Once upon a time, in Tulsa, Oklahoma . . .

It was a year since the deaths of Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston.

Ponyboy Curtis was now in his sophomore year of Will Rogers High. Even though it was only October, school was going well so far for the kid and Darry and Soda couldn't be more proud of him. Especially Darry. It was the only thing going right for the Curtis's. Since the deaths of two of their gang members, Darry hadn't been the same. He was put under more stress than he was before and his anxiety levels turned up; he was way more nervous and protective over his little brother. Scared that anything would happen to him.

And because of that, Ponyboy wasn't as free as he was when Johnny and Dally were around. Darry would pretty much let Pony do anything then (as long as one of the other guys from the gang went with him though). Nowadays, he couldn't be let out of the house to do anything, not even leisurely. Nope. It was just the ride to and from school.

Soda had complained before to Darry that he was being too hard on the kid, the first time Darry made the rule, but when the big man stepped his foot down, nothing could be done. The poor kid couldn't get away with anything, not even the quick trip down the sidewalk to the library.

~~~~

Soda and Steve emerged into the Curtis household with bright faces.

Soda couldn't remove the cheeky grin from his face. "Aww yeah! Darry, come look at these!"

Pony looked up from doing his homework. Soda and Steve were both carrying  tuxedos -- or at least the classiest thing the East side of Tulsa had to tuxedos.

Darry turned his head from the stove as he made dinner. "How much, Soda?"

"Twelve bucks a piece," Soda said, admiring his gray-blue tuxedo. It came with a red bowtie as well. He and Steve bought the same ones.

Steve smirked. "We're gonna look like Socs, man. Heh, I wonder what Evie will think when she sees me wearin' this . . ."

Pony rolled his eyes.

It was the day before the homecoming dance. Steve was going with Evie (they were still staying strong besides all the hell Steve put her through), and it surprised him that even his brother Soda had a date, and he wasn't even attending school anymore. The girls knew he still existed though, since all of them crowded everyday at the DX just to see the Hollywood-looking boy, so it didn't surprise him that Soda was asked. He was only shocked that Soda said yes; Pony didn't think his brother wanted to go back to school.

But for one dance, maybe Soda did.

He was kind of every girl's Prince Charming . . . (A/N: going Nemo on him rn "MINE MINE MINE MINE")

"Where'd you get 'em?" Pony asked.

"None of your business," Steve snorted.

"An old buddy of ours had 'em," Soda responded. "Owns a small shop 'round here. Good prices."

"Well let me see," Darry said and the boys showed their tuxedos to him. "Wow. Fancy."

"Yeah!" Soda agreed, and he went to put his in his room and Steve followed.

"Just wait till Prom rolls around," Darry sighed to himself, going back to cooking dinner.

Later that night, as he gently hung the tux in the closet, Soda still couldn't rip the smile from his face. Damn, is he that excited for some dance? Ponyboy thought as he slumped himself in the bed they shared.

Soda then crawled into the bed beside Pony. He turned out the lights.

The two lied there silently. Soda had already closed his eyes in hopes of drifting into a sweet slumber, but Pony was wide awake and staring out the window.

"Hey, Soda?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so excited about the dance?"

It was quiet for a moment.

"Well, I missed Junior Prom last year because . . . ya know . . . and Homecoming's a pretty big deal as a senior, like in the movies and cheesy stuff like that. And I know I ain't even in the school system anymore, but . . . I dunno, I just know it'll be a lot of fun."

Pony licked his lips. "Oh. Okay."

Then Soda asked, "Were you asking 'cause Darry won't let you go?"

Ponyboy swallowed, remembering what had happened when he'd asked permission from Darry to go to the dance with a greaser girl he potentially had the hots for at the time. The girl had even asked him a week in advance if he could go to the dance with her. A girl asked him. A girl. And Darry wouldn't let him.

Darry could be such a hard ass, example number one.

Pony replied, "I don't really want to go anyway."

Soda sighed. "I know you liked her."

"Yeah, I know," Pony said.

"Tim wouldn't have allowed it anyway, though."

"Whatever," Pony grumbled. "Just make sure to have fun for me. You deserve to be happy, Soda."

"Who said I wasn't?"

"You know what I meant."

Soda didn't say anything. He only sluggishly threw an arm around his kid brother. "'Kay listen to me, Ponyboy. When Prom comes around, ya going. End of story."

~~~~

"How the hell did we manage to look exceptionally good?"

"I dunno. But however we did it, I like it."

Soda and Steve were crowding the mirror in the bathroom. They were just finishing doing their hair. It was the same products as usual -- hair grease -- but tonight they styled it differently, the night of the homecoming dance. With all the effort they put into their hair ('cause hair was the main thing they'd ever put effort into), they looked like Socs (but with better hair) and ready for the dance.

