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Enjoy chapter 2!

Chapter 2

Sondra's POV

Lucky for me, it wasn't that cold outside today. The sun was perfectly shining in the clear blue sky, and I didn't see any clouds in sight. This must've been the best October day Tulsa has received so far this month, but I should've considered that no matter what it's like outside, you should never leave the indoors with your hair wet. After I left Charlie's house, it was too late to turn back and wait until my hair dried from my shower itself. I figured that the faster I got out the door, the faster I would be able to find something to do or somebody to hang out with for my birthday.

What did I want today? I didn't want any material objects, to be honest. I just wanted to have a great fifteenth birthday since this is my first one without by abusive parents, and I had Johnny and the rest of the Curtis' gang by my side. However, since it was Friday, Ponyboy was off at school with Johnny, Steve, Kitten and maybe Two-Bit, and Darry and Soda were both off at work. As for Dally, I had no clue where he was, but I could guess that he was maybe at the Dingo or at Buck's, getting rip-roaring drunk or flirting with girls.

Maybe I should just go to the Curtis' house and kick back there until the gang arrived...yeah, that sounded like a good plan. How could my birthday be fantastic like I wished for it to be if I didn't have any of my friends or atleast my boyfriend by my side?

As I walked coolly down the street, I gazed around to see if anybody else was around, but strangely, I didn't see anyone. That wasn't like Tulsa; I mean, the streets were never that silent and deserted, especially during the day.

Oh, that's right. I rolled my eyes to myself and kept walking. I remember Dally saying something about this gigantic party at Buck's and that every greaser on their side of town was attending to get all drunk, high, and possibly laid from this morning to very early tomorrow. That is, if the fuzz doesn't bust them like at Buck's previous party.

No one from the Curtis' gang was attending that party though. Except Dally and Two-Bit, I mean. They was the only ones who ever dared going to Buck's place during one of his reckless and rule breaking parties. If Ponyboy or Soda dared to step a foot towards Buck's house, Darry would have their heads. Kitten, on the other hand, just didn't care about Buck's parties, just like Steve.

Sighing to myself after about ten minutes of nothing but silent walking and coming up with nothing to do for my birthday, I kicked back against a building's brick wall and brought out a cancer stick from my dark blue jean's pocket. Then I placed it inbetween my lips, snatching out a lighter that I 'borrowed' from Peter from my opposite pocket and I lit the end of my cigarette.

I only smoked whenever I wanted to look tougher than what I already was, or because I was heavily thinking about something. In this case, I couldn't figure out what to do for my fifteenth birthday.

I breathed in deep brags, waiting about three seconds with each breath I took in before I blew out the smoke. Johnny had told me that by doing that, it sometimes helped calm your nerves. He was right, but my fifteenth birthday still wouldn't stop echoing in my head.

Suddenly, I heard this smugly voice hollering out, "Hey! Hey you! Hey!"

Confusedly, I raised an eyebrow and began to stare all around to see if I could find anybody, but I didn't see a single soul anywhere in sight. Was my mind messing with me? No, it couldn't have been. I know exactly what I heard...

"Hey! We're over here, you idiot!" a different voice sassily growled, and when I turned my attention over in the direction where I heard the new voice, I saw a girl who looked maybe a year or two older than me. She had a harsh glare on her face, and her dark eyes were like nothing but ice. Her clothes were revealing, the ruffled up; green and black skirt meeting a little bellow her tan thighs, and a black top that you could actually see through, so you could see her bra. On her feet, she was wearing a pair of knee-length boots, so she seemed taller than what she truly was, and her dark brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, drenched in hair grease.

"Who are you?" I asked, my eyes narrowed with absolute concern.

"You mean, nobody from the gang told you 'bout me?" she asked with absolute fury, but I wasn't scared of her at all.

I was only growing more confused. "Um...I don't think so..."

Whoever this girl was, she rolled her eyes and had her red lips separate, revealing almost all of her teeth. It looked like she was missing a few, which I could tell by the way that she looked with some bruises on her face that she must've been in a fight.

