Hey everyone. I would love to say that I own the Outsiders, but that would be a lie and lying is bad! Enjoy!

Chapter I (Darry's POV)

Ponyboy was staring out the window… again. He had been doing that for months now, ever since Soda left. No matter how much prodding and coaxing I did, he wouldn't snap out of it. But then, often I would catch myself doing the same thing.

It was two days 'til Christmas, and the weather was getting ruthless. It was becoming very cold, and they had to shut down our job sites due to rain. Oh, well I made due. The streets were becoming unbearable, but I still had Christmas shopping to do. Even though this Christmas was going to be nowhere near special, I couldn't let the guys go without something this year.

"Hey Pony, do you want to come shopping with me?" I asked him, trying to get some response out of him.

"No thanks, Dar. I'm ok." Pony said, still gazing out the window. I tried a different approach.

"Well, what do you want this year?"

Finally he turned around to face me, but it was with a resigned, yet sarcastic grimace on his face, "Besides that God-awful war to be over? Or somehow the whole world turns upside-down? I'm set." And he turned back to the window. Sadly I gathered up keys and headed to town.

I hate the mall, but it was a trip I had to make. I walked into the bookstore first, where I was immediately assaulted by cold air and the smell of paper. I didn't like shopping very long, so I plunged myself head-first into the classics section. After minutes of fruitless looking, I saw a book with a promising title: The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. I picked it up off the shelf and read the first page.

I was kind of amerced in the story when a voice in my ear almost made me jump.

"Don't buy him that one; it's the smallest book I can shoplift!" I turned around to find the one and only Two- Bit Matthews grinning at me.

"Jeeze, Two- Bit! You trying to give me a heart attack?" I scolded him playfully.

"No, but I am doing the same thing you are. The kid needs something special this year." He replied.

"You got that right." I agreed.

"Hey if you want to find him a good book, go one aisle over." Two- Bit said with a smile creeping over his face. I went one over, and had to roll my eyes. I had obviously stepped into the romance section. I walked back over to the classics where I found Two- Bit laughing his head off.

"Sorry…Darry…I just…couldn't help it!" He gasped through his laughter.

I said nothing, though allowed him a smile. I then went ahead to pick a book the traditional way: closed my eyes, turned around, and picked a random book. This one was called The Collective Works of O. Henry. I could afford it and it was long enough to entertain Ponyboy for a while, so I went to the checkout line, not before grabbing a very large car magazine for Steve. Two birds with one stone. I'm almost finished! I left the store with Two- Bit, who needless to say didn't get caught for shoplifting, and had to split up with him because he was the last one I had to shop for. Finding a small junk store, I went in, only to find the most perfect cheap gift for him: a Mickey Mouse coozie. My shopping was done, and I hadn't blown my wallet. I nearly ran out of the mall but was stopped by a display in the music store.

Front and center was a music book of Christmas songs. I didn't really want to go look at it, but it was tugging at my heart. There goes the extra money from my shopping budget. It had been a very long time since Pony touched the white and black keys on our mother's old upright piano, but this was just screaming his name, so I bought it. I'm going soft I thought. I finally left the store after what seemed like ages, but hey, at least I was finally leaving!