait but schools just been hectic lately and I also found an old one-shot I wrote awhile ago and I've been messing around with it, trying to make it tolerable. If you're curious it's just Ponyboy and Sodapop talking about Sandy and how Pony actually felt about her. I know in the book he doesn't hate or dislike her until the end but it was just something I thought I'd type up. I don't know.. Anyways enjoy this chapter! :D

Darry's POV

"Pony, wake up," I whispered as I lightly shook my baby brother. He didn't budge so I repeated his name again. Still nothing, so I decided to use the magic words. "Happy birthday Pone."

The kid was sitting up and jumping out of bed before I even finished the sentence. I smiled affectionately at him as I picked him up. He wriggled around a bit, wanting to run around, open presents and eat cake, but I held him firm.

"Hey birthday boy do you think you can wake your brother up?" I asked him, needing a bit more time to finish his cake and hide the rest of his gifts.

He nodded excitedly and I walked into Soda's room and placed Ponyboy on the bed, watching him crawl on top of Soda's stomach, jumping on it gently. Soda's eyebrows twitched a bit then he relaxed again, almost as if he were used to this. He probably was since I usually sent Pony in to wake him up in the mornings.

"Soda!" Pony complained, jumping more furiously on him.

Soda's eyes didn't open but he grabbed Pony and lifted him up off of him and laid him down beside him, mumbling something incoherently.

Ponyboy sat up and began poking Soda's face. He still wouldn't budge.

Alright, desperate times call for desperate measures..

I lifted Pony off the bed, placing him on the floor beside the bed and grabbed one of his heavier storybooks from the nightstand and dropped it on the floor with a loud bang.

It worked, Soda's eyes almost instantly snapped open and he was fumbling to get untangled from his blankets. Once he succeeded he ran over to Pony who was still seated on the floor and picked him up, checking for any injuries, frowning at me when he didn't find any.

"That was cruel." He crouched down and picked up the book and tossed it back on the nightstand.

"Well wake up next time and we won't have this problem." He grinned, shaking his head, and walked off into the living room. I followed him.

I watched as he placed Ponyboy on the couch, singing happy birthday to him. Once he was finished I waved him to come in the kitchen.

"Whatcha need Dar?"

"Do we have everything we need for later?" I watched as he pulled out a check list.

"Do we have a cake?" he paused and looked up at me, waiting for me to either nod or shake my head. I nodded and he continued, "Ice cream?" I nodded again. "They're both chocolate, right?" I rolled my eyes but nodded anyways. He grinned and tossed the list on the table. "Oh and we need to put his gifts up."

"I already took care of it."

"Did you get mine?"

"Yes Soda I took care of it."

He looked at me confused. "How'd you find it?"

"Well you can't rely on tossing them underneath your bed forever little buddy."

He rolled his eyes but had a look of consideration anyways.

"When are the guys coming?" I looked at him confused for a second then remembered that he wanted to take Ponyboy somewhere 'special' today. I still had my doubts about it, especially since he wouldn't tell me where he was planning on taking him.

"Probably around noon." Antsy, he walked back into the living room to check the time. He sighed and turned the TV on and plopped down on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. At the same time Ponyboy came running into the room.

"Darry can I have some cake?" He looked up at me expectantly.

"Not until everyone else gets here kiddo." I said, rubbing his hair.

He pouted, hoping that I'd change my mind. I shook my head and leaned down to his level. "Pony, that may work on him," I nodded in Soda's direction, "but that won't work on me."

Before he could run off to ask Soda I lifted him up, sitting him down in a chair at the table to get him some cereal.

"Here Pone." I poured some cereal in a bowl then poured in milk and handed it to him.

I ruffled his hair as he dug in, temporarily forgetting about his cake. I walked back over to his cake, that was covered with a lid, and took out four candles and some frosting. I used the frosting first, writing 'Happy birthday Ponyboy!' on it and then put his candles in it before grabbing the lid, hiding it again.

"Oh cake!" I jumped at the sound of Soda's voice. I turned to look at him and he just grinned, trying to distract me from scolding him. Glancing over at Ponyboy, I saw that he was looking at us with a hint of suspicion mixed with amusement.

Suddenly the door slammed and Two-Bit came running in with two plastic shopping bags. He flashed Pony a grin and came up to Soda and I.

I eyed him cautiously. "Two-Bit please tell me you didn't steal those." I whispered sternly to him.

He only nodded, still grinning. "How else would I have gotten Pony the best presents?" He whispered back.

Soda shook his head. "No I got Pony the best present. I got him-" He stopped himself from saying it out loud incase Pony was listening to the conversation.

"Two-Bit if you stole those then where did the bags come from?"

"Swiped 'em when the cashier wasn't looking." I shook my head, I should've known. "Hey I'm not the only bandit here. Steve distracted the cashier for me."

"How'd you manage that?" Soda questioned, genuinely surprised.

"Well the first time I asked him he told me to get lost so I did, then I came back and asked again-"

"So basically you just kept pestering him until he realized he had no other option than to go with you," I finished for him while shaking my head. Even if I felt that sometimes Steve deserved that, I pitied him.

"Where is Steve anyways?" Soda piped up again.

Two-Bit shrugged. "I booked it out of there as soon as I grabbed the bags. But you should've heard him cursing." He then proceeded to repeat them. Pony stared at him and his eyes became wide and his mouth dropped. Soda sighed and placed his hands over Pony's ears.

Finally he was interrupted by the door, once again, opening and slamming. Without a moments hesitation Steve came running in, staring Two-Bit down lividly.

I quickly made up an excuse to leave, as did Soda, and we ran out of there like the devil was chasing us.

After a few exchanging of words I'd rather not have been said around Ponyboy, Two-Bit ran out of the kitchen and into the living room with a promise of returning as soon as Steve calms down.

Soda groaned, probably wishing that everyone would hurry up and get here.

"Soda maybe this'll go faster if you just tell me where you're planning on taking him."

He only shook his head. "I can't spoil his surprise." He rubbed Pony's hair and set him down, watching him run back into the kitchen to play with Steve.

"Now can you tell me?"

He shook his head, grinning. "Nope."

I sighed. It's gonna be a long day...

Pardon any mistakes. It's late.. Part 2 should be up soon.