The stairs creaked with each step I took as I made my way down to Buck's bar. The said man was slowly wiping the bar down with a white rag. I walked over to the counter and leaned forward over the ledge, crossing my arms and smirking. "Now, this is somethin' I'd never thought I'd see." Buck rolled his eyes and ignored me, so I continued teasing him, "Seriously! It almost looks clean in here."

Buck tossed the rag on the bar and looked up at me tiredly. "What do you want, Diana?"

I snickered and shook my head. "Nothin,' just wanted to say good morning before I head out!"

Buck rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Fine, good morning! Now leave."

"Someone's in a bad mood," I mumbled.

"Yeah, whatever," Buck replied. I chuckled softly as I walked out of the bar, and into the cold streets of Tulsa. Annoying Buck in the morning, or really anytime of the day, has become a routine for us by now. We share a very amusing love-hate relationship.

I pulled the hood of my zip-up jacket over my head, and tucked my hands into the pockets of my jeans. Groups of socs and greasers passed by me as I made my way to the Dingo. When I arrived at the colorful diner, I placed an order for black coffee, and waited patiently at the counter.

"Diana?" A voice called from behind me softly.

I spun around in the stool I was sitting on to see Cherry and Marcia walking towards me. An aggravated sighed escaped my lips as the two soc girls each took a seat at the counter beside me. Marcia smiled politely saying, "Hello!"

I refused the urge to roll my eyes, and instead, crossed my arms. "Not to be rude, but what do you guys want?" I stated bluntly.

Marcia frowned and then tapped my shoulder, a small smile creeping back onto her face. "You know, it's kinda funny how you say 'not to be rude' before saying something's that's completely rude," she giggled.

I faked a smile, laughing along with her before saying, "You know what's also kinda funny? Your stupidity." Marcia gasped and her giggling ceased immediately.

Cherry, who was on the other side of me, cleared her throat and spoke up. "Look, Diana.. Bob told me about what happened between you two the other day." This time, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "I just wanted to say sorry. On his behalf."

"Why isn't he apologizing?" I asked. Cherry opened her mouth to say something but closed it. She glanced around the diner, looking at everything but me. "Does he even know you're apologizing for him?"

"No," Cherry admitted. "He doesn't.. but I think he'd like it," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure he would just love it," I exclaimed sarcastically. "Matter of fact, why don't I tell him the next time I stop him from beatin' up Ponyboy?"

"Diana, come on. That's not fair," Cherry defended.

"And why isn't it fair?" I asked her with a shrug.

"Because Ponyboy is a greaser," Marcia said. "And greasers are just so.. so dirty! They kinda deserve it."

I scoffed. "Do they now?"

"Well, yes." Marcia answered hesitantly.

"But not all of them deserve being attacked," Cherry added. "Like Ponyboy and Johnny."

"Oh, and you!" Marcia said.

"Wait," I paused, my eyebrows furrowing. "Did something happen to Johnny too?" Cherry and Marcia glanced at one another, having a conversation of their own with their eyes. Both girls refused to answer my question, probably knowing that my reaction wouldn't be a good one. "Let me guess, it was Bob again." I said, turning towards Cherry. The redhead frowned and gave me a small nod.

I shook my head angrily and grabbed the cup of coffee that had been placed on the counter while we were talking. With a quick sip, I stood up from the stool and pointed at Cherry. "You better hope I don't see your boyfriend anytime soon," I threatened. The girl appeared frightened, not only for Bob but of me.

As I stomped out of the Dingo, a waitress called after me, "Excuse me, you still have to pay!"

"Put it on my tab!" I shouted as I shoved the glass door open and stormed out of the diner.

»»——⍟——««

I took a long drag of my cigarette before flicking it behind me, and taking a drink of my coffee. Ponyboy and Johnny walked beside me, while Steve and Sodapop walked behind us. They had just finished their morning shift at the DX, and now we were walking back to the Curtis' house. The five of us strolled through a rundown neighborhood in greaser territory before stopping in front of a small house that I assumed was Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry's home.

We all walked through the broken chainlink fence and onto the deck of the white house. The front door was already open, and inside I could hear the banter between boys and the tv playing in the background. The five of us walked into the house, the other boys too preoccupied with their conversation to notice.

"You're the one that wants the damn cake in the first place," an older boy said, lecturing Two-Bit.

Two-Bit chugged the rest of his beer and set it aside. "Yeah, that's why I need you to make it," he stated obviously.

The older boy pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. I stepped forward and interrupted them, "I'll help." I offered with a small smile. Both boys turned their heads towards me.

Two-Bit immediately jumped up and ran over to me with a wide grin on his face. "Diana!" He exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me over to the couch.

