A/N: Request from cant_be_arsed! It's a holiday here in the US, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to write another one-shot! Hope you enjoy!

September 1962

Darry: 17

Sodapop: 13

Ponyboy: 11

"Your senior year is arguably your most important. Don't start slacking off, Darry, you're better than that."

I rolled my eyes as I turned over in bed, glancing at the clock on my nightstand. 11:42. The party would be starting soon, and I wouldn't be there. All because while every other parent let their kids live a little during their senior year, mine decided it was business as usual, which meant no parties on school nights.

This wasn't just any party, though. Paul's parents were out of town, and he was throwing one to celebrate the upcoming football season. Our team was looking good this year and would likely make the playoffs, so it was our last chance to party before focusing on football for the next few months. And my parents refused to let me go.

I thought back to the argument I'd had with my dad earlier. It was more of a one-sided conversation than an argument, though, seeing as how I was begging to go and my dad was simply reading the newspaper and halfheartedly finding new ways to tell me no.

"I'll get all my homework done beforehand, I promise!"

"No."

"I'll get up on time for school tomorrow, you won't even have to wake me up!"

"Nope."

"I'll do the dishes every day for the rest of the month!"

Soda's head popped out of the kitchen at that one, his hands covered in suds.

"You know Dad, maybe you should hear Darry out on that one…"

"Not a chance, son."

"Please, Dad! If I don't get to go to this party it'll ruin everything! I'm the quarterback, I have to be there, it's good for morale!"

My dad folded his newspaper and stood, walking over to me. My chest swelled with hope as I thought I had finally won the battle; if there's one thing my dad takes seriously, it's football. He put a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, son, I guess the team'll just have to get by without Darry Curtis for one night," he sighed, patting my shoulder and walking out of the room.

The gesture infuriated me more than his indifference.

"Fine! If you don't care about the team then maybe I should just quit, it's pointless to try and play if there's no team bond anyway," I shouted. It was a stupid idea and an empty threat, and we both knew it.

He turned to face me. "The rule in this house is no parties on school nights. It has always been the rule, ever since you were born and too little to mouth off to me, and it will always be the rule, until Ponyboy is an adult and you're all free to make your own decisions."

I held my breath as I awaited whatever punishment my dad decided I deserved, but none came.

"Your senior year is arguably your most important. Don't start slacking off, Darry, you're better than that."

He had walked away after that, and even though he didn't say it, his disappointment in me rang out loud and clear. It was almost worse than any punishment he could've given me.

Now I was tossing and turning, trying to go to bed, but I couldn't sleep. Not when I knew what I was missing at Paul's.

Screw this,I thought, throwing off my covers. I was seventeen, almost an adult, I could go to a party if I wanted to. I slowly crept toward my bedroom door, careful to time my steps with Soda's snoring from across the room. I pulled open the door slowly, wincing as it creaked. Luckily Soda's snores continued despite the noise. I then tiptoed across the hall to just outside my parents' room and listened carefully. I could hear my dad's snoring, which sounded eerily similar to Soda's, and could only assume my mom was asleep too.

Jackpot.

I returned to my room and quickly got dressed, no longer worried since I knew my parents were asleep and Soda could sleep through a tornado. Once I was dressed, I crept down the hallway once again and grabbed the truck keys from their hook by the door. I resolved to pop in for a few minutes at the party, make myself known, and hightail it back home before anyone even knew I was gone. I had just gripped the doorknob and began to turn it when I heard a small voice from behind me.

"Where are you going?"

I jumped, whipping around to face my youngest brother. He was in his pajamas, his hair sticking up in every direction, a glass of water in his .In all my sneaking around I hadn't even thought to check Ponyboy's room.

"Nowhere, go back to sleep."

I was stupid to think that would work. He crossed his arms, and I could tell he was approximately three seconds from telling Mom. Even at eleven, he was still a snitch.

"You're obviously goingsomewhere,you have the truck keys."

This kid, always the smartass.

"Yeah, so? Why do you care? Just go back to bed."

"You're going to Paul's party, aren't you?"

"How do you even know about that?"

"Heard you and Dad arguing about it earlier," he said with a smirk.

I sighed. "What's it gonna take for you to keep this quiet?"

I figured I was going to end up having to pay him or do his chores for the next year, but his request was so much worse.

"Take me and Soda with you."

"I'm sorry?"

"Soda's always talking about how he wants to go to high school parties, and I wanna come too. So take us with you."

"Ponyboy, this isn't just any high school party. The entire football team will be there, you'll stick out like a sore thumb. I'd sooner not go than take you two," I said, moving to put the keys back on the hook and accept defeat.

Ponyboy shook his finger at me. "Nuh-uh-uh, not so fast. If you don't take us I'll tell Mom and Dad you tried to sneak out anyway."

Like I said, always the smartass. I knew I was past the point of no return.

"Fine, go get Soda. We're only staying for a few minutes, though."

He pumped his fist in the air before running down the hallway to get Soda. I rolled my eyes, figuring it would be a miracle if we got out of the house without waking up our parents.

