RED [dallas winston]

sixteen

TW death, blood, guns

'losing him was blue like i'd never known
missing him was dark gray, all alone'

     "come on harley we have to leave for the funeral." her mother said leaning in the doorway with a sympathetic look.

     "i know, i'm coming." harley said brushing off her dress in the mirror. analyzing her ever growing eye-bags.

     harley shielded her face in horror. it kept replaying in her brain, watching the bullet come in contact with dally's chest. she quickly jumped over the railing running full speed to where dally layed on the ground in a pool of blood. she couldn't think she just felt her feet hit the pavement as she ran.

     they car ride was silent except for the clunking of her moms old car. the funeral was payed for by the other jockey. the one the killer meant to shoot. it was simple. just the gang and the casket for a quick goodbye before they buried him. dally wouldn't have wanted a big thing. the jockey gave them mountains of hush cash to not tell the shooter his location, but it's not like they would ever help him anyways.

      "dally, dally can you hear me!" harley sobbed shaking his body. unfortunately, it all happened so fast. the paramedics came and pushed her out of the way starting cpr on his body. harley fought their grip but was unsuccessful and threw herself to the ground.

     they arrived and harley stood next to sodapop who despite being the most positive person she had ever met, also looked in a bad mood. two-bit had a completely straight face, not a smile in sight. johnny looked more scared then usual and harley wished she knew how to help. but everyone looked so out of it. dally was only eighteen. he had a whole life ahead of him. maybe one with her.

     "do you believe in soulmates?" harley had asked him just days before the incident.

     "i don't know. why?" dally responded rolling over to face her.

     "i don't know i just feel like you had been right there this whole time, like i was meant to be with you. is that weird?"

      "no, it's not weird. sometimes i think you came in my life to show me i had something to live for."

     steve came up towards the girl and gave her a sympathetic smile. "are you doing okay?"

     "yeah, it's not like i really have the right to be upset here." she said shrugging, refusing to make eye-contact.

      "what do you mean?" sodapop said letting the secret out that he had been eavesdropping.

     "i don't have the right, who even am i some girl he had a thing with for a few months. you guys were his best friends for years."

     "harley you were also his friend before you dated, remember?" steve pointed out.

      "yeah but before this year we were never close." she said a teardrop rolling down her face.

     "harley you cant feel guilty for grieving." soda said pulling her in a quick hug. but then they brought out the casket.

     "call it." one of the paramedics sighed taking her hands off dally's chest.

      "time of death-"

      "no!" harley protested choking on her tears. "he isn't dead! are you just gonna let him die!"

     "honey he's gone." one of the paramedics said calmly. she wasn't upset by harleys yelling and was sympathetic.

"no he's not!" she said again crawling over to grab his wrist to check for a pulse. "he doesn't have a pulse! he doesn't have a pulse!" she cried harder pounding on his chest. "dally wake up this isn't funny!"

     harley felt her throat close up looking at the casket. her vision blurred and she felt herself being pulled to the memory every time she closed her eyes. one moment she was there looking at the casket, the next she saw his body drop, then she could smell the pool of blood, she was hearing the paramedics voice calling time of death, and then she was seeing dally in the casket yet again. they were gonna put him in the ground forever and she would never see him again. she shook her head trying to see him clearly without blurred vision, when her mom pulled her back.

     "you can say goodbye from right here honey, its okay." she said rubbing a circle on harley's back.

     "i'm not ready to say goodbye mom." she croaked.

      "you don't have to do it here. you can do it when your ready hun."

      "but he's gonna be buried today."

      "he isn't right there," ms valentine said pointing at the casket "thats just a body. dally is right here." she said pointing at harley's heart. "he is also there," she pointed at the sky "he's that butterfly, and that flower, and the flame of that candle. he is wherever you feel him."

christmas day 1960

     at twelve years old harley received cash for the first time in her life, and at twelve that's pretty cool. she zipped up her coat and ran to the nearest store. with her money in her hand. well at least she tried. you see harley made the mistake of holding her five dollar bill proudly, so proudly that a soc had taken notice.

"hey!" he called out causing harley to start to run faster. not fast enough because he cornered her. "give me that." he said ripping it from her grip.

"hey give that back!" she yelled jumping up but he was much taller than she was.

"pick on someone your own size." a voice finally said punching the soc causing him to stumble back. harley backed up giving the stranger more room. he then punched the soc again causing him to fall over and run off.

"damnit." the stranger groaned. "i'm sorry i didn't get your money."

"it's okay." harley answered even though she knew her mother couldn't afford to give her money again. "thank you so much that was really cool." she said. "i'm harley."

"i'm dallas. what were you gonna do with the five dollars anyways?"

"go shopping. it was my christmas present." she replied looking to the store shortly in the distance.

"okay. let's go then." he said walking in the direction of the store.

"we don't have any money."

"who said anything about paying?"

"it's christmas." harley said her mouth agape.

"exactly who's gonna arrest two kids on christmas?"

christmas day 1966

"where are we going" harley giggled as dally lead her across town telling her to keep her eyes closed.

"okay open." he said revealing that they were both standing infront of the same store they stood six years prior.

"oh my god." harley gasped. "dal we aren't shoplifting today."

"even better." he said pulling a five dollar bill from his pocket. "i believe i owe you this."

present day (1967)

harley stood outside the store once again. "wherever i feel him." she repeated before slowly taking a step inside.

a/n: i hope the flashback to the day they met makes up for the fact dally died. definitely don't think about how he never told harley he loved her.