A/N:About time I name a chapter after a Taylor Swift song, being that my username is 23swiftie and all.

November 1962

Darry: 17

Sodapop: 14

Ponyboy: 11

The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon as Darry Curtis finished his pre-game warmup. Soon the lights will turn on and bring the true "Friday night lights" atmosphere to life. Though this was usually Darry's favorite feeling, all he felt today was nerves. Tonight's game was the state championship, and as the quarterback for Will Rogers High School, he felt the need to get them a win. After all, it was his senior year, his last chance to take state.

His eyes wandered to the stands, trying to spot his family and friends. He found his dad first, talking with some of the other parents. It didn't matter that most of them were richer than them and lived on the other side of town, his dad could be friends with anyone. It's what he admired most about him. Next, he found his mom, who was scolding Sodapop, Steve, and Two-Bit for throwing popcorn into the rows below them. Dally stood at the top of the bleachers, pretending to be bored, but Darry knew that his showing up meant he cared. Lastly, he spotted Ponyboy and Johnny. They appeared to be sharing one copy of the same book, both silently reading. Why his brother and friend felt the need to read at a football game was beyond him, but he was grateful they came.

"Hey man, you ready?"

The words of his best friend, Paul, brought his attention back to the field

"Ready as I'll ever be, let's do this," he answered.

The majority of the pressure he felt was obviously from this being the state championship, however, Darry secretly felt extra stress for another reason. A girl, to be specific. Annie Weeks also sat in the stands, and Darry was determined to make sure she noticed him.

There was no shortage of girls interested in Darry at Will Rogers High, but Annie didn't seem to be one of them. Darry had talked to her a couple of times during their English class or after school, but she never showed much interest. Darry knew that this game was likely his last chance to get her to notice him.

Snap out of it, he thought. He couldn't let a girl come between him and a win for his team.

The game started strong, the first half ending with an impressive 54-yard run by Darry, bringing the score to 28-07 at halftime. He was dripping sweat by the time he got to the locker room, but feeling proud nevertheless. He just hoped Annie had been watching.

"What's on your mind, Curtis?" Paul asked. "You've been acting spacey all night."

"I'm fine, Paul. I'll be even better once we win this thing," he said with a grin.

The third quarter, though, was when things began to take a turn for the worse. The opposing team managed to score four times while Tusla only managed to get one measly field goal. Darry looked to the scoreboard before the fourth quarter started, shaking his head at the 30-35 score, and once again turned to the stands. The worse he played, the more he looked at Annie, hoping she wouldn't see. He also spotted his dad, though, motioning for him to come closer to the stands. He lifted his arms as a way of saying I can't really talk right now, but his dad persisted.

"What is it?" Darry asked from the sideline, his father having moved down to the first row.

"I should be asking you the same thing, you ain't been focused on the damn game all night!" his dad said. Mr. Curtis was never one to expect perfection from his kids, but he could tell his son wasn't playing his best.

"I guess I've been a little distracted," Darry said, his eyes once again wandering to where Annie sat. His dad seemed to notice what was distracting him.

"Hey! I know you wanna impress whatever girl you're after, but you play better when you're focused on the game. Don't let your team down and miss out on a scholarship over a girl, you got it?"

Darry nodded, knowing his dad was right. He needed to focus during the fourth quarter before it lost the game for the entire team, and focus he did. Their team managed to score two touchdowns and a field goal, while the other team only managed to get one touchdown. The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game, and the scoreboard read 47-38.

The stands went wild, as did the team. Darry found himself surrounded by his teammates, all jumping up and down and celebrating with him. He was handed a trophy, causing him to shout and celebrate even harder. He spotted his family and the gang in the stands, all clapping and whistling to congratulate him on his win.

Darry suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, causing him to turn around. He suddenly found himself face to face with none other than Annie Weeks.

"Oh hey Annie, didn't know you were into football," he said, trying to play it cool.

"Please, Curtis. I saw you eyeing me the whole game. And during English class. And in the hallways. And in the courtyard after school," she replied.

Darry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, unsure of what to say. He didn't have to say anything, though, as Annie suddenly pulled him in for a kiss.

He heard the sound of "oooooohs" and whistling, meaning the gang had likely made their way down to the field by now. But he didn't care. He just kissed her harder.

"I'll see you at Paul's later?" Annie asked, pulling away.

"Yeah, sure," Darry replied, not sure if what just happened was real.

It was a little awkward seeing his family and the gang after they witnessed that kiss, but Darry knew he owed it to them after they all came to the game. He hugged his mom and dad, not missing the pride in their voices as they told him they were proud of him. He accepted high fives and fist bumps from the gang and even allowed Soda to put him in a headlock. Pony even told him how cool he was, which was a lot from a kid brother who had zero interest in football.

Darry thanked his family before heading off to Paul's to celebrate, Annie at his side the entire time. He decided that she was definitely the highlight of his night.

Looking back on the memory, Darry had found pride in different aspects of the night. He and Annie hadn't lasted through senior year, and his parents were never able to see him play football again. Now, when he looked back on that night he remembered the feeling of looking to the stands and knowing that there would always be someone there to support him. He had lost his parents and members of the gang, but he always wanted to make sure Ponyboy had someone at his track meets. He may be looking to the stands for a girl or focusing on the sunset, but he would always have a big brother or two there for him.