Hey everyone! New chapter. So I was doing my best to get this chapter up tonight, and I have to be at work tomorrow at 5:30am, so ignore the mistakes and I will fix them later. My Microsoft is not working right for some reason so expect more mistakes than normal. Also at some point I plan to go back and re-write the altercation with Maryann at the drive-inn. I was working too fast to get that chapter up and it left me feeling dissatisifed, I will let you all know when that happens in case you would like to go back. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

I do not own The Outsiders

Chapter 7

I was only able to get by a few weeks before my dad started getting suspicious as to why he had yet to see his add printed, and as a result I was forced to turn it in. After that and it wasn't long before our phone rang and we had a new employee.

The first day he came to the house, dad had run into town, and I was washing the dishes, when i heard a knock at the door. Walking to the door I could see through the window that out visitor had a head of whitish blond hair. I scowled when I opened the door, the jerk had parked on the lawn.

"Hello," he said gruffly sticking out his hand for a handshake. "I'm Marshall Louis, your dad and I talked on the phone.. is he around?"

"He went into town, he should be back soon. Why don't you come in?" I asked stepping aside. I spared one last glance at his car parked on the lawn and shut the door behind him.

"Dad said you agreed to take the bunkhouse, I can show you where its at." I said gesturing toward the kitichen. "This is the kitchen, feel free to come and go as you please. Meals are on us." I told him waving my arm toward the refrigerator. We made our way toward the back door and across the grounds toward a small building not twenty yards from the barn. Set up against the bunkhouse was an old fashioned outhouse. Inside was an old kettle stove and dad had moved a tall five drawer dresser set in the corner next to a twin sized bunk bed. The only other fixture was a four- pane window facing the barn.

"It's not much." I started.

"It'll do." he said curtly interrupting me, and I stepped aside to give him room. He walked around inspecting things and I took the time to inspect our new Mr. Louis. He was of average height, and his hair that I supposed was once a golden blond was graying. It looked almost white in the light of the sun. He had a slight build but was muscled under his form fitting T. When we shook I noticed he had calloused hands,that I assumed was a result of living a life of hard labor. Somehow though he had warm brown eyes that I could picture getting hard when he was angry. I figured he had seen some stuff, because when he looked right you could see an angry scar running down the side of his face, from his forehead covered by whisps of graying hiar, to his jaw.

I felt foolish, standing there looking him over, and had the feeling I was invading his privacy. "Mr. Louis.. I'm going to head back inside, feel free to look around. If you need anything just let me know. My father should be back soon." He barley spared me a glance and just briefly nodded his head in response. I paused and headed back into the house to finish my chores.

It wasn't long ago that I was living a normal life in the city. We had always lived in the city, in one small appartment or another. I was used to noisy and cramped spaces, and this country thing was giving me whiplash. It was turning out to take a little time adjusting to the quiet and my own space. In our last appartment I was basically living on the couch, and dad was constantly coming and going. Here dad and I had our respective areas of the house and we only ever met in the kitchen. We had yet to really use the living room. Dad, after a lot of extensive cleaning and moving had taken grandmas old room downstairs. The house itself wasnt very big, but with four rooms and two bathrooms it was much larger than we were used to. Upstairs cramped together were three small rooms and a bathroom and directly below us was dads room and another bathroom. The living room was small and really only an entranway into the kitchen. The kitchen was my favorite. Easily the biggest room in the house it was open and spacious. With three windows it let in a lot of light and you had a great view of the property. You could see the barn and bunkhouse through the side window but the biggest window that was placed next to the dining room table gave you a view of the fields that streched all the was to the treeline in the distance.

I had yet to explore the rest of the property. It gave me a creepy feeling. All my life I had dreamed of this place. My dad moved us around so much I couldnt help but imagine what my mothers childhood was like living here. I knew she dreamed of getting out and seeing all these new places, but I wondered why? I had seen more places than I cared to and as a child I started to imagine what it was like growing up in one place. This place was where I imagined being. Living here now was weird and I was afraid of loosing my only connection with my mother. Before I knew my grandmother was here and if i wanted to find out more about my mom all I had to do was find a way to get here and all my questions would be answered. Now with this loan I know dad used the the house and property as collateral. I feel like I have everything to loose now, and I'm afraid of falling in love with this place. I know I could. Being here I found myself in a daze waiting for something bad to happen and it's going to take the foce of god to shake me from it.

