Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders

Chapter 8: Covers Uncovered

Three whole months passed and they were not boring ones. A lot of stuff had happened. A lot of...important/interesting stuff.

"You what?" Stacy yelled loudly.

I hushed her, looking around. "Stacy!"

Stacy stood in front of me, smirking widely. "You dirty, little skag."

I breathed out a laugh, continuing to walk around her. "It's not a big deal, Stace."

She walked beside me, nudging my arm. "How was it?"

I tried not to smile just thinking about it. "It was cool."

"Cool? That's it?"

I shrugged. "It was a little underwhelming."

"What, he didn't perform?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, that's not it at all." I shivered, just remembering the feeling of Steve's big hands all over my bare body. "He was great. It was great."

She shook her head, linking her arm through mine. "Well, shoot, Jilly, you're gettin' more than me."

"What happened to Calvin?"

She glared at me for a split second. "What do you think?"

I held my hands up, falling into the silence. I looked around. "Wha - Stacy, where are we going?"

She smiled widely, giving me an essence of evil. "It's time to lose your other virginity."

I laughed. "Stace -"

"Beer!" She cheered, stopping in front of the liquor store.

I shook my head. "Who is doing this for you?"

"For us," she corrected. "And Tommy is."

"Tommy?" I asked, eyebrows raised. "Tommy...Mars?"

She pursed her lips and shrugged, signally a yes to me.

My eyes widened. "Stacy! You don't date a guy and then date his brother."

She shrugged. "Maybe we're soulmates."

I scoffed. "More like animosity."

Stacy turned to me. "Don't use words I don't know, Jill."

I laughed lightly, patting her arm. "My bad, Stace."

And we did drink - Stacy signifticantly more than me, but I still did. I woke up the net morning with a hangover and a shift at the Dingo.

I drank a couple beers, I got a job, I went all the way with Steve - speaking of, we had a couple of close calls within the last couple of months.

I leaned away for only a second to tilt my head the other way before our lips attached again. Steve took his hand off of the steering wheel to grab my legs and bring them over his lap. He tugged me closer, one hand rubbing the outside of my thigh, the other hanging over the back of the seat.

"Mm," I hummed in between kisses. "I should probably -" Kiss. "Go, um -" Another kiss. "Inside."

"Not yet," he said quietly, grabbing me and pulling me into his lap, my knees on either side of him.

We kissed feverishly and I lost all concept of time and location.

The time? 12:23 on a school night. Location? Parked right in front of my own house.

Steve was supposed to just drop me off, but we had gotten a little distracted.

Steve hands held onto my hips tightly, holding them down against him and I moaned loudly, smiling a little. "Steve..." I said warningly, running a hand through his hair. "Not here..."

"Why?" Steve asked, kissing my neck. "It's not like anyone's gonna -"

"Stevie!"

"Oh, shit!" Steve said quite loudly, pushing me off of him. "Get in the back!"

I crawled over the front seat, falling on the seat and then the floor in the backseat, staying as far down as possible.

"What the hell are you doin' out here?" Two-bit asked. "Darry sent me out. You just gonna sit here the whole night?"

"Piss off, Two," Steve said and I heard the door to his truck open. "I was just checkin' something."

"Have you seen the kid?"

"Jill?" There voices were getting further and closer to the house. "No, I haven't."

"She's so grounded."

And I so was.

Two-bit was the biggest blabbermouth I knew and that would've been a disaster, but there was one situation where my heart nearly stopped.

My hands ran over his bare back, the hot water against mine. I pressed hard on his shoulders, massaging the knots where I could find them.

Steve sighed, his muscles relaxing under my fingers and he turned around, pressing his wet and naked body against mine.

The door suddenly opened and Steve and I sprung apart, Steve's hand coming over my mouth.

"Mornin', Stevie-boy."

"Mornin' Soda," Steve said back, subtly adjusting the curtain so that it was more closed. "Uh, what are you doin' up this early on a Saturday?"

"What are you doin' up this early?" Soda laughed and it sounded like he was brushing his teeth. "We got work, remember?"

Steve pretended to be surprised. "Oh, right," he said, looking down at me.

The curtain moved, causing my heart to jump and Soda said, "Be out in five, alright? We don't wanna get in fight with the big boss. Still tryin' to get that Christmas bonus."

"Alright, Soda. I'll be out in a hot minute."

"Alright, man," Soda said and the water ran for a second before the door closed again.

I let out a big breath when Steve's hand left my face. "Oh, my god."

Steve sighed too. "I forgot that I worked."

I glared at him. "Clearly."

He smirked, shaking his wet hair and then wrapping his arms around me. "Sorry, baby, I gotta go."

I smiled, though I tried not to. "What a shame."

"We'll finish this later." He pecked my lips reaching behind me and turning off the shower before getting out.