"Some big brother Dallas is..." this girl muttered with absolute annoyance.

Instantly, my eyes shot huge, and I choked on the smoke that I recently took in from a new drag. I came so close to accidentally dropping my cigarette.

"You mean...you're..." I coughed, too stunned to finish.

"Yes, I'm Amanda Winston. But on the streets, I'm known as Switchblade Sutton."

Why was she known as Switchblade Sutton? I didn't want to know, but I had a theory for the Switchblade part. That's when I realized that she had this small knife-sized bag clipped to her chain belt, and I began regretting how I forgot to snatch up my switchblade before leaving Charlie's. Sure, the blade was getting old and it was starting to bend easier, but it was better than nothing.

"...Now that you mention it, I do remember you." I said, trying my best to hide my slight fear that was beginning to swarm inside of me.

Amanda's anger seemed to grow more on her face, and I watched like a confused puppy as she stomped one of her feet twice, making the heel of her boot make a clicking sound against the concrete. Then she snapped her fingers a single time. Some boys instantly began to pile up behind her, walking all tough as they made themselves known by walking out of an alleyway.

Not knowing what to do, I just continued keeping my mouth shut and taking drags of my cigarette. The Cobras...those boys were the ones that Johnny, Kitten, Pony, and I saw grinding it up and twerking with all kinds of pathetic broads.

"Lester, Cameron, Jeskie, Riley, Jesse, meet the Regular that I told you five of you, as well as Poison, Ricky, and Rusty about." Amanda said as she crossed her arms over her chest and uncaringly rolled her eyes.

Again, my eyes grew huge. Did she just say...Jesse? As in...Jesse Sheldon? Bob Sheldon's older brother that Kitten used to date?

"You mean, this is the gal that's dating your ex?" the Cobra with an 'R' charm on his necklace asked as he rested an elbow on another one of the Cobra's shoulders. He must've been the Cobra that was named Riley.

"Yep, this is her," Amanda nodded her head, just as the Cobra with longish red hair hooked one of his arms around her shoulders and held her close to his side.

"Jonathan Cade dumped you for her, babe?"

Amanda clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes at me. "Yeah, Johnny ditched my ass for her, Jesse."

The Cobra with dark skin and long black hair that he had tied in braids laughed loudly.

"Hey, Cameron, what do you think he sees in a girl like her?"

"I don't know, Lester," the Cobra with a tattoo of a bulldog on his neck chuckled. "He must be into useless skanks."

That's when all of the Cobras, along with Amanda, formed smirks and started laughing at me like I wasn't even there.

I began to grow angry, feeling my face heat up to the point where I felt as if I was a flame of fire. Upsettingly, I pulled my lips back, my grinding teeth now exposed.

"Oh, right! This coming from the filthy Cobras that have nothing better to do with girls but inject them with their many transmitted diseases! And from the girl that's dressed like a pathetic skank herself!" I tried coming up with more insults to holler over their laughter, but when I couldn't come up with anything else, I took in a drag of my cigarette and blew the smoke at them. After that, I spit at them.

However, it wasn't long after I did that when Amanda decided to shrug Jesse's arm off from her so she could fly one of her clenched fists back. Before I saw it coming, I dropped my cigarette and fell flat on my back, a giant pain now resting in my cheek that was now beginning to pump red.

"You want to say that again, you worthless son-of-a-bitch?" Amanda bitterly challenged just as I sat up, holding my cheek with one of my hands while I kept the other to my side, furiously clenching tight.

"Who are you calling a worthless son-of-a-bitch, slut?" I blustered, but after I did so, I was greeted with a sharp kick in the ribs by a pointed toe boot, thanks to Jesse. God, what was Kitten going to do if she found out that Amanda Winston was dating her ex, Jesse Sheldon? Or what about Dally for that matter?

I wasn't in the mood for a fight; I hated fighting unless it was for self-defense. But today was different since it was my fifteenth birthday and all I wanted was to have a great day for a change. However, I couldn't control what I did when I grew furious.

I rested on my side, watching my cigarette burn against the concrete as I held the tears back and tried my best to ignore the Cobras mocking laughter and insults.

