ANNALISE | Dallas Winston

twenty-eight

—

i turn around quickly n see dallas leaning down, staring at the two of us with a smart-ass type smile.

my eyes widen and i give devin an apologetic look then hop out of the car.

"dallas-"

"let's go" he says sternly, grabbing my arm and walking back to wherever he came from.

"what the hell did you think you were doing?" he shouts, letting go of me, but walking fast and angrily.

i walk as fast as i can trying to keep up with him. "i was just talking to him-"

"you don't go where i can't follow, got it?" he says, stopping and staring down at me.

i furrow me eyebrows. "i can go wherever the hell i please, winston. i'm not a child" i snark back, rolling my eyes and walking again.

"god, annalise- you're so stubborn, you know that? i'm just trying to keep you safe-"

i stop again, flinging my hands in the air as i shout "i don't need you to keep me safe! i've got myself under control! i'm not the one that goes around doing illegal shit for kicks, getting myself thrown in jail!"

he clenches his fists tightly "don't get wise, curtis. what is it with that kid, huh? i thought you wouldn't be hanging around him anymore."

"chill out, dallas! christ, you're the one that had me start talking to him in the first place! you don't have to worry about him anymore, he just wanted to apologize."

"what is he apologizing about? he hit you or something?" dallas asks, grabbing my arm, pulling me back.

"jesus, no. he thought he was acting shitty the day i told him we couldn't see each other anymore; but he wasn't, so i told him not to apologize and that i was the one that needed to apologize."

dallas doesn't say anything, i'm sure he feels real dumb. we walk quietly back to my place.

—

i open the front door, slamming it in dallas' face. i'm kinda over it now, i just like to piss him off. i chuckle as dallas comes in, shaking his head.

i lean against one of the walls, wondering why the house is empty. dallas takes out a cigarette.

i motion for him to give me one, and he does. he lights it for me, too.

"where is everyone?" i ask, assuming he was with them before he came and got me.

"dunno," he says taking a drag "looks like we got the place to ourselves" he says, forming a cocky smile.

i know exactly what he means by that. i roll my eyes and giggle, set my bag down then walk back out the front door.

he runs up behind me "where we going?"

"dx."

he hums and follows behind me, both of us walking in silence, smoking our cigarettes.

it's quite a short walk, soda walks there everyday. he takes us to school with darrys truck then drops it back off so that darry can drive to work.

we walk in, dallas behind me, the doors bell ringing as we do. "hey, steve" i greet him, who's sitting at the front desk.

"hey annie, hey dal!" he says, then gives me a second look. "am i missing somethin?"

i look at dallas, wondering what he's talking about, and then it hits me. jacket and the christopher.

"right..dallas and i have been together for a bit now."

"oh- well..alright. what're you here for?" he asks surprised.

"you seen soda or pony around?"

he points to the back, where the garage is. i thank him and head back there. dallas stayed to chat with steve.

i pop my head out the door and spot sodapop under a car. "where the hell were you?" i ask angrily, crossing my arms.

he rolls out and pats his hands on his jeans, getting off any grime. "gosh, sorry annie, i just got too caught up with work. somethin happen on the walk home?" he asks worriedly.

i shake my head "nope, ran into devin and he took me down to the shop so we could talk and i could get a new pack..haven't seen pony around anywhere."

"he ain't tell ya he was goin to the movies?"

i bite my lower lip annoyed and walk out, grabbing dallas arm as i leave.

"what's your issue, doll?"

"ponyboys at the movies, unsupervised and unprotected. he don't take a blade to school."

we walk to bucks and hop in dallys car, driving to the movies. the theater ain't that far from the school, but it's a bit of a walk from here.

when we were nearly there, i hear a familiar yelp. "hey, hey, stop the car" i say nervously then hop out.

"shut him up!" i hear in the distance, along with ruffling. i run over, dallas catching up behind me.

i run around the corner of an old brick building and see pony with two familiar boys on top of him, ryan and randy.

i reach in my back pocket and feel for my blade, but it isn't there. dallas passes me, going up and pulling ryan back by the shoulder, slugging him in the face, sending him to the ground.

randy gets up quickly, trying to pull dallas off of him. i watch with wide eyes, then see pony trying to get up.

i run over to him while dallas fights the two boys. i help him up quickly and sit him at the side.

i look around the area and finally find an old coke bottle. i pick it up and smash it against the wall, an old trick two-bit taught me.

the smash causes all of the boys to look over out of curiosity. i raise it up, letting them know i'm not afraid to use it.

"get the hell out of here or i swear to god i'll cut both of your throats if you lay your filthy hands on my family again."

they run off like the cowards they are, speeding away in their fancy car. dallas grows a proud smirk, then goes over to check on pony with me.