Dirt roads, with houses with big yards that they probably don't need. My new neighborhood. My new house was old and sort of run down looking. No wonder my parents liked it. They like anything old-fashioned and ready to fix. They like to renovate. That may be the reason why we move around a lot but still... I'd rather be back at my old house. I pretended to show no emotion towards our new house so I kept my eyes in my book.

"So what do you think, Scotty?" Dad asked. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Why does it matter, what I think? As long as you're happy then we can do whatever." I replied slyly.

"Watch your mouth." he said. I know he wanted to say more but he couldn't because I was right. I'm always right, and I hate it. I don't want all of this attention towards my grades. Skating along with the other apes in my grade is fine with me. However I guess, I sort of liked the attention, but what my dad doesn't seem to understand is now I'm at the bottom of the food chain. The new kid is always abused.

When we got out of the car we begun by putting boxes upon, boxes upon, boxes inside the shabby old house. Honestly though, the interior wasn't too bad. It was a little dusty but not all that bad. Interesting... I just assumed that their would be a rodent problem and insects crawling away from the open door to escape the light. "Hmm... I could live here." I said.

"Ha! What did I tell you, right? It's not that bad, ya big baby." he said. I might want to note that my father is like a stern older brother. He is very loose and calm. He rarely yells, but when he is really mad, his eyes are icy cold. A lot of people say that you could tell my family's emotions by the state of our eyes. I don't see it.

The highlight of the house to me was the porch. It may have been a little dirty but their was space for a chair and their was a porch swing. It could use some cushions, but it wasn't half bad. After I had examined the porch I sat on the porch swing, and took a big breath of fresh air. Where's my book? As I looked around, I noticed that I was being watched by four older boys on the other side of the wide street (I'm not lying it must be at least 15 ft wide.). We stared at each other for awhile, then one of them whispered something to the others. I simply waved at them while I went for another box. I noticed a certain girl sitting in the front of the car.

"Cady, come help unpack, you lazy batch!" I yell at her, imitating one of her dumb friends. (Did I just hear some boys, laughing?)

"Stop making fun of Regina, she was my best friend!" Katy yelled from the front seat.

"Oh yeah? Is that why she would always call you a bitch and call you Cady, with a D?" I asked. She opened the door and swung her legs out.

"You obviously don't get girls. You don't get girls like... him." She points at the only boy over there with blonde hair. I'm not going to lie my sister's looks might earn her a "sexy" title from other boys. She always wears a hat for some reason, and she has long blonde hair. She likes to dress in jeans and shirts like boys but it's different compared to other girls.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to talk to him during summer break." I comment.

"Can you go get him for me?" She asked as I put a box filled with my books on the porch.

"Why would I go do that?" I asked.

"For your big sister. Please, Scotty." she begged.

"I'll think about it." I said with another box in my arms. "But, for now you should be concerned about which room you're getting." I said. She pushed me out of the way.

"SCOTT! Come get your dumb stuff out of my room!" she said. I went into MY room. I had placed a whole bunch of my books in my room.

"Hmm... Well Katy, I believe this is as they say, marking your territory. Besides, I already took a crap in the closet, so this is MY room." I said. She walked over to the closet. I think she wanted to see if I was telling the truth, but she was too scared to check. I giggled on my way down. There was knock on the door.

"Hello? New neighbors?" someone says. I walk down the stair to see the blonde Katy was obsessing over earlier, and a younger boy, who could've been my age. They both had obscure greasy hair.

"Hey. We are the Kings family. I'm Scott, but you can call me Scotty for short." I said as I stick out my hand. They both shake it. Here's the moment you've been waiting for... I'm going to describe myself. Well what's to say I'm sexy, funny, smart. Just kidding. I have short black hair that dangles in messy bangs. Like the rest of my family I have the "eyes". I'm tan, unlike my family. I think it was meant to be that way, I mean I love to read, but no one else in my does. I'm so different compared to my family.

"But, Scotty's longer than Scott." the shorter one says.

"Ain't it ironic?" I say. They both chuckle. "Excuse me." I said as I pushed my way through the boys. I pick up the box with my books in it off the porch and notice my mom with the movers. They were arguing. The chair fell out of the truck and made a big bang.

"Do you guys need help?" the blonde one asked.

"Nah, I think we'll be okay. You two never introduced yourselves." I said.

"Oh, sorry I'm Ponyboy. Call me Pony or Pone." the shorter one said.

"I'm Sodapop. Call me Soda." the blonde one said. I made a quizzical face. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. Ponyboy and Sodapop. Sounds like the name of a great T.V show. You guys doctors?" I asked. I can tell they liked my sarcasm. I turned around to go into the house and Katy was in the door.

"Scotty, how rude you never introduced me to your friends." she said.

"Calm down, you batch!" I got a glare for that one from Katy and a couple giggles. "Ponyboy and Sodapop this is my seventeen year old sister Katy. Katy, Ponyboy and Sodapop. Please entertain our guests for a sec." I said. I noticed how Katy was eyeing Sodapop. "But keep your shirt on!" I said as I walked up the stairs. When I put my books in my room, I quickly came back and Soda was talking up Katy.

"Scotty, Pony and Soda are 14 and 17 just like us!" she said.

"Katy, I'm still 13 my birthday's next week." She stomped her foot at me.

"You dropped one of your books." Ponyboy said.

"Gone with the Wind... Ever read it?" I asked.

"Actually, I have." Ponyboy answered.

