Stay - Dallas Winston

39

The rest of that afternoon and evening, I spent floating in and out of sleep. 

I slept most of the day away. 

I would be startled out of my sleep from Twobit's contagious laugh, or Dallas’s deep, booming voice, and Steve complaining about something. 

"I got Ponyboy's old bed set up in his old room for you." Darry said, attempting to shake me awake. 

I didn't even open my eyes. 

I let out a low groan. 

I was too exhausted to even respond. 

"I'll put her in there." I could hear Dallas say. 

And soon enough, I could feel I was lifted into the air, and carried through the house. 

I was placed on the bed in the small dark room, and Dallas covered me up with a blanket.

As he left the room, I peaked one of my eyes open. 

Dallas left the door cracked open about an inch, which let in a strong, yellow beam of light from the hallway in. 

I can't stand sleeping with the door open.

But, I didn't want to get up and shut it.  

I closed my eyes again, and fell back asleep quickly. 

...

I stirred awake again. 

This time, it was because I was cold.  

What time is it?

The door was still cracked open, a few more inches this time. 

The lights in the hall and kitchen were still on. 

I pushed myself up into the sitting position. 

God, everything was sore.

Those pain meds must have worn off a longggg time ago. 

I looked out the small window to the right of the bed, and it was dark out. 

Well, except the bright moon the lit up the sky. 

How long was I sleeping?

I got up, and stumbled over to the small desk the sat in the corner, and dug around in it. 

I eventually found some old cigarettes and a few matches. 

They must have been some of Ponyboy's from years ago, judging by the fact that they were all different kinds, they must have been from before Darry knew he was smoking. 

I can't complain, I figured if I wandered out into the living room to look for a cigarette... Darry probably would have yelled at me anyway. 

I stumbled over to the window, and popped it open about halfway. 

I sat on the windowsill and lit my cigarette. 

Damn, these are stale as shit. 

I took a long drag from it, and blew the smoke outside. 

I didn't get more than a few puffs from it, before I could hear Darry yelling from the kitchen. 

"You better not be smoking on that bed! You're gonna burn the house down!" Darry yelled. 

"I'm not! I'm by the window, and it's open!" I yelled back. 

I could hear Darry groan loudly, and toss the news paper on the counter.

"You're not supposed to be getting up from that bed!" Darry yelled back. 

"You won't let me smoke in bed, and you won't let me outside to smoke... how am I supposed to smoke?!" I argued back. 

I could hear Darry sigh before his foot steps grew louder. 

The door opened a few inches more, and Darry peaked his head in. 

"You can go on to the window and the bathroom, but that's it.  Other than that, I want you on that bed." Darry's eyebrows raised at the end of his sentence. 

I smashed my cigarette out on the windowsill. 

I don't think I would have been able to finished that one without throwing up, it tasted that bad. 

"Got it." I replied. 

"Now, good night." Darry said, before walking away. 

Another set of footsteps grew closer, then there was a soft knock on the door, before it slowly opened. 

"Can I come in?" Dallas asked. 

"Sure." I replied. 

Dallas quickly stepped into the room, and shut the door behind him.  

"Where'd you even find cigarettes in here?" Dallas let out a chuckle, as he walked over and stood next to me. 

"In the desk.   Really old ones, I couldn't even smoke half of one it tasted so bad." I nearly gaged at the after taste that still lingered on my tongue. 

Dallas Winston quickly lit a cigarette that he had brought in for me, and handed it to me. 

God, this one tasted like heaven compared to the other one. 

"So, school is gonna start back up again in a month or so for you." Dallas  leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the window from me. 

"For me? Aren't you going to.  Did you forget were both seniors this year?" I giggled at the end. 

"I don't think I'm gonna go." Dallas spoke quietly. 

I snapped my head towards him. 

"Then, I'm not going if you're not." I argued back. 

"Why not? Why does it matter if I go or not? You need to finish school." Dallas argued back. 

"I can say the same thing to you," I took another drag,"look, we've both got one year left.  It seems stupid if you dropped out after how many years.  Just gut this last year out, and be done with it. We can do it together."

Dallas chewed on the inside of his lip nervously. 

"You're so much smarter than me, I would drag you down if we did it together.  I'm behind on my classes as it is, and you aren't.  I will not let you drop out, and waste all the hard work you've done." Dallas replied back. 

"We're in this relationship together, like you told my father we were, which I didn't remember being asked about... but that's not what this is about right now.  We're gonna finish school together. We are doing it together, if you like it or not." I spoke sternly. 

Dallas bit his tongue and ran his hands through his hair. 

"I'm gonna go sleep on the couch." Dallas then walked out of the room. 

I'm surprised he kept his composure as well as he did. 

I guess it's better that he walked away, instead of it turning into a full blown screaming match like it usually does.