𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐜 | 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Chapter 62 - Thanks

Night had come and the stars shined brightly in the darkness. I nearly fell asleep as we all watched the television. My eyelids grew heavy as I heard the sound of Mickey Mouse and Darry flipping through the pages of the local newspaper. The smell of cake encased the house and the raggedy blanket on top of me was warm. I fought to stay awake as I heard the clock tick.

I slowly shuffled around before standing up. I put the blanket to the side and slugged over to the bathroom. I quietly opened the door as I went inside. I placed my hands on the counter for support and leaned against it. I looked into the mirror and examined myself. My hair was tangled like a rats nest, my eye bags were dark, my cheeks were still stained with tears. I took in a deep breath and turned on the faucet. I cupped my hands and placed them underneath the running water. I splashed my face with the cold water and felt refreshed.

I turned the water off an slowly looked up from the sink. I grabbed the towel hanging next to me and put it to my face. I dried my skin as I took in another deep breath. I looked around the room and spaced out, something I had always done. I set the towel down gently as I went to the door. As soon as I was about the grab the nob, the door began to open. Dallas's head peaked through the door. I smiled at him as he came in.

"Hey doll." He greeted me. "Hey Dal." I said as I rubbed my eyes. "Ya look tired." He stated as he grabbed my waist. I sighed as I slapped him on the shoulder. He chuckled as he brought his hand to the area that I had hit him. "You think I don't know that?" I asked with a grin. He laughed quietly. "Sorry." He apologized as he looked into my eyes. "The last couple of months have been..." I trailed off as I sighed. "Stupid." I finished. He chuckled.

"Did ya miss me?" He asked. I nodded my head. "A lot." I stated as I rubbed the back of my neck. He smiled as he brought his palm to my cheek. He wiped a bit of water off my face. We slowly moved closer to each other until we closed the gap with our lips. I put my hand to the back of his head and twirled his hair around my finger. I grinned as we both pulled away. I felt his breath on my lips as I we both smiled at each other, our faces still close.

"You've gotten better at kissing." I joked. He quietly laughed to himself as we moved our faces further away from each other. "Ya wanna go to Bucks tonight?" He asked. "It looks like you need a drink." He continued with laughter in his voice. I giggled. "I REALLY need a drink." I stated, emphasizing the word "really". He smiled. "Glad I asked then." He stated. I smiled at him as he smiled back at me. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before I left the bathroom.

I quietly walked from the bathroom and back to the living room. "Darry?" I spoke. He looked up from his newspaper and at me. Ever since we had moved into the Curtis house, Darry became in charge, like a father. Whenever we went out, we had to let him know so he knew that we'd be safe.

"Yeah?" He asked, waiting for a response. "Can I go out?" I asked. "Where?" His voice grew more serious. "Bucks..." I trailed off, getting quieter with every letter. Before he could answer, I spoke up. "I won't get drunk, I swear." I said. He stared intently at me as he thought. "Please?" I pleaded. He sighed. "Fine." He replied. A smile grew across my face. "But bring someone with you." He said loudly as he pointed his finger at me. "I'll take her." Dallas spoke from behind me. Darry nodded his head. "Thanks Darry." I thanked Darry as I wrapped my arms around him. He chuckled as I pulled away.

I quickly looked to Dallas with a smile and then started heading out the door. "Don't get home too late!" Darry yelled as we rushed out the door. "I know!" I yelled in reply. "Thanks!" I continued as the door shut behind us. "I can't believe he let you go." Dallas spoke as we walked out the gate. "I know." I said with a smile.

We walked down the block along the dirt road, occasionally bumping shoulders. I looked up to Dallas with admiration. "Thanks for saving me earlier." I mentioned. A small smile grew on his face, his whiteish teeth were bright in the dark night. "No problem. I like a good fight." He stated. I chuckled. "And thanks for fighting Bob." I said as I looked down to the ground. I followed my feet with my eyes as I kicked a pebble in front of me. "No problem doll." He said. "Just don't do it again." I stated. "I know." He said as he sighed. "I know." He continued.