Rough Edges | The Outsiders

Chapter 3

The warm air of the summer felt like a slap against my face, it was relaxing and soothing, yet too hot for me. I had my bathing suit on underneath my clothes, ready to go to the beach alone. Usual for me, I'm not someone to hang out with people except Sodapop and Tana, they're both my best friends.

I looked over at the park across the street from my house, someone sat against the tree, they looked tall. I sauntered towards them. "Winston?"
He looked straight up at me and smiled slightly, a cute soft smile. "Hi" he said, making my heart feel like melting, he sounded like a child, so sweet and happy. "I saw you walk this way, Tiny"
"You're stalking me"
"Who the hell wouldn't, baby"

My face turned beat red, I had a personal stalker, one that I've been admiring for a while, one I have never talked to a day in my life. "You're a psychopath Dallas!"
    "Ok Mrs Feisty. You got a name or somethin'?"
    "You wouldn't use my name anyways"
    "Are you wanting to give me a headache?"
    "Laura, Laura Amero"
    "Laura" he repeated

    I started walking away, I was embarrassed by my stupid introduction. I was rude and bland, barely said shit.
    "Ti- Laura, wait up!" Dallas said, he started running towards me, it was surprising, he never chases after women, he lets them chase after him.
    "What ya want Dallas"
    "Don't need to be a bitch. Where ya off to?"
    "The beach, let me guess before you start speaking. 'Oh wow! The beach, I'll see your barely covered titties!'" I mocked
    "Yeah, nice tits smartass."

    I stopped in my tracks and stared at him, my eyes filled to the brim with anger and embarrassment. I knew this is how he acted, but I had the great idea I could change him.
    "All I want is a friend, that's a girl. Not a hookup."
    "So you chose me?" I have the great idea that I can change him.
    "You rather some nice hunk that plays basketball?"
    "Ha, my best friend is a greaser"
    "Really? Wow, a girl like you and a greaser"
    "In my mothers words, I am a greaser. But why don't we just add the worst greaser of all to my greaser friend collection"
    "Sass mouth"
    "Shut up, Dallas"
   
    The sand wiggled beneath my toes, Dallas sat on the sand only in his jeans, his abs completely out, he looked strong and beautiful, almost like he was my personal bodyguard. His jawline was perfect, his eyes squinting from the sun were perfect too, his lips looked so soft, I wanted to just kiss them.

    "What's your favourite colour, Tiny?" He asked, looking over at me.
    "Mint Green and please, call me Laura or L"
    "L? For loser?" Dallas joked

    "See you around Loser" "I'm the loser? You're the one that's a dropout!" "I'm the loser, you're the one that's a dropout, mi mi mi mi" "haha, bye Sodapop!"

    "I'll call you loser from now on, but Tiny fits you better, Loser does too. I'll mix both"
    "No, loser is what my other friend calls me, it's his thing. I don't want you taking it, you gotta understand"
    "Yeah, no wonder, I've seen you around, the only person you hangout with is that DX kid and that blonde broad"
    "Oh shut up, I have more friends, they just aren't worthy to hang out with"
    "Nice excuse"
    "It's not an excuse"
    "So I guess I am hangout worthy"
    "Well there's no other way for me to get to know you, we're friends right?" Dallas looked back at me with soft and sweet eyes, almost like I broke down a wall he's been holding up for ages.
    "You're different kid."
    "Not really" I laughed.

    I missed having Dallas around as I walked home, not that I was lonely, I just needed someone to hold me while I cried.

    Ambulances surrounded my house, people crowding around from neighboring houses. I ran past the ambulances into my house, what happened?
    "Owen!"
    "Laura.."
    "What the hell is going on?" I asked.
    Owen didn't answer, he stood there in a frozen silence.
    "Grandpa.. He.. He's dead"

    My body froze, he never did anyone wrong. He was the only one in our family, besides Owen and I who still cared for Aunt Marie. He's the only want who wouldn't shower me in compliments, he had his reasons not to 'I don't like excessively complimenting people, Laur Bear, people end up becoming full of themselves by getting all that attention.'

    Laur Bear, I thought, the nickname he gave me because I was a clingy kid and would attach myself onto my family's legs like a koala bear. No one would ever call me Laur Bear again. Dallas could call me Laur Bear... No... that was my grandpa's thing.

    I called Sodapop, I needed him. He knew how to make me feel better, he always did, he knew me like the back of his hand, we just knew each other.

    "Laura?"
    "Sodapop!" I cried, I sat on the cold tiles of the bathroom, I felt sorrowful, gone.
"Hey, it's going to be alright"
"Like you'd know."
"Laura, I have a baby and a man who only breaks behind the scenes for brothers, if I know how to handle them after our parents passed, I sure know how to handle you after whatever the hell is going on." Sodapop said, he pulled me in for a loose hug, my body wouldn't cooperate, I wouldn't cooperate, I felt frozen, limber, numb.

"My grandpa is dead. Dead Sodapop! DEAD!" I screamed. He flinched a little, I wouldn't blame him, I screamed right in his ear. "I barely ever see him, but he loved me, he was the person that I could actually agree with, besides owen. He believed in me, that I could do anything, that I could see the world!"
"Laura, you'll make it through, you're amazing and strong. You have a heart full of love and longing for things, don't let death stop your curiosity, he'll watch down on you forever."

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Author's note:
Thank you so much for reading my story! It gets better from here, I promise.
(It's kind of flopping :(, so far, we will see)

-Kya