No Boys Allowed

Chapter 10: Oh, Dallas

☆☆☆☆

October 23rd, 1991. 8:44 A.M.

             The morning before school started, I heard a knock at the front door. Aunt Sheridan was still asleep so I answered it. Dallas Winston was standing there and I thought he wanted me, but then said, "I'm here to see Sheridan."

"My aunt?" I questioned, a little disappointed he wasn't here to see me, "Why do you need to see her?"

"It's business."

"What business?"

He was about to answer me but Aunt Sheridan bolted down the staircase and scooped him inside. She hadn't been asleep, but instead, waiting for him to arrive. I stepped aside and allowed her to explain with what little she could divulge.

"Dallas here is..." she thought, needing to come up with some excuse that she should've already had on hand,  "...Here to do some work on the mess he caused the other night. He feels such guilt for what he did and is here to make amends."

She lightly pinched his arm, but I saw her do it. I wondered what they could be hiding from me. It all seemed so strange.

"That's right. I need to fix that glass window that I broke." Dallas informed me, "And the upstairs carpet. We tracked mud in."

I just stared at their stupid, doubtful faces and wanted to bawl my eyes out. But I held it in as I had always trained myself to do and nodded my head like a good little niece did, watching him climb the staircase with her.

When they were out of sight, I was struck by grief and collapsed on the bottom of the steps. I wondered how she could sleep with him and how she could do this to me! I didn't trust her anymore. She was my sworn enemy. But why did I care? I was too emotional to think clearly...

Not long after he arrived, and was swept upstairs, Dallas was shown the door. I didn't know the ins and outs of whatever they were up to, so I couldn't tell if they were just quick with it or not, but it sure did seem like it. Aunt Sheridan flicked through a wad of cash in front of me, then handed me a crisp fifty dollar note. Instead of gratitude, I pushed her hand away.

"No thank you." I growled, a little aggressively. I could see myself turn into a teenage brat right before my eyes, but had no power to stop it, "I don't want your dirty money!"

She stood back, I had never behaved like this in front of her, "Woah, harsh. You're mad at me. Why!?"

I trembled at her neglect, it wasn't hard to see how I felt about the situation, "Why wouldn't I be mad?" I spat, "Maybe because you slept with him!"

Before I knew it, I had run into my bedroom and thrown myself down on the mattress in a heap of tears. I needed to cover my face with a pillow to muffle out the sound of my pain. I felt totally reckless and out of control. My eyes stung red and I drenched my pillow in sorrow.

Dallas wasn't even my friend and yet, I had this painful reaction to him and her. Something inside had forcefully struck me but I didn't know it at that point. All I could do was cry my heart out and hope for these emotions to fizzle out.

Aunt Sheridan stormed into the room after a few moments alone. She had the intention to call me a selfish brat but it wasn't in her nature. She calms her nerves upon seeing me in a weak state.

"Hold on, hold on!" she stressed, "I told you that I didn't do that sort of thing. Why don't you believe me?"

I looked up at her but I couldn't see her face from all the tears in my eyes, "What else could you be doing!?" I shouted, "You take strange men into your spare bedroom and exchange money. It's a no brainer!"

She uncrossed her arms, lowering herself to the bed, "Who, Dallas?" she asked, placing a comforting hand onto my back.

"You can have any boy you want but you choose him!" I wept.

Aunt Sheridan is completely grossed out, "He's a kid!" she exclaimed, "Only what, eighteen, nineteen?"

"That wouldn't stop you!" I shot back, "You're gorgeous, wild and free. Any man would want you!"

Aunt Sheridan sighed again, "I think you're old enough to know what I do for a living. Follow me." she said, standing up from the mattress and leaving the bedroom.

I had half a mind to stay right there, but as she headed upstairs, I knew I needed closure, so I followed her into the spare bedroom. She finds a key in the dollhouse, in the toy sized chest. The key is old, she uses it to unlock the closet. She slowly opened the door to reveal her business. All I see is shelves of tightly packed bricks of some white powder substance, and I couldn't believe it.

"And Dallas?" I asked, shaking my head, "Is he involved in all this?"

"He is like my mule. Dallas sells for me, and I don't press charges for his little break and enter stunt." she informed me. I had to take a moment to think. It sounded too bizarre.

"Why though?"

"My rival. He doesn't like that I sell in this town, so he hired Dallas and the other goons to steal from me. But I stole Dallas right back from him."

I settled onto the chest at the end of the bed, "You didn't tell me..." I breathed, my head spinning at the news, "I wouldn't have told anyone. It's easier to know this than what I thought I did."

Aunt Sheridan seems surprised by my confession, "I didn't know if I could trust you with this knowledge. You're now an accessory to a crime, so if I get caught, you might be in some trouble."

"I didn't mean to pry." I confessed, "I just didn't want to think you could be like that. I look up to you a lot."

Aunt Sheridan kneels before me. I note the hazel in her brown eyes. The same I have. She takes a hold of hands, "I need to know that I can trust you with this. It's not a game. We could get into a lot of trouble for this. Not only with the law but... there are bad people around here. It's dangerous. You need to keep quiet about all this. Will you promise me that you will keep this a secret, just us?"

I thought about it for a moment. I couldn't let my favourite relative and Dallas get into any sort of trouble. They could be locked up for life or even worse, killed by whoever these dangerous people are. "I promise, Aunt Sheridan. I promise."