Suddenly, I felt somebody wrap their arms around me, grasping me by underneath my arms, and whoever they were yanked me straight up from the concrete.

At first, I yelped and tried my best to struggle away from whoever was holding me tight, but after I heard this furious tone holler out, "What in the hell is going on here?" I instantly knew that I had nothing to fear over. My fear might've vanished, but shock took its place.

Dally's POV

So far, my whole day was going by okay, I guess. I got out of the cooler around 7:00 and after the rest of the gang disappeared for work and school, except Johnny and Two-Bit who they were playing hooky, I got asked to leave the Curtis' residents by Johnnycake. Why? I had no idea, but it's fine with me, I guess. I just swiped a bottle of beer from the Curtis' fridge and left to go find Two-Bit since he only left before me because he knew that he owed me five bucks for losing our bet on who would win the previous drag race.

I've searched almost everywhere for that Mickey Mouse loving freak. I checked the bowling alley, the lot, the Dingo, the park, and the best store that sold beer, but he was still nowhere to be found. I swear, I'm not in the mood for some hide-and-seek game, especially for Two-Bit of all people. He couldn't have been at Buck's party because Two-Bit said that he was planning to go out later on that night with Kathy to the movies, and he wasn't just going to go to the party to get drunk, pass out, and then go out with a hangover bugging him.

Whatever though. I don't give a piece of crap. I'll try to find somebody else to bring to the party with me. Hm...wait a minute...today is Sondra's fifteenth birthday! Maybe I can take her and Johnny to Buck's so they can have some real teenage fun and...what the hell?! Is that my kid sister with 'em Cobras?! And what in the hell does she think she's wearing?!

I was just walking around the corner with my half drank bottle of beer when I saw Amanda and the Cobras laughing at some Regular that was lying there on the ground. I didn't need to think twice to know that that Regular was Sondra. She was the only Regular that ever dared to step a single foot on our side of town.

"What in the hell is going on here?" I bellowed out, those being the first words that popped into my mind to say after I bashed over to the scene and pulled Sondra back up from the ground. I continued holding her by her armpits when she suddenly started to attempt squirming herself free from my grip. What was she doing?! I was only trying to make sure she would remain standing up by the time I let her go! But after she heard my outburst, she stopped her yanking and just gave me that look of hers that gave it away that she was shocked. In return, I simply shrugged my shoulders, right before I gazed back in front of me and scowled furiously at my little sister and the Cobras.

"Hello, Dallas," Amanda simply greeted me with a smirk. "Long time no see, older brother."

"And I see you haven't change much since," I angrily hissed like a snake. "Now what in the world do you think you're wearing?!"

"Duh," Amanda uncaringly rolled her eyes at me as she placed her hands on her hips, squeezing them. It looked like to me she was trying to strike a pose or something like that. "I'm wearing something sexy. What else would a greaser gal wear?"

"Clothes that actually cover you up!" I replied as I angrily ran my free hand through my almost white hair. "You look like a complete sleaze!"

Without a second of waiting after my outburst, Amanda's teeth clenched, and she furiously clenched her hands together to the point where her knuckles started to turn pale. She couldn't hit me though; she knew that she couldn't throw a single punch at me and get away with it. I was much stronger and taller than her, and I always would be, no matter how tall her boots made her seem.

Suddenly, Amanda opened her big mouth and exclaimed at me, "And what 'bout you? You look like our old man with that beer bottle in your hand there! And what about that cold message in your eyes? All you need to do is knock a girl up and run out on her to be a perfect match!"

Sondra's eyes shot huge, swarming with plead like a lost puppy's as she cuffed her hands worriedly over her mouth. She knew that I couldn't help myself to snap whenever somebody, even if it was my own little sister, brought my pathetic excuse of a father up. Some dad he turned out to be...he abandoned my mom after he found out that she was pregnant with me. Amanda and...my, uh...I can't help myself to sigh on the inside when just thinking her name, but my other little sister, Hope, and Amanda came from my step-father.

