The Sunset on the Other Side of Town

Chapter 7

Roz rolled over in bed, reaching for their lamp string. Confused, now feeling nothing on the bedside table, Roz groggily opened their eyes.
With a jolt, they sat up in bed—in Dallas's bed.

"What the fuck," they managed.

They hopped up out of bed and stumbled downstairs, not being super light on their feet, due to the limp and all.

Given the amount of people at Buck's and the fact he wasn't super fucked up, it must've been sometime during the day.

"Hey, Buck," Roz said, limping over to him. "What time is it?"

Before Buck could respond, Dally walked up chuckling.

"You're alive," he mused.

"Hardly," Roz admitted, rubbing off the ruins of the makeup she had on last night.

"Hey, uh, so about last night," Dally began and Roz sighed.

"Yeah...I think I blacked out, I don't remember shit," she admitted.

"Yeah," Dally said before quickly following up with: "You looked like shit."

"Thanks, Dal," Roz said dryly.

"Don't mention it." Dal pulled Roz's arm and brought them to a corner table no one occupied.

"What's up?"

"Listen, I worked out a plan with Cesar today. We're gonna head over to the church late tonight/early morning."

"Sounds good." Roz nodded. "What time is it?"

"What? Right now?"

Roz nodded again.

"Uh," Dally glanced to the nearest clock, "almost one. Why?"

Roz scrambled up and dashed to the door as fast as she could manage. "I gotta WORK!"

~

"Hey," Nova said, leaning in the doorway to Darry's room. He seemed almost startled by her presence.

"Hey," he returned, focusing dutily on the clothes he was ironing.

"We haven't really talked about...since..."

"I-I know and I'm sorry, I—"

"No, no," she said calmly and held a hand up. "Just listen."

Darry looked at her and nodded his compliance.

"I can't imagine the world you're in. But I'm here to support you." Nova was toying around with her hands. "So I guess what I'm saying is, um, let me know what you need and what you want."

Darry looked almost blankly back at her.

"Yeah, that was it, really." Nova nodded then left before Darry could say anything else.

~

Cesar watched as Sodapop pulled Dally aside. There was a slight exchange of words between them before Sodapop handed Dally a folded up piece of paper.
Cesar strained his ears hard enough to listen in on their conversation that he ended up drowning Steve out.

Steve retaliated from underneath Two-Bit's car by hitting Cesar in the shin with a wrench.

"Man, what the hell is wrong with you," Cesar said, snatching up the wrench.

"I asked for your help," Steve said bluntly. "Now can I please have the calipers and the caliper brackets?"

Cesar rolled his eyes at the needy hand before him. "I guess so," he sassed back, handing Steve the requested items.