Porcelain

Chapter 3

Dally was pissed. In more ways than one. It's not like he has gone to the party for a good time or anything, really, he just wanted a place to spend the night. But it's not like he could just stand there while another guy tried to steal his girl. Dally wasn't sure he was even completely a guy, for fucks sake! Staring at him with his blue eyes like a little kid, maybe that was why everyone called him Babydoll. But he didn't expect him to hit back, or to hit back quite that hard. He was gonna have bruises all over his face, neck, chest, and arms. At least the other guy didn't walk away without matching bruises.

But seriously, all that over a girl who'd cheated on him multiple times, and a girl he didn't care about? She was just a good fuck, nothing more. She wasn't worth a fight. But then again, it was less about her and more about the fact that nobody messed with his stuff. Especially guys who acted like little girls. That was just weird.

His feet took him to the Curtis house. The door was always unlocked there, the couch always open. Nobody cared if there was someone else there in the morning, Darry would just make more food and then they'd all be on their separate ways.

He opened the door, and flopped down onto the couch. The beer bottle in his hand was placed on the floor, the cigarette crushed under his boot. In his drunken haze, he planned that next time he'd get that asshole back.

_____
The next day was a weekend, and most everyone but Darry had the day off.

"Hey Dally, we're all going to the creek, you coming with?"

"Why should I? What's in it for me?"

"I dunno, entertainment? I'll get you a pack of weeds?" Johnny coaxed.

He couldn't say no to Johnny. Had it been any other member of the gang, sure, but with the way Johnny's folks treated him he deserved whatever joy he could get.

"Fine. Gimme a minute," he said, wiping his eyes and sitting up. He was still wearing his clothes from yesterday, the bottle of beer still on the floor. He then remembered the fight he got into, and was surprised that Johnny hadn't said anything about the bruises. But he'd been angled in the shadow and weren't that visible, so when he rolled over Johnny immediately spotted them.

"Dally! What happened to you?"

"Don't worry about it, just a fight. Besides," he said, cracking a grin, "the other guy looks just as bad as me."

"Are you okay?"

"Jeez, calm down, I'm fine. Now leave me alone, I still gotta wake up."

_____
Babydoll heard that they were all headed down to the creek, amd since it's not like anyone owned the whole creek he figured he wouldn't be losing much if he invited himself along.

He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, so he'd spent the time looting the freezer and icing the bruises instead. Now, they didn't hurt much and weren't that bad. They'd be gone within the week.

"Hey, y'all headed to the creek too?" He asked, walking along beside Sodapop.

"Yeah, there's not much going on this time of day. What are you doing over here?"

"Joining the Curtis gang for the day, of course," he smirked.

"Fine by me," Sodapop smiled.

Dally clenched his jaw, but said nothing.

The gang all stripped down, leaving on their boxers, and jumped into the creek.

Babydoll threw his shirt aside, but left his pants and belt on.

"Aren't you gonna take those off? They're gonna be hella uncomfortable wet!"

"No, I'm fine. They need a wash, anyways."

They all messed around in the water for a while, splashing each other, dunking each other, and behaving like any teenaged boys in water.

Suddenly, Babydoll got out and quickly dried his feet with his shirt and threw on his boots.

"Got somewhere to be?" Steve asked.

Babydoll shot them all a devilish grin, before grabbing as many shirts and pants as he could, before sprinting off in the direction they came. He dropped Johnny and Ponyboy's pants, and a few paces later he dropped Dally's as well, as a little bit of a peace offering.

He hadn't really known it was Dallas Winston he was fighting in the dim lighting of the house, but today, it was obvious. The marks on his face, chest, neck, and arms were in the shapes of his fist, and how could he forget that white blonde hair and blue eyes? Babydoll was proud, winning a one on one fight with Dallas Winston was no easy task.

Babydoll heard the boys leaping out of the creek, and shuddered at the thought of them running after him in nothing but their wet boxers. That wasn't really something he felt like ever seeing. Besides maybe Dallas, to see how much damage he did, and for humiliation sake.

No other reason.