1.

The first time the boys laid eyes on her, she was doing a rotten job at parking her car in the driveway two doors down. It was an ugly green machine she was handling, though it could also be described as red, seeing as most of it was rust. The sound of its wheezing and clunking had lured the Curtis brothers, Two-Bit and Steve from the semi-coolness of the house and into the fireball heat.

"Shit," Steve mumbled, sticking his head out the window. "Worst car I ever laid eyes on."

Sodapop, who was standing on the porch with the rest of them, nodded. "And we've seen Two-Bit's car, so that's sayin' something."

"You keep talking like that, and you'll be walking to the DX from now on." Two-Bit retorted with an over-done frown.

Darry folded his thick arms over his chest. "Can you see who's driving?"

His curiosity was soon sated. A woman stumbled out of the car. Clothed in a high-necked, red dress that was hemmed just at the knee, her face was disguised behind giant sunglasses and a wide-rimmed, floppy hat. A Soc, if they had ever seen one.

"Looks like some city-slicker." Ponyboy stated, stepping down the porch steps so he could get a better look. "But what she doing on this side of the tracks?"

"She's gotta be lost." Steve made a show out of smoothing his hair back with his pocket comb. "Maybe I outa' redirect her."

Two-Bit snorted. "If you go up to that broad, the only person you'll be directing is yourself- to the hospital. Look at that fat purse she's holding there. I'd eat my shoe if there ain't a brick stashed beside all her money."

They watched the woman totter up the steps of the house she had pulled up to. It was an old house that hadn't been touched for years. The paint was peeling badly, one of the windows had been smashed in and had been boarded up haphazardly, and the lawn resembled a wheat field. What it looked like inside, no one had a clue. It had been put up for sale briefly when they were children but was never sold. What a rich lady wanted to do with it was a mystery.

Fiddling with a set of keys, she finally managed to shove the door open with the force of her shoulder, disappearing inside. The boys waited in anticipation.

"What do you think she's doing in there?" Steve asked. They couldn't think of any plausible answers.

Then she came back out, not bothering to close the door behind her. Hurrying back to the car to open the passenger door, she ducked in and allowed an arm to snake over her shoulders. When she straightened, an elderly lady was clinging onto her.

"Do you suppose she's here to dump that old grandma for dead in some abandoned house?" Two-bit asked.

Steve readjusted himself on the ledge of the window."You'd think a Soc like that would have enough cash to ditch her in an old-folk's home instead."

The woman swayed unsteadily under human weight as she dragged the both of them back inside. Moments later, she was out once more to let two big dogs out from the backseat. One was a Rottweiler with a massive muzzle and half his right ear chewed off, walking like it weighed a million tons. The other was a breed none of the boys could distinguish. Even from the distance, they could tell this one was in much better shape. It's shiny white coat was cut short to reveal a lean, sprightly body and it's face was clean and friendly. Both dogs took a minute to sniff the air and stretch their legs on the pavement before following their master into the house, who's arms were filled with bags.

"Well holy shit." Two-Bit guffawed, "Those mutts were so big they probably ate the rest of their litter in the womb."

"Guard dogs, by the looks of it." Darry muttered, turning to find cooler air back in the kitchen. If those two women were staying in that house, then he would be relieved. Having some new greaser boy move in and cause trouble in the neighborhood was the last thing he needed.

The rest of the gang wandered back inside after it had been made clear the Soc wasn't going to reappear any time soon. Soda and Steve dropped themselves onto the kitchen table where they had abandoned their card game, Ponyboy slipped back inside his room, Two-Bit parked in front of the television with a beer, and Darry laid himself across the couch for a nap.

"Really though," Sodapop spoke up conversationally, "What's a Soc doing, moving to this side of the town?"

Steve picked up a card, tried to hide his scowl, and placed it in his hand. "Maybe she ran outta money, who knows?"

"Maybe she got kicked outta her big old mansion for cheating on her husband."

They played in silence for a little longer, occasionally making a guess or two on the mysterious new neighbor.

An hour later, Two-Bit repeared into the kitchen. His eyes were ablaze with unbridled excitement. "That's it, I can't take this anymore. I need to find out what that lady's deal is."

"Two-Bit," Sodapop dropped his cards face down on the table. "Just admit you wanna check her out."

"Fine, fine." The boy grinned unabashedly, "Can't blame me for trying to get laid, can you?" He passed the boys and opened the icebox.

"Darry's gunna kill you if you finish all the beer again, ya' know." Sodapop warned him, twisting in his seat. Steve took the opportunity to check out his friend's cards while his back was turned.

Two-Bit took out a chocolate cake with at least three pieces missing. "Do you think this'll work as a housewarming gift?"

