You Don't Stop Living Because You Lose Somebody

1. Tight Morning

"Arella Jean Curtis! Time to get up kiddo!" My eldest brother Darryl, or as we call him Darry shouted to me from my door.

"See Darry I don't see why you be waking me up on the weekend." I groan sitting up in my bed running my fingers through my brown hair, Darry smiles at me, before looking down the hallway to I assume see our brother - my Twin - Sodapop getting ready for work. I had 3 siblings, Darry the oldest of twenty, then Soda being seventeen, me also being seventeen, and our youngest Ponyboy of fourteen.

Darry was the bronze of the four of us, in high school he was the football captain and star quarterback, he got a full ride to college on a athletic scholarship, but unfortunately couldn't go since he had to take on two jobs because our parents died. Sodapop was the dashing good looks and the radiant personality, he can make anyone smile with him smiling. Soda knew he was good looking and use it to his abilities when it came to girls, he'd make them swoon and drop to their knees with just the sound of his voice. Ponyboy was our brains and philosopher sibling, he viewed the world as golden, he cherished all the little things, and we all loved that about him. I was all the of the above, technically I am also everything else, I appreciated life and lived to the fullest. If I felt like doing something I'd do it, I was the black sheep of the family with no distinct characteristic, and it worked.

"Because Ella you are not sleeping the day away. Now get your silly head up kid, or i'll bring Pony and Soda here to make you." I stick my tongue out at him and he just smiles at me walking away. Smiling to myself I turn over, lying on my stomach planning on sleeping longer. When i'm about to slip into slumber, people jumped onto my bed and myself. A grunt lef my lips and three boys were laughing.

"Get your little butt up Arella! Or you're gonna regret it!" Sodapop yelled laughing as he shook me relentlessly.

"Okay! I give up! I'm awake. Let me be!" They all get up laughing, Darry wraps his fingers around my wrist pulling me out of my bed, getting up we all laugh together. Seeing them all in a line of some sort, I push Darry, knocking him into both of the boys, running out of my bedroom into the living room I see Steve Randall and Johnny Cade. Steve was the reckless of our gang, and Soda's best friend, they worked at the DX gas station right down the road from here. Johnnycake was Pony's best friend, he was sixteen and they did pretty much everything together.

Making it out the door I run out into the side yard, until getting tackled by Ponyboy. Soda and Darry are there next and the next thing i know I'm being held own and tickled by my brothers. Thrashing and kicking about i beg them to stop, but of course, being who they are, they don't. They only stop when my boyfriend Two-bit Matthews walk over staring at us.

"Why y'all mad dogging my broad for?" I groan and the three boys stand up, helping me up myself. dusting the dirt off my bare thighs and bed shorts, I glare at the boys. I was close with all three of my siblings in their own ways, I connected with Pony with books, I connected with Sodapop to being of course my twin, we were two different people who felt the same compassion and loved cars and competition. I connected to Darry because I know what he sacrificed to make sure the three of us wouldn't be thrown into homes. I knew he was stressed out all the time and struggled to pay the bills on his own, which is why Sodapop is a dropout, and worked full time at the DX. I was a part-time waitress at the dingo, I didn't make much since i didn't work often because I still attended school, but my paychecks were enough to help.

Two-bit wraps his arms around my shoulders. "You dig baby?" I smile at him. Nodding my head I pull away going inside to get changed, Two right behind me with the three boys. Getting inside i rush to get ready, slipping on some black high waisted jeans and A white t-shirt, tucking it into the jeans, and slipping on my black framed glasses. running my fingers through my previously straightened hair it smooths out to the best it can. I put on my high top converse next, then walk out of the bedroom where Two-Bit, Pony, and Johnny were.

"Where is everybody?" I asked, stealing a sip of Ponyboy's chocolate milk.

"Your brothers and Steve went off to work." Nodding my head I slip on my leather jacket and grab my wallet.

"Where are you heading of to Arella?" Pony asked me leaning against the kitchen wall.

"I'm heading over to Buck's, borrowing his T-Bird to go get Dal out of the cooler." I say putting the leftovers in the ice box.

"Can I come?" He asked me.

"Shoot Ponyboy, you know I hate for sayin' no to you. But you know Darry'll skin me if I let you go anywhere near Buck and his bar." I walk to the living room where Two stood waiting to give me a ride over to Bucks in his Plymouth.

"Why? You go over there." I smile at him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's different Pony. You're only fourteen, you shouldn't be near Buck in the first place. I only know him because Dallas is my best buddy. Here why don't you go see that movie you was talkin' about last night, that Paul Newman movie." I opened my wallet and pulled out some money, giving it to Pony, he took it reluctantly and nodded his head sadly. "Look i wanna take you Pony, but I am not bout to be yelled at by Dar for taking you around that place."

"I understand." I smile at him.

"Thank you Pony. Now be good, don't be getting in no trouble, 'specially with the fuzz, ya hear?" He nods his head, kissing him on the head I rush out the door behind Two-bit.

"Will y'all gimme a push?" Two-Bit asked the teenagers. Without saying a word they pushed the car and Two and I were off towards the bar.