My Knight in Shining Armor

Chapter XX

Wendy, Wanda, and I walked down the street toward the Curtis house. "How are we going to get in?" Wendy asked.

I laughed. "Number one rule at the Curtis house: always make sure there's chocolate cake in the fridge. Rule number two: always leave the front door unlocked."

Wendy nodded. "So, we're just gonna march in there and make dinner?"

"Precisely. None of them are gonna wanna cook when they get home. I'll get you two started on the chocolate cake and sides, and I'll run to the grocery store."

"What are we making?"

"Something simple—baked chicken."

"One chicken will feed them all?"

I laughed. "No, of course no! Not long ago, Ponyboy was telling me that the three of them eat two total. There will be six boys—double the Curtis family—so we'll need at least four chickens. Assuming we're eating with them, we'll need five chickens. That's why I've gotta run to the store. No family has five chickens just sitting in their icebox."

The other girls laughed. "You're right."

We finally arrived at the house, and we just walked in. I showed Wendy and Wanda where they could find everything, and I left.

I returned not long after, with eight chickens. I figured we could make chicken for dinner, then make a couple meals to refrigerate for later, like stuffed shells and chicken noodle soup. The kitchen smelled delightful, the scents of savory sides mixing with the fragrance of cake.

"Good work, ladies! Now I've just got to stick these chickens in the oven and set the table. It won't be long until the boys get here."

We put the steaming food on the table and set enough places for everyone. I pulled the chickens out of the oven and set them on the stove to cool. Suddenly, someone put their hands over my eyes. "Guess who."

My heart fluttered. It was Dallas, and I knew he wanted me to exclaim his name and kiss him but after everything he put me through—unintentionally, of course—I was going to play this little game he started. "Hmm... I have absolutely no idea who it could be... you should give me a hint."

"What!?"

"I'm afraid I don't know you, stranger."

"It's your blue-eyed, blonde-haired knight in shining armor," Dally pleaded.

I turned around to face him. "My knight who didn't come and left me waiting? My knight who disappeared without a trace and scared me silly?" I finally accepted his embrace, feeling his warmth. "I don't know what I would do without you," I whispered.

Dally stroked my hair. "I'll have you know I was thinking about you the whole time we were stranded in the middle of nowhere."

I stood on my tip toes to kiss Dally's cheek, but he turned his head enough that our lips collided. We lingered for only a moment before I pulled away. "C'mon, time for dinner. It'll get cold if we wait much longer."

We all sat at the table and dug in. Well, me and the girls didn't have much—we kept 'taste-testing' the food as we cooked it—but the boys ate like horses. "You really outdid it this time, Penny," Darry said. "Thank you."

"We figured you wouldn't wanna cook for a few days. There are a couple more meals in the icebox."

"This must be one of the reasons women exist," he laughed.

Suddenly, the room became sober and quiet. Steve, who had his arm around Wendy, leaned forward. "What are we gonna do?" Everyone gave him puzzled looks, so he hesitantly clarified. "Hospital bills aren't cheap. Darry, you're outta work for a bit, and Soda... he can't work. How are you gonna do it?"

The room remained silent for a moment. "Darry, I'll take your shifts." I turned my head in shock. It was Dallas. Everyone's jaws dropped, but Dally remained firm. "I'm serious."

Quiet chatter started amongst most of the people at the table and continued until all the food had been eaten. We moved into the living room and turned the television on low. Nearly everyone fell asleep, so me and the girls retreated back to the kitchen. Steve joined us not long after.

"You know," he started. "Darry wasn't even gonna come home tonight. He was gonna stay at the hospital."

"Really?"

"Yeah. With everything he's been through, he couldn't just leave his little bro there alone, no matter how old he may be. But the rest of us made him come home for a hearty meal and a good night's sleep."

I sighed. "Make sure he gets the sleep, though. Wendy, Wanda, and I are going home. We'll be back in the morning."

"Alright. Goodnight, girls."

"Goodnight, Steve."

Me and the twins went home, but met early the next morning at the lot, so we could walk to the Curtis house. When we got inside, all was quiet, and no one was to be found. Not again, I thought, please, not again.

We went out the back to see if they were in the backyard, and we were surprised when we got there. There were white balloons hanging from the trees, with white ribbons and streamers beside them. White roses were scattered, but still, no one was there.

"What's all this?" I asked quietly, but the girls had disappeared.

There was a rustle in one of the bushes, and Dally emerged. He walked toward me, playing with his fingers—he only did that when he was nervous. "Penny..." He took a deep breath. "I meant to do this a couple days ago, but... things didn't work out how either of us wanted it to. Penny, I've never loved anyone like I love you. I have something to ask you. Penelope Randle, will you marry me?"

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Author's note
I had mercy and also a strong love of writing and there was an adrenaline rush so now you have a chapter and I'm actually going to leave you on this cliffhanger and I'm not even gonna write until next week so I'm gonna stop rambling now.

Your friendly neighborhood greaser, signing off...
Stay gold y'all ⭐️