Once Upon The Outsiders (Fairytale Version)

Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first update on this book in SIX YEARS. I've taken a super long hiatus on writing fanfiction, but it feels so good and nostalgic to come back to it! My writing has also *very much* improved since my middle school days (when I literally just wrote for shits and giggles, as seen in the first parts of this book!) so I hope you all enjoy this short story and the others soon to come. :)

Once upon a time in Tulsa, Oklahoma...

One afternoon, my coach was ready to choose who was going to represent our high school at the county men's track finals next week. Coach had to choose four runners, one from each grade level. Last year, James Coney, a Soc, was picked for my grade, and he never let anyone forget.

While packing up my things in the locker room, one of my teammates announced that Coach posted the finalists outside. Everyone hurriedly ran to check the clipboard on the chain-link fence. I was in the back and couldn't really see, but I assumed James was picked again anyway.

To my surprise, James started complaining. Then the older kids patted me on the shoulder with congratulations and they dispersed from the crowd. I was free to walk up and get a good look at the clipboard, and sure enough, my name was on it under the sophomores. This was going to be my first race in the county finals!

But James came up to me furious, with his arms crossed over his chest. "Well congrats I guess, Curtis, but no way you're faster than me!"

"Well, my name's on here, so I guess I am now," I defended, trying to be nonchalant about it, but James just huffed and walked away.

I returned to the locker room and collected my things. On my way out, my coach stopped me and said, "Oh Ponyboy, I just made a few quick updates on the clipboard. Every runner has an understudy now, just in case something happens before or during the finals. And yours is James."

I nodded and thanked him, but I felt my heart nervously skip a beat. Great, I thought, James won't shut up about this one.

I started on my walk home. That's when James approached me again, but this time, he was smiling.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck in practicing for the finals," he said, but very connivingly. "But I'd be very careful if I were you. You wouldn't want to get hurt before the big race!" He laughed, and in passing, he harshly brushed his shoulder against mine.

I was mad all the walk home.

Before going to bed, I prayed for the first time in a while, hoping that nothing bad would happen to me within the next week. I was going to run in that race whether James liked it or not!

When I woke up the next morning, my mattress felt like pointy little pine needles. Opening my eyes, I quickly realized I wasn't in my bedroom at all, but laying in a field of grass. I sat up and looked around me. I was in the lot, and it was truly abandoned—not a person in sight, just empty playground equipment and a haunting brush of wind. There were also more trees than usual. No buildings.

Then I looked down at myself. Instead of my pajamas, I was wearing my red tracksuit from school.

While processing where exactly I was, I suddenly caught a large black shadow growing in front of me. I widened my eyes and flipped up and around to see none other than my track coach holding a switchblade over me! I yelled with my arms covering my face and fell onto the ground.

Then my coach dropped the blade in the grass. "Oh, I can't do it, I can't do it!"

I peered my eyes open and saw the intense remorse drawn on his face. "Ponyboy, I'm so sorry. I couldn't do it. I could never!" He dropped to his knees. "Please forgive me! I could never hurt you! He told me to do it!"