On the Outside

Chapter 4

"Night Becc."

She waves to me on my way out the door.

I sigh, and take out my earrings.

Two more weeks. Two more weeks and I wouldn't have to walk home any more.

Dally would hopefully be out in just three weeks.

I miss the son of a bitch.

Lighting a cigarette as I walk, I try to walk quickly. Lately some Socs had been making trouble in the area.

I walk for a minute, and then all the hairs on my arms and neck stand straight up.

Shit.

A blue mustang sweeps around the corner of the crumbling curb.

I run.

They catch me.

And I barely have time to scream.

-

"Seale?"

I blankly look up at Darry, the torrential rain unnoticed.

My blouse is missing, and I hold my jacket tightly around me.

Tears well up in my eyes.

Darry pulls me inside, and into the bathroom.

Fully dressed, he helps me shower. When I'm clean, Soda lends me some clothes, and I sleep in his and Pony's bed.

When I wake up screaming, Soda holds me.

  -Two Weeks Later-

"Dally?" Soda says in surprise.

Blearily, Dally looks up from the couch.

"What're you doing outta the slammer?"

"Got off early man. Good behavior." Dallas said with a shrug.

"Shouldn't you be at work or somethin'?" Dally questions, and Soda sighs.

"Yeah. Two said he'd give me a ride. But I'm gonna have to start walking if I'm gonna make it for the last part of my shift." He says with a roll of his eyes.

"I got my car back when they released me. I can give you a ride." Dally offers.

Soda's eyes light up.

"Really?"

Dallas actually wasn't sure. He'd rather pass out on the couch in truth. But the expression on Soda's face convinced him otherwise.

"Yeah. C'mon."

They ride in silence, until Dally sighs.

"Okay Soda. What is it?" He asks, noticing Soda's fidgeting.

He hesitates, but Dallas pins him with a look.

Soda sighs, and suddenly looks very tired.

"They got Sealey a few weeks ago. She's... she's not okay, Dal. She barely eats or sleeps, just goes to work and comes back."

The breaks screech when Dallas hits them.

"Get. Out." He growls, and Soda's eyes widen.

"But-"

"Get out!" He yells, hands white on the steering wheel.

Soda hurriedly hops out, and barely closes the door before Dallas peels out.

He stops in front of the diner, and pulls out a cigarette with shaking hands.

She's not okay.

After a shaky drag. Dallas can calm down enough to think.

Sealey didn't need this. Sealey didn't deserve this. Why did this happen to her of all people?

Dally presses his forehead to the wheel, and breathes unevenly.

"Shit." He swore.

Meanwhile, Sealey walked out of the diner slowly, slightly limping.

Dally looks up quickly at the sight of movement, and hurried to get out of the car.

"Sealey!" He calls after her.

She turns, a faint expression of surprise on her face.

"Dal?" Her voice is fragile, so unlike the Sealey he knows.

Before she says anything else, Dally wraps her in a hug, and buries his face in her neck.

Eventually, she returns the embrace, but it feels hollow.

"Fuck, Seale,-"

Dally looks at the shining hazel green eyes in front of him, and can't help it.

He kisses her, more gently than he really feels like.

She makes a soft noise that melts into a sigh.

Slowly, they pull away from each other, and Dally's hand falls slowly from her face.

"I'm, I'm sorry doll. I'm sorry I wasn't here."

Sealey buries her face in his jacket.

Dally wraps his arms around her tightly, and in turn buries his face in her hair.

"Missed you. You bastard." Sealey mutters. Dally smiles grimly.

"Me too."

■♤■

Dally traces the curve of Sealey's cheek gently.

She stirs slightly, either from the noise of one of Buck Miller's parties, or Dallas's touch.

But instead of waking, she simply curls closer to Dallas.

Dally's Saint Christopher now hangs from her neck, resting on top of the too large tshirt Dally had lent her for the night.

Dally gently kisses her head, and settles back down beside her.