Before I saw it coming, I swung my beer bottle forward and slammed Amanda straight across the face with it. The bottom half of the bottle broke off and fell to the sidewalk, shattered into many sharp pieces and spilling the remains of the liquid. "Don't you ever talk about my old man!" I practically screamed at the top of my lungs.

Amanda let out a moan that was a mixture of anger and pain as she heartlessly stared at me, clenching her cheek from where the bottle somehow slit her skin and left a noticeable cut.

"You better watch your back, missy..." Amanda was suddenly shooting daggers at Sondra, growling her words like a vicious junkyard dog. Hm...could've fooled me.

Sondra crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow, a trick that she's gotten better with thanks to Mathews. Speaking of which, where is that jokester already?!

Now Sondra looked more confused, as if she was never scared. "What are you talkin' about?"

"Dally won't always be by your side to save you!" hissed Amanda as she wiped away the blood that was starting to trickle its way down her cheek. "Nobody will always be by your side to save you! Don't think you're just simply in the clear now after this! Johnny Cade should still be mine; he shouldn't be with some Regular like you! Just you wait! I'll get you back for this!"

"Let's just get out of here, Sutton. They're not worth it right now." a Cobra spoke up, this one with some crappy looking tattoo of some type of dog or something like that on his neck.

"Sutton?" I raised an eyebrow and began to burst out into a fit of my dark laughter. It wasn't long before Sondra carefully took the remained half of the broken bottle from my hands, but I didn't care about that.

"Do you got a problem with my name on the streets, bro?" Amanda snarled out her question, ignoring the redhead Cobra that was trying to pull her away from me and Sondra with the help of another Cobra that had his long hair tied back in different braids.

"Name on the streets?" I began to laugh harder, wiping away mocking tears from my eyes until I stopped and kept a straight face of pure anger and seriousness. "Why is it Sutton, sis? Is that the name of a street where you allowed every boy to get you laid?"

I thought that I was startled when Amanda brought up my old man, but after I said that to her, her jaw dropped to the point where it looked as if it was about to hit the concrete. Her eyes were huge and full of shock, but as I smirked and nodded my head with satisfaction in myself, Amanda had another scowl flash its way across her face, and she proclaimed: "Oh, now it's so on, older brother!"

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could get a word out, Amanda yanked out a blade from this small bag that she had in this small bag that was hanging from her ridiculous looking chain belt. Usually I would always be up for a good fight, but not today. I just wanted to find Two-Bit and get to Buck's party.

"I'm not going to fight you, Amanda!" I glared at her and crossed my arms over my chest, standing my ground. I've had a near death experience before, for Pete's sake! I almost had Johnny taken from my life! I'm not scared over a little blade!

"And whys that? Are you chicken?" Amanda was trying to reel me in, but I wasn't going to let her do so.

"You couldn't use that on me and you know it."

"Come on, Sutton. Just ignore him." said the Cobra with an 'R' charm necklace being worn around his neck.

"Riley is right, Sutton. He's nothin' to us. Let's just get back to Poison, Ricky and Rusty. They're inviting the other girls over back at the hangout." the redhead Cobra began to whisper in Amanda's ear. I had no idea what he was saying, but whatever it was, it must've been 'sweet' enough to have Amanda smiling and giggling a little before she finally tucked her blade back away and wrapped her arms around the redhead Cobra's neck. Then they kissed for about five seconds before parting, and Amanda locked her eyes on Sondra again, who was clenching the neck of the top half of the broken beer bottle to the point where her hands were trembling. Sondra didn't look scared though; she seemed more angry by the look that was shining in her pale blue eyes.

"Like I said, watch your back, you pathetic Regular..." Amanda warned one final time before she stared back at me and smirked slimly. "Good-bye, Dallas."

"...See you hopefully never again, skank." I muttered under my breath after the Cobras had turned away and walked off in the opposite direction. I figured that nobody would hear my words, but I was proven wrong when I gazed back at Sondra like nothing never happened and saw her staring at me.

"You know," she sighed, sounding relieved. "I would've used this broken bottle on her if she tried coming 'nother step towards you with that blade of hers."

