My morning routine is always exactly the same; wake up, hide under the bed, wait until no one else is in the house, then one of my brothers gives me a signal, then I get a shower, put clothes on, check to make sure no windows in the kitchen or living room are not uncovered, they usually are covered unless my brothers were in a rush, I grab some food, then rub back to my room, quiet not to make any noise, then lock the door, and look outside through the one-way glass my dad put in when I was born. No one can know I exist. Why? Because I'm an illegall third child. My name is Ponyboy Curtis, I'm 14 years old and I'm a shadow child. Ever since my parents died, my brothers have been extra careful to keep me hidden. I've never been outside. Never in my life have I met the guys who come over in the afternoons. I've always wanted to, but my brothers said no. That they have no idea where they stand on the whole population law thing. I really can't blame them for not asking. It's not exactly something teenage guys talk about. I know what they talk about from my brothers. They keep me updated. 

My bedroom window is the only one in the house that I can look through. The view is of the house right next door. It's about as big as mine. Except slightly less run down. The gardens on the side look well kept. Usually,  I get back up to my room when the people start leaving. A man and a woman are the first to leave. They get in seperate cars and drive off. Next, are two young women. They get in their car and drive off. But they're not what interests me. What interests me, is the boy who sneaks out of a panel on the side of the house about five to ten minutes after everyone is gone. He hides in the bushes and looks around before running towards the alley behind the house. I've never met him. Nor have I told my brothers. The boy is a shadow child like me. I've only ever seen him from above, but if I was ever allowed to go outside, I could probably recognize his white-blond hair. He wears black and carries a blade. I half hope he's fourteen like me, but he's probably a bit older. 

I've contemplated following him several times in the two years the family's lived there, but I've never been brave enough to. But today, when the boy's sisters leave, I step out the front door, and skirt around to the back of my house. I don't stop to feel how good the fresh cool autumn air feels on my cheek. I'm determined to meet this kid. I watch the house closely, out of view of the boy. I don't want him to think I'm some sort of stalker. I see him come out and run down the alleyway. I follow him, trying not to be noticed. I hide behind things. I'm doing pretty good until I lose him. I look around. I don't know where I am and I don't know where he went. I'm scared. Luckily there's no one else around. 

Suddenly, someone has me pinned against the fence, my arm held in a really painful position. "Who are you and why are you following me." A stern voice demands. I turn my head as much as I can before it is pushed back against the hard wood. From the corner of my eye I had caught a tuff of white-blond hair sticking out from behind a Lynx-like ear. 

"I-I-I'm Ponyboy. I want to be your friend." I say quietly, my voice sounding slightly whiny. 

"No one wants to be my friend."

"I do! I'm like you."

"What do you mean you're 'like me'?" I didn't have to see him to know he was narrowing his eyes. 

"Shadow child." I whisper just loud enough for him to hear.

He turns me around, still pinning my shoulders to the fence. He examines my face with blazing blue eyes. "How do you know about me?" 

"I can see you from my window." 

He looks around nervously. "Did anyone follow you?" 

I cursed under my breath. "I don't think so......"

"Get home. Right now." He lets me go and pushes me in the direction I came from.  

"But-"

"Go!" 

"Why?" 

He sighs. "How did you get out of your house?" 

"The door." I say dumbly.

His eyes widen. "You need to go. And don't ever use your door again." He orders before turning away."

"Wait!" I call out to him. 

He turns, obviously getting annoyed. "What."

"What's your name?"

"None of your business."

"I told you mine!"

"Fine." He looks over his shoulder. "It's Dalllas."

"Can I see you again Dallas?" I ask.

"No." He waves me off.

I nod and take off back the way I came. I climb the tree in our yard and get on the roof, careful not to fall off. I'm smiling when I climb through the hall window and close it again under the shade. I re enter my own bedroom and lock the door. I decide to read a little bit. Around noon, I figure it's time to have something to eat. Then I remember that Dallas usually snuck back in his house about now just a few minutes before one of his sisters came back for a little while. I watch through my window as Dallas carefully re entered his home through the panel he had come out of a few hours ago. Maybe I should meet him there tomorrow. Yeah. I think I will. I went downstairs and grabbed some food and returned to the window just as Dallas' sister got in her car and drove away. I ate my apples and sandwich before Dallas snuck out of the panel once again. Part of me wanted to go after him, but I stayed put.

Later, there was a knock at my door followed by the word "swagglehoop". I smile to myself. Swagglehoop was the code word for today. Soda had told it to me in the morning before he left the room. Every morning we come up with a different code word. It's my way of knowing that Soda is home. I shoot towards the door and unlock it so my light-haired brother could enter. 

