You.

Again.

"So um.. how did your dad end up?" He changes the subject and I look down at William squirming in my arms.

"He died after I moved to Montana." I mumble. He puts his hand on my knee for comfort and I jump a little at the familiar contact.

"I'm sorry. How'd he pass?" He asks and I shrug as I kiss the top of Williams head.

"Lung cancer. Figures since he smoked so much." I explain and he nods.

"Well you have a beautiful son." He remarks and I smile.

"Thank you." I catch his state and he blushes as he looks away. He's silent for a while after that. He looks at everyone dancing to old songs and smiles a little. The silence is killing me. He said my name at his wedding five years after we broke up and nine months after I had a baby. Why? Why would he even remember my name? We're living completely different lives and he knows it.

"Why'd you say my name at the wedding?" I ask, breaking the silence, and he looks at me again.

"I don't know.. I guess I just always thought you'd be the one I'd be marrying and I was thinking about it and I said your name, it doesn't mean anything." He explains and I nod. Doesn't mean anything.. just like high school. Exactly like high school.

"How are the guys?" I ask, remembering his brothers and his friends.

"Darry's a dad and Soda got married. Uh.. Dally died after graduation." He lists and my jaw drops. Dally? Dead?

"How? Why?" I ask and he looks somewhere beyond the floor.

"Drunk fight. Hit his head on the concrete and that was it." He mumbles and I sigh. So Darry has a kid, Soda has a wife and Dally has a grave.

"What about the other guys? Two and Steve. How'd they turn out?" I question, trying to move on to something lighter.

"Two is living with his girlfriend in Tulsa and Steve moved to New York when he got married." He tells me.

"Wow.. all grown up aren't they?" I ask and he nods.

"Looks like you are too." He says, gesturing to William. I look down at his blue eyes with section of brown towards the top and I sigh.

"I guess so Mr. Curtis." I tease and he laughs lightly. His bluish-green eyes stare into my messed up genes that I call eyes and I notice something.. he hasn't changed. He's still the tall, lanky boy I went to watch run in the cold with light red cheeks from the cold winter wind hitting his face. He's still the boy that crouched in the dark trying to read a book from his honors English class. He's still the boy who held me when nightmares got the best of me. He's still the Ponyboy Curtis I fell in love with.

"And that concludes our high school reunion! Thank you guys for coming and reliving the memories with us!" Someone announces and I stare at Pony as I carefully put William back in his baby carrier.

"I guess I have to go back to Montana.." I sigh as we both stand up. He still towers above me.

"I have to get back to California.." He says and I nod. He walks me to my car and waits patiently as I put William in his car seat. Once he's sound asleep in the backseat of my car I face Pony.

"It was really nice to see you again Annabelle." He gapes and I smile.

"It was nice to see you too." I stand on my toes and hug him tight. I bury my face his shoulder as memories of him leaving me in the middle of the hallway crying replay in my mind. I feel him pull me closer to him and I take in a shaky breath.

"We shouldn't be living in different states.. should we?" I question as we still hug and he sighs.

"No, we really shouldn't." He answers.

"And all those things we said back when we were younger?" I ask.

"Complete and utter disappointment." He mumbles and I nod in agreement. He breaks the hug and I smile as I look up at him.

"Just don't forget about me. Okay, kid?" He says and butterflies fill my stomach at the nickname.

"How could I?" I question and he shrugs. I notice him staring at me and I don't know what to do. He's staring at my lips and I can tell, you can't act like i'm lying. He raises his hand to my cheek and holds it there.

"Pony-"

"Sh.." He cuts me off as he leans down and kisses me. Memories upon memories fill my mind and make tears well up in my eyes. I can't let this happen. Not now. I push him away and he stares at me with bewilderment in his eyes.

"I'm not seventeen anymore Pony! I'm twenty two with a baby! You're twenty three with kids to teach! This can't happen!" I yell but I don't know why I'm yelling.

"Annie just calm down." He tries to soothe but I step away from him.

"We broke up for a reason and I moved to Montana for a lot of reasons. You live in California and I hope that the next time I see you will be when we are both married." I snap as I get into my car. He's trying to pull me back in, to be his sweetheart again. I don't want that anymore. I'm twenty two and I have a child to raise and he has children to teach in an entirely different part of the country.

I quickly pull out of the parking spot and leave him standing there just like he did when he left me in the hallway that day that changed everything. The only thing that's actually the same from that day is that I walked away with tears.