"You gunna give her a half eaten cake?"

"Shoot, why not?" Two-Bit paused to steady the treat in his hand, having almost dropped it. "Just need an opportunity to see her face."

The boy charged out of the house. Sodapop and Steve glanced at each other before running after him, calling for Darry and Ponyboy to come along as well. "Were gunna go see this Soc!"

A moment later, the gang was huddled on the pavement, a few inches away from the front gate of the woman's house. The two dogs had come racing over from the backyard the moment Two-Bit's finger had touched the gate latch. The white dog was barking up a storm, jumping so high that they thought it might sink its teeth into one of their faces. The Rottweiler hung back, standing tense and flashing his thick fangs at them.

The old woman came onto the porch, a cane supporting her. "Shut your mouth, Lady, else I'll shut it for you!"

The white dog ceased its ruckus immediately and took a step back, eyeing them wearily. Then they both lost interest and left to sit in the shade by the side of the house.

"You just gunna stand there, or are you going ta' come up here?" The crone gave them an impatient look. "At this pace, I'll be rotting in my grave before you find the courage to come up here."

Sodapop made a low groaning sound in his throat, voicing everyone's thoughts. Suddenly meeting the Soc family didn't seem so exciting.

"Hello ma'am." Two-Bit began, trying hard to be charming. "We're just here-"

"To get a good look at my granddaughter." The old woman finished for him. She dumped herself in an ancient rocking chair that had been on the porch before they arrived, then waved her hand absentmindedly at the screen door. "Don't think I don't know boys your type. She's in there. But don't get your hopes up. She's nothing but obnoxious."

The boys exchanged looks before shuffling awkwardly past the woman and into the house. The interior wasn't as nightmare inducing as they thought it would be. The rooms were small, smelled like mildew, and was bare of any furniture, but it would take very little to spruce the place up.

"Hey strangers." A creamy voice echoed across the room. The woman was leaning on the kitchen doorway to their right, only she wasn't a woman at all but a girl, fifteen or sixteen. Outside, her cosmopolitan outfit and hidden face had made her look years older. But in the cool grey light inside, the mystery and intrigue she held had evaporated. She was small and fresh-faced, and when she walked she looked like she was tempted to skip. Her brunette hair and grey eyes didn't make her particularly gorgeous (disappointing Two-Bit greatly) but she was by no means ugly. Her easy smile and kind, open eyes seemed to enhance her enough to be beautiful in the way all happy people are.

After an awkward pause where the boys took her all in, Darry stuck out his hand and struggled to smile. "Hello there. We're just here to welcome you to the neighborhood. I'm Darryl, these two are my brothers, Sodapop and Ponyboy. Over there is Steve and Keith."

"You can call me Two-Bit." Two-Bit inserted quickly, passing the cake into her hands. "Here's some cake."

"Oh, yum!" The girl seemed truly excited at the sight of it. She even giggled at the missing pieces. "Did you guys get hungry on the way over, or something?" She moved to place it on the kitchen counter. "Well, my name is Elizabeth Carter, but you can just call me Ellie."

Even her name screamed Soc.

"Well, Ellie, what brings you to this side of town?" Steve asked impatiently.

There was a wave of confusion on her face. "Well, um, I moved here from Chicago-"

"Chicago?" Ponyboy repeated excitedly, "Really?"

Ellie nodded just as enthusiastically. "Yeah! But grandma, you met her right? Well she grew up here and wanted to come back."

"It was a hard choice to make." Ellie's grandmother trekked her way slowly into the room, forcing the boys to part for her. "Either I die in that shithole of a city, or I die in this shithole of a city." She turned on the tap and brown water came spewing out. The crone sighed. "But what can I say? I'm just so sentimental."

Ellie seemed to be adept at ignoring her grandmother's sarcasm. She patted the woman affectionately on the back. "Oh granny, you aren't going to die just yet, don't worry." She turned to the boys. "This is Grandma Annabelle. She's really a sweetheart."

The boys spent another twenty minutes making obligatory small talk before they managed to excuse themselves. Even afterwards, they still couldn't understand why Ellie, who seemed to ooze a sense of privilege, could possibly find herself living in greaser territory with a grandmother that didn't have a Soc bone in her body.

"Well holy-moly." Two-Bit lit up a smoke. "I'll give her a week in this place. Not only does she reek of Soc, but she's as soft and nice as a basket of kittens."

"Jeez," Steve rubbed the side of his head, "And does she ever shut up?"

"I'm more concerned about other things." Sodapop said as they reached the house. "Like how were going to have to make a new cake and were all out of flour."

This is an updated version of Chapter 1. Nothing has changed much besides a few spelling and grammar corrections.

Reviews are still very much appreciated.