I've returned! Just so you know, this is a pretty dark chapter, so you have been warned.

WARNINGS: UNDERAGE DRINKING, MENTIONS OF EATING DISORDER AND DRUG ABUSE, BULLYING, LANGUAGE!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Marcia, we need to talk," Cherry said as she stepped into the room, her eyes filled with anger, disappointment, and betrayal.

"About what?" Marcia asked, innocently, stuffing the picture into her desk drawer and turning to face her old friend.

"You... and your behavior," Cherry said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"What ever do you mean, Sherri?" Marcia said, the threat and anger evident in the use of the redhead's true name.

"Dont play dumb with me, Marcia!" Cherry's voice cracked. It truly hurt to see her friend like this. "I saw what you did to Soda tonight! What happened to you, Marcia? Before Bob died, you were prepared to drop everything to go out with a Greaser! Now, you don't want anything to do with them!"

"Well, maybe I've changed, Cherry!" Marcia growled. "Now, do me a favor and stay out of my life."

"You need help, Marcia," Cherry said, taking a deep, calming breath.

"No, I don't! Why would I need help?" Marcia glared.

Cherry sighed. "I'm your best friend, Marcia. I know all your best hiding places."

Before Marcia could stop her, the redhead dove to the floor and retrieved a large cardboard box from under the bed. She threw off the lid, revealing the contents inside. Cherry gasped.

It'd gotten worse since she last saw Marcia. Three beer bottles were lined up in the box and if Cherry rummaged through every hiding place in the room, she knew she'd find at least a dozen total. A bag of pills was stowed under one bottle and bags of food had been thrown in the box, some older than others.

"Marcia," Cherry's voice shook. "I didn't know it had gotten this bad."

"Well, you weren't here, were you?" Marcia sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "Therefore, you wouldn't know, would you?"

"Marcia, you need help. This has gotten out of control."

"No!" Marcia's voice cracked. "I. Don't. Need. Any. Bloody. Help!"

Cherry looked at her friend, really looked at her, and nearly cried.

A year ago, she hadn't been able to tell Aimee and Marcia apart solely by looks, but now, Marcia appeared to be a skeleton with bones too prominent. Her cheeks were sunken in and dark bags marred the skin under her eyes. Even her clothes, which she'd bought only a few weeks ago, hung off of her. How had no one noticed?

"Please, Marcia, let me help you," Cherry begged.

"Get out."

"Marcia-"

"GET OUT, CHERRY!"

Cherry, giving up for now, left and ran all the way home, where she broke down in her parents' arms. When had life gotten so complicated?

Meanwhile, at the Brown household, Aimee warily approached her sister's bedroom door when she heard the crying and the screaming. She gently nudged it open.

Marcia was lying on the floor, her make up smeared from crying. A beer bottle was clenched in her hand and she was chugging it like there was no tomorrow.

"Marcia," she whispered.

Marcia looked up, her eyes rimmed red. "Get the fuck out of my room, Aimee."

"Marcia-"

"Please, Aimee, get out!"

Aimee slammed the door and heard glass shattering as the empty beer bottle made contact with the wood, right where her head had been a mere moment ago.

Aimee sunk to the floor in tears.

That monster in there was not her sister. That was the alcohol, the eating disorder, the drugs... but it wasn't Marcia.

What happened to the girls that used to take dance classes together? Used to put on plays and concerts for their once caring parents?

What had happened to their family?

As Aimee broke down outside the door, Marcia fumbled for her phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Marcia, what's up?" A voice came through the speaker.

"Hey, Michael. We have a new victim."

"Who is it?" She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Ponyboy Curtis."

That night, Ponyboy was awoken by the chirp of his cell phone on his nightstand and glanced over at Sodapop to make sure he was still asleep. He was.

Pony grabbed the phone and read the new text message from an unknown number.

'What's up, freak? Why don't you just go kill yourself? It's not like anyone would care.'

Ponyboy frowned. Didn't people have better things to do than text him insults in the middle of the night?

He turned off the ringer on the phone and drifted back off to sleep.

Because it was just that, right? One bully that liked to put people down. Ponyboy had plenty of experience with those; it hardly affected him anymore.

Little did he know, he'd be facing absolute hell over the next few months.

"Michael, I don't think this is a good idea. I mean, have you seen the kid's older brother? He could kick our heads in!"

"Come on, Luke! Don't be such a wuss! Anyway, so we start tomorrow. Brandon?"

"I use technology to break him."

"Luke?"

"I set the pranks."

"Carlos?"

"You and I are physical."

"Yes. Chloe, what about you and your girls?"

"We're social."

"And we're all verbal."

"Man," Luke mumbled, "Marcia owes us big time for this."

These are his friends-his only friends. He can't lose them, so if that means bullying a kid, he'll do it if his friends will continue to have his back.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for Ponyboy Curtis.

so, Marcia's going to bully Ponyboy to get back at Soda, Cherry, Aimee, etc. What can come of this?

Now, I have just finished one of my other stories, Prophet (if you really like Outsiders, you should check that out), and I have a rule that when I finish a story, I post a new one in its place. I have the summaries on my profile and there should be a poll for it, but it hasn't worked so far. If the poll doesn't show up, just review which story you'd like to see posted on another one of my stories. Thanks!