"Isn't it goo-"

"Alright, cut the book club short. I think mom needs our help." Katy said. We all turn to face her. She's issuing for Katy and I.

"Let me help, you. I'll go get my friends." Sodapop said. He rushed off leaving Ponyboy with us.

"Wanna talk, Ponyboy?" I asked.

"Sure." He said and we sat on the porch swing and talked.

"You know we can't be friends if your brother nails my sister." I said. He laughs.

"Nah, Soda's not like that. But, then again I haven't seen him this crazy about a girl in awhile." Ponyboy told me.

"Oh really, then what's he like?" I asked.

"Who, Soda? He's great, he's so helpful. When I was going through a really hard time, Soda was the only one there to help me out." he confesses. "What's Katy like?"

"Oh she's great, she's really sweet. I'm not surprised your brother likes her. But keep an eye on him, she doesn't realize it but all the guys she meets are wrapped around her finger. Did you know the people who lived here, Ponyboy?" I asked. Pony sinks.

"Uh... Yeah I did. Tragedy got them out." Ponyboy said.

"Really? What happened, Ponyboy?" I asked.

"I really prefer not to talk about it..." he answers.

"Oh, sorry, Ponyboy." Huh, so he was involved in a tragedy with the people who lived here. Interesting...

"Why do you call me by my full name?" he asked.

"Oh sorry, PONY." I said. I notice Soda and his friends are carrying in the furniture from the van and Katy's just watching. "Who are your friends?"

"Oh them? Well, the one wearing the Mickey Mouse t-shirt is Keith, but everyone calls him Two-Bit. I'm not joking, though. Even the teachers at school call him Two-Bit." he pointed at "Two-Bit" and moved his finger to the other one. "That's Steve he don't like me to much, he's Soda's best friend. They work at the gas station together."

"Pony, come on let's go!" Steve (I think...) yells as the movers van moves out.

"Gotta go. Come by, later."

"Alright, if I'm not busy unpacking I'll come by. Which house is yours?" I asked. He pointed to the one across the street. "Alright see you later, Pony."

"See ya." he said as he gets up from the porch swing and gets into his own house. The sun was starting to set. I go inside to do some unpacking.

I hit my leg on one of the boxes as I go into my new room. I swear and move it to the closet. I notice a little slip of paper on the ground and I pick it up. I flip it over and I notice that it's a picture. In the picture there are 7 boys and I could only identify 4. Soda, Pony, Steve, and Two-Bit. Also in the picture was a very tall muscular man who reminded me of Pony and Soda, a brown skinned boy with long greasy hair just like the rest of them, and a slim dangerous looking guy. He might have been a felon. I slip the picture into my pocket, thinking about how I could ask Pony and Soda about it later.

"Scotty, dinner!" dad yells. Dad ordered a pizza. I had a slice or two while dad and I talked about the kids that came by. I told him their names and he shared my opinion on the topic, and asked if they were doctors.

I go outside with a flashlight and my book and start to read. Everyone teased me for reading a lot at my other school, they called me a book worm, but I didn't scare because, they were all dumber than a bag of hammers. And, there I was minding my own business when a drunk comes and trips on the porch steps. He than threw up. "Are you okay, man?" I ask.

"Ugh... I'm fine just a little tipsy. Wanna drink?" He hands me his bag, stinky with the smell of alcohol. I saw his face. It was one of the boys from earlier.

"Um... Are you Two-Bit?" I asked.

"Yeah, how do you know me?"

"You helped my sister Katy move some heavy stuff in earlier today."

"Oh yeah... Who are you? You're not Katy are you?"

"No... I'm Scott, her brother. Can you help me, with something?" I asked.

"Sure..." he said as he patted the step where he was sitting. I pulled out the picture and presented it to him. It took him a while to grasp what or who was in the photo, but when he finally did, he asked "Where did you get this?"

"I found it in the house. Who are these three people?" I asked as I pointed to them.

"You shouldn't have this..." he muttered.

"Why not were you involved in the 'tragedy' too?" I pressed.

"You can't have this..." he muttered as he stood up.

"Why does this man look like Pony and Soda? Which one of the three people in this photo lived here?" I pressed.

"I'm taking this..." he starts walking.

"Hey! You can't have it! I found it!" I said. I tried to snatch it back from him. He pushed me back onto my butt.

"Mind your own business!" he yelled walking away. I sighed flustered. I grabbed my book and went back inside. I went into the house and found out that we didn't have hot water, yet so no showers. I crawl into bed. It's not long before I'm swallowed by the impending darkness.

When I awoke, I could smell ashes. I was surrounded by the orange fire. The house was burning down. I thought that I was dead. I get up immediately and start choking on the smoke (I have asthma by the way.). I grab the door knob on the closed door to escape but it's burning hot. I scream and jump in pain. Was I sweating? I use my sleeve as a little glove and open the door. I'm coughing intensely. When I open the door I hear a scream coming from the master bedroom. "MOM, DAD!" I yell. I start to go for the door but a plank of wood that's on fire falls from above.

"RUN, SCOTT! RUN! RUN!" I hear Katy yell. I run down the stairs, and see that she's leaving out the back door. "RUN!" I'm starting to lose it to the smoke. I stumble out of the door with my head facing down. I notice a familiar piece of paper on the ground. That stupid drunk dropped the photo that he confiscated from me. Ha! Even though I'm out of the burning house, I still can barely breathe. I'm still coughing, and with one final cough I lose my balance and fall face first to the ground. I'm surrounded by darkness again. Not again... Not again...