"Okay! We're going, Dar!" Soda shouted to his brothers as he and his best friend hurried for the door. "We're goin' to pick up Evie and Lily. See ya in the morning!!"

And then they left, leaving Darry and Ponyboy in the house together.

When the front door closed, Ponyboy said, "Did Soda just say 'see you in the morning'?"

"Who knows what those two are gonna do tonight," Darry said bluntly, too busy reading the newspaper on the loveseat.

Ponyboy looked at Darry. "How do let him get away with that?"

The question seemed absurd to ask.

Darry looked up from the newspaper. "What?"

"I said, how do you let Soda get away with that?" Pony repeated, beginning to ramble. "The dance is only three hours long. Why are you letting Soda stay out all night?"

"Well . . . he's older than you."

"Okay . . . but if I were seventeen, you wouldn't let me do that."

Darry shot up a glare at his kid brother. "What are you saying?"

"Why couldn't you let me go to the dance?"

Darry sighed annoyed. "I thought you were over that."

"Well, I'm not," Ponyboy said. "I could be hanging out with my friends right now, let alone the date I would have had."

"Shut up and do your homework."

"I finished my homework four hours ago."

"Then go to bed."

"I'm not tired."

"Do you want to have this conversation again, Ponyboy?" Darry said sternly, putting down his newspaper. "Go to bed."

"It's Friday night, I can stay up as late as I want."

"No you can't, you have track tomorrow."

"I don't care."

"Who said I'd even let you go to the dance in the first place?" Darry asked with a louder tone in his voice. "Why do you even want to go to the thing so badly?"

"I don't know, I just wanted to! I wanted to have fun! I've never really had fun ever since you-know-what, Darry!"

"Yeah well, life isn't about getting what you want."

"It's not about what you want either, Darry," Ponyboy stood up. "This is what you want. Me to stay home sad every day just because you're scared. I'm not scared, Darry! I miss them so much every day but that doesn't mean I have to stop living! Moving on is what Johnny wants me to do, and you're not letting me do it! I can never do ANYTHING anymore! You're ruining my life. "

"You don't know anything about what I want, smart ass," Darry stood up. "All you ever do is think about yourself, Ponyboy. And when you're not, you're not even thinking. You never think!"

Pony's jaw dropped. "I am not self--"

"You think I'm doing this for me? No, I'm doing this for you, Ponyboy. I'm only--"

"Whatever you're doing just stop it! I'm so tired of you doing this to me, Darry, I really am!"

"THEN GET THE HELL OUT THEN!" Darry yelled.

Ponyboy's hands clenched together into fists. "Fine!"

He angrily ran out of the house, the door swinging wide open in back of him.

Darry suddenly stood at the doorway, watching his little brother angrily pass through the front gate.

