Lydia's POV:

"Wait, Dad? What does he have to do with my father?" Hope asks me. I smile at her.

"A lot, actually. Without Ponyboy I never would have met your biological father," I explain. She raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" She says. "How did you meet?" She sounds genuinely interested now, not just like she needs to know about Dallas.

"I was getting to that, sweetheart. It all started on Ponyboy's sixth birthday party...."

*FLASHBACK*

"So are you coming to the party later, Lidi?" Ponyboy asks, running up to me at the end of school. I nod. It's a Friday afternoon, but not just any normal day, Pony's birthday.

"Of course! It's gonna be the best party ever," a tiny five year old me yells. I've been waiting for it for weeks, ever since he gave me the invitation. I was the only one in our class that he invited. The other people there are "family friends" of his and his parents.

"Yay! Are you ready? My mommy is picking us both up," He says. I nod again, and we both run to his moms car.

"Hi Pony! Happy birthday. Hey, Lydia! Are you ready to meet the guys?" An 8 year old Soda yells to us.

"Yeah!" I yell happily. I've met Soda and Darry before, but not Johnny, Dally, Two-Bit, or Steve, the other guys that Ponyboy's always talking about.

The ride from school to the Curtis house was short, about 5 minutes and as soon as Mrs. Curtis parks the car in the driveway, Ponyboy grabs my hand. We run inside.

"C'mon, Lydia! You gotta meet the guys!" He yells. He parks me on the floor in front of the TV, so I'm looking at the couch.

"This is Steve, and my buddies Two-Bit, Johnny, and Dally!" He says, pointing to them as he introduces them. My heart melts as soon as I see Dally. Man, he's a looker, I think, not taking my eyes off of him.

"Hey, I'm not one of your buddies?" Steve yells, but I almost don't hear him over the sound of my own heart beat.

"No, you're mean to me," Pony answers. I giggle, but continue to stare at Dally.

"It's n-nice to m-meet you guys," I stutter nervously. I guess I thought I would have just fit right in with them, but as soon as I saw how good looking they were, I realized that I may not.

"You too, Lydia. We've heard a lot about ya," Johnny says. I look over at him for a second. He's cute, even five year old me can recognize it, but he has bruises and scrapes all over his face. Just thinking about how he would have got them makes me sad. He looks about... 8 maybe? It couldn't have been the Socs, the last time they tried to beat up a Greaser his age, they all got arrested. Bailed out immediately, though. Stupid rich Socy pants....

I look to Dally again.

"So, Dally.... How old are you?" I ask, giving him my nicest smile. He's obviously older than me, but I want him to like me. Maybe when we're older we can do grown up stuff together, like hug and kiss and be boyfriend and girlfriend.

"9. What's it to you?" He responds in a gruff New York accent, something you wouldn't expect on a nine year in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But still, I feel my body melting at the sound of it.

We all talk for a while, and then the party starts. A few people of Pony's and my age come, but it's mostly the Curtis' family and friends. It wasn't the greatest party for me, Johnny or Dally, but he seemed to have a lot of fun. So did Darry, being 12 already, he seems like an adult, and easily talks to the other grown ups. Steve went with Soda into his room after a few minutes to go play cards and Two-Bit was having a lot of fun at the party. He ran around, eating the snacks, and laughing and talking with the adults like he fit in. He's a real character...

Sooner or later, I get bored and go sit with Johnny and Dally on the couch.

"I.... I'd better get goin'. My parents are probably wonderin' where I am," He says. I literally gasp.

"Your mommy and daddy don't know where you are either?" I exclaim. He just shakes his head.

"They don't like me much...." His voice is a low mumble, and he buries his face in his dirty, worn out Jean jacket.

"It's ok, Johnny. My mommy and daddy don't like me either. Daddy left two years ago, and mommy tells me that he got a new family because he doesn't like this one. She says it's my fault it happened and hits me sometimes. 'Specially when she's drunk," I tell him.

"Wow, I'm real sorry," Johnny says. Dally's eyes widen.

"You're sorry, Johnnycake? You're sorry? No, I'm sorry that I don't have the time to talk some sense into you and Lydia's dirtbag parents!" He yells in a rage. My face burns a bright shade of red.

"Nobody ever deserves to be treated like that," He mumbles. Johnny smiles a little bit, almost like he's glad someone cares about him. I decide right then and there that I want to care about him too.

"Thanks, Dal. Well, I really gotta go. Bye," He says and gets gets up, waving to us as he walks out. That's when Dally turns to me.

"You know, my dad was the same way when I was younger. All drunk and shit and hittin' me all the time. That's why I left New York last year. I don't even remember my mom, though. Think she died or something. I don't care, though. I don't need no one," He says. He obviously needs Johnny, maybe he just doesn't know it. Or maybe he just likes and hangs out with Johnny the same way he does with Ponyboy.

But either way, that's when I decide that he needs someone else, me.

A/N: So that's chapter 3! I'm sorry it took so long... I'll be better about updating now, because I really like the idea of this fic. What do you think? Let me know! And if you have any ideas for flashbacks of Lydia and Dally's relationship, let me know. Not relationship relationship, but things that happen with them I guess? If you give me one and I use it, I'll gladly give you credit! 😊