Darry's POV

"Darry, have you seen my tassle?" Soda asked from the bedroom. It was graduation day and both Soda and Pony were getting ready.

"It's on the coffee table where you left it," I yelled back. "Are you two almost ready? We have to go soon."

"Yeah," Ponyboy replied coming out of the bedroom. "I can't believe today is really here. I don't feel like it's been four years since I first set foot inside that school."

"Where's Brianna?" Soda asked coming out of the bedroom himself. He went into the living room to grab his tassle and put it on his graduation cap.

"She's playing in her bedroom," I replied.

"You'll be fine with her during the ceremony, right?" Soda asked me. "She hasn't been to something like this before, she might not be able to sit that long."

"I'd be surprised if you can sit that long," Ponyboy teased Soda.

"I already have toys and coloring book s for her in your old backpack," I told Soda. "It's out in the truck. Speaking of which, it's time to go."

Soda's POV

I went into Brianna's room to get her. "Come on, Brianna, it's time to go now."

Brianna stood up and followed me out of the room. She knew that this was a special day, but I don't think she understood why it was special. All she knew was that Ponyboy and myself were wearing robes and funny looking hats.

"Are you going to be a good girl for Uncle Darry whil daddy and Uncle Ponyboy are with our class?" I asked her.

Brianna nodded as we left the house.

Darry and Ponyboy were already in the truck waiting for me and Brianna. Once we got inside, we headed for the school.

"I thought my graduation had a lot of people," Darry commented as soon as he found a parking spot.

"There's almost twice as many students graduating today," Ponyboy said. "The school's population increases every year."

We got out the truck and I picked up Brianna. "Give me and Uncle Pony a good luck kiss."

Brianna gave Ponyboy and me each a kiss before I handed her over to Darry.

"Do you two know where you're going?" Darry asked as he put Brianna down and took her hand.

"Yeah, all the graduates are meeting in the gym," Ponyboy answered. "We'll be walking out onto the football field from there."

The football field was where graduation was held every year unless it rained. Then, it was held in the school gym.

Darry grinned at Pony and me. "I can't believe I'm going to see both my brothers graduate today."

Ponyboy grinned too. "It is unbelievable, isn't it? Come on Soda, we should go to the gym now."

Ponyboy's POV

Soda and I made our way through the sea of people who had come to see someone graduate and eventually made it to the gym where we were greeted by a sea of other students who would be graduating with us.

"There's a lot of people here," Soda commented to me.

"Well, I did just say that there was twice as many graduating today than there was at Darry's graduation." I pointed out.

"I know," Soda said. "Even Steve's graduation didn't have this many people."

"I need all graduates to get into their places." The assistant principal yelled into a mega phone. "It's almost time to start."

Soda and I got into line with the other graduates. He laughed softly behind me. "It's kind of funny that I'm older than you but you'll be graduating first."

I turned and grinned at him. "Just remember that if it wasn't for your daughter, you wouldn't be graduating at all."

Soda just grinned as the assistant principal reminded us of what we were supposed to do. Then, after almost ten more minutes of waiting, we all filed out onto the football field to the rows of folding chairs that were set up for the graduates.

"Do you see Darry and Brianna?" Soda asked me once we were at our seats.

I scanned the bleachers and eventually found them. I pointed them out to Soda. "They're sitting over there with Two-Bot and Steve."

Soda grinned. "Two-Bit and Steve came? I wasn't expecting that."

"You didn't expect your best friend to come to your graduation?" I asked.

"He told me he had to work," Soda replied as we sat down with all the other graduates.

Darry's POV

I watched with pride as my two brothers walked out onto the football field and noticed when Pony pointed us out to Soda.

"Do you see yor daddy?" Two-Bit was asking Brianna.

Brianna shook her head. "They're all the same."

"They're all wearing the same thing," I told her. "But they're all different. Look, there's Soda and uncle Pony."

I pointed at where my brothers were sitting a few rows from the stage that was set up. At that moment, the pricipal stood up and the ceremony began. There was the usual speeches that every graduation has and the, after a song by the band and the choir, students started walking across the stage to get their diplomas.

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis," The lady reading the names said finally followed by, "Sodapop Patrick Curtis."

I watched as my two younger brothers walked across the stage and took their diplomas and couldn't help whistling and cheering along with Two-Bit and Steve. Brianna clapped and jumped up and down. After almost a full hour of watching students walk across the stage, the ceremony came to a close with the offical changing of the tassles, followed by all the graduates filing off the football field in the direction that they had come from when they walked out onto the field.

Soda's POV

I thought things were crazy when we arrived, but now everyone was hugging each other and crying. Socs were hugging greasers and greasers were hugging socs as if they'd been friends instead of enemies. Family and friends were finding students and hugging them as well. Soon, Ponyboy and I were part of the hugging as Darry and the others found us.

"Both of you did it," Darry said when he hugged both me and Ponyboy. "You both graduated."

I picked up Brianna. "Did you see daddy and uncle Pony graduate?"

"See you?" Two-Bit asked. "Didn't you hear her cheering for you? She was louder than anyone else here."

Darry gave him a playful punch in the arm. "You were louder than everyone else. Brianna jumped and clapped."

I laughed as teachers started coming up to Ponyboy and me to tell us congradulations. Most of them came up to see Ponyboy, but a few of them spoke to me, too.

"This must be Brianna," Mr. Symes said when he came up to us. "Ponyboy talks about her a lot. I almost feel as if I know her."

"I hope it's all good things," I told him.

Mr. Symes smiled at me. "They are. I hope to have her when she's in high school."

"Maybe you will," I replied.

We left several minutes later and instead of going home, Darry took everyone out to a nice restaraunt. Well, maybe not nice as in expensive but nicer than the Tastee Freeze.

"Darry, can we afford this?" Ponyboy asked when we arrived. Steve and Two-Bit arrived right after us.

"I'm not going to let my two brothers have a typical meal on their graduation," Darry replied. "I've been setting aside money for this so you can order whatever you want."

"Thanks Darry," I said as the hostess led us to a table.

"I know it's not a party like mom and dad had for me, but I figured both of you would enjoy this more," Darry said as he looked at the menu.

"It's great, Darry," Pony said.

We all ate dinner with dessert and went out to a movie of Pony's choice which is something else Darry had planned without us knowing about. Brianna fell asleep during the movie, then again, it was getting pretty late. When the day was over and we arrived home, I was ready to go to bed and eager to see what the future would bring now that I had finally graduated.