This Might Hurt A Little-A Dallas Winston Fanfiction

A Hard Days Night

Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.-Mother Teresa 

I didn't stay at that party for much longer. A slow stream of people trickled out or they just passed out. Soda took off to God know's where and the only people who were still there were Dallas and Mark. I had fallen asleep around 2:30 AM and woke up at 3:30 to Dallas shaking my shoulder.

"Come on, you don't want to sleep here."

I ran my hand through the tangled mess that was my hair, "Where's Soda?"

Dallas shrugged and pulled his jacket onto his shoulders. "The car's gone though, and Mark can't get any of the other ones started."

That left me with no way home besides walking, and I sure as hell wasn't going to do that alone.

"Can you walk with me? It's not that far." I asked softly, standing to my feet.

In all honesty, I was expecting him to reject me in 17 different ways. But he just widened his eyes slightly and gave a small nod.

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm coming too. I don't want you guys running into any trouble." Mark called from across the room.

I doubted we were going to find any trouble. Even Soc's had to sleep sometime. Still, you don't just reject Mark, you just don't. We left shortly after, shouting up the stairs to Buck that we were leaving. If he heard us, he didn't respond. The air was sharp and cold, cutting through the thin fabric of my black dress.

"You cold?" Dallas asked as he wrapped his jacket around me.

It wasn't a romantic gesture, he would have done it for anyone younger than him. I'm only 3 months younger than him but, it was something he would never forget. He would constantly use the seniority card over me.

"Thanks." I said, barely managing a smile. I was exhausted. 

"So why'd Soda take off without you?" Mark asked, kicking rocks in the road.

"He does it all the time. He doesn't think about things."

It's true. If you weren't talking to Sodapop he would always forget you. Once him and Ponyboy went to the store together and it took him a good 2 hours to realize that he'd just gone and walked home without Pony.

"You think he'd remember his girlfriend." Dallas let out a short laugh.

"Probably been hit in the head too many times fighting." Mark added, rounding the corner.

"Be nice." I sighed.

It was the only thing I could think of to say. Even through the darkness I could tell Dallas was rolling his eyes at me.                                                                             

"I'm not the nicest person in the world." Dallas said.

"Probably why you never get out of jail early for good behavior." I snapped back.

"I just did!" Dallas said back indignantly, laughing slightly to my surprise. 

"Be like me and you'll never get caught. And then you won't ever have to be nice. Not even to the cops." Mark said.

His lack of fear left an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like I said, something about Mark really scared me. I moved closer to Dallas, bumping into him but, he stayed silent.

"You're going to get caught one these days." Dallas replied back, lighting a cigarette that illuminated his face.

"I doubt it." 

"Everyone in this whole town knows what you're doing except your brother."

"I don't." I said dumbly.

"He's dealing." Dallas spoke up before Mark had the time to shush him.

I didn't reply right away. I could picture Mark having a drawer full of pills and selling them to kids who didn't know any better and the drop outs who didn't care that they were dangerous. I could picture him sneaking out of his little white house at night and meeting up with people in an alley, giving them a Mark smile before handing them the little plastic baggy. I could believe it, I just couldn't get my head around it.

"Mark, that stuffs dangerous!" I said in a hushed whisper.

It would have been different if it was weed or something. Nearly everyone in the town had tried it once upon a time and it wasn't anything to be worried about. But, I knew it wasn't that. He was selling something much more hard if he was keeping it down low.

"It's not my fault if people take it. I just need the money." He gave me a laugh.

"What do you mean it's not your fault? You're selling it!" I looked over to Dallas for help but, he wasn't paying attention.

"If I wasn't selling it, someone else would be. Come on Scarlett, it's not a big deal."

I bit my tongue from saying anything smart back. I couldn't do anything. If I would have snitched I'm not exaggerating when I say that someone would have killed me. And I couldn't have stopped him myself either.

Dallas must have noticed my mood because he looked at me, then at Mark, "Hey, I think its time for you to take off."

Mark didn't even question it, he just gave a laugh and then turned the corner without a care in the world.

"That really bothers you that much?" Dallas asked, after letting me cool down for a few minutes.

"It doesn't bother you?" I looked at him.

The cigarette was still brightly lit and his face caught every ray of glowing light.

"Of course it does. He shouldn't be selling to kids, I know that. But, he's right, you know. If he wasn't, someone else would be. He just needs money."

"You make it sound like he's innocent." I muttered, looking down at my feet.

"Marks no more innocent than I am." Dallas let out another short laugh but, it was lifeless.

"Did you deal in New York?" I asked tentatively.

Dallas could go on for days about his life in New York but, he hated people asking questions. You had to play by his rules. But I figured if there was ever a time, it was right then with us walking alone in the dark. 

He shook his head, "I didn't need the money. I needed something to do."

"You really hate it here." It meant to be a statement but, it came out as more of a question.

"Yeah. I really do."

"The gang would miss you if you left." I couldn't think of anything better to say.

He took a drag of his cigarette, "You think?"

It seemed like his eyes bore straight through my skull and I managed a nod. A bizarre smile came up on his face, his lips twisting up only slightly at the end. He was thinking about what I said, I could tell. He stopped walking and it took me a second to realize that we'd reached my house. It looked different in the dark, more peaceful.

"Thanks for walking me home." I told him, unsure of what to do next.

He just gave me a shrug, "Anytime."

"Do you need somewhere to stay? I've got a couple spare bedrooms. You could sneak out before my mom wakes up." 

It was no secret that Dallas didn't have a home to go to. His dad was a drunk not to mention flat out mean.  He didn't want to be there and his dad didn't want him there.

He gave me a strange smile again, but this time I swear shame flashed across his face, "No, I'll find somewhere. Thanks."

I gave him a nod and then turned to walk inside but, I heard his voice call, "Scarlett? Marks just a kid. Remember that." 

"Sure, Dallas." Was all I could think to say.

He turned around then, his silhouette clear underneath the glow of the streetlamp. I sat on my step and watched him walk until the outline of his body faded into the darkness. He didn't look back once.