a.n.: So, this is just a "try and see what happens" story. I never thought I'd be posting this, but it's driving me crazy just sitting and doing nothing with it. This story could be crap, or it could be great; I'll never know unless I post it, right? Review Please! :) **I Own Nothing Outside of Marie**

Chapter One

Talk To Me

"Your not the only one who lost them!" I screamed in his pale, depressed face.

All Ponyboy did these days since... that night, was sulk. Nothing more, nothing less. Didn't he see we all had lost Johnny and Dallas? We all loved them just as much as he did. Heck I missed one of them far more then he could ever know. Sure, Ponyboy had lost his parents just as his brothers had, but had he lost his only family? No. Dallas was all I had left. And now he was gone...

But the rest of the gang are at least trying to get past their death. Ponyboy on the other hand just wanted to dwell on it,. He need to try and have a life. Have a life because Dallas and Johnny will never get that chance.

"You don't think I know that already?" Ponyboy yelled right back at me. "That's all anyone says to me anymore!"

"Then listen to us for once!"

It was late, we were both mad at the world, but more at ourselves. We were standing in the park, near the fountain where all this mess started. Everything that had happened two months ago all really lead back to the night Bob was killed. If Johnny hadn't stabbed Bob, Pony and Johnny wouldn't have had to go to Dallas for help. Then the boys wouldn't have run away, Dallas wouldn't have come to see them, the church wouldn't have caught on fire and Johnny wouldn't have gone into save the kids. Both Dallas and Johnny could be alive today if that one night hadn't happened the way it did.

Pony glared at me with those green eyes. "Just leave me alone, Marie."

"I just don't see why you seem to be having a harder time with my brothers death then I am. I'm at least trying to get over it. But you just won't accept that their gone."

Since we moved down here from New York, things have been so different. I was instantly part of the greaser gang, no matter what anyone said. Dallas wouldn't go anywhere with out me, simply I wouldn't leave his side. For a long time I wanted to be just like my brother. I tried to do everything he did, even the things he told me not to do.

I heard Ponyboy and Johnny one day, saying something about Dallas' word being law. It might have been that way for the others in the gang, but not when it came to me. I might as well have been in change of Dallas. He couldn't get rid of me for anything. Not that he wanted to most of the time, Dallas liked having me around just as much as I liked being around.

"Leave me alone." Pony repeated, this time he turned from me and started to walk away.

I wasn't about to let him just walk away from this. He had to talk to someone. Anyone. And right now, I needed someone to talk with too, though I'd never admit that to him.

I grabbed his arm and spun him back around to me. "No." His glare was deadly. "Talk to me, please." I tried to keep my voice as nice and calm as possible.

"Marie, there's nothing to talk about." I wasn't getting anywhere this way. I was just getting more upset with him.

Pony pulled his arm from my grasp. He started to walk away again. The anger in me just kept raising. My hands became fist as I glared daggers at the back of his still slightly blonde hair. My breathing hiked up, I clenched my jaw. Then before I knew it, I was jumping at him. I landed hard on his back. I had time to punch his ribs a few times and land a few good blows to his face even though it was pressed mostly to the ground.

Just as quickly as I was on his back, I found myself being penned to the cold grass. Ponyboy sat atop me, his hands holding my arms firmly down. I saw a scarlet line running down his chin from his nose. Serves him right, maybe I knocked some sense into that thick head of his.

"What... was... that?" He asked though breaths.

"A cry for help? A way to show you can't fight?" I said sarcastically. He glared at me some more. I sighed. I waited for him to get off me, but he didn't even attempt to move. "Are you going to get off me or what?" I asked irritated. He was older then me, but we were close in height and weight, but that doesn't mean I wanted him sitting on me.

Pony stayed where he was at, staring now instead of glaring at me. In the dim light, the green in his eyes over shadowed the gray. His face softened as he studied my face. And soon, I was calculating his features myself. His pale complication, his almost life-less green eyes, those pink thin lips, his cheekbones, the way one stray piece of hair dangled over his face.

For the first time in at least five minutes, Ponyboy moved. But not in the way I thought he would, instead of getting off me, he leaned forward. Closer and closer his face got to my own. His lips grazed mine. I didn't quite know what to think when his lips met mine full on, but I did kiss him back.

I'd had a secret crush on Pony from the day Dallas and I got here, I guess this meant he liked me too. Our lips fit nicely together, it wasn't a rushed kiss or a hard one. It was gentle and sweet, like a brother would give his sister on the forehead. I could taste blood on his lips, it wasn't gross, but it made the kiss that much better. The blood taste and the sweet taste of his lips, almost like a perfect blend together.

"Aw, isn't this sweet?" The kids voice ruined the moment.

Pony was off me and standing with in seconds. I was in a slight daze from the kiss so I didn't quite get up as fast. Sitting on the fountain were four boys all dressed in rich looking clothes. I'd seen Dally have it out with these guys a few times and yet they still kept coming back for more. It was like they enjoyed getting there asses beat.