"Hey!" He smiled, locking the door behind him then jumping onto our bed. 

"How was work?" I ask. 

"It was okay. Zachary had to stay home because he just got his tonsils out."

"Oh." 

"How was today?" He smiles, tossing his arm around my shoulders. 

I shrug. For a moment I think about telling him about Dallas, but I decide against it. He doesn't even know that anyone lives next door. And Soda wouldn't be able to keep that from Darry. God knows how Darry would react to me spying on our neighbors, let alone sneaking out to meet one of them. He'd probably go on and on about how I'd put not only my life in danger, but also Dallas'. Then he'd say I never use my head. "Same ol'. Same ol'." I meet my brother's dark eyes. "Is today the day?" I plead.

"What?" He says furrowing his brows. 

"I mean," I roll my eyes, "am I gonna meet the gang today?" I have been asking him about this every day since Soda had come home from school when he was six or seven and announced "I met some friends today!" Mom and Dad had gone over to him and said they were so happy for him. Then Darry had loudly said, "ahem!", gesturing to me. Then Mom and Dad's faces grew serious and they reminded Soda to never tell his friends about me. Soda's told me so much about the gang that, although I've never really met them, I could probably pick them out of a lineup. I knew them, even though they may never even know I exist. 

"Look, Pony, you have no idea how much I want them to meet you, but Darry would not approve of introducing you to these guys. They could accidentally say something. You don't want it to slip out do you?" 

I look at my lap and sigh.

"It's okay." He says. "Maybe you'll be able to get a fake ID someday and meet all the people you want."

Someday. I hate that word. Someday third children would be legal again. Someday I'll be able to come out of hiding. Someday I would be able to publicly announce my name without fear. Someday I would spend every minute of every day playing outside with my brothers. Someday was all I ever heard. Someday. Someday. Someday.

And someday never came.

I went to sleep that night angry as usual. I used to cry myself to sleep, silently of course, but that was before Mom and Dad died. Now it was just me and my brothers. My reckless, fun-loving older brothers who only let me do things in my room, only let me look out one window, who didn't want me meeting their friends who were good as brothers to them. Just for my own protection, I tell myself, just for my protection. They want me to stay alive. They want to eventually get me a fake ID, so I could go out and about. 

I woke th next morning to the sound of rain pitter-pattering on the roof. I groan. This means that Darry will work at home today. It also meant that no one went out of Dallas' house except his sisters. Soda will have to go to work today, but I'm not as worried about him. None of the guys come over that day, so Soda spends the whole after-work time with me. I don't even see Darry today.

The next morning, I wake up and it's definetly mid-morning. Soda left a note in my hand and told me what the code word is, and that he left some chocolate cake for me. I quickly get dressed and climb up on my perch to watch out the window. Dallas' house is completely still. I knew it's empty. I look at other houses. Across the street and a few houses down from my house Mrs. Randle is staying home for the morning. I've known they had a shadow child since I was five and my dad told me that he suspected there was a third or even a fourth child there. I've watched that house, trying to catch a glimpse of their illegal kids. But they're too far away to see from my bedroom. Maybe I could see it from the big window in Darry's office, but that one is not only two way glass, but it's facing the road. I switched my gaze to the vacant lot right behind Dallas and mine's houses. My brothers used to go play football all the time. I used to beg Mom and Dad to let me go play. But of course, they said no. 

At around noon, Dallas crawled back into his house just before his sister pulled up. I silently curse myself for not going down there. Instead, I read books until Soda knocks on the door and says the code word. I jump to the door, and unlock it. He comes in and locks it behind him. 

"Is today the day?" I ask excitedly.

He shook his head and brings a candy bar from his pocket.

My jaw drops. How had he gotten his hands on that?

"Cute little baron kid came in without any money, so she payed with this." Soda explains. Then he quietly unwraps the foil. "Want a piece?"

"Yeah!" I rapidly nod.

Soda breaks the bar in half and gives me one part and shoves his part in his mouth.

I eat it quickly too. 

Then he heads downstairs, locking the door behind him, to go join the gang. 

I look out the window at the lonely street. 

Suddenly, an insane idea pops into my head.

The door to my bedroom is locked from the inside. I could defiantly walk down the stairs and the gang would see me. I know these people. They wouldn't report a helpless third child like me. I smile mischievously as I stalk over to the door. Only when I reach for the doorknob am I conscious of the danger that might await me downstairs. What if the windows are uncovered? What if my secret got out on accident? I shake it all away as I turn the knob and it clicks. I feel so reckless and rebellious. I swing the door open, not caring that it squeaked a tiny bit. I stopped in the doorway and frowned. What am I doing? I inhale deeply. I can do this. After all, I had gone outside a few days ago, had I not? I heard muffled chatter as I approached the top of the stairs. I pause again. I'm not scared anymore. But what do I say? How do I explain myself. I slowly ease myself down the stairs. I watch the other boys watching tv, chattering, and wrestling on the floor. I counted. Five. Great. They're all here. I put on my friendliest smile and step into the living room. 

