Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it. Wish I did. But if I did, I wouldn't be sitting around here writing fan fiction. :]

Oh crud.

The party swirled around me. I was flooded with Buck Merril, and greasers and the smell of booze. I looked around for Curly, but he was nowhere to be seen. I pushed forward through the crowd a bit, before deciding that this isn't where I should be. As much as I was avoiding it, I knew in the back of my mind that eventually I was gonna have to head home, and that delaying the inevitable was just going to frustrate my brothers even more.

"Hey Ponyboy."

I turned around to see who was calling me. It was a girl. I wasn't used to girls calling me. She had black blue hair that bounced down in perfect curls to her back. She was pretty to look at, but she looked like a doll, almost. Fragile to the touch.

I knew she wasn't, though. She was rough and feisty, just like her older brothers. I didn't even bother to fake a smile as I nodded my head in acknowledgement.

"Hey, Angela," I said.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, touching my shoulder.

I took a small step back, "I was actually just leaving."

"The party's just started!" She said, "Stay a little bit longer? For me?"

I took another small step back, "I-"

"Have to get home right now," I heard Two-Bit say behind me, and I just knew he was smiling wide, "'Cause he's sick in the head for makin' Steve get all worried about 'im."

I turned around and frowned up at him, "Whaddya mean?"

"I mean soon as me and Soda walk in the door, he's blubbering about you getting jumped and running off all spooked," Two-Bit said, ruffling my hair.

I chewed on my lip as Two-Bit steered me outside and into his car. I pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. Two-Bit rolled his eyes at me. And I waited, knowing it was coming.

"Why were you at Buck's?"

I frowned, noticing his slight slur, "Two-Bit, you drunk?"

"No," Two-Bit said, "I had a couple of drinks, but I'm okay to drive."

"You sure?"

"Golly kid, you act as if I'm falling over in the streets. Yeah. I wouldn't drive you if I wasn't okay."

I nodded, but he kept on, "So…?"

"It sounds stupid now," I said. I knew that my childish bet with Curly probably sounded stupid then, too, but I couldn't believe I hadn't fallen for it.

"Spill," Two-Bit said, bounding down the road.

"Me and Curly made a bet," I said.

"Ponyboy, you're redder than a sack of tomatoes," Two-Bit laughed.

"We bet on who could get a girl upstairs faster," I mumbled, looking at the floor.

Two-Bit didn't say anything, but when I looked over at him I wasn't too surprised that he was grinning. I knew that I was in for a mighty good ribbing from him.

"Ponyboy Curtis," he said, "Welp, did you win?"

"No, I had just gotten there."

"Good deal. You didn't bet anything, did you?"

"Nope."

"Good. Girls are a hassle. And if you ain't gonna get anything out of it, why bother?"

"You go out with girls all the time," I pointed out, not getting his point.

"Yeah. I get something out of it."

"What?"

Two-Bit started laughing, "Oh Pone. What were you gonna do with that girl when you got her upstairs?"

I shrugged, "Talk or something. I dunno. I probably wasn't going to stay too long after I won the bet."

I didn't quite understand what Two-Bit thought was so funny, but he laughed all the way back to my house.

We had a story. I was at the library. And if Darry tried to sneak in that the library wasn't open this late, I'd say I was just reading right outside the library. I didn't know why Two-Bit was covering for me. He kept saying it was because I was such a funny kid. I still didn't get it really, but I wasn't going to argue neither.

Darry started in on me before I'd even closed the door. It wasn't like he was screaming at me or anything. But he was asking where I was, and if I was alright. Two-Bit finally convinced him that I was all in one piece.

"Right," Darry said, taking one last look at me, just in case any of my body parts had gone missing, "The library. Just…Come home after school next time, dig? Let someone know where you are?"

"Sure, Darry," I said with a small smile, "Sorry."

"Come on and get some food in you," he said, patting my back. I nodded and went into the kitchen.

It wasn't really that late. Seven o'clock. It seemed like a lot later. At least midnight.

I scooped up some food onto a plate and sat down at the table. My stomach churned in anxiety. I just had to pick it up and put it in my mouth. It was easy. I could do it. My hand didn't move.

"Ponyboy?" Darry said, looking at me.

I pushed the plate away, "I ain't hungry."

I could have told Darry that I was sure that Johnny and Dally had come back from the dead cause they were sick of being angels, for the look that he gave me. I sighed. It didn't matter anymore. It was always going to be broken. Things were never going to be the same again.

"Please eat, Pone," Darry begged.

I felt revolted at his words. I didn't want dinner, was that a crime? Every time I didn't eat a meal, was Darry going to flip out. I shook my head, part to myself, and part at Darry's request. I didn't want to do what everyone said I should do. Darry sighed and walked out of the room. I closed my eyes, thankful.

I stood up and went into my bedroom. Soda was sitting on the bed, waiting for me. He smiled and patted the spot next to him. I plopped down beside him and he mussed up my hair. His smile grew softer, and I knew he was going to say something that I didn't want to hear.

"You okay Pone?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Dr. Pyke called."

"Uhhh," I said.

"Feel free to revise your answer to the previously stated question." Soda's voice was lighthearted, but his eyes were honed in on me, watching me for any nervous twitch or giveaway.

"I was just freaked from being jumped, s'all." I paused, before coming to a realization, "You ain't told Darry?"

"Not yet, I wanted to talk to you first," Soda said, pushing some of my hair out of my eyes.

"About what?"

"About you, Ponyboy. I know you see Dr. Pyke, and you must talk to him, and all. But why can't you just talk to me anymore?"

I shrugged. Because you'd think I was disgusting. Because you'd never be able to love me, or look at me the same way.

"Ponyboy, I love you. But I just don't understand."

I shrugged again, and rolled over, "I'm going to bed. G'night."

No one breathed for a few minutes. Finally the bed creaked, Soda lifting his weight off of it. He shut the light out, and left the room.

"Night, Pone."