At that, I couldn't help myself to chuckle, which had Sondra turning her head over like a confused puppy.

"Sondra, I know a person very well just by knowing them for a day. I've known you for three weeks and if there is one thing I know for sure, it's that you couldn't ever use a broken bottle on anybody. Hell, you can't even use that own switch of yours often."

"...You never know, Dal. I could surprise somebody." Sondra quietly spoke, sounding somewhat hurt, but I didn't really care at the time that I was in.

"If you know what's best for you, you better get inside someplace before you catch a cold with that wet hair of yours." I instructed as I took the beer bottle out of Sondra's hands and threw it as far away from us as I could. I sure did have one hell of an arm, but in the quiet distance, you could here the sound of the glass breaking.

"Yeah..." Sondra began to fiddle around with her fingertips, still looking a little hurt. "I'm goin' to head to the Curtis' to hang out for awhile."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Well, you better be on your best behavior because Johnnycake is the only one there."

Instantly, Sondra flashed her attention back up at me; her eyes were big and her mouth was slightly hanging open. "What? I thought that he was in school."

"He and Two-Bit played hooky today. After I got out of the cooler this morning and went to the Curtis' place, Johnny ended up asking me to leave not too long after. I have no idea why, but since he's a good kid, I did as he said." I explained. "Hey, do you know where Two-Bit is?"

Sondra hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No, why?"

"The damn boy owes me five bucks but he bailed the Curtis' before I could get it. I checked almost all over our territory, but I still can't find him." I went on mumbling every curse word and insult that I can think of, but I stopped when Sondra said: "Did you check Kathy's place? Since Two-Bit is goin' out with her to the movies later on, he probably went there to hide."

"Kathy's place?"

Sondra nodded her head and hummed a, "Mm hm."

Why didn't I think of that? Leave it to Two-Bit to hide at a girl's house. It's worth a shot to go look, and if he's not there, I guess I'll jet on by the movies for my five bucks sometime during Buck's party.

For a moment, I just stared at the now fifteen-year-old tomboy. She sometimes reminded me of Johnny, considering that she used to be abused by alcoholic drug-addicts and she had that exact same look in her eyes that reminded me of a helpless puppy.

When I finally decided to speak again, I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Tuff, I'll check it out."

I wasn't the type of guy to thank anybody unless I was talking to Johnny or Cassidy. "But as for you, you better get to the Curtis' before you get sick."

Sondra continued to just stare at me like Johnny would in a time like that. "...Dally?"

"What?"

"...Thank you for saving me from your sister and the Cobras."

I hesitated for a moment, not knowing exactly what to say in return since I never imagined myself saving someone else from my kid sister. I ended up waiting and keeping my mouth shut until Sondra finally turned away from me and began walking down the sidewalk again. Half of me still didn't know what to say, but before I saw it coming myself, I called out after her: "Happy birthday, Sondra!"

Without any hesitation, Sondra froze in her steps and gazed over her shoulder to see me. A wide smile tugged its way onto her face, and I could've sworn that I saw tears of happiness beginning to glimmer in her eyes.

"Thank you, Dally!" she called back to me, but after that, she turned back around and continued her way down the sidewalk.

As much as I hated to admit it, I could've sworn I felt a small smirk pulling at the edges of my lips as I kept my eyes on Sondra until she was completely out of my sight. After she was, I walked off in the opposite direction so I could see if the Mickey Mouse lover freak was at his girlfriend's place.

Sondra's POV

So Dallas really did remember my birthday! I thought that he forgot all about it when he didn't even bother showing atleast one sign that he knew what today was. Man, if the toughest male greaser in all of Tulsa remembered what today was, then I'm positive that the rest of the gang will know it, too!

I must admit that my fifteenth birthday is getting off to a shaky start, considering I was just threatened and ganged up on by the Cobras and Amanda, but what really was eating me was her haunting voice assuring me that I'd better watch out because Johnny should still be hers and all of that. What exactly was she plannin' to do to me?

