*Two Teenage Girls on a Bench*

"hey, hey, hey, Ponyboy!" Two-Bit shouted. the grin on his face spread even wider. he ran over to Ponyboy and gave him a bear hug. he swung Pony around and finally put him down.

"what?" Dally said. "i dont get a hello? well, that aint right."

Two-Bit laughed and walked over to Dally. "its good to see ya, Dal."

"hey, Johnnycake," Soda said, walkin over Johnny. Johnny smiled and hugged Soda. this is one guy moment, i thougt. i shouldnt interfere. i started to slowly walk away so the guys wouldnt notice me, and i had almost turned all the way around when Two-Bit noticed me.

"and whos this little gal?" he asked Ponyboy, Dally, and Johnny. Pony was the one to answer.

"shes a friend," he said.

"is she YOUR friend, Pony?"

"uh, yeah. i guess so," Ponyboy said, clearly not understanding where Two-Bit was going with this. Soda and Steve were off in the sidelines, chuckling quietly to themselves. Darry looked uninterested and bored, Dally was staring at the good-looking chicks passing us on the streets, and Johnny was staring at the ground.

Two-Bit put an elbow on Pony's shoulder and started to lean on him. he crossed his ankles and tried to look cool. "so whered ya pick her up? the movie? the park?" he asked Ponyboy. i rolled my eyes and snickered. Pony pushed Two-Bits elbow off of him and said, "aw, cut it out, Two-Bit! what is with you guys and teasin me about girls?"

"youre the youngest," Steve said. "and its our job, kid."

"i aint a kid! just ask Soda," Pony said. both him and Steve turned to Sodapop.

"Ponyboys right, Steve. he aint a kid no more. hell, hes almost 16. is that a kids age?"

"no," Steve answered. "but he acts like one."

"i do not!"

Two-Bit stepped in. "hey, hey, guys. no fighting in front of the lady." i smiled and giggled. good ol' Two-Bit, i thought. "so do you have a name?" he asked me, walking in my direction.

"Amber," i said.

"well, im Two-Bit, this is"--

"i know who you all are."

"how?" Soda asked.

"we'll explaine later," Ponyboy said. Two-Bit began circling me, examining me. he grabbed a lock of my hair and looked at it closely. i pulled it back impatiently.

"hey!" i said. "dont touch my hair! i hate it when people do that. they mess it up."

"well," he said. "Ambers a blonde name and youre a blonde so it fits perfectly."

"im not blonde!"

"then what do ya call this?" Two-Bit picked up another lock of my hair. i pulled it back and patted it down in place.

"i dont know," i said, "a light brown color, maybe?" he chuckled and continued to circle.

"you care alot about your hair?" he asked.

"yes," i said slowly.

"you wear Converse. white ones, just like Pony. and a jeans jacket, just like Johnnycake. whats your wardrobe?"

"jeans, plain shirts, sometimes plaid or checkered shirts like Soda wears. why, Two-Bit?"

"how does she know what kind of shirts i always wear?" Sodapop whispered to Steve. Steve shrugged his shoulders.

"what brand of jeans?" Two-Bit continued.

i grunted. "Levis! why?!" he turned away from me to face his friends.

"shes just like us, guys! she dresses like us too. i think shes a greaser girl." i crossed my arms.

"um, Two-Bit," i said. "you do know that being a greaser is a lifestyle, NOT a dress-up, right?"

"ooh," Soda said, while smiling. "she got you good."

Two-Bit waved me away. "pssh, yeah i knew that!" i smiled and looked over across the street. my heart felt like it skipped a beat. there were two girls sitting on a stores bench outside. they were talking to eachother but were also staring at the gang and i. why are they staring at us? i asked myself.

the two teenage girls looked oddly familiar. but also, i felt like i had never seen them before. how can someone seem so familiar to another person but, without them feeling they had seen them before? without thinking, i started walking across the street, towards the girls.

