Snapshot // Sodapop and Dallas

Chapter 3

   After we finished eating we all sat in the living room chatting. I caught the boys up to where Soda was on my life. Told them about my parents and about my Lilly. I told them about surfing and my little brother. Told them how I needed to find my home and how Tulsa was definitely looking good at the moment. They shared their stories, all except Dally. At one point, Two-bit was sharing a hysterical moment he had at school when I zoned out completely. I was staring intently at Dallas. His sharp and dangerous features made him attractive, not in the way Sodapop was. He wasn't glamorous and beautiful. Nor was he delicate and soft. He was terrifying and addicting. If Sodapop's eyes were the stars, Dally's were all the darkness around them.
   "I think I better head out." I said excusing myself while I stood up.
   "Yeah me and JC here were about to leave as well. Dal you heading to Buck's?" Two-Bit asked.
   "Yeah, I'll go ahead and leave too." He said. He was definitely a man of few words.
   "Where are you going Henna?" Sodapop asked. That was a good question. I didn't have a place to stay.
   "Is there a hotel near here?"
   "Closes one is next to Buck's." Dally answered. This was the first time he had spoken to me all evening.
   "Oh." Was all I managed to say. I stood awkwardly not knowing rather to ask him to walk me there or not. This was a sketchy side of town after all and I didn't know the location.
   "I'll show you." He said and then walked out without saying goodbye to any of the boys.
   We all watched him leave and then I turned back to the guys.
    "He's not usually this bad. Somethings bothering him." Darrel informed me.
   "I hope it isn't me."
   "Of course not Henna." Sodapop jumped in. "Can I pick you up tomorrow for breakfast?" He asked and I grinned. He was impossible to say no to.
   "Sure thing. I'll see you tomorrow at 8:00." I hugged him bye and then walked out hoping Dally had waited on me. I was relieved to see that he had.
   We began walking away from the Curtis home in silence.
   "So your accent tells me you're not from here." I stated trying to start some sort of conversation. He lit a cigarette and shook his head no.
   "New York." Was all he said.
   "Why'd you come here?" I asked.
   "Why do you care?" He responded. He wasn't a friendly person. But I hoped maybe that would change.
   "Well I-" I started but was cut off.
   "Look." He said stopping us both. "I don't know who the hell you are and why you're here but I'm just walking you cause Sodapop would be pissed of his little girlfriend got jumped. I'm not doing this to become best pals alright?" I felt my face burn and my stomach start to hurt. This always happened when I was younger and my mom or my teacher would be mad at me. I hated confrontation and I hated getting into trouble.
   "I'm sorry." I mumbled. He looked at me and for the first time his eyes softened a little bit. We began walking again we're almost to our destination.
   "Why you wear your hair like that?" He asked and i almost froze I was so confused. What? One second he's yelling at me and then questioning my style of hair?
   "What?" I asked.
   He stopped at the gate of the hotel and looked at me while I walked in.
   "Covers your face." He said once again choosing very few words. I stood confused and waited for him to finish. For the first time all night he grinned. "That's a bad thing. You got a pretty face Henna." He turned around leaving me shocked.
   I didn't have anything to say. Instead I grabbed my camera and took a picture of him as he walked away into the night. He was just stepping into the light of a lonely streetlight when I snapped the photo. It was dark, lonely, and everything Dally was. And I cherished it.