Faltering Smiles.

Day Two.

Sodapop's POV

I know Dallas is kind of pissed at me and I don't blame him. I guess I was being a little weird last night. I'm lying here awake in the darkness. It must be about five am and I can't fall back asleep. I've been laying here for over an hour under one of Dallas arms. Hes warm and I want to huddle up to him but I don't want to wake him. I'm starting to feel weird around him. Starting to feel ways I definitely shouldn't feel. There's no way I could be gay. And for him? Hell no.

*THUD-*

Loud boots run down the hall and guards can be heard whispering angrily at one another over something. They rush towards their destination leaving me confused and a little anxious in the darkness of our cell. I feel Dallas shift and peer towards the bars to try and see what's going on and I take the chance to move closer to him. He doesn't say a word. I don't think he even knows I'm awake. For a few more minutes I can feel him tossing and shifting on the sorry excuse for a bed, but then he falls still. The light sound of his snoring is what I listen to until unseen morning light comes.

"Breakfast, get up ya lazy bums."

A guard yells as he runs his baton along the bars and glares in at us. I get up fast and walk towards the corner to take a piss and avoid eye contact. I don't want to get Dallas into any trouble. He already seems to be quite the loner in this place. He sits up after me and the guard walks away without taking another glance. I guess it's not that odd to see guys in bed together here? I don't know. Maybe I should ask Dallas about that when we're alone. For now, we gotta get to breakfast. I'm starving. Man I miss my brothers cooking.

"Next."

They call us one by one as we stand in line holding up our trays to collect our 'breakfast'. Which is really just the cheapest garbage molding food they can get away with feeding us. But I'm hungry and so is everyone else here. So we settle for the slop and pick out the freshest parts of it to eat. I keep my head down, copying Dallas because I know he knows the score. He doesn't talk this morning and I don't either. Im not mad at him anymore. I know he didn't mean to get us into this mess. It just happened and there's nothing either of us can do to change that. Besides, I'd rather have a friend in a place like this than an enemy. When we're done our breakfast, he shows me to the TV room. Some people are playing cards, others are drawing mindlessly, everything is quiet. Even the TV can barely be heard. It's a cooking show that's playing at the moment and Dal scoffs as soon as he sees the screen. We head for a table with a deck of cards and sit down. He shuffles and we start playing war.

"You're still limping Dal, is everything okay?"

"Soda, I said to mind your buisness, did I not?"

"You did. But we're buddies and my business is yours. Just like yours is mine, if you'd stop being stubborn."

"It ain't being stubborn to want some privacy in my damn life."

"Fine, don't tell me."

"I won't."

"Whatever."

"Mhm."

"Yep."

"Okay."

Dallas' POV

Sodapop is really pressing his luck with me. He won't give it up about my limp and honestly, my hips ache like hell. I didn't even wanna get up this morning. And now I'd like to beat the tar outta him. But I know I can't so I just sit here quietly and play cards. He sits close to me but not right beside me. Under the table our knees are touching and it slightly makes me less agitated. Human contact in a place like this should calm anyone. Or at least that's what I'm gonna sit here and tell myself because there is no way I'd admit that it's only because it's him. Soda's got that affect on me for some reason. Hes got that way about him that just makes me feel like I'm someone else when he's around. I give a shit for once and I have emotions that don't usually show themselves when I'm around him. I'd never let him get hurt if it was up to me. I'd keep him safe from everyone. Him and his brothers have had it rough. They deserve to be happy and I'll take down anyone who disagrees. Soda beats me every game and everytime he does I get more and more annoyed. Until finally, it's lunch.

"Come and get it!"

I stand and he follows me like a lost dog. Most of the guys in here are all talk and they don't want no trouble, so they leave us alone. It's only that one group of guys that ever bothers me. Sarge and his gang of misfit fuckheads. I hate those guys. I fill my tray even though I don't like the food and I watch Soda closely follow behind. He doesn't grab nearly enough for a meal, but I don't blame him. The food sucks. He pouts out his bottom lip as we sit down and pokes at his food.

"Whats wrong?"

"I miss cake."

"Only today and tomorrow and then the next morning we'll be out and heading home, okay? Try not to think about it."

He nods at me and sighs as he scoops small spoons of pudding that looks like it's gone bad into his mouth. He gags a little, but swallows anyways. Hes hungry and I feel bad for him. I'm used to fasting sometimes. Hes definitely not. Darry always makes sure he's got food to eat. He would never have it any other way. When we finish lunch, it's yard time. We drop our trays into a bin and head outside into the cloudy mess of a day. It looks like it might rain. If that happens we'll get called in before our times up and everyone will be in a shitty mood. I don't need to tell Soda to follow me, he just does. He knows where to go and where to sit and he picks up the deck of cards right away. Like clockwork, we begin to build a tower of cards. It's flimsy and it sways with the wind, but he smiles adorably every time he puts another card on. And that makes me a little warmer inside.

"Winston. Let's go."

I look behind myself to find those guys. And Soda stiffens up when he sees them too. He has no clue what their deal is or that I'm pretty much some jerks prison bitch for the stay. He has no clue. And I'm gonna keep it that way. I stand up and walk back towards the garden sheds in the yard. Like always, it's vacant back here. Rough hands shove me face first against the back of the wooden shed and the zipper on my jumper is practically ripped down exposing my t shirt and frayed underwear. The jumper is tugged harshly down my body and my boxers are thrown to my ankles.

"Now keep quiet."

Man I hate jail.