Trouble x3

Big Shot

Dalia's POV

Friday came and I debated on whether or not I should even get up. Did I really wanna go to school?

I should probably explain to Lottie what happened. She's gonna be so shocked.

I got up and put the sock on my burn. It was looking a little better. It was still weirdly colored but it was... better.

I put on a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. I grabbed something to eat and walked out the door like it was just another normal day.

I walked in the school and my goal was the complete opposite of what actually happened.

Everyone was staring at me and whispering. It made me super uncomfortable. What was everyone's deal?

I walked up to my locker and I barely remembered the combination, it's been so long.

"DALIA!" Someone yelled. I turned around to see Lottie coming up to me. "Are you ok? Why did you leave? Why's Dallas back? Oklahoma? What?"

"Woah! Slow down. Hang on. Ok, yes. I'm fine. I left to find Dallas. Dallas isn't back. How the hell did you know I was in Oklahoma?" I asked, quickly.

Mariah came up to us. "Your face was at the top of the paper." She said shoving a newspaper in my face.

I snatched it out of her hands. I looked it over. It was the article out in Oklahoma. How did the school get this?!

"Where did you get this from?" I asked Mariah.

"Marcus' dad works for the New York City Press. They have contact with the Tulsa Press. He got hold of it and Marcus spread it around." She said snatching the paper back.

She walked away and my eyes were wide from shock. I turned towards Lottie. "So everyone already knows where Dallas and I were?" I asked, nervously.

She swallowed. "Mhmm..."

"Dalia!" Someone yelled. It was a familiar voice. I couldn't connect a face to it, though. I looked around until I saw who it was.

Riley.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Are you alright?" She asked. She sounded genuinely concerned. But I didn't believe it.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine." I mumbled.

"Look, I knew I've been a bad friend to you. But I was really worried. I was worried you were dead." She said, silently.

I didn't say anything. I didn't know how to respond.

"We don't have to go back to being best friends, but can we at least try to be... friends? I'm so sorry for everything, Dalia."

"Thank you for the apology." I said.

"Let me know if you need anything."

She hugged me, which took me by surprise. She knows I don't like hugs, but I felt like she actually might care about me, which was something I didn't really feel anymore.

Sodapop's POV

Darry finally got a few days off of work to drive us all up north to New York. Dallas is very full of himself. He'd never ask for help. So when he asked Darry to do this for him, he felt compelled to say yes.

Darry was skeptical of letting us up in New York, considering Dallas was from the rougher side of the city and it's a lot different than Oklahoma, but we promised him we'd stay together and be good.

Steve and I also got off work for the week to go up. I was kinda excited to leave Oklahoma. I've never we travelled outside the state before.

It was an awkward car ride up with Dallas in the back seat of Darry's truck, not making a sound. There was a few conversations here and there but Dallas was tapping his foot against the floor of the car.

But in 20 long hours of driving and very few breaks, we were in New York City.

Dalia's POV

School was miserable. I despised it. So many people "knew" me. They asked me so many questions. A few of them were in relation to Dalton.  I hated talking about him. I didn't like to think about him. I kinda just wanna know what happened to him...

But most of them were about me and Dallas and then Ponyboy and Johnny. What it was like. Why I did it. All that shit. But I was ready for the football game. I wanted a night out as a normal teenager.

I got ready at Lottie's house and tried to layer up cause it was supposed to be cold tonight. I had a bunch of clothes at her house for the nights I've spent over when my parents were being assholes.

We walked into the parking lot of the school and made our way to the back of the school to make it to the football field. I just told Lottie the entire story.

"Woah, woah, woah. You hooked up with someone?" She asked in shock.

I felt my face get red. "I wouldn't say it was a hookup, parse. He was really sweet. And I really liked him. I told him I'd visit soon, but I don't know when I'm gonna get down there. And he's Dally's friend."

"So? You don't even think Dallas likes you anyway."

"I know... it just feels wrong. I don't know how to explain it." I said with a laugh. Before she could say anything, I spoke up. "I hope I see him again. At least sometime in my lifetime." I said with a grin.

"Wow. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were falling in love with the guy." She said, laughing.

"Shut your trap." I said with a playful eye roll.

"Come on. Let's get our seats before someone takes them." She said pointing to the place we always stand in the front row.

"Actually, do you think we can sit more towards the back?" I asked out of embarrassment.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure. There's some places at the top." She said with a grin.

We walked up to the bleachers and I've never been stoked for a football game in my life. But there was something about this one I was ready for.

I felt like I was gonna be normal for at least just one night.