We both plopped down on the furniture. I pushed his arm off of me and sent him a playful smile. "Hands to yourself, Two." The two of us shared a laugh and grinned.

The rest of the boys filed into the house. Sodapop and Steve pulled out two chairs from the dining room, and placed them against the wall on the side of the tv. The two boys sat down next to each other and conversed. Johnny took a seat next to me on the couch, while Ponyboy walked over to the older boy, who I assumed was his brother, Darry.

"Darry, this is Diana," Ponyboy said motioning towards me. I smiled and waved at him.

His dark blue eyes met mine as he walked over and stuck out his hand. I shook it politely as he said, "I've heard about you. Thanks for looking out for this idiot." Darry remarked as he nodded towards Ponyboy.

"Anytime," I chuckled.

"So, can you bake?" Darry asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know, I've never done it before."

"Guess we'll find out," Darry said with a small smile.

I stood up and followed him into the kitchen before pausing as Two-Bit shouted, "Diana, wait! You're going to miss Steamboat Mickey!"

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "Yeah, I don't think I'll be missin' much." Two-Bit gasped dramatically as I turned on my heel and walked into the tiny kitchen.

Darry stood in front of the refrigerator, pulling out a carton of eggs, butter, and other various ingredients. While he went through more cabinets, I made my way over to the sink and began washing my hands. I dried them on a rag lying next to the sink and walked over to Darry. "I heard that you make a mean chocolate cake," I said with a smirk. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back on the counter.

Darry chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, the guys can't get enough of it." He began pouring different ingredients into a large, glass bowl, handing me a whisk and pushing it towards me.

I held the bowl and started to mix the ingredients together. The mixture swirled into a smooth, dark brown batter. "Is this your recipe?" I asked Darry, making small talk to fill the silence.

He shook his head as he said, "It's my mom's. She used to bake all the time for us." I didn't miss the sad look that flashed across his face when he said that 'she used to bake.' I assumed that their parents had either left or passed away. It would explain Ponyboy's outburst the other night. "That looks pretty good," Darry said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I looked down at the cake batter below me and smiled to myself. "Yeah, it does," I said proudly.

Darry picked up the bowl with one hand and pushed a cake pan in front of me with the other. "Can you grab the rubber spatula? It should be in the drawer next to you." He said with a nod in the direction of the drawer. I pulled on the handle, sliding it open easily. I grabbed the spatula and pushed the drawer shut. Darry tilted the bowl over the cake pan, letting the chocolate batter pour out. He held out his free hand and I passed him the spatula. Darry scraped the sides of the glass bowl and poured the leftover batter into the pan.

He held out the spatula, which was coated in batter. "Wanna try some?"

I grinned and nodded, taking the spatula and licking some of the chocolate off. "Oh my god! Johnny wasn't kiddin' about how good your cake was," I exclaimed.

Darry laughed as he placed the dessert inside of the oven. He pressed a few buttons, making the heating coils light up. "Two-Bit and Steve are big fans. Their diet consists of cake and beer," he said humorously.

"Doesn't surprise me," I chuckled. "Let's hope that cake lives up to its expectations."

Darry smiled and nodded. "Trust me, it will."

While the cake baked in the oven, Darry opened the refrigerator and pulled out two beer bottles. He handed one to me, but I shook my head, saying, "I don't drink." Darry nodded understandingly as he placed the other beer back into the fridge.

I watched with wide eyes as he easily popped the cap off with just his hand. Darry took a sip of the alcohol and leaned back on the refrigerator. "Are you from around here?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I am." As much as I felt that it was wrong to lie to Darry, along with the other greasers, I couldn't tell the truth. I am a criminal, who is on the run, and the last thing I need right now is for the police to find me.

"Hm," Darry thought out loud. "I've never seen you around town before."

"I'm kind of a loner," I shrugged nonchalantly.

Darry took another drink of his beer before he asked, "Do you go to high school?"

I shook my head. "I dropped out awhile ago. School just isn't much of a priority anymore."

"Yeah, I get that," Darry said with a sad smile. "Sodapop dropped out too. I'm the only one who graduated."

"Does Ponyboy still go to school?" I asked cautiously.

Darry nodded and crossed his arms. "I'd never let him drop out. That kid's a wise ass, but he's got potential."

I chuckled softly. "Now that's what I call 'brotherly love'."

Darry gave me a lopsided smile and raised his beer bottle to that, taking a quick sip before asking, "Do you have any siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child," I replied simply.

"Oh okay," Darry said.

"It's not as lonely as it sounds," I said with a small laugh.

Darry nodded. "So do you live with your parents?"

"Nope," I said bluntly. "It's just me." Darry gave me a questioning look, but didn't press any further. I was glad for that because I didn't really like to talk about my home life. It's just a long, complicated story that always irritates me no matter how many times I think about it.

