Broken Stone

Chapter Seven

Dally walked me home. While we were walking down the street, some people across the street screamed, "Look, greasers can find girls like them!". Then I heard aa big group of laughter. I felt Dally tighten up but then he relaxed. 

"Ignore them," he said and walked me a little faster.

We went to sleep as soon as we got home. Well, at least I did. Dally sat on his side of the bed an looked out the window. I tried to just go to sleep. Maybe he just wasn't tired. But I couldn't.

"Are you ok?" 

"I can't stay,"

"What?!" I sat up. "Are you crazy?! You picked me up in new York, got me pregnant, and now your just gonna leave?!" I started to cry.

"I have to leave,"

"Dally, I know you can't leave,"

"Oh yea. And why's that."

I leaned over to him. "Because you care. You care about me. You know you do. Don't pretend."

"Stop bein' like Nea. You know I don't like emotions." He turned away from me.

I put my hand on his shoulder but he quickly knocked it off.

"Oh my god, that's why you want to leave. Because you care about a girl and your future child and your scared of it."

"I ain't scared of nothing"

"Except feelings,"

I thought I heard him sniffle but I ignopred it and layed down to go to sleep. 

The next morning he was still there, which was a good sign. He was still sleeping. I got out of bed and went into the livingroom. I turned on the tv. The news was on, so I sat down to watch it.

The next story was about someone who had died in New York. I figured it was just another shooting or hit and run. But then I heard the name. "Lincoln...." was all I heard as a picture of my dad popped up on the screen. I started to cry but I didn't know why. He was always drunk and a terrible father. Why did I care? I was crying when dally walked in.

"What's wrong?" he sat down quick.

"He's dead,"

"Who? The baby?" he put his hand on my stomach.

"No," I put my hand on his. "My dad,"

"Oh," he sat back. "Why do you care? I thought you hated him."

"I did. But now he's dead Dally. How do you not care?"

He sat back and it looked like he was thinking about something. "I know what it's like to have a dad that doesn't care. I would never care."

I looked at him worried if he could be a good father to this baby. I was really worried. He had some serious daddy issues. 

He got up and walked out of the room and I was left with an awkward silence lingering in the air.