My brothers returned in record time, dressed with shoes on. If only they got ready this fast for school, maybe we wouldn't be late all the time.

"Alright, we'll be in and out. No telling Mom and Dad, yes?"

They both nodded, and we began to creep out the front door single file. The two of them busted up laughing once we made it to the front yard, seemingly getting a kick out of this, though I sure wasn't. I tried to start the truck as quietly as I could, an impossible feat with how loud our car was, but I was able to make it off our street without any trouble. The second I turned onto the main road my brothers started with their questions.

"Do you think there's gonna be a lot of people there?"

"What about music, do you think they'll play music?"

"Do you think they'll have a chocolate fountain? Darry,pleasetell me they'll have a chocolate fountain."

I rolled my eyes. "Never in my life have I seen a chocolate fountain at a high school party."

Before I knew it we had made it to the west side. The neighborhood was dark and silent with the exception of Paul's house, which was lively and loud. I turned to face my brothers.

"Alright, here's the rules. Don't drink anything, don't eat anything. Don't look at anyone, don't talk to anyone, and if someone asks, your last names aren't Curtis and you have no idea who I am. Got it?"

They nodded eagerly, despite the fact that they probably weren't listening to half of what I just said.

I got out of the truck slowly, knowing I was about to regret this. I let my brothers run ahead of me, giving myself some distance between their entrance and mine. The house looked pretty packed, so hopefully nobody would give a second glance to an eleven and thirteen-year-old running around.

My brothers disappeared into the madness of the house, and after taking exactly three deep breaths, I did too.

"What's up, Curtis?"

"Was starting to think you wouldn't show."

"Yo, Darry, what's going on?"

"Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence."

I smiled, gave high-fives, and returned handshakes. I'll admit, it felt good to feel so wanted. I made my way across the room after spotting Paul chugging some unknown substance. He smiled once he saw me.

"Better late than never, huh Curtis?"

"Yeah, yeah, thought I'd do you a favor and stop by."

He laughed at that, before his face suddenly turned serious. "Say, uh, is that your brother?"

I turned around to see Sodapop trying, and failing, to flirt with some girl that was at least four years older than him. I couldn't help but facepalm, wondering how I got us into this mess.

"Yeah, that's him. Long story," I explained, shooting Paul a look that told him that I did not want to talk about it.

I watched Sodapop get rejected and just as quickly move on to the next girl before something dawned on me. If Sodapop was there, where was Ponyboy?

I frantically made my way toward the kitchen, hoping he was just getting a glass of water or something. Instead of finding my youngest brother, though, I found Two-Bit.

"Heyyyy Darry, wassupppp?"

I put a hand on his shoulder to steady my clearly-wasted friend, as per the usual.

"Hey Two, you seen Ponyboy?"

He gave me a confused look. "Ponyboy? Ain't this a high school party?"

"Yeah, it's a long story."

"Well you should check by the chocolate fountain, I know you Curtis' are crazy about chocolate," Two-Bit slurred.

"The what?"

I pushed through the crowd to get through the kitchen as fast as I could, where my worst fears were confirmed. There was Ponyboy, surrounded by a whole crowd of high school girls who doted on him like he was their pet, his face absolutely covered in chocolate. I couldn't tell if he had tried to drink it from a cup or if he had just gone headfirst into the fountain; at this point, he was more chocolate than Ponyboy.

I broke through the crowd of girls and grabbed his arm.

"C'mon, we're leaving."

I dragged him away before he could protest, collecting Sodapop on the way. He didn't seem too happy that we were leaving so soon, seeing as he was in a full-on makeout session with a senior at this point. I could practically feel the heat radiating from Ponyboy's ears as I grabbed Soda.

"Aww, really Dar? Five more minutes?"

I ignored his pleas and used my other arm to steer him toward the door by the back of his neck. I could hear shouts of protest to my leaving but I ignored them and got my brothers out to the truck.

I broke countless traffic laws on the way home, anxious about getting back without getting caught. Ponyboy's face was still covered in chocolate, Soda's in lipstick. I just prayed that both of my parents were still asleep, I wouldn't even know how to explain this to them.

I slammed on the brakes as we reached the curb in front of the house and threw the truck in park.

"Not a word from either of you, capisce? Silence."

They nodded wordlessly. We all eased our way out of the truck and closed the doors as quietly as we could before making our way to the front porch. I peeked inside and couldn't see any lights on, which I figured was a good sign.

I put a finger to my lips before easing the door open, wincing as it creaked. Why did every door and floorboard in this house have to announce our presence?

I held the door open and ushered my brothers inside, praying that for once in their lives they learned to shut up. I then closed the door just as slowly as I'd opened it, breathing a sigh of relief. We did it.

I turned to point my brothers toward the bathroom so they could go clean up, but a sudden light filling the room stopped me. I opened my mouth to scold Soda for turning the light on before I noticed the looks on my brothers' faces.

"What?" I whispered, following their gaze.

My dad sat in his armchair, his hand hovering by the chain of the lamp.

"So, how was the party?"

A/N: That's the end of me consistently updating this series, for now I'm going to focus on my other story and upload a one-shot occassionally!