What about Jesse for that matter? I don't think Dallas knew who he was just by looking at him, but if Dal actually did know that his kid sister was dating Bob Sheldon's older brother, God knows how much he'll probably blow up like a stick of dynamite. To be honest, I'm more concerned over what Kitten would do if she found out. I didn't want her to blow a casket, considering that she used to date Jesse and she hated Amanda's guts. That's why I think it's best to just keep Jesse and Amanda to myself, but I know that if I felt like I needed to say somethin' about it, I could go to Johnny. I trusted him completely and I knew that he would keep anything a secret for me.

Speaking of Johnny...why did he ask Dally to leave the Curtis' house when everybody left? Dally's his role model; he worships the ground that he walks on, but yet, he asks him to leave on top of him and Two-Bit playing hooky? Lucky for me, he wouldn't ask his own girlfriend to leave...right?

I walked for maybe another ten minutes before I finally arrived at the Curtis' house where I was greeted with the view of Johnny sitting on the porch steps. He was gazing all around, looking pretty bored, but after his eyes locked on me, a wide smile spread across his face.

"Hey, princess!" Johnny stood up and stretched, right before he trotted down from the Curtis' porch so he could grasp a gentle hold of my shoulders and give me a quick kiss on the cheek. Heavily, I blushed and tucked a piece of my golden hair behind my ear.

"Hi, Johnnycake," I greeted and gave him a kiss on his cheek in return. "What are you doing here? I heard that you were playin' hooky."

For some reason, all Johnny did in response was form that playful smirk of his as he draped one of his arms around my shoulders and held me close to his side. Then he leaned in so his nose could be touching mine, which had me giggling away and his smile growing more.

For a moment, all that he was doing was giving me a continuous Eskimo kiss, but then he decided to give my nose an actual kiss before said: "Happy fifteenth birthday, sweetheart. Your present from me is inside. I sat it up when everyone left."

I guess Johnny must've noticed the excited interest that had sparked up in my eyes after he mentioned a birthday present. I could tell because he was quietly chuckling, continuing to hold me close as he slowly led me up to the Curtis' front lawn, followed by us going up the porch steps together.

"Johnny!" I half-exclaimed/half-whined at his taunting by going so slow, which had his laughter grow more hearable, but he was giving me a phony look that made it seem like he was asking me why I said his name in the tone that I did. Finally, he cut the act and opened up the front door for me, telling me to go in first. I bolted like the devil was after me, excited to the maximum point about what could possibly be waiting for me. Behind me, Johnny came trotting after he softly closed the Curtis' front door behind him.

There, laying in front of the Curtis' coffee table, which had two cans of Coke and two pieces of chocolate cake resting on it, was a warm looking blanket with a couple of pillows from the couch resting at the top.

My hands flew to my now hanging open in a big smile mouth, yelping excitedly as I could've sworn that I was about to cry from feeling so joyful.

"Oh, Johnny!" I sang after I felt him wrap his arms around my waist and place his head on my shoulder from behind. "I love this! This is so romantic!"

"Are you surprised?" Johnny whispered into my ear, his warm breath tickling and making me giggle a little.

"Yes, I'm very surprised!" I eagerly nodded my head before looking directly into his eyes, smiling at him for maybe two seconds before smacking my lips against his for probably five. Still keeping our lips together, I took a gentle hold of Johnny's wrists and unlocked his hands from my waist so I could turn around, but just as I wrapped my arms around Johnny's neck and removed my lips from his so I could kiss his sweet spot, which was his jawline, he stopped me.

"No, no, no," Johnny sounded like he was taunting me again, chuckling with his no's.

Confusedly, I looked at him, but just as I was about to ask him why he suddenly stopped letting me kiss him, one of his arms swooped around my waist, and his other dove underneath my legs.

"Ah! Johnny!" I squeaked as he picked me up from the floor, holding me bridal style until he walked us both over to the blanket and laid me down so one of the pillows would be under my head. Then he sat himself down beside me, but instead of lying down, he placed his hands above my shoulders and leaned down so our lips could meet for a few more seconds. After we parted that time, he rested his head down on the other pillow.

