ANNALISE | Dallas Winston

twenty-five

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tired, we get out of the water and collect the picnic stuff. we take it and throw it in the car, then lie in the grass, trying to dry off.

we don't say much. we just watch the clouds as they pass. i think about how much i love and care for him.

i wonder if it's possible that he could love me as much as i love him. i wonder if it's possible that i could ever receive the love that i give away so easily.

he leans over, propping up on his elbow and resting his head on his hand, looking at me.

"what is it?" i ask, giggling at his sudden interest.

he purses his lips, then smiles. "our day isn't over yet."

"what do you mean by that?" i ask, now sitting with my legs crossed.

"were gonna go back to my place, get changed and then do somethin else that i got planned."

knowing that school will be over soon, and i won't make it there in time for soda to pick me up with pony, plus i'm soaked anyway so it's obvious i wasn't there, i agree.

"being grounded even longer better be worth it after today" i tease, knowing it already would've been worth it.

"oh, you didn't have fun?" he asks sarcastically.

i laugh and punch him in the shoulder. he gets up, then offers out a hand for me.

i take it and we get back in his car and head off. we ride to bucks and walk inside, both of us still pretty damp.

we go upstairs and he throws on new clothing. i turn to the wall as he does so. once he's finished, i turn back around.

his hair still wet sits messily on his face. while he's rummaging through his drawers to try and find clothes for me, he looks over.

"what?" he asks, referencing to my smile while staring at him.

"nothin, you just look..pretty" i say, shrugging.

he furrows his eyes brows and closes his drawer. "pretty?" he says confused. i nod. "oh, screw off, curtis."

we begin walking to my place since we couldn't find anything for me to wear. he doesn't have any pants for me, and it's too cold for just a t-shirt, plus it'd be odd walking around with just that.

dallas noticed me shivering on the walk to my place, cause the wind was blowing and my clothes were still wet.

he put his leather jacket on me and then wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him as we walked.

"my brothers are gonna kill me.." i say as we walk inside the gate.

"just go through your window" he suggests.

"i cant, i locked it."

he bites his lower lip. "then i'll go in with you" he says as he grabs my hand and begins walking toward the door.

i pull away quickly, making him look at me oddly. "i still haven't told darry, sorry."

he hums, then opens the door. i walk in first.

"annalise marie curtis! where the hell have you been?!" darry shouts as he quickly turns over to us when the door opens.

ponyboy and sodapop stand up from the couch. darry stomps over, sizing up dallas.

"you skipping with dallas now? what the hell did i tell you, little girl?" he yells, getting in my face.

i hate that he calls me that. i'm not much younger than sodapop. "no wonder you're getting beat, hanging around dallas. maybe it'll knock some sense into ya!" he yells, flicking my head. "i don't seem to be the one doin it for ya!"

dallas would usually say something, if this was anyone else talking to his girl like that. darry is really the only person he's intimidated by.

i don't think he'd say anything even if he wasn't afraid of him. darry's gotten him out a lot of shit. he knows better.

"get outta here, dallas" he says, pointing toward the door. i look up at him, and he gives me a sympathetic smile. he does as darry's says, but i doubt he goes far.

he slams the door shut after dallas leaves. "all this hanging around dallas, why the sudden interest? just cause johnny died? he's a big boy, he can handle it himself!" he continues shouting.

i'd had enough of it. it's nearly everyday i'm getting lectured by him lately.

"cut it out, darry!" i yell back "i know i messed up, but i had fun! christ, dal and i had more fun that i've had in months! and don't you dare say that about him, he tried ending his life just cause johnny died! how could you think he'd be able to handle this himself?!"

soda walks over, putting his hands on my shoulders, trying to calm me down. i push him off of me. "if it weren't for me, dallas would still be slumped up in his room. and god, who knows, maybe we would've lost him from how bad he'd been doing even after the hospital."

"do you not get it into your head, annalise? you are my kid sister, you don't get to talk to me like that! i'm just trying to help you! being around him is a bad idea."

i roll my eyes "i'm so sick of you constantly yelling at me, telling me what to do with my life and who to hang around. who else would've helped him?! none of you seem to care enough!"

"why do you think that? of course we care. we were giving him his own time to come around, annalise. we've helped him with everything he's asked us to. i don't want you to be around him anymore. he's too messed up."

it fills me with rage when he says this. dallas isn't messed up, he's hurt. it's a hurt that none of us would be able to understand, he's gone through more than any of us could imagine.

grew up on a real bad side of new york, first time in jail at 10, his parents never really caring about him or showing him how to love.

"fuck you, darry!" i scream, punching his chest "i love him, i love him, i love him!" i yell, continuing to hit him.

soda pulls me back, and drags me to my room. darry just watches with his arms crossed.