"And don't you go to that dance, neither!"

~~~~

Ponyboy sat bored in the vacant lot.

He checked his watch for the four-millionth time. 10:28.

He'd been sitting out there for roughly an hour. Cold, alone. He was hoping Johnny or Dally would just appear right next to him. Oh wait, they're dead.

Well this was how it felt like. How Johnny felt every single day.

Suddenly a noise echoed through the lot. It sounded like . . . sparkles.

It was really creepy.

"Who's there?" Ponyboy asked, scared. He wasn't exactly waiting for a response though.

"Ponyboy."

"HUH?!!" the kid whipped around.

"Hey, Ponyboy."

"WHO ARE YOU??" Ponyboy freaked out.

"Hey, stupid. Over here, will ya man?"

He knew that voice anywhere.

Ponyboy slowly looked toward his left, and he was horrified.

"Dally?!"

Dallas Winston stood right there. His mouth curved into a grin. "Yeah man. You should've seen the look on your face!"

"Are you . . . ALIVE?"

"Nah man. I'm dead, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

There was an awkward silence. "Umm, so if this is really you, Dally," Pony began, surely thinking he was crazy, "ummm, why are you here?"

"I don't really have time for questions man," Dally scratched his head. "Look, just think of me as your Godbuddy right now."

"What?"

"Look, you want to go to the dance, Darry ain't lettin' you, and here I am now, at your service to get to the stupid thing. You in?"

"So you're like my--"

"Godbuddy," Dally corrected, knowing the poor kid would say 'godmother' or some shit.

"Okayyy," Pony said, couldn't help but laughing. "So, Dally, my 'Godbuddy' or whatever. What can you do to get me there?"

"Well I got some advice from the ladies up there," Dally began, "And you ain't goin' to a homecoming dance lookin' like that."

Dally took out a switchblade.

"What're you gonna do, cut me up something fancy?"

"No," Dally laughed, "This thing's magic, I'll tell ya man."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

The switch was longer than the one Dally originally had. It was prettier, too. The handle was sparkly gold and the blade itself was as long as a pencil with a sharp tip, a sparkling silver.

Pony stood up on Dally's command. Dally waved the switch in the air, causing a ray of sparkly magic dust thingies to float around. "Bibbity, bobbity, give stupid a suit!"

Ponyboy had been hit with the magic dust, and he blinked wearing a better-looking tuxedo than Soda and Steve . . .

It was a navy blue with a bright, cherry red bowtie. Pony gasped at the sight. "Whoa! Dal, where the heck did you--"

"No time for questions!" Dally interrupted him, and flashed his blade at the kid's hair. It magically styled his hair. It was greased -- maybe even gelled -- and it looked super cute on the kid.

"Ahhh man, you look like one of those guys in the fairytales," Dally laughed.

"Well isn't this--"

"SHHH!!! So you look fancied up or whatever, we got that. But how are we GETTING you there?"

"Umm--"

"Wait wait wait, I know just the thing," Dally answered himself, rolling the blade in between his fingers. He waved the blade around, creating a lot of sparkly magic dust to appear. He aimed for the big rock Ponyboy had been sitting on before.

The rock glowed and shimmered, and then started growing.

Pony ran back to where Dally was, thinking he might as well explode the thing.

But no, it grew and grew to the size of a massive boulder, but then shape-shifted into a long, bright white mustang.

"There's your ride right there," Dally said in awe. "Ain't it neat?"

Pony couldn't believe his eyes. Was all this actually happening?

"Wait, you need a driver!" Dally said. He swooshed his blade around again and inside the driver's seat was . . . Two-Bit?

He sat there dumbfounded. "How did I get here?"

"Two-Bit? Really?" Ponyboy turned to Dally.

"At least he isn't drunk."

"...True."

The two stood there staring at the mustang for a good three minutes.

"Well, what're ya waiting for?" Dally piped up. "Go to the dance!"

"O-Oh. Right."

"Wait!" Dally caught him, just before opening the door to the mustang. Pony turned around, listening to Dally. "Forgot to give you this."

A creamy pink boutonniere appeared on the left side of Pony's tux, and the corsage in his hand. "You're gonna need those," Dally winked, "Tell the lady I say hey."

"Umm, who--"

"You'll see who I hooked you up with, but right now ya gotta go! Go!"

Ponyboy was rushed into the mustang. The driver, or should we say Two-Bit, looked into the backseat. "Hey Pone."

"Hi Two-Bit."

"I'm really confused right now."

"So am I, Two-Bit. So am I."

"Sooo, where to?"

"Um, the school."

"Okay." Two-Bit stepped on the engine, and the mustang began moving. This is it!

They were just out of the lot when Pony heard yelling from the back of the lot. It had to be Dally. Pony quickly slid down the window and stuck his head through. "Dal?! Dally!"

"HEY MAN!!"

Someone viciously tugged on Pony's tux, and the kid's body was fully sent back into the car with a scream, turning to see who had grabbed him.

Dally had appeared in the back seat beside him.

"Shit, dude, you scared me!"

"Whatever man, but I forgot to tell you!" Dally sounded a little worried.

"What, what?!"

"Your curfew is midnight. Midnight! Twelve on the dot. No exceptions."

"What? Why??"

"Because the magic will go away then!"

"Okay, okay!"

Dally started to vanish.

"Wait Dally!" Pony hurriedly yelled. "Who is my date??"

"You'll figure it out when you get there!"

Then Dallas was gone.

~~~~

He arrived at Will Rogers High School in ten minutes.

Ponyboy Curtis stepped out of the fancy mustang. "Thanks Two-Bit," he said awkwardly.

"Your welcome, Mr. Horseman, even though I'm pretty sure I'm jacked up tonight even though I haven't touched a drop of liquor," Two-Bit smiled. "My money, please?"

"What?"

"Driver's gotta get a tip ya know."

Ponyboy dug threw his pockets. "I have gum."

"Will do. I'll be here till twelve to drive ya home too."

"I know."

And then, with a confident look on his face, Ponyboy walked into the high school. In the dance room.

One, he had no idea where he was going to go from there.

Two, he didn't know who the hell he was supposed to be looking for.

Three, he hoped he didn't look like an idiot. Especially not now.

There was a loud gasp from behind him.

Oh. Shit.

He turned around.

It was Cherry. Cherry Valance. She looked gorgeous; her luscious red hair was curled and her makeup was beautiful, not too little nor not too much. But the thing Ponyboy most noticed was that her dress was the same creamy pink color as the corsage and boutonniere.