"Happy birthday, Sondra," Johnny happily sighed, keeping his eyes lost in mine as we laid on our sides, grinning at each other. "I was actually plannin' to go to Charlie's place and get you myself, but I figured that this would be more romantic somehow."

"And you were right." I gave him a playful/flirty wink, making his smile grow wider.

After that, he and I took turns telling jokes and exchanging more secrets as we ate our two pieces of chocolate cake and drank down our Cokes. Johnny went on telling me about how it wasn't easy to keep hiding the pieces of chocolate cake for us since Two-Bit and Soda were eager to find some slices to eat, and they actually searched the entire house until Darry told them to get over it because they were all out. Even Superman didn't know that Johnny hid the remaining two slices of cake! Just picturing Superman not knowing something like that had me laughing. As for the Cokes, Johnny said that he had to hide 'em from Ponyboy and Cassidy since the Curtis' were all out of Pepsi, and after everyone was gone, he got everything all sat up and waited out front until I showed up.

"Hey, darling?" Johnny said after we finished our pieces of cake and I was on the final drops of my Coke.

I gulped down what I had in my mouth of my drink before saying anything back. "Yeah, Johnnycake?"

Johnny wiped away the remaining crumbs from his lips with his jean jacket's sleeve. "If you don't mind me by asking...how's Iris doing?"

"She's...she's doing well, I guess..." I came so close to choking on my Coke when I heard Iris' name pop up, but I made sure that I didn't so I wouldn't startle Johnny or make him feel bad for asking his question. Just like me and my mini 'gang,' he and the rest of the Curtis' gang were nervous about Iris and her new mind disorder after they found out by the doctor calling the Curtis' residents to inform them too.

"...Is she really?" Johnny hesitated before asking, but it was then my turn to hesitate before I continued to drink my soda and shrugged my shoulders.

"Like I said, I guess so. I mean, she couldn't sleep again last night, so she slept with me for 'bout the fifth time since she got the new disorder." I sighed and laid the now empty can of Coke back on the coffee table. "Johnnycake, I'm very worried about her. She told me last night about her feeling something on top of her head, and then she said somethin' about a talking bunny rabbit promising her that if she was good, she'd get a blue schoolgirl tie. It seems like to me that she's not getting any better at all. Oh, what if she never overcomes this?"

Johnny snaked his arm around my shoulders and gently pressed my head down onto his shoulder, resting it there as he ran his fingers through my hair. "Sondra, at times like this, it's always important to think positive, all right? Don't worry 'bout Iris; I know that she'll be better soon. Like the doctor said, it just takes time for the person to knock the disorder out of their system."

Quietly, I took in a deep breath, blowing it out after a few passing seconds, pretending that I was smoking a cancer stick. I didn't want to be rude and just start smoking in front of Johnny during this special thing he planned for my birthday, and especially in Ponyboy, Soda, and Darry's house. Sure, the other greasers might've smoked in here quite often, but not me. It's not like Darry enjoyed that 'bout the gang either.

"Hey..." Johnny gently touched my cheek and caringly guided my head so our eyes could be locked on each other. He treated me as if I was some teddy bear, squeezing me with love as his precious black eyes dazzled with joy, and he quietly whispered in my face: "Kiss me already."

After hearing him say that, it was as if my sorrow never existed. Caringly, I carried out his request, but instead of kissing him on the lips, I started to trail many different kisses up his jawline. I felt Johnny stiffen under my touch as his arms connected hard around me, and he dreamily closed his eyes as he smiled widely at the feeling of me kissing his sweet spot. Each kiss I planted was longer than the last, and I listened as Johnny softly moaned with delight. Finally, he decided to break through his stiff stage and make a move, planting his lips against mine.

"Oh, wow!" a sudden voice flooded the Curtis' living room, but it didn't belong to me or Johnny. "I guess I should've knocked, huh?"

Without any hesitation, Johnny and I parted from our kissing and snapped our undivided attention over to the main door, which was now being held open by Dallas Winston.

I began to burn up, snatching over my can of Coke and pretending that I was drinking some of it when there was nothing else inside.

