Jennifer and I scoped our new town for a place to eat and hang out and find new friends. We went to a number of places. The last one was a strange drive-in called the Dingo, and thats where it all happened.

We were crossin the street towards it and saw greasers. Our kind. But we're not like most greaser girls, like you might think. We are alot different...mostly. You cant always judge by looks.

Anyway, we were on our way over there and then I grabbed Jen's hand and pulled her faster and closer. "Amber, are you crazy? I dont wanna go in there!" she squealed.

"Why not? You chicken?" I countered.

She looked at me for a second before answerin, "No. I mean, look how rough it is! I dont think its safe for little 13-goin-on-14-year-olds like us. I'm just sayin...what if somethin happens?" I laughed and shook my head and walked closer to the bulidin while lookin back at her.

"Nothins gonna ha"--

Just then I bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry" I started to say but when I turned and looked up, I stopped. A tall figure (well, maybe he wasnt exactly tall but he was alot taller than me, for sure) loomed over me, and we stared at each other for a few moments. The person was a boy, who was a greaser. He had long reddish-brown hair that was heavily greased, a very good-lookin face, a good build, and...very familiar greenish-grey eyes.

Green-eyed boy!

When I came back to reality I suddenly stuttered, "Oh...uh...s-sorry..."

"Sorry," was what he said in return. I could feel my face gettin red and hot and I felt real nervous, so I grabbed Jennifer's hand tighter and pulled her in the opposite direction of the Dingo, and the boys. "Come on, Jennifer, lets go." She stumbled along, and I kicked myself on the inside for bein such an idiot. I shouldve looked where I was goin! I thought. I shook my head in anger and headed for home.


Nana told me to go to the grocery store that same day. She gave me money and a list so I could buy food for our new house. When I was in an aisle with flour in my arms like a baby I turned and ran into yet another person. I bumped him to the side and he dropped some of his groceries. Luckily none of it was glass. "Oh my gosh, I'm so"--

He looked up with a soft sensitive face and I froze. "Its alright," he said, and when he noticed it was me he sorta smiled. His smile made him glow. That made me want ta glow.

"We've met before, havnt we?" I asked, even though I knew it was true and I didnt really need to ask. He nodded and picked up his groceries and stood up, lookin down at me.

"Yeah," was all he said.

Boy, that grease was fine!

"Well," I started, "sorry again. I didnt mean to. Really. I'm just so clumsy." The boy looked down and said, "No, its alright." But then he looked up. "It was an accident." I was so lost in his eyes that I forgot the proper thing to do when you meet a new person. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry. How rude of me. My names Amber Gellerstein"--I stuck out my free hand so he could shake it--"What's your name?"

"Oh," he grabbed my hand and looked away, embarrassed. "Um...Ponyboy Curtis."

"Ponyboy." I tried the name out on my tongue. "I like it. Very original. I like original and unique names. They say alot about a person." I smiled warmly and so did he.

The rush of his touch finally hit me and I smiled even brighter on the inside. His hand was warm and soft and it gave me butterflies. But his eyes spoke more than his touch. "Nice to meet you, Ponyboy Curtis," I said. "For the...is it fourth time?" He grinned and nodded.

"I think so." I let go of his hand, because we hand been holdin hands in the aisle there for quite some time and my hand was gettin sweaty from excitment. I started walkin around the aisle for the other things I needed without sayin goodbye to Ponyboy. But I didnt need to, cause he was followin me. "I've never seen you around much before." I smiled and looked at him as i gathered my groceries.

"Oh, I just moved here a couple days ago," I started. "From Oklahoma City"--

"The capital?" he cut in. I nodded and continued my story.

"I lived there my whole life. And ever since I was nine I've lived my grandma, Nana, and my best friend Jennifer Yaamine. When I was nine my rotten folks and her nice ones had a bad accident and Nana was made official guardian. But now Nana has been diagnosed with cancer and we have no other guardian and barely any money cause the hospital is eatin it up. We had to move here cause theres a better hospital to take care of her. Everyone in both our familes are dead so theres no one else..."

I looked at Ponyboy, noticin that I was runnin away with my story. He seemed sad, oddly.

"I'm sorry. I dont know why I'm tellin you that..."

"No," he said quickly, and it startled me. "Its fine. I dont mind. Man, that must be awful rough." I nodded and said, "It is."

We both continued to shop and talk and then we payed for our groceries and started to walk to the neighborhood we shared. We stopped in front of a small white home. His. "Well, this is my house," he spoke. I nodded. Ponyboy walked up his porch steps and when he was about to open the door he stopped and turned around and said, "You know, if you ever need to talk or you need a friend just...come on over. My brothers are friendly. So are our friends." I smiled and nodded.

"Thanks. Ponyboy. Youre a nice boy." And then I walked on home, just a street over.