I know that I said that this would be the game but I had to get this out. Sorry but please do read it. I was eight pages and I didn't want it to be too long. But it is the longest chapter yet. So please read it eventhough the game will be the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

"Hey Pony, wake up." I rolled over even though Soda told me to get up I just wanted a couple more minutes. I would just close my eyes for a minute. Then jumping up and down on top of me Soda started to tickle me.

"Come on Pony you gotta get up."

"Okay I'm up." I got up and went and took a quick shower and went back into the bedroom to get dressed while Soda and Darry did breakfast. The rest of the gang was in the living room, so I went and put on a pair of jeans and put my football uniform in bag except my jersey which I put on. I look to see how it looked I just didn't want to be late and I had to read breakfast. But my hair was greased to there was no use in looking to see if it looked okay.

"Pony, breakfast." Darry yelled as I picked up my book-bag and football bag and placed them in the living room. Then headed to the kitchen where everyone was. I walked in and took my seat. When I looked up they were all looking at me.

"Wow Pony that uniform makes you look tuff." Two-Bit told me eating some eggs.

"Um… Thanks"

"We'll see you tonight."

"Okay Soda, I'll tell you guys how the game goes." They all started laughing. "What are you guys laughing at?"

"You"

"Thanks Two-Bit."

"What he means is Pony were all coming." Soda explained.

"You guys don't have to."

"I asked you the other night and you said it was fine."

"It is Soda but ya'll most likely have better things to do."

"Well we don't so you can stop trying to get us out of goin'." Steve broke in to my and Soda conversation.

"Okay you guys can come if you want. But don't get embarrassed when I make a complete fool of myself." Great I just left myself open to be the start of their jokes.

"You do that every day Pony." They all busted out laughing. I got up and put the dishes in the sink.

"Well Two-Bit I learned from the master." I told him that I pushed him out of his chair.

"You guys better get going or you'll be late. I'll do the dishes." Darry told us. We all got up. Dally had to do how knows what, Soda had work and Johnny, Two-Bit, Steve, and me had school.

"Hey Pony. If I don't see you later good luck today. I get off at six and it starts at six-thirty right?"

"Yeah okay thanks. Bye." I left and put my stuff in the back seat of Steve's car.

"See ya' later Pony. Bye ya'll"

"Bye Soda. Bye Dally." We all yelled at them as we drove off to school. At school, I got my stuff out and went to the coach's office. I knocked on his door.

"Come in." I walked in with my bag and backpack. "Hey Pony. Come on in." The red chairs were there from yesterday and so was Rick. What was he doing here? Not that I don't mind.

"Hey Rookie."

"Hey" I took the see by Rick he had his jersey on too but his had MASON on the back with the number 13.

"Rick is going to stay with us again today."

"Cool."

The whole first block we talked about plays and other football stuff and beat Marshall High School. Coach told me not to worry and to me and Rick to meet him here at the end of the day. The rest of the day went by like normal once again at lunch I went to the library to finish my paper. I had signed in, went, and sat at a table by the back wall that was made out of nine large windows. So the sunlight shined through the windows which provided more light then most of the lights in the area. I had been sitting there for about five minutes when a hand came on my shoulders. I all most jumped out of my skin. I turned around fearfully to see who it was it was.

"Hey Rookie. What are you doing here?" he asked in almost a whisper.

"Homework, you?" he had a set across the table from me. Then he took a sandwich from his backpack.

"I saw your friends and asked them what lunch they had and told me you had this one. So I tried to figure out there you might be. The boy with the black eyes said that you told him that you were going to do your homework here. I figured that I'd come see how you were doing. So how are you doin'?"

"Okay, you?" I almost done with my paper, just a sentence or two and it would be done. Then I would have the weekend free.

"Good, you're not nervous about the game?"

"Not really I mean I told you that I don't think that I'm good enough to play. But it was ya'll choice, so I can't say that I didn't warn you." Finally my stuff was done. What time is it any way? The clock said that I still had twenty-five minutes left. Well the gang was gone to hang out at the Dingo so I didn't have anything better done. I might as well go walk around outside. I picked up my papers and put them in my backpack.

"Are you done?"

"Yea."

"You want to go practice a little for tonight?"

"I guess." I had nothing better to do.

"Come on Coach doesn't have a class this block lets go get a ball." I signed out and left with Rick we walked to the Coach's office. It was open so we walked right in and he was sitting behind his desk but he looked up when we walked in.

"Hey what can I do for you boys?"

