The Outsiders Imagines, Preferences and One Shots

Steve Imagine

A/N: New setup, the paragraph thing. Let me know if you think I should keep it. And this was requested for LillianAutumn in December, and I'm so sorry it took so long. I kind of went through a writers block, and I've been working on it for a few weeks, so I really hope it's worth the wait! Let me know!!

Imagine:

*11 years ago, you're 6 years old*

*Your POV*

"Daddy, the car is smoking," I tell my father.

I'm sitting in the back seat of our car, watching the engine practically explode right in front of our eyes.

"I know, honey. We're trying to find an auto repair shop right now," He explains. You're probably thinking: "Well, why doesn't he know where an auto repair shop is?" It's because we're on vacation right now, visiting Tulsa, Oklahoma, and we don't know the area very well. We're looking for a house around here.

"Here's a gas station. We're going to stop here," My dad says, breaking into my thoughts. Ahead of me I see a small gas station with a huge sign above it that reads "The DX Station". My father parks the car and gets out, my mother and I following behind.

"Hello," A man says from behind the counter. "How may I help you?" The man asks, and my dad explains the problem to him. On the other side of the counter I notice a kid my age sitting. He has blackish brown hair and bright green eyes that melt my soul. He smiles at me, and immediately I feel butterflies in my stomach. We meet each other's eyes and I feel my cheeks burning as my lips form a smile.

"Hi," He says, hopping off the counter and coming over to me.

"H-hi," I say back, my voice barely a whisper. I'm nervous for some reason, but I don't know why.

"I'm Steve. That's my dad over there," He says, politely sticking one hand out for me to shake and another one to point to his father, who's talking to my dad at the counter.

"I... I'm Lillian. You can call me Lilli, though," I tell him. He nods.

"Lilli, like a flower. That's pretty," He says. Another blush crepes up on my face. Steve and I spend hours talking, as our parents go into another room to work on the car. But sooner or later they come back.

"Lillian, it's time to go," My father says. I nod and get up from where Steve and I are sitting.

"Bye, Steve," I say, waving to him, still a little bit shyly.

"See ya," he responds.

Then after a second I hear a, "Hey, wait!" I turn around.

"Will I see you again?" He asks. I nod and smile. I don't know if we will, but I want to. With that my family leaves. We end up finding a house in Tulsa after another week of searching. Steve did see me again, we've been neighbors for 11 long years, and been best friends for just as long.

*Present time*

On one particular day in late July, I decide I'm going to ask Steve to go to the drive in with me. Not exactly on a date, but together, just the two of us.

"Hi, everyone!" I yell, walking into the Curtis house at around 6ish. I know by now that I'm always welcome in there, and I don't have to knock anymore.

"Hey, Lilli!" Steve and Soda both yell, scooting over so I could sit between them. They're sitting on the couch, watching Mickey. Darry's at work, Two-Bit's on the floor, and Pony and Johnny in another room.

"Hey, Steve. Can I talk to you alone?" I ask him, a little bit nervously.

"Sure, everything ok?" He asks. He can always tell when something's up with me. I nod, and we walk outside together.

"Steve... Do you want to go to the drive in tonight, just us?" I ask him, looking him in the eye. Man, his eyes are pretty.

"Well, you know I would, Lilli... But I kind of already told Soda that I would go drag racing with him. Maybe some other time," He says, knowing that I'm completely against Soda and his drag racing. I just shrug.

"Oh... Ok," I say, a bit disappointed. I'm a little worried though, too. I'm always telling him that nothing good ever comes of drag racing. One day he's going to get caught and hauled off to jail and I'm not going to be the one to bail him out.

Just then Soda runs out of his room. "You ready, Stevie?" He asks, sounding drunk on excitement, just like always. Steve gets up.

"Yeah, why not?" He asks, but Darry comes walks in the house just in thine. He must have just gotten home from work.

"Now where are you two going?" He asks. Soda and Steve give each other a look, then shrug.

"Just... Out. We'll be back before midnight, don't worry, Dar," Soda says. Darry nods and walks away. For some reason, I go up to Steve and hug him. I don't really know why.

"Good luck. Please stay out of trouble... And don't get into an accident," I practically beg him. I make it seem like I'm already his girlfriend, but that's just the kind of relationship we have.

Steve smiles at me and says, "Don't worry, Lil. I'll be fine. I promise." That makes me feel a little better.

"Ok... If your sure," I say, quietly. Then the boys leave. I decide to go home, since it's just Pony, Darry, Two-Bit and Johnny, the boys that I'm not as close with.

I get home and sit around watching TV until about 8:30, when I get a call.

"Lillian?" The voice says, full of panic. I immediately know it's Steve. I hope nothing happened to him and Soda.

"Steve? What's wrong?" I ask him nervously. I hear him take a long deep breath from the other end of the phone.

"Well... Remember how I said nothing was going to happen? Well... I was wrong. I need you to come bail Soda and I is out of jail. It's 50 bucks... Soda doesn't want to call Darry, he'll be too upset, so I thought you were the best one to call," He says. My entire reaction? Just a sigh. And then?

"Fine," I reply angrily, "I'll be there soon. In the meantime... Don't do anything else stupid." Steve laughs nervously.

"Thanks, Lil. See you soon," He says, then hangs up. For a minute I stand there, angry. Then I run up to my room and grab all the money I have. $60, from six months of saving up. Now it's all down the drain, and all because my best friend was an idiot and didn't listen to me. I grab my keys and drive away.

How could they do this to me? They promised they wouldn't get into trouble... Now they're in police custody. Finally I get there. I pay their bail and am lead to them. They're in a cell. The police officer unlocks it and Steve runs over to me, engulfing me in a hug.

"Are you guys ok?" I ask. Steve nods.

"Yeah. Now we are. Thanks, Lilli." I just smile. "No problem," I whisper.

As he lets go of me he says, "So about that date you asked me on... How about tomorrow?" I fight the urge to gasp. Does this mean he likes me?

Not wanting to seem too eager I say, "That sounds good." And then he kisses me. Slowly, passionately and in a police station, but it was the best kiss I've ever had. It could have been because it was with my best friend, my lifelong crush but I think it was because I knew from the start that Steve Randle really loves me, and I love him too, ever since that day, 11 years ago, that he and I met.