It had been a year since Sandy and Soda had broken up. One year since Johnny and Dally passed. The same amount of time since Bob Sheldon was killed.

Sandy had been over Soda since the day she left, so that wasn't an issue. A whole year had passed and Soda had just finally started getting over his beautiful blue eyed ex.

While nobody had gotten over Dallas Winston or Johnny Cade's deaths, including Cherry Valance, that girl was one step closer to getting over her ex-boyfriend's, Bob.

"I loved Bob!" She had gone around telling people all year, tears in her eyes. She'd spent the last year, 12 months of her life, depressed. She cried during classes, she cried herself to sleep, cried every other chance she saw.

Then one day, her friend Marcia took her into the DX to grab some Cokes. She saw a boy, a breathtaking boy with pure blue eyes and a movie star handsome face. She forgot all about Bob, and remembered an encounter with an old friend, Ponyboy Curtis.

"Your brother Sodapop, he works in a gasoline station? A DX? He's a doll." Soda was a boy she'd kept an eye on for years -she loved his smile, which had seemed to disappear in the past year- but never got very far with him, seeing as they'd both had significant others at the time.

For a while, it just seemed too soon. When Cherry finally stopped crying, soon after that DX visit, Sodapop's missing smile still hadn't returned. She went into that store weekly, smiling and making eye contact with the Greaser, flirting, flipping her hair, doing anything to make him know that she desperately needed someone. And she wanted him.

Sodapop's coworker, Steve thought it was weird. The way she stared at his buddy, how awkwardly she flirted.

"You look like a monkey," he'd say. She'd laugh, but be completely embarrassed on the inside.

"I do not," she'd fight back. Soda would laugh, but never gave her the sweet smile she craved the most. One day, he finally did.

Steve hadn't been there that day, it was his day off and Cherry had been in the store alone, buying some things for a sleepover she had planned with Marcia and some other girls.

When she tried to take her wallet out, Soda stopped her.

"It's on the house," he said. She raised an eyebrow. Did they do that at gas stations?

"Uh... Okay. Are you sure? I mean, I can afford it fine," she told him.

"What, you think I can't?" Soda asked. He didn't show any hurt, if that's what he thought she was saying.

"Oh. No, that's not what I meant at all," she said. Soda laughed.

Soda grinned at her.

"I know that. I was just teasin'," he said. He grinned again. But it was more of a grin. It was a smile.

"Oh... Okay," she said, smiling back at him, a bit shyly.

"So Cherry, I don't know if you'd uh... be interested, but if you are, what would you say about going on a date with me on Friday night... Say the Dingo, 8:00?" Soda asked her. Cherry could feel her heart beating in her chest, faster and harder than ever as she thought about this.

Am I ready for this? Am I really so over Bob and everything that's happened that I can do this? She wondered to herself. Then she looked up at this beautiful blue eyes. That smile that hadn't faltered yet.

"Yes." She told him. And his smile grew, becoming a bit brighter.

That night when Sods got home from work, his smile followed him.

"Guys, guys! Guess what?" He exclaimed as soon as he walked in the door. Darry immediately ran in, worried.

"I got a date for this Friday!" He exclaimed. Darry's heartbeat calmed down, thankfully. He'd been worried about his brother for as long as he could remember now, that he was so broken up about Sandy that he would never find someone else.

"That's great, Sodapop. Who's that?" He asked, smiling at his younger brother. The rest of the gang, Two-Bit, Steve and Ponyboy picked the best time they could to walk in... Right now.

"Cherry Valance. Man, she's a real catch," Soda daydreamed about his new girl. Silently, Ponyboy's eyes flared. Steve stayed silent, still thinking she looked like a monkey. Darry stood there, having no idea who this girl could possibly be. It was only Two-Bit, who know about the youngest Curtis Brother's fascination with this girl.

"Uh oh," he uttered quietly. Everyone turned to look at him. He looked down to where Ponyboy was standing, but noticed that he was already walking away. Into his room, away from where his own brother broke his trust.

"W-what's wrong, Two? Why is it an uh-oh?" He asked, his long lost smile once again disappearing.

"Little Curtis over there has a crush on your girl," he answered, pointing to Ponyboy. Soda's stomach dropped.

"H-he does? No he doesn't... I mean, he's never said anything to me about her before... He does not," he stuttered.

"Go talk to him," Two-Bit said to Soda, but Darry was already in there. He opened the door to find his youngest brother sitting in the bed, head in his hands. He wasn't crying, but he had a look of anger and hurt on his face.

"What's going on, Ponyboy?" He asked, somewhat rudely. He'd been so excited about Soda getting a girl, he didn't want anyone to ruin it. Ponyboy shook his head, not talking. The oldest Curtis brother rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.

"Ponyboy," he said a little bit calmer, putting a hand on his brother's back. Ponyboy sighed.

"You gonna talk to me or should I just leave?" Darry asked. When Pony didn't respond, Darry got up and left. Soda went in instead, hoping to calm his baby brother down.

"What's wrong, Little Colt?" He asked, using the nickname their father had given Pony as a baby.

"You stole my girl," he mumbled. Soda blinked a few times, confused and trying to figure out if that was really what his brother had just said.

"What?" He said after a moment.

"Cherry Valance. I've liked her practically forever..." Is all he said. Soda felt guilt rising in his chest. He never meant to hurt his brother!

"I... I'm sorry, Ponyboy. I didn't know," he said, putting an arm around his brother. Ponyboy didn't lean into him, or even move, didn't even respond.

"Ponyboy..." Soda said. Pony looked up, frowning at him.

"Yeah. Whatever," he said. Soda sighed, upset and guilty.

"Pony, why don't you take my date then? You've talked about her before. She was yours first... You should take her out instead," Soda said, giving up the girl that brought his smile back.

"Y-you mean that, Sodapop?" Ponyboy asked, stuttering a bit. Soda nodded, smiling at his brother. And that's when he realized it. He had let a girl take away his smile, and for so long he couldn't regain it. He thought it took Cherry Valance to get it back, but really, he had a brother at home who could do it much better.

"Really, Ponyboy. Brothers before broads, right?" He asked, chuckling.

A/N: So there's a one shot I started writing a long time ago, and wanted to finish up. Let me know what you thought! I'll have three requested imagines up, hopefully soon!