When Dallas walked in, I took that as my queue to leave. Dallas and I never got along very well. I'm not sure exactly why, but he always had something against me. And me being stubborn, I reciprocated that feeling.
Don't get me wrong, I was lying to everyone.
I think I loved Dallas since the beginning. He had an energy to him that nobody else did, and it just made him so unique. I loved every single thing about him.
But since he hated me, I wasn't going to embarrass myself trying to change his mind. So I decided to just pretend. But the longer you pretend, the harder it gets.
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I got up and walked towards the door, maneuvering around the beer bottles littering the room.
"I'm gonna go home, I'll be back later." I called out. It seemed that everyone was preoccupied, because I got no response.
I walked the way to my house, and got there in a short amount of time.
please don't let them be awake.
As I slowly opened the door, my dad seemed to be asleep on the couch, my mother was nowhere to be seen.
I walked up the stairs, and made my way to Angelica's room. As I peeked in, I could see her laying across her bed reading.
She looked up at me and a smile spread across her face. "Lonnie! You came home, are you gonna stay? Will you make me breakfast tomorrow, I'm real tired of eating plain toast. Oh! and-" Angie went on and on asking me questions like she usually did when I came to see her. I always felt so awful when I left.
"I'm not staying angel, I'm so sorry, I just can't stay baby. You know that."
Angie's face seemed to fall. It went from a look of sadness to one of confusion and maybe anger.
"Why? Why can't you just stay with me? Why do you have to leave me? Daddy would let you stay why can't you just ask him to let you stay?!"
I felt horrible.
I didn't know what to say to her. I couldn't tell her why, but I also couldn't just say nothing. As much as he's hurt me, Dad loves Angelica. And I can't just ruin her image of him.
"Daddy would let me stay. But it's..very complicated. I love you Angie, you know that."
Angie let out a sad sigh, but seemed to drop it.
We talked and played tea party for the next hour or two. Until I heard my dad start to wake up.
I made my way out the back door of the house, and ran all the way back to the Curtis house.
"Speak of the devil! Lonnie, come over here." Sodapop yelled out to me as I walked through the door.
I walked over and sat on the couch. Two-Bit, Dallas, Pony, and Johnny were all sitting around there as well.
Soda had a strange smile on his face, while Two-Bit was lightly laughing.
"So, who have you been seeing lately?"
That was a new one.
"What would even give you that idea? I don't really get around like that." I laughed awkwardly.
why are they even asking me that?
Two-Bit and Soda began to laugh obnoxiously loud, struggling to catch there breath.
"Oh? Is that so?" I heard Dallas chime in. "Then what's going on right there?" I felt his thumb brush over my chest.
I shifted my eyes down, and realized they were talking about a large bruise, planted right on the upper right side of my chest.
It was from a couple days ago, I had come home to see Angelica. My parents happened to be awake, it didn't turn out to well.
"Oh.." was all I managed to get out. I decided to just not speak on the subject, hoping they would just believe something random. I don't care who they thought I was going with, as long as they don't find out what it really is.
After they were done pressing and teasing, the night went on as normal. I noticed Johnny seemed to have sort of an attitude with me all night. When I came into my room to get ready for bed, Johnny was sitting there waiting for me.
"You alright? You didn't speak much at all tonight." I asked.
"yeah, didn't have much to say." Johnny sort of scoffed. I could tell he mumbled something else after, but I couldn't make it out.
"What's up with you? Did I do something?"
"Well I feel like I'm allowed to be mad when my best friend barely ever comes around anymore. Do you even wanna be my friend? If your not here, then where are you? And don't try to play dumb and say your home, because we all know about what your father did last year." He snapped.
Oh?
what the actual fuck.
if they all knew, then why didn't anybody ask if I was ok? Or what was going on, or anything at all?
Tears filled my eyes, and I desperately tried to push them back.
As I was struggling, I heard the door burst open.
"Hey, Darry says come to the table now or don't eat..." Dallas said coming in the room. He started to trail off, I guess he could sense the tension between me and Johnny.
Just my luck.
Before anyone could speak, I ran out of the house. I ran for as long as I could, I tried to get some air, or something. But I couldn't calm myself down. I wish I knew it would only get worse.
