Cigarettes & Sunsets (A Ponyboy Curtis/The Outsiders Fanfiction)

Chapter Two

It took about a week to fix the house up and unpack everything. My door knob got fixed, and the house got a face lift. It didn't compare to the big houses on the other side of town, but it was nice for our area. I learned to walk with my head down, and really fast, that is, if I ever had to leave the house. Those streets are scary, and it feels as if the same boys in the Mustang are always patrolling my neighborhood. When I look through my window, sometimes I see Johnny. He's either with Dallas, or this other cute boy (or both). He has this light brown hair, with a small hint of red, and he looks about my age. He's always reading, or running. He's great at running.

"Celeste!" I heard my dad call, interrupting my thoughts. I get up at walk down the stairs.

"Yea?" I yell back, twirling around the banister.

"Go to the grocery store and pick up some stuff. Your mom left some money and a list on the fridge."

Somehow my parents were oblivious to the dangers of our neighborhood, but I wasn't going to tell them.

"Alright." I responded, grabbing a list and a couple dollars off the fridge.

I was wearing some white shorts, and a cropped grey tee shirt, so I threw on a pair of tan sandals and stuffed everything into my pocket. I opened the door and walked down the street on my way to the grocery store, when I look across the street and see Johnny and the other boy in the lot. They're looking at me, and Johnny waves me over. I give him a weird look, but warily crossed the street and made my way over there.

"Where you goin' alone?" Johnny asked concerned.

I smiled lightly, "Just going to the grocery store to pick up some stuff."

"It's dangerous, you already learned that. Me and Ponyboy will come with you." He announced.

I smiled even wider at his name. Ponyboy I'm pretty sure Sodapop mentioned something about him'.

"Hi, Ponyboy. Celeste Murano." I introduced.

"Pleasure to meet ya'" he said, shaking my hand.

We walked to the store, and I told them about how I moved here. Once we got to the store, they explained to me about their gang, and the 'Greasers and Socs'. The 'Socs' were what I had to watch out for. It was Bob and Randy that we're following me last week, and they were Socs. Even though technically I wasn't either a Greaser or a Soc, they'd still pick at me.

"Pony is the same age as you, Celeste." Johnny says. I nodded, grabbing a carton of eggs.

"You're 15 too, Pony?" I ask.

"Yup, July 22th." He answers.

I put the eggs in my basket.

"I'm September 14th. What about you Johnny?" I question.

He chucked a little bit. "I'm actually 16, I just look young. My birthday is March 1st."

I continued shopping while they told me everything about their gang, and everybody in it. They all seemed like a lot of fun, and I was invited to the Curtis household whenever I liked, and that the door was never locked. I paid for my items, and we walked slowly back to my house. We decided to stop by the gas station, called the DX where Sodapop works.

"Hey boys, hey... Celeste!" He hollered from the garage, struggling to recall my name.

"You remembered!" I teased, as he walked in.

Another guy walked in behind him, who I presumed to be Steve, since Pony and Johnny told me he worked with Soda.

"Steve Randle." the boy said tipping his DX cap at me as he grabbed a cup of water.

"Celeste Murano." I responded. He nodded and walked back into the garage.

"He just takes a little time to warm up." Soda said.

"Soda can I get some cigarettes?" Pony asked. Soda raised his eyebrows at him, and sighed as he reached for a pack.

"Darry's gonna find out and kill ya one day." Soda warned. Pony scoffed as he payed for his smokes.

"It was nice seeing you again, Soda!" I announced as we walked out the door. "Bye, Steve!" I shouted, earning an incoherent grunt.

Ponyboy and Johnny walked me to my house.

"Thank you guys for coming with me, I really appreciate it." I grinned.

"Well of course, it's dangerous bein' alone out here." Pony responded. I smiled, heat rising to my cheeks at the thought of him.

"I'll see you two soon, hopefully." I said, as I unlocked the door and walked into my house.

"See ya, Celeste." Johnny said.

"Bye Cel." Pony followed.

•••

Ponyboy's POV

Celeste closed the door, and me and Johnny started walking to my house. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, and started thinking about how pretty she was. None of the girls in my grade look like that! She's also really funny, and laid back. She was a lot of fun to hang with, even though we went grocery shopping. I see her through her window, and I swear I've made eye contact with her before.

"Hey Johnny, what do you think of Celeste?" I asked him.

"She's pretty tuff. Why?" He replied.

I nodded. "Just wonderin'. She's real pretty" I laughed. He cracked a smile, and we walked into my house.

"Hey, boys." Dal greeted coolly from the couch. He had his feet on the couch and a beer in his hand.

"A little early for that's isn't it?" I asked, motioning towards the drink.

He waved me off. "Never too early. What were ya'll out doing?"

"Grocery shopping." Johnny answered, sitting on the worn leather chair. Dally scoffed loudly.

"What did you swipe?" He joked.

"Nothing, we went with Celeste." Johnny explained.

"Celeste, Celeste, Celeste..." Dallas mulled, as he tried to jog his memory. "The broad that was at the park?" He asked Johnny.

"She's not a broad.." I defended quietly. "

That's her" Johnny yelled a little, covering my comment. Dally furrowed his brows and took a swig of his beer.

"She's somethin' else." I mused. Johnny and Dal looked at each other, then at me.

"You like her?" Dallas questioned.

"Wha- What? Well maybe. She's nice, but I just met her." I admitted.

Dallas burst out laughing, and Johnny weakly followed.

"Don't tell nobody!" I warned. Dal waved me off.

"Ask her out." He said, taking another sip.

"No! She ain't interested in me." I quickly responded.

Johnny looked up at me and smiled a little. "Yea she is." He said. I raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know?" I questioned.

"She looks at you like...like you're something else you know. Y'all look at each other the same." He shrugged. I thought it over a little bit.

"Maybe I will. Soon." With that, I walked away and to my room.

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Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I know I enjoy writing it. Please, feel free to like and comment! Any suggestions you may have, I'd love to hear! xx