Inconsquential Love ((Part Two))

Part 14

Vera's P.O.V.

I hold onto Dally tightly on the back of his bike as the wind whips through my air and makes me feel electric. I was scared at first and grabbing onto him for dear life but after a while, once my body got used to the thrill of it I couldn't stop laughing. I could feel Dally laughing too as I screamed every time he took a sharp turn or revved the engine. This was wild. This was amazing. After the day I had, I definitely needed something like this to make me feel okay again - to pick me back up.

He stopped at a deserted little field and I instantly knew where we were. As he kicked off the engine the world got still and quiet again. "Oh my gosh." I exhaled. "It's totally gone." The drive-in theater was a vast wasteland of nothingness. Dally mounted the bike and stepped off, offering his hand to me as I less than gracefully got off the bike - tumbling into him a little as he helped straighten me out again. I smoothed down my hair and clothes to the best of my ability as I stepped out, looking to where we used to hang every so often late at night. 

"I hear they're putting apartments up here now." He says. "Weird, isn't it? How time changes things?"

I don't answer, but I can agree with that. I try to remember where we used to sit but it's a little hard when there's absolutely no indication of that anywhere. I walk through the dirt lot, eyes on the ground as I remember how we used to sneak in through the fence and barely paid attention to anything on the screen. Dal would grab a box of popcorn off a stranger when they had their back turned and we'd share it throughout the film, though he also would throw it at the people in front of us and when they'd turn around he'd point to me as if I had done it - the ass.

I smile a little and plop down on the ground, laying down and splaying my arms and legs out, not caring how dirty I probably get from this as I stare up at the night sky. Dally comes down next to me without hesitation and we lay there silently, just staring at the stars. "I forgot how beautiful it can be here at night," I murmur. "It's too bright in New York to see any of this stuff."

"I remember." He says softly next to me. I wonder if he missed the city at all. I was surprised when he said he would go back with me - I remember him swearing he'd never set foot back there but I guess time can heal all wounds after awhile.  "Hey, Vee?"

"Hm?" I ask, snapping out of my thoughts a little.

"Since this is uh, your way of saying goodbye or whatever, I have to ask...could I kiss you?"

"What?" I say, propping myself up by my elbows. "Dally, I told you -"

"Yeah, I know, Soda, sure. But c'mon. It's just you and me here. In the middle of nowhere pretty much. He's not going to know. I'm not goin' tell him and I know you won't tell him." 

I look at him reluctantly, knowing that it without a doubt would cross a line and I don't think help the matter at all. He must tell I'm going to say no because he gives me this look that melts me a little and touches my hand softly, looking into my eyes now. "C'mon Vee...if you're really riding off into the sunset with Sodapop Curtis for good we might as well have a proper ending to us, right? I'm supposed to finally get you back and then just let you go again without even a kiss?"

"Dally, I don't think you'll feel better if I kiss you goodbye." I try to tell him. I can already tell he's not listening. "It's just going to make this harder..."

"Because you have feelings for me?"

"No!" I say quickly, not getting set up for this trap. "Because you have feelings for me and you're supposed to be letting it go."

"Okay, if you don't have feelings for me, then kissing me shouldn't be that big of a deal. Realistically. If it means nothing to you."

"Dally can't we just lay here and look at the stars and enjoy this for a second?" I ask, pleading with him now to drop it. He didn't need to make this harder than it had to be. Especially when I felt so weak with him already.