Stay - Dallas Winston

15

For the rest of that day, Dallas and I sat on opposite sides of the couch, with Johnny sitting in between us. 

You could feel the awkward silence that stood in the room surrounding us. 

It wasn't like Dallas to just let all of those memories and emotions spill out of him.  

Johnny seemed satisfied with what Dallas had said earlier.  

He sat with a small smile amongst his lips.  

I don't know if I really did believe what Dallas had said.  

The more I thought about it, the more I had convinced myself that he was just saying that stuff because he felt bad about shoving me the night before.  

After a day of doing nothing but watching TV, the phone rang breaking me away from my thoughts.

"Hello?" Darry answered it. 

He paused for a moment to let the person on the other end of the line speak. 

"Yeah, she is. I'll get her for ya." Darry said into the phone, before motioning me over. 

I got up, and walked over. 

Darry handed me the phone, before walking back into the kitchen. 

"Hello?" I said.  

"Hey, it's Buck.   Party tonight, you coming?" He quickly spoke. 

"Ummm, yeah sure." I chuckled. 

"Is Dal there?" Buck asked.  

I looked over at Dallas sitting on the couch.  He still stared blankly at the TV, not saying a single word. 

"Yeah, why?"

"He coming with ya?"

"Mhmmm, I don't know... it's been kind of weird with him.  I'll tell you more about that when I get to your place." I whispered too the phone.  

"Ohhh," Buck paused, "Well he can come if he wants.  Or just bring whoever you want.  See you in a bit."

Then he hung the phone up before I could even reply. 

I sighed, hanging up the phone.  

"Hey Darry." I said walking into the kitchen by him.  

"You going out?" He smiled. 

"Yeah." I smiled back. 

"Welp, have someone walk you there.  Just cuz everything's been crazy in the streets lately." Darry patted my shoulder.  

I walked over to Johnny, and motioned for him to go outside with me. 

He got up and followed me out the door.  

"Whats up?" Johnny asked, lighting cigarettes for the both of us.  

"You wanna come to Buck's party with me?" I begged him.  

"No, I got court coming up and I can't risk getting in any trouble.   Why don't you just have Dallas go with you?" Johnny asked, taking a long pull from his cigarette. 

"I don't know.  Just since he said all that stuff this morning.... it's just..... weird.... I think I need some time away from him." I shook my head. 

"Yeah, you two haven't said a word to each other since." Johnny chuckled.  

"I'm not complaining." I laughed.  

"Well, I'll give Twobit a call.  I'm sure he will go with ya." Johnny gave me a smile. 

"Thanks." I replied. 

Johnny went back inside, and went to the phone. 

A few minutes later, he poked his head out the door to tell me, "he's on his way."

At that moment, Dallas Winston seemed to snap back into reality. 

He realized that something was going on, as he watched Johnny walk back through the living room, and sit back down.  

Dallas stood up, and marched outside by me. 

"Hey, doll. What you up too?" Dallas stood right up next to me, and took the cigarette from between my fingers. 

He was standing so close to me, that his body seemed to press against mine.  

"Nothing." I simply replied. 

"Don't sound like nothing, man."

I didn't reply, and took my cigarette back from his lips. 

"Whats wrong then? You haven't talked to me since this morning.   I thought we were doing good, man." Dallas spoke again. 

"Nothing is wrong.   Just have nothing to say." I quickly thought of something to say.  

I could now see Twobit approaching in the distance.  

Thank god.

I quickly turned and yelled back into the door.  

"Bye, Darry! I'll be back later!"

"Can I come?" Dallas asked me.  

"No." I replied, before running off the porch and over to Twobit.  

"Hey, pretty lady!" Twobit greeted me.  

"Hey." I smiled, as the two of us began our walk.  

"I didn't know Dallas was coming." Twobit said as he looked behind us.  

"He's not."

"He must think so." Twobit chuckled.

I looked back to see Dallas running inside the curtis house, then back out and towards Twobit and I.  

"Oh Jesus Christ!" I groaned, as Dallas ran to catch up with us.  

"Almost forgot my jacket. Man, you two walk fast." Dallas said trying to catch his breath.  

"I told you not to come."

"Where we going?" Dallas asked, ignoring my comment. 

"Buck's." Twobit said. 

"You're letting her go to a party dressed like that? No.  You're putting a different shirt on." Dallas quickly grabbed my arm and tried to pull me back.  

I stopped dead in my tracks, yanking my arm from his grip.  

"Whats wrong with what I'm wearing? You didn't have a problem with it all day." I argued. 

Dallas Winston folded his arms over his chest, and huffed.  

He leaned a bit closer before he spoke. 

"I-.... I just don't want anyone else looking at you." Dallas looked down at the ground as he spoke sort of sheepishly. 

"Shouldn't matter what she wears, if you can fight.  Right, Dallas?" Twobit gave the two of us a wink. 

Dallas Winston thought for a second, before a smile creeped onto his face.  

"I guess your right, Twobit." Dallas spoke as the three of us continued on. 

"Oh," Dallas started again, "it's cold out.  Put this on for the walk."

Dallas took his leather jacket he had been carrying, and placed it over my shoulders. 

It had a good few burns on it from ponyboy wearing it in that church fire.  

It smelt like smoke and the zipper was broken, but it helped.  

"I am taking off when we get to Bucks." I smiled. 

"That's my girl." Dallas winked at me, placing an arm around my waist as we continued our walk to Buck's.