PONYBOY ISNT GAY! THAT WOULD UPSET THE FANGIRLS, IT WOULD REALLY UPSET THE FANGIRLS!
HOW COULD YOU MAKE PONYBOY LIKE GUYS?! IT IS SO WRONG...SO SICK...IT JUST ISNT RIGHT!!

NOT RIGHT I TELL YOU!

*gets dragged away by security*

*faintly in the distance you hear:*

it aint right!!

So... why'd it stop there?

I think you did a great job with this. Knowing about the insecurities and self-doubts that homosexual people have to deal with, even in this somewhat accepting day and age, I can only imagine how much harder it would have been back then for a boy just coming-of-age to realize that he is set apart from the mainstream in such a way. And the culture of fear was so strong back then, the internal struggle must have been pretty devastating , especially for a sensitive kid like Pony who wanted so much to find his place in things. All of a sudden his idea of what his place is has just become blurry and that must be very frightening.

I think you got his inner voice down perfectly.

I would like to read more!

YOU GOTTA UPDATE!! i love this!! :))

Hey, look! A review from Birdie! :D

As I've told you already, this is fantastic. I love your characterization of Ponyboy and Nicky. Nobody's OOC, and everything's perfectly realistic. Pony's battling his own feelings, as well as feeling totally confused, which is how he *should* be feeling.

You've got everything down to a T ...there's not much else I can except fantastic job! :D

-- Birdie (Ana)

i think the story is great i cant wait for the next one

I could have sworn I’d already reviewed this before! Did I maybe on the boards or something? Well, I know I’ve read up until the 3rd chapter at least. Yikes … so many stories to catch up on lol.

I’m definitely liking the pacing of it so far, and the fact that it’s less action and mostly and internal struggle that Ponyboy’s facing. I like how Ponyboy’s control is slowly slipping – it makes up for the minimal “action” lol. There’s plenty of interesting things going on inside Ponyboy’s head; with too much external activity, it’d be an overload, so I think you’ve struck a good pace with this story. With someone less reflective, I can see it being possible that acting on unconscious desires brings the issue to light, but for someone as dreamy and intuitive as Ponyboy, it certainly makes sense that he would be analyzing every little detail and come to a realization based on how he feels and thinks, not on the way he’s acted in the past (I’m thinking of the stories where one of the gang muses that he’s never really enjoyed sex with girls, and he always seems to think about a certain guy when doing anything sexual – it’s after the fact). I do hope he acts on something soon, or someone else acts on it, lol, before he gets too wrapped up in denial and fear to do anything.

I’m liking the focus on Ponyboy’s thoughts, and the contrasts between the limited activity and the flurry of thoughts that follows lol – I’m thinking of things like Nicky brushing against him, and then a whole slew of thoughts following that lol. I think you can continue to play this up a lot, along with the fact that this is a personal exploration, rather than an act of sex (there’s, um, plenty of those kinds of slash fics out there lol).

I’m also kind of hopeful that if a romance does develop, aside from Ponyboy’s solo musings, you will go the romantic route, rather than the purely physical – you seem to be heading there already, developing a friendship between Nicky and Ponyboy first off. I like seeing their interactions alone – those are hands-down my favourite parts of most romances. I like that there’s a good balance between these scenes, and Ponyboy thinking alone.

I really liked that bit about the creepy video – it’s so weird to think that it was only 50 or so years ago that stuff like this was actually taught in schools. I’m liking, of course, that you’ve done exceptional research. You’d be able to write a slash fic that’s ten times more believable than most without research anyway lol, but I’m glad to see you’re going the extra mile with it.

I like the equation of Randy the Soc with Randy the Straight lol. It just emphasizes the theme of the novel about feeling like an Outsider. It’s one of the reasons why I think slash fics would have a bit of an edge in this fandom. There’s so much to work with that way, the irony of being an outsider even amongst outsiders by being a gay greaser. They too often get overlooked, but obviously, I’m not surprised that you’ve decided to deal with it lol.

