mIsS sHoWjUmPeR: Haha. Well, I am updating now. Lol. Thanks for reviewing.

TIM'N DALLYS GURL: Don't worry. Like I said before, everything will work itself out soon. Thanks for the support.

Sodapop's#1gurl: You're probably going to be sad to hear that this is just the beginning of a huge problem. Its probably going to seem anticlimactic now that I said 'huge', but its going to have a big impact on the story.

Miranda: I know. How mean! But he had it coming. Thanks for reviewing.

Kait-Lynn23: I'm going as fast as I can. Lol. Thanks for the reviews.

NellieGURL: Well, you see, he's not really a peacemaker. He's just not really choosing sides. Well, he wasn't choosing sides. We'll just have to see what happens now.

SodaNDallysgrl410: Haha. Ol' Dally will certainly play a bigger part in the drama soon. (WINK) Thanks for reviewing.

SuperSka: Yes, but she did call him pathetic and basically said she didn't love him because she was really cold to him when she admitted that she knew that he was and probably still is (according to Joey) in love with her. Thanks for the review and the support. I'm glad you liked the chapter.

Baby-Beky77: Everyone in the gang will reveal their true side soon. No more of this back and fourth crap. Sides will be taken. Mwa ha ha! Thanks for reviewing.

FallenAngelx3: Thank you for the compliment. That was very sweet of you. And thanks for the review.

American-Soldier-Kyo-Curtis: Yes. Cranking up the heat! Wha-hoo! Lol. Thanks for reviewing.

mushs-grl13: I know. How sad! It had to happen though. Thanks for reviewing.

Nellie: You'll find out soon. Thanks for reviewing.

ForzaAzzurri09: Lol. Thank you. I've been trying to put out as many chapters I could before school started. I tend to loose sight of just about everything when school starts. At this rate, I'll probably have it done by the time school comes. Which is like a week. I'm not promising anything but it seems like a reasonable goal and it appears to be the climax of the story right about now. I'm just bringing it to a slow closure. (With a few more surprises!) Thanks for reviewing.

Blondie 24-7: I know. But! I have a few good ideas and I think I KNOW what needs to be done. Thanks for reviewing.

Rugrats101: I know! That friends till the end thing didn't hold up too well did it? Lol. Thanks for reviewing again. I love hearing from you!

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I woke up around noon the next day. I didn't even bother feeling disgusted with myself. There was nothing I could do about the things I'd said and I was sick and tired of punishing myself when it didn't do any good.

I expected to be greeted by Dallas at some point in the next couple of days, or even Two-Bit, but I hadn't seen anyone from the gang for days. I expected word had spread of my unkind words to Soda and now everyone hated me.

Andy, Alex, and Nathan came around almost every day for a week after the movie. They all seemed uncomfortable about what had happened that night with Soda, but I told them to forget about it.

A few days later while we were sitting around my yard in the dark, Andy cleared his throat and waited for everyone to quit insulting each other and laughing before he started speaking.

"Um…Joey, there's something we really need to tell you." I had a feeling this had something to do with them paying for that movie we went to.

"Look, if this is about paying for that movie-"

"It is." Alex nodded his head.

"Don't bother telling me. It's none of my business what you guys do. All greasers do illegal things and I don't care." There was something more to it.

"No, but you will care when we tell you." Nathan looked sad as he shook his head and stood up.

"Come on, Joey," Nathan started, "we're going to show you something."

With that, they turned and lead the way down the road. Reluctantly, I followed them. I couldn't understand what was so bad about how they got that money. They probably thought I looked down on stealing or something. Either way, I was going to find out soon.

We walked for half an hour before I noticed we were slowly approaching soc territory.

"Guys…" Andy raised an eyebrow at me.

"We can't go over there…it's not safe for us."

Alex laughed a little. "I think we'll be alright."

The three boys lead the way. Eventually we stopped in front of a big white house. Nathan shoved his hands in his pockets as he nodded towards it.

It took me a few minutes, but then everything seemed to piece itself together.

"You live here?" I pointed an accusing finger at Nathan.

"No." He shook his head a little with a sad smile on his face.

Andy raised his hand as if to ask permission to speak. "I do."

"So you're telling me-"

"Yes. By Oklahoma standards, I am a soc." He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against a street post. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"And you two?" I was getting angry.

Alex and Nathan both pointed to big houses down the road.

"So all this time-"

"Joey,-" Andy looked helpless.

"No. You lied to me." I crossed my arms as I glared at each of them.

This time, Nathan spoke.

"Joey, you don't understand. Would you have ever said another word to us if we told you where we lived?"

"Yet, you thought I'd still talk to you after you lied to me for so long?" I shook my head as I turned around and began walking home. I felt betrayed.

I heard Nathan yell something at me as I walked away. I didn't hear what he said, but I made out the words 'dangerous', 'stubborn', and 'girl'. I didn't care. I was lied to.

After about ten minutes of walking, I felt horribly stupid for coming back alone. I crossed my arms over my chest as I cautiously looked over my shoulders. I was relieved when I got out of soc territory unharmed, but I wasn't as lucky on greaser turf.

I heard a low voice to my right. I quickly turned my head in that direction. Nothing. I picked up my pack a little as I kept looking over my shoulder. Perhaps I was being paranoid from all the stories I'd heard the guys tell about shady guys who liked to lurk around in packs at night.

The next voice I heard was defiantly close. I knew I wouldn't have time to turn around. I just sprang forward.

