Young Blood ⏤ Ponyboy Curtis | ✓

28 | new beginnings

Billie nods her head, watching Lloyd continue to flick Scott's ear with distaste.

Ponyboy then adds, "Lloyd doesn't like me as it is and I didn't want to give him a reason for a fight."

Billie turns to Ponyboy. "Being sensible for once, are we?" Her lips curl upwards into a teasing smile.

Ponyboy ducks his head. "I'm trying to be. For Darry and Sodapop." He then adds, "well, Darry mostly. He's probably gonna start getting grey hairs by thirty because of me."

"It's always the youngest that keeps everybody on their toes," Billie says, "just look at Curly."

"I didn't know you were born first," Ponyboy replies, a look of surprise on his face.

"Yeah, I am. Why?" From the surprised look on Ponyboy's face, Billie doesn't like where this is going.

"Oh, it's nothing." Ponyboy shakes his head. "I probably heard Curly wrong."

"Did Curly tell you he's the older twin?" Billie asks. When Ponyboy nods his head, Billie bursts into a fit of laughter. "What a liar! I'm older than him by a minute and a half."

Ponyboy starts laughing too. He nudges Billie in the side, "hey, you should ask Curly's friends if he's told me the same thing."

Billie nods her head and calls out to Scott. "Hey," she starts innocently, "did Curly tell you who was the older twin?"

"Curly said he was older," Dean answers immediately.

Billie and Ponyboy exchange a look before they burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Dean asks, frowning slightly.

Billie shakes her head as she stops laughing. "Curly's a rotten liar, that's what's funny! I'm older than him."

"What?" Scott, Dean and Lloyd all cry out in unison. Then, they all start laughing, too.

"So," Scott manages to get out in between laughs, "Curly lied to us about being older? What an idiot."

Dean adds, "I can't wait to rub this in his face when he's out of reform school." Dean clutches his side as he continues to laugh.

Lloyd narrows his eyes at Billie. "So you're really older? Not Curly?"

Billie nods her head. "That's what I said."

Lloyd scoffs. "Who the hell lies about being older than their twin?"

"Curly, that's who!" Dean cries out as he and Scott burst into another round of laughter.

"Curly's gonna freak when he finds out you've told his friends," Ponyboy tells Billie as he adjusts the blanket around them.

"Lucky that's not for another eleven months," Billie replies, shuffling under blanket so it covered her up from the icy night chill. "You know, I'm starting to think that being out there isn't that good for an idea."

Billie and Ponyboy look around, noticing everybody shivering under blankets and hearing the sound of teeth chattering. "How about we go inside? It's too cold to be out here," Billie suggests.

Laura immediately jumps up, happy to be escaping the cold. "Sounds good to me."

"Let's head to our's," Dean says, standing up also and folding his blanket. "It's the closest from here."

Hazel was happy to see the teenagers as she ushered them inside, telling them to make themselves at home. "How about I make you all some hot chocolate?" She asks, receiving grateful smiles in return. Dean and Scott leave the living room to help Hazel in the kitchen, while the rest crowd around the television, watching the countdown to the new year.