I also like the fact that Ponyboy lashes out trying to make someone else an outsider in order to take the heat off of him. I think that’s a great reaction, because it’s such an unattractive thing, yet so human. It’s another great thing that adds to the realism of this story, slash or not. I loved this line:

“At least Ponyboy had had control over something so far that day.”

A couple of suggestions: Watch out, sometimes I think you have a bit of a tendency to over-tell, sometimes with things that we already know, like this line from Chapter 3:

“Well, y’all sort of know I had a rough patch with Sandy and she ain’t in Tulsa.”

The Curtis brothers all know this, and the readers know this. Plus, it doesn’t really have bearing on what he says afterwards about seeing the girl. I don’t think it’s necessary for him to have to remind his brothers that he’s no longer dating Sandy.

Also, a smaller nitpick; in an era where you can’t even wear jeans to school, I imagine Nicholas would have faced some punishment, or even been sent home or somehow made to cover it, for wearing a paint splattered shirt. Maybe it could be an undershirt – not like underwear, but an underlayer, since it’s cold outside? – that Pony notices only when he gets closer, because Pony’s watching Nicky pretty closely after all lol.

Altogether this fic is shaping up nicely. I’m loving the negative changes that Ponyboy’s having to deal with in his personality as a result of trying to deny his feelings; the introspective route is a fairly untapped one for a slash fic, and I think you’re doing a great job of it so far.

This is a good story. I'm working on a fanfiction of my own. Check it out when you have the time to read it. Please continue writing.

Well, with any luck he can claimed that He Just Discovered A Certain Girl, and the guy teachers might cut him a little slack. Then again, Ponyboy's not the type to lie; though a muttered comment, "I was thinking about someone" might pass, if he didn't mind most people making assumptions he was straight.

Poor kid. My husband (a teacher) has the Walking Hormones (of any gender/preference) in his classes all the time (he once taught 7th grade math and nothing else for one year, and thought he ought to find a way to ban puberty).

Good chapter.

This chapter was brilliant. I love Pony's self-almost-hate, and I can just imagine him mentally cursing whenever Nicky touches him. Him lashing out at Randy was also perfect - Pony seems like the kind to do that, actually, and he does seem like the kind to avoid a problem, AKA Nicky.
I love how the stories developing. I'm getting this feeling that something is gonna come from Nicky's dad owning a bar... or maybe that's just a blatant hint, wink wink.
Loved it, and can't wait for the next.

I'm getting curious now as to how Pony's going to start approaching the whole thing ... when he's going to act on it, if he's going to, is he going to say anything to Nicky.

Then, of course, what Nicky's reaction will be .. he IS a free spirit (based on 'Purpose for Being') so who knows? ;)

This was really good. Ponyboy's conflicted emotions are building up a the tension well. The way he acted with Randy was great, and it took me right back to the way he'd acted in the book after the movie - when he got tense and angry about Darry, he lashed out at Johnny. Nice job, that reaction fit really well here.

A also enjoyed the subtle humor of the chapter. He made an executive decision - that and the CIA analogy cracked me up.

Liz

I like that Pony's being a jerk in this chapter, especially with regards to Randy. I know the events of the book changed him, but I think, like everyone else, he would have moments of being out of sorts and do things like that.

I like the way the relationship is developing.

This story is very, very promising. I love that everybody is IC. I love that it's slash.

THANK YOU PLS. You can help save our Slash community... Set the standard, raise the bar! :D

Wow. This is... wow. You can get the very occasionaly, PRETTY well-written slash fic online, but there's always something wrong with them. The entire gang is gay, the relationship is too rushed, everybody's fine with whoever being gay... the list goes on and on.

This one, however, isn't like that. I love how slowly it's moving, and Nicky seems like a great character. The jealousy is also good, as well as Pony's denial. Keep up the good work!

It is so refreshing to see a slash fic in which they do not immediately get together but more importantly, one that is well-written.
Your pacing is great, I love all the little details that make it realistic, like in chapter two with the film. You've clearly paid a lot of attention to research and the context as well of the time you're writing in, including attitudes to homosexuality.
You're keeping all the characters in character and they feel like the guys from the book.
Great job, HK.