Rough Edges | The Outsiders

Chapter 18

My head thought everything was ok and fine, but my heart thought otherwise. I felt bad for Dallas and wanted to go back and help him through it and be there when they would take him away to prison or maybe sentence him to death for manslaughter, I wanted to be there so he knew that I have so much love for him.

I struggled to get out from underneath Sodapop. I laid his unconscious body on the leather seat and quickly opened the door as quietly as possible, shutting it as quietly as possible and making a run for the hotel.

Police were everywhere, searching the whole building. I sensed that they didn't find Dallas, which was good. But I wanted to find him.

"So you're set to find him, are you?" Someone said, I swung around to see Sodapop towering over me. His eyes were laced with anger.

"I feel bad for calling the cops"

"You feel bad now? He deserves it"

"Soda, he doesn't"

"He killed an innocent boy. He has sex with ladies often, he's been using you as an escape mechanism. He only likes you for your beauty. He never trusts anybody and he sure wouldn't trust you. Hell! He's even knocked up Tana, she's pregnant!" Sodapop said, inching ever so slightly towards me as I backed up.

I couldn't talk, I hadn't known that he would've gotten Tana pregnant, who would've known. I believed Sodapop, I felt like Dallas was using me, but here I was love struck by him. Attached to him, I would follow him to the ends of the earth if I had to. Dallas meant so much to me and I couldn't shake him out of my head.

"I've been in love with Dallas for years, watching from the shadows, letting him walk past and not say a word. I let him walk into my life and stomp all over me. I let him see my soft side. I let him into my heart. I'll find Dallas and you'll see. You'll watch in the damn shadows as my life goes on all fine and dandy. He'll go to jail for a while, but I don't care. I still love him. And when you're really in love, they can just ruin your life without even knowing it, but you'll pick it back up and work with it."

"And then the amount of love you put in for them, you'll never get back. You'll never be loved like how much you love. Sometimes the shadows are better. I know from experience, Laura. I've been in love with you since the day we fucking met. And you've gotten through to me and you barely know it. I'm crazy about you. I've been watching you from the fucking shadows for years. I've loved you with my whole heart and I thought I got that love back tonight, but I sure as hell didn't" Soda said, his voice continuously raising, making me cower more and more.

"And I'll still love you, even if you're married to that man."

I started to cry, I hadn't known that Sodapop fell in love with me and I never saw him as a love interest. I pushed him away and ran for the hotel. I booked it up the stairs and to the room. Police had already trashed the place while trying to find Dally.

"Young lady, you aren't allowed to be around here" A guy said, he was big and strong looking with muscles that bulged out of his police uniform.

"Sorry, I'm lost. Thought I'd go for a walk around the hotel and now I can't find my room"

"You could easily ask front desk"

"No one was there when I went to ask" I said, swallowing a lump in my throat, I was nervous and horrified.

"I shouldn't be doing this, but come with me to front desk and we will figure it out"

"O-okay.."

We walked down to the front desk, two workers were there, one was a girl with long red hair and the other was a scrawny young boy.

"This young lady here is looking for her room number" The officer said, leaning slyly against the counter. I started sweating.

"We'll need the name of who booked it" the red haired girl said. The officer looked at me like I was going to say it.

"Uh- umm" I whimpered, i didn't know anyone in this hotel except for Dallas and I for sure couldn't say his name. The officer started raising suspicion. "Dallas Winston" I whispered.

"Speak up please" said the red haired girl.

"Dallas W-Winston" I said, the shock on their faces sent shivers through my spine.

I was pulled away by the force of the officer. I was immediately put in handcuffs and thrown into a police car, I squirmed and screamed as much as possible trying to alert Sodapop or Dallas if he was still around. They were going to question me though I had no answers, I  knew barely anything about the murder or anything about Dallas's whereabouts.

As the car pulled away, I saw my life flash before my eyes. I saw Sodapop walking up and down the road outside of the hotel. Little did he know I was in the back of a police car getting pulled away to the slammer.