Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.

I woke up to Darry and Soda tickling the death out of me.

"Come on guys. Let me up." I managed to say between gasps of air.

"Okay let's go get some breakfast. Are you up for a game off football Pony or are you tired of it?" Darry asked as we made our way to the kitchen. Darry and Soda had fixed breakfast and then gang sat down at the table and we started to eat.

"So who's on who's team?" Two-Bit brought up since the last time we played I ended up getting asked to be on the football team and now I was the captain.

"How 'bout we change it up again?"

"Okay Steve you got any ideas?" I wanted to know who all I would be with now.

"All I know is that Pony and Darry are not going to be on the same team."

"Yea they make the rest of us look like crap." Of course Two-Bit had to add something in.

"What about Pony, Johnny and Soda?" Dally looked around and we all nodded at his idea.

"Okay then it's settled then. Let's go." After Darry spoke he picked up the football and headed out the door. Soda, Johnny and me beat Darry and them by a touchdown. Darry, Soda, and Steve had to go to work. Dally and Johnny left to go talk Tim and go to Bucks before the rumble. Two-Bit had to go home and check on his sitter after he promised his mom he would. He cared a lot about her and I knew if any guy ever did her wrong they would have to put Two-Bit to deal with. It was about noon when I headed over to the Dingo to met up with Alexis. I walked in and saw her sitting at a booth near a window and I made my way over to her and sat down.

"Hey Pony."

"Hey Alexis. Sorry have I kept you waiting long."

"No I was early." A waitress came over and took our orders and then returned with our food. We ate and talked about random thing until had about two hours until the rumble was suppose to start.

"So how are you parents?"

"There good. Can I ask you something Pony?"

"Yea of course." Why would she think she couldn't?

"Do you have to fight tonight?" She was staring at her fries.

"Yea." No one was forcing me but I knew that I had to fight.

"Why Pony? You could get hurt and I don't know."

"The gang is my family and I would do anything for them. So I'm not going to abandon them. The second thing is that the Socs beat up Johnny a while back and he don't deserve it and then when they jumped me. Yes I could get hurt, anyone could really but it's just like a boxing match. The only difference is that we don't wear gloves." She was staring straight as me.

"Well would you not fight if I didn't want you to?" Did she not hear me before?

"No I don't think so." I didn't say it harshly.

"I thought that I was part of your family but I see now that you care about your little 'gang' more than me. I can't believe that I thought you loved me." She was yell at me after I paid and we walked outside.

"I thought you loved me."

"So did I. Don't you understand that I don't know what I would do if you got hurt. All you would have to do to make this all stop and for me and you to be happy again is to forget about this silly little rumble and that gang of yours." Did she really just say for me to forget about my family? I don't think I like her anymore, not if I have to give up my friends.

"Let me get this straight you want me to change and give up my family, friends and my life?"

"I guess you could say that but you would gain me. So wouldn't that be enough?" She was giving me puppy-dog eyes. They were not working.

"Not if I have to give up my way of life." she was mad now.

"You would be with me. I could give you whatever you want and I bet my parents would let you stay with us."

"I'm just making sure I'm hearing this right you want me to give up everything just to stay at your house. Alexis I've only know you for a short time and you want me to move in with you? We're in high school."

"So it would work out. I'm the cheerleader and you're the quarterback." How could I not see that she was like this?

"Are only going out with me because I'm the quarterback?" She looked down and didn't answer.

"Alexis tell me and the truth would be nice."

"Well after Cara and Mady were talking to you and Rick, they talked about how you would be a star and I don't know I wanted to say that I was going out with the star of the football team but I guess I can't say that anymore. Right?" Heck yea she was right and I can't believe I thought I loved her.

"Yea you're right. I can't even believe you would sink that low Alexis. I thought I liked you. What did you make up all the stuff about liking books, movies and stuff?"

"I like some of them but I saw how you liked them and I thought that you would like me if I did too. You can get to know the real me now. Me and you can be happy and you can stay at my house to get away from those annoying friends and brother." Now she had done it.

"Listen to me Alexis, you can say whatever you want about and to me but you don't talk about my brothers or friends."

"Why Pony what have they ever done for you except get you in trouble and now you're going to fight just because the others live on the other side of town!" She's a girl you can't hit her I had to keep telling myself.

"What have they ever done for me! Let's start with the gang. Johnny is always there when I want to talk to him and he listens a whole lot better than you. Steve and Two-Bit care about what happens to me and the rest of the gang. Dally is Dally he looks out for the gang even though he wouldn't admit. Soda dropped out of school so that I could stay in school and have a better future then him. Darry, I don't even know where to start, he didn't go to college just to keep me and Soda at home and not as some boys home. He works two jobs. So before you want to tell me all they do is get me in trouble then you need to learn to listen to me and look at what they do for me. Bye Alexis." I turned and started to walk home.

