*I don't own The Outsiders.

I decided to lighten this chapter up. My other chapters have been full of teen angst and moodiness, so let's cheer up! Reviews would be great, thanks. By the way, I know I'm making this Johnny's sixteenth birthday, and he's already suppose to be sixteen, but I really liked the idea so, just go with it. Italics represent a flashback, excuse grammatical errors.

(PPOV)

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"Darry." I waited for my brother to look up at me and finally I was rewarded for my patience, patience meaning shifting from foot to foot and "coughing."

"Can I help you?" He said sarcastically.

"Yes you can, Johnny's birthday is tomorrow and I want to do something for him here. I can't do too much yet, but I think he'd like just having a BBQ and a cake, something low key, obviously I want to get him something."

"That's tomorrow?!" Soda yelled.

A mutter of "shit" and "oops, can't believe I forgot" surrounded me. Everyone came over to the table to discuss what we should do for Johnny's birthday, this included, Steve, Two-Bit, Soda, Darry, and me. Johnny had left with Dal a little while ago, hopefully we could get everything worked out before they showed up again.

"Yeah, so I was thinking about just burgers and hotdogs for lunch and..."

"Don't forget the beer, Pony!" I sighed and looked over at Two-Bit.

"You can get the beer yourself, all right?"

He grinned and nodded, "Will that be my only job?"

"If you let me talk, you'll find out. Anyway, we should just make a cake and decorate it, you want to do that Darry or I can?"

"Yeah, I'll do it." Darry said.

"Why can't I do it, I wanna decorate the cake." Soda pouted at me, looking like a child instead of almost 17 years old.

"Because Johnny likes Darry's cakes better, you add too much sugar. Maybe Darry will let you decorate it with those already made icing things." His grin was back on his face when he heard that, I saw Darry shoot me a glare.

"Don't you remember what happened last time I let him decorate a cake?"

I laughed, leaning in towards Darry, I whispered in his ear, "That's why I told him to ask you." I laughed at his scowl again. "Obviously, someone needs to go get all the food and drinks. I know what we can get him too, if we put our money together we can get him a new jacket. The one he's wearing is gonna fall apart any minute, he needs one, and he'll like it. Who wants to bring me to the mall so I can pick one out?"

"Who said you could go to the mall?" Darry said shooting me a stern look, or as I like to call it his "parental glare."

"Who said you get to pick it out."

"Shut it, Two-Bit." Darry said.

"Aw come on Dar, I've been cooped up for two weeks, it's not going to kill me to look at a jacket and pick it out for my best buddy's sweet sixteen." I pleaded.

"Steve, you want to bring him, since you got a car?" I was pleasantly surprised that he caved so easily.

"Sure, I'll keep an eye on him." Steve said lazily, I snorted.

"Okay, I can stop at the store after my morning shift tomorrow and pick what we need up." Darry said, solving that problem, and cutting off whatever smart remark Steve was going to hurl my way.

"Good," I said. "Two-Bit, your other job is to find Dally and tell him about tomorrow, without tipping Johnny off. I haven't brought his birthday up and I'm sure he figures we all forgot with everything that's been going on, so I want you to keep him away until around one o'clock tomorrow, that way we can finish everything here. It can be a surprise." I smiled to myself, I could see the look on his face already, wide eyes, completely shocked, and laughing softly, quietly.

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(JPOV)

Two-Bit has been talking to me for hours. I don't know what's gotten into him, it's no secret he loves to talk but my God, this is ridiculous. Today was my sixteenth birthday, I wasn't going to say anything about it though. I know Ponyboy might be a little ticked when he realizes I didn't say anything, but I don't want any of the attention. Of course, Pone may not of forgotten, I don't know since I haven't seen him yet today or anyone besides blabber mouth.

I doubt anyone remembered with everything going on these last few weeks. That's okay though, I don't mind any, I don't want anything, and I really hate all the attention that comes with birthdays.

My stomach growled, I glanced at the cloudy sky above me, wondering what time it is.

"Two-Bit." He kept on talking, I don't think he heard me. "Hey, Two-Bit."

"What ya want, Johnnykid?" He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"I'm starving, man. I need something to eat."

"Lets head over to the Curtis' then, it's closer than the Dingo anyway."

"Okay." I feel kind of bad eating over there and sleeping over there all the time. I don't want to take all their stuff, I know they all insists, and they don't mind, but still. I shivered a little when a cool breeze brushed the back of my neck. I lit a cigarette and crossed the street.

My mouth fell open when I saw all the balloons, the presents, the cake, and food. The whole gang was there, laughing at my stunned expression. I laughed too, speechless.

"Happy birthday, Johnny. Sweet sixteen, how's it feel?" Pony smiled, slapping me on the back.

"I..uh..Jesus I wasn't expecting this. Thanks, guys." Everyone smiled.

"You should thank Pony, he's the one who reminded all of us." Two-Bit laughed. "Can't be surprised I forgot huh?"

I shook my head. Steve, Soda, and Darry almost immediately started arguing about who was going to BBQ. Pony spoke up, "It should be Darry, the last time Soda and Steve used the grill you guys got lighter fluid on my book and it caught on fire. I still don't know how you managed that, seeing it was on the other side of the yard." He shook his head, I laughed at the memory.

We were all hanging out in the backyard at Pony's house. We were having a BBQ as a Fourth of July celebration. I couldn't wait for it to get dark, Dallas had gotten some small fireworks we were going to set off later.

I always found it funny that this seemed to be the one time of the year where every adult in America told their kids to go play with fire and flammable things. Like those sparklers, I see little kids with those every Fourth of July, it can't be safe for them.

Steve and Soda were cooking today. It hadn't been too bad except, they got in an argument in the middle of grilling and they burned a whole bunch of burgers and hotdogs. Darry yelled at them and said he'd grill if they couldn't get their act together. He through away the blackened food, luckily he'd bought more than necessary. It's a good thing he thought about that.

I saw a spark out of the corner of my eye.

On the picnic table I saw a couple things at once, a flaming object fly out of a screaming Ponyboy's hands, Dally was swearing, a lighter and cigarette in his hand, and Darry running to get the hose and put out the flame.

"My book is ruined, I didn't finish reading it! It wasn't even mine, now I owe the library! How in the world it catch on fire, Dal lite his cigarette and it caught fire? Did you two idiots get lighter fluid on it!" Ponyboy was pissed and glared at Soda and Steve.

Darry picked the book up, "How'd you two manage that when the book has been over here? It was over here right?"

"Yeah, I left it on the table."

Everyone looked at Soda and Steve, in unison they said, "Opps."

All of us were relaxing, we'd eaten our weight in cake, hotdogs, chips, soda, and hamburgers. All the food was made by Darry, for the safety of all of us.

"Come on, Johnny, open your gifts up."

I was real happy when I tried on the jacket, it'd fit like a glove. It was a nice jean jacket too, it would last me awhile, and definitely cost some dough. They must have put their money together and just added the smaller things. I'd also gotten a few packs of cigarettes, new lighter, and a new black t-shirt.

"Thanks, everybody. I like everything a lot, and I was needing a new jacket."

"Welcome, Johnnycakes."

I sat back and watched Darry clean up, I'd offered to help but they wouldn't let me since it was my birthday. Pony sat next to me, I could tell he was tired, he hadn't slept at all today, so I was sure he was fighting to stay awake still.

I couldn't stop smiling, it's great to know I have people who care so much.