"Dally!" whined Johnny, who was beating just as red as me. "I thought you were headin' over to Buck's!"

"I was, but I decided to go find Two-Bit first so I could get the five bucks he owed me." Dally shared as he allowed the door to slam shut behind him like he always did.

"And did you find him?" I asked, breaking through my humiliation the best that I could.

A small smirk curled up on Dally's lips as he pulled out a five dollar bill for Johnnycake and I to see.

"What do you think?" he then snickered before tucking it back away into his worn out jeans pocket. That means that I was right; Two-Bit was at Kathy's place.

Dally placed his hands on his hips, fixing his eyes on Johnny again. "Say, Johnny...man, I'm guessin' that this is why you asked me to leave, huh?"

Johnny hesitated, gazing down at his fingertips as he fiddled around with them, trying just as hard as me to tune out Dally's snickers.

"...Dal, you should get to Buck's party before the fuzz breaks it up like what happened at the last one." said the quiet and madly blushing Johnny.

Dally tugged at the bottom of his T-shirt, rolling his eyes at Johnny's words.

"Well, I'd hate to break up a couple's special alone time together where they can kiss and whatnot, but...actually, I couldn't care less 'bout doin' that. Johnnycake, Sondra, you're comin' with me to Buck's party."

Memories from the last greasers only party began to flood into my mind, causing my eyes to go huge. The last thing I needed was something like that turning my fifteenth birthday into nothing but a complete disaster.

"What?!" Johnny gasped with a mixed tone that was full of both fear and shock.

Dally crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his head. "Come on, Johnny. Today is Sondra's fifteenth birthday and we need to do something that doesn't involve just sitting around or leaving you two alone, knowin' you're making out like crazy."

Johnny's cheeks began to redden some more all over again. "But one of Buck's parties?! Dal, the parties at his place are far worse than the ones that he hosts at the Dingo!"

There are worse parties than the parties at the Dingo? People danced around like crazy, got rip-roaring drunk, played different games like chicken and the smoke ring challenge, and got high to the point that they didn't remember their own name, and yet, Buck's parties are worse than that?

"You're only fifteen once, and you're only sixteen once. You might want to live while we're young before you get to the point in life when you're waving your cane around and yelling at younger kids to get off your lawn." Dally said, pointing one of his pointer fingers at me, and then at Johnny when he said our ages.

Nothing but absolute silence filled the room as Dallas crossed his arms and waited for me or Johnnycake to say something, but all we did was remain quiet and gaze at each other with puppy dog eyes.

"Well?" Dal sooner demanded for an answer after about fifteen seconds of nothing but pure quietness.

Johnny sighed heavily, and then stood up from the floor, giving Dally his rare serious facial expression as he took a moment to stretch.

"Dally, if we come with you, do you promise not to tell anyone else 'bout what you just saw between me and Sondra?" Johnny asked him, and Dally formed another smirk as he rolled his shoulders.

"Sure, I won't tell anyone as long as you both come. Otherwise, I might just have to open my mouth about how you two were bein' all of that disturbing lovey-dovey stuff."

Johnny's seriousness faded from his beating red face completely, and he frowned. After that, he sighed at Dallas. Even I knew that he couldn't go against his role model; the teenager who has saved him from being jumped a whole bunch of times and whatnot.

"...Fine...we'll go with you..."

With satisfaction now dancing in his dark eyes, Dally's smirk grew more as he approvingly nodded his head and said: "Good decision."

"Come on, Sondra." Johnny softly instructed as he offered me his hand, which I gently gripped a hold of, and he pulled me up until I was balanced on my feet.

We headed our way back over towards the door, where Dally was holding it open for us, ordering us without speaking verbally to exit the Curtis' house first. Johnnycake placed his arm around my shoulders and stuck me to his side like glue as we left, Dally following right behind us with the door slamming shut.

A/N: Cliffhanger! What's going to happen at Buck's party? The more reviews I get, the faster I'll try updating! ;) *Nudge, nudge*. Please review & stay tuned for chapter 3! Bye! :D