Wishes Can Come True

Socs, Middle Class, and Greasers

"P-Ponyboy? Your name is Ponyboy?" Erin stuttered out. She instantly regretted asking because Ponyboy only gave her a look that said 'Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?' and nodded. She knew Ponyboy didn't like it when people asked him that. And that was true. Ponyboy hated it. But Erin didn't mean it in the way he thought. Pony though she was being like everyone else. Asking the 'Are you serious?' question. But that's not what she meant. She was just confused about everything. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

Erin tried to think back of Ponyboy's description in the book. Light brown, almost red hair and greenish grey eyes. When she looked at the boy in front of her she could see the image clearly. This was the boy from the book.

"Yeah. It's fine," Pony said. But he really didn't except her apology. Erin could see that in the tone of his voice. "Anyway," He stood up and held out his hand for her. She took it, grabbed her book and stood up. "Why don't we go to my place? I can show you around town some on the way."

"Yeah, that'd be nice, I guess. Thanks."

So they both went walking down the street to Pony's place. They kept asking each other questions. Erin asked Ponyboy questions and he asked her questions. "Where are you from?" Pony asked. He hoped it wouldn't be too much of a personal question. He knew it wasn't, but he didn't want to make Erin sad. He believed the lie.

"I'm from Mississippi," Erin says. Pony's eyes widen.

"That's a long way from Tulsa." Erin just shrugs. It wasn't a lie this time. She wanted to tell the truth as much as possible but lie when necessary. She felt bad for lying, but she had no choice. She couldn't reveal her secret.

"So what's it like here?" She asked, although she already knew. Or at least she thought she did. She still didn't know if this whole entire thing was a prank or something like that. She was scared everyone was going to be someone else. But she went along despite her fear because apart of her trusted these boys. Trusted these boys she spent days reading about. Who had become her family. Now, if this was real, she would no even more. They would actually become family.

Pony went on to explain the classes that the town is split into. Erin already knew though. There were three classes: Socs, middle class, and greasers. Socs being the rich kids and greasers being the poor kids. And them being greasers made them a target for Socs. That's why the red Corvair was following them.

Erin noticed but the realization of what was about to happen never hit her until it was too late. The Corvair has caught up with them. It was now pulled over on the side of the road and a bunch of tall, muscular boys jumped out. Pony held his hand out and stepped in front of Erin. "Stay behind me," He whispered to her.

"Well, well, well," One of the boys said. He was wearing a madras shirt "What do we have here? A couple of greasy love birds?" All the boys laughed at his joke. Erin gave a small look of disgust. She didn't think of Ponyboy that way. She always thought of him as a brother. Pony just glared at them while Erin stood behind him cowering with fear. She knew his brothers would save him. But that was before she came along.

She had no reason to be scared. Even though she knew his brothers would come it still didn't give her peace. She had never been jumped before, and this whole experience has scared her enough as it is. "Oh, you're not going to respond, huh? Well we can change that?" Before Erin even had time to process what he said, she was grabbed.

She yelled for Pony but he was grabbed and pinned to the ground. Useless for both of them. The main boy had that grabbed her had a blade against her throat. "What ya gonna do now, grease? Huh? How about we kill her? Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Erin's eyes widened. She was really scared now. Anyone could see that. Greasers aren't supposed to show fear but she wasn't a greaser...yet. And she was beyond the point of caring at this point. Her eyes locked with Pony's but she tried to keep them on the blade.

What was he going to do? Erin had no clue if things would be different now since she came along. Even though she didn't change much. She was scared that the little bit that she had done had changed everything. Would he even scream? Thankful, Erin got her answer real quick. "Darry! Soda! Help!"  Pony began to scream.

All the attention was on Ponyboy. Everyone was trying to get him to shut up. Erin just watched in terror until she seen a bunch of boys come running up to them. She was shoved to the ground all at once and people began running over her. She knew who it was. She knew she would be safe with them.

"Ponyboy, are you all right?" Ponyboy was trying to get out of Darry's grasp but it was no use. He kept shaking him and finally Sodapop, or at least that's who Erin assumed, came over to them.

"Who are you?" A boy with a Mickey Mouse muscle shirt asked. She could only assume this was Two-Bit. He had crouched down to her level and had a smile on his face. "I didn't know Ponyboy had a girlfriend? He must have picked you up at the movies, huh?"

Erin just stared at him. She was trying to get out words but she kept mumbling. Finally, Ponyboy spoke up. "No, she's not my girlfriend. But I did, sort of, pick her up at the movies. It's a long story." He turned back to his older brother. "She has no where to stay. Her parents left her here. Can she stay with us? Please, Darry!" Pony begged.

Darry looked up at Erin, who was still on the ground. He felt sorry for the poor girl. Her being left by her own parents in a random town. How awful. "Fine. She can stay. I would hate to leave her on the streets."

Pony smiled as his brothers helped him up. Erin grabbed her book that had fallen on the ground as Two-Bit helped her up and walked along side Johnny. "Looks like we have us a lady with us, huh Johnnycake?"

"Uh huh," Was all he said. Erin smiled. She loved Two-Bit's personality in the book and it's even better in person. And she loved quiet, shy Johnny. She loved all the boys. But she couldn't deny that she had a bit of a crush on one of them from reading the book all the time.

"Ya know Two, she looks more like a sister to Pony than a girlfriend," Soda said.

"What?" Erin finally spoke up. She was shocked by what Soda had said.

"Well you two have almost the same color hair and eyes," Soda stated. It was true. Erin's hair was an auburn color and she had hazel eyes while Pony's hair was almost red and his eyes were greenish grey. But that was far as the resemblance goes.

"You're crazy, Soda," Steve told him as he punched his arm.

They continued to walk a bit more until Pony spoke up. "Oh, I forgot to introduce you." He then began introducing Erin to all the boys. Telling her a little about each of them. Erin just nodded along with what he was saying, even giving some of the boys small wave.

Darry kept scolding Pony about not using his head. Erin sort of tuned it out. She already knew what he said, but she felt awkward actually hearing it. Like she was intruding.

Finally, the topic was changed. Dally was asking if anyone wanted to go the movies. Erin stayed quiet. She didn't want to butt in. Pony put her on the spot, though, when he asked if she wanted to go. Erin only nodded. In a way she didn't want to go. She didn't want to be here. But in a way, she knew this was her chance to make things better. The chance she had been waiting on.