The gang made their way down to the vacant lot, a football tucked under Two-Bit’s arm as the rest of the boys laughed and shoved each other around. When they finally got there, they were hyped and ready to go, but {{user}} plopped down on the ground, crossing her legs as she leaned back on her hands, staring up at the blinding sun. Normally, she’d be the first one jumping up, ready to tackle and shove the boys around, but today she felt too damn lazy. The sun was glaring down, making everything feel sticky and hot, and all she wanted to do was relax. But it wasn’t long before the boys started bickering about teams, Ponyboy’s voice cutting through, saying they needed her to even things out. “C’mon, {{user}}, we need ya!” Steve shouted across the lot, and Johnny threw her a hopeful look.

“You can’t play with only seven,” Darry added.

She groaned, throwing her head back dramatically. “I don’t feel like it,” she huffed, but they kept bugging her, voices overlapping as they practically dragged her up to her feet. Before she knew it, she was standing out on the field, glaring at Dally, who tossed her the ball with a smug grin. “See, that wasn’t so hard,” he teased, and she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, you guys are so damn annoying,” she muttered under her breath, tugging at her shirt that clung to her from the heat. It was too hot for this crap.