He could only muster a long "uhhhh".

"You're the one," Cherry gasped, "You're my date!"

Jesus Dally, how cheesy does this get????

"Umm, y-yeah. Yeah. I guess I am."

Cherry smiled, looking into his eyes.

Wow, she looks stunning.

Ponyboy quickly escaped his trance. "O-Oh, uh, I think this um belongs to you," he said nervously, holding out the corsage for her to take it.

Cherry giggled, brushing her soft hand against Pony's as she took it, putting it around her left hand.

MY GOD DALLY WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!!! Pony's thoughts rambled.

"Want to dance?" Cherry then asked.

Ponyboy bit his lip. "Sure."

Of course, it. was. the. slow. dance.

Well, you know what happened then.

They danced.

When it was just about over, Ponyboy could have sworn he saw Johnny at the punch table. Smiling.

The rest of the night went well. Ponyboy and Cherry hung out the whole time.

Something was odd though. Cherry seemed in love with him. Maybe just the powers of magic, he kept telling himself, or Dally's magic, whatever the heck he used.

Pony remembered the last time he and Cherry ever encountered each other in a situation: asking for the class notes and then she pretended to now even know him. That was Cherry. This Cherry, well, it was the magic talking.

Well, best he enjoyed it 'cause it definitely was not going to last.

"I had fun tonight," Cherry said, holding Ponyboy's hand as they walked out of the school.

"Me too."

"I like talking to you," Cherry said, stopping. Ponyboy stopped too, and the two looked at each other. "You're not like the others. You're different . . . you're like me. We have the same interests. We both watch the sunsets . . ."

"Yeah," was all he could say. God Pony, you couldn't have said ANYTHING stupider?

But then it happened.

The redhead's face was getting closer.

Oh.

My.

DALLY!!!!! he screamed in his head when Cherry's lips pressed onto his.

He hadn't closed his eyes. No, NOT now -- what even was the time?? He lifted up and out his arm to catch a glimpse it, begging it wasn't twelve.

11:56.

SHIT!!!!! he screamed in his mind.

Pony then instantly pulled away. Cherry opened her eyes. "Po--"

"I, uh, I'm sorry Cherry, it's been fun and all and-and th-that was nice b-but um . . . andilikeyoutoobutiseriouslyhavetogolikerightnow um bye!!!"

He hurried away.

He heard her call "Ponyboy!" but he was too distracted on finding Two-Bit.

He made it to the front of the school and exited the building and went to the parking and--

WHERE THE HELL WAS TWO-BIT.

"Nononononono!!!" Ponyboy freaked out.

11:58.

"Two-Bit!" he called out.

Suddenly, he spotted the white mustang zooming up to him. He sighed in relief. "Thank God."

The mustang hurriedly stopped and the front window was rolled down. "GET IN!" Dally yelled.

He didn't hesitate. He got in the front, and Dally sped down to the Curtis house.

"What happened to Two-Bit??" Ponyboy asked.

"He fucking picked up a broad!" Dally said. "And then he left!"

"Well . . . thank God you were here to save me."

"Yeah, you better. If I hadn't, you wouldn't even want to know what would've happened."

It was quiet for the shortest of moments.

Suddenly, the mustang started blinking noise.

"Dally, it's 11:59!"

"I know! Don't you see I'm hurrying!"

They'd just turned on Ponyboy's street when the clock struck twelve. Dally immediately stopped the car and got Ponyboy running back to his house. "Run Ponyboy! Run!"

His clothes were already ripping apart the moment Dally starting shouting.

Ponyboy ran as fast as could to his house, scared that he'd fall naked if anything. He made it onto his front lawn and looked back, hoping to see Dally and the mustang still there.

Gone.

Ponyboy stopped, holding onto his knees as he tried to intake air.

Yeah, he died gallant. But he redeemed himself helpful.

~~~~

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OH MY GOD I CAN'T I CAN'T OH MY FOOD UGH CRAP GUYS THIS UGH IS TOOOOOO MUCHHH HOLY GREAT CHEESE OF CHOCOLATE OH MY ASDFGHJKL UGH

THIS CAME TO ME IN THE SHOWER. ALL HAIL THE POWER OF SHOWERS!!!

This was soooo cheesy my god I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING!!!11!!!!!!!!1!1!!!1!!

FEELS OH MY GOD

I'm not really a big fan of Cherry though but ya know....a writer's gotta do what a writer's gotta do

HOPE Y'ALL LIKED IT THO!! TOOK ME FIVE HOURS TO WRITE UGH I LOVE IT SO MUCH

~Amanda

*sleeps*