Not What It Seems ||An Outsiders Fanfiction||

Chapter 13

This is kind of a fun chapter.

"Darry, how'd you know?" I ask my brother on New Years Eve. We're all sitting around watching The Dick Van Dyke Show, waiting for midnight. I'm sitting on the arm of Darry's chair, trying to get him to tell me how he figured out my sexuality before I told him. I just can't seem to figure it out, I thought I hid it well enough. But then I look at Leesha, sitting on the left side of the couch, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, her hair perfectly curly, no makeup on, her brown eyes shimmering, and I wonder how I ever hid it in the first place.

Ponyboy's sitting next to her, in the middle seat of the couch, his right arm around a girl, who he had to beg Darry for over an hour before he decided she could come over. Two-Bit's laying on the floor in front of the couch, so close that if someone wanted to get up, he'd be a rug. Soda and Steve sit by his head, Johnny and Dally rest on the floor too, by his feet.

"Honestly, Ana, how could I not have known?" He responds. I sigh.

"That's not what I meant... I mean, it is... I just... I thought I hid it so well!" I say, trying not to get too loud, but actually really upset. He laughs, making me feel worse.

"If you calm down, I'll tell you," he says. So I take a deep breath. "You did hide it well. So well, in fact, that I don't even think Ponyboy or Soda knew. Dally might've, seeing as you must have talked to him before," he starts, and I almost feel like there's a hint of hurt in his voice.

"I didn't," I interrupt him. "He told me about him first, before Johnny even, but I never said anything to him about me. I... I wanted either for you to find our first, or for all of you to hear it at the same time." He nods, but goes onto the question at hand while I sit and wonder what I said, what I did, for him to recognize that I'm not straight.

"Do you remember Jessa?" He asks me. I nod. Of course I do. That was his first girlfriend, the one with the wavy blonde hair and gorgeous green eyes, the one I'd fanaticized being with when I was younger, the one I felt my heart tear for when Darry kissed her instead of her kissing me, the one that I thought I was jealous of because she was taking my brother away from me, but instead I was jealous of my brother for because he was the one that got her.

"I saw the way you looked at her. The way you looked at us when we were together, like you were jealous. I recognized that way that when we played football with the gang, she just wanted to watch me, while you got right in. The way you watched her while we played, wondering if she was bored or having fun," he says.

"So I like sports. Big deal," I respond. He squeezes my hand.

"It's not about the sport," he says, but I give him a look to say that I don't understand.

"It's about the way that even though you loved playing them so much, you still quit the game to go sit with her when she got bored. And how I'll always remember that you acted different around her than your other friends," he explains. I decide that actually makes sense, but is that enough? So I acted different around some girl than my friends. So what? I was 12, and she was my brother's girlfriend. How was I supposed to ask?

"What else?" I ask him, interested in how he figured it all out. It couldn't have been from just that. He smiles.

"Lots of stuff... You remember my old friend Paul?" He asks. I remember him too. But he doesn't answer, because Ponyboy interrupts him, and loudly, at that.

"Turn on Doctor Who, guys. Channel 5. There should be a new episode on soon," Ponyboy shouts across the room, to Darry, who has the remote. He doesn't move.

"Nah, that show sucks, Ponyboy. Why don't we watch The Flintstones instead?" Two-Bit exclaims, his eyes lighting up at the mention of one of his favorite animated shows.

"Awe, c'mon, Two-Bit. If I miss one episode of that show, I'm out for the season!" Ponyboy says. Soda rolls his eyes.

"That's not fair, though, Ponyboy. Nobody likes that show but you," he says. Ponyboy frowns, crossing his arms.

"Yeah. Be out for the season, Pony. It might do us a favor," Two-Bit says. "That way we can watch The Flintstones.

"What's wrong with William Hartnell?" Ponyboy asks, while Dally yells over him, "Nobody else wants to watch the fucking Flintstones, man!"

"Nothing Pony," Soda says, sighing, "We just don't like the show. We didn't say anything about the actor." It's a good thing Darry has the remote in my hand, otherwise there would be a wrestling match right about now. Two-Bit against Ponyboy, and Dally would probably join in, too. There would probably be blood.

"Don't give anyone the remote," I whisper to Darry. He nods.

"What else is on, guys?" I ask, trying to make Ponyboy feel better. Maybe we could find something we all like.

"The Flintstones!" Two-Bit yells. We all roll our eyes.

"Two-Bit, are you five?" Dally asks. Which, I think is a stupid question. I mean, have you seen this guy? He walks around in Mickey shirts cracking jokes all day. If it weren't for how tall he is, people would probably mistake him for that young just by his personality.

"Shut it, Dal. I'm sure you like some shows we could make fun of too," Two-Bit fires back without even a second of thought.

"I have an idea, guys," Darry says. We all look at him.

"Leesha, you're a guest here. What do you want to watch?" She looks at the clock.

"Bewitched is on in five. Anyone else wanna watch that?" She asks. I nod, it's one of my favorite shows.

"I love that show!" Faith, Ponyboy's girl says, moving a lock of long brown hair out of her face. Pony gives her a look of fake hurt.

"I would watch Doctor Who with you, Ponyboy. But nobody else wants to. I'm sure we could find something else that you like," she says. He kisses her cheek.

"Nah, we can watch Bewitched. That okay with everyone else?" Johnny mumbles a "yeah," while Two-Bit yells in defeat, Dally shrugs, and Steve sighs, probably because he's being forced to watch a girl show. No response from Soda, he probably doesn't even care.

"So about Paul?" I say, turning back to Darry.

"Yeah, but first... Soda said he saw you kissing a girl at that club a few days ago, and it definitely wasn't Leesha. Does she know about this?" My heart stops.

A/N: New Years Eve part one! That's why there's a cliffhanger. There's only a few more chapters left, because Ana and Leesha have to go back to school! 😉 I also thought it would be fun to use shows that were on in the 60s, so since this is New Years Eve, 1964, these are all shows that were on that year. Bewitched started that year, but Doctor Who and Dick Van Dyke were both before. I think The Flintstones was either '63 or '64! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!! :)

Also, let's welcome Faith_Destler to this story as Ponyboy's girlfriend!