BLACK SHEEP | DW

043.

"no fire to extinguish this wounded rage. no prayer." - adonis

as members of society, perhaps the hardest task to face is conversing with one another—

language is critical.

it prevents things like war. it prevents things like marie antoinette being beheaded. it prevents things like a bunch of socs trying to drown ponyboy, and johnny killing one of them.

"it was like the movie," johnny tried to reason, as his legs wobbled beneath him. "you remember the movie, right venus? you said you would do the same thing!"

they girl held onto ponyboy as he shivered, sending johnny a grimace. "this isn't a movie, johnny," she whispered, holding the boy a little tighter. "this isn't—"

"okay, everyone just calm down," Dally snapped, pulling a gun out from the dresser. "here," he gave it to johnny, who toyed with it, while venus widened her eyes suddenly.

jumping up from the bed, she was ready to protest the whole notion. "wait a minute," she held her hand out sternly. "now just hold on. johnny, you said those socs were drowning pony, right? that's a classic self defense case— my dad, he can... you won't even serve time," she tried to spit out but her words got all mangled on the way out of her throat.

Dally ignored her, pushing johnny's now armed hand down. "don't point the thing at me, will you?" he reprimanded, before digging through his stuff. "look, murph," he continued as he searched for something, weaving his hand through the drawer. "no jail time isn't promised. those cops would do anything to see a couple greasers in jail. and now you're involved. it's a conflict of interest," he motioned, as he pulled some cash out.

"shit, i only got a five on me," he patted his jeans, before looking at the door. "i'm gonna borrow some money from buck—"

"here," venus interrupted, pulling a one hundred dollar bill from her bag and handing it to johnny, who pocketed it quickly.

shaking his head, Dally almost laughed. "i'm not even gonna ask where you got that cash, kid," he sat next to pony on the bed. Dally knew she wanted to help, he knew she would do so in anyway possible— even if it meant not her way.

because, if she did have it her way, she would have called her dad and let him sort out the case and help her friends. but that just couldn't happen, not now.

"look, i'm not itchin' to tell your brother and get my head kicked in, man," Dally said to ponyboy, who snapped, riding on the nerves of the whole situation.

"then don't tell him!" he fought back.

venus shifted her weight from one foot to another, furrowing her eyebrows at the predicament. when Dally gave pony a shirt to wear, venus wrapped her arm around johnny.

he conflated, part of him ached. once he took a few punches, and realized he wasn't made of glass, he felt a little stronger. if it wasn't for venus, reminding him that he was just a kid, with the way she held him steady, he might have never noticed he was anxious at all.

it was like her comfort reminded him that he had a reason to be scared— it reminded him that he had messed up. "it's not your fault," she whispered to him, trying to make him feel better. but the damage had calcified, and there was no undoing it.

"get the 3.15 train to windrixville. it's a freight," Dally spoke lowly, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. "there's an abandoned church on top of jay mountain. there's a pump in the back, so you don't have to worry about water. get a week's supply of food, as soon as you get there, before the story gets out. and then don't so much as stick your noses out the door. am i clear?"

before the boys could agree, she shook her head at the wildness of it all. "this is a bad idea," she muttered, making Dally raise his eyebrow at her frantic behavior. "when you ran, you got caught," she pointed out. "who's to say this won't be the same? they need to turn themselves in. i can help—"

"murph," Dally grabbed her shoulders. "what you need to do it keep your mouth shut. trust me, alright?"

she wouldn't meet his eye, so he held her bruising shoulders a little tighter— making her wince at the pressure. "do you hear me? you better not go telling your dad," he said again. "do you trust me?"

when she nodded simply, trying to keep what she wanted to say hurried beneath her rib cage, Dally went to walk the boys out. "i'll be up there as soon as i think everything's cool," Dally noticed how venus's behavior and what she had said shook johnny up a little more. "hey, relax, buddy. come on, man. it'll work out," he told him. "all right. man, i thought new york was the only place i'd end up in a murder wrap. jesus christ!"

"not helping," venus muttered, linking her arms with the two boys, as they walked towards the staircase. when she was sure Dally couldn't hear her, she whispered to them. "if you wanna come back and turn yourselves in, you'll be okay. i promise," she swore.

it wasn't a promise she should have been making. after all, promises ease the present, but are a burden in the future. she didn't know for sure that they would be okay, only that she would do everything in her power to help them.

and Dally, he didn't understand her fascination with helping others. it wasn't like she benefited at all from the action— so why did she act like some mother theresa, going around assisting people?

when the two made a run from buck's, heading towards the tracks, Dally threw an arm around venus on the front step. "i know you told them to turn themselves in," he said to her, staring off at the halos of light that reflected on the street from the lamps.

"you have your plans, i have mine," she said, softly.

the dark embraced everything. the shapes and shadows out on the street. the buildings and cars. Dally and venus. just as they are.