Meet me under the stars (The Outsiders fanfic)

Ages ago

"Maybe it's not too late. For any of us."

As everyone sat down in the living room to eat I realized Johnny was here so we couldn't talk yet.
"Hey Soda." I whispered "Imma Just tell everyone at once. Johnny's gonna find out anyways."
"Man, okay."
"Hey guys." Everyone looked at me. "Who's been to the beach?" They all shook their heads no in unison. "Who wants to go to the beach." Steve immediately shouted a "YEAH"
"Well we were thinking that maybe we could all go to California. Back where I'm from. We can all see the ocean and y'all could meet my friends and there's this place I wanna show you called the Griffith Observatory in LA..." they all started blabbering about sharks and girls in bikinis and beer blasts.
"HEY!!! WE AIN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO PLAN IF Y'ALL DONT SHUT YOUR TRAPS!!!" Darry overpowered all their voices. They immediately shut up.
"Okay." I looked at Dal who was saying something to Johnny. "School ends in one week and three days. I want this trip to be about two weeks is that good? Darry? Soda, steve?"
"I'll see if we can get two weeks off at the same time." Soda said.
"Darry I'll pay you for your missed days. It's a whole days drive there, with minimal stops. If you know you can go raise your hand." Johnny's hand shot up the fastest, his face was huge with joy, he was excited. Ponyboy, Dally, Two-Bit and My hands were up. The other three would need permission from work.
"So two days driving there and back and the rest just chilling and touring?" Dal asked.
"Yep. You'll see the ocean. It can get hot there. Felt like my freckles were gonna melt off."
"Wish your whole face melted off, save me the pain of havin to look at ya." Two-Bit said.
"I wish you're parents woulda used a condom. Bet they wish too." That shut him up.
"So we actually gonna do this? What car will we use?" Johnny asked. "What do we need to take? Will I actually physically melt?" He was really excited, he was actually talking, and a lot.
"I think so, there's 7 of us so it needs to be big. I'll find one. And you'll need swimming trunks, sunscreen unless you wanna be burnt. And just your regular stuff. I'll take care of shampoo and stuff. Just get swimming and regular clothes, hair grease, shoes, and sunglasses. And Johnny?"
"Yeah?"
"You're not gonna melt." He smiled awkwardly. Two-Bit dramatically acted out melting. "AH OH GOD." He held his face. "HELP ME JOHNNY!!" His arms flailed then fell. "AHHH!" He finally fell, his tongue sticking out as he laid on the ground.
"You're an idiot." Dal said emphasizing "Idiot."
"Agreed." I rolled my eyes. As everyone finished I took the plates to the sink and brought out the cake. They rioted.  Steve got it everywhere, as usual. "This is actually really good considering you and Dal were distracted." Two-Bit said, crumbs coming out with each word.
"Distracted?" Darry looked at me.
"Yeah, music." I pinched Two's arm.
"I gotta go tell Alex, Dal give me a ride." I got up when I finished the cake.
"It's like down the road. Lazy shit." I pushed Steve as I stepped over him.
"I'll be quick." I told Soda.  It was dark out. The stars shone brightly. Luckily there was a tree next to Alex's window, they had a two story house. I quickly climbed it, Dal followed. Adam was inside her room talking, which he never seemed to stop doing. I slowly opened the window scaring them. I swung my feet in, "Hey losers." Dal followed me in.
"Hey." Alex immediately came to me looking at my hair. "You couldn't really do something with this, its beautiful." I rolled my eyes and plopped on the bed. Dal sat next to me, "What?" Adam was staring at him. He shrugged and looked at Alex.
"I'm going home." I told Alex. "To California I mean. For two weeks."
"When?" She put down her hairbrush. She was always concerned about how she looked, always wore makeup, always curled her hair to perfection, always wore skirts and sweaters. It didn't make sense to me. The only time I wore makeup was when I went to this really fancy party I snuck into with Logan.
"As soon as schools over." She immediately protested.
"You're leaving me here alone the first two weeks of summer??"
"Yep." I smiled wide.
"It's not that long." Dally said. He put his arm around my waist.
"I guess. You goin alone?" Adam Joined. He talked his mouth off but when I showed up he would clam up.
"No, Dal's comin. And the rest of the gang. We just came by to tell you." A red dress hung on Alex's closet door, it was knee length and had jewels around it's single sleeve. "Are you serious? You're going to that stupid dance?" 
"It's not stupid. And yes, aren't you and Dal." Me and Dal immediately laughed.
"That's not our sorta thing." Dal said.
"Come on guys!!! You have to go." Alex showed me her shoes, matching red heels with straps. "Please."
"I'll consider it." I lied. I would never go to a school dance, or any dance. Or wear a dress. Let alone heels. "Check this out." I reached for my shirt and Dal stopped me
"Adam, leave." He grumbled and left then Dal let me show Alex. I took of my shirt to reveal the tattoo.
"Oh my god. Did you really?" Alex got up and touched it.
"Hell yeah, Dal got one too. Show her babe." He took off his shirt, revealing his abs and the tattoo.