...

Things at school had pretty much evened out. With the exception of Maryann, and her friends from hell I was ignored. Her particular set had taken to calling me 'grease', and 'greaser'. It was a term I had heard before but never directed at me. I had been givin this title due to my new found friendship with Ponyboy who seemed to be notorious because of his involvment in a series of inciedents with boys named Jhonny Cade and Bob Sheldon. It was also going around that I agreed to go out with Beau only to get him jumped by my greaser friends, and Pony and Two-Bit were catching trouble because they were spotted there with us. Brings a whole new meaning to 'guilty by accocation'.

I had caught glimpses of different conversations about the incident with the Sheldon kid, and it prompted me to visit the local library and look at news paper archives. Pony had yet to say anything about it, and I wasn't about to ask and re-open old wounds. Pony seemed like a sensitive sort, full of feeling just beneath the surface, so I kept my mouth shut. At the library I read through editorials, about the stabbing and the church in Windrixville. The last thing I read about was the hearing, and that the boys got to stay together. I read names I had heard from school like Sherry Valance, and Randy, who were friends with Beau. I never talked to either of them and they seemed to distance themselves from the 'greaser- soc' drama. The whole thing was emotional and I knew there was a lot more to everything they had been through. Things only they could tell, and it left me with a lot more questions. Mostly, I wondered what had happened to Johnny Cade? It was no wonder Ponyboy looked so tortured sometimes, and I felt for him. He was strong though and I found myself admiring both him and Dallas Winston. Its amazing what we live through sometimes.

Right now Pony and I were having lunch in the bleachers. Something he and I did when he dosn't leave campus with Two-Bit and Steve. Today was Thursday and while most days we sat in silence, Ponyboy was sitting next to me in the bleachers talking animatedly, about everything that came to mind. He seemed happy and it was rare to see him smile like that as he talked about training for track since he missed last season, and his brothers and finding a part time job this summer.

"Ponyboy," I said laughing' "what has gotten into you? I've never heard you talk so much."

He looked at me bashfully, "Sorry," he said. "I didnt mean to go on like I did."

"Don't be. I enjoyed it, just wondering whats got you so excited." I said chuckling at his blush.

"Oh nothin really," he said slowly, and I looked at him quizically. "Why dont I tell you after everything is said and done. I'm not really sure how to explain it."

Now that had me curious, and I wanted to know more now than ever what had this kid so lively, but I wasnt about to press him, so I bit my lip and said nothing.

Suddenly Pony said, "Your a good writer."

I shot him a puzzled look. "How would you know that?" I asked him slowly.

"Your paper I picked up, I read it." He said looking me square in the eye.

Now it was my turn to blush. That paper was personal, and not something I generally share with people.

"Ponyboy Curtis, I can't believe you read my personal narrative... thats.. I dont know. Personal?" I said exasperated.

He just laughed, not meeting my eye."I know," He said. "Its just that I caught a few lines, and once I started reading I couldnt put it down. I thought it was good." He finished looking at me.

I didnt know what to say to that. I considered Pony a friend but we dont know much about eachothers personal lives, just the basics I guess. I know he didnt mean any harm but I felt somewhat like my privacy had been violated. But then I remembered the archives I had read through and wondered if this is how Pony would feel if he knew I had sought out more information on him and his friends.

"Hey," he said noticing my prolonged silence, "If you want I'll let you read mine. It's just as personal and we'll be even. Its at home now, I wrote it last year. I'll give bring it tomorrow".

Letting my frustration go I said, "Yeah. I'd love to read it, if only for the sake of getting even."

We both smiled and went back to looking over our homework.

Its shorter than I planned but I have to be up in 4 hours so. I have another two chapters written in my notebook so I'll update again ASAP! lol how many of you thought it was Dally at the door? More Dallas in chapters to come!