Stay - Dallas Winston

42

Dallas, Ponyboy, and I made our way down town.  

Dallas Winston bought me a brand new pair of black high top converse. 

God, I loved them. 

That happy feeling soon turned away, once we made it back to the curtis house. 

As the three of us sat around, I got this funny feeling in my stomach. 

It crept up into my throat. 

Something wasn't right. 

I didn't know what it was. 

All I knew was I didn't like it. 

"You alright, doll?" Dallas asked me. 

I couldn't shake the uneasy look from my face.  

"No, something ain't right. What time is it?" I quickly asked. 

"Just a little after noon." Dallas placed his hand on my back to comfort me. 

I glanced over at Ponyboy, he had the same look as I did. 

He could feel something wasn't right too. 

"Where's Johnny? He should have been back by now." I bit my finger nails nervously. 

"He's probably just walking around or sitting at the lot.  He always gets nervous the day of a rumble." Dallas replied simply. 

I was breathing heavily now. 

"No, you don't understand.  Johnny said he was coming back. We should go check by him." I told Dallas. 

Dallas placed both of his hands on my shoulders. 

"He's alright.  Don't get yourself all worked up about nothing." Dallas tried to reassure me. 

It didn't work. 

"My guts telling me something ain't right, Dallas.  Please, can we go walk over there?" I pleaded. 

"Johnny will be showing up any minute probably, so just sit down and relax." Dallas said.

I couldn't just do nothing. 

I walked over to the phone, and dialed Johnny's number. 

It rang, and rang, and rang. 

No answer. 

I could feel the back of my neck start to sweat, as I hung the phone back up. 

"Please, Dallas!" I begged again. 

"Drink a beer, and calm down, and wait." Dallas spoke softly to me. 

I grabbed a beer from the fridge. 

For the next hour I paced around, and drank a few beers. 

I couldn't help it. 

Something was bothering me. 

"I'm calling him!" Ponyboy ran over to the phone, and dialed Johnny again. 

Ponyboy let the phone drop from his hand in confusion. 

"The line is busy." Ponyboy responded. 

That's when we heard the sirens. 

They were loud, and grew closer by the second. 

Two police cars, and and ambulance flew by.

They were heading in the direction of Johnny Cades house.