"Well we're going to go practice some before lunch is over. We wanted to know if we can borrow a ball."

"Yea here ya' go." He tossed a ball to Rick

"Thanks" Then we walked to the football field despite some of the look from some of the Socs however these were ones that weren't on the team. We passed the ball and he hiked the ball to me a couple of times. Then there were a bunch of cheerleaders watching us. However, we didn't pay attention to them.

"Hey you want to play a little one on one?" How in the world do you play one on one in football.

"Okay, how?"

"Great, all you have to go is go from the thirty-yard line to end zone and the other person is five yards away. You get two tries to do it. I'll show you, I get ball first."

"Okay." He went to the thirty-yard line and I went to the twenty-five yard line.

"One, Two, Three." Then he took off toward the end zone but I couldn't let him get by so I tackled him before he got halfway there. He got up with a shocked look on his face yet grinning all the way. He go up and counted again and I was at the seventeen yard line. But this time I didn't let him gain three yards.

"Nice goin' Rookie. Okay your turn." I jogged over to the thirty-yard line, counted to three and took off Rick tried to tackle me but I moved out of the way. He got up and tried to catch me but I was in the end zone and I heard several cheers. Rick jogged over to me.

"That was awesome you jumped out of the way." Then a couple of the girls came over to us.

"Hey boys." Two blonds had came over to us. They weren't soc or grease.

"Hey." Rick answered and I nodded. I am usually quite around girls if not most people.

"I'm Cara and this is Mady." The taller girl introduced herself and then pointed to the girl beside her.

"I'm" Rick started but that is all he got out.

"I know who you guys are. You're Rick Mason and that is Ponyboy Curtis who is playing quarter back tonight." Mady told us.

"Yep, he is." Rick said grinning. There aren't many greaser girls on the cheerleading squad. But most of the girls on the team seem to get along when they are together but not much other than that. I think there are a total of four greasers on the squad. Which is three more than on the Varsity football team. Yup I thought there would be at least one other greaser but I was wrong. Even on Darry's team, there had been six or seven greasers. But of course with my luck I didn't have any. Then the bell sounded which meant lunch was over.

"See you boys later." Cara told us before she and Mady took off but she said bye.

"Bye" we both said.

"See ya' later Rookie."

"See ya' Rick." I left and the rest of the school day went by like normal. Then I the end of the day Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny came by my locker as I was getting my stuff.

"Hey Pone."

"Hey ya'll. How ya' doin'?"

"Good. So are you coming home and then coming back later?"

"No coach said he wanted to me and Rick to meet him in his office after school. I don't know what about but I don't want to get him mad."

"Yea I guess having a coach mad at you wouldn't be a good thing. Well we'll see you before the game."

"Okay Steve." I finished getting my stuff out of my locker and put them in my book bag.

"Ya' want us to take that home for you." Johnny asked.

"Yea thanks." Instead of Johnny taking it, Two-Bit grabbed it.

"Wow do you actual keep books and stuff in here?"

"Yea that's what it's for."

Rick came over to us.

"Hey Johnny, Steve, Two-Bit."

"Hey Rick." Two-Bit speaker and Johnny and Steve nodded.

"Hey Rookie. I'm ready whenever you want to go to the coach's office."

"See ya'll later."

"Good luck tonight."

"Bye"

Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny said as they left and me and Rick went to Coach Winters office. The school was empty except for a few teachers. The JV team had a game that started right after school so they were at the field house. Most of the varsity players went home but a few were staying to watch the JV team. The door was open and the coach was sitting behind his desk like he always was.

"Hey I just wanted to tell ya'll that I appreciate all the work you guys have been putting in. Rick you have changed over the last couple of weeks and you have become a better sport at the game by trying a lot harder at practice. Ponyboy you have tried hard to learn the plays and have accepted one of the hardest positions on the team. I just wanted to say that I wish you both luck tonight. Be at the field house at a quarter to seven. Thanks for coming."

Wow he actual acted like we had won the championship and I haven't even played in a game yet.

"Thanks coach." We told him and then we left. Me and Rick took our football bags with us.

"Hey you want to change and then go watch the JV game."

"Okay." We went into the bathroom and changed our pants and put our socks, cleats, and pads on.

"Hey put your bag in my truck you can get it after the game."

"Okay thanks."