There was a brief moment of silence between us before the oven timer went off, signaling that the cake had finished baking. Darry slipped on red oven mitts that were lying on the counter next to the stove. He stepped to the side of the oven and carefully pulled out the chocolatey cake.

The smell of sugary sweetness swirled throughout the air. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the delicious fumes. "Damn, that smells amazing!" I exclaimed.

Darry laughed softly as he placed the cake on top of a trivet on the counter. Like a pack of hungry wolves, all of the other boys started filing into the kitchen staring at the cake.

Two-Bit walked closer to the counter, reaching out to grab the dessert until Darry placed a hand in front of him. "Hey, this just came out. You guys should give it a minute to cool," he stated.

"Come on! I can't wait any longer," Two-Bit groaned, his eyes still locked on the food.

"Maybe you should," I shrugged. "That cake's probably pipin' hot."

Two-Bit shook his head and scoffed, pushing Darry's hand away. "I think I can handle the heat, Diana." He said jokingly. I sighed as Two-Bit continued to reach for the cake. As soon as his fingers made contact with the glass pan, he yelped and pulled them away quickly. I rolled my eyes and smirked, while the rest of the boys laughed at Two-Bit, who was shaking his hand profusely and trying to cool off the burn.

I grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the sink, turning the water on and letting the coldness run over his burn. "Soak the wound for about five minutes. First degree burns heal in about a week or two," I informed.

Two-Bit raised his eyebrows as he said, "Well, thanks, nurse." I sent him a wink and turned away, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room, the other boys following behind me.

I paused when the screen door swung open, and Dallas Winston swaggered in with a cigarette clutched in his right hand. He was wrapped in leather and denim, and I'd never admit it, but he looked good. Dallas' dark eyes met mine. I crossed my arms and shifted my weight onto my right leg as he looked me up and down. "Who invited you?"

I rolled my eyes and flipped him off. Ponyboy took a step next to me. "Johnny and I did.. last night after the Drive-In," he said.

Dallas scoffed. "Whatever, man." He took a seat on the armrest of the couch, the rest of the boys returning to their seats too. The tension in the room was unbearably uncomfortable, so I decided to leave. I pushed open the screen door and sat on the steps on the Curtis' porch.

The full moon shone brightly in the dark sky, illuminating the streets with a dim, ghostly glow. My eyes searched the through blackness of night, watching each star twinkle. Every once and awhile, a soft breeze blew cold winds into my face and hair. I reached into a pocket on the side of my backpack and pulled out my pack of cigarettes, when I heard the screen door behind me open and close.

The familiar footsteps walked softly on the porch, and eventually, I saw Ponyboy sit down next to me. "You got a lighter?" I asked him with my cigarette placed between two fingers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nod and pull out a lighter, lighting my cigarette and his own. The two of us sat in calming silence, taking drags and blowing out the smoke. "I've always liked watching the stars," I spoke up quietly. "There's just somethin' so.. mesmerizing about them."

"Yeah," he sighed. "Every night, during sunset, I come out here and I just watch the colors change." I smiled as I took a puff of my cigarette, and listened to Ponyboy talk. "From blue, to yellow, to pink, and purple..,"He trailed off dreamily.

I chuckled and glanced at him. "You speak like a poet. No wonder Darry said you've got potential."

Ponyboy's grin faltered slightly. He turned to me with a questioning expression. "He said that?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

Ponyboy seemed surprised that his older brother would say such a thing about him. "Darry's always yelling at me," he admitted with a huff.

"Well, that's because you're a smart ass," I remarked sarcastically. Ponyboy and I shared a laugh before I continued. "And, because he cares are you."

"He sure has a funny way of showing," Ponyboy stated.

I shrugged and looked back up at the sky, reminiscing the past. "Yeah, I had a friend like that.. He was always scolding me and tellin' me how to live my life," I sighed. "Turns out, he was lookin' out for me."

Ponyboy met my eyes once again. "What happened to him?" He asked curiously.

I looked down at the ground, not really sure how to answer his question. "Time, I guess. It brings people together, but also tears them apart." Ponyboy nodded understandingly and gave me a sad smile. I flicked my cigarette out of my hand and stomped the heat out with my boot.

"Hey, Diana?" Ponyboy spoke up. I hummed in response and waited for him to continue. "Thanks."

"For what?" I asked.

"For saving me from the socs and for talking," he said with a small smile.

"Anytime, Pony," I replied happily. We both stood up and made our way over to the door, but before we went inside I turned around and faced Ponyboy. "You better not tell anyone that I'm a softie," I said in a serious tone.

Ponyboy chuckled. "I won't."