The Curtis house was buzzing as usual. The sound of a baseball game on the old TV mingled with the smell of bacon frying in the kitchen. Ponyboy was on the couch, flipping through a book while Soda was trying to convince him to join a card game.

You were sitting at the kitchen table, peeling an orange and half-listening to the banter when the front door swung open with a dramatic flourish.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the life of the party has arrived!" Twobit announced, strutting in like he owned the place.

"More like the reason for the chaos," Darry muttered from the stove, though there was a faint smile on his face.

Twobit ignored him, flopping into the chair across from you. "(Y/N), thank God you're here. I was starting to think this house was a black hole of boredom." You raised an eyebrow. "And you think I'm going to make it less boring?"

“Of course," Twobit said, grabbing an orange slice from your plate.

“You've got the brains, the charm, and-most importantly-you don't yell at me like Darry does."

“Because (Y/N) has common sense," Darry said, setting a plate of bacon on the table.

Twobit grabbed a piece before you could protest, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied grin. "So, what's the plan for today? Please tell me it doesn't involve chores or anything remotely productive."

You rolled your eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at your lips. "I was actually thinking about heading to the lot later.”

Twobit perked up. "Now that's more like it. I'll bring my trusty switchblade—no one can outflip me."

“Except for the time you flipped it into your own shoe," Ponyboy chimed in from the couch.

“Hey, that was strategy," Twobit shot back. "Gotta keep my enemies on their toes."

You laughed, shaking your head. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

“And proud of it," Twobit said with a mock bow. "But seriously, (Y/N), let's head to the lot. I'll show you some moves, and maybe we'll run into Dallas and Johnny."