A street light shone dimly on four boys in casual conversation. They were Dallas "Dally" Winston, Johnny Cade, Ponyboy Curtis, and Keith "Two-Bit" Matthews. They were discussing the likelihood of spending their Saturday night sneaking into to the drive-in theater.

"I mean, it's not like we've got anyplace else to be," Ponyboy pointed out.

"Yeah, and if you fellas are game, I'm in." Johnny added quietly looking around the group.

"I don't care," was Dally's seemingly agitated contribution as he stomped out his cigarette on the pavement.

"Well, I say we may as well. It's like Ponyboy said. We ain't got nothing else to do." Two-Bit decided.

With that they turned to walk toward the drive-in, but what they saw when they turned made Two-Bit stop in his tracks. It was Marcia. That girl who had been hanging out with Cherry Valance. The one who gave him her number. Which he threw away. He pulled his collar up on his jacket and ducked his head low to avoid causing a scene or anything, but it was no use. Evidently, she'd come looking for him

"Hey, Two-Bit!" She called with a small wave and a smile.

"Oh, hey Marcia!" he responded pretending it was the first time he'd noticed her.

She skipped up to the gang and stopped in front of Two-Bit and began walking backwards, "Say, how come you never called me?"

"Yeah, how come you never called her? Hmm?" Dally chimed in with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

"Aw, lay off, Dal." Johnny pleaded.

"No. I'm very interested in knowing why Two-Bit didn't call. His mommy here seems awfully worried."

Marcia sneered at Dally who let out a laugh. Against his better judgment, Two-Bit chuckled too. If he explained himself to Marcia, he might lose the respect of his friends. He liked Marcia and all, but he'd been in with this crowd for a long time and couldn't afford to lose his friends.

"I hate to break it to you doll, but I was never gonna call you." He smiled condescendingly.

"Well, I know that!" she rolled her eyes, "What I wanted to know was why?"

"Why?" his mask of confidence fell for a split second at her unexpected question.

"Yeah. I mean seems how I gave you my number and all. Why wouldn't you use it? Do you just not like me? I mean if you tell me to get lost, I'm gone. Promise. But, I don't know. I just thought we sort of clicked. Didn't you?" she tilted her head innocently.

Two-Bit looked at her with her wide, innocent eyes and the moonlight falling on her face, and the way her lips were parted ever so slightly as she looked at him expectantly. No, no, no. If he started thinking like that he was a goner. So instead he looked up as he responded.

"Darling, look. I'm sorry if you were thinking there was more there than what there was, but it was all a game, okay?"

"A game?"

"A game." He confirmed.

"I see... Then why won't you look at me?"

He glanced down to see her with her arms crossed. He looked around at his friends who were all in conversation with one another and had long since lost interest in him and Marcia. Finally, he looked back at her with her eyebrow raised in a scolding manner.

"It was just a game," he responded softly and his eyes fell at the last word. He knew it wasn't a game. She knew it wasn't a game. And if the guys were paying any kind of attention at all, they knew it wasn't a game.

She startled him by grabbing his harm and pulling him behind her into an alley. That cuaght the guys' attention enough to question what they'd missed.

"Uh, y'all just go on ahead. I'll meet you there." He nodded.

They shrugged and continued on without him. He turned to face Marcia who had a sort of fire in her eyes. Her hand, still locked around his arm, loosened it's grip and fell down to his fingertips. The touch sent shivers up his spine.

"Look, Marcia, I-" he began.

"I know your type, Two-Bit Matthews." She declared, her harsh words not matching her gentle touch.

"My type?" He asked flustered.

"Yes, your type. The type to get a girl's number and never call her because you can laugh it off like it was just a game, but we both know the real reason you never called."

"What's that?" He questioned nervously, afraid she wouldn't be wrong.

"You're scared of rejection. Anything else in the world you can face unafraid, but the thought that you might not be good enough for someone leaves you shaking in your boots. Am I wrong?"

He swallowed hard and gave his head a little shake. "You're not wrong," he whispered, his voice rough. His eyes studied the dust on the ground, too ashamed and in shock to meet her eyes.

All of a sudden, she grabbed his face in her hands and pulled it down to meet hers. He stared in her eyes and she stared back before speaking.

"I was never going to reject you, Two-Bit." she whispered, not breaking her gaze.

"You weren't?" he responded, raising his hands to rest on her waist.

She shook her head, "I really like you. And I meant what I said about us clicking."

"Yeah, I thought so too." he smiled.

She grinned, "Then for goodness sakes, would you act like it?"

"You mean like this?" He lowered his face the final few inches until their lips met. Her head tilted back and her hands moved from his face to hang around his neck. When they broke apart, their foreheads remained together, and Two-Bit looked somber, but not unhappy.

Marcia smiled as she said, "Yes. Like that."

Two-Bit grinned as he pulled her in for another kiss. Right as their lips touched, however, Dally, Johny and Ponyboy came running up the other side of the alley.

"Two-Bit's got a girlfriend! Two-Bit's got a girlfriend!" Dally yelled rambunctiously waving his arms above his head.

"Well, that's more than you can say, ain't it?" He smiled pulling Marcia close to his side as he looked down at her. He was proud that of all the guys she could have had, she wanted him enough to seek him out.

"Sorry, Two-Bit. It's was Dally's idea. We just came running after him." Ponyboy apologized, trying to catch his breath.

Johnny leaned with his palm against the brick wall of a building and nodded in agreement with Pony.

"That's alright." He laughed, "But, are we still gonna catch that movie?"

"Yeah, let's go!" They agreed and headed out of the alley.

Two-Bit looked back down at Marcia who was biting her lip to stifle a giggle.

"I like your friends," she said quietly.

"I like you."

"I like you, too." They leaned in for another kiss when Dally poked his head around the corner.

"Oh, would you two lovebirds come on already?"

They laughed without ever taking their eyes off of each other. Two-Bit slung his arm around her shoulder while she slipped hers around his waist and rested her head against his chest as they walked. It was going to be a good movie.