"oh," Two-Bit said, seeing that i was walking away. "see ya later, Blondey!" i didnt respond. i just kept my eyes on the road and the girls. once i got a little closer i noticed they were both dressed very sharp, except their clothes didnt look at all like they from this era. the girls were very pretty too. very good-looking. i walked up to them. they looked at me oddly, as if i wasnt good; i wasnt their kind. actually, only one of them did; a redhead. the other looked at me nicely. the redhead said, "hi." her long hair billowed in the wind.

"hi," i said. "have i seen you both before? i feel like i have. do i know you?"

the girls exchanged looks. "i dont think so. we just came here for a...short vacation. we're not from here," the other girl said. she had short brown hair and dark eyes. she stuck out her hand and i shook it. "im Marcia Mitchelleck."

the redhead stuck out her hand too and i shook it as well. "im Sherri," she said. "but people call me Cherry cause of my hair. Cherry Valance."

i stared at her, my mouth hanging open. "YOURE Cherry Valance?"

"yes," she said slowly. "is that a problem?"

"n-no," i stuttered. i know those girls seemed so familiar. they were Cherry and Marcia from the book! they were here too! oh, great, i thought. this just keeps getting better and better. whos next? the Socs?

then i thoought, wait a minute: Cherrys here. i didnt like Cherry. in fact, i practically hated her. i hated any girl that was a possible love interest for Ponyboy. that explians why i hate Cathy Carlson so much. she was his girlfriend at the end of That was Then, This is Now. and Cherry was really rude to Pony, not saying hi to him in the halls at school and all. she had too much pride. she cared too much about what people thought of her. she let that rule how she acts to people below her. but Ponyboy didnt deserve to be below Cherry. he was alot better than her.

"hey, Amber!" Ponyboy called to me, snapping me outta my reverie. he came up from behind me. to be honest, i was still a little mad at him. i turned to him and he saw my stunned face. "hey, whats wrong?"

i jerked my thumb towards Cherry and Marcia. i started to stutter again. "ch-Cherry and Marcia. th-they are h-he"--

"hi, Ponyboy," Cherry broke in. she stood up from the bench. a huge smile spread across her face and when he looked at her, her green eyes almost...sparkled.

"Cherry," Pony said, pretty shocked. "what are you and Marcia doing here?"

"oh," she said. "well, we decided to take a trip, but we had no idea you were going to be here too! then...this girl came over here and we found you." i looked at Marcia and saw she was staring at the the boys across the street. no, not ALL the boys. just...Two-Bit. she smiled as she watched him.

"'this girl' is named Amber," Pony said defensively. i smiled on the inside.

"right," Cherry said. "so are you friends?"

"yes," he said. "and very good ones." Cherry suddenly got a look of jealousy on her face. i wonder why, i thought. "well, we gotta go," Ponyboy said. "see ya later maybe, i guess."

"bye...Ponyboy," Cherry said, her voice dropping in defeat. me and Pony walked over to the other side of the street, back to where the gang still was. but at the last second he pulled me over to the side. he put his hands on my shoulders. i glared at him. i was still kinda mad, like i said before.

"so youre not gonna tell them they came from a book?" i asked, a little bittereness hidden in my voice.

"forget about that," he said. "Amber, i just want you to know that i am really sorry about what happened earlier."

"youre only sorry cause you made me...cry."

"thats not the only reason!"

"then whats the other?"

"well," he said. "you were just so upset. i didnt mean to hurt you like that. i was just a little mad...at myself for not remembering. im sorry. i know ive only known you for two days, it feels like longer, but i care about you like a friend ive know for two years."

i looked up at him. "oh, its alright, Ponyboy. i shouldnt have been so mad. we fought over something stupid. its fine."

"good," he said with a smile. "now, lets go back over by the guys. i dont think they notice that we're right here. i dont want them thinkin we eloped to Mexico." i laughed at that. then i thought, i wish.