Then we watched the JV game. Me and Rick talked about what they would have done. The varsity cheerleaders were couple of row down and were all dressed in there cheerleading stuff. One turned around and saw me and Rick at the top by our self's. She was a greaser even though she had her dark brown hair pulled up into a ponytail I could tell. Also because I saw her walk to her house a couple time when me and Johnny were coming home from the movies. Then Cara and Mady saw us and then they pulled her up with them. She was in the same grade as me. What was her name? I think it was Alexis. Yea that was it Alexis. She was average height and she had really pretty dark brown eyes, I never talked to her but she always seemed real nice for living on the greaser side of town. She never wore all the make up like most of the greaser girls wore.

"Hey we saw ya'll sitting up here all by yourself so can we join you?"

"Yea I guess you can." Rick answered him. Cara sat on one side of Rick and Mady sat in between us. She pushed her self between us. But Alexis wasn't like that.

"Can I sit here?" he soft voice asked and pointed to the space beside me.

"Yea sure." She sat down by me as the opposing team scored.

"Oh yea this is Alexis, she is my friends cousin so I told her I would help her with cheerleading." Cara told us.

"Hi I'm Rick." Then he, Cara, and Mady started talking again.

"Hey I'm Ponyboy." She smiled.

"I know."

"Really?"

"Yea I heard a lot about you." she was still smiling and I grinned at her.

"So you're a cheerleader." How dumb could I be? I know that answer really. But she thought it was funny because she grinned.

"Yea so you're a football player." We both laughed

"That's what they tell me."

"So what else do you like to do?"

"I don't know. A bunch of stuff."

" I have any idea why don't we play twenty questions and you have to answer honesty."

"Okay. Alexis you ask me first."

"Have any siblings?"

"Yea I have two brothers but sometimes it feels like I have four more. What about you?"

"I have an older brother. What are their names and age?"

"Darry is twenty and Soda is seventeen. The other four who I consider my brothers is the gang. How 'bout your brother?"

"Danny is nineteen. I know who your brothers are man you have better looks than Soda." Wow, she thought I looked good well the hottest girl that I had ever seen before now had nothing on her but she had a personality. She looked shocked. "Please tell me that I didn't say that out loud." She looked really embarrassed now. I moved close to her ear.

"It's okay because you are much prettier than any girl I have ever seen and even if you weren't you have a great personality." She smiled at me and we talked about our families and stuff we like to do. We both liked books and a lot of the same things. I told her about my parents and she said that she was sorry. We both forgot that Rick and them were even there we just kept talking and not caring about anything.

"Pony do you like movies?"

"Yea. Well since we said we were being honest I love them." She grinned.

"Me, too. No one in my family likes them as much as I do and I don't like going alone. So I haven't been to one in a while"

"My brothers and friends don't like them as much as I do. But I could take you to one sometime if you want to go to one."

"How about tomorrow night? If you're not busy that is."

"No I'm not busy."

Then the cheerleading coach called up and told the cheerleaders that is was six-thirty and they had to warm-up.

"I'll see you after the game Pony to tell you were I live. Hey Cara do you have a pen?"

"Yea here." She gave it to her without any questions.

"You can give me your number if you want to that is?"

"Of course" I took the pen and wrote my number on her hand. She, Cara, and Mady stood up.

"Good luck to night you guys."

"Thanks." Me and Rick both said. Cara and Mady started to walk off and Rick was yelling tell the team that they should have blocked the other teams player which made it into the end zone. I think they were hopeless.

"Good luck Pony. You'll do fine I'll cheer for you."

"Alexis you better hurry up or the coach will get mad." Cara told her as they started down the bleachers with the rest of the girls.

"Okay Cara I'm coming."

"Bye Pony."

"Bye Alexis. I really enjoyed talking to you and…" I didn't know what to say I wanted to say something but I didn't know what.

"Sorry Pony I got to go. Good luck." Then she kissed my forehead.

"Thanks I will need it." I grinned and she grinned back at me.

"See you later or I will call you." She left and the I turned back to face front when I saw the gang. Then I knew they saw the whole thing from the way they were coming up the bleachers and the look on their faces. Then I knew it was coming.

I am really sorry about no doing the actual game. =( Thanks for reading it is 11:36 p.m. where I am at now and I need to go take a shower. I think that I am going to get a head start on the next chapter after though. I will post it as soon as it is done, which is most likely tomorrow. I am trying to update every day and so far I think I am doing okay on that. Please tell me what you think about Alexis and what the gang might think. I wasn't planning on adding her but I thought that Pony might need someone and I wanted to give the gang something to say when they arrived. By the way I wanted to say thanks to WordsANDpaper and minato4ever for the all the review they help me keep going. So please everyone review. All ideas are welcome.