But sometimes it was nice. When Soda and Darry were at work and Two-bit was nowhere to be found and the only one home was Pony, it was nice - well, it was almost nice.

"No, he doesn't," Steve argued.

I just laughed, glancing at him, and then back at the TV. "I never said you were wrong."

Pony walked out of the hallway, making a face and stopping once he saw us in the living room.

"What?" Steve said, getting increasingly annoyed.

Pony shook his head. "Nothin', I'll just never get used to seeing that."

I chuckled and looked at Pony. "Thanks for being so cool about it, Pony."

Pony sighed, walking toward the kitchen. "Anything for you, sis."

Steve smirked. "Hey, Pony!"

"What?" Pony called, now inside the kitchen.

"Get me a Cola, will ya?"

A Cola was thrown from the kitchen, hitting Steve's chest, making Steve growl and get up. "You little punk!" And then he disappeared into the kitchen.

I heard a couple of concerning sounds of things hitting other things, but the loudest sounds were Steve and Pony's laughter.

We were kind of in the same situation now, except Soda was out with Camille, Pony was out with Curly, Two-bit was probably runnin' around with Kathy and Darry was working.

Steve and I had spent the whole day together. We went out for lunch and then came back to the house and hung out. We had been together since the early moments of the day to right about dinner, where all the hours were blending together.

Darry was home before either of us knew it. Steve and I were on the couch when he walked in, and Steve jumped up faster than you could say, "Oh no".

"Hey, kiddo," Darry said to me, hanging up his coat. "What're you doin' here, Steve?"

Steve shrugged. "I just thought Soda would've been home by now." He glanced at me. "But since he's not, I'll cut out." Steve, still looking at me said, "Later, babe," and then leaned down.

I puckered my lips and kissed him, both of us realizing exactly what had happened simultaneously. Eyes wide, I turned very slowly to face Darry.

He had almost no expression on his face as his hand came up, pointing at me and then pointing at Steve. "I'm missin' somethin'."

I stood and took a couple steps closer to him. "Darry..." I put my hands on his arms, Darry's eyes narrowed at Steve behind me. "Darry!"

He looked down at me, a meaner look on his face. "What the hell is goin' on in my house?"

I sighed. "I'm sorry, we just -" I squeezed his arms. "I don't know, we just got together and we weren't ready to tell anyone."

Steve's footsteps came closer behind me. "Darry, man, I -"

"You guys are goin' together?" Darry asked, looking only at me.

I looked at Steve, who nodded and then I turned back to Darry and nodded. "Yeah."

"And you're keepin' this from Soda?"

I nodded again. "For now, yeah."

Darry sighed and shook his head, taking a step back from me. "You better tell 'im soon." He rubbed his face, starting towards the kitchen. "Or I will."

I watched his back, confusion over my face. "We cool?"

Darry stopped at the entrance to the kitchen, giving a long look to Steve. "Yeah." Darry's tired eyes met mine. "Yeah, we're cool."

That next week went by pretty smoothly. Pony continued to be disgusted, but less so, and Darry barely gave Steve and I a glance.

I was at work, working pretty hard.

"Jill!"

I ran over, picking up all the fresh food. "Got it." I sighed, fixing my skirt before I walked over to a table and set the food down. I smiled politely, setting down the last milkshake. "Enjoy."

"Jill!"

I paused, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, I turned around and smiled as best I could. "Hello. What can I get for you?"

Peter smirked as he looked up at me. "Cute outfit, baby."

I just continued to smile. "Do you need a couple more minutes with the menu?"

Peter's smirked dropped and his buddies all laughed. After he sent them a glare, he scooted out of the booth and stood in front of me, his tall stature making my confidence deflate. "How 'bout a date?"

"No," I said simply, going to walk away.

Peter grabbed my arm. "You and Randle finally get together?"

I scoffed, trying my best to make it seem like it was a ridiculous idea. "As if."

Peter started to smile. "You think no one sees you two? I just saw you at the movies the other day."

I shrugged. "I like the movies. Steve likes the movies. It wasn't a date."

"Oh, alright," Peter said, sitting back down. "I'll take a burger and shake then, babe."

I sighed, looking around the table at everyone else. "And all of you?"

"Same," they all said.

I nodded, my backside stinging a second later once I turned away. I looked over my shoulder and Peter, sending him a hard glare.

I hated him.

The bell rang and Stacy walked in, her arm around my brother - the twin one. "Hey, Jilly," she said cheerily, patting Pony's shoulder. "Look who I caught hangin' around outside."

I smiled at him. "What're you doin' here?"

"Curly's comin' to meet me," he said.

I nodded, and then looked at Stacy. "And you?"

Stacy flashed me a million-dollar-smile. "I have a date."

I smirked. "Of course you do."

The bell dinged behind me, near the kitchen and the cook yelled, "Jill!"

I sighed, giving them a wave before walking off and toward the kitchen. "Yeah, I'm here. I got it."