"Pony wait." To my better judgment I turned to look at her.

"What?"

"Is it over between us?"

"I think you need to get your ears check because you haven't heard what I have said all day."

I turned back around and headed toward home. Not soon after saying bye to Alexis I was home. I walked in the door to find Darry, Dally, Two-Bit and Johnny watching TV. Steve and Soda were greasing their hair more than normal yet we always did. Without a word I went and put on a dark blue shirt. I wished it was a little tighter but it would have to do. I went into the bathroom and greased my hair heavily and I could hear the gang talking about how we were going to beat those no good Socs. I knew that I would have the energy especially after Alexis and me breaking up. The bad thing is that I really cared about her until she said that stuff about Darry and Soda. Also the gang she didn't know them that well so who would she know anything about them. I went back into the living room we had about an hour before the rumble would start. The gang looked up when I walked in. Darry looked tougher than ever with his black tee shirt showing off his muscles. I would hate to fight him. I then noticed that Tim was hear talking to Dally. They were all playing poker expect Darry, Dally and Tim. Two-Bit looked at me and grinned.

"So kid how did the date at the Dingo go?" There was knock at the door so he didn't get to hear my answer. I had become dark outside while I was getting ready. Steve opened the door and the one person that I really didn't want to see was standing there.

"Where's Pony?"

"He's right here." Steve pointed to me and I walked outside. What in the world, could his girl want? She already told me that it was all an act just to go out with a football player.

"What do you want Alexis?" There was a truck out in front of the house and some tall, brown headed guy got out and walked over to us.

"Don't you speak to her that way." I turned to Alexis.

"It's okay I just have to tell him something. Then we can leave."

"Okay honey." Then he bent down and kissed her before getting in his truck.

"I just came over here to tell you that I was seeing someone else. I wasn't going to tell you because I thought that I loved you before our first date. Then I met him and he's has a lot of money and has a big house. I wasn't going to tell you but after what you said I just thought you liked to know that things were always like they seem." She was being a real snob and it reminded me of nothing but a cold heartless Socs. No wait she was worse than a Socs. I don't even think they would do something like this. "He lives in the town near by that's why you never seen him. Well I got to go have fun tonight." She marched off and got in the truck to drive off. I made my way back to the house and sat on the end of the couch. Why did she do this to me? What did I do to her?

"What did Alexis want?" For once I wished Steve wouldn't have asked me. I might as well tell them the truth.

"She wanted me to tell me about her boyfriend." Soda dropped his cards, the whole gang turned to look at me, and I just sat on the couch.

"What happened?" Was all that was sat and that had been said by Dally.

"Well long story short. Well at the Dingo she asked me not to fight tonight but I told her that I was. Then outside she started yelling and saying that if I loved her then I would. Then she was telling me that I could move in with her and her parents."

"Why?"

"She said that you guy get me in trouble and if I wasn't with you guys I wouldn't be fighting. I told her that ya'll are all my family and you guys have done a lot for me and stuff. Then I found out that she went out with me because I was on the football team. Then she asked me if we were over."

"What did you say?" Instead of Dally, asking it was Two-Bit but he had a serious look on his face.

"I told her that I thought she needs to get her ears check because she haven't heard what I have said all day." Two-Bit grinned.

"That's about it all you have to do is add in her boyfriend." Tim looked at me.

"Man kid that's just wrong of her."

"Yeah I guess." Soda came over to be and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry Pony. Man that's bad especially for your first girlfriend."

Tim stood up and spoke to me again.

"She was your first girlfriend?"

"Yup."

"Well I will tell you one thing Anglena isn't going to like it when she hears. That girl better be ready for it."

"You don't have to ask Angela to go anything."

"Kid wouldn't have to ask or tell her for that matter. Once she finds out that girl better be ready to listen to her. She doesn't go for go for girls doing that to people she cares about. I told you before Curtis we would do just about anything for you guys. So don't worry about it. See ya'll at the lot."

"Thanks Tim." He grinned and walked out the door to go find his gang. They all kept staring at me.

"You okay Pony?" It was Darry's first time speaking on the matter.

"Yup. I'm fine ya'll don't have to keep staring at me like I'm going to exploded."

"Well you might with all that book smarts in your head." Two-Bit always knows how to make us laugh.

"So what are you thinking Pony?" Johnny asked me staring.

"That I'm glad I found out now instead of later and that I'm glad were over with. If she does like you guys then she's not right for me. Not to count the facts about the other guy and football things."

They went back to playing poker and pretty soon we were all excited and ready to go kick some butts. We all ran off the porch doing summersaults, cartwheels, and flips, that Darry had all taught us. We started our way to the lot throwing fake punches and stuff.

I don't know exactly why but I didn't wait Alexis to be the one for Pony. Tell me what you think.