"Come on, Marie." Ponyboy said taking my arm and walking the other way. What? Did he not know I could protect myself? I really hated it when the gang did that. They would leave me out of fights or go out of their way to protect me. I'm Dally's younger sister, but that doesn't mean I can't fight. After all I learned from watching Dally, I know all he knows.

"Hey!" The tall blonde boy called from behind us. "Why don't you stick around a bit? We don't want any trouble." I heard his friends snicker.

"Sure, just like Bob didn't." I muttered without thinking. Pony stopped walking and looked at me. His eyes were hard again, all the softness and gentleness from before had vanished. I looked down.

Pony didn't like it when Bob or Johnny or any of the ones who have died were brought up. None of us did, but it seemed to bother Pony more then most. I guess the kid couldn't take death.

He dropped my arm and walked on ahead of me. I rolled my eyes and followed him. Such a sensitive boy.

I glanced at the sky; from the looks of it the time was past midnight. Past his curfew but that was no surprise. The kid was always getting in late, which drove his older brother, Darry, up the wall. Pony really should get a watch or something. I almost laughed at that thought, he could have ten watches strapped to each arm and would still come in late.

As I walked behind Pony my mind wondered. Back to the good days; when Johnnycake was like he was, before he got beat up. The kid was never the same after that night. He became jumpy and scared of just about every thing.

Johnny and Pony were the youngest of the gang, besides myself. I was only thirteen - but coming up fast on fourteen. I might as well have been sixteen though, I acted older then I really was. I looked older then thirteen too, with my jeans and black t-shirts.

I wore my hair in a ponytail most of the time to keep it out of my face. I did however, make sure it was long. I'd never once had my hair cut and wasn't planning on gettin' it cut anytime soon. My blue eyes matched those of my mothers, and my hair was a dirty blonde like my dad's. I wasn't tall like Dally, I was about five foot' five and proud of it. Most guys don't think a short girlie can fight, so it makes fights I win that much more enjoyable.

Once, I remember Two-Bit saying I was nothing but a sissy little girl. He hasn't called me a sissy little girl or anything close to it, since. I guess he doesn't want a beating like that again. The sad part is we were in the Curtis house and Two-Bit had plenty of chances to get a good hit in, but he did nothing. Maybe it was because I was a girl, or maybe it was because I was Dally's sister, I might never know. But either way, I taught that boy a lesson he may never forget.

"'Bout time you got home." Darry's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "What happened to you?"

I glanced around; Two-Bit was laid out on the couch, fast asleep. Soda was seated on the floor in front of the couch and Darry was was coming out of the kitchen.

With Two-Bit already here taking up the couch I guess it was either the uncomfortable arm chair in the living room or the lot for me tonight. Buck had told me I could come to his place whenever, but no way was I going to step foot in that place with out Dallas or a real good reason. I hated it there when Dallas was alive, I hate it even more now that he's gone. Most nights I spend here but I guess Two-Bit had beat me to the punch tonight.

"Sorry, I lost track of time." Ponyboy said, pulling his coat off. "I..um...fell." Nice lie there, real believable. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes.

"Sure about that, little brother?" Soda asked standing from his seat to get a better look at Pony's face. I looked down when Soda's eyes moved from his brother to me.

"I might have... over reacted while we were talking." I said before 'Baby Curtis' had a chance to tell another bad lie. He fell? Really? That's all he could come up with? I bit back a comment when I saw Soda's eyes narrow and Darry's lips tighten.

"It's no big deal," Pony chimed in, "It was just as much my fault as it was hers."

"I'm...I um..." Saying 'I'm sorry' was like trying to speck Latin. If you don't grow up specking the language it's difficult to use. "I'm sorry." I finally choked out.

Ponyboy gave me a small smile. "I'll live. No worries. Right guys?" He asked turning to his brothers. They heisted then nodded. "See? All's good in love and war. Goodnight, Marie."

The way his eyes sparked with life for a moment brought a smile to my face. Even if Sodapop and Darrell weren't to happy with me, at least Ponyboy wasn't mad. But that spark of life was quickly over shadowed again with that constant dead look in his eyes.

"Night," I replied. Before throwing a glare at Two-Bit's sleeping body for taking my spot.

"You okay?" Soda asked, looking me up and down with a smile playing on his lips.

I copied him. "Are you?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I am. But are you? You look a little off."

"What's it to ya?"

"Just making sure our youngest gang member's okay." Soda answered with a shrug.

"I'm fine." I lied. Truthfully, I had this terrible urge to crawl in a hole and just disappear.

Soda nodded. "What ever you say." He started for his and Pony's room. How did he know I wasn't okay? Was it that noticeable? God I hope not...

"Night Marie." Darry said throwing a rare smile my way before disappearing into his room.

I sighed. So, the chair or the lot? I was about to go with the chair until Two-Bit started snoring. I throw up my hands. "Great," I narrowed my eyes at Two-Bit, "The lot it is."

As I was going out the door I grabbed Pony's jacket, he wouldn't be needing it tonight.