𝓻𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓼 & 𝓬𝓲𝓰𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓼 • 𝓭.𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓷 | ✓ |

8. 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

                            |8|
"and i try to be tough, but i wanna scream. how could anybody do the things you did so easily?"
        ||THE GRUDGE; OLIVIA RODRIGO||
(inspiration from johnnysgreaser )
                       ︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
after we both finished our plates, we walked up to the register and soda paid. i offered to, but then realized i brought no money with me.

"don't worry about it princess, i got it covered" he assured me after laughing his head off.

he then paid and we began our walked back to the nearest pay phone to call darry to pick us up.

he inserted a nickel and the machine began to ring. after just a few moments, he hung up the phone.

"he'll be here soon." he told me, giving me a thumbs up. i returned the hand gesture back to him before sitting down on the curb. he soon did the same.

after a while, the familiar truck pulled up and the two of us loaded ourselves into it. the ride home was surprisingly silent. i guess no one really had anything to say.

once darry pulled into the driveway, we all got out and made our way inside the house. as soon as i stepped foot onto the porch, i remembered; i have to get clothes from my house.

"whatever," i thought to myself, "it's either grab more clothes, do the dirty laundry here, or wear dirty clothes. i'll just do laundry..."

soda opened the front door and we all three walked in the house. before i could walk fully into the house, soda stopped me just after the doorway.

"thanks a lot for today. i'm really glad we helped each other out." he whispered in my ear.

"of course soda." i replied, "and if you need anything, anything at all, let me know. i've got you."

he giggled before pulling me into a hug. he wrapped his arms around my waist and i wrapped mine around his neck. i felt....calm, relaxed. something i hadn't felt in a long time.

moments later, we broke off the hug and soda walked to steve in the dining room. i proceeded to take off my beat-up converse and set them by the door.

when standing back up, i was met by a large, familiar figure.

"come." dally blatantly ordered before walking down to hall and up the stairs, wanting me to follow him. i swallowed hard before putting myself into motion.

i looked around the room for johnny so hopefully he could see what was going on, but i didn't see him. where the hell could he be?

i came to the conclusion that dally was sitting on the couch before walking over to me. there was a pile of rose petals and a wilting stem in the floor. what the hell is that for?

there was also a recently put out cigarette on the ash tray, that was still weakly releasing smoke into the atmosphere. dally never smokes in the house. that's darry's rule, and dally always respected darry's word. what would make him change now?

dally stood by the door of mine and johnny's room, waiting for me to enter. once i did, he slammed the door and faced me.

"are you really that fuckin' desperate that you're going out with soda?!" he asked, raising his tone.

i grew anxious as he raised his voice at me. i tried to think of a response, because he had it all wrong. little did he know, i'm obsessed with him.

"i ain't goin' out with soda, and why do you even care?" i snapped back.

"don't matter, but that's bullshit. i saw the way soda was grabbin' on your waist a minute ago. the way you look at 'em too just proves it as well." he yelled, inching closer to my face.

"you're so wrong it's not even funny." i responded.

"how come? you got all prettied up to go to the dingo with 'em. ain't that just enough evidence to say you're goin' out with 'em?? did y'all even go to the dingo? nah, i bet you two were suckin' each others faces off at the lot or somethin'!"

"he just wanted to lift my spirits, after YOU shot them down. and no! all we did was go out and get some lunch!" i yelled back. after i yelled, the familiar sharp pain in my chest reappeared, and only fueled my anger more.

"oh please, i'm sorry you got your feelings hurt. grow the hell up bella, shit's tough and it ain't always sugar and rainbows. and that's bullshit."

"i got my feelings hurt? really?? you told me you wished i was DEAD. remember that winston? how the hell would you feel if i wished that upon you?" i practically screamed as tears filled up in my eyes. i fought with all my might to keep them in. i can't look vulnerable. not now.

"maybe because you're such a pain in the ass all the time! you somehow manage to stay on my fuckin' nerves all. the. damn. time!" he shouted at me. he started walking closer to me, but i stepped back to keep my distance.

i finally couldn't keep it in anymore. i began bawling my fucking eyes out right there, but i couldn't stop. i cant let him win again.

"all i've ever done was try to help! that's it! you're so stubborn and selfish that you never even fuckin' realized!

a look of realization formed on dally's face after i said this. he looked as if he finally understood how terribly those words could hurt someone. he stepped back to sit himself down on bed and looked up at me.

"n-no....i don't wish that-"

"well you fuckin' said it!" i screamed, giving into the tears and letting them break through my barrier of stubbornness.

he sat still. still as if he were dead. he didn't blink. his mouth stayed shut and he just stared at me. he stared directly into my eyes.

"what have i done dallas? why do you hate me?" i asked in a much more calm demeanor now. i spoke through the tears, but my voice was a bit unsteady.

"n-nothin' bella, you ain't done nothin'..."

"then why do you treat me like shit?" i asked, tears flowing out of my eyes. "i-i just wanted to help you out with sylvia. she ain't right for ya dal. she's just gonna hurt you again."

there was a moment of pause. i saw the tears begin to bottle up in his eyes.

"you were right." he admitted.

i immediately froze.

dallas winston.

the guy with the biggest ego in tulsa.

just admitted he was wrong.

"what do you mean?" i asked, using a blanket from the floor to wipe my tears.

"i mean she cheated again." he said as a single tear streamed down his cheek. he used his sleeve to wipe it away as soon as he noticed.

i looked up, genuinely surprised. it took every ounce of strength in me not to say "i told you so."

"i'm sorry dal. i tried to warn you, but-"

"it's fine." he interrupted, "didn't like her all that much anyway."

the surprised looked only grew more noticeable as he went along.

"then why were you even with her?" i questioned.

dally laughed faintly in defeat and rubbed his forehead.

"you won't believe me if i tell you. besides, it don't really matter." he said, almost as a whisper.

i shrugged. all my tears were gone now as i fully dried them out with that blanket.

"then why ya care so much about who i'm goin' out with?"

"so you admit you're goin' out with 'em?"

"no! i mean...just answer the damn question."

dallas fiddled with his finger and popped his knuckles nervously before lookin' back up at me.

"because i think i love you bella."