For new readers to this story please note this is a sister story. Landslide is the fourth story entry with a character named Scout Marie Curtis, aka-Sissy

In my brother's gang they often called me by my nickname, Sissy. My oldest brother Darrel actually gave me the name when I was about seven. All of the boys in the neighborhood wrestled and played rough... Darry always told me to get into the game. One day I told him I didn't want to get hurt and he has called me Sissy ever since. For the longest time my parents thought he called me Sissy because I was the little sister. They were not to happy to hear the truth later that Darry was actually teasing me - Story excerpt from Family Bond

Scout is the 'seven minutes younger' twin sister to Ponyboy, her intelligence and common sense levels are higher than her twin's yet she is more analytical like Darry and less creative then Pony. She is very quiet and shy and not a "greaser girl". She is tough when she needs to be, but prefers to stay clear of violence whenever possible. She gets along very well with all of her brothers, even Darry.

At the beginning of the summer she met a girl named Casey who taught Scout how to be less of a 'tomboy' and more of a woman. Casey and Scout got along as well as Johnny and Ponyboy or Steve and Sodapop. Two weeks prior to Landslide Casey convinced Scout to skip the weekly football game and go to her house to have her nails painted and read woman's magazines. Scout agreed and she became involved in a traumatic family situation in which Casey's father, Duke Dobbins, shot his daughter then turned the gun on Scout. "You never heard anything, you never saw anything." Duke said as he stood in the middle of the room and looked down at me.

I tried to answer him through my intense fear. "Never … saw …."

"Damn straight you didn't." Duke smiled causing his mustache to lift. He raised his hand up revealing the gun. I couldn't take my stare from the darkness of the barrel. Duke pulled back the hammer on the gun. I closed my eye's tight, and shook. In the distance the sound of an approaching squad car caused Duke to curse out loud and flounder in his decision. I opened my eyes to see him pace nervously then he reeled around toward me and pointed the barrel of the gun in my direction, BANG! – excerpt from Escalation

For months she has been sticking up for Darry every time Ponyboy tried to say how hard Darry is to live with. Eventually Ponyboy's opinion began to sway Scout's opinion of her brother even though Darry had been there for her through everything in the past 8 months. With the altercation between Ponyboy and Darry in the near future who will Scout side with and what will she do? I hope you join us in finding out.

(The very beginning of this saga begins with the story Family Bond followed by Coming of Age, Escalation and now Landslide.. If you enjoy sister stories or any story that is written well you may just find this series to be amazing, entertaining and able to keep your interest, others have. I hope you enjoy!)

Disclaimer: This fanfiction entry is based on the book, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Many of the characters in this story are her creation and I thank her for creating them and allowing so many writers to borrow them for our writing hobby.

Alone in my house I cuddled on the couch under a blanket reading my European history book. Time passed and the meatloaf I made for dinner began to simmer. The aroma filled my house and made my thoughts drift from the words on the page. I closed my eyes and thought about what life used to be like. A time when things felt normal and my parents were still alive.

Mom walked out of the kitchen with a dish towel over her shoulder. "Baby girl! Play me a song on the before dinner." I walked across the room to the piano. I always played when my mom asked me to.

"Soda! Pony!" Mom yelled to keep Soda from falling asleep and Pony's nose from being stuck in a book. "Come set the table for dinner, your dad and Darry will be home soon." Mom came to stand by the edge of the piano while I looked for sheet music.

Ponyboy wandered into the kitchen from his bedroom and Sodapop pulled himself away from the television. On his way to the kitchen Soda attempted to annoy me by pounding on the piano keys. Mom chased him away by slapping her damp towel across his butt. "Shew Soda!" She laughed with him. "Get that table set. The men will be back from football practice any minute." I began to play a song as my brothers tossed silverware across the dining room table and placed the plates and glasses.