At that moment, I knew what Nathan was yelling about. He was telling me it wasn't safe to be walking alone. I wish I would have stayed long enough to hear him properly.

I had to give myself credit. I made it pretty far before they caught up with me. A tall, black haired guy with leather jacket grabbed my hair and jerked me backwards. I cried out in pain as another slammed me into a wire fence.

I couldn't stop the tears from spilling. All I could think was "I'm going to die." Over and over.

"Don't you know little things like you shouldn't be out this late?" One with especially greasy hair was close to me as he said this; I could smell his horrible breath. I felt like throwing up. I looked around me and counted six of them.

The taller one with the leather jacket brought a switchblade from his pocket and clicked it open. I gasped when it sprung out of the handle.

He laughed at me.

"I won't use it unless I have to."

I took this opportunity to knee the smelly one in the groin and push past the one with the blade. I got pretty far this time. I was so close to home, I could see the Curtis house.

My hair was yanked back again as I let out a scream.

Everything went in slow motion as I saw the Curtis door burst open and seven very familiar greasers pile out. They all ran towards us.

I was surprised beyond belief to see Soda leading the boys.

The fight was very short. The switchblade was knocked from 'leather jacket's hand and he was beaten senseless before he turned and scurried off with the rest of his boys.

At some point, I'd fallen onto the pavement. I pushed myself off of the ground and looked at the boys.

Darry, Steve, Pony, and Johnny turned and left. Two-Bit stood and shook his head a moment before following. I guess I lost Two-Bit when I said those things to Soda.

Soda stared at me angrily before he kicked the discarded switchblade so hard it flew and buried itself deep into a tree. With that, he turned in the opposite direction of his house and stormed off.

I looked to Dally to see he had taken out a cigarette and was leaning against a tree. I turned back to watch the retreating figures of Darry, Steve, Johnny, and Pony as they went back into the Curtis house. I guess I knew who my friends are. I could feel a few tears go down my face.

I looked back to Dally to watch him put out his cigarette. Surprisingly, he didn't look very sympathetic when he saw my face.

"What are you doing, Joey?" He sounded angry. I was scared. I'd never been on the receiving end of Dally's anger and I wasn't exactly enthused to be on it now.

"Dally-"

He shook his head and roughly grabbed my shoulders forcing me to watch Soda as he walked down the road.

"You see that?" He pointed his finger at Soda. I slowly nodded.

"You did that." He spun me back around to face him.

"Dally-" I tried again.

"You know what the difference between you and Soda is?" I shook my head 'no'.

"When he hurts you, he doesn't know you feel it. When you hurt him, you want him to feel it." He let go of my shoulders and leant back against the tree.

"No Dally, you haven't heard the things he's said to me-"

"It doesn't matter, Joey!" He looked furious and on the edge of hysterical. "What did you expect him to do after you were so harsh on him?" He shook his head. "You brought this on yourself, Joey. You've got to stop hurting yourself because you're setting a bad example for Soda." With that, he turned and walked into the Curtis house.

It took me a few minutes to figure out what he meant by setting a bad example, but I got it eventually. I was hurting myself by saying those things to Soda. Dally was trying to tell me that Soda was hurting himself, too.

I ran off in the direction Soda had gone.

I saw him walking with his hands in his pockets. His steps were long and fast. I could tell by his walk that he was still angry.

"Soda!" I approached him as he turned around.

"What do you want now?" He looked and sounded defeated.

"You remember my fourteenth birthday party?"

He sighed. "Joey-"

"Do you!" I had a point to make and I was most defiantly going to make it.

"Yes." He looked puzzled and angry.

"Do you remember saying something along the lines of, 'I've got to go. You don't mind do you?'" I mocked him as I stepped a bit closer. I watched in shock as Soda finally exploded.

"You want to know why I left?" I only gulped in response.

"I left because I couldn't stand to be around you and not have you!"

Then he began mocking me.

"You remember when I told you my girlfriend broke up with me that same night? I broke up with her because she wasn't the girl I wanted!"

I stared at him for a few seconds before I found my voice.

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" I was just barely managing to hold back the tears now. He looked at me incredulously.

"Because I was afraid you'd hurt my feelings…Because I was afraid you'd do what you're doing now!

I blinked a few times before I cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry." My voice sounded so small I felt like a child.

His eyes widened and he shook his head at me.

"You're sorry?" He glanced at me as I nodded my head.

"That doesn't change anything, Joey." Oh no. He was angry again.

"I said I was sorry." My voice croaked a bit as I repeated myself.

"You know what's sorry?" He shook his head again. "I was in love with my best friend and she shoved it in my face. But that's not the sorry part; the sorry part is I'm still in love with her and I hate her."

I stood there with my mouth open. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I broke up with Sandy the day after you came to the gas station. You were right. I was jealous and I couldn't be around Sandy anymore. I was already a wreck when we got to the movies, but you had to make it worse, didn't you?" He was yelling at this point.

I still couldn't do anything but watch with my mouth open.

"You knew I was in love with you can you called me pathetic!" He got closer and closer to me with every word so his voice would have an even bigger impact on me.

He paused for a moment before adding in a more calm, yet just as angry voice, "And you still have the nerve to say you're sorry."

After he said that, he turned and went back to his house. I could feel the top of my shirt getting soaked with tears as I watched him leave.

With my head down, I walked back home to go to bed.

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Well, Joey has managed to make herself 'friendless'. Let me know what you guys think.