"What are you and your ghost friends and planning on doing today?" Ponyboy asked, making us cereal for breakfast.

"Keep it down, will ya?" I whispered. "Soda's still in the house, you know?"

"Soda'll sleep through anything. Once, he fell asleep on the couch making breakfast and nearly burned the house down. The alarm went off, didn't wake him, and we heard that the fireman could barely wake him up! They thought he died from the smoke."

"I'm a deep sleeper, but I'm not that hardcore." I laughed.

"Where are them ghosts anyways?"

"Not sure." I said, looking around. "They ain't here."

"Shucks." Pony said, handing me my bowl of cereal with a spoon. "Let me know when they come."

"Will do." I said, beginning my meal. "Shoot, I'll be right back." I left my cereal on the table and ran to my bedroom. I forgot to make the bed.

As soon as I got to the bedroom I found Johnny laying across my bed, leaning on his elbow with a rose in his mouth.

"Johnny?" I giggled, getting sidetracked on this rare sight. "Whatcha doing?"

"I-uh-" he looked like he was glancing at him palm, "I'm here for you, baby." He said, with the rose still clenched between his teeth.

"With the rose?" I asked.

"My undying-undying..." He tried to bring his palm closer to his face discreetly, but it wasn't working. "Love for you." He grabbed the rose and put it in my hands.

"Awe, so sweet." I smiled and smelled it. "It smells good."

"Yeah, it smells like you." He tried to wink, but unsuccessfully.

"What's all this for?" I asked.

"It's for..." he tried to read his palm again. "For... ugh, Dally, I feel stupid." He looked past me. I turned around and Dally slowly appeared, leaning against the wall. Crossing his arms.

"It wasn't working because you weren't doing it right." He rolled his eyes. "And please, never wink again. It's gonna give me nightmares just thinking about it."

"Seriously, why are you taking advice from Dally?" I laughed.

"I wanted to ask you out of a date." He said, twirling the rose in his hand.

"A date? Was that what this is all about?" I giggled and took the rose back. "All you gotta do is ask."

"I needed Dally's dating advice." He said. "He's landed more gals than Two Bit!"

"You don't need Dally's terrible advice to ask me out." I giggled.

"My advise ain't terrible!" Dally defended. "Johnny is just bad at delivering."

"I know that." Johnny sheepishly looked down at the floor. "I just wanted it to be perfect. That's all."

"Then ask me. The Johnny way."

"Riley, will you go out with me?" Johnny held my hands weakly. Well, he tried, I had to keep my hands up to jeep the illusion alive.

"Yes, I will." I smiled.

"See!" Dally interrupted. "That ain't so hard."

"Hush up." I snickered. "You boys hungry?"

"I ain't eaten nothing since fall." Dally snickered. "We don't eat."

"Fine, then watch me eat." I laughed and jumped out of the room. I slide back down at the table and began eating my cereal. Pony sat across from me and slurped his milk.

"They're here." I said in a singsong voice, watching the boys sit on either side of Pony.

"Hi, guys." Pony said, clearing his throat. He didn't seem too convinced that I was telling the truth yet.

The boys said, "hey", so I repeated it for Pony.

"Where do you want to go for our date?" Johnny asked nervously.

"Not sure," I responded. "You can choose."

"What?" Pony asked.

"Not talking to you." I laughed.

"We could go to the Nightly Double, or something."

"Is there anything else to do besides go to that outdoor movie theater?" I chuckled.

"Hm, I guess not." Johnny laughed.

"Then it sounds good." I blushed.

"Whatcha talking about?" Pony asked, intrigued.

"Johnny and the girl are going on a date." Dally said.

"Johnny and I are going on a date." I said.

"What?" Pony asked with an uneasy chuckle.

"Johnny asked me out, I said yes." I explained.

"Yeah, but," Pony leaned forward and started whispering, "he's a ghost."

"Yeah," I whispered, "what's your point?"

"It just doesn't seem possible."

"They can hear you, you know, why are we whispering?" I chuckled. Dally and Johnny were leaning in on our conversation.

"Well," Pony leaned back into his chair and started talking with a normal voice. "I bet y'all make make it work. Way to go, Johnnycakes."

Pony looked to one chair next to him and lifted his arm up to give a thumbs up.

"Other chair, Pony." I chuckled. Pony got embarrassed and gave his thumbs up facing Johnny.

"Thanks, bud." Johnny slapped Ponys shoulder and Pony shivered.

"You okay?" I laughed.

"I just got super cold on my back." He cracked his back. "Must be a breeze.

"That was Johnny." I said. "He patted your shoulder."

"Shit, that was freezing." He made a face.