The next few weeks went by as normally as the rest of my life had been. Just reading and watching tv. No one came other than my brothers. I haven't seen anyone leave Dallas's house, even though their cars are there. Soda mentioned that Zachary quit working at the dx and he hasn't seen him. Most of the time, one of my brothers is home with me. They won't tell me what's going on. In all those weeks of loneliness, I tried to put my hand on the doorknob to go outside, but my brothers stopped me every time. At one point, Darry actually boarded up my window so now I have absolutely no idea what's happening outside. 

One day, when Soda and I were playing a card game at the table, I asked him what's been going on lately. 

His face grew serious, but he kept playing without telling me.

"Please?" I asked. 

"Darry doesn't wanna scare you." 

"Cmon, Soda. You don't tell me anything anymore!"

Soda looked me in the eye. "No Pony. I'm not gonna tell you the Population Police are in charge of the Government!" 

My eyes widened in fear. "What?"

Soda covered his mouth and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Really? I could've sworn you just said the Population Police are in charge of the Government." I said it slowly and monotone to avoid breaking out onto a panic attack.  

"Fine." Soda sighed. "The truth is, the Population Police took over the Government a few weeks ago."

"But that means they're gonna do house-to-house searches." I remember.

"Thank god they haven't gotten to our town yet. But we still gotta be careful"

"I gotta see Dallas." I get up and run to the door, swinging it open before Soda can stop me.  He chases me around our house to the house next door. I bang on the front door of Dallas' house. A few seconds later, Soda grabs my arm as the door opens, revealing a middle-aged blonde woman. Behind her I saw a man and two girls sitting at a table. Dallas is nowhere to be seen. "Where is he?" I ask.

"Who?" She replies calmly.

"Dallas." I say.

"Who the heck's Dallas?" Soda scowls at me. 

"The third child that lives here." I say.

"What?"

"It's alright. I'm a third child too!" I say, tears streaming down my face.

"Pony!" Soda gasped.

"What?!" I turn to my brother. "The Population Police's gonna find me sooner or later!"

"Shh!" Soda puts a finger over my lips.

The woman at the door examines us carefully. "Say, aren't you the boy from the dx?" She asks Soda.

Nodding, my brother replies, "yup. And this is my uh, cousin."

"Give it a rest, Soda. They have a third child of their own!"

"I don't SEE a third child."

"Doesn't mean they don't have one!" 

The woman was obviously getting annoyed at us arguing on her front porch about her having three kids instead of the legal amount of two. "Get in here, boys." She pulls us in by our shoulders. 

This house is about the same floor plan as my house, so I wasn't as overwhelmed. There's a table to the side of the kitchen, and a chair next to a counter that couldn't be seen from the door or any windows. 

"See?" The woman said, gesturing to her husband and daughters. "I have only two children. London and Paris Winston. There are no others."

"I'm his friend!" I say.

"Nadine," Mr. Winston places a hand on his wife's shoulder, "they're telling the truth."

Mrs. Winston sighed. "London, go get your brother."

The older girl with long white-blonde hair and blue eyes gets up and crouches by a cabinet under the counter next to the extra chair. She opened the empty glass cabinet and knocked on the back panel. "Dally, it's me London. You can come out now." She says sweetly like she was talking to a baby. 

I heard the distinct sound of a lock unlatching. Then the back of the cabinet slowly opened, revealing Dallas in a small tunnel beyond the cabinet. He slowly crawled out of the cabinet and jumped to his feet, then saw us. 

"Hey! What're you doing here?" He asked me. 

"Is it true?" I ask. "Is the Population Police really in power?"

His features grew sad. "Boy, I wish I could tell you no."

"But what's gonna happen to you and me and all the other illegals?" I rambled, pacing back and forth. 

"I dunno." Dallas told me, then looked at Soda. "I'm sorry. I didn't get your name."

"I know you! You go to the dx twice a week!" Soda exclaimed.

Mrs. Winston's eyes grew wide and she turned to her son. "You left the house?!?!?!"

"Yes ma'am." Dallas admitted.

"Dallas Tucker Winston, do you know how dangerous that is!?!? You don't even have a fake ID!" Mrs. Winston looked like she was going to faint. 

"Actually I do. I bought one." He said, digging a small plastic square out of his pocket and waving it in his mother's face. 

"Hey Mom, why don't you sit down." Dallas' other sister said, leading her mom to her chair and fanning her off. 

Mr. Winston scowled and slapped his son across the face. Dallas didn't even flinch.

The room calmed down after a few minutes. Dallas asked if he could come over to our house. His parents said it was okay as long as he only went next door. As he passed me on the way to the door, he muttered to me, "can't garruntee that." 

"I wanna see your fake ID!" I asked Dallas, curious. 

Dallas showed me the card. Right below his picture was the name "Jesse Markham".

"That's tuff." I say.

"It's just like a regular ID." Dallas shrugs. "It's just not......... Real."

As the three of us get back to my front porch, we see Two-bit leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. He stiffens when he sees us coming.

"Hey Two-bit." Soda says unenthusiasticly. 

The redhead fixes his regretful eyes on me. "Ponyboy, right?"

"Yeah."

"Look, I'm sorry I went off a couple weeks ago. I wouldn't wanna report a helpless little kid. It's just that...... My kid sister goes to bed hungry a lot and we don't get as much food as we need, and my Mom blames everything on illegals. I mean, it's ridiculous. No bread at the store? Illegals. Lost her car keys? Illegals. Dad walks out on us? Illegals. What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry. Sometimes what my mom does rubs off on me. We cool?"

I look from him to Soda to Dallas then back to Two-bit and smiled. "Yeah. We're cool. If you'd wanted to report me I'd be dead by now." 

The regular smile returned to Two-bit's face as we all went inside.

Johnny was the next one to come in. We started talking and became fast friends. 

Darry came home and freaked out at first, then calmed down.

Later on, Zachary Prior came in. He looked a little pale. "Guys, I have a confession to make." He said barely audibly. "Zachary Prior's not my real name. It's S-Steve. Steve Randle. I'm a fourth child."

"Fourth?" Dallas exclaimed. "I didn't even know that was a thing. And I know almost every illegal in the county!"

"Yeah." Steve said. "My sister and I both got fake ID's when we were babies. But we have to stay hidden from now on because the Population Police are in power."

"Don't worry Steve. We'll keep you hidden." Darry assures him. 

"Was your name the only thing you lied about?" Asked Soda.

"Pretty much. I had to lie and say I was the younger of two siblings, but other than those things, I told the truth." 

"Hey what do take say we go hunt some action at the dingo?" Dallas suggested.

"Please Darry, Please?" I beg. "This could be my last chance to go outside! I'll be careful! And I'll stick with Dal."

Darry sighed. "Fine. But avoid people. Take dig?"

"Thank you!" I hug him.

"I guess I'll go too." Johnny said. 

"I'll join ya if I don't get too drunk tonight." Two-bit said.

Soda and Steve didn't wanna go. 

"Alright let's get out of here!" Dallas said.

"For God's sake be careful!" Ordered Darry.

_________________________

So now the plot is sorta following the original.

Do you like it so far?

Love talking!

CC