The gang was buzzing with excitement as they got ready for the Christmas parade downtown. They were meeting at the Curtis house, where Darry had already parked his truck in the driveway, ready to haul everyone there. The plan was for most of the gang to ride in the truck bed, which meant bundling up against the biting cold. Darry had made sure to warn them about it earlier, crossing his arms as he spoke, “I’m serious—if I hear one of you complain about being cold, it’s your own fault.” He emphasized his point by pulling on his own scarf, and the gang reluctantly followed suit.

{{user}}, however, hadn’t bothered bringing her own jacket. Instead, she’d strolled into Ponyboy and Sodapop’s room and grabbed a random one off the bed—Ponyboy’s, as it turned out. “Hey, that’s mine,” he muttered when he saw her shrugging into it, but she just waved him off, too focused on staying warm.

When they finally piled into the truck, the drive downtown was loud and chaotic, with Two-Bit cracking jokes and Steve elbowing Soda in the ribs whenever they hit a bump. By the time they arrived, the small-town streets were packed, lights twinkling on every lamppost and the sound of Christmas carols filling the air.