The room goes silent except for the TV. They're all staring at me. What do I do? Terrific. Way to go, Pone. I open my mouth to try to say something, but my mind goes blank and I start to panic. I just wanna go back into my room. 

" Who's this little guy?" Laughs an older rusty-haired boy who I recognize as Two bit Matthews. 

"Uh........." Is all I can get out. 

Darry scowls at me and his icy blue eyes send me a clear message that said, "get back to your room right now. I'll try to straighten this out. We'll talk about this later."

"Well?" A dark haired boy in a DX shirt like Soda's says. "Who are you?" I realize that this must be Zachary Prior, Soda's best friend since as long as I can remember. 

I moisten my lips and take a deep breath. "My name's Ponyboy. I'm Darry and Soda's brother." I say so quietly, I doubt they could hear it.

Apparently I was wrong.

"I-I gotta go." Johnny Cade stands up and leaves, as if he was terrified of me.

"You're an illegal?" Zachary asks with interest.

"That's one way to put it." I say.

"Oh you've really done it now, kid." Darry grabs my arm and drags me to the stairs.

"But-" 

"No buts! Go to your room!" Darry shoves me up the stairs.

Reluctantly, I go to my room. I pulled the shades over the window and curled up under the covers. Tears streamed down my face. I'll never be able to see them again. I'll never be able to go outside. I'll never be allowed to do anything. 

My door swung open and a very angry Darry walked in. "What were you thinking?" He said loudly. "Johnny could be on his way to report you right now, and Two-bit's angry at us for taking food right out of his kid sister's mouth!"

"I'm sorry!" I sobbed.

"You think sorry is gonna stop the Population Police from killing you if they find out about you?"

Darry stayed mad at me. For almost two weeks, he never left the house. And no one but Soda ever came in. I didn't spy on the house next door once because it would just make me sad. I read and reread all the books I had.  Why did my parents decide to have three, even though third children were already illegal by the time Darry was born? It's like they just wanted me to suffer. 

After two weeks, Darry had to go back to work and I wasn't allowed to leave my room period. 

While my brothers were at work one afternoon, I snuck downstairs to get a change of scenery. I was watching tv. I know that the Government doesn't bug tv's, so I have that one basic luxury. 

I didn't even hear the lock rattle or the door swing open or shut. I heard someone say my name and whirled around, terrified out of my wits. 

"Dallas? What the Hell are you doing here?" I sigh in relief.

"Johnny told me you were here." The blond says, taking a large bite out of an apple.

"You mean.... Johnny....... Cade?" I asked.

"Do you know another Johnny?" 

"Why'd he tell you?" 

"A while ago, there was this group of third children who rallied at the Governmrnt for their rights. All the people there were killed. And we're gonna do our own rally."

"But the first one failed. Why do you want to do the same thing they did if they failed?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Don't you want rights? Don't you wanna be legal? I don't know about you, but I sure do."

"Of course." I respond. "I just want to be alive when that happens." 

Dallas rolls his eyes. "So you're one of THOSE guys." 

"Hey!"

"You've never been outside your house, have ya?" 

"No."

The older boy sits down next to me. "Look. When I lived in the city, I couldn't even go out of my bedroom I shared with my sisters. When I was ten, I snuck out through the air vents and ended up being caught by the Population Police. My dad got me outta there somehow, but I didn't even know what was going on. All I had ever known was that I had to hide while my family went out and about."

"Hiding is safe."

"Then why'd you follow me? Why'd you reveal yourself to the gang?" 

I shrugged. 

"Hey, you wanna join my sister and I for lunch at my place?" 

I hesitate. I don't know Dallas' family. Sure they themselves had an illegal third child, but what if they didn't care about other illegals? 

"Don't worry. It's just London. Cmon. She'll be home in a little bit." He tugged my wrist. I yanked it away. 

"No." 

"Alright." Dallas said, moving toward the door. "Suit yourself."

Once he was gone, I curled up into a ball. What if he told his sister about me? What if she reported me?  I went back up to my room and curled up with a book.

______________________

Hey guys.

I know none of you probably have read Shadow Children. It's a great series. 

Should I continue?

There's going to be some characters from Shadow Children showing up in later chapters, but you'll catch on.

But seriously. Should I continue this book?

Love ya!

CC