"Awwww they're matching. Too bad they are flipping me off." She frowned at me and gave me a disappointed look. "Soda know?"
"Oh god no. He would kill me, maybe. Not worth the risk." Dal put his shirt back on and so did I. "We gotta go, Darry will think we eloped to Mexico. We said our goodbyes and I jumped out the window and scurried down the tree.
"Adams kinda funny." I said as Dally put his arm around me, making me feel secure. "He never shuts up but when I'm there he never talks."
"He likes you. He didn't leave at first, he hesitated. He looks at you too. I don't like him." I stopped walking. It made sense. I scrunched my face at the thought.
"Logical." I kept walking.
"You're funny too." Dal said.
"What do you mean?"
"You're bout tough as me but you soften around some of the guys. It's like two different people. When we aren't around you're like a bomb. Waiting to fight and explode. Like an addiction." We reached the door. "Around Soda and Johnny you talk. Real talk, like what Pony does. I heard you and Johnny talking once about flowers once, how people also wilt, fall, root and bloom."
"And you." I opened the door. Johnny was talking about the ocean with Pony. He looked genuinely happy. His eyes were wide and his hands waving around with emotion, showcasing a wave crashing down.
"I called work. I got two weeks off." Darry stood up.
"REALLY!?!?" I walked to him, he was so much taller than me. All of them were except Pony and Johnny. Darry was the biggest of us all, Dal followed.
"Yeah, since I've never had to take time off it's paid. So don't worry about the money." I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Oh thanks so much Dar. I can't wait to see Luke and Thomas." He hugged me back, my feet were barely touching the ground. I sat by Johnny and told him "You're gonna love the sunsets on the beach." With that I went to take do the dishes. Darry didn't have to do much kitchen work and cleaning now because I was here. He worked enough as it was. Dal was leaned against the wall. "Wanna go have some fun?"
"When don't I?" I finished drying the dishes and put   on my shoes again. "We'll be back."
"Where? When will you be back?"  Soda stood up.
"Anywhere and..." I looked at Dal.
"An hour or so." He answered for me, leaning against the door. The way he always leaned on the wall or a car made him look tuff.
"Okay. Careful." I walked out with Dal around me. Teases came from all the guys as we walked out, Dal turned around and they all shut up.
"Where to?" He asked me.
"You're asking me?"
"Yes?"
"Alright. I found this place a few days ago while I was walking the train tracks with Alex." I started running west. Towards the rich area.
"This isnt our territory" Dal slowed to a walk after s little , forcing me to.
"No it's up there. Still ours but not quite theirs." I started running again.
"Ours. Consider yourself a greaser now huh?"
"I guess so considering I'm with y'all." I glanced at him, it was hot and he had his jacket on.
"You'd make out like a bandit as a soc."
"How so?"
"You'd be like honey to flies. No one would stop wanting you lucky I got to you first."
"Incorrect. Actually the waiter at the Bowen Louge got to me first. And thank god for that I was hungry." He smiled his incredible grin. I stopped and slowly walked into the tree line of the forest by the tracks.
"You tryna kill me?" I looked up to make sure it didn't get cloudy.
"Just come one loser." I pulled him through the trees, he was not so graceful. We walked into a clear area with a field of Fleabane Daisy's hidden in the trees, it was beautiful.
"Oh great, allergies." He said as I pulled him to the middle. I plopped on the ground and laid now to look up. He did the same hesitating.
"Woah." He seemed to appreciate it. The stars. They glowed like a thousand pieces of the sun. They kept the moon company at night. The stars were in Dal's eyes too, shining like a million suns.
"Under the stars." I whispered. He most likely did not hear me. The look in his eyes was different than usual, like he enjoyed this. I would have never thought him to appreciate something like this, but maybe people aren't what they seem. Maybe tough Dallas Winston couldn't be so tough all the time. Maybe it's not too late. For any of us.
We laid there for a good while in silence.
"What do you think about California?" I asked him.
"Sounds good to me. Can't wait to meet this Thomas guy you don't shut up about." I started to pick the flowers beneath me.
"Haha. I can't wait to see the ocean again. Feels like ages ago." It felt like ages ago when I walked the shoreline as the sun set. Ages ago when I surfed those waves and saw the fish in the water as it crashed behind me. Ages ago when my toes curled around the hot sand, when the salt water made my curls curlier, when the moon made the tide come in and out. Ages ago when we swam with dolphins. Ages ago when I felt the salt water I called home. Ages ago.
"One weeks and three days."
"One weeks and three days" I repeat his words. The flowers beneath us were in full bloom, I picked them and made a crown sort of thing. I gently placed it on his head. "Pretty princess." His face immediately went into a glare, almost shocked.
"The audacity you have scares me sometimes." He took it off and placed it on me. I tilted my chin towards the sky, smiled and fell back.
"Under the stars." He says. He did hear me.