I heard heavy footsteps on the front porch as the front screen door creaked open disrupting my pleasant daydream. I looked up as Sodapop and Ponyboy led the gang into the house. With a quick glance I could tell something was wrong. Then I noticed the blood stained handkerchief pressed against Pony's neck.

"Ponyboy what happened?" I jumped to my feet from the couch as Pony headed to the bathroom.

"Nothing."

I turned to the next guy though the door, my eyes wide in question. Steve noticed and curled his lip. "Them damn soc bastards jumped him."

"What? Pony are you ok?" I stepped onto the coffee table then to the floor on the way to check Pony in the bathroom.

Pony didn't answer but Darry's voice bellowed from the living room. "He's fine! Pony get a band aid on that cut!"

I spun around to watch Darry to be sure he wasn't going to continue to harp on my twin. Something then caught my eye. "Dally!" I said shocked for the second time in a minute. "What…. I thought you were in jail?"

Dally smirked his evil little grin. "Out early on good behavior." I shook my head in disbelief. Not because I thought Dally should have been behind bars longer, but if he got out early what about Duke? Could he be excused from shooting Casey and I for just having good behavior?

Ponyboy came out of the bathroom with a band aid on his neck. He looked around at the gang and quickly chose to wander back to his room to be alone. I followed behind him and spoke gently. "Pon' are you all right?"

"Yeah I'm ok." Pony rubbed his bruised cheek and walked into his bedroom.

I followed him and shut the door behind me. "Seriously Ponyboy," I sat next to him on the bed where he had laid down. "I want to be sure you are ok." Pony exhaled and rolled his eyes so I knew he wasn't fine like Darry had assumed. I leaned back toward him and propped myself up on one elbow. "What happened?"

"Well according to Darry I didn't use my head! I didn't think!" Pony glanced at me and continued with his sarcastic anger. "Forget the fact that I was just walking home from a movie… in my own neighborhood!" Pony could tell by the look on my face that I wasn't leaving till he told me what really happened. He looked up to the ceiling and I noticed his eyes water heavier than normal. "Scout! I was just walking home from a movie. I know I shouldn't have been alone, but I don't see why! It's our neighborhood." I listened as he became more emotional. "A few blocks from the house a group of socs came up and jumped me. They knocked me to the ground and held a blade to my throat."

I gasped and my emotions welled up. I could imagine what it was like for him to fear for his life. To worry that for no reason his life was in danger from someone he didn't know.

"I panicked and yelled for Darry and Soda just out of instinct… and they came. I guess they were all in the lot and heard me yell." Pony wiped the tears from his eyes. "I don't know what would have happened to me if they hadn't come."

I crawled over to Pony and threw my arms around his neck to hug him. "Oh Pony! Why can't everyone just leave us alone?"

Ponyboy hugged me back and cried. "I don't know Scout it just aint fair."

Darry's voiced yelled from the kitchen. "Scout is this meatloaf ready to eat?"

I looked over at Pony. "Everything is going to be fine. Come on … let's eat." Pony and I went to the kitchen to get ready for dinner. Only Soda and Darry were left in the house and the evening stayed quiet as Pony and I worked on our homework and went to bed.

Saturday held the same silence around our house. I don't think anyone wanted to be hang out if Darry and Pony were going to fight about walking alone the day before. Even Johnny didn't show up until late in the afternoon when Darry had already left for work.

"Hey Johnny!" I called out to him as he strolled through the door.

He answered back. "Hey … you coming to the movie with us?"

I walked through the dining room and sat on the edge of the table. "Nah, I'm not in the mood to hang out with Dallas."

"Come on he aint that bad." Johnny flashed a tiny smile knowing he was lying.

"Yeah, that's cause he likes you!" I smiled with Johnny. We both knew Dallas only liked me because everyone else did. Hearing Johnny's voice Ponyboy and came out of his room dressed in torn blue jeans and a sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off.

"Johnny you ready to go?" Pony headed straight to the front door knowing his friend wouldn't have any reason not to be. My brother paused as he opened the door. "Scout you should come with us."

"Thanks for the invite but I'm going to stay home tonight." Ponyboy frowned but didn't argue. "Alright suit yourself." The two boys headed out the door.

Suddenly the house fell silent. Eventually my overactive imagination began to torture my thoughts. I began to convince myself I heard sounds that didn't exist and saw shadows outside the house that were probably made by the people on the sidewalk and cars passing by. To keep my mind off of the unknown I laid on the couch and watched television programs for the remainder of the afternoon till Sodapop came home.

"Sis! Guess who came into the station today?" I smiled at my brother as he came home from work. "Dingy Delores! You know… James' mom?"

"Oh yeah? What'd she have to say?" My mind pulled up a mental picture of James bright green eyes and perfectly placed dimples. He really was the best looking boy in Sheppard's gang.

Sodapop kicked off his shoes and headed to the kitchen for a snack as he continued to talk to me. "Seems your old boyfriend is in reformatory school again."

"Oh?" I said and sat up on the couch. "What did he do?"

"He and Curly Sheppard robbed a liquor store." My brother mixed up a glass of chocolate milk and yelled from the kitchen. "You know she asks how you are doing every time she comes in for a fill up. She really likes you."

I smiled, "yeah, I can just imagine what her son's other girlfriends would be like." I thought about Cindy and her greaser girl ways.

My brother finished his drink then joined me in the living room to watch television. I was happy Soda was home because I really didn't want to be alone.

Hours later Steve Randall came waltzing through the front door a little past 7:00pm. "Soda you ready to go?" He yelled. I could tell by his voice he was anxious to get on with his night and see Evie.

Sodapop had been in the kitchen with me washing the last of our dinner dishes. Upon hearing Steve my brother looked at himself, still dressed in his work clothes. He looked at me and grinned, "Uh Oh!" Then he ran to his room and yelled to his friend. "Yeah I'll be ready in a minute!"

I put away the last of the dishes and heard Steve wander into the kitchen behind me. "Sissy? What are you doing home? Aint you got no where to go tonight?"

"I'm just staying home …where it's safe." I offered up a smile to try to make it seem as if I actually believed my own words.

"Hell Sissy! You gotta let it go!" Steve leaned up against the kitchen doorway. He looked tuff in his black t-shirt, blue jeans and jacket to match. "What happened at Casey's house … that was just a freak thing."

I looked away and walked through the doorway past Steve. "Yeah … well you weren't there …" I paused and turned on my heels to find Steve right behind me, "…besides I've had enough freak occurrences this year to last a lifetime. I don't need anymore."

Sodapop came bounding into the dining room wearing a dark flannel shirt that draped his white t-shirt and jeans. Steve dropped his conversation with me and started a new one with his friend. "Hurry up! Quit keeping the ladies waiting."

Soda smiled wide as he slipped on his black shoes and rolled up the pant legs of his jeans. "I'm Hurryin'. Sissy you wanna come with us?"

I looked at Steve then over at my brother. "Nah, I don't feel like going anywhere."

"Are you sure?" Sodapop stood up ready to go. "I don't wanna leave you behind all by yourself."

Steve jumped into the conversation. "She'll be fine here Soda. She's a tough girl." He smiled. "She's like Wonder Woman, dodging bullets and everything!" My brother looked over at his friend with a tough stare that said he didn't want to be reminded of the minutes when he waited in the street a few weeks earlier to learn if his little sister was coming out of the Dobbin's home alive or dead. Steve understood the look and shut up.

"Soda I just don't want to go." I could tell by his comment Steve was ready to go, without the little sister tagging along. Soda didn't get it though. He never saw a problem with Ponyboy or I hanging around. I suppose that was because we were family and being together just felt natural.

Soda sighed with disappointment. "Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure." I smiled for his sake. "Now get going before the girls start wondering where you are."

Soda smiled at the thought of his girl. "Yeah… see you tonight." Then he and Steve left out the front door. I curled up on the couch to watch reruns of "I Love Lucy."